The best clothes steamer to leave garments crease-free with minimal effort

I’ll be honest, I hate ironing. I don’t even own an iron, let alone an ironing board. With no space to store one and no desire to faff around with one either, my usual strategy to get crease-free clothes has always been to hang them up straight from the washing machine and just hope for the best. However, all that changed when I tested the Tefal AreoSteam DT9810 Handheld Clothes Steamer.
It's brilliantly simple to use as all you need to do is plug it in, turn it on and then it makes a cheery little noise around 30 seconds later to let you know it’s ready to go. What really impressed me is the built-in suction function. While you steam, the Tefal AreoSteam gently pulls the fabric taut, making it far easier to smooth out wrinkles without pulling or stretching the garment yourself.

There are three steam modes: steam only, steam and soft suction, and steam and turbo suction. I personally found the steam and soft suction the best mode for everyday de-crinkling, but if you’ve got some stubborn creases, the steam and turbo suction will get them out no problem. I steamed one of my t-shirts that I did my usual hang and hope method for, and was SUPER impressed with the results. I didn’t realise quite how creased my laundry had been until I compared the before and after of my t-shirt and it took approximately three minutes to get it virtually wrinkle-free. Minimal effort with maximum results is my kind of ironing for sure.

Now let’s get into the not-so-good parts. This thing is HEAVY. After a few minutes, my hand started to cramp up. It’s definitely not the most ergonomic tool if you’ve got a wardrobe full of crumpled clothes. If you’ve got limited arm strength or mobility in your hands and arms, you may struggle with the weight of the Tefal AreoSteam. The water tank is also quite small at 100ml, which gives you roughly six minutes of steam time. That’s more than enough to steam your outfit of the day or a couple of t-shirts but you won’t get a whole pile of laundry done on one tank (let’s be honest though, I wouldn’t want to be doing that anyways!)

For anyone like me who wants quick, easy results without the faff of ironing, the Tefal AreoSteam is exactly what you need. Yes, it might be weighty and the water tank be smaller compared to others but for iron-like results with minimal effort that you can give your outfits a little spruce before you need them, it’s completely worth it.

This handheld Morphy Richards Express Handheld Garment Steamer claims to effortlessly remove wrinkles and creases from your clothing, as well as removing odour and killing 99.9 per cent of bacteria. Its ergonomic design makes it easy to handle, and it heats up ready to use in just 35 seconds. Our tester, Yours Digital Editor, Claire Tapley, was really impressed with how well this steamer performed. “I couldn’t believe how quickly this steamer heated up, there’s literally no waiting around. It was brilliant at getting the creases out of jeans, tops, trousers and skirts. I even used it to steam my duvet cover when it was on the bed as I hate trying to iron it!”

It features two different settings, ‘Eco’ and ‘Turbo’, for energy efficiency. “I found the ‘Eco’ setting to be pretty powerful as it removed the majority of wrinkles", said Claire. "The ‘Turbo’ setting was great at getting rid of those stubborn wrinkles in thicker fabric like jeans.” It also comes with a lint brush and a creaser accessory, which Claire really appreciated. “The lint brush is good for relaxing the fibres before you steam a garment, while the creaser accessory was fab for steaming edges and corners, and great when used on shirt sleeves or pillowcases.”

The only thing Claire could fault was that this steamer is quite large, so it would be tricky to take with you when travelling. Although Claire found the steamer really comfortable to hold, it is pretty chunky and would take up a fair bit of room in your case. "I don’t think it’s suitable for travel, but would totally recommend it for having a home, especially if you hate ironing like me! It’s such a quick and easy way to give clothes an instant refresh, and is ideal for using on duvet covers rather than struggling with the iron.”

The Philips Handheld Steamer 3000 series is a good option for steaming at home and on the go as it's made in a more compact size and it folds for easy storage, so you can pop it in your bag and get out when needed.

As it's made in a smaller size, it also means the water tank is smaller at 120ml, so while you may not be able to steam a whole load of items with one refill, you should be able to get one outfit wrinkle-free and ready for its next occasion. The smaller tank also works in favour of the start-up time as it's ready to steam in just 30 seconds.

Just as we are, customers are impressed by how compact and lightweight this steamer is. There are some negative comments about how much water the tank can hold, but if you're buying this steamer with a view of being able to refresh your clothes on holiday or for a wedding, for example, you're on to a winner.

Suitable for delicates, cotton, denim, linen and more, with three different modes to choose from in terms of how much continuous steam comes out while using it to de-wrinkle your clothes, the BREVILLE Elite Diamond Ceramic Clothes Steamer makes refreshing clothes easy.

It has a detachable 240ml water tank, which is designed to provide you with 16 minutes of non-stop steaming until you need to refill again so you'll certainly be able to get a couple of shirts or tops smoothed out in that time. If you're steaming items with buttons and zips, you won't have to worry about them catching on the steamer and causing damage as it has a diamond ceramic plate that is designed to be scratch-resistant.

Our reviewer and customers online liked that it has a good-sized water container and that it's capable of getting the creases out of many types of fabric. Some customers felt the tank was hard to remove, but our reviewer found it easy.

The ProPress Mini Clothes Steamer offers convenient wrinkle removal in a compact design. Its design, combined with a quick heat-up time, makes it suitable for on-the-go use and ideal for travellers or those with limited storage space. Our reviewer, Yours Hub Editor Stephanie Spencer, loves that it's compact and travel-friendly and would recommend it to those who don't have the space to store a full iron and ironing board.

The steamer's ergonomic handle ensures it fits nicely in your hand and feels quite natural to use, while its safety features, such as automatic shut-off and overheat protection, provide peace of mind during operation.

Our reviewer, Stephanie, had a positive experience overall while reviewing the ProPress Mini Clothes Steamer. She found it was a lot less hassle than using a regular iron, commenting, “I will certainly be getting rid of my iron now that I have this steamer.” The only con she found was its weight, as it made her arm sore after a bit, but she felt that it gave her a good arm workout as a bonus.

Read our full Propress MINI clothes steamer review to find out more.

The best and only upright clothes steamer on our list, the Tefal All-in-One Iron & Clothes Steamer gives you somewhere to hang your clothes upright while steaming so you can get those wrinkles out with precision without worrying about where you’re going to put them or holding it steady with your other hand. The board has three positions it can be tilted to, so as well as using it upright, you can use it horizontally like a traditional ironing board, as well as a 30-degree angle for your comfort.

Compared with the handheld steamers on our list, this Tefal model has an extra large steam head so it covers a large surface area, which ultimately will reduce the amount of time you spend steaming each garment. It also has a heat-up time of 70 seconds, so you don't have to wait long until you can get stuck into those creases. The brand also claims this steamer sanitises your clothes while steaming, stating that it kills up to 99.9 per cent of bacteria and removes odours with every stroke.

Weighing 12.7kg, we’re not surprised to see customer reviews saying they found it to be heavy and hard to move. However, if you’re planning on using this steamer in the same place each time, this shouldn’t be an issue. Many customers say it's easy to set up and feels like a professional steamer, so it should take the stress out of ironing.

At under £30, the Tower Vertical Handheld Clothes Garment Steamer is a good option if you’re new to at-home garment steaming and want to try it before committing to a more expensive model.

The 200ml water tank allows for over five minutes of continuous steam, so you can concentrate on stubborn lines on one item of clothing or give a quick whizz over a couple of items before it runs out. When it comes to refilling the tank, you just pop it off the main device with a simple push of a button, and you can then take it over to the nearest sink to top up the supply.

Most customers rave about how easy it is to use, but reviews are mixed on the results. Some felt the heat-up time was speedy and worked well, whereas others were disappointed with the results. They’ve found this steamer to be a stylish option with its black and rose gold design, something we’re also fans of, making it a practical yet aesthetically pleasing option.

The Beldray Portable Handheld Garment Steamer offers a convenient solution for wrinkle-free clothing. Weighing just 1.26kg, customers praise its lightweight and compact design, making it easy to use and store, plus it has a 1.9-metre power cord for extra manoeuvrability and a detachable water tank to enhance the overall usability.

Designed to heat up in just 45 seconds, the fast heat-up time allows for quick steaming so if you’re in a rush in the mornings and your outfit needs a refresh before heading out for the day, there’s no need to get the iron out as you can have this steamer ready to go in less than a minute.

Customers appreciate that this steamer can be used for steaming curtains and upholstery as well as clothes, but found that the steam output and performance could be better for thicker fabrics. Overall, though, customers generally felt like it did a good job at removing the wrinkles and giving items a refresh without getting the ironing board out.

Shaped like an iron but without the bulkiness and size of a typical one, the Russell Hobbs Steam Genie 2-in-1 Garment Steamer offers an elegant and smaller design and is great for smaller households or if you don’t really do that much ironing (and we really don’t blame you for that – it’s nobody’s favourite task). It combines the functionality of a steamer with the features of an iron, bringing you the best of both worlds.

With a 60-second heat-up time, it’s slower to get to temperature compared to others on our list, but it’s literally a few seconds more, so it shouldn’t make too much of a difference in the long run. It’s a common problem to worry about whether you’re ironing or steaming something at the right temperature, but because of the one-temperature technology, the Steam Genie is designed to find the right temperature for your garment. It also has different plates you can add for delicates, thicker fabrics and upholstery to ensure you don’t damage those items that need a little more care.

As it has that two-in-one functionality of a steamer and iron combined, our reviewer found it is a little heavier than others, but the space they save with the compact design is worth it. Reviewers on Amazon agree that it is slightly heavy, but it does a great job of getting the creases out, with one reviewer stating it is “so quick and easy to use”, and it promptly removes creases in no time.