Rowenta DW2459 Access Review

The Rowenta DW2459 Access is a 1725W steam iron with a stainless steel soleplate. It weighs just over three pounds and can hit an impressive 362°F. It features a narrower pointed nose and a retractable cord.

Performance Comparison

Ironing Performance

We have a lot of demands regarding the ironing performance of our steam irons, and the Rowenta Access earned one of the top scores in our testing. On cotton and linen, this iron glides smoothly and satisfyingly across the fabric's surface. While cotton is relatively straightforward to iron, even rougher linen felt nearly as smooth as the cotton after we used this iron. The Access gets so hot we felt the need to keep the iron constantly moving so as not to burn the fabric. As we turned down the temperature to tackle more delicate fabrics like silk and satin, it took about 2-4 passes to get the wrinkles out. Still, it glides so smoothly that we loved ironing large swaths of fabric.

As it often does, polyester took a bit more work to get out stubborn creases. Though the dial on the Access tells you not to press the button for more steam on polyester, when we did so, it worked to get out those tough wrinkles without leaving any extra water droplets along the way. The very narrow, extra pointed nose worked wonders in all our detailing work — around buttons on a shirt and into armpits, shoulders, and other difficult angles. Our one complaint regarding ironing performance is that the extra spray feature doesn't spray out very far in front of the iron. While this is great for small items and fine detailing work, it becomes a bit more annoying when you need extra moisture across a larger surface.

Steam Output

Though the overall steam output score of the Rowenta Access isn't particularly impressive, this iron proved itself a bit of an enigma in this category. A portion of this metric relies on tests that measure the amount of steam the iron gives off in a certain time period. Compared to many other models, the Access gave off less measurable steam. However, it looks like a lot of steam is released and proved to be plenty to iron most materials.

The arrangement of steam holes on the Access is top-notch. With tiny holes across most of the bottom, this iron has a total of four rows of holes lining the perimeter and another section of similarly sized holes in the center. The bottom of the iron has additional rows of steam openings, some of which are slightly larger than the rest. With a grand total of 400 holes, the Access manages to do more work with less steam.

Ease of Use

The Access has a long, 7.5-foot cord that retracts into the base of the iron. This retractability proved to be a game changer for the handful of models that feature it, as you can immediately store the cord when you've finished ironing — no need to have it lay dangerously across the floor while the iron cools. The retractable cord cuts down on the overall surface area of the iron a bit, but this didn't impede performance in any measurable way. The handle is the perfect length and has a great texture, and the cord comes out at an angle, keeping it easily out of the way of your hand as you iron.

On the other hand, the bulky back end is a bit heavy and throws the balance a little further back than we'd like. When performing detail work, we had to actively tip the whole thing forward to ensure the nose was touching the fabric. The worst feature of the Access in this metric is a too-narrow opening for the water tank. The slope leading down to the opening is the wrong shape and angle, often shooting water to the side rather than draining it into the cavity.

Heating

If you're mostly set on ironing fabrics that take high heat, the Rowenta Access is here for it. We measured every iron's temperature at various locations around the soleplate, and this one averages one of the hottest we've tested, hitting over 360°F.

However, we're not big fans of the indicator lights on this model. The light is quite dim, and the backing behind its red cover is too light, making it very difficult to see if the light is on. As this is how you know when the iron is ready for use (it doesn't beep), it's a bit annoying. We noticed that the light is brighter and easier to see looking straight on, but as it's typically set upright on an ironing board and viewed from an angle, that's only marginally helpful.

Should You Buy the Rowenta DW2459 Access?

When it comes to serious ironing performance, hitting consistently high temperatures, and using steam frugally yet efficiently, the Rowenta Access is one of our top choices. It's an excellent contender for large ironing jobs and detailed items at high heat. Add in the fact that it's less than half the cost of several others we tested, and this steam iron is a great value buy.

What Other Steam Irons Should You Consider?

The Rowenta Access is a great iron that performed very well in our testing. We love how it glides like butter over every fabric we tested and was always able to get out even the most stubborn creases. While the Access does a great job even with a low steam output, if you need top-tier performance and copious steam to cut through the toughest jobs, consider the Rowenta Everlast or CHI Steam Titanium instead. But if you're on the hunt for a steam iron that's pleasant to use, gets the job done quickly, and saves you some cash, the Access is the iron for you.