Panda Reviews: Move Freely with a Cordless Steam Iron

Ironing for me used to be a struggle; I burnt my clothes more times than I care to think about and I lost count of the occasions I got into an entanglement with the electrical cords. NEVER AGAIN! Presenting the newest cordless iron on the block: Tefal’s Freemove Cordless Steam Iron.

First Impressions

Now, among the concerns about cordless irons is whether it’s powerful enough to iron a whole load of wrinkled clothes. The Tefal Freemove, however, claims that it doesn’t compromise on power with its 2400W output. It also has the Turbo Shot function that emits steam up to 170 g/minute, which allows you to remove all stubborn creases. On the other hand, there is also the steam trigger that gives you that extra boost of steam whenever you want it.

Want to quickly touch up your clothes on hangers or give your hanging curtains a swift press? Then you’ll be happy to know the Tefal Freemove also has a vertical steaming function that makes it easier to iron on the go. For a hassle-free cordless experience, the Easyfix Docking System serves as both a docking base and a charging system. You can mount it securely to your ironing board with a clip and the best thing of all? The docking system has an in-built alert that will remind you to recharge the iron with a beep and a blinking red light.

And if you’re a forgetful Penny, the iron’s auto-off feature will turn the appliance off after 8 minutes. This means you never have to constantly wonder if you’ve switched off your iron or not. Other interesting features include an auto-steam control system, which corresponds with the material of your garment, as well as an anti-scale system and an auto-clean soleplate to keep the iron well-maintained for many good years ahead.

With such a long list of benefits, will the Tefal Freemove cordless iron live up to its name? We take it out for a test drive.

Product Fulfilment

One frequent grouch I have with irons in general is this: they can become too hot for my garment and I end up burning a big hole in them. With the Tefal Freemove, however, you can adjust the temperature according to the material of the garment you’re ironing! Where the usual steam iron has 3 heat settings, the Tefal Freemove has a few settings from minimum to maximum that cater for linen/cotton wool, silk, and synthetic garments. Definitely an easy-to-follow guide for complete ironing noobs like myself.

The docking station also took some getting used to, because ‘parking’ the iron requires a little dexterous positioning but I soon got the hang of it and began ironing my clothes. After setting the right temperature, ironing proved to be a breeze since I now no longer have to fight with insidious electrical cords. I can also see a remarkable difference before and after the ironing session. Just check out the difference below. The top picture shows an obviously crumbled section of my jeans while the bottom one is that of a refreshingly ironed part of the same pair of jeans. Call me lousy, but I’ve never seen my ironing produce such good results. Usually I have to exert more effort than the simple act of gently pressing the iron over the same area twice. LOL.

Of course this is all thanks to the iron’s 2-in-1 Auto-Steam control as well, which gives an extra boost to the ironing process. The easy-fill water inlet is yet another bonus, which enables me to fill up to 250ml and lessens the frequent need to top up water for the steam function.

Since the iron is a cordless one, you inevitably need to return the appliance to its docking station to recharge. The built-in alert is a great reminder but the time between charges is a little too short for my liking–not a major turn-off, just mildly bothersome.

Rah roh! The docking station demands the return of the cordless iron!

Fully charged! Now I can Scooby Dooby Doo with the iron again!

Another problem I had with my old iron was the dripping. I’m not sure if it’s a thermostat issue or I simply have no talent using my iron, but I frequently had to put up with wet patches on my clothes after an ironing session. Thanks to the Tefal Freemove’s double anti-drip function, I had no such problem. This feature comes with not one, but TWO guards that prevent water from dripping from the iron and soleplate. SWEET.

I also love the fact that the iron will switch off automatically after about 8 minutes. I actually timed it, and to my pleasant surprise, it DOES turn off by itself after 8 minutes! What this means? No more worries about forgetting to switch off the iron! =)

A must-have feature for all irons: an auto-switch off

Overall Opinion

All in all, I find the iron rather easy to use. The Tefal Freemove might seem a little bulkier than the usual steam iron, but its features far outweigh that small inconvenience. Compared to my old iron, the Freemove was a breeze to use but regrettably the retail price is a tad on the high side. But if you don’t mind forking out just a little bit more for advanced features, then I’ll recommend you to get this steam iron.

The Tefal Freemove is retailing at S$299 at all leading electrical and departmental stores.