Black & Decker Light 'N Go Cordless Iron

A cordless rhythm that rewards the right user

I spent a couple of weeks pressing shirts, jeans, and a set of linen curtains with the Light ’N Go, and the experience is defined by one word: cadence. This is a cordless iron that stores heat in the soleplate and requires frequent visits to its base. If you embrace that pattern, it can be freeing—no cord tugging at your wrist, no snags around the board’s nose. If you don’t, it will frustrate you. My take falls somewhere in between, with some clear strengths and meaningful caveats.

Setup, build, and the charging base

Out of the box, the base and iron feel sturdy and well-matched. The base’s illuminated status ring is genuinely helpful; it gives quick feedback on charging and readiness so you aren’t guessing about temperature. The cord is attached to the base, not the iron, and at roughly six feet it’s adequate for most setups, though I did need an extension in a room with scarce outlets. Plan to keep the base on your board or on a nearby, stable surface at roughly the same height—parking it on the floor defeats the entire purpose of cordless use.

Filling the water tank is straightforward, and the reservoir is respectably sized for a couple of shirts or a set of pillowcases. The iron locks into the cradle with a confident fit, and the contact design encourages you to seat it fully. It’s not a battery-powered device—there’s no battery inside to replace or maintain—so think of the base as a hot dock that “recharges” the soleplate’s heat.

Heat-up time and temperature stability

With 1500 watts on tap, the Light ’N Go heats quickly. From cold, I was ready to tackle cotton in a minute or so, and linen a bit after that. Where the design differs from corded irons is how long that heat stays stable. In real-world use, you get a short burst of prime pressing—usually a half to three-quarters of a minute of solid heat—before performance starts to tail off, especially on high-mass fabrics like denim or heavy cotton oxford.

The trick is to dock the iron whenever you’re repositioning fabric. That quick pit stop keeps the soleplate topped up. If you try to treat it like a corded iron and work continuously for long passes, you’ll feel the temperature sag and see steam output drop. Once I adjusted to that cadence—press, dock while I smooth, press again—the experience made sense. If you want uninterrupted, long strokes across a king-size duvet, a corded model is still a better tool.

Steam, spray, and vertical touch-ups

Steam output is respectable for a cordless design. There’s an adjustable steam control and a separate spray mist that helps tame creases in cotton poplin and quilting cotton. On synthetics, I tended to back down the steam to avoid dampness and just use quick, hot passes while docking frequently. With linen, the iron did fine so long as I accepted that I’d be taking shorter, hotter runs and returning to the base every time I repositioned the fabric.

Vertical steaming is a nice bonus for hanging garments and drapes. The Light ’N Go produced enough vapor to refresh a wool blazer and knock out light wrinkles in curtains. It won’t replace a dedicated garment steamer for heavy de-creasing, but for quick touch-ups before a meeting, it’s perfectly serviceable.

A small note: like many irons, if you try to crank steam at lower temperatures, you may see minor spitting. Keep the temp aligned with your steam level, and give it a brief dock to reheat before tackling thick seams.

Soleplate and glide

The ceramic nonstick soleplate glides smoothly and resists sticking on tricky fabrics. I appreciated the even heat distribution across the nose and edges, which helped set clean seams and navigate between buttons. On denim hems and heavyweight twill, it can set a crease, but you’ll want to combine the spray, a pressing cloth, and that press/dock rhythm to keep heat consistent. For quilters or sewists working with piecing and precise edges, the pointed tip and even glide are genuinely helpful.

Weight-wise, it feels like a mid-weight iron in hand—substantial enough to press effectively but not fatiguing in short sessions. The balance point is close to the handle, which made it easy to maneuver on tight areas like sleeve plackets.

Safety and maintenance

Auto shutoff is present and works as expected; the iron powers down if left idle for a few minutes, and the base indicators make it obvious when it’s cycling. The self-cleaning function is simple to run, and I recommend making it part of your routine, especially if you use tap water. I also found it helpful to wipe the soleplate and base contacts after sessions, particularly if I’d used starch or if the soleplate was still slightly damp when docking. Proper seating on the base matters—if the iron isn’t fully docked or if residue builds up on the contacts, you can get poor charging performance and extra heat at the contact points.

I never experienced alarming behavior, but the contacts do get hot, and sloppy docking can cause brief sizzling if moisture is present. Keep the cradle and soleplate dry before docking, seat the iron firmly, and store the base on a heat-resistant surface.

Ergonomics and everyday use

The handle is comfortable, the controls are intuitive, and the indicator ring communicates clearly. I liked being able to park the iron anywhere on the board without a cord tugging back. That said, cordless ironing rewards intentional workflow. If your routine is “glide nonstop for five minutes,” this tool will interrupt you. If your routine is “press, reposition, press,” its cadence fits naturally, and you’ll discover that docking becomes an unconscious habit.

The base footprint is stable enough for a standard board, but on a narrow sleeve board it felt crowded. If your setup is cramped, measure carefully and consider using a side table for the base.

Durability and warranty

Across my time with it, the Light ’N Go behaved predictably. The chassis feels solid, the hinge action on the water door stayed tight, and the control knobs didn’t develop play. As with any heat-on-contact design, long-term reliability will depend on how clean and dry you keep the docking interface. The included two-year limited warranty provides some peace of mind, and I’d keep proof of purchase handy just in case.

Who will like it (and who won’t)

• Great for:

  • Quick morning touch-ups and weekly shirt runs
  • Small spaces where a dangling cord is a hassle
  • Quilting and garment sewing that benefits from frequent parking and precise tip control
  • Occasional vertical steaming of jackets or curtains

• Not ideal for:

  • Marathon ironing sessions with uninterrupted long passes
  • Heavy fabrics that demand sustained, constant heat
  • Users who prefer to park the iron on its heel for long stretches away from the base

The bottom line

The Light ’N Go trades continuous, corded heat for cordless freedom and a fast, heat-top-off cycle. It heats quickly, glides smoothly, and offers useful steam and spray controls in a well-thought-out package. But it requires you to adapt to a press/dock rhythm, and it rewards conscientious maintenance of its base contacts and soleplate.

Recommendation: I recommend the Light ’N Go for users who value cordless maneuverability and are willing to adopt the cadence that a base-charged iron demands. If your ironing sessions are mostly quick touch-ups, or if you sew and naturally pause to reposition fabric, it’s a pleasant, efficient tool. If you regularly iron large loads or need uninterrupted, high, sustained heat on heavy textiles, a good corded iron will serve you better.