Top 5 Clothes Steamers
Best Heavy-Duty Steamer: Jiffy J-2000 Garment Steamer Best Heads: BLACK+DECKER Advanced Handheld Garment/Fabric Steamer Best Multipurpose Attachment: Conair Turbo Extreme Steam Handheld Fabric Steamer Best Hanger: PurSteam Garment Steamer Best For Travel: Jiffy ESTEAM Personal Handheld Steamer
Best Heavy-Duty Steamer: Jiffy J-2000 Garment Steamer
With a large 0.75-gallon water tank, this steamer can provide up to 90 minutes of steam. It comes with a stand that can be used to mount the head when it’s not in use or to hold the article of clothing you’re steaming.
Key Features
Full-size model 0.75-gallon water tank Two-minute heating time 1.5 hours of steam 1,300 watts of power Three-year warranty
What Customers Are Saying
Customers said that this steamer was effective at removing wrinkles, had easy assembly, and heated water quickly. However, some who were unhappy with this steamer said that it was prone to leaks.
Best Heads: BLACK+DECKER Advanced Handheld Garment/Fabric Steamer
This model has several unique features that make it stand out from other portable, convenient handheld steamers. It has a long 15-foot power cord, 1,400 watts of power, and continuous and burst steam settings. It also comes with three attachable heads that serve specific purposes, such as removing wrinkles from upholstery, protecting delicate fabrics, and removing lint.
Key Features
Handheld model 7.4-ounce water tank One-minute heating time 1,400 watts of power Two-year warranty
What Customers Are Saying
Those who were happy with this steamer said that it had a comfortable grip and was easy to maneuver. However, those who were unhappy claimed that it was heavy for a handheld model. Other customers had a hard time getting steam to come out consistently.
Best Multipurpose Attachment: Conair Turbo Extreme Steam Handheld Fabric Steamer
This steamer offers 15 minutes of continuous steam that emits from two slots in a ceramic faceplate. This powerful burst of steam eliminates wrinkles while killing 99.9% of germs, dust mites, and bed bugs. The faceplate comes with an attachment that serves three purposes—holding fabric taut to make steaming it easier, loosening fabric fibers to steam deeper, and separating delicate elements from the main fabric piece to protect them during steaming.
Key Features
Handheld model 7.3-ounce water tank 40-second heating time 15 minutes of steam 1,875 watts of power Two-year warranty
What Customers Are Saying
Those who were satisfied with this clothes steamer said that it had a high steam output, was effective on multiple types of fabrics, and removed tough-to-get wrinkles. Those who were unsatisfied with the product said that it leaked often and sometimes stopped working after minimal use.
Best Hanger: PurSteam Garment Steamer
This clothes steamer has four steam settings to match your clothing’s type of fabric and severity of wrinkling. It comes with a collapsible, adjustable hanger to hold the article of clothing you’re steaming. Though its large water tank makes it bulky, it’s still easy to move with its built-in wheels.
Key Features
Full-size model 75-ounce water tank Two-year warranty
What Customers Are Saying
Happy customers appreciated that this steamer was easy to put together, made from durable materials, and quick to heat up. However, a common complaint among dissatisfied customers was that the included instructions manual was hard to understand.
Best For Travel: Jiffy ESTEAM Personal Handheld Steamer
This clothes steamer has a compact, lightweight design that doesn’t sacrifice power with its 600-watt heating element. It also has a nine-foot power cord to ensure you can reach your clothes from an outlet as well as water level windows on both sides of the unit to tell you how much water you have left.
Key Features
Handheld model 2.84-liter water tank One-minute heating time 15 minutes of steam 600 watts of power Three-year warranty
What Customers Are Saying
Satisfied customers felt like this steamer was sturdy, durable, and portable. They also said that its water tank was easy to empty. However, some customers cited issues with it taking a long time to remove wrinkles and leaving water spots on clothes.
Buyer’s Guide
From freestanding to handheld models, clothes steamers serve a variety of needs. Read our buying guide below to determine how to choose the right one for you.
Size
Steamers come in both full-size and handheld options. Handheld steamers are best for those who have limited space or travel often. They’re typically less powerful, but they can still remove wrinkles from most materials. Full-size steamers, on the other hand, work better for larger fabric items, such as curtains, coats, and tablecloths. They take up more space and are more difficult to maneuver, but they generate more power.
Water Tank
Clothes steamers turn water into steam to operate. The tank that holds this water varies in size from model to model. Most handheld steamers hold around 10 ounces of water, while full-size steamers typically hold between a half gallon and a gallon of water.
Heating Time
After turning on, a steamer takes anywhere from a few seconds to a few minutes to heat the water and turn it into steam. A steamer with a smaller tank typically takes less time to prepare because there’s less water to heat.
Steaming Time
Similar to heating time, steaming time is connected to the size of the water tank. Handheld steamers with smaller tanks typically run out of water to turn into steam in about 15 minutes. However, full-size steamers can steam clothes for over an hour.
Is steaming clothes as effective as ironing?
Removing wrinkles with a steamer is typically more efficient than using an iron, but it may or may not be as effective. For thicker, sturdier materials that need more heat to release wrinkles, an iron is usually a better option.
How do you use a steamer?
Steamers differ from irons in that they don’t touch the fabric they’re removing wrinkles from. They should be run up and down or left and right a few inches from the fabric.
How long does it take to steam clothes?
That depends on a variety of factors. The quality of your steamer goes a long way in determining how arduous the process of steaming clothes is. Additionally, how many wrinkles there are, how bad the wrinkles are, and what material the wrinkles are on also affect how long it takes.
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