How to choose a garment steamer

Sender – a device for smoothing and 'freshening up' clothes. It is not a complete alternative to the iron, but very practical when caring for delicate fabrics.

How to choose a garment steamer: what to look for

When choosing a garment steamer, consider the following parameters:

1. Device type;

2. Power;

3. Water tank volume;

4. Possibility of horizontal steaming;

5. Ironing material;

6. Water requirements;

7. Additional features;

8. Contents of delivery.

9. The manufacturer is also important.

Types of garment steamers

From the point of view of design and scope of use, garment steamers are divided into three types:

1. Manual;

2. Outdoor;

3. Combined.

Manual steamers

Hand-held steamers are compact devices that are designed mainly for taking care of clothes away from home: on business trips, trips, etc. They are indispensable in situations where you need to quickly tidy up rumpled things.

Advantages

• Compactness, small dimensions;

• Battery operated.

disadvantages

• Low power;

• Often, handheld steamers are suitable for handling 1-2 garments. But they are not designed to handle the entire wardrobe;

• Small volume of water tank;

Floor standing steamers

Floor standing steamers are equipped with a large water tank and increased capacity, which makes them suitable for handling increased amounts of clothes.

Advantages

• Can process multiple garments per use cycle;

• They have a heating element of increased power;

• Steam models can handle heavy fabrics.

disadvantages

• High current consumption;

• Not suitable for use away from home.

Floor standing steamers are of two types – gravity and steam pressure.

Gravity floor steamers

Gravity floor steamers structurally and from the point of view of technology use are a kind of electric kettle. The water poured into the container is heated to a boil. After that, the steam is directed through the attached tube to the iron, which processes the clothes. The gravity floor steamer is suitable for handling fine and light fabrics, as well as curtains and other decorative fabrics.

Advantages

• Low price;

• Simple and reliable design.

disadvantages

• Not suitable for thick materials;

• Irregular steam pressure.

Steam pressure steamers

Steam pressure steamers are suitable for heavy fabrics, meaning they can be used to 'freshen up' jackets, jeans, even upholstered furniture. Their design includes a special drive that provides a high flow rate of hot air.

Floor standing steam pressure steamers are a good solution for cleaning and handling heavy fabrics. But due to the short duration of the 'high mode', they are unlikely to be suitable for cleaning the entire wardrobe.

Advantages

• They can process both thin and dense fabrics;

• Suitable for processing upholstered furniture.

disadvantages

• Irregular steam pressure. In high-flow mode, the device can only work for a few minutes, after which it becomes 'gravity';

• The complexity of the design, which leads to some unreliability;

• High requirements for the quality of the poured water;

Combined steamers

While handheld and floor-standing steamers are designed for light garment processing (including freshening up and smoothing out small creases), the combined ones are even suitable for removing dirt. In most cases, these are either steam cleaners with a steaming function, or steamers with a steam cleaner function. But regardless of the type of device, they are of high intensity.

Combined steamers are suitable for people who need to not only refresh their clothes, but also clean them of various contaminants. And they will also be an excellent solution for the care of upholstered furniture.

Advantages

• High intensity of steaming (flow pressure over 3 bar, density over 70 grams per minute);

• Can be used for cleaning clothes;

• Can be used with dense fabrics and upholstered furniture;

disadvantages

• High price;

• High requirements for the quality of the poured water;

• Large dimensions.

Which garment steamer to choose

When choosing a garment steamer, you should first take into account the intended use and revise your wardrobe:

1. If you want to maintain a flawless appearance even on a business trip, a handheld steamer is the ideal solution;

2. If the wardrobe mainly uses clothes made of light fabrics, it is worth buying a floor-standing gravity steamer;

3. If you plan to steam jeans, jackets, coats and other heavy-duty clothing, a model with steam pressure is suitable;

4. If you plan to clean curtains and draperies – floor gravity;

5. If you plan to clean upholstered furniture – floor-standing with steam pressure or combined;

6. If you plan not only to refresh your clothes, but also to remove dirt from it – combined.

7. Floor standing with steam pressure is a versatile solution, but not suitable for outdoor use.

Main selection criteria

The main parameters that determine the operational and practical qualities of the steamer are:

1. Power;

2. Steam pressure;

3. Water tank volume;

4. Possibility of horizontal steaming;

5. Equipment.

Power

The power of the steamer determines two parameters – the speed of starting (boiling water) and the intensity of steam. The first characteristic is influenced by the performance of the heating element. The steam intensity is determined by the drive power and is measured in terms of the pressure of the hot air flow.

Typically, the technical characteristics of the steamer indicate the consumed power, not the effective power. In most cases, these parameters are interrelated. The higher the power consumption of the steamer, the larger and more efficient.

For the care of thin and light fabrics, steamers with a power of 1-1.5 kW are quite suitable. If the processing of dense materials or upholstered furniture is required, it is recommended to choose models with a power of 1.5-2 kW.

Also, the higher the tank volume, the more the steamer power should be. For example, for models with a liquid container capacity of up to 0.2 l, heaters with a power of up to 1 kW are quite suitable. But for devices with a 2.5-liter tank, it is better to choose steamers designed for 2 kW and above.

Practical implementation is manifested in the intensity of the steam supply. The higher it is (measured in grams per minute), the better. For example, steamers at 30 g / min will handle only the most airy laces, and at 70 g / min they can easily refresh tight jeans.

Steam pressure

A parameter that determines the practical properties of steamers. If its value is less than 1 bar, the hot air flow will be able to penetrate extremely thin fabrics.

Devices with a steam pressure of about 2 bar are suitable for cleaning and freshening fairly thick fabrics, but will still not cope with jeans or tweed. These materials require a steamer of 3 bar or more.

Water tank volume

The lower the tank volume, the less clothes can be steamed in one cycle. So, portable devices, designed for less than 0.2 liters, are capable of processing only one wardrobe item – for example, a shirt.

But, at the same time, the higher the volume of the reservoir, the larger the dimensions of the device. Therefore, for portable steamers, the optimal tank capacity is from 0.3 to 0.5 liters. But the floor ones can be equipped with a large tank – over 1 liter.

Horizontal steaming option

This is an important selection criterion for handheld and combination steamers. Outdoor can usually work in any ironing position.

However, if the purpose of buying a steamer is simply to freshen up clothes or smooth out wrinkles on them, then this function is not needed. These processes are most effective when the shirt or trousers hang freely.

However, if you plan to process clothes lying horizontally or surfaces of upholstered furniture, then it is advisable to choose models that support operation in this mode.

Equipment

The most important additional attachments for steamers are the brush and clamp. The first is for cleaning dirt from the surface of the fabric. The clip allows you to point arrows on the trousers (more precisely, to update them, since new ones are created exclusively with an iron).

Additional selection criteria

Additional parameters that affect the performance of the device include:

1. Battery life;

2. The presence of a heated iron;

3. Requirements for the water used;

4. Intensity adjustment;

5. Automatic shutdown;

6. The ability to add water without turning off the device.

Battery life for a handheld portable steamer, if not specified by the manufacturer, is calculated from the flow rate and the volume of the water tank. The higher it is, the better.

The presence of a heated iron allows you to get rid of the appearance of droplets (condensation) on its surface and therefore provides better steaming without wetting the clothes.

The requirements for the water used are usually indicated in the instructions for the steamer. Most mid to high end models can handle any fluid. At the same time, some steamers only support the use of purified or even distilled water.

Since distilled water is difficult to obtain at home or on a business trip, it is worth checking the compatibility with 'regular liquid' in advance.

Adjusting the intensity is a useful feature. Although, judging by user reviews, most use only one mode – the maximum. If the steamer supports several modes of intensity, it is desirable that their regulator is located on the handle of the device.

Automatic shut-off makes the steamer safer to use. So, the device can turn off after some time of inactivity or when the water tank is empty. In both cases, this will not only extend the operating life of the steamer, but also reduce the risk of spontaneous combustion.

The ability to add water without turning off the machine is a very useful and important function, both for handheld and floor steamers. But it is only practical if you plan to process a large amount of clothing.

How much do garment steamers cost

The cost of a steamer depends on its type, capacity and tank volume.

1. So, prices for handheld steamers start from several hundred rubles, but the vast majority of models are in the price range of 1-2 thousand rubles.

2. The price for floor standing steamers starts from 2 thousand rubles, the vast majority of models are in the price range of 4-7 thousand rubles.

3. Prices for combined steamers start at 3-4 thousand rubles, most of the models are in the price range of 8-15 thousand rubles.

The best manufacturers of garment steamers – which company to choose

Among the manufacturers of steamers, the following companies can be distinguished:

1. MIE – specializes in the production of such equipment, therefore the models developed by her are practical, high quality and durable;

2. Kitfort is a manufacturer of small household appliances. Also produces high quality steamers of the middle price range;

3. “Grand Master” is a domestic manufacturer of equipment for the service sector. The products are expensive, but of high quality;

4. Philips, Polaris, UNIT are manufacturers of high-quality steamers in the middle and budget price segment.

5. You can also highlight the company Zimber, which produces ultra-budget, but practical steamers.

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In the following articles, we will tell you how to choose the right steam cleaner for your home and the secrets of choosing an iron for your home.

Video for choosing a garment steamer

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Attention! This material is the subjective opinion of the authors of the project and is not a purchase guide.