Best Garment Steamer 2021 – Buyer’s Guide

Very powerful and one of the most comfortable on our list to hold, the Morphy Richards Express is one of the most advanced around. It is their latest release, and you can really see the years of knowledge and updates which have gone into making it.

It is ready to use after just 35 seconds of preheating, which also makes it one of the quickest to get going. A consistent and generous 35g/m steam rate provides plenty of welly to abolish even the toughest of crinkles, and there are even two Dual Steam settings to help you out.

The Turbo option gives you even more power than normal, which will smooth difficult folds without you having to go over them two or three times. Then there is the Eco mode, which saves water consumption and helps with more delicate choices.

An added lint brush will help to get deep into the fibres by separating them, and will also help to remove any dirt or dust from items such as curtains as they are steamed. The stainless steel soleplate should stay nice and clean too, with no risk of catching on the fabric.

Able to heat up in just three minutes, and with powerful continuous steam which can eliminate the most stubborn of creases, this Swan upright handheld garment steamer really took us by surprise.

To say it is around half the average price of other models out there, we were not expecting it to be quite so good, or cover so many bases. It is nice and easy to hold and move around, and you can see the creases disappear before your eyes.

The water capacity, while not the largest, is still generous and gives you enough time to get through a good few items of clothing before having to refill. A 1.9m cord is perfect for offering some flexibility, and refilling the water is simple thanks to the large opening.

We loved the little fabric brush attachment which came with it. Garment steamers are also great for freshening up curtains, cushions and carpets, and the brush helps you get close to the fabric and under the fibres without it getting too hot.

You have to hold the steamer quite close to the clothing, and maybe go over it a few times with tougher wrinkles, but once you get the hang of it, it is a breeze.

Much easier than travel irons to take away with you, especially if you are on business and will have suits and other delicates to iron, travel steamers are very popular.

This Steamone is a really nice size to fit in your case. It only takes just over two minutes to heat up, which is good as you don’t want to waste a single second of your time when you’re away. The continuous steam flow also helps here, as you don’t have to struggle pressing buttons or giving it a boost when you need it to work.

The 250ml water tank is on the smaller side, but as it is a travel model, we will let it off. What is good about the water tank is that it can use ordinary tap water, as opposed to filtered or special iron water. This is pretty essential for a travel device, as you’re going to likely be limited to the bathroom tap for your supply.

It gives you steam at 98 degrees, and there is no adjustable thermostat, but this is pretty regular. You get dust and fabric brush attachments too, so you can also use it in the home with curtains, sofas and carpets.

One of the most popular garment steamers on the market at the moment, as you would expect from a name such as Tefal. Their ordinary steam irons also take most top 10 lists across the board, so can this hand device live up to expectations?

Firstly, it is one of the most comfortable to hold. The slimline handle and ergonomic trigger don’t get in the way, making it suitable for anyone. The trigger can be locked in place so you don’t have to keep pressing it in, which is great for those longer sessions.

It will warm up in under 45 seconds, which means it is perfect for last minute touch-ups. Say you’re always going to an event or rushing out to work in the morning, only to spot your clothes look very crumpled just before you take them off the hanger. Well, now you can leave them there to steam, and in around two minutes, they will be ready to wear.

While the steam rate may not be the largest, it still has an impact on both crease elimination and sanitisation, removing odours. You get two attachments; a fabric brush gives a professional, smooth finish and the steam bonnet to protect fabrics against water drips. The latter is not something which is commonplace with items such as this, surprisingly, so it is a nice touch.

To finish it off, the flat base makes it stable enough to set down in between uses and store safely.

The ‘Steam and Go+’ is another increasingly popular handheld garment steamer. It gives you the choice of both vertical & horizontal steaming on any surface, so is suitable for pretty much any occasion or user preferences.

Ready to use in just 45 seconds, it is best for anyone who wants a steamer which can tidy up clothes before they are worn in a rush. It only holds 70ml of water at any one time, so is designed to do quick touch-ups as opposed to big crease-busting sessions.

It does kill up to 99.99% of bacteria however, so if you have any soft furnishings and are bothered by allergies, a blast of steam from Philips should tackle any issues. In terms of size, it is one of the more compact options, which makes it perfect for travelling or popping into your suitcase for a business trip.

You get a fabric brush so you can separate fibres as you steam, and a safety glove too which boosts safety and decreases the risk of burns. Because the soleplate is nice and large, it is easy to run along fabric for more targeted ironing.

Described as a 3-in-1, this Verti Steam is easy to use and should cover all bases when it comes to your clothing.

You have the standard press head, which can be used flat with steam or else in contact with clothes for more of an iron effect. Then there is a Plump and Refresh brush attachment which can breathe life into your jumpers and deep materials while giving them a deep steam clean. You also get a lint remover, which can capture any dust or hairs.

Crease Release Technology releases the steam over a wider area when used vertically, to get the job done quicker. This also helps if your tops have sequins or beads, or trousers have buttons and studs, as it keeps them safe.

It is ready just 45 seconds after turning on, so you can get going straight away. If you’re one to rush around in the morning before work, this could help you iron your shirt while you drink your coffee.

Now for the downsides. It is the heaviest on our list, so definitely not one for anyone who struggles to hold items like this for a long time. When in use, it also gets hot quite quickly, and you need to wait a while before you can reuse it. For these reasons, we would say it is definitely a steamer for anyone who just needs quick touch-ups every so often.

If you’re going to be using the steamer frequently, and you have the space, you may wish to purchase an upright model which comes complete with vertical support to hold your garments in place.

This Tefal is one of the best professional level garment steamers around. Ready in just 45 seconds, it can hold up to 1.5L of water, which gives you around 50 minutes of steaming in one go. So whether you’re a professional dry cleaner, sewing machinist or repairer, or maybe just own a lot of suits or dresses which need constant attention, it will certainly give you enough support to be getting on with the job if you’re on a budget.

The water tank is still nice and easy to top up though, and it doesn’t struggle to cope with huge loads of laundry so even if you have a few hours of steaming on your hands you are good to go. It will occasionally need to stop to reheat all of the water, but this is not a drastic wait.

The large steam head is great for tackling larger areas in a short time, but there is also a pointed tip for more precise action. There are three steam levels so you can cope with several types of fabric. Jeans will need the most powerful, but fine silks or shirts will probably only need the lowest – it is still powerful.

If you’re worried about letting your iron go because you love adding dedicated iron water which leaves your clothes smelling fragrant, then this steamer will be a revelation.

MyEssence refreshes clothes with your favourite scents; just add some of your oil-based fragrances to the cap, and this will come out in the steam. You get 2x My Essence fragrance caps with the purchase.

The water tank detaches so you can fill it up at the sink then replace when done, which is much easier than going backwards and forwards with a dedicated refill bottle. The steam put out is huge, and completely controllable thanks to the dial at the front of the tank. As a guide, there are five settings to choose from. A crease can be removed in around 30 seconds, which is much easier than going over it several times with the iron.

It is a big unit and can take a bit of time to build up. For this reason, it is best to keep built at all times. But to say it is a professional standard, and cheaper than some of the newer models on the market which don’t match up to it at all, we rate it very highly.

Incredibly stylish and packed with features which makes it easier than ever to get those wrinkles out.

It heats up in 45 seconds and gives you almost an hour of steaming in one go thanks to the large capacity. Turbo steam technology gets deep into the fabric, so you can hold the soleplate to the garment like an ordinary iron or use it upright, and both are effective.

The ceramic soleplate is great for running along clothing and not risking snags or burns. It offers Continuous Steam Action, and the pole is fully telescopic so you can adjust depending on what you’re steaming, and then drop again to make it a bit smaller for storage.

There is more good news too; thanks to the anti-calc collector, there will be a reduced risk of the build-up of limescale. You should always use filtered water anyway, but it is an extra peace of mind.

Because it all comes as separate parts, there is a bit of wobbling from the pole. This makes it a struggle to deal with denim and other heavy items, but it is easy enough to build. Instructions are clear, and there are videos online too.

If using for domestic use only, you also get a free 2-year manufacturer warranty. Not bad at all…

Just under £100, making it a budget freestanding vertical steamer in comparison to others on the market, this Tefal gives you all you’d need from one of these products.

There is 1700W of power and a 35g/min steam rate, making it tough enough to tackle most of those everyday creases and kinks. You also get four steam settings, a fabric brush and a lint pad so you can customise the settings for whatever you are steaming at that precise moment.

The 1.67m press is tall enough for most of the everyday products too, such as shirts and jackets, or even long dresses.

We said ‘most of’ the creases above, as it wasn’t the most effective. You had to go over them a few times to really see the difference, but this could still be an easier way of doing things compared to ironing.