Tefal Ultimate Pure steam iron review UK 2023

Overall star rating: 4.5/5

Price on writing: £117 | Buy now from Amazon

Key specs

What we like

Water level is easy to see
Iron heats up very quickly
Sturdy built-in stand
Handy anti-calc feature

What we don’t like

It’s a little on the heavy side
Writing on the dial is quite small

Related: The best steam generator irons for effortless ironing

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Our verdict

Tefal has an enviable reputation for producing some of the best steam irons around. And without a doubt, the Tefal Ultimate Pure is one of the brand’s gold-star products.

The Ultimate Pure promises no scale stains, the fastest glide and plenty of power and delivers on all fronts. All my washing was left beautifully wrinkle-free and with collars looking more crisp than I knew was possible.

Yes it is on the heavy side, and deviates from the standard size/shape of a typical steam iron, but if you can look past that, it’s a very good investment buy.

What’s the Tefal Ultimate Pure like to set up?

Just like most steam irons, there’s not too much involved in setting up the Tefal Ultimate Pure.

I set the steam control to its lowest setting before filling the water tank up straight from the tap using untreated water, as recommended by Tefal. I plugged it in and switched it to the desired setting. It very quickly heated up to the required temperature and the iron was good to go.

Before using the steam function on your iron, it’s recommended that you let it operate in a horizontal position, without making contact with your washing. Pushing the button a few times will allow any particles left over from the manufacturing process to be pushed out and wiped away, rather than transferred onto your lovely clean laundry.

How does it feel to hold?

Picking the iron up for the first time, it was hard not to notice how much heavier it was compared to similar steam irons, such as the Tefal Easyglisso Eco. The Ultimate Pure is also bigger than other steam irons, which could potentially cause storage issues. It’s also worth bearing this size difference in mind if you only have a small ironing board.

However, once I started using the Ultimate Pure, I didn’t really notice the difference in weight or size. It glided across my washing easily and I liked the three-metre-long cord, which gave me much more freedom when ironing.

What is the Tefal Ultimate Pure like to use day-to-day?

Using a Durillium Airglide soleplate, the Tefal Ultimate Pure steam iron ran smoothly across even highly textured and heavy-duty fabrics, including denim, by evenly distributing the steam across the whole plate. It dispensed with creases quickly and efficiently, which cut down my ironing time and freed me up to do something more fun. Although let’s face it, anything is more fun than tackling a whacking great pile of ironing.

The Tefal Ultimate Pure boasts a 350ml water tank, so I found I didn’t need to keep stopping for a top-up, which was definitely a big plus. I also liked the big chunky heel which allowed the iron to stand safely on the board. This is complemented by the special safety feature - if left unused, the Ultimate Pure turns itself off after 30 seconds resting on its side or soleplate and after eight minutes if left on its heel.

The only real downside I could find was that the dial was stiff on first use and some of the writing on the dial was much smaller than on other Tefal models. Which was a surprise for such a big iron.

Does the Tefal Ultimate Pure have any special features?

I loved the Tefal Ultimate Pure’s 2-in-1 micro calc filter that was able to catch even the tiniest particles. From the very first use, it was immensely satisfying to remove the filter and see all the little bits that had been gathered up. The particles were washed away before the micro calc filter was put back in, ready for another round of ironing.

Just like the dial, I found the micro calc filter a bit stiff to remove at first, but ultimately it didn’t impact on its performance.

Does the Tefal Ultimate Pure offer value for money?

At £117 at the time of writing (October 19th, 2023) the Tefal Ultimate Pure is not the cheapest steam iron on the block. But don’t let the price put you off - the Tefal Ultimate Pure is a great investment and comes under Tefal’s 10-year repair scheme, so it should give you many happy years of ironing.

However, if your budget is a little on the tight side, it may be worth considering the Tefal Easygliss Eco, which is currently selling for £65 on Amazon, or the Russell Hobbs Powersteam Ultra for just £32.

How we tested

Reviewer Laura lives in Sussex with her husband and two kids, aged four and six.

The Tefal Ultimate Pure steam iron was tested on various fabrics, including heavy denim, and clothing, including school uniforms and PE kits. Laura used a Minky Ergo Ironing Board during testing.

Laura started writing Swears By articles for Mumsnet in 2021 and now has responsibility for laundry content. She writes buyers guides, cleaning articles, including how to care for jumpers and knitwear, and tests products, including the Wilton London laundry range, to help Mumsnetters make informed choices when it comes to parting with their pennies.

Laura is a freelance journalist and has written for a range of titles, including the Daily Mirror, the i, Metro, Stylist and Happiful magazine.

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