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Best clothes steamers
Clothes steamers (also known as garment steamers) are meant to be a quick fix for removing stubborn creases when you haven't got time to iron. We put this to the test and found the best clothes steamers to leave your garments crease-free.
We tested handheld clothes steamers costing less than £100 from brands including Logik, Philips and Fridja.
Garment steamers vary in price from as little as £20 for a handheld steamer to more than £300 for an upright steamer. We focus on handheld garment steamers because they're both portable and cheaper, although our testing reveals that, with garment steamers you tend to get what you pay for.
The best clothes steamers
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| Clothes steamer | Crease removal | Ease of use | Heat-up time | Durability | Where to buy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Good | Good | Good | |||
| Average | Average | Good | |||
| Average | Excellent | Average | |||
| Poor | Good | Good | |||
| Average | Good | Very poor | |||
| Average | Good | Very poor |
Date tested: May 2022. Page last checked: February 2024. We are not able to show every retailer and cheaper prices may be available.
The clothes steamers we tested
All the clothes steamers we've tested are listed in alphabetical order below.
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Beldray Multisteam Pro BEL0815 Clothes Steamer
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Date tested: May 2022
Tank capacity: 260ml
Advertised heat-up time: 45 seconds
Advertised steam rate: 25g/min
Cable length: 1.9m
Extra features: 2-in-1 brush and lint attachment
Drew & Cole Verti Steam Pro Hand Steamer
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Tank capacity: 300ml
Advertised heat-up time: 45 seconds
Advertised steam rate: 26g/min
Cable length: 2.5m
Extra features: Protective steam pad, lint remover and refresh brush attachment
Fridja F10 Raf Handheld Travel Clothes Steamer
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Tank capacity: 260ml
Advertised heat-up time: 45 seconds
Advertised steam rate: 25g/min
Cable length: 2m
Extra features: Collar press, folding hanger, fabric guard attachment, water bottle adaptor
Homeasy Clothes Steamer
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Tank capacity: 110ml
Advertised heat-up time: 45 seconds
Advertised steam rate: 18g/min
Cable length: 2.4m
Extra features: Storage bag, brush attachment, anti-scalding glove
Logik LGSB20 Hand Steamer
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Tank capacity: 250ml
Advertised heat-up time: 20 seconds
Advertised steam rate: 22g/min
Cable length: 2m
Extra features: Fabric brush attachment
Philips Steam & Go Plus Handheld Garment Steamer
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Tank capacity: 70ml
Advertised heat-up time: 45 seconds
Advertised steam rate: 24g/min
Cable length: 2.5m
Extra features: Brush attachment, protective glove
See our pick of the best heated clothes airers and drying pods, plus how much they cost to run.
How we test clothes steamers
To find the best clothes steamers, we put the most popular through the following series of tests.
We buy all the clothes steamers we test and the pillowcases, shirts and T-shirts we use for our testing are donated to charity afterwards.
We regularly revisit the clothes steamers on sale to see if there are any more popular models that need testing and when we find them we do
Crease removal
We use each garment steamer to remove creases from silk, linen and cotton pillowcases, as well as from polycotton T-shirts.
- We prep all the creases by washing each item, drying them thoroughly and then scrunching up each item a few times.
- Each steamer is used at full power on the fabrics, completing an up and down motion across the creases. This is repeated five times.
The best clothes steamers effectively remove creases from all of the materials, while the worst leave them damp and still creased.
Ease of use
We use each clothes steamer on cotton shirts to test how easy they are to use with and without Cambridge simulation gloves.
These gloves allow us to empathise with anyone with restricted hand movement and experience difficulties they might find while using a clothes steamer.
- The best garment steamers are easy to use, with intuitive controls and feel comfortable to hold with and without the Cambridge gloves.
- The worst clothes steamer give hand fatigue after a while, are uncomfortable to grip and positioned our hands too close to the hot steam.
Heat-up time
To test the actual heat-up time of each clothes steamer against the advertised heat-up time, we turn on each garment steamer and record how long it takes to get hot enough to use.
We repeat this test three times and allow the clothes steamers to cool down fully between each test.
The best garment steamers meet or, in one case beat, the advertised time.
Steam rate
Steam rate is the amount of steam created by the clothes steamers per minute. In theory, the higher the steam rate the more powerful and effective the product should be.
To test the advertised steam rates of each garment steamer, we fill each steamer's tank with its maximum capacity of water and then run it for eight minutes (or as long as the tank lasted) before weighing the tank again. We repeat this process three times.
Interestingly, we find the most effective crease removers don't always have the highest steam rates, so it pays to read our reviews rather than buying on advertised steam rate.
Any manufacturing flaws
At the start of our tests, we check for any manufacturing faults or flaws.
Durability
Once all other tests are complete, we drop each clothes steamer from 90cm (35 inches) on to a linoleum covered floor five times.
The best are still useable although a bit scraped and scuffed. The worst shatter.
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Types of clothes steamers
There are two main types of garment steamer to choose from - handheld and upright.
Handheld
These are smaller, lighter and more portable than upright models (between 1kg and 2kg, whereas uprights can weigh more than 7kg). Therefore, this is the kind you need if you want one to take on holiday. They have a small water tank you attach to the steamer.
Upright
These are larger. bulkier and more powerful than handheld models. They have a large water tank in the base, which means they can steam for longer. They also often come with a built-in hanger.
Clothes steamer features and extras
Handheld garment steamers differ in their features and extras. These were what we came across in our testing. Every steamer differs, so check out our reviews for what will be included with the clothes steamer you choose.
- Cable length: We found the cables varied in length from two to three metres. Make sure you get one with enough length to reach your plug.
- Tank capacity: We found clothes steamers with as little as 70ml tank capacity and others with as much as 300ml. The higher the water capacity, the longer you can go without having to refill, in some cases as long as 14 minutes. However, the bigger the tank, the heavier the clothes steamers will be when it's full.
- Collar press: A collar press can help you achieve perfect collars for your dress and casual shirts.
- Folding hanger: A folding hanger makes it easy to travel with everything you need to steam your garments on the go.
- Head attachments: You can get a variety of attachments for garment steamers, these can be brushes for lint removal or fabric guards and steam bonnets to protect delicates.
- Creaser: While most of the time you will want to remove creases, for items such as suit trousers, a creaser tool can give you that perfect dry-clean finished look.
- Door hook: Another useful extra for on the go steaming.
- Protective pad: If you are worried about steam causing damage to your doors or wall, then you want to look out for a protective steam pad. These allow you to steam with confidence, adding a protective layer between your garment and the surface, sort of like an ironing board cover. We used one during our testing and it worked well.
- Protective glove: These gloves protect your hands from any steam you might get too close to.
- Jug: A few garment steamers come with a small jug which can make it easier to refill the water tanks. Some of the steamer tanks have small openings and the jugs provided did make refilling them a little easier.
How to use a clothes steamer for best results
In completing these tests we learned tips to get the best results from your garment steamer.
- Most handheld garment steamers come with a trigger lock. Use it to stop finger fatigue while steaming.
- Fill the tank with filtered water to avoid limescale if you live in an area with hard water.
- Hang your garment somewhere it can hang freely (if you put it against a wall or a wardrobe door that surface will end up covered in condensation.
- Pull your item of clothing downwards from the bottom as you’re steaming it to give yourself a taut, flat surface to work the steamer against. But take care not to steam your fingers.
Can a clothes steamer replace your iron?
Probably not. While the best clothes steamers we tested were effective at removing creases they are, on the whole, better for touch-up work on specific garments when you've not got the time for a full iron.
Though if you're someone who folds away or hangs freshly dried clothes well (so they're not horrendously crumpled), you might find a garment steamer is enough for you. They can also be handy if you find traditional irons and ironing boards too heavy to use.
If you'd prefer an iron then head to our steam iron reviews to find the best iron for your budget.
Can you travel with a clothes steamer?
The most portable garment steamers make useful travel companions to spruce up clothing that has been creased in a suitcase. Some we've tested even include accessories suited to travelling, such as mini clothes hangers or the ability to use a bottle of water instead of the tank, meaning you can travel more lightly.
If you pack your handheld clothes steamer in your hand luggage, remember to empty the water tank before going through airport security. Like most electronics, it may also need to be removed from your bag when it's being scanned.