Do you love living in the digital era?
Would you be clueless if your appliances suddenly weren’t as high tech anymore?
There’s nothing to be ashamed of. People don’t like admitting such things to themselves, but the truth is, technology has helped us immensely, and many would be lost without it. Consider yourself lucky you were born in this day and age, where you can read one article and learn all you need to know about the best digital heat presses.
Useful Information About Heat Presses
Why Digital Heat Transfer Printer?
To be perfectly honest with you, almost every heat press I’ve run into so far has been digital. There just isn’t much sense in not putting things like temperature control and timers on these appliances. For all intents and purposes, this will be a list of the most popular heat presses in general, that also point out the quality of their digital components.
Where To Look For Digital Heat Presses?
As with any other heat press, you will likely find it easiest to search for them online. A quick keyword search will merit hundreds of results. You can narrow your search by looking at a specific site, like Amazon or Alibaba. You can also read through our handy articles and get all the information you need from one place.
Expected Price Range
In this article, I will try to cover a wide range of prices. “Something for every pocket” as they say. Naturally, the price depends on many factors. Parts quality, versatility, whether or not there’s a warranty, etc. The prices of these machines range from about $200 to almost $2000.
Best 5 Digital Heat Press Machines
15×15” Cheap Clamshell Heat Press
Fancierstudio Power Heat Press Digital Heat Press
Compelling Price
The Fancierstudio digital high-pressure heat press machine boasts a 15×15” t-shirt platen and a powerful 1800 Watt engine. It works on temperatures up to 700 Fahrenheit. This mighty press is the cheapest on this list, but it can still handle the most demanding projects.
A Medium-Sized Clamshell
This 15×15” digital transfer sublimation heat press machine for shirt printing is made in the clamshell style. This means it won’t take up much room, but you need to be more careful to not burn yourself when handling it. The heating platen is coated in Teflon and the silicon rubber base is glued down for added safety.
Simple Digital Controls
The digital part of this heat press is positioned on the left side, above the heating platen. It’s a small screen you likely won’t be able to see while the press is open. Underneath it is time and temperature controls in the form of 6 easy-to-use buttons. You can choose if you want to use Celsius or Fahrenheit units, and there’s even a handy conversion table on the other side of the machine.
- Very cheap
- Powerful motor
- Choose temperature units
15×15” Clamshell Heat Press
Siser Digital Clam Heat Press
A Warranty For Every Size
This heat press comes in 11×15”, 15×15” and 16×20” sizes, which of course impacts its price. Regardless of the size, it’s a mid-range appliance that comes with many certificates and a one year manufacturer’s warranty. It also boasts a bright red color.
Small Screen On A Loud Machine
This heat press’ screen is positioned right above the heating platen. It’s very small and minimalistic. There are just 3 buttons that control everything. The time and temperature readouts are live, meaning they change in time with the printing process, and there’s an audible signal that alerts you the transfer is over.
Quality Insides
Some of the best features of this heat press are actually inside of it. The heating element is coated in a non-stick material. In it, the heating elements are placed 2” apart, ensuring there will be no cold spots, and you’ll get a perfect transfer, every time. Also, the pressure adjustment knob is located in the middle of the platen, which makes for easier control.
- Available in 3 sizes
- Mid-range price
- Comes with a warranty
- Quality heating elements
Professional 16×20” Heat Press
Geo Knight Digital Swinger Heat Press
Lifetime Of Warranties
The Geo Knight digital combo heat press has a 16×20” platen and is made in the swing-away style. This makes it safer and easier to use, but it also means it will require more space than a clamshell model. It has a powerful 1800 Watt motor. It comes with extensive warranties, ranging from a year for parts to life for the heating platen.
Quality Build
As far as the insides go, you can’t get much better than this Geo Knight Heat Press. The framework is made of welded steel. The platens are interchangeable, meaning you can buy additional platens and turn this press into anything you need. The platen it comes with is ¾” thick and can transfer on any surface that’s less than 2” thick.
Expensive And Utterly Digital
Unsurprisingly, this sturdy, US-made heat press is the most expensive appliance on this list. It is also the only properly digital one. It comes with 70 programmable presets, a digital pressure gauge, user-selectable end of cycle alarms and a very accurate thermometer that displays temperature in Fahrenheit or Celsius. And those are just some of its digital features, easily tracked on the front-facing blue screen.
- High price
- Abundant warranties
- Swing away style
- A lot of pressing power
Combo Heat Press
F2C Pro 6-In-1 Digital Heat Press
6 Different Attachments
This heat press comes with 6 different attachments for added versatility. The standard t-shirt platen is 12×15”. There’s a 6×3” cap press, 2 mug presses for 10 and 11 Oz mugs, and 2 plate presses for plates up to 5 and up to 6”. All these work on temperatures up to 430 Fahrenheit and utilizing the 1000 Watt motor.
Structurally Sound Swing Away
The upgraded aluminum heating plate ensures your safety and makes for an even transfer. The F2C 6-in-1 digital sublimation heat press machine is made in the swing-away style. It has built-in structural support that helps it maintain flatness across the whole platen.
Digital Amenities
The screen is located above the pressing area and placed at an angle. There are 2 separate displays for time and temperature, and you can choose if you want Fahrenheit or Celsius units. The machine is controlled with just 3 buttons. There is also an end of cycle alarm to notify you when your transfer is over.
- The versatility of 6 attachments
- Weaker engine
- Low price
- Choose temperature unit
Cheap Combo Heat Press
XFMoto Professional 8-In-1 Digital Heat Press
All The Attachments You Will Ever Need
This multifunctional digital heat press machine has a standard 12×15” t-shirt platen, a curved hat press, 2 latte mug and 2 regular mug presses and 2 plate presses. They are powered by a 1250 Watt motor, which is more than sufficient for any pressing project. They work on temperatures up to 400 Fahrenheit.
Full 360 Range
The XFMoto heat press is made in the swing-away style with a full 360-degree range of motion. Make sure you have enough room for it before buying it. All of its attachments, except the cap press, are Teflon coated. All things considered, this is a very cheap, versatile machine.
4 Simple Control Buttons
The digital in this digital swing-away heat press consists of 2 separate screens for temperature and time. You can set up the desired parameters using the 4 buttons right under the screens. Time can be set up to 600 seconds. When the transfer is finished, the machine will emit alarm noises to notify you.
- Very cheap
- 8 attachments
- Teflon coated surfaces
Conclusion – Final Verdict On Digital Heat Presses
It’s very difficult to gauge which of these digital heat press machines is objectively the best. They are all very different and serve different purposes. Make sure to really consider what you want and need from this appliance before making a purchase. I’d say that the F2C Pro 6-in-1 digital heat press is the best choice for a beginner that wants to get acquainted with the world of heat presses. It doesn’t cost a lot of money and it lets you try your hand at all possible heat press uses. On the other hand, if you’re a business owner or intend to start something, try the Siser Digital Heat Press. It comes with some warranties and is generally sturdier and better looking than cheaper presses.
If you haven’t found what you need here, continue reading this article about the best heat presses available right now. If you want your heat press to be even more 21st century, check out this review of the best automatic heat presses.