The first thing that you have to decide before purchasing the heat press is whether you want a manual one or an automatic one. The automatic press will be generating pressure using pressurized air that can be regulated. There will be a pressure gauge that will make its operation a lot easier. The manual press on the other hand will allow you to make pressure adjustments between light, medium and firm. If you plan on using the heat press for a long time then you should choose the automatic press.
You need to know how many t-shirts you want to be producing within a certain period. This is the capacity that you will use in selecting the right press for the job. If you are planning to be pressing a huge number of t-shirts for extended periods of time then you should get a machine that can work reliably and produce heat consistently. However, if you will only be pressing a few garments here and there, you should purchase a low cost machine.
Finally, you have to consider the person who will be using the heat press. In the case of the manual press, it can be strenuous over time and it requires someone who is used to the pressure and has strength. This can be used comfortably when doing only a few t-shirts in a day. You should therefore make sure that you get a machine that can be operated without any difficulties.