Key takeaways
- Handheld steamers heat up in 15 to 30 seconds and skip the ironing board, which is why they suit small flats and student rooms.
- For most people a 20 g/min handheld like the Tefal Pure Pop Slim does the job for around £44.
- Upright steamers with a 1.8L or larger tank run for longer, so they make sense if you steam a full wardrobe or work with delicate fabrics often.
- Always use the fabric setting or a lower steam level on silk, wool and printed tops to avoid water marks.
Clothes steamers keep popping up on TikTok and Amazon’s movers lists this month, and the timing makes sense. Students are packing for halls where there’s no room for an ironing board, offices are filling back up after the summer, and a lot of us are pulling autumn clothes out of storage with a season’s worth of creases in them. A steamer gets a shirt wearable in a couple of minutes without the faff of setting up a board and heating a plate.
They aren’t a total replacement for an iron if you want a knife-sharp collar or a pressed crease down a trouser leg. But for dresses, jersey tops, curtains and anything you’d rather not lay flat, they’re quicker and gentler. Here’s how we’d pick one, plus six that are worth a look right now.
How we picked these
We looked at heat-up time, steam output, tank size and how easy each one is to hold for more than a few minutes. Steam output matters most: anything around 20 g/min will relax creases on cotton and jersey, while lower-output travel units are fine for touch-ups but slower on thick fabric. Tank size decides how long you can go before refilling, so a 70ml handheld is a top-up tool and a 1.8L upright is a whole-wardrobe tool. We stuck to models on sale at Amazon UK with a spread of prices and a rating of about 3.9 stars or better, and we picked units with a clear job rather than six near-identical handhelds. Which Group’s testing notes also flag that vertical steaming works best when you keep the fabric taut, so we favoured designs that make that easy.
At a glance
| Steamer | Type | Best for | Tank | Around |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tefal Pure Pop Slim | Handheld | All-rounder | 70ml | £44 |
| Tefal Origin Travel | Handheld | Travel & small rooms | 70ml | £28 |
| Mini 2-in-1 handheld | Handheld | Budget buy | Small | £17 |
| DRFLASH 2-in-1 | Steam & iron | Steam plus a hot plate | Small | £40 |
| GEEPAS Upright | Upright | Upright on a budget | 1.8L | £36 |
| SA BI Professional | Upright | Heavy or daily use | 3L | £150 |
The six we’d look at
Tefal Pure Pop Slim
Best all-rounderA slim handheld that heats in about 15 seconds and pushes out 20 g/min, which is enough to drop creases out of shirts, dresses and bed linen without a board. The 70ml tank is detachable so it’s quick to fill, and it’s light enough to hold up to a hanging garment.
The catch: the small tank means frequent refills if you’re steaming a big pile, so it’s better for a few items at a time than a whole wash load.
20 g/min steam · 70ml tank · 15-second heat-up · around £44
Check price on Amazon →Tefal Origin Travel
Best for travel & small roomsThis one folds down so it fits in a weekend bag or a desk drawer, which makes it a sensible pick for student halls or anyone short on space. Same 20 g/min output as the Pure Pop, with a foldable body and a removable 70ml tank, and it’s usually a fair bit cheaper.
The catch: the 25-second heat-up is a touch slower than the pricier Tefals, and the folding hinge is one more part that can wear over time.
1200W · 20 g/min · foldable body · around £28
Check price on Amazon →Mini 2-in-1 handheld steamer
Best budget buyIf you just want to knock the creases out of a top before work, this cheap 1000W handheld heats in about 20 seconds and doubles as a mini iron thanks to a small flat plate. The rotating handle helps you reach collars and cuffs. It’s the kind of thing that lives in a drawer and earns its keep.
The catch: the tiny tank and lower wattage mean it runs out fast and struggles with thick or heavily creased fabric, so it’s a top-up tool rather than a workhorse.
1000W · 2-in-1 steam and plate · 20-second heat-up · around £17
Check price on Amazon →DRFLASH 2-in-1 Steamer & Iron
Best steam-and-iron comboA handheld with a proper ceramic hot plate, so you can steam a hanging dress and then press a shirt collar flat against the plate. It heats in about 15 seconds at 1200W and travel-friendly size. Handy if you want one gadget that covers both jobs instead of a steamer and a separate iron.
The catch: doing two jobs means it does neither perfectly, and the small tank limits how long you can steam before a refill.
1200W · ceramic heat panel · 15-second heat-up · around £40
Check price on Amazon →GEEPAS Upright Garment Steamer
Best upright on a budgetA floor-standing steamer with a 1.8L tank and 11 steam levels for well under £40. The bigger tank and 2000W element mean you can work through several garments on one fill, and the hanging pole lets you keep fabric taut, which is where uprights beat handhelds. Good for a household that irons a lot.
The catch: it’s bulkier to store than a handheld, and the 45-second heat-up plus assembly make it less grab-and-go for a single top.
2000W · 1.8L tank · 11 steam modes · around £36
Check price on Amazon →SA BI Professional Upright
Best for heavy or daily useA near-commercial upright with a 3L tank and a 2200W boiler, built for people who steam every day: think a busy household, a market stall or someone selling clothes online. The large tank runs for a long stretch without refilling, and the strong output handles thick curtains and coats that trip up smaller units.
The catch: it’s big, heavy and priced like a serious appliance, so it’s overkill if you only steam a couple of shirts a week.
2200W · 3L tank · upright design · around £150
Check price on Amazon →FAQ
Do clothes steamers actually get rid of creases?
Yes, for most everyday fabrics. Steam relaxes the fibres so wrinkles drop out while the garment hangs. It won’t put a sharp pressed crease into trousers the way an iron will, but for shirts, dresses and jersey it’s quick and effective.
Handheld or upright: which should I buy?
Buy a handheld if you steam a few items at a time and want something that stores in a drawer. Buy an upright if you steam a full wardrobe, work with curtains, or want a big tank so you’re not refilling every couple of minutes.
Can you steam any fabric?
Most, but go carefully with silk, wool, suede and anything with a print or plastic detail. Use a lower steam setting, keep the head moving, and test an inside seam first. Waxed or waterproof coatings shouldn’t be steamed at all.
Do I need to use distilled water?
In hard-water areas it helps. Tap water is fine for occasional use, but limescale builds up over time and can spit onto clothes, so filtered or distilled water keeps the unit cleaner for longer. Check the manual, as some tanks are designed for tap water.
Sources
Prices and specs checked on Amazon.co.uk on 11 August 2026 and change often. General guidance drawn from:
We may earn a commission from links on this page. This doesn’t affect what we recommend or the price you pay.