This is what I do, I just wish that YouTube didn't only support 720P as maximum resolution on iOS safari; happens on everything from an iPod touch & iPad Pro to iPhone pro max, at least for me.
Vinegar has the option to force 1080p, via adaptive bitrate streaming, with the possible downside that the stream may start at lower quality, although I haven’t experienced that downside for some reason. Although perhaps that caveat only applies when using airplay. Either way, check the Vinegar settings from within Safari to find/set 1080p.