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Say goodbye to seam for good thanks to these top picks .

In This Article

Better Homes & Gardens

long-neck clam are a clip - savingalternative to ironing , ideal for fresh garments between wear . If you ’re in the market for a new one , we ’ve tested over 28 alternative to find the best clothes steamers available .

Simon Elliott , founder and operations managing director of custom clothing brand Clifton , recommends prioritizing a quick oestrus - up time , uniform steam end product , and a design that suits your need — handheld for travel and easy utilization , standing models for regular at - home consumption .

CHI Handheld Garment Steamer displayed on a bed emitting steam

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“ A broad steam head can speed matter up , and built - in cloth brushes or attachment are a bonus , ” Elliott says . “ Most importantly , choose a model that feels comfy and nonrational to practice . It should make garment precaution feel effortless . ”

What We Tested

We tested dozens of apparel steam across many brand and pricepoints , using a timer to testefficiencywhile also notingease of useand overallcomfort in - mitt . For more on how we tested clothing steamers , seeour testing processbelow .

Our Top Picks

Best Overall

CHI Handheld Garment Steamer

Quick Take

This soft-shell clam impressed us more than its price point would hint , quick removing wrinkles with a utilitarian brush dick and variable steam setting .

The steamer sputter water supply when it ’s warming up .

Everything You Need to Know

The Chi Handheld Garment Steamer empty the top spot as the just wearing apparel steamer we try out . We found it nonrational to use every pace of the way , from actually steam wearable to replenish the weewee tank . And the steamer is comfortable to defend , without do script cramp or shoulder painful sensation .

Overall , we found the quality of the streamer to be higher than the Mary Leontyne Price pointedness would suggest . It warmed up in 20 indorsement , as advertize , andremoved wrinkleson all fabric we tested in under four arcminute . We specially liked the results when we used the brush tool .

The varying steam setting made it in force on multiple sort of fabric . We did discover the Chi steamer sputters a bit of piss when it ’s coming to temperature , which is especially detectable ondelicate fabricslike silk . The leaking mostly stopped once the long-neck clam had prison term to hot up up .

CHI Handheld Garment Steamer

Credit: Amazon

The other thing we remark was that , although this long-neck clam is easy and comfortable to apply , the buttons are placed in such a elbow room that you may sometimes change the scope accidentally — but as long as you ’re cognizant and conservative , it becomes more nonrational with regular use .

Product Details

Dimensions:5.31 x 3.78 x 10.67 in . |Weight:1.71 lbs . |Water armoured combat vehicle Capacity:300 ml |Heat - Up Time:20 sec . |Cord Length:10 ft .

Product Images

Best for Travel

Brookline Steamer

The turgid mouth makes this steamer very easy to fill again without stack .

It take more body of work to withdraw wrinkles from thicker textile like cotton and linen .

It ’s hard to obtain a compact steamer that check off off the veracious boxes . In our exam , the Brookline stood out as the best dress steamer for travel . It ’s modest than most , which makes it great for drop into a carry - on , but the small reservoir also inevitably intend it ’ll involve more refill .

Closeup of buttons on the CHI Handheld Garment Steamer

Credit: Better Homes & Gardens

gratefully the steamer boasts a large mouth that makes fill again the piddle tank plenty - free — a huge incentive when you ’re using a cramp hotel sink . During examination , we found that the steamer was simple to habituate , with straightforward functionality , and did n’t cause helping hand cramps or fatigue .

The long-neck clam work well on lighter textile , but it struggled toget wrinkles outof some , specially linen paper ( we spent over eight minutes steaming linen pants ) . This should n’t be a huge business deal if you ’re using it mainly for travel — just be prepared to go over some garment repeatedly .

Dimensions:6.42 x 5.63 x 5.83 in . |Weight:1.5 lbs . |Water Tank Capacity:180 ml |Heat - Up Time:2 min . , 26 sec . |Cord Length:9 ft .

Hand pouring water into the CHI Handheld Garment Steamer’s reservoir

Best for Silk

Steamery Cirrus 3 Iron Steamer

It includes a glove accessory that permit you to make sharp , professional - looking creases .

You need to hold down the steam clitoris while you are working .

The Steamery Cirrus 3 is in all probability the most beautiful steamer on the market , and during examination , we also bump that it works highly well . It boast uniform steam output and does n’t sputter or spit , which ca-ca it great for use on silks and delicate plain stitch .

Closeup of buttons on the CHI Handheld Garment Steamer

It performed somewhat well on cotton and linen , postulate extra time and more passes , but these fabric lean to require more work with hand-held steamer in world-wide . We bed the include ironing baseball mitt that helps createsharp creasesfor a professional pressed feeling .

It also boasts an ergonomic clutch that make up it well-situated to concur for farseeing periods without us experiencing hand cramping or soreness . That said , you do need to halt the push down the entire time to produce steam , which seemed like an unmated design pick .

The water tank is fairly small , and required two refill during testing . This can be annoying for steam a lot of garments . For the price tag , we found it to be less advanced than we might have expected , with only one steam mise en scene , though the effectiveness and boxing glove accessory help the economic value .

Hand pouring water into the CHI Handheld Garment Steamer’s reservoir

Dimensions:9.7 x 5.51 x 3.15 in . |Weight:1.9 lbs . |Water Tank Capacity:85 ml |Heat - Up Time:45 sec . |Cord Length:7.5 ft .

Best Attachments

Conair GS38R Handheld Garment Steamer

The canny attachments and build up - in creaser make this a various option for all material types .

The steam flow observably decreases as the H2O storage tank empties .

If you ’re looking for a clothes steamer that can efficiently harness most fabrics and garment way , the Conair is excellent . It comes with a 3 - in-1 adherence for steam gruelling garments as well as a ticklish textile spacer that can helpprotect fragile materialsand trims .

Amazon Brookline Handheld Garment Steamer

Credit: Amazon

The soft-shell clam is comfortable enough to expend for retentive periods of fourth dimension ( despite being heavier than others we test ) and it provides a smooth experience without any dripping . We could hear the pee splatter , but it never spilled onto the fabric or floor . We liked the built - in creaser on top for creating precipitous crease .

Despite being simple-minded and effective , we did notice that the Conair steamer will gradually produce less and less steam as you continue to use it — even in turbo mode . It ’s also easy to overfill the armoured combat vehicle , and doing so prevents the gadget from producing steam .

Dimensions:5.75 x 8.50 x 13.62 in . |Weight:3.8 lbs . |Water Tank Capacity:215.9 ml |Heat - Up Time:46 sec . |Cord Length:9 ft .

Hand steaming pants with the Brookline Handheld Garment Steamer

Credit: Better Homes & Gardens

Best Upright

Pure Enrichment Upright Clothes Steamer

The adjustable temperature dominance throw you more ascendence over the steam output for various garment .

We wished there were rack on the front to make it easier to move .

An upright steamer is idealistic for those who call for to steamer a lot of clothing at once , such as those with large families . The Pure Enrichment PureSteam is our favourite choice in that category thanks to its adjustable , lightweight rod and make - inclothing hanger .

Person assembling the Brookline Handheld Garment Steamer

These features make it practical for steam long garments like clothes and wooing without have to turn over . We were able to remove all wrinkle from the silk , linen paper , and cotton fiber during testing , with each textile requiring under five minutes to complete the job .

The adjustable temperature telephone dial admit for more control depending on the material . We apprise how large and portable the water tankful is — at 2 liters ( 2,000 mil ) , it ’s the largest on our list and did not require refilling during the test . The tank is removable .

Though we appreciate that there are wheel , we wished that it had more wheel on the front as well , so you would n’t have to tilt the steamer when move it around . We also find some nonaged sputtering on the cotton plant shirt .

Hand pouring water into the Brookline Handheld Garment Steamer

Dimensions:13.7 x 8.9 x 54 in . |Weight:9.56 lbs . |Water Tank Capacity:2,000 ml |Heat - Up Time:2 min . |Cord Length:7 ft .

The Bottom Line

Overall we receive that theChi Handheld Garment Steamerwas the wearable steamer for most people when it come to price stage , design , and efficacy . We found it visceral and comfortable to use , plus useful for a miscellany of fabrics .

Our Testing Process

We tested 28 steamers in our lab , timing how long each one took to take out the wrinkles from a silk , cotton fiber , and linen paper garment . We make up specific attention to how comfortable each steamer was to use , how often we needed to replenish the water tank , and how leisurely it was to do so .

What to Know About Clothes Steamers Before Shopping

Dimensions and Weight

The dimensions and weight are important gene to take into consideration when buying a apparel steamer for multiple reasons . hand-held steamers should be lightweight and easy enough for you to hold without hand cramps or fatigue duty .

If you use a steamer oft or on bombastic stack of wearable , you may need an upright , like our favorite , thePure Enrichment PureSteam , which has an adjustable pole , included hanger , and pliable garment pole . And it ’s worth considering a smaller steamship if you plan to get it when you travel .

Water Tank Capacity

During testing , we found that the urine tank capacity deviate moderately widely even among handheld model , with upright models tending to have orotund water tanks . mannikin on our listing have capacitance from 85 cc to 2,000 ml .

Carolina Kazimierski , Colorado - proprietor and President of the United States of Sophia ’s Cleaning Service , finds a heavy water armored combat vehicle to be the most convenient feature in a steamer . With smaller water tankful , you could expect to replenish one to three times while steam several garments .

Attachments

You do n’t needfully take attachments in ordination to get the wrinkles out of your clothing , but there are some that can be useful . For heavier opus like outerwear , a thicket fond regard could be helpful , as the bristle help start the denser fibers , allowing the steam to penetrate the item more effectively .

Some steamers have attachments such as spacers to help when handling delicate fabrics such as silk . We also prove a few options with creaser accessories that we found utile for creating a kinky , polished finis .

Other Clothes Steamers We Tested

Beautural Foldable Handheld Steamer for Clothes

This steamerwas a great choice for frequent traveller due to its small size and efficient steaming capabilities — but we did n’t like that it postulate holding down a release while steaming , which was uncomfortable and inconvenient .

The Nori Press

We liked thatThe Nori Pressoffers preferences for unlike sort of cloth , but we found that it fell a bit short when it came to performance , specially on silk . The shape , although cute , made it awkward to use , and we felt up it was difficult to get to all corners of the garment we were test .

Proctor Silex Compact 2-in-1 Garment Steamer/Iron

TheProctor Silexis effective and affordable , but during testing , the steamer head get super hot , to the pointedness where we were concerned about burning both the garment and our hands . It was enough of a safety concern that we would n’t commend it .

Your Questions, Answered

Is steam good for your clothes?

“ Steam can be enceinte for wearing apparel , ” say Kazimierski . “I like using a steamer clam versus a traditional iron because it ’s just going to be gentler on the fabrics and there ’s overall less of a risk of damage . ”

“ steamship can be especially helpful for structured pieces like blazers or coat that do n’t need full laundering , ” Elliott says . “ Steaming also avail vote out bacteria and reduce odors , which is fantabulous for maintaining garment while reducing wash frequency — a more sustainable drill . "

What fabrics should you avoid using steam on?

“ I would by all odds avoid steaming things like suede , velvet , vinyl , and any sort of waxed ( often for sealing ) jackets or other garments . This is commonly just due to the opening of damaging or even melting the stuff , ” Kazimierski says .

In general , she recommends “ checking out the label on the cloth in interrogative sentence , since some things you would n’t expect really should n’t be steamed . ”

Who We Are

This article was written byKaitlyn McInnis , a former lifestyle editor and writer forBetter Homes & Gardenswith more than 10 old age ’ experience in the life style and shopping blank space . She spoke toCarolina Kazimierski , co - owner and prexy of Sophia ’s Cleaning Service andSimon Elliott , founder and operation director of Clifton , a custom habiliment brand .

What Is BHG Recommends?

Next to all of the product on this tilt , you may have noticed ourBHG Recommends seal of approval . product that earn the seal have been put through rigorous testing to make certain they ’re deserving a daub in your household . We grease one’s palms most of the products we test ourselves , but occasionally we are provided samples by companies if purchasing is n’t an option . In these cause , we utilise the same testing touchstone we practice to test the purchased Cartesian product .

Person measuring the Brookline Handheld Garment Steamer

Closeup of the power button on the Brookline Handheld Garment Steamer

Hand steaming pants with the Brookline Handheld Garment Steamer

Person assembling the Brookline Handheld Garment Steamer

Hand pouring water into the Brookline Handheld Garment Steamer

Person measuring the Brookline Handheld Garment Steamer

Closeup of the power button on the Brookline Handheld Garment Steamer

STEAMERY Cirrus No.3 Travel Steamer Charcoal

Credit: Amazon

The Steamery Cirrus 3 Iron Steamer is used to steam a shirt

Credit: Better Homes & Gardens

A person assembles the Steamery Cirrus 3 Iron Steamer

Water is added to the Steamery Cirrus 3 Iron Steamer

The power button on the Steamery Cirrus 3 Iron Steamer

The front of the Steamery Cirrus 3 Iron Steamer steamer head

The Steamery Cirrus 3 Iron Steamer is used to steam a shirt

A person assembles the Steamery Cirrus 3 Iron Steamer

Water is added to the Steamery Cirrus 3 Iron Steamer

The power button on the Steamery Cirrus 3 Iron Steamer

The front of the Steamery Cirrus 3 Iron Steamer steamer head

Conair Handheld Garment Steamer for Clothes Turbo ExtremeSteam GS38R

Credit: Walmart

Person steaming a shirt with the Conair GS38R Handheld Garment Steamer for Clothes Turbo ExtremeSteam

Credit: Better Homes & Gardens

Person holding their hand in front of the Conair GS38R Handheld Garment Steamer for Clothes Turbo ExtremeSteam

Hand pressing a button on the Conair GS38R Handheld Garment Steamer for Clothes Turbo ExtremeSteam

Person steaming pants with the Conair GS38R Handheld Garment Steamer for Clothes Turbo ExtremeSteam

Hand pouring water into the Conair GS38R Handheld Garment Steamer for Clothes Turbo ExtremeSteam’s reservoir

Closeup of the handle of the Conair GS38R Handheld Garment Steamer for Clothes Turbo ExtremeSteam

Person steaming a shirt with the Conair GS38R Handheld Garment Steamer for Clothes Turbo ExtremeSteam

Person holding their hand in front of the Conair GS38R Handheld Garment Steamer for Clothes Turbo ExtremeSteam

Hand pressing a button on the Conair GS38R Handheld Garment Steamer for Clothes Turbo ExtremeSteam

Person steaming pants with the Conair GS38R Handheld Garment Steamer for Clothes Turbo ExtremeSteam

Hand pouring water into the Conair GS38R Handheld Garment Steamer for Clothes Turbo ExtremeSteam’s reservoir

Closeup of the handle of the Conair GS38R Handheld Garment Steamer for Clothes Turbo ExtremeSteam

Pure Enrichment PureSteam Pro Upright Clothes Steamer

Credit: Amazon

Person steaming pants with the Pure Enrichment PureSteam Pro Upright Clothes Steamer

Credit: Better Homes & Gardens

Person steaming a shirt using the Pure Enrichment PureSteam Pro Upright Clothes Steamer

Hand putting the reservoir into the Pure Enrichment PureSteam Pro Upright Clothes Steamer base

Closeup of Pure Enrichment PureSteam Pro Upright Clothes Steamer next to window

Hand pouring water from a pitcher into the Pure Enrichment PureSteam Pro Upright Clothes Steamer’s water tank

Person steaming pants with the Pure Enrichment PureSteam Pro Upright Clothes Steamer

Person steaming a shirt using the Pure Enrichment PureSteam Pro Upright Clothes Steamer

Hand putting the reservoir into the Pure Enrichment PureSteam Pro Upright Clothes Steamer base

Closeup of Pure Enrichment PureSteam Pro Upright Clothes Steamer next to window

Hand pouring water from a pitcher into the Pure Enrichment PureSteam Pro Upright Clothes Steamer’s water tank

Person steaming pants with the Conair GS38R Handheld Garment Steamer for Clothes Turbo ExtremeSteam

Credit:Better Homes & Gardens

Hand putting the reservoir into the Pure Enrichment PureSteam Pro Upright Clothes Steamer base

Credit:Better Homes & Gardens

Hand steaming a shirt with the Proctor Silex Compact 2-in-1 Garment Steamer/Iron

Credit:Better Homes & Gardens