Callaway is one of the most recognizable names in golf mainly due to their high quality and top-performing golf clubs. From drivers to irons and wedges, Callaway makes every type of club in the game of golf. Some of the best clubs that Callaway makes are golf irons.
Every Callaway iron set is engineered with some of the best technology and features available. This means that although there are many Callaway iron sets available, any set could be the best Callaway irons for your game! Another positive of these feature-packed iron sets is that even older sets will still have excellent performance.
Several different types of Callaway Irons like forged player’s irons and cavity back game improvement irons will be included in this guide. Before you really get into this review guide it is a good idea to figure out what type of budget you have to work with. This will be very helpful since some of the iron sets cost over $1000!
Without any more delay, here are the 8 top-rated Callaway iron sets available on the market today!
Top-Rated Callaway Irons
1. Callaway Golf Apex Smoke
Features
- The Callaway Apex 19 Smoke is the ultimate forged players distance iron with a stunning new Smoke PVD Finish.
- Extremely soft feel comes from a forged 1025 mild carbon steel body, and for the first time Callaway has put Urethane Microspheres into a forged iron.
- The 360 Face Cup creates fast ball speeds for consistent distance, and the spin control VFT Face in the short irons promotes aggressive shot-making.
- The tungsten-infused, multi-material construction allows us to locate the Center of Gravity with extraordinary precision for optimum ball flight and control.
- Apex is expertly crafted with a beautiful players shape, a platinum chrome finish and a new smoke True Temper Elevate 95 Shaft.
Callaway’s Apex Irons are some of the highest quality iron sets Callaway makes and are intended for single-digit and lower handicaps.
Key Features
- Forged 1025 Carbon Steel
- 360 Degree Face Cup Technology
- Smoke PVD Finish
Like all forged clubs, the Callaway Apex Smoke Iron Set is forged with a high-quality Carbon Steel. In the case of the Apex set, the engineers choose a milder 1025 Carbon Steel to help add in some forgiveness without significantly affecting the feel and workability of the clubs. This little bit of extra forgiveness is perfect for players that are unsure of whether or not they will like forged irons.
Another great piece of technology that has made it way onto the Apex Smoke Irons is Callaway’s patented 360 Face Technology. Faster ball speed and better spin control are just the beginning of what this style of technology can bring golfers.
For those golfers who want to have a set of irons that looks as good as they play, the Apex Smoke Irons are the clubs for you! They feature an all-new Smoke PVD Finish that will keep your clubs looking good after many rounds. Many customizable options exist for the Apex Smoke Irons and include both steel and graphite shafts as well as three different flexes. Seven total club configurations are also available.
✅ Pros
- Very Workable
- Outstanding Feel
- More Forgiveness Than Other Forged Irons
🚫 Cons
- Very Expensive
As the crown jewel of the Callaway iron sets the Apex Smoke Iron Set is guaranteed to play well for those who can handle the power that a forged club provides.
2. Callaway Men’s Big Bertha Iron Set
Callaway Men's Big Bertha Iron Set
Features
- Easy Launch, Distance, and Incredible Sound and Feel From the Suspended Energy Core
- Long, Consistent Distance From Our 360 Face Cup
- New Suspended Energy Core
- Unforgettable look with a clean, Smoked PVD Finish
- Golf Clubs - Iron Set
The Big Bertha line of irons has always been touted as one of the best Callaway irons set, and this year’s clubs are no different.
Key Features
- Forged Clubhead
- Suspended Energy Core
- Smoke PVD Finish
A strong carbon steel forged clubhead makes up the bulk of the Big Bertha Irons. This club head is combined with a small back cap that covers what Callaway calls its Suspended Energy Core. The Energy Core is essentially a piece of Tungsten Weighting that is suspended in a urethane like material.
With this style of weighting, Callaway is able to move the center of gravity deeper in the clubhead to create a higher launch. Another benefit of this floating weight is that the sound signature of the Big Bertha Irons becomes much more pleasing. A Suspended Energy Core is by far one of the best upgrades to this iron Lineup.
The overall fit and finish of the Iron Set are of top-notch. Matte black is the main color with red accents on the back of the clubface. Golfers can customize the irons in many different ways. Four flexes, five different shafts, and twelve different club layout are available to choose from.
✅ Pros
- Great Launch Angles
- Outstanding Feel
- Easy Distance
- Many Customizable Options
🚫 Cons
- Very Expensive
Pick up some of the best performing and feeling irons that Callaway has to offer with the Big Bertha Iron Set.
3. Callaway Men’s Rogue X Irons Set
Features
- 360 Face Cup + VFT for more Ball Speed
- MIM'd Internal Standing Wave for Optimal Flight and Control
- Urethane Microspheres for Great Feel
- The Ultimate Distance Iron
Made specifically for maximum distance, the Callaway Rogue X Irons come chock full of distance-enhancing technology.
Key Features
- 360 Face Cup
- Tungsten Weighting
- Urethane Microspheres
Cavity back irons have come a long way in providing players with both distance and forgiveness. The Callaway Rogue X Iron Set does a great job of giving golfers both of these benefits. First, to increase forgiveness, Callaway included 360 Face Cup on every Rogue X Iron. With this technology, golfers can mishit shots and still have them go relatively straight.
The second part of the equation is the increased distance. This is accomplished through the use of Tungsten Weighting at a very specifics part of the clubhead. Mix in a bar of Urethane Microspheres and you have a club that goes long and feels great.
Many different combinations of club layouts and shaft types are available. Some of the highlights include KBS steel shafts and Synergy graphite shafts. Plus with many different flexes available, almost any golfer can use the Rogue X Irons.
✅ Pros
- Long Distance
- Soft Feel
- Optimal Launch
- Confidence Inspiring Sound
🚫 Cons
- Expensive
If it is distance that you are after, then look no farther than the Callaway Rogue X Iron Set!
4. Callaway Apex CF 16 Irons
Features
- Distance with playability: this is our first Face cup in a forged players iron. We've taken our industry-leading cup 360 technology that's redefined ball speed in fairway Woods and irons, and precision engineering in a forged apex design
- Scoring performance through the set: the progressive Offset, sole widths, cg height and notch weighting provide the right balance of ball flight, playability, forgiveness and Control for each iron
- Multi-piece construction: this high Tech construction goes through the whole set to create a remarkable combination of distance, feel and Control for any player
- Extremely soft feel from advanced forging: we applied an extremely precise quadruple net forging, precision milling, and 1025 mild carbon steel to produce a new standard for incredibly soft feel in a forged iron
Similar to the Apex Smoke irons earlier in the review guide, the Apex CF16 has a slightly simpler design but with comparable performance.
Key Features
- 360 Face Cup
- 1025 Forged Steel
- Scoring Design
Forged clubheads are the usual design style for the Apex irons and with the CF16 version, Callaway uses a 1025 Carbon Steel for the clubhead. Known as a softer metal, the 1025 Carbon Steel creates a better feel and greater workability. These two benefits are perfect for more advanced golfers that like to draw or fade their shots.
Like all other top tier Callaway irons, the Apex CF16s come with 360 Face Technology to reduce unwanted sidespin. Other design options to lower your overall score include progressive offsets, optimized sole width, and notch weighting.
Because the Apex CF16 Irons are no longer really produced, very few options exist for customizability. The best golfers will be able to choose from are two different shaft materials and flexes as well as two club layouts. If you are able to take advantage of what clubs configurations are left, the APex CF16 Irons are still great performing golf irons.
✅ Pros
- Great Feel
- Easy To Work
- Great Ball Speed
🚫 Cons
- Expensive
Despite being only a couple years old, the Callaway Apex CF16 Irons are still a great performing set of clubs.
5. Callaway Men’s XR OS Irons Set
Features
- Long With Our Industry-leading Face Cup: We've taken our Cup 360 technology that's redefined ball speed in the category, and helped us become the #1 iron in Golf.and we've made it even faster
- Easier To Hit XR OS Irons are easy to launch with a Center of Gravity that's lower and further back. It's easy for you to get a ball flight that leads to more distance
- More Forgiving: The soles are wider to give you more forgiveness, and it's easier to get more distance out of every impact location. You'll feel confident over the ball, and you have the technology to hit good shots more consistently
- Progressive Lengths and Lofts To help you hit the ball farther, we've included the progressive lengths and lofts through the set for longer distance off each club
The XR series is a very popular series from Callaway that covers many clubs including irons, fairway woods, and even drivers.
Key Features
- 360 Face Cup
- Low Center Of Gravity
- Progressive Lengths & Lofts
While there are many XR clubs in the lineup, we will be sticking to the Irons for today’s review guide. The specific irons we will be taking a look at are called the XR OS and are a cavity back style iron meant for mid to high handicappers. One of the largest benefits with the XR OS is its combination of 360 Face Cup with a cavity back design.
Add in a super low center of gravity that is near the back of the club and you have a recipe for long ball flights and less unwanted spin. An absolutely perfect combination for golfers who are looking to become more accurate from the fairway.
Progressive clubface lengths and lofts make it easier to hit the ball farther with any iron. One downside to the XR OS is that they are no longer readily available so some customizable options may not be available. But many of the more common configurations can be had without much difficulty.
✅ Pros
- Large Sweet Spot
- Extreme Forgiveness
- Great Carry Distance
🚫 Cons
- Expensive
Get more distance on both long and short irons with the high performing Callaway XR OS Irons.
6. Callaway STEELHEAD XR Irons Set
Features
- The next generation of our industry-leading 360 Face Cup technology increases ball speed on both center hits and mis-hits. More ball speed = more distance
- Our soft, steel-infused Shock Eliminator Technology absorbs unwanted vibration for great feel, and helps lower the head's Center of Gravity (CG) for higher launch
- The new Hollow Bore-Thru hosel design saves significant weight that's strategically repositioned in the head to create more forgiveness and easier launch
- We've positioned the CG to promote easy launch and more carry in the long irons, keen control in mid-irons, and lower and higher-spinning shots in the short irons
- Stock Steel Shaft -- True Temper XP 95 Stepless; Stock Graphite Shaft -- Matrix F81
One of the newest clubs to the XR series, the Callaway Steelhead XR Irons bring accuracy and comfort to golfers of every skill level.
Key Features
- 360 Face Cup
- Shock Eliminator
- Hollow Bore-Thru Hosel
Design wise, the Steelhead XR Irons are a little thicker than some other cavity back irons on the market. This isn’t much of a problem since this design style is intentional and meant to help with turf interaction and weight optimization. Included in the clubhead design is 360 Face technology to increase ball speed and forgiveness.
An interesting addition to the Steelhead XR Irons is the Shock Eliminator that fits into the cavity just behind the clubface. This small device is designed to absorb unwanted vibrations during impact to help reduce hand fatigue. A Hollow Bore-Thru Hosel takes the weight from the hosel area and redistributes it to help increase forgiveness.
Many club options are available to golfers making it easy to find the right configuration for your personal game. With nine total club layouts, it should be easy to find the right high-low irons to add to your bag.
✅ Pros
- Good Carry Distance
- High Ball Speed
- Great Accuracy
🚫 Cons
- None
Start hitting more accurate shots and build the confidence you need to start scoring lower with the Callaway Steelhead XR Irons.
7. Callaway Men’s X Series 2018 Iron Set
Callaway Men's X Series Irons
Features
- Long, fast & forgiving
- Designed with fast ball speed for more distance
- Good feel and good sound
Created to be an option for mid-level golfers who want an easy to hit the iron, the Callaway X-Series meets and exceeds all those goals!
Key Features
- Deep Undercut
- Super Fast Face
- Great Feel
Cavity Back irons all use the same basic design but the styling can be a little different. In the case of the Callaway X-Series, the difference is that the undercut that creates the back cavity is larger than a more traditional cavity back iron. This small change makes for an iron that has greater carry and more forgiveness. Add in a Super Fast Face and you have a recipe for a super long yet forgiving golf iron.
And despite this somewhat simple design, Callaway has taken the time to tune to X-Series Irons to have an impressive feel and pleasing sound signature. Even vibration dampening has made its way onto the clubhead.
Now out of widespread production, it will be a little difficult to find many configurations of the X-Series. What is still available are very run of the mill sets that cover both steel and graphite shafts that come in either stiff or senior flex.
✅ Pros
- Forgiving
- High Ball Speed
- Excellent Feel
🚫 Cons
- Few Club Options
While there are not many Callaway X-Series Irons reviews out there, we hope that this review has shed some light onto one of Callaway’s better mid-tier golf irons.
8. Callaway Diablo Edge Iron Set
Features
- Benefit #1: Maximized Distance, Feature: A lower, deeper CG is designed to make the sweet spot more accessible at lower impact locations. This generates longer, more consistent distance and improves accuracy for more greens in regulation.
- Benefit #2: Better Forgiveness. Feature: Each iron has been perimeter weighted for increased MOI and greater forgiveness on off center hits.
- Benefit #3: Smooth Turf InteractionFeature: The Solid Impact Sole is designed to mitigate the effects of chunked and thin shots to improve efficiency at impact.
The classic styling and power of the Diablo line is back and with a new name; the Diablo Edge.
Key Features
- Large Cavity
- Low Sweet Spot
- Great Distance
In this Callaway Edge Iron Review, we will be taking a look at just what makes these irons such a great performer. First, is the large cavity that in certain respects may even be too large. On the bright side, the cavity creates extreme forgiveness. On the downside, this cavity is so large that part of it can be seen at address.
Things get better though and Callaway went with a Low Sweet Spot that can be found close to the leading edge of the clubface. This makes it super simple to get the ball off of the ground in a hurry. With getting the ball consistently off the ground comes increased distance through carry.
Very few customization options are available when ordering the Diablo Edge Irons. Many sets that can be found have been used but are still in pretty good shape. Plus with used clubs, the overall price should be much lower compared to a new set.
✅ Pros
- Great Distance
- Easy To Get In The Air
- Good Feel
🚫 Cons
- Head Is A Little Chunky
If you can get over the small inconvenience of seeing part of the cavity at address, the Callaway Diablo Edge Irons are a great set of irons for the value-conscious golfer.
Bottom Line
Now that you have made it to the end of our review guide, it should be quite clear that there is a Callaway iron set for almost anyone. Add in the fact that almost every set featured in this guide includes key performance-boosting technology like 360 Face Cup, and you can’t go wrong with an upgrade.
But before you decide to go upgrading here are a few things you should think about. First, make sure that what style of Callaway Irons you pick fits your ability. If you are a mid to high handicapper, go with cavity back irons as they will offer you more forgiveness. For those with a low handicap, it might be time to upgrade to a forged style clubhead for more workability and feel.
The second thing to think about is your personal preferences. Make sure you choose a shaft material and stiffness that fits your swing profile. Also, be sure to find a clubhead style, either a blade or widened sole, that fits your “looks” profile. And remember: every golfer is different. So what may work for some golfer may not work for you.
Now that you have all the information, it should be easy to decide on which set of Callaway Irons are for you. No matter which you choose, you will definitely see an improvement in your game!
Other Relevant Posts
- Best Golf Irons Available – golfaccessoriesreviews.com/best-golf-irons/
- Callaway X20
The Review
Best Callaway Irons
Read through our detailed reviews on the best iron sets by Callaway to help you decide which are the perfect ones for you!
Review Breakdown
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Callaway Apex Smoke
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Callaway Men's Big Bertha Iron Set
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Callaway Men's Rogue X Irons
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Callaway Apex CF 16 Irons
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Callaway Men's XR OS Irons
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Callaway STEELHEAD XR Irons
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Callaway Men's X Series Irons
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Callaway Diablo Edge Irons
Best Callaway Irons DEALS
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