Heat Press Buying Guide

Find below some helpful information that will help you decide which of the machines listed below would be best suited for your needs.

1. Type of Machine

Different types of heat press machines serve different purposes.

Clam-Shell Designs:  

• If you are a beginner and you wish to work with flat transfers such as T Shirt Transfers, then we recommend the clam shell models. 

• It is time efficient and the garment layout does not require as much attention to detail. 

• These machines are also typically cheaper than the swing-away or multipurpose models.

Swing-Away Designs:

• If you wish to step up the game and work with t-shirts with rhinestones, numbers and letters or sublimation printing; then I highly recommend the Swing-Away models. 

• These types of jobs require precision and you need a complete view of the layout area.

2. Size, Shape and Purpose of the Machine

It is important to have a think about what your purpose is with the machine! What size do you require?

• The flat surface of a heat press is perfect for flat presses such as T shirt transfers, whilst you will require a curved press if you wish to work with mugs or caps. 

• You can also find smaller heat presses for cheaper if you don't require a larger size. 

• If you are after a T shirt heat press machine our recommendation is to choose between either the 14 x 16" or the 16" x 20" models.

• Large format presses range from 16 x 24" presses, 20 x 25" and upwards.

If you can work out your purpose and the size you require, it will be much easier when it comes to selecting the right heat press for your needs.

3. Manual vs Automatic

For most of us, a manual operated heat press is all that is needed for our pressing needs.

• These machines are perfect for those who create sporadically or on a small batch basis. 

• They are cheaper than automatic heat press machines 

• A smarter investment if you are not planning on operating a large scale heat press business

If you will be pressing for more than 4 hours a day, then we recommend an automatic operated machine.

4. Single or Multi-Purpose Ability

If you are sticking to only one heat press product, then we highly recommend you invest in a single application model.

All the models below are brilliant for shirts or flat materials, but you can also purchase mug and cap presses on our blog posts found below:

• Find the best mug press machine here

• Find the best hat heat press here

If you know that you will be working a wide variety of products and materials you will need to purchase a multi-function model.

They have interchangeable heat platens and bottom tables.