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Use these essential tailoring tools to easily maintain your clothes

Your summer wardrobe may be ready and waiting, but nothing can destroy its influence like an unwelcome crease or a slightly stale smell. This is where the garment steamer comes in.

Are they better than irons? Well, there is less risk of damaging your carefully planned capsule; these humble gadgets remove wrinkles by relaxing the fabric with steam instead of flattening it with a hot metal plate.

Although they are particularly useful in caring for delicate silks, they are also very effective in smoothing cotton and linen. Garment irons can also kill bacteria, making it a wise choice for freshening clothes between dry cleaning.

There are two types to choose from: upright and handheld. If you are likely to handle multiple pieces of clothing in a row, the upright style tends to have a much larger capacity. However, if you have some vacations or weddings in your diary, put the hand-held steamer in your suitcase for spruce decoration anytime, anywhere.

We used 13 different garment steamers to provide some expired TLC for our wardrobe. The criterion for each model is that it removes the creases of a range of fabrics, from silk and cotton to linen and viscose. We evaluated its speed and ease of use, and noticed whether it was dripping or spitting.

Below you will find our compilation of the best garment steamers on the market.

Our award-winning upright garment steamer made a lasting impression on every garment we tested, with light fabrics made of linen, silk, cotton and viscose. The large head covers a large surface area and is not very strong for delicate fabrics. All our clothes are completely dry after steaming. In fact, our shirts look as clean as an iron. 

Without the ready light, the steam level cannot be controlled, and sometimes it spews out a little. There is no handle, but the wheels move well, and you can directly see the big water tank and know when you need to refill it. In general, this is a diligent design, well worth your investment.

Main specifications Water tank capacity: 2.2L Transparent water tank: Suspension equipment: Accessories include: trousers buttons, hand ironing pads, folding clothes hangers, upholstery brushes Dimensions (height, width, depth): 162 x 25 x 31 cm

With three settings, you can customize this hand-held steamer to fit every piece of clothing. It works wonders on the silk petticoat and can easily remove the creases of all other fabrics. Its big head struggled in the armpits and other awkward seams, but it barely spit. 

It is equipped with a comprehensive range of accessories, including door hooks and crease accessories. We had to constantly relock the trigger lock, and it didn't shut off automatically when the fuel tank was empty. In other words, it is easy to see when you are short of water.  

Main specifications Water tank capacity: 0.2L Transparent water tank: Suspended equipment: Yes accessories include: door hooks, cloth brushes, crease accessories, steam caps and travel bags Dimensions (height, width, depth): 27.5 x 14.5 x 11.5 cm

Use this upright steamer for two minutes and your cotton shirt will leave a lasting impression. It uses most other fabrics, and its steam-enhancing function is proven to help eliminate stubborn wrinkles. The steam may be too strong for delicate materials and blow them away, but all our clothes are kept dry, perfect for last-minute freshness.  

It is equipped with a wide range of tools, including collar presses, cuff attachments and delicate fabric protective covers. It is not a compact design, but it has wheels for easy operation. 

Main specifications Water tank capacity: 3.8L Transparent water tank: Suspension equipment: Accessories include: flexible ironing board, heat-insulating gloves, interior decoration brush, collar and cuff accessories, exquisite fabric guard, folding hanger size with nails ( Height, width, D): 185 x 32 x 44cm

With this fast, non-spitting handheld model, things got hot in more than 40 seconds. It's fast on cotton, and it's also effective on all other fabrics-although linen and silk take longer. 

The head can easily enter the narrow space, but the cable allows it to be put down; its size is less than 2m, which limits the distance you can use it, and it will be painful if plugs and sockets are scarce. Nevertheless, with a large number of accessories and the choice of ecological and full power modes, this very effective choice does not have much to dislike.

Main specifications Water tank capacity: 0.26L Transparent water tank: Suspended equipment: Accessories include: travel bag, collar press, fabric shield, water bottle adapter, portable hanger Dimensions (height, width, depth): 22 x 12 x 15 cm

For a wardrobe full of dresses, this top performer is a trusted choice. The stylish design makes all the creases disappear, and the effect on linen and silk is particularly impressive. It will not let any clothes get damp, and although the wide head is difficult to use for intricate details, it can quickly cover a larger surface area.

The water tank is almost opaque, and it is difficult to tell when it is almost empty. You have to press and hold the trigger switch during the whole use, but it can make full use of its small 70 ml water tank, and the water persistence is very good.

Main specifications Water tank capacity: 0.07L Transparent water tank: no suspension equipment: no accessories: cloth brush, gloves Size (height, width, depth): 38 x 12.8 x 15cm

If you are leaving by plane (or by car) this summer, please add this garment steamer to your packing list. It has dual voltage and is easy to use, which minimizes the time to leave the pool. Removal of suitcase creases can also do wonders; it is suitable for linen, cotton and viscose fibers, and for silk. 

After that our clothes were almost completely dry; only the cotton shirt felt damp. It spit occasionally and only has a steam setting, but it has a good range of accessories, including a travel bag, which is really a must-have for the holidays. 

Main specifications Water tank capacity: 0.15L Transparent water tank: Suspended equipment: Accessories include: door hook, cloth brush, steam cap, travel bag Size (height, width, depth): 24.5 x 12 x 10 cm

With this hand-held steamer, you can quickly heat up in 15 seconds, and your clothes will become smooth in the blink of an eye. The foldable head folds down for easy storage at the bottom of the wardrobe. It is suitable for most fabrics, although it cannot completely eliminate the deep creases on viscose and polyester cotton.  

Our clothes dried out after steaming, but the short head does mean that we were caught by the steam during use. There is no trigger lock, the water tank is opaque, but a two-year warranty and generally reliable performance, if time is often of the essence, this is a good choice. 

Main specifications Water tank capacity: 0.12L Transparent water tank: no suspension equipment: no accessories: cloth brush, travel bag size (height, width, depth): 22 x 10.5 x 12.7cm

Wear a lot of viscose shirts and dresses? If so, this steamer may be your favorite new thing. It can easily remove the wrinkles of the fabric, keeping our clothes dry and ready to wear. This is not the case with linen and silk. Although it effectively removed the creases of those clothes, they were still damp.

The big head makes it tricky to enter the complex area, it vomits a bit, and the tank is hard to see. However, its fast heating time and the choice of three steam settings are beneficial to it, making it a consideration for whether it suits your style.  

Main specifications Water tank capacity: 0.2L Transparent water tank: No Suspension equipment: Yes Accessories include: cloth brush, door hook, steam cover Dimensions (height, width, depth): 30.3 x 12.7 x 13.2cm

If you are wholehearted about long skirts, the wide head of this style will give you a new look quickly. It is particularly good at smoothing viscose and polyester cotton, and is also effective on linen and silk. Although it takes time to achieve a glossy effect. 

Intricate details such as seams or armpits are not its strong suit, but it keeps most of our clothes dry after use, heats up quickly, and has two steam settings, including an environmentally friendly option. But be careful, because it will spit out from time to time.  

Main specifications Water tank capacity: 0.26L Transparent water tank: Yes Suspension equipment: No Included accessories: brush and garment crimping device Dimensions (height, width, depth): 31 x 13 x 16 cm