Tefal Aquaspeed 160 Steam Iron FV516020

The Tefal Aquaspeed 160 has a great design. Its extra large chute for water allows the tank to be filled straight from the tap or bottle. Its dials are well labelled and intuitive. The iron’s weight and ergonomic handle make the iron easy to manoeuvre and its well designed, large heel make it very stable for resting upright. However, the absence of a button groove made it harder to navigate the iron around buttons.

Setting up

Set up involves nothing out of the ordinary. Just make sure that all labels are removed from the soleplate before use. When using the steam function for the first time, operate it in a horizontal position for a few moments away from linen and press the shot of steam button a few times.

Features

The real winner for this iron is the extra large water chute and the well designed heel. The large chute keeps spills to a minimum and makes filling the tank faster. The lid on the tank locks firmly in place, minimising any chances for further leaks and the large heel size helps prevent the iron from falling over when rested upright.

Its enamel base glides easily over all kinds of fabrics and its soleplate is made from durilium to help it resist scratching. The soleplate’s raised white lines, which run from the tip to the base, provide a cushion of steam to help the iron glide well and cause less stress on fabrics. Different sized holes also help evenly diffuse steam during ironing, which speeds up the job. The curved base helps the iron’s performance when moving backwards.

Performance

The Aquaspeed ironed well on nylon, cotton, denim and linen fabrics. It did a particularly good job on nylon using a dry setting. Buttons are well labeled with icons and words, so it is very easy to work out how to use the iron without having to read the manual.

The spray nozzle is well angled to shoot water over stubborn spots and the shot of steam delivered a satisfactory result although the shot spotted a little and needed some pumping for it to work at a good level. The vertical steam was a little weak, but with a bit of persistence it got the job done.

The Aquaspeed ironed smoothly and evenly. However, it didn’t have a button groove and this made ironing around buttons a little tricky. Marks wipe off easily and the iron has an anti-scale system to ensure a more constant flow of steam and longer life for the product.

The easy swivel cord did a good job of moving out of the way during ironing and it also wraps easily around the heel, making it easy to store.

Conclusion

A well designed iron with a good all round performance. While its price is reasonable it only has a one year warranty.

Reviewer: Trina Tune

Overall
Value for money
Ease of Use
Reader Rating0 Votes
Extra large opening for filling the water tank, large heel for stability, enamel base ensures a smooth iron, good steam distribution
No button groove on iron's base, water spotting with shot of steam
4