5 Best Clothes Steamers, Tested by Laundry Experts
Wrinkles don't stand a chance against these handheld and professional picks.
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You may be surprised to hear that garment steamers may just edge out the irons our grandmothers wielded for decades. Handheld or upright, clothes steamers are lighter to manage and don't require an ironing board that hogs precious closet space.
They are also more versatile. Steamers can de-wrinkle flowy and silky fabrics (even linen!) and formal suits without scorching, refresh garments between dry cleaning and smooth draperies and window treatments. Even the original 1935 player token shaped like an iron has been phased out of Monopoly — a sign of household trends to come?
A great clothes steamer is an excellent tool to have in your laundry arsenal, but there are a few things to consider before you pick one up like steam output, ease of use, and whether it can operate at different angles without dripping.
In the Good Housekeeping Institute Cleaning Lab, our team has tested hundreds of laundry-related items including irons (even the best cordless irons), ironing boards, washers, dryers, fabric shavers and, of course, clothes steamers. We test garment steamers on a range of fabrics, including natural and synthetic fibers, to measure heat-up time and gauge efficiency, ease of use and overall value.
At the end of this article, you'll find more info on how we test steamers in our Lab and with consumer testers. We also answer when a billow of steam is better than ironing (sequins, anyone?) and outline helpful shopping pointers.
Carolyn Forté brings more than 40 years of experience as a consumer products expert to her role as executive director of the Good Housekeeping Institute's Home Care and Cleaning Lab. Using deep analytical testing and writing expertise in appliances, cleaning, textiles and organizational products, she produces cleaning and home care advice for GH, has authored numerous books and bookazines for the brand and partners with the American Cleaning Institute to co-produce the Discover Cleaning Summits. She holds a bachelor's degree in family and consumer sciences from Queens College, City University of New York.
Alice Garbarini Hurley has been a lifestyle and consumer writer since a pizza parlor taste test for the Dumont High School Periscope. She wrote about prom dresses and mascara at Seventeen, then about everything that matters at Good Housekeeping as a senior lifestyle writer for 10 years and as a GH freelancer for 10 more. Her work has appeared in The New York Times, Coastal Living and InStyle. She has published essays and has blogged at Truth and Beauty since 2010. Writing keeps Alice calm and focused while raising a teenage girl. She loves bluebells and daffodils, Cape Cod, accessories, cream in her coffee and reading cookbooks cover to cover.
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