Product Description

T-fal Ultraglide steam iron FV4446 replaces T-fal FV4259 iron. This thoughtfully designed and reliable 1700W steam iron smoothes out wrinkles quickly and easily. Standing apart from the rest, the high-quality ceramic soleplate provides unrivalled glideability and superior scratch resistance allowing for smoother ironing and better steam coverage. The ceramic soleplate helps the Ultraglide steam iron slide effortlessly over any type of fabric, from shirts to table linen, while its dial temperature control with three fabric settings accommodates a variety of material-from delicate linen to cotton and wool. Patented and exclusive Easycord system keeps the cord out of the way when steam ironing and prevents from re-wrinkling already-ironed fabrics. The iron produces continuous steam (up to 30gm/min) and delivers a powerful burst of steam (60g/min) providing additional steam for stubborn wrinkles. Choose regular steam for heavier fabrics or light steam for touch-ups. Use Ultrag lide steam iron on a flat surface for traditional steam ironing or hold it upright for vertically steaming out wrinkles from hanging drapes and delicate garments. The calc-away valve automatically collects scale preventing calcium build-up from hard water. By doing this it increases the lifetime of the Ultraglide steam iron. Ultraglide steam iron comes with extra large sealed inlet opening for easy filling and to prevent spills, large 9-ounce water-tank size means fewer refills necessary. For peace of mind and added safety, Ultraglide steam iron comes with a 3-way auto off feature and shuts off automatically after 30 sec. of inactivity if left on its soleplate or tipped over on its side; if left vertically on its heel rest, it will shut off after 8-min. Ultraglide steam iron measures approximately 5.9 by 11.1" and carries a 1-year limited warranty.

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Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #8384 in Home
• Color: Garnet Red
• Brand: T-fal
• Model: FV4446U0
• Number of items: 1
• Dimensions: 6.00" h x 5.60" w x 11.50" l, 2.75 pounds

Features

• Ultraglide ceramic soleplate with lifetime warranty: scratch resistant and non-stick for better glide, easier ironing and optimal ironing durability
• Iron produces continuous steam (up to 30-gram per minute), and delivers a powerful burst of steam (60-gram/min) as needed to help smooth out stubborn wrinkles from difficult fabrics
• Calc-recollecting valve recollects loose mineral deposits ensuring better long-lasting performances extra large sealed inlet opening for easy filling and to prevent spills, and its large 9-ounce water-tank size means fewer refills necessary
• Easycord system that keeps the cord out of the way when ironing and prevents from re-wrinkling already-ironed fabrics Retracts into iron for easy storage
• 3-way auto off feature the iron will shut off automatically after 30 seconds of inactivity if left on its soleplate or tipped over on its side; if left vertically on its heel rest, it will shut off after 8 min

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Customer Reviews

Most helpful customer reviews

21 of 21 people found the following review helpful.
Whoa! A Steam Iron that really Steams!
By Glen Allen music fan
Summary: An excellent iron that puts out a lot of steam, to take a lot of the "work" out of ironing.

EDIT (and UPDATE as of Feb 2013, additions as noted)

I'm a stay-at-home mom that irons at least 2 hours a week. Instead of our clothing running the gamut, they're at the extremes: technical fabrics (like Dri-Fit or CoolMax) or 100% cotton/linen. Hence, all the ironing. When my 10-yr Sunbeam quit putting out steam like it used to, it was time to find a new one. After reading reviews here on Amazon, I went searching for a T-fal iron. The budget is tight and was a bit hesitant to spend this kind of money at a local store (sorry, Amazon) but I'm glad I did.

This iron really, really puts out the steam. It holds a lot of water and it needs to. The angle of repose to stand up is more like 75- or 80-degrees (as opposed to my old iron's straight up 90-degree vertical) and it took some getting used to. But the triangle based that works around the "easycord" system was carefully thoughtout and is very stable (even with my 3-yr old bumping into the board and giving me a scare!). I tried every way from Sunday to make the cord system not work...and I couldn't.

My only real complaints: the dial to set the temperatures is directly under the handle and can be hard to maneuver and read. But the hottest temps for cotton is shaded yellow, and all the way to the end, so it's not a particular problem for me. I know some irons have digital readouts but I neither desired or expected one of those at this price-point. And, most of the "use" instructions are only visual, no words, so I'm having to guess a bit at what some of the "NO" icons mean. The instructions mention a "self-clean" function and an anti-scale rod...but I can't find any further information about it.

UPDATE: There is no real "off" setting (not that it really needs it) but I still think it should be a feature.

UPDATE: I've " cleaned" the anti-scale rod a few times (it only takes a turn of the rod to pull it out) but either we're in a relatively mineral-free municipal water district or my other "preservation" method (see below on spitting and cleaning) seems sufficient.

The plate was shaped nicely, glided effortlessly and the weight-balance made the back-n-forth movements a breeze. It heated up quickly (didn't put a stopwatch on it but definitely faster than what it replaced) and shut-off (or at least sounds like it did) when I left it sitting too long.

Just for grins, I did some vertical steaming on a dress that had been crinkled in the closet and that came out nicely too. It didn't produce the first drip or dribble.

UPDATE: After almost a year of weekly ironing (at least an hour at a clip), I've noticed a few spitting/dribbling incidents...after I've walked away and it has "shut itself off/into a holding pattern" and then I come back to it. I can usually avo id those instances by merely running the iron one or two times over the ironing board cover to get the steam going again and then all seems well.

I would also note, as did another reviewer, that the description here on Amazon mentions a retractable cord...which it does NOT have.

UPDATE: In an effort to minimize clogging or corrosion, I fastidiously empty the water just after I turn it off/unplug it....while it's still hot...hoping the latent heat with dry out the internal chambers so as to remain trouble-free.

All-in-all, a great purchase. I never thought the "appliance" could cut my chore time but this one did -- I wasn't having to stop to refill it and the copious amounts of steam made for mostly one-pass ironing. Great job, T-fal.

Since I've only had it a week (but definitely put it through its paces), I can't vouch for its durability but if anything changes I'll be sure to update this review.

Pros: LARGE amounts of steam, truly easyglide plate, stable base, cord never got in the way

Cons: difficult to "see" analog temperature dial, minimal instructions

One year later verdict: Still a great purchase. After reading some of the subsequent reviews about all the leaking and such, I'd have to say perhaps they got a bad version. Other than the occasion spitting, at very predictable circumstances as noted above, I've had nary an issue with this iron. I sincerely hope it continues to last.

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful.
Great, Low-Cost Solution
By Neil in Houston
I really don't like reviewing items like this until I've owned them for awhile, but wow! Take it from an ex-military guy, this is a great iron for the price! My last two irons were Black & Decker and a Shark. Prior to that, I had some high-dollar irons because many folks out there told me that I needed to spend the money on an good iron. Boy, were they wrong.

All of the irons I've owned proved to me after the first use that we were going to have a struggle every morning. You could just tell that you were going to burn them up quick (brown, burn marks on the bottom), spit too much water/steam out, or simply break them.

This little T-Fal does a remarkable job for something this cheap. The cord design is simple, and keeps the thing out of my way when pressing my shirts and pants. The steam is tremendous at full bore! I have kept mine just slightly before the mid-mark and it presses great. All wrinkles come out, and it's very smooth! The bottom appears to have some interesting pattern on it... some kind-of non-stick T-Fal stuff, I'm sure. Whatever it is, it makes ironing very smooth, especially when used with the steam.

I did notice that when you have the steam set at full-bore it will get your clothes wet. I don't think that any iron should spit out water from the bottom, so that's why this only gets 4 stars. Water should "only" be deliverable via the spray button, IMO.

The iron also didn't come with a bottle or small container to fill up the water reservoir. However, it is not needed because you can just put it under your sink and fill 'er up! What a concept, right? Makes it very easy to fill and I've yet to hear any complaints at my home about it.

All in all, great buy! I'm very happy with this thing.

31 of 37 people found the following review helpful.
Tfal Ultraglide red iron - love it!
By Tom Jargeland
Watch Video Here: http://www.amazon.com/review/R19TX2MRE5YV57 Ironing has always been a chore for me but I decided to buy this iron and absolutely love it! The ceramic soleplate is fantastic, no scratches, glides great on my fabrics. I took the time to do a little video as I'm so happy with my purchase!