The Best Iron Sets Under $500 In 2024

Written by Michael VanDerLaan 

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Best Overall: Taylormade M4 Golf Irons

Taylormade's M4 irons were far and away the best irons for the average golfer when they were first released. 

A few years later, they are still available for purchase and the technology they bring to your game is every bit as good as it was when it was brand new. 

We're talking about industry leading forgiveness, amazing feel, and lots of speed off the face. We feel confident that almost any golfer can benefit from these irons that simply make golf more fun. 

There's no such thing as a perfect golf club. The Taylormade M4's come about as close as we have found.

Between high level forgiveness, higher ball speeds, and a strong look and feel, you will love just about everything about this club. Add in the reputation that Taylormade clubs carry, and there is no doubt the M4s should be the top pick on our list.

Update: These Taylormade M4 Irons were under $500 at the time this was written, but have been creeping up in price during the current inflationary period. They may be slightly more than $500 soon.

Click here to see our full Taylormade M4 Irons Review.

Best Under $400: Wilson Men's/Women's Profile SGI Golf Set

Wilson is another one of those brands that was once a heavy hitter in golf, and kind of missed on some of their technology changes. Over the last 5 years, they are coming back into the picture as one of the best golf club brands in the game.

That, along with a price of $400 and options distinctly designed for both men and women is what makes the Wilson Profile SGI one of the best golf irons under $500. 

This product is so much more than an iron set, it is a complete set of golf clubs. Your purchase includes a 460cc titanium driver and matching 5 wood, 431 stainless steel irons that look and feel top quality, wedges that match the set, and a putter milled for precision. This is the perfect set of clubs for anyone looking to take the game more seriously without spending outrageous amounts of money. 

The bottom line is these clubs are the perfect choice for someone who is looking to get into the game without having to rent or borrow clubs. You can learn how to become a better ball striker by using these, and will be grateful that you didn't spend thousands of dollars on some of the more in demand brands!

Best Under $300: Lazrus Premium Golf Irons 

What the heck are Lazrus irons? While they are not a big brand name, we are here to tell you that Lazrus produces a great cast iron. And when you consider the price tag that comes in under $300, they are even more attractive. 

If you choose Lazrus irons, you will receive a set that includes 4 iron through pitching wedge with the option of adding a 2 or 3 iron. 

Lazrus irons look good, feel great, and hold up to testing against some of the most well known brands in golf. They had very high launch angles and more distance than some of the some of the best irons from top brands.

They offer great value and they are the perfect option for people looking for the best balance of price and quality. 

RELATED: Who Makes Lazrus Golf Clubs?

The Premium Golf Irons set from Lazrus is the perfect option for those looking to upgrade their iron set at the lowest possible price. 

You won't find these irons on the shelves at PGA Tour Superstore or Dick's, but we're confident that you will love the way the look and perform.

With the money you save, maybe you can play a round at one of your bucket list courses - or give your significant other a gift as a thanks for letting you play more golf!

Click here for our full Lazrus Golf Irons Review.

Editor's Choice: Callaway X Hot Golf Irons

Callaway is a brand that is synonymous with high quality golf clubs. From the early days of the Great Big Bertha to their new technology in Paradym, they have a reputation for quality.

A few years ago, that trend was upheld with the X Hot irons. A slimmer look than most high level game improvement irons lends a huge visual appeal to this iron. Pair that with a smooth impact feel and top of the line sound, and the X Hots are a hard iron to beat.

And even better, they're affordable. Since the model is a few years old, the X Hots are no longer the "new and shiny" irons that everyone is going after. We are here to tell you that they perform every bit as well as today's newest irons. 

Callaway X Hot irons are a surefire way to get the most bang for your buck. 

Don't think just because the technology in these amazing irons is a couple years behind that they won't perform exceptionally well - they will.

We have tried, loved, and used them through this process, and they are an iron set that we continually come back to. Check them out for yourself to experience one of the all time best golf irons under $500!

Staff Favorite: Cleveland Launcher UHX Golf Irons

Cleveland Golf is well known for their high-spin wedges and the Launcher driver that was so popular in the early 2000's. We bet you didn't know about their amazing set of irons that are still available today. 

What makes the Cleveland Launcher UHX irons some of the best golf irons on our list is the mix of aesthetic appeal and utility. 

The combo set nature of the UHX means you will receive maximum accuracy with your shorter irons, while the long irons are forgiving and easy to get in the air. Doesn't that sound nice?

And being able to purchase such a well thought out set of golf irons for under 500 dollars is the cherry on top!

Are we telling you that the Cleveland Launcher UHX irons will have you throwing darts with your short irons, hitting high draws with the long irons, and giving yourself more birdie putts?

Well... maybe with some practice. But we are telling you that the technology in the UHX irons increases your chances of doing all those things. 

Don't knock 'em till you try 'em! Cleveland Golf produces only high quality clubs, and we think these irons rank right up there with any of the other favorites on the market. Give them a try and find out what it's like to have more fun and shoot better scores!

Best Golf Club Set Under $500 With Bag: Callaway Strata Ultimate Golf Set

The Callaway Men’s Strata Ultimate Golf Set is one of the most popular reviewed golf set on Amazon, and along the highest rated as well (4.3 out of 5.0). It can easily be the best choice for golf beginners.

Why? For under $400, the price of a single mid to high-end golf driver, you’d get everything you will ever need, and every item in this set was made with high-quality material and careful craftsmanship.

Let’s see. A full titanium driver with just enough loft at 12 degrees to provide superb forgiveness for new players; a pair of fairway woods (3 and 5) with large sweet spots; a pair of Hybrids (4H and 5H) that are a great alternative to long irons, giving the trajectory of wood and the familiar swing of irons; a complete set of stainless steel irons and wedges (6, 7, 8, 9, PW, and SW) incorporating their High Flight Technology to deliver impressive distances and trajectory control; a putter that was precisely milled to perfection so that you can put more balls in the hole.

And to top it off, this set comes with a stylish stand bag that is both lightweight and durable.

If you are looking for a complete set of golf clubs under $400, then this is the set for you. It is ideal for anyone getting started in the game of golf.

Get your's and revolutionize the way you think about golf clubs from the longest to the shortest.

RELATED: Most Forgiving Irons

Best One Length Irons: Cobra RadSpeed One Length Iron Set

Thanks to Bryson Dechambeau, single length irons have grown in popularity over the last 5 years or so. We're here to tell you that there are a lot of positive aspects to this untraditional route. 

When you use a set of irons that are all a single length, you no longer have to make adjustments to your setup position based on which club you are hitting. Your setup and swing literally never have to change (unless you are hitting a wood or some kind of specialty shot). 

Cobra RadSpeed irons are one of our top picks because they afford you this luxury while also being one of the most well designed iron heads on the market. They look, feel, and sound great, and are about as forgiving as any comparable iron out there.

If you're the kind of person who feels like you hit it great on the range but then you can't seem to replicate that on the golf course, maybe single length irons are the answer.

For less than $500, who wouldn't want to have more birdie opportunities? Give the RadSpeeds a shot!

Another Favorite Under $400: Ram Golf FX77 Golf Irons

Who remembers walking around Dick's Sporting Goods around 10 years ago and Ram Golf was everywhere? We sure do. We never took their equipment seriously because it was set up somewhere in between Titleist, Taylormade, and Callaway.

They look like a high level player's iron, while providing some of the forgiveness benefits of a game improvement iron. A sleek top line and under toned color scheme will have you looking and feeling like a tour pro.

We know it can be a leap to try a golf brand that was something of an afterthought, even at their height. But at $400 for a set that includes 4 iron through pitching wedge, this overlook and underrated set of irons might just become your new gamers.

A head that tour players love to look at, that launches the ball high and is full of technology built for distance makes the Ram FX77 an extremely under appreciated iron. It's hard to find a better looking one for under $500, and if you feel ready to hit a muscle back, you will be very happy with these irons. 

Best Under $250: MacGregor Golf VIP Golf Irons

There was a time when MacGregor golf was the biggest name in golf clubs. They weren't able to adapt to the changing nature of the game as well as some of their competitors, so they fell off. But now they're back with a wonderful set of irons.

The MacGregor Golf VIP irons bring the traditional look of MacGregor clubs to a revolutionized piece of technology. The VIP's are built with Hot Face Technology for maximum distance, while also incorporating a low and backwards center of gravity to send the ball airborne. A high moment of inertia means these irons also resist the twisting of the face on mishit shots, resulting in a tighter dispersion and less lost balls.

And here's the best part; you get a complete set from 4 iron to pitching wedge for $200!

Forget the best iron set under $500, how about under $250! The MacGregor VIP irons look and perform great, and are a fraction of the price of other clubs. From the standpoint of value and bang for your buck, we highly recommend these irons. 

Best Cheap Iron Set: Ram Golf Laser Hybrid Iron Set

The Ram Golf Laser Hybrid Iron Set is the perfect option for a beginning golfer who is looking to maximize forgiveness and minimize cost. Coming in at under $200, this set of all hybrids from 4 iron down to sand wedge provides by far the easiest golf club to hit with some level of consistency. 

We know that these clubs look a little different, but you won't care when you start seeing the strokes come off your game. Every shot from the long irons to the short game shots off tight lies or out of sand is easier thanks to the size and wide sole of these clubs. 

Our only real issue with the Laser Hybrids is the sound. It's not terrible, but they sound a little hollow when hitting the ball, which gives these clubs a slightly cheaper feel. 

The Ram Golf Laser Hybrid Irons are some of the best golf irons under $200 for their amazing combination of price and forgiveness. Whether you are a golfer with a lower club head speed, or someone who doesn't strike your shots very consistently, you can get a lot of benefit from these clubs. 

And one other thing - you never have to worry about the Laser Hybrids rusting!

An Old Favorite: TaylorMade M2 Irons

The goal at TaylorMade for the M2 was simple. Launch the ball as high and as fast as possible for maximum distance and a steep landing angle. With the M2, TaylorMade incorporated face slots to increase the loss of ball speed on off-center hits, but it requires some reinforcement on both ends of the slots. That means in order to have face slots at all, TaylorMade had to lower the CG elsewhere. So they started shaving material. The top line, leading edge of the Speed Pocket are just 1 mm thin, the face has to be thinner to reduce the weight above the ball on impact. All these changes lowered the CG by 1.2mm, which does not sound like much, but it is a 7% improvement, which resulted in a bigger sweet spot and more ball speed.

On the back of the club, carefully placed ribs serve to stiffen the face behind the undercut cavity, and optimize the sound and feel of the club for most players. Overall, you can see that a great deal of engineering has gone into the construction of this club, and if you have been following along, you can have a sense of how advanced golf technology has become. We are adjusting by millimeters, finding areas of improvement and presenting the advantage in a beautiful package to the golf community.

RELATED: Why Is Golf So Hard

The Taylormade M2 Irons came out quite a while ago and there was much fanfare when they were released. They have since been replaced by newer models, but some players still love their M2s. You can find your set by clicking the button above.

RELATED: How To Spot Counterfeit Golf Clubs