After hours of testing the top steamers on the market, we landed on the True & Tidy Handheld Garment Steamer as our number-one pick. However, there are plenty of other great options for different needs. Read on for the best travel steamers to take with you on the road. This travel steamer comes with a brush attachment that can help smooth fabric as you work, and it was ready to use in around two minutes. The handle stayed cool and comfortable for the duration of our testing, and the on-off rocker switch made the steamer simple and straightforward to operate. Our only woe when it comes to this travel steamer is that the water tank is a bit tricky to fill—you have to pour water in slowly. Otherwise, it backs up and overflows. However, beyond that one quirk, the product exceeded our expectations, earning a 5 out of 5 in terms of design and value. Price at time of publish: $30 This travel steamer takes about a minute to heat up, and there’s a large window that lets you see into the water tank to monitor how much is left. The top of the unit twists off when you need more water, and we had no issues filling the water tank from the faucet. The steamer is slightly bulkier than other models we tested, but it’s still compact enough to fit in a carry-on or other suitcase. Price at time of publish: $25 This steamer has a water tank mounted to the front, and an easy-to-press button releases the tank for filling. All of its pieces are made from thick, durable plastic, and we were even impressed with the quality of its brush attachment, which had significantly more bristles than other options. You can even use this steamer at an angle thanks to its no-drip design—though, we found it was less effective in a horizontal position, as the steam tends to taper off a bit. Price at time of publish: $54 The MagicPro Steamer has a trigger-style button that turns the steam off and on, and it automatically locks in, saving you from having to hold it down the whole time. It’s ready to use after just one minute of heating—impressive for its size—and it comes with a brush attachment, as well as a lint brush. Price at time of publish: $30 There’s one major downside to this steamer, and that’s its size. The unit is more than a foot tall and weighs over 3 pounds, making it one of the largest options on this list. It wouldn’t be good for frequent fliers who only travel with a carry-on, but we think it would come in handy at weddings or other special events. Price at time of publish: $87 The Beautural Steamer only takes a minute or so to heat up, and its water tank delivers up to 15 minutes of steam. We liked that it has a locking trigger for continuous steaming, and we gave it a 4 out of 5 in terms of design—the only thing we didn’t like is that the water tank opening is tiny and awkwardly placed, making it tricky to fill without spilling. Price at time of publish: $40 Next, they evaluated the heat time of each steamer by timing with a phone stopwatch how long the water took to heat up. They then used wrinkled linen napkins to test effectiveness and try out all the settings. How quickly did the steamer remove the wrinkles? Did it take one pass, three passes, or five passes to remove them? Did the napkin feel damp afterward? They answered all of these tough questions before also rating the portability of the product and noting how easy it is to hold or carry around. They put the travel steamer in a packed carry-on bag to see if it would be practical to pack in your suitcase and if it altered the weight of the bag. Lastly, they used their experience to rate the overall value of the product and decide if it’s worth the money you’d spend on it. All of these insights were boiled down to this list of what we believe are the very best travel steamers.
What to Look for in a Travel Steamer
Heat and Steam Time
When comparing different steamers, you’ll want to look at factors such as their heat and steam times. The former indicates how long the unit takes to heat up and be ready to use, while the latter lets you know how long it runs for when the tank is full. “I like [a steamer] that has a decent amount of continuous run time—10 mins, at least—so that you don’t have to stop and refill several times,” says Melissa Maker of Clean My Space.
Size
If you’re going to be packing a steamer in your suitcase, it should ideally be compact and lightweight—otherwise, it will prevent you from packing other necessities. The unit’s weight will also impact its usability. “A steamer should be a manageable weight, comfortable to hold, and nicely balanced, so it’s not too top or bottom-heavy,” says Maker.
Extra Features
Many travel steamers have a basic design with just one setting, but some options offer more versatility with multiple settings and attachments. Lint brushes can help keep your clothes tidy, while crease clips are great for steaming dress pants. Other features to consider include safety settings, such as automatic shutoff times, and carrying cases, which are extremely useful for traveling.
Why Trust The Spruce?
This article was written by Camryn Rabideau, a freelance writer and product tester for The Spruce. As she started her research into travel steamers, she spoke with experts Wayne Edelman, CEO of Meurice Garment Care, and Melissa Maker of Clean My Space for insights on the benefits of steaming, what to look for in a travel steamer, as well as how to steam clothes properly. Camryn then went on to personally test 30 different clothing steamers, including a wide range of handheld models, evaluating each one on its design, portability, heat time, effectiveness, and value. She took these scores, as well as her overall experience with each steamer, into consideration as she put together this list of the best travel steamers.
