REASONS TO BUY
Simple to use
Inexpensive
REASONS TO AVOID
Not very effective
Pad rolls off
Inconsistent steam
Light'N'Easy Ultra Lightweight Review
A simple steam mop whose price is appealing but performance is lacking
Credit: Light'N'Easy
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Our Verdict
The Light'N'Easy Ultra Lightweight is a very simple steam mop that is exactly what it looks like. It has no extra frills, features, or accessories to muddle about with. It's inexpensive, plain, and falls short in its performance at nearly every possible opportunity. It has one of the smallest water tanks of any model we tested and “saves” water through inconsistent steam flow. The velcro mop pad easily catches even modestly textured floors, rolling under the mop head. Its only acceptable cleaning performance is on smooth floors that are easy for any basic mop to handle. Don't be fooled by the enticing price of the Light'N'Easy — there are better mops on a budget to be had.
Our Analysis and Test Results
The Light'N'Easy Ultra Lightweight has a 200ml water tank capacity with a narrow, 0.75-inch opening. It has a 20-foot cord and comes with a single velcro mop pad — and that's it.
Performance Comparison
The Light'N'Clean is certainly light, but that's about all we like about it.
Credit: Laura Casner
Cleaning Performance
When used on smooth, even flooring, the Light'N'Easy does an average job cleaning everyday messes. However, even slightly textured tile causes the mop pad to catch and stick, easily rolling off the mop head and under itself. As mop pads go, this one is very thin and more like a microfiber cloth than a proper mop pad. Pitted against stains and difficult messes, it falls far short of our expectations for a steam mop. It lacks any sort of bristled attachment as well, forcing you to bust out the hand brush and get down on the floor to do the deep cleaning. Inexplicably, this mop only releases steam when you push it forward, further hindering your ability to scrub in the typical back and forth motion.
The mop pad is more like a towel and easily catches things.
Credit: Laura Casner
Ease of Use
You'd expect such a simple mop to be quite easy to use. And in some ways, it is. There are no components to swap out or lose. But the 200ml water tank (not even 8 ounces!) is one of the smallest we've ever tested. It has a puny 0.75 inch opening with a screw cap and is semi-opaque, making it difficult to see how much water you have left. Confusingly, the Max Fill line is on the top of the water tank, rather than the side where it would actually be helpful. This mop is so simple that it doesn't even have a power button — it simply turns on when you plug it in and off when you unplug it. The velcro-attached mop pad is more of a towel, and it's difficult to get it to stay put. When you're done cleaning and ready to stow, the Light'N'Easy takes up very little space and is best stored hanging in a closet — it won't stand up on its own and the power cord is secured by a single velcro strap.
The max fill line is actually on the top of the tank, rendering it utterly useless.
Credit: Laura Casner
Maneuverability
Both the front and back edges of the Light'N'Easy are curved, making it difficult to appropriately clean edges and corners. The bulbous bottom stops it from sliding easily under low clearance furniture. The thin pad, constantly catching on grout grooves and flooring textures, is also difficult to steer or change directions. And the 20-foot cord, while a decent length, is also one of the shortest we tested.
The bulbous end of the Light'N'Easy doesn't help it to slide under furniture very well.
Credit: Laura Casner
Features
The Light'N'Easy has no features, no accessories, and no attachments. It doesn't come with an extra mop pad or any sort of adjustable steam. It doesn't even have a decent cord management system or ergonomic shape.
It comes with no accessories, no attachments, has no features, and only includes a single flimsy mop pad.
Credit: Laura Casner
Value
Despite being one of the least expensive steam mops we tested, the performance of this unimpressive unit just doesn't make it worth the price. We would rather use the old mop and bucket than pay the extra dough for this frustrating and lackluster steam mop.
Conclusion
The Light'N'Easy Ultra Lightweight may be light in its weight but is also, unfortunately, light in its performance. It doesn't clean very well, comes apart too easily, sprays inconsistent steam (and only while moving forward), and isn't as easy to use as its simplicity would suggest. While we like to find the silver lining in every product, we just can't bring ourselves to recommend this mop to anyone.
—
Michelle Powell and Maggie Nichols
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