Tower Ceraglide Ultra T22013 steam iron review: Budget friendly and simple to use

If budget is a consideration, the Tower Ceraglide Elite is hard to beat, with Amazon currently selling it for £30. Despite the cheaper price, the Tower did a decent job of tackling my ironing, with plenty of steam and a design that’s comfortable in the hand. I named it the best budget buy in my best steam irons roundup.

Despite its budget price, the iron still has decent steam output and a nice, large water tank, both of which help to make ironing faster. It’s an ideal choice for those looking for a cheap and cheerful iron that still actually does the job it’s designed for.

Tower Ceraglide Elite T22013 steam iron review: What do you get for the money?

The Tower Ceraglide Elite comes in several colour combinations, but I was sent the rather natty black and teal combination to test. Overall the iron has a sleek look, and I particularly liked the ergonomic handle that made the iron comfortable in the hand. It’s nicely grippy and meant that the iron didn’t slip about – no matter how quickly I ironed.

The Tower follows the normal design for a steam iron – there’s a dial in the centre to adjust the temperature and steam and spray buttons on the top of the handle, above the water tank. There’s also a clever little sliding steam switch which allows you to use the steam in eco mode or push further for a steam boost. For a cheap iron, it’s got a decent water tank at 360ml, and you shouldn’t need to be refilling this too often and I felt that steam output was good for the cost of the iron. Of course, if you want a larger tank and even more powerful steam, you might want to consider one of the best steam generator irons instead.

It’s not the lightest iron I’ve tested, but its middling weight was still easy enough to hold and I was impressed with the stability of the iron when standing up. Self-clean and anti-calc functions are also a welcome addition, particularly for those of us that live in a hard water area. Remember though, you will still need to use distilled water in your iron and follow our guide on how to clean an iron to keep your iron running smoothly.

Tower Ceraglide Elite T22013 steam iron review: What is it like to use?

I’ve already waxed lyrical about the Ceraglide Elite’s ergonomic handle, but it’s worth restating – while it isn’t as light as others on our best roundup, this iron is still great to use

In my tests, the Tower iron took 33 seconds to heat up to its three-dot setting. It’s one of the slower irons to heat up that I’ve tested, but it’s by no means an unacceptable length of time, particularly when you consider the fact that the iron is extremely reasonably priced. An indicator light lets you know when the iron has reached the correct temperature. Again, as you might expect from a slightly cheaper iron, the Tower has a lower continuous steam rating than some pricier options at 40g/min, but its steam shot is impressive at 180g/min. Steam output was good as well, with plenty produced as I went through my ironing.

The vertical steam function means the iron gives you the ability to steam upholstery and curtains with ease, but what particularly impressed me was the variable steam function. This allows you to adjust the direction and power of the steam flow, making it easier to control the output from the iron. All in all, I found this iron simple to use and particularly good to hold in the hand.

Tower Ceraglide Elite T22013 steam iron review: What could be better?

The Tower Ceraglide is our best budget buy, but its price does mean it comes with a few small compromises. I rated the Tower at 4/5 for crease reduction – it does a great job of removing creases, but I did notice that it needed a little more effort and force to remove creases than some of the more expensive irons. The iron glides well over most things, but thicker fabrics slowed the iron down a tiny bit.

Continuous steam is lower than some models at 40g/min but unless you’re tackling mountains of ironing at once, it’s unlikely this will cause you any issues. The other slight niggle of the Tower iron is how noisy it is while turning on and heating up steam. But once it’s reached your desired temperature, the iron is no noisier than others to use.

Some users may also find the cord a little too short as it’s only 1.8m long and could be an issue for those working in a larger space.

Tower Ceraglide Elite T22013 steam iron review: Should you buy it?

If you’re on a budget, I think Tower irons are always a good option. They’re well-made and have all the features you’d get on a pricier model. The Ceraglide Elite produces decent steam and the steam shot is more than powerful enough to deal with creases. It irons well on all fabrics but does sometimes just need a little extra ‘push’ to get stubborn creases out on heavier fabrics.

The water tank is larger than those of more expensive models; it means you can get through a large amount of ironing before any refills are needed. I also really liked the grip of this iron – it always felt secure in the hand and I didn’t need to worry about it slipping, particularly on delicate fabrics. Yes, there are a few small niggles to note but, if you’re on a budget, this will tackle your ironing pile with aplomb.