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For fresh and smart clothes

A clothes steamer is a quick and effective way to remove creases and give clothes, linens and upholstery a new lease of life – without wheeling out the ironing board.

If garment steamers sound too good to be true, it actually gets better. The higher temperature of steam has the benefit of killing the bacteria that causes odours, leaving garments fresher between laundry loads. Plus, it's safe to use on delicate fabrics without the risk of scorching.

A garment steamer has many benefits over a traditional iron. As they don't require an ironing board, they take up less space to store and use, while compact handheld steamers can even be packed in your suitcase when travelling.

The best clothes steamers tend to be much more versatile too, offering power settings to suit various materials – even delicate materials like silk and viscose. In contrast, the metal plates of irons risk burning, sticking and damaging materials.

They can also tackle upholstery and soft furnishings with ease – for example, you can give your drapes a refresh without having to take them down. For this reason, a garment steamer is a great tool to have around the house.

With a fabric steamer, you can steam the garment on a hanger – there's no need to manoeuvre the fabric to reach every pleat and crease, saving time and effort. In fact, a steamer requires very little skill to achieve crease-free fabrics, while ironing can (as we know!) take time and patience to master.

Not sure where to start when it comes to selecting the right garment steamer for you? These criteria are worth considering:

First, consider the load of garments you plan to steam; for a larger household or if you tend to tackle your ironing in one go, an upright steamer with a larger water tank and higher wattage is best, allowing you to steam continuously without refilling the tank. However, these models often come with a higher price tag, require more storage space, and aren’t suitable for travel.

In contrast, if you plan to use your steamer for fewer garments or want something compact enough for your suitcase, then a smaller, handheld steamer is the way to go.

Our tested steamers range from £24.99 to £180. Once you've determined your budget, you can quickly find the best model with all the functionality for your needs.

Most fabric steamers offer a range of heat settings, allowing you to modify the power for different fabrics, from delicate silks to sturdier polycottons.

Take note of the attachments included, too. Brushes, lint pads and protective gloves all boost the versatility of your steamer, while heatproof storage bags and foldable hangers are a bonus for travel-ready handhelds.

Covering both handheld and upright steamers from the leading brands, our expert tester timed how long each garment steamer took to reach temperature, before assessing its performance on a range of common garments.

Each steamer was scored according to its ability to remove creases quickly and effectively, with additional points given for ease of use, manoeuvrability, controls, design and additional attachments.

These are the steamers that came out on top…

This small but mighty 4-in-1 system has just about every steaming requirement covered, with a powerful steam output and additional magnetic pads to tackle lint removal, sanitise fabric and fragrance it too.

Thanks to the larger head, the steamer made quick work of removing creases from viscose, linen and silk, though more intricate pieces (such as shirt collars and sleeves) and heavier materials like cotton may require a second sweep.

The machine was reassuringly spit-free, leaving every garment ready to wear without the risk of watermarking. Despite the number of included accessories, it’s sleek and compact to store or take travelling, making it our top box-ticking pick.

Offering 60 minutes of continuous steaming, this floor-standing device makes quick work of larger loads. The design is streamlined for simplicity; hang any creased clothing on the spinnable rod complete with integrated hangers and hookers, flick the switch, then steam.

As expected due to its power, the device can be noisier than smaller handheld steamers, and the lack of wheels makes it difficult to manoeuvre once in position – but that’s not necessarily an issue if you’d like your steamer to remain in a specific room.

According to our expert, it 'excelled' with every material tested, quickly and effectively removing creases, with minimal spitting. A worthwhile investment if you’re looking to replace the iron long-term.

This budget-friendly buy offers plenty of versatility, including two steam settings, an LED display to control steam output, and vertical steaming capabilities. Our expert also appreciated the brush attachment, which made treating finer fabrics a breeze, while the trigger lock ensures comfort – even for longer periods and larger loads.

Despite taking just 30 seconds to heat up, heavier fabrics took multiple sweeps to be 100 per cent crease-free, which left the garment slightly damp in places. With that in mind, this model is best suited to those looking to steam their wardrobe in advance of wear, rather than for quick touch-ups before heading out the door.

This handheld garment steamer boasts three settings – normal, delicate and turbo – with a plethora of accessories (including a door hook, fabric brush, crease attachment, steam bonnet and travel bag) to cover all bases. For that functionality, we felt the price tag offered great value.

Not only that, but it takes just 40 seconds to heat up and, according to our expert, 'tackled a range of fabrics with complete ease', removing creases quickly and effectively. All garments were left dry after steaming (no spitting, here). In fact, the only drawback was the trigger lock came unlocked and needed to be reapplied during the steaming process.

Taking just 29 seconds to heat up, the Philips Steam&Go Plus performed well on all fabrics, removing creases from silk, cotton and polycotton with ease – and leaving all items 'totally dry' post steam.

The wide head makes covering a larger surface area a breeze and, while the tank capacity is smaller than most (70ml), it didn’t run out of water throughout the duration of the test.

The trigger switch isn’t lockable, meaning you’ll have to keep it held down during steaming, but its light weight means this is relatively comfortable to do. There’s only one additional fabric brush included, but if you’re looking for a stripped-back model to steam all fabrics effectively, this is hard to beat.

The Fridja F100 offers all the power of a full-size upright garment steamer, with a compact footprint and a range of accessories to boot. Despite the 2.2L water tank, the model was extremely quick to heat and made equally quick work of removing creases from linen, silk and a polycotton shirt.

In fact, our tester declared the results were 'as crisp as an iron could achieve, in the fraction of the time'. The only drawback was the lack of an indicator light, which made monitoring when the machine was ready more difficult.

With its quick heat-up time, easy-read clear water tank and comfortable trigger lock for continuous steaming, this clothes steamer couldn’t be simpler to use.

The results spoke for themselves, with our tester finding that creases in linen, polycotton and delicates were removed 'with ease', though heavier, hard-to-remove creases in cotton may require more thorough treatment.

The device can feel a little heavy after a while, so it's best suited to individual use, rather than larger loads. At that price though, it’s hard to fault.

Lightweight and compact, this handheld garment steamer is ideal for travelling without jeopardising your packing allowance. The handy 360° swivel cord offers improved manoeuvrability, while the additional scent infuser, lint brush, and upholstery attachment boost its performance (and make it safe to use on items with decorative details, like beads or sequins). We found it performed particularly well on viscose and silk, though more resistant materials – like linen, cotton, and polycotton – required multiple sweeps, especially if the garment is heavily creased.

The water tank is quick to refill, fit and heat, though do be aware that the device needs to be shut down between each refill, which may not suit the time-short traveller looking to steam the entirety of their suitcase.