Garment Steamers: Expert and User Reviews

Our AssessmentThe Good Housekeeping Research Institute lists seven handheld garment steamers, and provides a description of the features and functionality of each along with an overall grade. The Rowenta Ultra Steam DR5020 gets an A-minus. The Rowenta wins for being lightweight and pumping out more steam than any of the other tested models. The editors note that the water reservoir is small in this model, meaning it may need to be refilled for steaming multiple garments. The next best models are the Joy Mangano My Little Steamer and the Top Innovations Steam Fast Fabric Steamer and Iron, which both garner a B-plus. This page also offers links to similar products, further fabric care information and details on Good Housekeeping's ratings. The review's downside is that all models were tested in 2009, and it is therefore somewhat out of date.

Our AssessmentLaura Moser tests six travel garment steamers -- including the Rowenta Ultra Compact Steambrush, the Steamfast Compact Fabric Steamer and the Jiffy Esteam -- with the help of her mother. Her criteria are portability, design/ease of use and performance. She and her mother try the steamers on men's dress shirts, linen pants, cashmere sweaters, pillow shams and a silk kimono. The Jiffy Steamer Esteam Travel Steamer receives the best overall rating, based on its perfect score for performance. This comparison review would be more valuable if it were more recent.

Our AssessmentJerry Arlen recommends five garment steamers, including the Jiffy Steamer J-2000 Garment Steamer. Testing methodology is not discussed, however, in this review. Arlen says the Steamfast SF-407 1500-Watt Fabric Steamer is the best budget full-size steamer, and the Jiffy Steamer Esteam and Steamfast SF-435W Compact Fabric Steamer are the only travel options named.

Our AssessmentWalmart.com sells more than 20 garment steamers and presses online and allows consumers to post reviews of products. Overall there are fewer reviews on Walmart.com than on Amazon, but several models do still get upwards of a dozen reviews. Of those that receive several reviews, the Conair Compact Fabric Steamer performs best with an average of 4.1 out of 5 stars with more than 50 reviews. About 80 percent of users say they would recommend it to a friend, and several offer solutions to complaints like leaking water. Walmart.com reviews are also valuable because reviewers list how long they've owned the product and how frequently they use it.

Our AssessmentViewpoints.com doesn't have a separate section for garment steamer reviews, but several steamers are included in the list of top-reviewed irons. The GS10 Deluxe Upright Fabric Steamer is the best of the full-size steamers with 85/100 points, while the Joy Mangano My Little Steamer does best of the travel versions with 83/100 points. Both receive about a dozen reviews. Reviewers at Viewpoints.com tend to offer more detailed comments as well.

Our AssessmentIn a brief mention, fashion writer and editor Lesley Scott recommends the Jiffy Esteam Travel Steamer as a secret of professional stylists. As she notes, "I still have mine from my professional styling days, and I'm still obsessed with it and how well it works." No other garment steamers are rated or compared to the Esteam, however.

Our AssessmentSheKnows.com editors recommend a professional garment steamer as the perfect gift for a corporate mom. They say it helps save money while keeping office dwellers looking sharp. They specifically recommend The Garment Steamer (available at Sharper Image). It's not clear why this particular model was chosen.

Our AssessmentStylist Allison Abrams doesn't own an iron; she relies completely on her Rowenta Garment Steamer. In this brief review, she states, "Boycotting an iron is not for everyone, but investing in a steamer is a wise idea for fast wrinkle fixes for your favorite pieces." She also recommends the use of travel steamers, in particular the Jiffy Steamer Esteam. No garment steamers are tested side by side in formal tests, however.