After a few loads of laundry, it's hard to get excited about what comes next: the ironing.

Despite the proliferation of wrinkle-resistant clothing, those items are not always completely wrinkle-free -- and tricky fabrics like linen and silk continue to be popular. That's given way to a surprising amount of innovation in irons, an appliance that's been around in some form for thousands of years, made out of everything from smooth stones to metal rods.

Over the last two years, a number of midpriced irons have hit the market, with features like automatic shut-off, vertical steam and stainless-steel and enamel surfaces for easy gliding. (Those features were usually found on only the most expensive versions in the past.) Maker Rowenta in Medford, Mass., recently introduced several antidrip irons for about $50, which are built to prevent excess water from trickling out of the steam holes while you iron. Business is growing: Last year, Americans bought 14.7 million irons, up 1.4 percent from the previous year, according to the Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers.

We bought five irons that could double as vertical steamers. We then invited three testers -- a former women's clothing designer, a costume designer and a bachelor who finds ironing "embarrassingly complicated" -- to help try them out. Their task, which they met with varying degrees of reluctance: Iron a pile of clothing, including cotton tops and a linen pant suit, and then steam a few silk items on hangers and some curtains on a rod. In the process, we evaluated details like weight, steam, glide and ease of use.

All five eliminated wrinkles in the vertical-steam test -- you just hold up the iron and press a button to continually release the misty shots. The problem? "It's too heavy to hold this way," said the costume designer after a few minutes of steaming the curtains with the models, and their bulky shapes didn't help either. They would work fine in a pinch, but we'd prefer a separate, lightweight steamer for heavy-duty jobs.

When it came to ironing, all five test models left the fabric wrinkle-free as well -- some more easily than others. The $28 Conair Palm Iron was the smallest model we bought, at about 6 1/2 inches long. (It turns out this is a travel iron, which wasn't explained on the Web site.) Its miniature size made it easy to hold, but it also meant more time spent going over the fabric. Also, its aluminum soleplate didn't glide as easily, and it didn't have a fabric guide printed on the exterior, indicating which temperature to use. Finally, it required distilled water, while the others used tap. We draw the line at buying bottled water for an iron.

The $90 Rowenta Professional Steam Iron from J&R, weighing in at 3 1/2 pounds plus a water tank that holds an additional 13 ounces, was too heavy. "I'm already fatigued," said one tester on her first piece of clothing. We did like the three-way auto shut-off, which cuts power if the iron hasn't been moved for a while after sitting on its heel, soleplate or side, and the "extra long burst" steam, which gave us a good, strong shot.

The judges gave high marks for the full blast of steam and comfortable handle on the $33 Black & Decker SteamAdvantage, at approximately three pounds. However, it was hard to read the tiny type of the fabric guide, inconveniently located on the heel of the iron, rather than by the temperature control.

The $70 T-fal Aquaspeed, from Amazon.com, had several good features. The triangular base made it very stable, it had three-way auto shut-off, and the water hole could be filled straight from the tap. (The others had to be filled by measuring cup.) What kept it from the winner's circle was, ironically, the too-smooth glide of its long enamel soleplate, which made us feel like we were operating a race car, and a somewhat confusing temperature control. Most thought the design was too colorful and complicated, though the bachelor called its hydrofoil-like appearance "sharp."

The Sunbeam Dura Press Iron was the simplest to use. We could operate the iron without memorizing the manual -- "I don't want to have to figure out my iron, I just want to iron," said one tester -- and the temperature control dial was the easiest to read. At two pounds, 10 ounces, unfilled (the tank holds an additional six ounces of water), it felt just right. It wins Best Overall, and at $55, Best Value.

Although it was everyone's favorite, it didn't exactly change any minds about the chore. "This is more ironing than I've done in a year," grumbled the bachelor, halfway through a cotton shirt. "I've just reached my quota."

STORE/PRICE/PHONE: Sunbeam, Dura Press Iron 4064, $54.99, 800-458-8407, sunbeam.com
QUALITY: Best Overall and Best Value. The easiest to hold and use, and delivered a good shot of steam. Measures 11 1/2 inches by 5 1/2 inches; 2 pounds, 10 ounces.
SHIPPING COST/TIME: We spent $8.95 on standard delivery, which arrived in two days.
RETURN POLICY: Within 30 days for refund or replacement. Shipping charges not refundable.
PHONE/WEB EXPERIENCE: Site did not list dimensions or weight for the product -- out of the five sites we used, only J&R had those details.
COMMENT: Iron is now out of stock, but is expected to be back in soon.

STORE/PRICE/PHONE: Amazon.com, T-fal Aquaspeed 155, $69.95
QUALITY: Long, at 12 inches, and fairly heavy, at almost three pounds. Had nice features, but the design was too complicated and its glide felt slippery.
SHIPPING COST/TIME: Standard shipping (four to eight business days) cost $9.50, in three days. Free super saver shipping also available.
RETURN POLICY: Within 30 days for full refund, in new condition. Site covers shipping if there was an error.
PHONE/WEB EXPERIENCE: Site has a "click to call" button, which allows you to enter a phone number for call back. We tried it and got the call within seconds.
COMMENT: As for the super-fast glide, a T-fal spokeswoman says that it speeds up the ironing process, and that "you just have to get used to the pick-up."

STORE/PRICE/PHONE: Black & Decker, SteamAdvantage AS175, $32.99, 800-743-8625, bdappliancestore.com
QUALITY: Not bad for the price, but fairly weighty (about three pounds) and 11 inches long. The fabric guide is hard to read, printed in tiny type on the iron's heel.
SHIPPING COST/TIME: We paid $7.95 for shipping. It arrived in two days.
RETURN POLICY: Within 30 days for refund or replacement. Customer pays shipping.
PHONE/WEB EXPERIENCE: The site was clearly laid out and worked well. When we called customer service, we spent almost five minutes on hold.
COMMENT: The fabric guide is meant to be a quick reference, says a Black & Decker spokesman. "Many longtime ironers have a basic comfort with temperatures and fabrics."

STORE/PRICE/PHONE: J&R Music & Computer World, Rowenta Professional Steam Iron DX8800, $89.99, 800-221-8180, jr.com
QUALITY: Has easy-to-read buttons and anti-drip capabilities, but it's heavy, at 3 1/2 pounds. Measures 10.8 inches long by 4.7 inches wide.
SHIPPING COST/TIME: Standard shipping cost $5.95, in one to two business days. Our order arrived in one day.
RETURN POLICY: Within 30 days for exchange or refund, subject to authorization. Customer pays shipping.
PHONE/WEB EXPERIENCE: Well-organized site, with good product information. This was listed as a top-seller (out of about 20 irons) when we bought it.
COMMENT: A Rowenta spokesman says iron is targeted to "professional" at-home ironers, who iron everything in the house. Company has lighter models.

STORE/PRICE/PHONE: Conair, Palm Iron DPP300TCS, $27.99, 800-211-9611, www.conair.com
QUALITY: Small and light (about three-quarters of a pound) but aluminum plate didn't glide as smoothly and iron didn't have a fabric guide. The manual says to use distilled water.
SHIPPING COST/TIME: We paid $7.95 for standard shipping, which arrived in two days.
RETURN POLICY: Within 30 days for refund or replacement. Shipping charges not refundable.
PHONE/WEB EXPERIENCE: When we called, we were first put on hold for eight minutes, but representative was apologetic and helpful.
COMMENT: Conair says using distilled water avoids calcium deposits -- but consumers often use tap water. This is site's only nondigital steam iron.