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Black+Decker Easy Steam IR40V Review

With poor steam output and no cover for the water tank, this lackluster iron doesn't impress us
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Black+Decker Easy Steam IR40V Review
Credit: Jessica Riconscente
Price:  $25 List
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Manufacturer:   Black+Decker
By Maggie Nichols and Jessica Riconscente  ⋅  May 3, 2023
56
OVERALL
SCORE


RANKED
#11 of 14
  • Ironing Performance - 40% 5.8
  • Steam Output - 25% 4.0
  • Heating - 15% 7.1
  • Detailing - 10% 7.4
  • Ease of Use - 10% 4.7

Our Verdict

The Black+Decker Easy Steam is a low-heat iron lacking in some of the features we want for diverse usage and bigger jobs. It has a very low steam output and no boost feature — only a front-spray option. It is one of the lightest models we tested, with a comfortable handle, and it glides smoothly over fabric and into hard-to-reach corners. A prominent dial switches easily between settings without confusion, though the print of the settings options is quite small. The indicator light only tells you if it's on or off — not if it's hot and ready to use. With no cover over the water reservoir, we found ourselves spilling water out when moving the iron around the room on more than one occasion. Unfortunately, the below-average performance of the Easy Steam makes it one that we were not excited to use for much more than a quick fix.
REASONS TO BUY
Lightweight
Easy to handle
Prominent dial
REASONS TO AVOID
Low steam output
Water tank has no lid
Average ironing performance

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Bottom Line Lacking a lid over the water reservoir and with a mediocre ironing performance, this isn't a great ironGood ironing performance and detailing work, but uneven heating keeps this iron from being even betterPortable for traveling, but lacks the punch needed for regular useThis classic iron is simple and without frills - more like the irons of decades ago than today's feature-filled modelsThere isn't a whole lot to like about this iron, save for maybe its tiny size and low price
Rating Categories Black+Decker Easy S... Black+Decker Profes... Sunbeam Hot-2-Trot Sunbeam Classic GCSBC Utopia Home
Ironing Performance (40%)
5.8
7.8
6.8
6.0
5.8
Steam Output (25%)
4.0
5.5
3.0
3.7
5.0
Heating (15%)
7.1
6.7
9.5
6.2
3.0
Detailing (10%)
7.4
7.9
5.6
8.0
2.1
Ease of Use (10%)
4.7
6.5
4.7
5.5
4.5
Specs Black+Decker Easy S... Black+Decker Profes... Sunbeam Hot-2-Trot Sunbeam Classic GCSBC Utopia Home
Measured Steam Output 39 g 82 g 12 g 33 g 70 g
Measured Average Temperature 302 °F 293 °F 347 °F 283 °F 223 °F
Number of Steam Holes 21 18 7 29 23
Wattage 1200W 1500W 800W 1200W 1200W
Weight 1.6 lbs 2.1 Ibs 1.3 lbs 2.3 lbs 1.8 Ibs
Cord Length 7.8' 9' 8' 8.1' 7'
Soleplate Material Stainless Steel Stainless Steel Non-Stick Non-Stick Non-stick

Our Analysis and Test Results

The Black+Decker Easy Steam IR40V is an inexpensive iron with an average to below-average performance. While totally adequate for quick touch-ups, it doesn't have the heat or steam power to blast through bigger jobs.

Performance Comparison


black+decker easy steam ir40v - though it's inexpensive, there's much lacking from the performance...
Though it's inexpensive, there's much lacking from the performance of the Easy Steam IR40V.
Credit: Abriah Wofford

Ironing Performance


The Easy Steam IR40V does an average job ironing most fabrics. Cotton and linen took a few passes to get wrinkles out of the fabric — not the fastest, but not the slowest. Silk and satin are where this iron performed best, creating smoothness after just 2-3 passes. It was far from our favorite to use on polyester, though, as it took a very long time on the recommended setting. Following the directions from Black+Decker and using setting 3 for polyester proved rather ineffective, as that setting is not hot enough and doesn't emit steam. On settings 4-6, steam comes out of a U-shaped distribution of just 21 holes. Unlike most other irons we tested, there's no way to boost the steam coming from the soleplate. This model also has a fairly large gap between the top steam holes and the tip of the iron.

black+decker easy steam ir40v - the easy steam has an average ironing performance and does the best...
The Easy Steam has an average ironing performance and does the best on cotton and linen.
Credit: Jessica Riconscente

Steam Output


This iron isn't designed to be a super steamy option, and it puts out some of the lowest levels of steam of any model we tested. Lacking a boost option, the Easy Steam isn't a good choice for ironing jobs that need plenty of steam to remove stubborn wrinkles.

black+decker easy steam ir40v - the easy steam doesn't have the steam boost feature that comes...
The Easy Steam doesn't have the steam boost feature that comes standard on most other irons.
Credit: Abriah Wofford

Heating


With an average temperature of 318°F across its surface, the Easy Steam isn't as hot as the average in our lineup. This iron demonstrated a wide temperature difference from left to right, hitting 304°F and 367°F, respectively. The bottom section — the coolest part of just about every iron we tested — hovered around 287°F. The nose, an important part of detailing, also wasn't as hot as we wanted for efficient wrinkle removal — about 321°F. Over the course of 5 minutes, temperatures across the surface of the soleplate oscillated quite a bit, even without touching it to cool fabric.

black+decker easy steam ir40v - the easy steam ir40v fluctuated a lot in its heating and achieved a...
The Easy Steam IR40V fluctuated a lot in its heating and achieved a wide range of temperatures across its surface.

Detailing


Weighing just 1.6 pounds, the Easy Steam is one of the lightest irons we tested. It's easy and smooth to push around and change directions, and this maneuverability helps to make detailing jobs that much easier. The handle is lightly ergonomic underneath and lacks any buttons, making it simple to grab. Our only complaint about this unit's detailing ability is that without an extra steam boost button, we were forced to back out of corners to use the spray button on the front.

black+decker easy steam ir40v - without a steam boost feature, detailing often meant backing up to...
Without a steam boost feature, detailing often meant backing up to spray the affected area with water.
Credit: Abriah Wofford

Ease of Use


The Easy Steam cord is just shy of 8 feet long and pivots 360 degrees. It doesn't have any cord-keeping features on the bottom of the iron for storage. The indicator light has no differentiation between heating and ready. The dial is easy to use, but the settings are close together, and the print is too small to read comfortably. Oddly, the water reservoir has both a small opening and completely lacks any sort of lid or cover to keep it from sloshing out. The spray feature works well and sprays a good distance, but it doesn't quite attain the fine mist quality that we prefer here.

The water reservoir has a small opening that overflows if you try to fill to quickly, and it has no lid or covering.
Credit: Abriah Wofford

Should You Buy the Black+Decker Easy Steam IR40V?


With an enticingly low price tag, the Easy Steam is a tempting purchase. It can be a decent choice if you don't require much of your iron beyond the occasional small straightening job. But if you have really bad wrinkles to smooth or lots of big projects to tackle, this underwhelming iron is unlikely to satisfy you.

What Other Irons Should You Consider?


If you're ironing on a budget and need to blast through large jobs quickly, the PurSteam Pro 1800W is a high-value item that makes ironing even the most stubbornly wrinkled sheets a breeze. For detailing dress wear with relative ease, the Black+Decker D3030 Allure is a highly maneuverable model that puts out far more steam and offers a great ironing experience. But if you don't plan on using your iron much and only for small, easy tasks when you do, the Black+Decker Easy Steam may just be the right option for you.

black+decker easy steam ir40v - the easy steam is very budget friendly but also not an option we'd...
The Easy Steam is very budget friendly but also not an option we'd want to do a ton of ironing with.
Credit: Abriah Wofford

Maggie Nichols and Jessica Riconscente