Which Royal Navy ironclad frigates stand out before steel cruisers

Which pre-steel cruiser designs were the best?

Probably one of the Royal Navy ironclad frigates that followed HMS Warrior, rather than Warrior herself.

The strongest candidates before steel construction became standard are the Royal Navy's ironclad frigates. HMS Warrior is impressive in the context of her own period, although one of the follow-on designs is preferred. The answer does not name a single successor, so it points viewers toward the post-Warrior design sequence without implying a more precise ranking.