Even the most seasoned travelers open their suitcase after landing and find themselves with a daunting task ahead: deciding if their wrinkled clothes can get by with a thorough shake out or if reinforcements are needed.
Of course, most hotel rooms are equipped with irons, but the task of setting up the ironing board and fitting each article of clothing just right can feel overwhelming. Not to mention, some pieces are too delicate for harsh heat. Enter our swanky new friend, the travel steamer.
When I set out to find the best travel steamer, I admit, I was hesitant about such a practical item taking up precious carry-on space. But when traveling as a family of four, as I often do, an ironing board set-up can quickly become a catch-all for toys, shopping bags, or electronics and simply get in the way. After testing these steamers, I’ll be leaving the iron tucked away.
Of the nine steamers tested, my favorite models had one thing in common: a metal soleplate, allowing you to touch the steamer to the clothing to smooth out tricky spots. While steamers are mostly celebrated for their ability to get the wrinkles out, they also kill 99.9% of bacteria. Important to note, most steamers come with the recommendation of distilled water to keep the sediment buildup at bay, which I did not use as most of us don’t have easy access to it when we travel.
Each steamer has been tested and reviewed on jeans, khakis, T-shirts, button-down shirts, blouses, and jackets based on the following criteria:
- Size/packability: Does it fit into a weekender or carry-on?
- Power/efficiency: Is it faster and easier than setting up and using the hotel iron? Or at least just as good?
- Water capacity: How many times do you have to refill the reservoir to steam an entire outfit?
- Leakproof: Will you be late to dinner while waiting for the wet spots to dry?
- Durability/longevity: Is the quality going to withstand enough trips to make the steamer worth packing and purchasing?
FAQ:
Which is the best travel steamer?
Nesugar portable garment steamer
The design here is just smart. The steamer weighs less than a pound, but produces a solid stream of steam. With a small reservoir, I was surprised the water lasted for almost 10 minutes, allowing for five items to be de-wrinkled (though it was not powerful enough for jeans). There is a button to turn the steam on, but you don’t have to hold it down, which I appreciated. The metal soleplate allows for an ironing option, which is what I ended up using to smooth out the jeans. An adjustable head not only makes the seamer compact, but gives you the option to steam at different angles. I did wonder if frequent adjusting of the head would loosen the feature, but the steamer seems to be quite solid and well made. The unit also comes with a wall mount so you always have a place to hang the garment at home.
Weight: .8 pounds
Pros
-Lightweight and packable
-Adjustable head
-Comes with wall mount
-Powerful
Cons
-Works best on lighter fabrics only
Can I travel with a portable steamer?
Most travel steamers will fit into your carry-on and can go through TSA without any issues; just make sure any remaining liquid from the reservoir has been emptied before getting to the airport.
Is a portable steamer worth it?
If you are going to a formal event or know you’re packing clothes that are famous for wrinkling, then yes, it's worth adding to your suitcase. As someone who typically only uses a carry-on unless traveling with family, I do value my space and find the steamer to be an easy item to remove should I be running short on room.
What is the lightest travel steamer?
The Nesugar steamer weighs less than a pound, which inched it ahead of the Conair Turbo (weighing in at two pounds and measuring 13 inches long) in overall rating.
More steamers I tested
Of the nine steamers I tested out, these are the others I would recommend, with caveats:
Conair Turbo ExtremeSteam
One of the more expensive steamers I tested, the Conair is definitely the winner in terms of power and functionality—a T-shirt can be good as new in less than a minute. While the steamer can blast wrinkles from jackets, you can also lower the setting for more delicate items. The Conair turbo is the only steamer I tested that had various settings to choose from. It even has a built-in creaser, if that’s your thing.
Because the steamer is more powerful, it uses more water, so refills are necessary after a few items (depending on the fabric and intensity of the wrinkles, of course). The Conair Turbo would’ve taken top spot if it were more compact for traveling (its dimensions are 13" x 8" x 6", making it a bit bulky for carry-ons). If you find yourself using an iron a lot at home, this steamer may actually be your best bet.
Weight: 2 pounds
Pros
-Can dewrinkle anything
-Various settings to choose from
-Quick heat-up
Cons
-Hard to fill with small opening
-On the larger side for travel
Seekclass foldable steamer
This is by far the most aesthetically pleasing steamer I tested and ranks number two for packability. With a 30-second warm up and automatic steam (no trigger to hold), the Seekclass was off to a good start, but it did take four minutes to steam one pair of pants and I had to utilize the metal soleplate in order to get the job done. The reservoir is tiny, so I had to refill it before I could finish the pants, too. Because the hole to refill is so tiny, it’s also hard to get out any remaining water when you’re ready to pack up the unit. Knowing this, it’s smart to let the steamer dry out at your earliest convenience to keep any build-up from forming.
Weight: .8 pounds
Pros
-Handle folds in, making it easy to travel
-Metal soleplate
-Quick heat-up
Cons
-Leaks when on its side
-Very small, hard-to-fill reservoir
-Heavier material requires at least one refill
Black + Decker handheld garment steamer
At first I was wondering if I had a faulty unit because it took several minutes for this steamer to heat up, which felt like an eternity compared to others. Once it was ready to go, though, the steam was quite efficient as long as the material wasn’t too thick (button-down shirts worked fine, but nothing heavier). Again, the metal plate comes in handy for more stubborn wrinkles. You have the option to lock the steamer into a continuous stream or control the trigger for smaller bursts (this helps save water in between items, too).
Weight: 1.57 pounds
Pros
-Metal plate
-Option for continuous steam or manual
Cons
-Longer heat up time
-Won't tackle jeans or heavier garments
Conair Travel Smart steamer
International travelers will be happy about the automatic dual voltage with this steamer. While the heat up is quick (about 20 seconds), the reservoir of the steamer is painfully hot so be sure to only hold on to the handle. Unfortunately, the high temperature of the reservoir requires a pause between fill-ups, but you can get three items done with one tank. My favorite feature is the automatic steam from the get-go, which means your fingers get a rest from holding down the trigger button that comes with many other steamers. The main reason this steamer remains on the final list is for its appeal to those who frequently travel abroad.
Weight: 1.2 pounds
Pros
-Collapsible handle for travel
-Automatic heat-up (no power button)
-No trigger needed to release steam
Cons
-Cannot promptly refill reservoir because the tank gets so hot
