My clothes steamer is now a million years old, and I needed a new one. I'm now 100% Team Steamer (read this for a comparison of Steamers vs Irons) but I had no idea which one to pick.
There are a ton of options, but like all electricals there's a risk of buying something that doesn't really work. You might want to stick with a big brand - Tefal, Phillips, or Breville - but are they actually the best? Or are you better off going with a cheaper version from a brand you've never heard of? I decided to find out.
(spoiler: this one is the best.)
How did I pick the steamers?
From the bestsellers on Amazon. Not many people are aware, but you can just keep clicking on the 'bestsellers' tab until you find the most popular items in that category.
I personally find this very useful, as so many Amazon ratings and reviews are unreliable. There are also lots of sponsored products now. My reasoning was: if people are buying it, it's probably ok. Which gave me this list:
- Beautural Steamer for Clothes
- Rolipo 400ml Clothes Steamer
- Tefal Pure Pop
- Rolipo 150ml Clothes Steamer
How did I test the steamers?
I evaluated them across a number of categories, these being:
- Price: I only picked steamers in the £20-£50 range, but there was some variation. Prices accurate as of 29th November 2023.
- Time to heat up: this actually turned out to be negligible. All heated up quickly.
- Features: some big factors here which did matter, especially the 'pre-heating' function.
- Design: big variety, some valued form, some valued function.
- Performance: definitely some differences.
- Water tank size: big variety, and this is an important one.
- Build quality: quite a big variety, admittedly just on first impressions.
4 of the Best Clothes Steamers
Beautural Steamer for Clothes
| Price: £29.99 (RRP £49.99) | Performance: 5/5 |
| Features: 5/5 | Water Tank Size: 260ml |
| Design: 4/5 | Build Quality: 4/5 |
This was the best steamer I tested, and it's also the bestseller on Amazon.
Performance-wise, the Beautural worked flawlessly, getting the creases out of thick curtains with no problem. It didn't leak or spit. It felt solidly made, and easily worth the price tag.
Looks-wise, it's nothing special, but everything is well thought-out, such as the seal on the water tank, which was much tougher and leak-resistant than the others I tested. It also has the most pleasing packaging (this doesn't matter, but you should know).
The Beautural was also clearly the best for features. It has a lockable 'always-on' trigger, and an attachment to allow you to get creases into clothes (this actually works, if you're wondering). And the water tank, while not the largest on the list, is easily big enough to steam a number of garments without refilling.
Who are Beautural? I'd never heard of them either... they're just a trademark of a Chinese company selling on Amazon. But they sell 1000s of these a month, and I was impressed with the quality.
Rolipo 400ml Clothes Steamer
| Price: £24.99 (RRP £35.99) | Performance: 5/5 |
| Features: 4/5 | Water Tank Size: 400ml |
| Design: 3/5 | Build Quality: 3/5 |
This is the 'Amazon Pick' and a perfectly good alternative, with the biggest water tank.
The Rolipo performed equally to the Beautural when steaming. Like the Beautural, it also has a 'pre-heat' function which gets the steamer nice and hot before you actually pull the trigger. The tank is easily the biggest. It also has a lower RRP than the Beautural, just in case you can't find that one on offer.
There wasn't too much wrong with it, however on both design and build quality the Beautural edged it. This just felt a bit flimsy, and the tank was harder to fill (and more susceptible to leaking). It didn't have the creasing attachment. And, while it's not all about looks, it's not going to win any pageants.
Who are Rolipo? harder to track down, but another Chinese import. Apparently the seller on Amazon is 'Zhengjie Ltd'.
Tefal Pure Pop Slim Handheld Clothes Steamer
| Price: £46.99 (RRP £49) | Performance: 5/5 |
| Features: 3/5 | Water Tank Size: 70ml |
| Design: 4/5 | Build Quality: 5/5 |
The best-looking, and the best built, but hugely flawed.
Like the Beautural and the Rolipo, the Tefal performed great on the steaming test. It also looks very trendy, and it feels well-made. However it does have some very annoying problems.
Firstly, the button doesn't lock onto the 'on' mode. That means you have to hold it down, like you're machine-gunning zombies, for the entirety of the steaming process. It's tiresome. Also, it won't stand upright. It's too cool to stand upright. it lies on its side like Jacob Rees Mogg.
But the biggest issue is the water tank, which is miniscule. It's good for one garment. It's a killer. But maybe that's what this is for - to stick in your luggage and use briefly, while a bit tipsy and delighted by bright colours, before going on a night out. And it's also overpriced.
Who are Tefal? A French manufacturer founded in 1956. They're Tefal. You've heard of Tefal.
Rolipo 150ml Clothes Steamer
| Price: £16.99 (RRP £24.99) | Performance: 3/5 |
| Features: 2/5 | Water Tank Size: 150ml |
| Design: 3/5 | Build Quality: 2/5 |
Cheap and cheerful, or cheap and nasty? A bit of both.
Performance was ok, but there's no pre-heat function so this basically operates like a kettle - it heats up and steam comes out. I got worse results from this than the other three. Build-quality was a bit flimsy. The tank was small, and a real pain to fill up.
Having said that, it's certainly cheap. But I wouldn't recommend it. These steamers can last a while, and it'll start to get on your nerves - before long, you'll wish you bought a better one.
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That's it! And to repeat: get the Beautural.
Jack, Founder of Ruler of London