Nobody wants to go out in messy, wrinkly clothes. Problem is, ironing isn’t exactly an enjoyable chore. In fact, it’s probably one of the few chores people hate the most, being so mind-numbingly tedious and time-consuming. Not to mention, all that heat from the iron makes you feel like you’re standing over a simmering pot in the kitchen. It’s just an overall unpleasant experience.
That’s why garment steamers can feel like such a godsend. These handheld devices use gentle hot steam to relax the fibers on fabrics and, consequently, eliminate wrinkles, allowing it to tidy up various articles of clothing in a far less tedious manner compared to traditional ironing. No need to set up an ironing board, fit a garment on it, and straighten out every wrinkled section you come across. With steamers, you can simply hang your shirt, pants, or blazer, then start blasting hot steam all over it until you’re satisfied with the results. Heck, you can even steam the curtains while they hang by the window.
The best garment steamers can save you a lot of time compared to traditional irons. Simple pieces of clothing, such as button-downs, can be steamed in as little as three to five minutes to achieve a tidy look, while thicker garments, such as jackets and jeans, typically require a bit longer with multiple passes to look presentable. Just make sure to add tension to the fabric while you’re steaming an area (e.g. pull it a bit) similar to how an ironing board places tension on areas you’re about to iron – it genuinely helps speed things up.
Can the best garment steamers achieve the same crisp results as ironing? Not really. Ironing effectively presses and steams the shirt at the same time, while steaming only does the latter. As such, it helps relax the threads, but doesn’t quite give the garment the same thorough treatment that ironing does. Steaming garments still leaves them looking plenty good, though, as it eliminates most wrinkles pretty capably at a fraction of the time investment that ironing requires, which is enough to make it much more preferable to many individuals. Plus, garment steamers can handle more delicate fabrics that may not lend themselves well to ironing.
These are the best garment steamers to quickly straighten out those wrinkly clothes.
HiLife Steamer for Clothes
Pros
- Great for steaming multiple garments
- Lasted 20 minutes per refill
- Long power cord
Cons
- Bulkier than others
- Takes longer to begin steaming
We’ll admit, this looks more like an electric kettle (or a car vacuum) than a garment steamer. Seriously, it looks so different. It feels like most of the body is made up of the water tank, but the outfit only lists it at 8.1 ounces, which is around the same capacity as some of the other models in the list. At any rate, that size of tank allows it to provide continuous steam for around 20 minutes before needing a refill, giving it far more mileage than the 10 minutes you usually get from smaller handheld models at this price range. Do note, the outfit only claims 15 minutes of continuous steaming, so we’re not sure if the 20 minutes we got was any sort of anomaly (we got similar results over two refills). However, it also takes the longest to heat up, requiring around four minutes before producing any steam, so you have to give it a bit of time before getting to work. It works as well as other steamers when it comes to smoothing out wrinkles, while offering a form factor that may be easier for others to work with compared to the more popular pistol-style design. The size makes it less than ideal for travel, but we think it’s a great steamer to keep at home, especially with the longer 9.2-foot cord allowing you to work further away from a power outlet.
ConAir Turbo ExtremeSteam
Pros
- Five steam settings
- Heats up quickly
- Wide steam head
Cons
- Heavier than others
Most garment steamers come with just one strength level for the steam. Not the case with this one, which comes with five steam settings, allowing you to choose a gentler steam for more delicate fabrics and stronger steam for thick jeans and jackets. We like it, since it lets you go easy if the garment calls for it and save some water for later. It heats up in under a minute, too, allowing you to get started working on a garment in no time. It comes with a number of accessories, such as an integrated creaser you can use to give pants a crisp fold, a silicone band for holding the fabric taut, a bristle brush for helping loosen fibers during steaming, and a fabric spacer that forces you to keep a certain distance between the steamer and the garment (this one’s useful for delicate fabrics). Both the creaser and the silicone band got heavy use during our tests, as they really help optimize the whole steaming process. If there’s any downside, it’s the weight, as the whole thing tips the scales at around 3.6 pounds, which is pretty heavy for a handheld tool. Overall, it’s an excellent steamer that’s pretty unique with its selection of steam settings and a host of useful accessories.
Electrolux Garment Steamer
Pros
- Very helpful trigger lock
- Large water tank
- Covers wide surface area
Cons
- Handle can get hot after long use
With its large 10oz water tank, this garment steamer gave us around 20 minutes of use before needing another refill, making it a great pick for folks who don’t like refilling their steamer multiple times while working on several pieces. It heats up near instantly (maybe 30 seconds or so), so you can plug it in, grab a drink, and start steaming immediately, while smoothing out wrinkles at around the same pace as other models in the list (we finished anywhere from two to four garments with one refill, depending on the size and amount of wrinkles). Our favorite feature is the trigger lock, which causes it to just continuously produce steam, sparing us from the hassle of having to press the trigger the whole time. We also liked the 12-foot long power cord, which is very much appreciated. One thing we did notice, though, is that the handle got hot when using it during the second refill, so you might want to give it a brief rest when that happens.
Nesugar Steamer for Clothes
Pros
- Compact and lightweight
- Steamer head can orient vertically or horizontally
- Aesthetically pleasing
Cons
- Slower to finish a garment than others
- Occasionally spits out water when full
Unlike most garment steamers that come with a fixed head, this one has a head that can be oriented vertically or horizontally on the fly. This is very useful when steaming more awkward areas of clothing, such as collars and sleeves, as you can make adjustments to fit tight spaces as needed. It’s worth noting that it uses less power at 900W compared to other steamers in the list, which, we guess, is a big part of why it’s so compact and light (it weighs well under a pound). Despite being underpowered, it took out wrinkles very capably, although it did take noticeably more time, which we think is due to two reasons: the lower power and the smaller steamer head. Because of that, a single fill of the tank is just enough to do a single garment for the most part, which we find to be an adequate tradeoff for what is arguably the most travel-friendly option in the list.
Pure Enrichment PureSteam Pro
Pros
- Powerful
- Works faster than handheld steamers
- Four steam settings
- 2L water tank
- Convenient foot pedal
Cons
- Takes up lots of space
While we prefer handheld garment steamers for their portability, there are larger options out there for those that have the space for them. Such is the case with this model, which combines a large two-liter water tank at the base with an upright clothes hanger, so you can mount the clothing you’re working on directly on top of the device. The handheld steamer is attached to the base via a flexible hose, allowing you easy access to the full two liters in the tank, while four steam settings let you easily adjust how gentle or strong the steam it produces should be. Instead of using a trigger to let out steam, it comes with a foot pedal, making it very convenient to use. Heck, the whole thing even has wheels, so you can easily move it around the space. This is more powerful than your typical handheld steamer, by the way, producing a strong-enough steam at the highest setting to effectively run through most wrinkled-up pieces in under five minutes. Seriously, it’s that powerful. If you want the most powerful steamer that can freshen up garments as fast as possible, this is absolutely the way to go.
Steamery Cirrus 3
Pros
- Hybrid steamer and iron
- Completely leakproof
- Removes wrinkles faster with steam iron function
Cons
- Small water tank
- Very expensive
It’s not unusual to balk when you first see the price of the Cirrus 3. We mean, it’s, at least, three times the price of every other handheld option in the list. However, Steamery does have a reputation for premium materials and impeccable build quality, so that’s what you’re spending money on for the most part. This model, in particular, is a hybrid steamer and iron. That means, the head comes with a heated ironing plate that you can press onto clothes to more efficiently straighten out wrinkled sections. It’s meant to be used similar to regular steamers, too, simply pressing it onto the garment while it hangs, with no need to set up an ironing board, so the whole process is just as convenient. The device only comes with one power setting, which, according to the outfit, is equivalent to the lowest setting on a traditional clothes iron, so this is safe to press on more delicate fabrics, albeit with a bit more caution. Among the models we tested in the list, this is the only one that didn’t have a single leak or sputter, which means everything in this is tightly sealed. However, it also has one of the smallest water tanks we’ve seen in the category, but because it doubles as a pressing iron, it’s able to banish wrinkles faster than a standard steamer, making it much more efficient to use.
