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Hate ironing? Us too. In fact, we’d argue most people find the chore monotonous, time-consuming and, ultimately, boring – but that’s where steamers come in. Replacing your traditional iron and hefty board, these nifty gadgets will ensure your clothes are crease-free, with half the hassle.
Packing plenty of benefits into their handheld or upright designs, the appliances use steam output to bust wrinkles, remove unpleasant odours and alleviate allergens. Not only are they space-saving, steamers typically come with a much lower price tag, compared with some irons.
Leaving your wardrobe looking box-fresh, steamers offer an ideal cleaning service at home. Tackling everything from denim and satin to cotton and cord, you can easily steam a wide range of garments in a single session, thanks to the ability to quickly change temperature, steam output and refill the water tank.
Plus, if you’re wary of leaving traditional methods behind entirely, many hybrid steamers enable you to place your clothes on a flat surface to iron out more-stubborn creases. Better still, newer appliances are no longer limited to use on clothes alone, with steamers being a great way to keep home furnishings bacteria-free, too.
When shopping for a steamer, there are a few things to consider. Do you want one that’s easily portable for frequent travel? If so, look to compact, handheld gadgets with a heat-up time of no more than 30 seconds. If you’re after a more industrial appliance to help you tackle big loads, you’ll want a heavy-duty model that can steam for up to 60 minutes.
How we tested the best clothes steamers
In our hunt for the best steamers, we considered their effectiveness, efficiency and, of course, the end results. Assessing how well these gadgets banished creases while freshening up our clothes and removing bad odours, we narrowed it down to our pick of the best. Whether you want a fashion-cupboard-worthy steamer or a budget buy that still gets the job done, consider your search over.
The best clothes steamers for 2024 are:
- Best overall – Russell Hobbs steam genie 2-in-1 handheld clothes steamer: £50.20, Amazon.co.uk
- Best budget buy – Swan prosteam portable garment steamer: £29.99, Amazon.co.uk
- Best stylish design – Steamery cirrus 3 iron steamer, sage: £150, Johnlewis.com
- Best hybrid – Philips steam and go plus handheld garment steamer, black: £59.99, Johnlewis.com
- Best upright option – Fridja F1000 vertical clothes steamer: £89.99, Fridja.com
