Best Callaway Irons 2025

Callaway is one the biggest brands in golf and a company with a huge presence amongst both the professional and amateur game. Renowned for producing high-quality golf equipment that caters to an array of players, including the best irons for low handicappers and most forgiving irons, Callaway really is one of the best brands when it comes to club manufacturing.

Along with producing the best golf drivers and best golf balls that money can buy, they also create some of the best golf irons which are crucial to get right when it comes to fitting and performance. Having the correct irons set-up to suit your game will help you find greater consistency. A good set will also give you confidence from an aesthetic and distance-control perspective too.

Acknowledging this, Callaway is most definitely a brand to consider if you are in the market for a new set of irons and, below, we have taken a look at their best irons in the current range. Alternatively, if Callaway is not for you, then why not check out our guides on the best Titleist irons, best Mizuno irons, best Ping irons and the best TaylorMade irons.

The Quick List

Best Callaway Irons

Best game improvement

We were excited to test Callaway's latest irons before we took them out of the box. After doing so, we were even more excited to try them. They're beautiful. Normally, the best looking irons in golf are reserved for the elite players in the sport who use blades and other less user-friendly sets.

Once in our hands, the Elyte irons feel really powerful and feedback from the strike is excellent, thanks in part to what Callaway call their 'Speed Frame’ construction' - essentially facilitating more of the urethane microspheres that help with feel and acoustics.

That's not the end of the fancy sounding technology, however, with Callaway advancing its A.I. development with the Ai10x face, which it says offers 10 times more 'control points' than previous iterations. It has also been given a new sole design to enhance turf interaction.

Numbers on the launch monitor weren't too dissimilar to what we saw from the 2024 irons but there were notable improvements in relation to turf interaction and workability. This is an early contender for best game improvement iron of 2025 for sure.

• Read our full Callaway Elyte Irons Review

Most user-friendly

The Elyte X irons continue on what the standard Elyte irons began in terms of looks, these are extremely pleasing on the eye - especially for game improvement irons. Pleasingly, the looks match the performance.

If the standard Elyte irons are the 'game improvement' irons then consider the Elyte X irons as the 'super game improvement irons', with a heavier offset, enhanced head size and wider soles to provide as much forgiveness as possible. They too feel powerful through the strike, promoting lovely turf interaction and feedback.

When compared to the standard model there are a few smaller differences in the results, but nothing major. The most notable is the extra couple of yards distance we found during testing, albeit this is likely thanks to the slightly stronger lofts (28° 7-iron in the Elyte X vs 29° in the standard Elyte).

The bigger difference is the phycological effect of the bigger, chunkier club head which will appeal to players seeking help with their iron play. Higher handicappers will likely want to see as much size as possible in their club head, as much offset as possible, and a very healthy thick top line to provide that reassurance - each of those boxes is ticked here. Any attempt to make the game feel easier is welcomed and that's what Callaway have provided with this latest set of irons.

• Read our full Callaway Elyte X Irons Review

Most forgiving

Part of the Callaway family for 2024 are the Paradym Ai Smoke irons which attempt to sit amongst the best distance irons and also the most forgiving irons. The chief technology to mention is the all-new Ai Smart Face which optimizes iron performance using swing data from thousands of real golfers. The result is a face that is designed to promote maximum distance with tight dispersion into the green.

But how did it test? Well we found the sound and feel highly sophisticated for irons in this category, which was very much a plus. Impressive distance was evident on strikes all across the face and really took us by surprise. Whilst obviously the centre of the face yielded the fastest speeds, drop offs were minimal too which made the forgiveness outstanding.

Overall, of all of the distance irons I have tested so far this season, the Ai Smoke leads the way in a number of categories, including feel and sophistication of looks. If you are after some distance-enhancing irons that will really look the part in your golf bag and feel softer than most game improvement irons, then this may well be the set for you.

• Read our full Callaway Paradym Ai Smoke Iron Review

Best for feel

Callaway claim that the new Apex CB irons are designed for the most discerning Tour pros and elite ball-strikers, with a new forged construction promising pure feel, precise shot-making, and workability. In testing, they certainly didn't disappoint, with an array of new technology providing elite performance.

Aesthetically, we thought these irons were fantastic, as the sleek and stylish design struck a great balance between a classic look while also leaving little clues and nods to modern innovation. They are slightly different to their predecessor, with the softer, more curved toe and smoother transition from hosel to topline really appealing to our eye.

Performance-wise, they were also hard to fault, with the Apex CB designed for players who desire a more forgiving iron than a pure blade, while still maintaining high levels of control and workability. In testing, the technology at work allowed for plenty of forgiveness, with distance and ball flight being the primary stand out.

• Read our full Callaway Apex CB Iron Review

Best looking

For the first time ever in an Apex iron, we see a hollow body construction that is paired with a forged face and 1025 carbon steel body to deliver a softer feel than its predecessor.

Looks-wise, the 2024 Apex Pro iron features a progressive face design in an attempt to provide higher ball speed in the long irons and more precision through the short irons. In testing, the differences were subtle, but they were also noticeable between the longer and shorter section of the bag.

Along with the differences, we found that the miss with these irons were to the left, which we put down to the additional offset. This is something which will help those who slice the ball, with the overall strike extremely satisfying, albeit a touch firmer than the other models in the range. In conclusion though, it is certainly not unpleasant.

• Read our full Callaway 2024 Apex Pro Iron Review

Best blade

The Apex MB irons deliver a striking blend of classic aesthetics and cutting-edge technology. First things first, there has been a focus on pure precision and exceptional workability, with the new Apex MB 2024 iron ticking a lot of boxes for precise ball strikers shopping for a new set of the best golf blade irons.

Although it is a blade design, the profile at address is slightly different from others on the market. How you may ask? Well, the Apex MB has a long topline that comes very directly out of the hosel, whereas others have a softer, more curved transition from hosel to topline. These visuals are always subjective, but we felt the MB was a treat to the eye.

When it came to the performance, we were seriously impressed. Callaway has taken on board the feedback from their Tour staff and introduced a “dual chamfer” on the sole. Softening up the leading edge to help cut through the turf, we felt it was an important addition which made a huge difference, with remarkable shot control making way for tight dispersion.

• Read our full Callaway 2024 Apex MB Iron Review

How we test irons

Our testing for golf irons is built upon a comprehensive process combined with the knowledge and expertise of the Golf Monthly test team. As far as the specific procedure goes, before testing, the team will usually attend product launches and meet with the manufacturer's R&D experts to understand the new technology.

When it comes to testing, we often head indoors first to try the irons in a controlled environment. This usually takes place on an indoor simulator at Foresight Sports, with premium balls and the GCQuad launch monitor. Our outside testing normally takes place at West Hill Golf Club, a course with top-notch practice facilities.

We think it is vitally important to do both and continue to test the irons so they have been comprehensively put to the test in different conditions. It should also be mentioned that manufacturers cannot pay for a good review and we make our conclusions from the testing and our experiences. This is because we strive to give the best reviews possible so you can get a greater understanding of the irons themselves.

How to choose irons

As you have seen, the market for golf irons is crowded and confusing and being sure you're getting the most suitable iron for your game can be a minefield. Hopefully, this piece has given you an idea of what the best options are out there right now, but here is some more advice to help you in your quest to find the best golf iron for your game in this crowded and dense marketplace.

Your Handicap And Ability

This is probably the most important first step: knowing which type of iron best suits your game. This is by no means gospel, but higher handicappers tend to use cavity back irons that offer maximum forgiveness in a larger iron head, while mid-low handicappers tend to use more bladed irons that are forged, offer more feel and control but less forgiveness.

You'll know how good or perhaps not so good your ball striking tends to be, so make sure you invest in a set of irons that matches where your game is out now, not where you'd ideally want it to be. We have great guides that go into more detail on this, so check out our guide on the most forgiving irons if you're a higher handicapper and our guide on the best irons for mid-handicappers.

Price

This will be a major factor in anyone's decision of what irons to go for. As you'll have seen in this list, the price can vary dramatically between irons. Typically, for a set of cavity back irons - those that provide most distance and forgiveness - you'll be looking between $600-$800 for a set of seven irons.

This obviously can fluctuate between brands, and we've highlighted in this list the ones we think give the best value for money in this category. The price jumps quite significantly when looking at the forged and bladed options - up to and above $1000 - but this is par for the course and you'll be getting a high quality, premium product in return.

Custom Fit

This is probably the most essential part of the iron buying process, no matter the irons you're after or how good you are at the game. A custom fit session will make sure you get the right flex and length of shaft, correct lie angle and correct iron head for your game, meaning you'll finish with the best golf clubs that are as suitable as possible for you out on course.

Custom fits can be a daunting process if you're a true beginner or you aren't that confident hitting golf balls in front of people, but they're a vital part of the club buying process. We recommend having a shortlist of three or four iron heads you like the look of before entering a custom fit and then whittling them down to the best for your game during the custom fit process. Custom fits are provided by a number of golf retailers or club professionals at your local golf club.

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