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

Give your clothes a refresh at home and on the go with these garment steamers.

Best clothes steamer

by Rosie Floyd |
Updated on

Nobody wants to spend hours at the ironing board, but equally, nobody wants to be walking around in creased clothes, which is why the best clothes steamers are changing the game. Let's be honest, ironing is always one of those dreaded household jobs. So, a steam cleaner feels like a great solution as it's a simpler and less time-consuming way to get out those annoying creases.

A steam cleaner offers a great alternative to cleaning, ironing and beyond. For example, you can get a tile steam cleaner, which will leave your kitchen walls and flooring fresh. As for clothes, it does the job of smoothing without needing to get out the ironing board. Some of the best clothes steam cleaners are also handy for refreshing clothes while you're travelling, so you'll be able to get a second wear out of your favourite dress or shirt if you're unable to wash them in between.

Best clothes steamer at a glance:

But how does a steam cleaner work? Well, steam cleaners work by heating water until it becomes steam. You can get window steam cleaners, too, which saves us getting a bucket and mopping out ourselves. Often, you will need to pour water into the tank of your chosen steam cleaner and let it heat to the optimum temperature. Once heated, dry steam will be produced, which will then relax the fibres of the fabric as you move up and down the garment to help remove wrinkles. Simply hang your garment and then gently run the head of the steamer against the fabric.

If you are looking to ditch the iron, there is an option to suit every need and budget - even handheld steam cleaners. To help, I've put together some of the best clothes steamers so you can have the best steam cleaner for clothes to leave garments crease-free, with some tried and tested by our team.

Best clothes steamer

TESTED

Best clothes steamer overall

Credit: Rosie Floyd/Yours.co.uk

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.

Pros

  • Easy to use with fast heat-up time so it's ideal for quick, last-minute decreasing of outfits
  • Built-in suction fuction that gently pulls fabric taut to make it easier to smooth out wrinkles with minimal effort

Cons

  • This steamer is heavy and not the most ergonomically friendly which could be challenging for those with limited arm strength
Water Tank Capacity:100ml
Weight:1.55kg
Power:1400W

TESTED

Best handheld clothes steamer

Credit: Claire Tapley/Yours.co.uk

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.”

Pros

  • Heats up in just 35 seconds so it's great for getting out creases in a hurry
  • Excellent at removing wrinkles, especially as it has a turbo setting for getting out particularly stubborn ones

Cons

  • It’s very bulky so not great for travelling
Water Tank Capacity:260ml
Weight:1.21kg
Power:1785W

Best compact clothes steamer

Philips Handheld Steamer 3000 SeriesPhilips/Amazon

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.

Pros

  • Ready to steam in 30 seconds due to the smaller tank size
  • Light, compact and foldable so you can take it with you wherever it's needed

Cons

  • May run out of water quickly due to having a smaller tank size
Water Tank Capacity:120ml
Weight:1kg
Power:1000W

Best clothes steamer with multiple settings

BREVILLE Elite Diamond Ceramic Clothes SteamerBreville/Currys
Price: $49.99 (was £99.99)

www.currys.co.uk

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.

Pros

  • Designed to be used on many different types of fabrics
  • Good size water tank allowing you to steam for longer before refilling

Cons

  • Refill tank sometimes hard to open
Water Tank Capacity:240ml
Weight:0.94kg
Power:1500W

TESTED

Best clothes steamer for ergonomic design

Propress MINI Clothes SteamerYours/Stephanie Spencer

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.

Pros

  • Ergonomically designed to fit nicely in your hand
  • Safety features such as automatic shut off and overheat protection to provide peace of mind during use

Cons

  • Our reviewer found that it made her arm feel sore after using for a while as it's quite weighty
Weight:750g
Dimensions:9x13x29.5cm
Applications:Travel, Clothes, Curtains, Soft furnishings, Bedding
Continuous steam time:7 minutes or 13 with Big Belly tank
Tank capacity:130ml or 230ml with Big Belly
Heat up time:45 seconds
Cord length:3m

Best upright clothes steamer

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.

Pros

  • Has a built-in ironing board so you can choose whether you steam your clothes upright, horizontally or at a 30-degree angle
  • Extra large steam head to cover a larger area while steaming, ultimately reducing the overall steam time

Cons

  • Not very portable and can be quite heavy to move
Water Tank Capacity:1.1L
Weight:12.7kg
Power:2170W

Best budget clothes steamer

Tower Vertical Handheld Clothes Garment SteamerTower/Amazon

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.

Pros

  • A great budget option at under £30
  • Offers five minutes of continuous steam to refresh stubborn creases on one item or lighter ones on a couple

Cons

  • Reviewers are mixed about the overall performance of the steam, some loved it whereas others were disappointed
Water Tank Capacity:200ml
Weight:1.19kg
Power:1000W

Best lightweight clothes steamer

Beldray Portable Handheld Garment SteamerBeldray/Amazon

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.

Pros

  • Customers rate the lightweight and compact design for making it easy to use and store
  • Designed to heat up in 45 seconds so great for those mornings when your outfit needs a refresh and you're in a rush

Cons

  • Some customers felt the performance could be better on thicker fabrics
Water Tank Capacity:260ml
Weight:1.26kg
Power:1200W

Best 2-in-1 clothes steamer

Russell Hobbs Steam Genie 2-in-1 Garment SteamerRussell Hobbs/Amazon

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.

Pros

  • Offers steamer functionality with iron features to give you convenience and power
  • Safe for use on delicate fabrics, thicker fabrics and upholstery thanks to the one-temperature technology and different plate attachments

Cons

  • Our reviewer and other customers found it to be quite heavier
Water Tank Capacity:150ml
Weight:1.5kg
Power:1700W

Best clothes steamer: FAQs

Does steam cleaning clean clothes?

While steaming isn't an alternative to washing clothes in a washing machine. It's a great way to get more wear out of your clothes in between washes. You will need to ensure the steamer is hot enough to kill bacteria to ensure ultimate freshness.

Does steam cleaning clothes remove odours?

Just like steam cleaning an oven, this method does eliminate odours. You might, however, find it difficult to remove smells from particularly sweaty areas, such as armpits. The high heat of the steam kills most germs and odour-causing bacteria, making a garment steamer ideal for freshening up garments in between washes.

What clothes can you steam clean?

A steam cleaner can be used on most fabrics, apart from materials such as leather and suede.
Silks and delicate synthetics that cannot take high or direct heat from an iron. Therefore, we would recommend using a steamer instead. Plus, it is good for linens and cotton too. You can also use a steam cleaner on woollen items, like jumpers; however, we would suggest using a fabric guard to stop heat from being applied directly.
If you are unsure whether you can use a steam cleaner on your clothes, be sure to check the care label on your chosen item for the laundry instructions.

Rosie Floyd is a Senior Home & Pets Product Writer for Yours, specialising in home appliances, décor and furnishings, as well as all things dogs. After completing her Journalism & Media degree from Coventry University back in 2015, she started her career writing about must-visit holiday destinations, moving on to creating content around outdoor living and garden buildings, before joining the team at Bauer.

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