I have this steel base with bendable arms that has allegator clips at the end (Think Dr. Octopus) that is supposed to allow you to old wires or leads in place while you solder them. This works waaaaaay better. It’s such a simple idea and in hindsight I wonder why I never saw these before. You just slide the wire into the appropriate V and it just holds it there. Because the silicone doesn’t move, it holds the wire firmly. Another benefit is that the silicone doesn’t get hot from the soldering for too long. It’s a fantastic insulator from heat. It took me 5 minutes of using this to know it’s my #1 way to keep wires for soldering.

I recently had the opportunity to test out the ZYRELYNX Silicone Soldering Station, and it has quickly become a staple in my workshop. As someone who frequently works with electronics, this soldering station offers a blend of practicality and efficiency. **Design and Build Quality:** The first thing that stood out to me was the quality of the silicone material. It feels durable and can withstand the high temperatures involved in soldering without any issues. The dark gray color gives it a sleek, professional look that fits well on any workbench. **Functionality:** This soldering station comes with six slots, which is incredibly useful for organizing different components and wires. The helping hands and the third-hand feature are game-changers, especially when dealing with intricate soldering tasks. They hold the wires securely, freeing up both of my hands for more precise work. **Versatility:** The stand is designed to accommodate electrical wires ranging from 32AWG to 12AWG, making it versatile for various projects. Whether I’m working on small-scale electronic repairs or larger wiring tasks, this stand has proven to be adaptable. **Ease of Use:** Setting up the station was straightforward, and it’s very user-friendly. The silicone mat not only keeps the components in place but also makes cleanup a breeze. Any stray solder or debris can be easily wiped off, maintaining a tidy workspace. **Minor Drawbacks:** While the ZYRELYNX Silicone Soldering Station is impressive, it isn’t without minor flaws. The slots, while useful, could be slightly deeper to accommodate larger components more securely. Additionally, an integrated magnifying glass would have been a nice touch to aid in detailed work. **Conclusion:** Overall, the ZYRELYNX Silicone Soldering Station is a highly functional tool that enhances the soldering experience. Its thoughtful design and versatile features make it a valuable addition to any electronics enthusiast’s toolkit. Despite a few minor improvements that could be made, it’s a solid product that I would recommend to both hobbyists and professionals. **Pros:** - Durable silicone material - Six practical slots for organization - Helping hands and third-hand feature - Accommodates a range of wire sizes - Easy to clean and maintain **Cons:** - Slots could be deeper - Lacks an integrated magnifying glass

This holder works better than helping hands with alligator clips because it doesn't compress the insulation on the wires. When using other helping hands type holders when soldering the insulation gets soft from the heat and the alligator clips dig into the soft insulation. Because this one is silicone, it doesn't damage the insulation as easily. I like the different size slots that are tapered so that you can push the wire into the slots just enough to hold it while soldering, but not enough to damage the insulation. If you drip solder in the bottom, it doesn't stick to the silicone and can be easily removed.

This is a cool little helping hands. It's made of 100% silicone. It's small, light weight, and has lots of slots to fit all different sizes of wire. I'm actually starting to prefer this to my other helping hands that has those alligator clips on them because this doesn't hurt the jacket of the wire like the alligator clips. Really useful thing to have in the shop.

Improvement over helping hands or plier-style clamps. Less hassle to have wire held firmly while handling iron and solder. Reminder in front of you to consider heat shrink BEFORE you solder is helpful; I've forgotten many times. Sturdy silicone. Slots expand a little so wires can be pushed in snug. 1.3mm insulated wire was too thin to be held well. Underside has some grip but can still slide on smooth surfaces.

This soldering station is best used only for wire-to-wire connections in my opinion. I tried using it for LED strips, but I couldnt get it to stand up on its other side very well. I wish they would make a version that was able to turn up on the side so you could solder flat objects as well.

Holds wires in place for soldering, I have a plastic one, buit this silicone one is much better, and I dont have to worry about accidentally melting it, plus it reminds me to put on heat shrink lol.

I am not sure what else could be expected of something this simple: it holds different size wires for you to solder them together, and it does that well! Rather than to try to hold one wire by hand, and the solder in the other hand, while trying to also get the solder wire as close as you can to melt, with this thing you just setup the wires and use your hands to hold the soldering iron and soldering wire and things become much easier. I am pretty happy I got this.

The wires are held pretty well and it protects the work bench from dripping solder. It's a handy gadget to have because I normally use a third hand or tape to hold wires together. This is a lot faster.

In my imagination the clips on ball joints on a weighted base are perfect soldering helpers, but in practice they seemed always to be not quite flexible enough, or not as stable as I'd like (though maybe my soldering technique is just too heavy handed). I haven't had a lot of time with this one yet, but so far it's simplicity and stability have made it very handy, and pleasant to use. This is now my go-to.