Best Portable Garment Steamers in 2023

Nothing says sloppy more than wearing wrinkled clothes. Besides, when you look good, you feel good. The solution? Ironing your clothes is the obvious way to dewrinkle them.

However, pulling out an ironing board and flat iron is a cumbersome, time-consuming task. When you’re in a hurry to make it to that important meeting at work, go to a career-changing interview or get your children off to school, every second counts.

Introduction

In situations where time is of the essence, the standard flat iron just isn’t going to cut it. There are some faster alternatives, such as tossing them in a dryer or hanging them in a steamy bathroom.

However, your clothes dryer won’t remove deep wrinkles, and the steam in the bathroom just won’t be hot or direct enough to completely dewrinkle your clothes.

Find a local dry cleaner? Sure, you could; however, dry cleaning is expensive, especially when you have a lot of clothes that need to be ironed on a regular basis.

Traveling presents a different set of problems. Clothes that are stuck in a suitcase for hours on end are most likely going to come out wrinkled no matter how carefully you pack. You certainly can’t take your iron and board with you, so what do you do?

Some hotel rooms have an iron in them to cater to guests who are there on business, but an in-room iron is not a guarantee.

You could also hang them in the shower. Upscale hotels offer a concierge service that takes care of garment pressing for you, but you can bet that convenience will cost you.

None of these approaches are effective. This is why many people turn to portable garment steamers.

Our Recommended Portable Steam Cleaners in 2023

8) BEAUTURAL Steamer for Clothes

Weighing 2 pounds and measuring 6 inches wide by 10.3 inches tall, this handheld steamer from Beautural is slightly heavier and larger than the TEKITSFUN at our number 15 spot.

However, it’s still compact enough to put inside a suitcase with plenty of room to spare. The 1,200-watt garment is ready for use in 35 seconds, and you can operate it without a converter any place that runs off 120 volts of alternating current.

No matter where you take it, you’re covered by a 12-month warranty and 30-day money-back guarantee.

The water tank holds 260 milliliters of water, which produces steady steam for about 14 minutes. This tank is designed to be removed for easy refilling, and it has a tightly sealed rubber plug.

Therefore, you can use it horizontally and vertically without the steamer leaking, so feel free to sanitize your sofas, tablecloths and mattresses.

A rotating power cord of 7.8 feet provides plenty of leverage, and the garment steamer turns off after 8 minutes of no activity to protect you from injury.

You also get the benefit of continuous steam by locking the fingertip button on the nozzle. However, you can start and stop the 18-milliliter-per-minute flow of steam by keeping the button unlocked.

To remove pills and fuzz from sweaters, the steamer comes with an attachable lint brush and fabric brush.

7) Secura Instant-Steam Handheld Garment and Fabric Steamer

For a small handheld clothing steamer, the Secura Instant-Steam is extremely powerful – the 1,000 watts it produces is outstanding. The warranty also goes above what’s typical, lasting 2 years.

It weighs slightly under 1.9 pounds. Since its only 11.9 inches by 6.3 inches, it’s definitely easy to transport on vacation or toss in a drawer.

It meets North American Electrical Standards; therefore, you’ll need a power converter when using it in some countries.

The smooth handle sits on top of an 8-ounce water tank. By holding down the activation trigger, you can control the steam flow. In total, the reservoir gives you 15 minutes’ worth of dewrinkling, sanitizing steam.

Refilling it is a breeze with the release button that detaches the tank from the nozzle, and the clearly drawn max fill line helps you determine how much water remains.

If you have short fingers, you’ll appreciate the small circumference of the handle that helps you maintain your grip. With a power cord that rotates in a full circle, you don’t have to worry about it getting twisted and damaged while in route to your destination.

The steamer is equipped with extra-large steam outlets to release more steam with each trigger push, and the faceplate is stainless steel, which is non-porous and hygienic.

For your convenience, this fabric steamer comes with a removable brush to eliminate lint and loose thread.

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6) BIZOND Mini Clothing Steamer

BIZOND’s extra-small clothing steamer is packed with a lot of advanced features.

It’s only 7.5 inches tall, 3.5 inches in diameter and 1.3 pounds, making it a steamer you can keep at home or put in your purse to use on the go.

Thanks to its dual-voltage capability, you won’t need to buy a separate converter, and you get 24 months of warranty coverage.

The 900-watt fabric steamer warms the water in its 100-millimeter reservoir in a mere 25 seconds, which is an amazingly short period of time. The entire back of the steamer is translucent, letting you check the water level at a glance.

Once you turn it on by the horizontal switch, you’ll get 10 minutes of non-stop steam that doesn’t drip or make water trails. To extend the lifespan of the steamer’s heating element, the water tank contains an efficient nano-polymer filter to purifier the water.

With a 6.5-foot power cord, you get a decent length of reach that’s enough to let you hold it horizontal and upside down.

Thanks to the surface that stays cool to the touch, you won’t scald your hand while you’re de-wrinkling your clothes. Plus, the brush attachment lets you sweep away lint from pilling fabric.

5) Pure Enrichment PureSteam Portable Fabric Steamer (White)

This white portable fabric steamer with just a touch of chrome to accent its slender shape is perfect for all your clothes and linens. The Pure Enrichment PureSteam Portable Fabric Steamer is safe to use with a 110-volt electrical system, there are many places you can safely plug it in without a converter.

At only 16.5 ounces, the 8-inch by 5.5-inch portable steamer feels practically weightless. It’s covered by Pure Enrichment’s 2-year warranty just in case you need to repair or replace it.

While not essential, the vertical wave water-level window is a nice touch that helps you keep track of how much water remains in the one-half-cup tank.

The heating element generates 700 watts of power; therefore, the steamer warms up in 2 minutes, which is a decent heating time. If the water gets too low, the internal shut-off switch activates to protect the steamer.

You can dewrinkle and freshen a surprising number of clothing in the 10 minutes of steam emitted through the nozzle, which is designed to evenly distribute the steam for maximum efficiency.

With 8 feet worth of power cord at your disposal, you don’t have to stand directly next to an electrical outlet. To get the steam flow started, simply push the rocker switch on the open, curved finger-grip handle.

4) iSteam Steamer for Clothes

Designed to quickly meet your clothing needs while you travel, iSteam Steamers‘ powerful garment steamer weighs a mere 1.1 pounds and measures 8 inches by 5.5 inches.

Since it’s 120-voltage compatible, you’ll need to use a converter in some instances. With a 2-year warranty, you can feel secure that you’re covered no matter how much you use or where you take it.

As long as you hold the steamer at a 45 degree angle, you’ll never experience annoying drips and dribbles. The open-close markings between the nozzle and the tank let you know if the appliance is open or closed, so you don’t have any accidental spills.

The large, blue-tinted elongated oval window on the handheld steamer makes it easy to check the water level of the 4-ounce tank with a quick glance.

Thanks to its 700-watt heating element, you can enjoy 10 minutes of steam. Even better, this steam is continuous instead of intermittent, so you don’t have to keep a trigger pressed throughout an entire steaming session.

The rocker power switch on top of the D-shaped handle makes it easy to turn the power on or off in just a second.

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3) Conair Extreme Steam Hand Held Fabric Steamer

Like number 8 on our list, the Conair ExtremeSteam is a stick-style handheld steamer. It’s slightly heavier than most of the models we’ve reviewed; however, its weight of 2.2 pounds and height of 13.8 inches still makes it compact for easy portability.

This 110-volt steamer comes in four fun colors, and it’s covered by a 1-year limited warranty.

It’s also mega-powerful with 1,100 watts driving its 75-second heating time and even flow of steam. The translucent tank holds 7.3 ounces of water, and you can quickly open it with the slide lock for fast fill-ups.

However, the most exciting part of this handheld steamer is Conair’s Dual Heat Technology. This feature allows you to switch between a low temperature of 200 degrees Fahrenheit and a high temperature of 395 degrees Fahrenheit to dewrinkle all fabrics, both of which are high enough to kill dust mites if you choose to use the steamer as a sanitizer.

Whether you prefer steamers with manual or constant steam, you can get both when you use this handheld steamer. The trigger has a built-in lock, so you can choose either type of steam flow for 15 non-stop minutes.

With this steamer, you get a 9-foot cord that offers a wide range of maneuverability.

The steamer also comes with three convenient snap-on attachments, including a creaser that is ideal for making crisp lines in pants.

2) URPOWER Garment Steamer

This URPOWER Garment Steamer is sized just right for transport in a large suitcase or compact carry-on bag. In comparison, it’s no different than throwing an extra shoe in your luggage; the 110-volt travel steamer weighs 1.2 pounds and measures 8.07 inches tall by 2.28 inches wide.

It’s also safe to touch because even at its maximum temperature, the steamer’s casing always stays cool. For your protection as a consumer, you get URPOWER’s 2-year warranty.

Once you plug it in the 7.5-foot power cord and flip the power switch, the 700-watt heating element kicks on, heating the water to 212 degrees Fahrenheit in only 2 minutes. Getting access to the 130-milliliter water tank is just as easy by twisting it and lifting it open, so you can fill it to the max line shown on the oval water window.

The steamer is also equipped with an automatic shut-down safety mechanism if the appliance overheats or is used without water.

With its wide nozzle, you’ll get a consistent flow of steam for 10 minutes. Since the power switch is of the rocker variety, the steam is continuous and not dependent on you holding down the button.

Even the D-shaped handle is designed to be user-friendly thanks to its inner finger grips. When you’re finished smoothing out your clothes, you can store the steamer in the accompanying drawstring pouch.

1) PurSteam Fabric Steamer

Safe enough for embroidered items and small enough to take anywhere – That’s the PurSteam 180ml Fabric Steamer. It operates on 110-120 voltage systems, so you may need to a grab an inexpensive converter before your next vacation abroad.

However, it barely takes up any room in a suitcase because the steamer only 8.46 inches by 3.66 inches, and it weighs a mere 1.1 pounds.

When you buy this handheld fabric steamer, you get 3 years of warranty coverage in addition to a 30-day satisfaction guarantee. To make transport easy, it comes with a drawstring bag.

Within this clothes steamer, there is a 900-watt durable aluminum heating element, which warms the water to boiling temperatures in 90 seconds flat.

The water tank is built into the steamer for ease of use. Simply line up the arrows to open and close the fabric steamer. From the side of this appliance, you can see into the 4-ounce water tank through the vertical wave window.

As long as you don’t fill the tank past the max line, the steamer won’t spray water droplets.

To give you the 8 to 10 minutes of even steam you need to thoroughly dewrinkle your garments, PurSteam integrated steam channeling technology.

The triangular outlet provides broad coverage to let you quickly go over bedspreads and curtains, yet the nozzle is still small enough to keep the steam flow concentrated. Plus, the power cord is 9 feet long for an extended reach, and the handle has a light texture that makes it comfortable to hold.

Buying Guide

From the length of their cord to the amount of water they hold, every portable garment steamers is different. You want to get a steamer that meets your specific needs.

While some features are more important than others, there are still some basic components that you need to consider before you pull out your wallet.

Wattage and Voltage

When looking at portable garment steamers, the first fact you need to know is that manufacturers measure a steamer’s power in terms of wattage. In comparison to standing steamers for clothes, travel-size steamers aren’t as powerful; therefore, wattage is crucial.

Always go for a garment steamer with as much wattage as your money can buy because the higher the wattage, the stronger the steam output. In turn, this leads to a faster steam time.

Voltage is also important if you plan to take travel to different countries. If so, make sure the steamer is dual-voltage capable. Otherwise, you’ll need to purchase a voltage adapter.

Water Tank Capacity

The size of the reservoir is another essential consideration, especially if you plan to steam multiple pieces of clothing at once. The more water the reservoir can hold, the more clothes you can dewrinkle.

However, the tank is a major component of a steamer, which means it makes up a significant portion of the appliance’s weight. You don’t want the portable garment steamers to take up half the room in your luggage when you’re trying to cram a week’s worth of clothes in a single suitcase.

Length of the Power Cord

Portability is one matter, but reach is another. A lightweight portable clothing steamer with a short power cord is going to greatly restrict your maneuverability.

If you’re in a hotel room with a limited number of electrical outlets at your disposal, you absolutely need a long power cord. Basically, the longer the power cord, the less aggravation you’ll experience.

Heating Time

There are some days when you just don’t get up to your alarm clock, leaving you pressed for time and late for work. Even though you just rolled out of bed, you don’t want to look like it, so you need your clothes dewrinkled, and you need it done fast.

The last thing you want is to wait several minutes or more for your steamer to heat up. Look for a garment steamer with a rapid heating time. Many portable garment steamers get hot enough to produce steam in under 1 minute.

Continuous Steam and Other Controls

Although not essential, a steamer that produces continuous steam is super convenient. However, if you suffer from joint problems, this feature is a must-have.

These models eliminate the need for keeping the steam button pressed, wearing out your hand in the process. There are plenty of steamers with an on-off button as opposed to a steam trigger.

On a related note, there are also some steam cleaners with a variable temperature control, so you can customize the temperature to the type of fabric. This capability reduces the risk of accidentally damaging your favorite silk blouse.

FAQs

Business suits, party dresses, even casual wear – You spend a lot of money on your clothes. What’s the point of spending thousands of dollars on a wardrobe you find yourself wearing wrinkled clothes regularly?

Because of the tedious nature of ironing, it’s quickly falling out of favor, and people are opting to use steamers to keep their clothes looking sharp.

Why Are Portable Garment Steamers a Better Way to Dewrinkle Fabrics?

Traditional irons have their benefits. If you’ve never used an iron before, there is no learning curve involved. Simply plug it in and choose the correct heat setting.

However, the trick to properly ironing clothes with one of these appliances is how you lay out the article of clothing on the ironing board.

Pants are easy enough, but if you aren’t careful, you can put creases in unintended places when ironing, particularly when ironing button-down shirts and other intricate garments. For certain jobs, you’ll also need the help of spray starch, which is messy and sticky.

It’s a whole other ball game when you have a steam cleaner. With a steam cleaner, you don’t have to take your clothes off their hangers to dewrinkle them.

This means no awkwardly placed creases and no garments sliding off an ironing board. Since they take less time to heat, there aren’t extra steps involved to prepping your clothes, and you won’t have to pay an enormous dry-cleaning bill, so you won’t waste valuable time or money.

Another bonus that you only get with portable garment steamers it the ability to freshen curtains without taking them off their rods.

Since many portable and handheld garment steam cleaners are small enough to fit inside a suitcase, you can take one on your next business trip or vacation, and you won’t need to use chemical sprays to freshen up your clothes.

What Are the Different Varieties of Steam Cleaners?

There are three main types of steam cleaners you can use on garments and draperies.

Standing, or floor, steam cleaners for clothes are a popular choice to use at home because they typically come with a huge array of attachments, and they have the ability to hold more water along with a garment hanger built into the unit.

Unless you have a large laundry room, standing models take up a lot of space. In addition, you can’t pack them in a suitcase, so they aren’t suitable for dewrinkling on the go.

Check out our standing garment steamer guide >>>

For travelers, portable garment steamers are an excellent choice. This type of steamer is compact, so it doesn’t take up much room in a duffel bag or suitcase. Also, they usually don’t come with a lot of attachments to secure to the appliance, letting you simply fill the tank and get to work.

However, their small size means they don’t hold nearly as much water as standing versions. Therefore, they have to be refilled more often and aren’t as fast. Regardless, you can’t beat the convenience of a portable steamer when you are away from home.

A third option for clothes is a handheld steam cleaner. Although the terms are used interchangeably, handhelds are slightly different than portable models.

With a handheld model, you won’t need the space that a standing one requires. However, they are still larger than portable versions, so a handheld steamer may or may not fit in a suitcase. It depends on the interior room in the luggage and the size of the steamer itself.

In terms of well capacity, the handheld’s water tank is usually bigger. This makes handheld steamers ideal for use in small rooms or while on extended vacations.

How Are Standing Steamers Different From Handheld Steamers?

For dewrinkling fabric at home or in a commercial setting, standing steamers are the way to go. These steamers have a large water capacity, making them able to produce steam for a long amount of time.

Since they are quite hefty, virtually all of them come equipped with caster wheels. They also come with features like a hanging rack, a flexible hose and plenty of nozzle attachments.

However, the large tank size means upright steamers take a long to heat and take up too much room in small houses or apartments. Plus, you can’t take them with you, and they are more expensive.

While handheld garment steamers can certainly be used at home, their portability is what makes them appealing. Often, they are at or under 1 foot tall, so you can put them in a bag and take them with you while you travel. Their smaller size means they have a small tank.

While this equates to a smaller water capacity, it also means that it takes much less time for a handheld steamer to heat the water. Additionally, the price difference between handhelds and standing steamers is drastic.

What Are the Benefits of Portable Steamers for Clothes?

Although ironing and steaming take wrinkles out of fabric, that’s where their similarities end. While an iron has a hot, flat plate that presses fabric while a steamer releases steam to dewrinkle without coming into contact with the fabric.

Compared to a clothes iron, a portable garment steamers offers many advantages in terms of usability and cost.

Chemical Free

Starch and fabric refreshers are unnecessary because steamers only require water. Some manufacturers recommend using distilled water to prevent residue buildup on the nozzle. However, you can usually get away with adding water that comes straight out of the tap.

Cost-Effective

According to a dry-cleaning industry report, it’s common for people to spend up to $1,500 per year on dry cleaning. Imagine what you could do with an extra grand lying around.

With a clothes steamer, you can keep more money in your pocket. You also won’t have to spend money on clothing chemicals, and you won’t need to replace worn or faded clothing prematurely.

Easy

Unlike some appliances and electronics, you don’t have to study the owner’s manual in length before you use a portable steamer. Although some models have two or three heat settings and a hold-down trigger, most steamers turn on and off with a power switch or push button.

All you need to do is add water and plug it into an electrical outlet. In 1 or 2 minutes, the steamer is ready to go, and you don’t even have to touch the garment to remove wrinkles.

Gentle

It’s tricky to iron satin and silk. If the heat setting is too high and the iron lingers in one spot for a millisecond too long, you can irrevocably damage the fabric.

Then, there are fabrics like tulle that can’t be ironed, making a steamer the only option. Plus, you can go longer between washing your clothes when you use a garment steamer, which extends your clothing’s lifespan.

Versatile

Most people buy a portable steamer to dewrinkle their clothes, but you can do more with a steamer than just smooth fabric.

This nifty appliance lets you restore the shape of a garment by loosening the fabric’s fibers with the power of steam, which is great for making your winter sweaters and other knitted material look brand new.

However, you aren’t limited to use on clothing. A steamer is a great tool for freshening up curtains, linens and upholstery. Some people even use portable garment steamers to sanitize and deodorize fabric and mattresses to destroy dust mites and bed bugs.

What Maintenance Is Involved With Owning a Handheld Steamer?

Unless you solely stick to distilled water, you’ll need to descale the water tank every once in a while. However, this is easy to do. Simply fill up the tank with one-part vinegar to two-parts water.

Then, run the steamer until the tank is empty. If the handheld steamer has a removable reservoir with a large inlet, you can wipe down the inside. For a smaller inlet, a bottle brush will work just fine.

However, that’s not necessary if you use the vinegar method. If there are brush attachments, wipe them clean with a soft cloth.

If you have any questions or comments, please add them below in the comment section. Similarly, please let us know if you spot any mistakes or omissions. Thanks!

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Last Update: 2024-04-17 | Affiliate links/Images from Amazon Product Advertising API