The heated sole plate seemed to be as useful as an ashtray on a motorbike, and the steam slot looked like a design flaw as oppose to the evenly spaced holes on the Access Steam version. HOWEVER, having tried it with an ironing board and on the bed, my initial perception has greatly improved.

Okay, it still does a decent job on most clothes i.e. blazers/jackets, t-shirts. chinos etc. whilst upright steaming (I do use the brush or delicate attachment to prevent that unsightly shine). But for more stubborn wrinkles and the shirts, it works best when used with the ironing board. I have not used my iron in over a month and cannot say I miss it. The heated sole plate coupled with steam works just as well if not better than a traditional iron (but then again, most of my shirts are non-iron cotton).

Access+ is reasonably well made, produces very good amount of steam, cable is of ample length, and the turbo function isn’t entirely useless.

Pleat attachment is borderline functional, door hook could be of better design (rather sharp edges, the U bent could be a bit deeper) and the steamer could most definitely do with a larger reservoir (it never seem to last the said 8-9 minutes).

Descaling is simple with 50/50 white vinegar/water solution, run it till dry, do it outdoors or risk smelling like cheap wine.

4 stars from me

Edit 2 June 2021 – Unlike other makes, including Tefal’s own Access (non-plus) steamer, this one doesn’t leave a wet trail (or spray hot water) on the clothes because of the heated sole plate. Here comes another star.

The turbo button, if used for extended period, stays on (i.e. You cannot switch to normal mode) until the steamer cools down. Not a deal breaker but annoying enough to cost 1 star.

Tip – I started using de-ionized water (about pound fifty from “every little helps”) with this steamer and even with daily use for the past 15 months, descaling hasn’t been required. I steam my work suits daily to keep them fresh and an unintended fringe benefit has been a nil dry cleaning bill