Tefal Ultraglide Anti-Calc Plus review UK 2023

Price on writing: RRP £60 | Buy now from Amazon

Overall star rating: 4/5

Key specs

What we like

Durilium soleplate for easy gliding
Heats up quickly
Intense steam shot for tough creases
Excellent anti-calc feature

What we don't like

Hard to see the water level due to colour of the iron
Writing on dial is difficult to read
Cord is a little on the short side

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Our verdict

Tefal is responsible for some of the best steam irons on the market, and this mid-price iron certainly has its fans among Mumsnetters.

It heats up quickly and once it reaches the correct temperature, the Ultraglide Anti-Calc Plus smooths out creases in light fabrics in seconds. It performs equally well on heavier fabrics too, with just a touch of a button producing a very satisfying burst of steam to help speed the process along.

I really like the removable anti-calc filter, as living in a hard water area, it’s nice to be able to catch these troublesome specks in a filter, rather than having an iron that expels them all over my recently-washed clothes. Overall, the Tefal Ultraglide Anti-Calc Plus made for a very speedy and satisfying iron.

What’s the Tefal Ultraglide Anti-Calc Plus like to set up?

Setting up the Tefal Ultraglide was straightforward enough. It was just a case of filing the tank up, turning the dial to the correct setting, and waiting for the iron to come to temperature. The iron heated up quickly and the indicator light on the iron is much easier to see than the light on the Tefal Ultimate Pure.

How does it feel to hold?

The Tefal Ultraglide Anti-Calc Plus was comfortable to hold and felt much lighter than the Russell Hobbs Powersteam Ultra and the Tefal Ultimate Pure. However both these irons benefit from having a longer cord. One of the downsides of the Ultraglide is the short cord, which, at two metres, made ironing feel much more restrictive.

What is the Tefal Ultraglide Anti-Calc Plus like to use day-to-day?

The Tefal Ultraglide Anti-Calc Plus was easy to use and this, combined with a well-thought-out design and powerful steam, made for a satisfying ironing session. It glided in on a scratch-resistant durilium soleplate, with 30% more steam holes and a powerful 210g steam shot that was able to do the business de-creasing heavy-duty fabric like denim, as well as efficiently blasting away wrinkles from the kids’ PE kits.

Read next: The best steam generator irons for effortless ironing

I found it difficult to read the small writing on the dial, which has never been an issue when using other Tefal irons, such as the Easygliss Eco and Puregliss. The purple colour also made it difficult to see the water level, which is common among irons in darker colours, such as the Morphy Richards Easy Charge Power+ Steam Iron. If you have any issues with your vision, you may want to consider getting a steam iron in more user-friendly colours instead.

Does the Tefal Ultraglide Anti-Calc Plus have any special features?

Well, in case you haven't guessed by now, the Tefal Ultraglide has a super-handy, removable, anti-calc filter that catches all the tiny limescale particles while ironing. Once the iron has cooled down (give it an hour), a handle on the base of the iron twists and the filter comes out to be rinsed through before being replaced, ready to tackle another laundry mountain.

Additional noteworthy mentions include the Ultraglide’s vertical steam feature to refresh hanging clothing and its eco energy setting.

Does the Tefal Ultraglide Anti-Calc Plus offer value for money?

Yes, I feel that the Tefal Ultraglide Anti-Calc Plus does offer value for money. Priced at £60 on Amazon at the time of writing (October 31st, 2023), it is nearly half the price of the Tefal Ultimate Pure (£111 at the time of writing), although the Ultimate Pure does offer a larger tank, longer cord and a more powerful steam shot. That said, I feel the Ultraglide more than fulfilled my personal brief of what I look for in an iron, and £60 feels like a reasonable price to pay. It’s worth noting that the Ultraglide Anti-Calc Plus comes under Tefal’s 10-year repair scheme, so it should give you many happy years of ironing.

How we tested

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

The Tefal Ultraglide Anti-Calc Plus 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.

About the author

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 and the Black + Decker 3 Tier Heated Airer, 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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