Best Overall
CHI Handheld Garment Steamer
- Effectiveness5/5
- Design4.5/5
- Portability5/5
- Value5/5
- It has two steam settings and comes with a fabric brush that's quite effective.
It has two steam settings and comes with a fabric brush that's quite effective.
- The steam setting button placement can lead to unintentional adjustment.
The steam setting button placement can lead to unintentional adjustment.
Steamers are effective, but if you plan to use them on a variety of fabrics, the ability to adjust the flow of steam is key. That’s why we were so impressed with the performance of the CHI Handheld Garment Steamer.
Not only are there two adjustable steam settings, but there’s also a locking mechanism to keep the steam in the on position, so you won’t have to worry about hand fatigue.
The only drawback is that the button to adjust the steam is poorly placed. There were a couple of times when we changed the setting unintentionally, but we anticipated getting in a better groove with continued use.
We found the steamer removed wrinkles well, though it was most effective when used with the helpful fabric brush attachment that’s included. The steamer offers a comfortable grip, which also helps in avoiding hand cramping and fatigue.
The 10-foot cord is rather lengthy, but it didn't get in the way of our steaming. We also liked that it was very easy to refill the tank without spilling. There was some sputtering when we first started steaming on the highest setting, but it disappeared as the test went on.
For its price, ease of use, and overall performance, we think the CHI is an excellent value.
Product Details: Dimensions: 4.72 x 11.42 x 6.06 inches | Weight: 1.7 pounds | Water Tank Capacity: 10.1 ounces | Cord Length: 10 feet
- BETTER HOMES and GARDENS / HENRY WORTOCK
BETTER HOMES and GARDENS / HENRY WORTOCK
Best Budget
Proctor Silex Compact 2-in-1 Garment Steamer/Iron
- Effectiveness4.2/5
- Design4.3/5
- Portability4.8/5
- Value5/5
- It worked very well on silk and cotton.
It worked very well on silk and cotton.
- It’s not as effective on linen, plus the small water tank makes for frequent refills.
It’s not as effective on linen, plus the small water tank makes for frequent refills.
If you’re new to using a clothing steamer and you don’t want to invest much, we recommend the Proctor Silex Compact 2-in1 Garment Steamer/Iron.
The steamer seemed to instantly unwrinkle silk, and we were also impressed with its ability to smooth out cotton, though it did take longer to do so. With linen, it didn’t perform as effectively; it eased the wrinkles rather than completely eliminate them.
We found that the steamer does sputter a bit when the small water reservoir is first filled, but it stops as you get going. We liked how easy it was to refill the reservoir, thanks to a twist-off design. The long handle on the steamer offers a comfortable grip, and though you do have to keep a finger on the button to produce steam, it didn’t feel awkward.
There’s just one steam setting, but given that this is a less expensive model, we were expecting a more no-frills steaming experience. We did like the included fabric brush attachment, which serves as a guide for how close to put the steamer head to delicate fabrics. The cord is also quite long, but it’s not unwieldy during use.
Product Details: Dimensions: 4 x 8.8 x 8 inches | Weight: 1.63 pounds | Water Tank Capacity: 4 ounces | Cord Length: 10 feet
- BETTER HOMES and GARDENS / HENRY WORTOCK
BETTER HOMES and GARDENS / HENRY WORTOCK
Best Splurge
Steamery Cirrus 3 Iron Steamer
- Effectiveness4.5/5
- Design4.5/5
- Portability5/5
- Value3/5
- It works great on silk and has some useful accessories, like an iron glove.
It works great on silk and has some useful accessories, like an iron glove.
- It’s got a small water tank, and there’s no lock button for the steam.
It’s got a small water tank, and there’s no lock button for the steam.
We were impressed by the Steamery Cirrus 3 Iron Steamer’s ability to produce a low, consistent stream of steam without any sputtering or spitting. Filling the water tank was a bit of a hassle without the funnel, though detaching and reinserting it was easy to do.
The steamer has a nice comfortable grip despite it being quite wide at the base. We would have preferred not to have to keep a finger on the steam button the entire time, but it didn’t feel uncomfortable to do so.
We were surprised that this steamer only had one setting given the price point, but it does perform effectively despite not having the ability to adjust the power or temperature. We appreciated the variety of attachments it comes with, especially the ironing glove, which helped create smooth creases on pants during testing.
The 8-foot cord is shorter than others on this list, but it’s still plenty long for you to steam freely. It would have been even nicer if the cord rotated, but it wasn’t a deal breaker for it to stay in place.
Product Details: Dimensions: 9.7 x 5.5 x 3.1 inches| Weight: 1.9 pounds | Water Tank Capacity: 3 ounces | Cord Length: 7.5 feet
- BETTER HOMES and GARDENS / HENRY WORTOCK
BETTER HOMES and GARDENS / HENRY WORTOCK
Best for Linen
BLACK+DECKER HGS200 Advanced Handheld Steamer
- Effectiveness4.5/5
- Design4/5
- Portability5/5
- Value4.5/5
- It’s lightweight so it won’t cause hand fatigue, plus it comes with useful attachments.
It’s lightweight so it won’t cause hand fatigue, plus it comes with useful attachments.
- The water tank is hard to refill, plus you have to hold the button continuously to steam.
The water tank is hard to refill, plus you have to hold the button continuously to steam.
Wrinkles are par for the course with linen, but you don’t have to banish this fabric from your wardrobe if you have this Black+Decker Advanced Handheld Steamer around.
We found the temperature and steam production to be consistent during use, so this steamer is effective on a variety of fabrics even with just one setting.
It took longer to smooth out linen than it did silk, as expected; we would have liked there to be a hold button for the steam for convenience. Still, we found it lightweight and comfortable to hold. The steamer also has a 15-foot cord, which is more than ample for steaming without it hindering your work.
This steamer also comes with a few helpful attachments. We discovered that the delicate fabric attachment was effective in preventing water droplets from forming on silk during steaming. The water tank is easy to remove and replace, but it is a bit difficult to fill if you don’t have a funnel.
Product Details: Dimensions: 4.75 x 11 x 5.75 inches | Weight: 3.6 pounds | Water Tank Capacity: 6.7 ounces | Cord Length: 15 feet
- BETTER HOMES and GARDENS / HENRY WORTOCK
BETTER HOMES and GARDENS / HENRY WORTOCK
Best for Travel
Brookline Steamer
- Effectiveness4.2/5
- Design4.5/5
- Portability5/5
- Value4.5/5
- It’s got a comfortable design and works well on silk.
It’s got a comfortable design and works well on silk.
- It struggles with cotton and linen, plus it’s not good for steaming multiple garments at a time.
It struggles with cotton and linen, plus it’s not good for steaming multiple garments at a time.
Whether you have weddings often or frequent business trips, the Brookline Steamer is the best clothes steamer to consider for travel. During testing, we found this pick easy to use and the lightweight style is easy to pack up.
This steamer worked well on silk and cotton, but you might have to settle for wrinkled linen if you don’t have the patience to stand there steaming for a long time.
We were impressed that it didn’t sputter any water, though we did notice the steam decreased once the water tank went lower than the halfway mark. The tank is small so refilling often is necessary, though the wide mouth makes it easy to do so.
It’s quite basic and very simple to use if you’re a beginner; it has just an on/off switch and there are no attachments or accessories. It’s not particularly ergonomic, but because it’s lightweight, we didn’t experience any hand fatigue.
The cord is lengthy, but it doesn’t rotate. We like that the steamer is compact enough for travel, but it’s also a cinch to store in your laundry space or closet.
If you plan to steam multiple outfits at a time, you may want a steamer with more bells and whistles. But if you’re only going to steam clothes occasionally, this is a good, less expensive device to have on hand.
Product Details: Dimensions: 5.63x 6.42 x 5.83 inches | Weight: 1.5 pounds | Water Tank Capacity: 6 ounces | Cord Length: 9 feet
- BETTER HOMES and GARDENS / HENRY WORTOCK
BETTER HOMES and GARDENS / HENRY WORTOCK
Best Attachments
Conair Handheld Garment Steamer
- Effectiveness4.4/5
- Design4.5/5
- Portability5/5
- Value4.5/5
- It’s got multiple settings and useful attachments and accessories that are effective on various fabrics.
It’s got multiple settings and useful attachments and accessories that are effective on various fabrics.
- Steam production does decrease during use; you must fill the water tank precisely for optimal steam production.
Steam production does decrease during use; you must fill the water tank precisely for optimal steam production.
Adjustable steam and multiple attachments are what makes the Conair Handheld Garment Steamer effective. We like that you can easily switch between the regular and turbo steam settings depending on whether you’re steaming silk, cotton, or linen.
The steam output seemed to work best right at the beginning of a steam session; we noticed it decreases over time, even on the turbo setting. It’s easy to refill the tank, but you have to be careful not to overfill it or it will affect steam production.
This pick comes with three attachments, including a bristle brush, delicate fabric spacer, and a silicone band, as well as a creasing tool, so you’ve got a lot of options for achieving a wrinkle-free wardrobe.
The steamer is lightweight and the handle has a comfortable grip, so there’s no worry about hand fatigue when using it. The lengthy cord didn’t get in the way; in fact, we barely noticed it was there.
Overall, for its performance, features, and attachments, we thought this steamer is a great value for the price.
Product Details: Dimensions: 8.50 x 13.62 x 5.75 inches | Weight: Not listed | Water Tank Capacity: 7.3 ounces | Cord Length: Not listed
- BETTER HOMES and GARDENS / HENRY WORTOCK
BETTER HOMES and GARDENS / HENRY WORTOCK
Best Handheld
Conair ExtremeSteam Hand-Held Fabric Steamer
- Effectiveness4.7/5
- Design4.3/5
- Portability5/5
- Value5/5
- Heat Time5/5
- It heated up quickly and has five steam settings for various fabrics.
It heated up quickly and has five steam settings for various fabrics.
- It felt quite heavy after a while, plus the water tank was challenging to fill.
It felt quite heavy after a while, plus the water tank was challenging to fill.
We were impressed with how well the Conair Turbo Extreme Handheld Fabric Steamer worked on silk, cotton, and linen. It did sputter a bit while on the turbo (high) setting, but it stopped once the steamer warmed up fully. During testing, we found that it helped to have a funnel when you’re filling the reservoir, but be careful not to overfill.
There are five settings on this steamer—more than any of the others on this list—but we had to look to the manual to see which ones were best depending on the fabric. We found the cord length was ample and made it easy to move around while steaming the garments.
Although the steamer was comfortable to grip, it was a bit heavy; we felt like we were getting an arm workout after about 15 minutes of use.
Overall, we were impressed by the steamer’s performance, especially the variety of settings and the speed with which it heats up. It would be even better if it were a bit lighter, but for its ease of use and effectiveness, it’s a good value for the money.
Product Details: Dimensions: 5.6 x 13.6 x 8 inches | Weight: Not listed | Water Tank Capacity: 7.3 ounces | Cord Length: Not listed
- BETTER HOMES and GARDENS / HENRY WORTOCK
BETTER HOMES and GARDENS / HENRY WORTOCK
Best for Silk
Electrolux Garment Steamer
- Effectiveness4.8/5
- Design4.8/5
- Portability5/5
- Value4.5/5
- Heat Time5/5
- It produces steam instantly and works great, especially on silk.
It produces steam instantly and works great, especially on silk.
- There was some sputtering when first filled the unit.
There was some sputtering when first filled the unit.
The Electrolux Garment Steamer heated up immediately, and we were impressed with how well it removed wrinkles with little effort, particularly when used on silk. It took just around six minutes on the lower steam setting to smooth out the silk shirt.
The linen required the higher of the two settings, and we were satisfied with the results around the eight-minute mark. We refilled the tank after finishing the two garments. The tank was easy to remove, but you may want to keep a funnel handy to pour water into the small mouth.
There are two steam setting buttons that aren’t clearly marked; we found the instruction manual didn’t offer much clarity, so we figured out which was which through trial and error. The cord is quite long and gives us plenty of room to work.
The handle felt comfortable to grip and we appreciated that there was a lock button for the steam, so we didn’t have to worry about finger cramps or hand fatigue.
The steamer comes with a fabric brush and a lint brush, though we found the steamer to be quite effective even when they weren’t attached. Overall, for its effective performance during testing, we think the Electrolux offers great value.
Product Details: Dimensions: 5 x 10 x 6 inches | Weight: 3.98 pounds | Water Tank Capacity: 10 ounces | Cord Length: 12 feet
- BETTER HOMES and GARDENS / HENRY WORTOCK
BETTER HOMES and GARDENS / HENRY WORTOCK
Best Upright
Pure Enrichment Upright Clothes Steamer
- Effectiveness4.7/5
- Design5/5
- Portability4.5/5
- Value4.5/5
- Heat Time4/5
- It has temperature control to efficiently remove wrinkles from silk, cotton, and linen.
It has temperature control to efficiently remove wrinkles from silk, cotton, and linen.
- There is no “ready” light to indicate when it’s optimized for steaming.
There is no “ready” light to indicate when it’s optimized for steaming.
The Pure Enrichment PureSteam Pro Upright Clothes Steamer is a professional-style steamer with a temperature control, so you can adjust output depending on the fabric. We were impressed with how well this upright steamer worked on removing wrinkles—silk was the easiest, but with a little patience, the linen also came out smooth.
The cord is lengthy, but what’s even better is that you can hang the garment on the steamer arm—there are pant clips, too—while you work. The detachable water tank was easy to remove for filling; we love that it’s large enough to get through multiple garments without needing a refill.
An indicator light shows when the unit is powered on, but we’d prefer there to be a “ready” light to know when it’s actually primed for steaming. The base has wheels, but only on the back, so you do have to tip the steamer back to move it to a new location. However, the steamer is lightweight enough so it’s not an issue.
For its performance and features, this is a great value. It also comes with a fabric brush, though we found steaming to be effective enough without using it.
Product Details: Dimensions: 8.9 x 54 x 13.7 inches | Weight: 9.56 pounds | Water Tank Capacity: 67.6 ounces | Cord Length: Not listed
- BETTER HOMES and GARDENS / HENRY WORTOCK
BETTER HOMES and GARDENS / HENRY WORTOCK