Russell Hobbs 27220 Steam Genie Hand Held Steamer - Handheld Clothes Steamer for Garments, Curtains and Soft Furnishings, 1800 Watt

Product Information

Using a steamer is really simple, fill the tank with water, wait for the steam to start flowing, hang your garment and then move the steamer across the fabric to get rid of the creases. You don’t need to press the steamer against the fabric. For delicate fabrics it’s best to hold it a few inches away. Steam them inside out to avoid damaging any of the details,” says Lightbown. Mini by name, mini by nature, this is the best vertical garment steamer to buy if you’re short of space, thanks to its 20.5x14.5cm footprint. The entire base is designed to be tall and thin, but it doesn’t topple over.

We also loved its many clever design touches. There’s just one clip-on tool but this boasts a brush with stiff bristles at the top and a squeegee at the bottom, good for lifting lint. We found the brush to be good on upholstery too. Its removable tank has a 150ml capacity and a tiny fill hole: it’s hit and miss under the tap, a bit like filling a water pistol. Then you turn it on and wait 45 seconds until it stops flashing to indicate that it’s ready for use. You have to hold down the trigger button to get steam, which takes a few seconds to get started. And the power cable is a bit on the short side at 2m. Even little touches are nice, like the Velcro tie that stops the 3m cord getting in a tangle when you store the steamer. Our only criticism is that the lights (indicating 20g/min eco mode or 25g/min turbo) are at the front with the trigger button, so can’t easily see them. Unfortunately it has a slightly uncomfortable weight distribution – a large head which gets filled with water and a thin handle. It’s not too bad when holding upright to steam clothes, but as soon as you do anything horizontally or even at an angle, you feel the weight on your wrist.

The verdict: Clothes steamers

Like similar handheld models, this clothes steamer takes up no more space than a shoebox, including accessories. It's Tefal's most compact clothes steamer, hence why we rate it the best travel clothes steamer. It comes in a carry bag and with two attachments – a steam cover for delicate fabrics, and a brush for heavier fabrics and upholstery. It also comes with a clever metal hook that loops over the top of a door, giving you somewhere to hang clothes for steaming.

Russell Hobbs’ new Steam Genie works as both a clothes steamer and an iron. It’s undeniably one of the best performing steamers on this list. I tried it on my bedding, which was satisfyingly crease free within a few minutes. I’d hope so, given it uses 1700 Watts (54p of electricity per hour at current prices). Due to its bulk the Breville EliteTEMP is not necessarily one to travel with – but for larger loads at home it could be perfect, with a large 240ml water tank and 16 minutes of run time before it needs refilling. It comes in an attractive glossy white and champagne gold finish and, despite taking up room lengthways, it’s actually quite thin which keeps the weight off. Lightbown recommends using an iron for denser fabrics like denim and heavyweight cottons, but steams everything else. She especially likes steaming delicate fabrics which can be damaged by an iron, like silk, chiffon, satin and faux leather. verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ The Fridja F1500 is an upright clothes steamer, also known as a standing steamer, vertical steamer or freestanding steamer. To use them, you hang your clothes on the hanger at the top, fill up the water tank at the bottom and steam away. Upright steamers are expensive, but are a worthwhile investment for anyone who has a penchant for materials like linen, silk and cashmere which need de-wrinkling but are too delicate for an iron.

Lots of steamers have a brush head, but this one also has a lint remover head - useful when steaming wool, velvet, gaberdine and other materials that tend to attract fluff and hair. Scandi brand Steamery is on a mission to prove that clothes can last a lifetime if we look after them, with their range of beautifully aesthetic lint rollers, fabric shavers, laundry products and of course clothes steamers. The Cirrus 3 is the latest in the range and has an eye-watering price tag. But just look at it. They’re not just for occasional use: the best handheld clothes steamers can hold enough water to get through a few items of clothes before needing refilling, while freestanding clothes steamers can manage whole laundry loads. Cordless clothes steamers would seem to be the next step, but they’ve not yet hit the shelves in the UK.Retail expert Carmen Lopez adds, “It is best to steam your items from top to bottom, holding the steamer a few inches away from the fabric in each area of your garment until you see the wrinkles disappear. Gently shake the fabric out from time to time to help relax the fibres.” The pole comes in 5 parts, so you can remove one for a lower height if you prefer, but it’s not telescopic so you can’t adjust it to be short for storage. Accessories include a lightweight mitt, to protect your other hand as you steam, and a plate with holes in, to place behind collars and other areas that you want to press firmly. Clothes steamers are multi-functional pieces of kit, too. They can be used for cleaning curtains and upholstery, killing the majority of bacteria and removing stale odours. They let you de-crease duvets without removing them from the bed and, if you have a work shirt that needs a little freshen-up, steaming it is far better for the environment than throwing it into the washing machine and tumble dryer. (Talking of which, heated airers are a newfound godsend for the energy-aware.) Handheld clothes steamers come with few accessories if any. Expect a soft cover for more delicate fabrics and a brush for tougher fabrics and upholstery. Vertical steamers often come with an attachment that helps you put creases in trousers, which work pretty well. Some steamers also come with a heatproof mitt to protect your free hand. If you’re someone who likes to get all of your ironing or steaming done in one go then an upright steamer with a larger water tank is definitely the best option,” says fashion stylist Emma Lightbown. “If you prefer to steam individual pieces before you wear them or are looking for something easy to travel with then I would recommend a handheld.” What should you look for in a clothes steamer?

The third tool is for upholstery: a fabric cover with coral-style “fingers” on it. The fingers have a large surface area for lifting dust from furniture. This makes the Russell Hobbs more versatile but the results are nothing like those from a powerful steam cleaner. Steamers work by heating up the water in the tank and channeling it to the head where the steam in released in a constant flow to get read of creases,” says Lightbown. She adds that while steamers are great for clothes, they’re also useful for other fabrics like curtains and bedding. Steamers can also be used to freshen up clothes which is especially useful for clothes than can only be dry cleaned. How do you use a steamer for clothes? Steam is the best of the bunch, with a 5.8-bar pressure delivering 90g/min constant steam and an immensely powerful 200g/min steam shot when you squeeze the trigger. Results are what really matters though and the Tefal blew us away – or should that be steamed us away? It can blitz shirts effortlessly in less than a minute and was the best on test at getting creases out of a linen dress. The steam shot lasts for a good 30 seconds, which is long enough before you need to move to a new spot anyway.

Clothes steamer FAQs

The best clothes steamers are shortcuts to ironing, straightening out creases within minutes while generally using less electricity. Whereas ironing boards can take up space in a small home, steamer irons just require somewhere to hang your garment and a nearby plug. Definitely the best for handheld power, you could blitz a pile of garments with the Fridja where other handhelds are designed more for just refreshing one or two items. That said, if money’s no object then this – once assembled – is the best of the lot. The steam head is shaped like an iron soleplate, which makes sense because the unusual design gives you the best of both worlds: you can steam garments hung vertically against its board, angle the board at 30° for comfort, or set it horizontally and use the Tefal like an iron.