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Serve some fresh looks with our tried and tested upright and handheld clothes steamers
Keeping your wardrobe crisp and crease-free at home or on the move no longer means wheeling out the dusty old ironing board. My friend, it’s high time you invested in a garment steamer.
These handy, high-power machines are often faster and more effective at fighting wrinkles than their cumbersome cousin, the iron. The steam they emit relaxes your fabric, causing creases to drop out without risking damage or scorching more delicate pieces like silk and linen – let’s face it, we’ve all been there. The best clothes steamer can make achieving crisp collars and sharp pleats simple.
Not only that, but the high heat can also kill bacteria, allowing you to freshen up your clothes between runs through the washing machine and trips to the dry cleaner. Don’t underestimate the versatility of a steamer, they’ll make light work of cleaning up the upholstery before the in-laws arrive, too.
Firstly, consider which type of garment steamer will best fit your needs: upright or handheld?
Upright steamers are usually very powerful. They have a large water tank built into their base, meaning you can keep steaming for longer – perfect if your shirts feature more lines than an Ordnance Survey map. However, they often lack manoeuvrability and can carry a higher price tag.
Handheld steamers offer an easy-to-use alternative if a few choice items could do with a quick spruce. Their water tanks are much smaller but they are far lighter and more compact, making them ideal for taking on business trips too.
Check how long your chosen garment steamer takes to pre-heat. Most of the top models will be ready to use in less than 60 seconds, with many handhelds hot enough after 30.
Of course, the bigger the water tank, the longer your steamer will last. Transparent casing is handy for knowing when a refill is required. Look for a choice of steam settings if you’re likely to be steaming an array of fabrics, including more delicate silk, chiffon and velvet.
And, if you’re taking your steamer on the road, accessories such as folding hangers, collar presses and lint removers can be useful.
We rigorously tested market-leading garment steamers, clocking how long each model took to preheat before judging how efficiently it removed creases from a range of fabrics, from linen to silk to viscose.
Factors such as ease of use, manoeuvrability, controls and overall design were also taken into account.
Our winning upright steamer is a formidable force against creases. It rapidly banished the vast majority from a cotton shirt and left everything else pristine. The ample 2.2L water tank rarely needed refilling and all our clothes were bone dry and ready to be worn immediately after steaming.
The F1000 comes with a wide variety of accessories, including a trouser clasp - perfect if you’re chasing crisp creases on your suit trousers. There’s only one steam setting, but this proved powerful enough to handle sturdier fabrics without being too strong for more delicate ones. We would have liked a handle to help us transport it between rooms, but that’s our only niggle.
Key specifications Water tank capacity: 2.2L Transparent water tank: Yes Hanging equipment: Yes Included accessories: Trouser clasp, hand ironing mat, folding hanger, upholstery brush Dimensions (H, W, D): 162cm x 25cm x 31cm
Three power settings - normal, delicate and turbo - mean you can adjust this handheld stream of steam to suit every garment in your arsenal. With minimal spitting, it removed most wrinkles from linen, viscose, cotton and polycotton and performed perfectly on silk. Everything was left completely dry.
However, while its wide head made coverage faster, it struggled to reach into awkward areas like armpits. The trigger lock came undone several times during use, too, meaning we had to choose between continuously holding it down or repeatedly reapplying it. Still, we appreciated the range of included accessories and found it decent value for money.
Key specifications Water tank capacity: 0.2L Transparent water tank: Yes Hanging equipment: Yes Included accessories: Door hook, fabric brush, crease attachment, steam bonnet and travel bag Dimensions (H, W, D): 27.5cm x 14.5cm x 11.5cm
Often, upright garment steamers miss the memo when it comes to nailing both functionality and aesthetics, but not the Steamery Cumulus No. 3. With its compact footprint and sleek minimalist design, this deserves pride of place in any bedroom or walk-in wardrobe.
The 1.8L water tank offers 60 minutes of continuous steaming, with two steam levels for use on just about every fabric (except leather and suede). Thanks to its quick heat time and integrated hanger and hooks, we powered through the contents of our wardrobe with ease.
The only drawback was that the lack of castor wheels reduce manoeuvrability and the indicator light and water line can be difficult to see when in use, but there’s no doubt its benefits outweigh these minor cons.
Key specifications Water tank capacity: 1.8L Transparent water tank: No Hanging equipment: Yes Included accessories: Heat protection glove, fabric brush, non-slip hanger Dimensions (H, W, D): 172cm x 32cm x 33cm
Small but mighty and good-looking to boot, this Philips steamer kept going for an impressively long time given its tiny 70ml water tank. It pre-heated in just 29 seconds and left all our clothing looking sharp after a quick once-over. Its wide head meant it could glide over large areas speedily but covering intricate areas and detailing was a faff.
The provided protective glove was a welcome touch but the lack of a trigger lock meant we had to press down throughout steaming, straining our fingers. The black and copper casing, though stylish, meant it was hard to tell how much water was left.
Key specifications Water tank capacity: 0.07L Transparent water tank: No Hanging equipment: No Included accessories: Fabric brush Dimensions (H, W, D): 38cm x 12.8cm x 15cm
The self-professed most powerful garment steamer on the planet restored a creased cotton shirt to its shop-bought glory in just over two minutes. It employs steam burst technology - a thick jet of high-pressure steam triggered by pressing a button on the handle - which made short work of stubborn wrinkles but proved a touch too intense for lighter fabrics, blowing them away.
It didn’t spit and the tapered tip of its iron helped remove creases from nooks and crannies. However, although fast once it got going, it took a fair while to heat up - 2.02 minutes, to be exact - so allow yourself some extra time.
Key specifications Water tank capacity: 3.8L Transparent water tank: Yes Hanging equipment: Yes Included accessories: Flexible ironing board, heat protection gloves, upholstery brush, collar press and cuff attachment, delicate fabric guard, folding hanger with pegs Dimensions (H, W, D): 185cm x 32cm x 44cm
The Tefal Pure Tex DT9530 stood out from the crowd for the range of additional magnetic pads, which can be quickly interchanged to handle any garment thrown its way. Seriously, you can tackle anything from lint removal to sanitising your suit after a sweaty tube journey in mere minutes.
Despite its diminutive design, the steam output was powerful, making quick work of viscose, silk and cotton. The head is able to cover a large surface area with ease, though it may struggle to reach every nook and cranny of more intricate pieces. Our only gripe was that the water tank was stiff to remove and took a little time to fill – but patience is a virtue, after all. If you’re looking for a versatile steamer fit for home and travel, make it this one.
Key specifications Water tank capacity: 0.2L Transparent water tank: Yes Hanging equipment: No Included accessories: Clean pad, dewrinkle pad, steam bonnet, fragrance Dimensions (H, W, D): 28.2cm x 18cm x 12cm
The third Fridja steamer on our list comes with a generous selection of accessories, including a collar press and fabric guard. Our favourite added extra, however, is the water bottle adapter, which lets you use an ordinary water bottle as your water tank on the move, saving you packing space.
It didn’t take long to heat up and soon put pay to creases in cotton, polycotton and viscose. It rid linen and silk of all wrinkles too, but this took longer than expected. The flex seemed quite short, limiting our reach, but we liked the choice of eco and full power modes and found it comfortable to use.
Key specifications Water tank capacity: 0.26L Transparent water tank: Yes Hanging equipment: Yes Included accessories: Travel bag, collar press, fabric guard, water bottle adapter, portable hanger Dimensions (H, W, D): 22cm x 12cm x 15cm
With the DT3030, there’s no need to panic when you realise just how crumpled your chosen outfit really is. This speedy steamer heated up in a blistering 15 seconds and quickly saw off most creases in polycotton, viscose and more, leaving each item dry and ready to don.
Its collapsible head means it takes up minimal suitcase space and it comes with a two year guarantee. However, it failed to eradicate deep-set creases from cotton and the lack of a trigger lock was a let-down. Its slightly short head meant our fingers got caught in the steam a few times, so be careful.
Key specifications Water tank capacity: 0.12L Transparent water tank: No Hanging equipment: No Included accessories: Fabric brush, travel bag Dimensions (H, W, D): 22cm x 10.5cm x 12.7cm
Don’t underestimate the power of this compact, handheld steamer. Portable and lightweight enough for your suitcase, the Laurastar Iggy is intuitive to use and superior at targeting notoriously hard to iron areas like shirt collars and cuffs thanks to its precise nozzle. On the flipside, it takes a little while to cover large surfaces and can’t be refilled while at temperature, so is best suited to capsule wardrobes over quick, daily use.
All garments were left spit free and ready to wear, and it really came into its own tackling viscose, though heavier fabrics (such as cotton and linen) may require a second sweep. While the device doesn’t have a trigger lock (meaning you’ll have to hold the trigger in place throughout the steaming process), its lightweight design makes it comfortable to use over longer periods and easy to pack without threatening your baggage allowance. Yes, even EasyJet.
Key specifications Water tank capacity: 0.08L Transparent water tank: No Hanging equipment: No Included accessories: Refill bottle, glove, bag Dimensions (H, W, D): 25cm x 11.7cm x 11.7cm
This affordable steamer’s wide head tackled larger items of clothing with aplomb, making it a smart choice if you often need to freshen up suits. It proved especially effective on viscose and polycotton but took longer to de-wrinkle silk and linen, with the latter fabric feeling a touch damp after steaming.
It offers a choice of steam settings - eco or turbo - and the transparent water tank meant we could easily estimate how long we could steam for in one go, but it struggled to smooth the arms of cotton shirts, as well as more delicate detailing.
Key specifications Water tank capacity: 0.26L Transparent water tank: Yes Hanging equipment: No Included accessories: Lint brush and garment creaser Dimensions (H, W, D): 31cm x 13cm x 16cm
The DT9100 claims to sanitise as it steams, eliminating odours while banishing creases from your clothing. Its three steam settings allow for superior versatility and it heated up in only 33 seconds.
Our polycotton and viscose garments were left particularly fresh after a quick steaming session, with most wrinkles removed and both items left fully dry. Cotton and silk were also largely smooth after a once-over. However, there was some spitting and the black water tank made it hard to gauge when it needed a refill. There were some damp patches left on linen and silk too.
Key specifications Water tank capacity: 0.2L Transparent water tank: No Hanging equipment: Yes Included accessories: Fabric brush, door hook, steam bonnet Dimensions (H, W, D): 30.3cm x 12.7cm x 13.2cm