Best Clothes Steamers

We all lead such busy lives nowadays, which allows less and less time for keeping our clothes looking at their best. Ironing can be such a chore and in some cases, damage those delicate clothes.

So how do you remove the creases from that sequined dress without damaging it? With a clothes steamer that’s how.

Clothes steamers and in particular hand held clothes steamers are so much more convenient than using an iron. With a steamer, there’s no need for an ironing board and there’s no need to worry about damaging your favourite top either.

A clothes steamer works without touching the garment which means the fibres of your clothing are never flattened by the weight of an iron.

As for a surface to work on, as a steamer doesn’t actually touch the clothing at all, all you need to do is hang your shirt, skirt, blouse, suit jacket or whatever on a hanger and suspend the hanger on the top of a door frame and then let all of that steam action remove creases in no time.

Top Recommended Clothes Steamers

Here are our picks for the top clothes steamers you can buy:

What Are The Advantages Of A Clothes Steamer?

The main advantages of a clothes steamer include;

• A clothes steamer can be used on many fabrics
• Clothes steamers aren’t tied down
• Many clothes steamers are portable
• Clothes steamers heat up fast
• Many clothes steamers take up far less space
• Clothes steamers will kill any bacteria on the clothes
• Steamers are gentler on clothes
• Steamers can be used on furnishings

Clothes Steamers Can Be Used On Many Fabrics

We all know what it’s like, you have a huge pile of ironing which you think you’ve sorted into groups that can all be ironed at the same temperature. Only to find some that can only be ironed at low heat when you’re onto the high heat items.

With a clothes steamer that is never going to be the problem. The steamer doesn’t touch the garment, only the steam produced in the steamer touches it. Which rules out the worry of burning your favourite clothes with an iron.

The Clothes Steamer Isn’t Tied Down

The only safe place to use an iron is on an ironing board. This can be a bit limiting as to where it can be done. A clothes steamer on the other hand can be used anywhere there’s a door frame. If you’re upstairs looking for that nice top only to find it’s got creased in the cupboard, all you need to get out is the clothes steamer. Not the iron and the ironing board.

Many Clothes Steamers Are Portable

Many hotels supply an iron in the room but some don’t which means either, taking your own or queuing up in reception to ask for one. With a portable clothes steamer, you can pack your own decreaser. Plus as they need nothing more than a door frame to operate, you don’t need to worry about only packing crease free garments.

Clothes Steamers Heat Up Fast

Unlike an iron that can take what seems like ages to heat up, a clothes steamer takes a few minutes at most. This allows you to get ready in a short amount of time which means you won’t miss out on any of the night’s fun.

Clothes Steamers Take Up Less Space

Compared to an iron plus ironing board, a hand held clothes steamer takes up far less space. Which means when it’s time to store it away, you have lots of extra free space.

Clothes Steamers Kill Bacteria

The steam from a clothes steamer passes right through the material of your clothes. The heat produced from a steamer will kill any bacteria on the clothes. This is great if you intend to wear a garment that has already been worn and you haven’t had time to wash it.

Steamers Are Gentler On Clothes

Steamers remove creases in a far gentler way than an iron. This will help your clothes last longer as there will be less wear and tear using a steamer.

Steamers Can Be Used On Furnishings

Clothes steamers can be used to steam curtains while they’re still hanging, soft fabrics like fabric sofas to remove bacteria etc, bed sheets, pillow cases, blankets, even mattresses can be steamed.

What Are The Disadvantages Of A Clothes Steamer?

When it comes to laundry, there’s no perfect appliance, irons have their limitations and so do clothes steamers. The disadvantages of a clothes steamer include;

• Steamers can’t produce sharp creases
• Clothes can be too wet to wear immediately
• Many portable steamers have small water tanks
• Upright steamers are too bulky for travel
• Steamers are not so good on thick fabrics

Clothes Steamers Can’t Produce Sharp Creases

If you want to get a sharp crease on a pair of trousers for example, you’ll need that extra weight that can only be provided by an iron or a trouser press. A clothes steamer won’t produce a sharp crease because it is designed to remove creases.

Clothes Can Be Too Wet To Wear Immediately

This is dependent on how long the garment was steamed for. In some cases, you might need to leave the clothing to hang for a while to dry out.

Some Handheld Steamers Have Small Water Tanks

If you have quite a lot of laundry to steam, a handheld or portable steamer might not be practical. This is because many have small water tanks which will require constant refills to get through all of the laundry.

Upright Steamers Are Too Bulky For Travel

Handheld steamers are smaller and easier to travel with. Upright steamers are often too big and bulky for travel purposes. This could mean you’ll need 2 clothes steamers, an upright steamer for indoors and a handheld steamer for taking away with you.

Clothes Steamers Struggle With Some Thick Fabrics

There are some thick fabrics like canvas, corduroy, wool tweed, etc that are simply too thick to be affected by steam. This means these items will only get wet using a clothes steamer but not lose their creases.

Clothes Steamer Buyers Guide

If you’re now sold on the idea of a clothes steamer, there are a few things you need to consider before rushing off to buy one. Below we have listed many of the considerations you should take into account before making your final choice.

Portability

If you intend to pack your clothes steamer when you go away, you’ll need to make sure that it is not too heavy and whether it will fit in your case.

Ease Of Use

Look at the size and weight of the steamer and whether it’s a handheld or upright steamer. Handheld steamers have an attached water tank which will increase the overall weight. Whereas an upright steamer allows you to just use the steam head however, an upright steamer cannot be moved around as easily as a handheld steamer.

Length Of Power Cable

Think of the room you plan to use the steamer, then consider where the plug sockets are located. You’ll need to check on the length of the power cable before buying your steamer.

Water Tank Capacity

If you intend to do a whole week’s laundry with the steamer, you’re going to need one with a large water tank. There’s nothing quite so annoying as getting part way through the job only to find you’ve literally run out of steam.

It’s not just the extra time taken to refill the water tank, you will then need to wait for the steamer to heat up again.

Heat Up Time

You’ll need to check the specs to find out how long the clothes steamer takes to preheat. This can range from anywhere between 20 to 60 seconds.

Steam Rate

The steam rate is the amount of steam created by the steamer per minute. The higher the steam rate the more effective the steamer is at removing creases etc.

Type Of Clothes Steamer

There are two types of clothes steamers which are 

1. Handheld Clothes Steamers
2. Upright Clothes Steamers

They both steam clothes to remove creases but they operate differently.

Hand Held Steamers

Handheld steamers are smaller, weigh less and are far more portable than upright steamers. They also generally cost less than uprights although there are exceptions to this. Some handheld steamers with all the buzzes and whistles can cost over £100. 

Handheld steamers weigh in at around 1 kg when empty but remember that every litre of water weighs a kilo which means they will be heavier when full of water. With that said, a large water tank can be advantageous when you have lots of clothes to steam.

Upright Steamers

Upright clothes steamers have larger water tanks and many extra features like; hanging posts for clothes to be steamed, built-in boards for steaming delicate items and built-in hangers.

They also often have extra functions like auto switch off and multiple steam levels. However, upright steamers cost more than handheld models and they’re not suitable for taking away in your suitcase.

Extra Features

There are some clothes steamers that have extra features included. Features like;

• Collar Press
• Folding Hanger
• Head Attachment
• Door Hook
• Protective Pad
• Protective Glove
• Water Jug

You might want some, all or none of these extra items or features but they’re worth bearing in mind.

Is A Clothes Steamer Worth It?

In many ways a clothes steamer is a far more effective way to remove creases from your clothes than using an iron. Steamers take less time to remove creases, require less space, and are far gentler on the material than an iron.

With that said, there are certain things that an iron can do that a steamer can’t. For instance, steamers can’t create sharp creases, steamers can leave the garment too wet to wear and can struggle on thicker fabrics.

Frequently Asked Questions