The best clothes steamers for travelling in 2023

Whether you are travelling for business or pleasure, you want to look your best and have wrinkle-free clothes. After all, there’s nothing worse than having creased clothes for that all-important business meeting or romantic dinner!

In this guide to the best clothes steamers for travelling, we’ll help you:

• Understand what a clothes steamer does and how it works
• Explain the difference between a clothes steamer and an iron
• Identify some of the best travel focussed clothes steamers available today

The Best Handheld Clothes Steamers

Here is a summary of the best clothes steamers for travelling:

Best Overall - Philips Steam and Go Plus Handheld Clothes

Best Foldable - Philips Handheld Steamer 3000 Series

Best for Value for Money - Beautural Foldable Clothes Steamer

Best Splurge - Steamery Cirrus 2 Handheld Clothes Steamer 

Best for Overall - Philips Steam and Go Plus Clothes Steamer

This lightweight, compact and portable clothes steamer from Philips is our choice for “best for travelling”. With a small but efficient 70ml water tank and 1 minute heating time, this is the perfect clothes steamer for packing in your suitcase.

What we like:

• Small and compact in size
• The heating time of under 1-minute
• Horizontal and vertical steaming option

Specifications

Wattage: 1300w

Voltage: 240v

Capacity: 70ml

Weight: 910g

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Best Foldable - Philips Handheld Steamer 3000 Series

The Philips 3000 Series Handheld Steamer gets our vote for best overall. The quality of manufacture, durability and feature set gives it a slight advantage over the travel steamers available today.

What we like: 

• Ease-of-use and build quality. Typical of the well-known Philips brand
• Quick time to steam of 30 seconds
• Perfect for all fabric types, including delicate fabrics and silk

Specifications

Wattage: 1000w

Voltage: 120v

Capacity: 120ml

Weight: 1.07kg

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Best for Value for Money - Beautural Foldable Clothes Steamer

If you travel a lot and space is at a premium, the Beautural foldable clothes steamer is a great option. Coming with a foldable handle, a 2m long power cord and a leak-free design, this clothes steamer is perfect for popping in your suitcase.

What we like:

• Compact size and storage bag included
• Good performance and 30-second ready-to-steam time
• Good length 2m long power cord

Specifications

Wattage: 1000w

Voltage: 120v

Capacity: 150ml

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Best for Splurge - Steamery Cirrus 2 Handheld Clothes Steamer

The Steamery Cirrus 2 from the very cool and stylish Swedish based Steamery brand is great if you’re happy to spend that little bit extra for a great looking and well-manufactured product. The Cirrus 2 combines style, excellent production quality and fantastic performance. With a gentle, but effective steam action, this device is super easy and will effortlessly make your clothes wrinkle-free.

What we like:

• The trademark style and production values of Steamery
• Extremely easy-to-use
• It just works really well

Specifications:

Wattage: 1500w

Voltage: 240v

Capacity: 90ml

Weight: 740g

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How do Clothes Steamers Work

You might or might not be aware that if your clothes get wrinkled on your travels, you can hang them in the bathroom while taking a shower and the wrinkles will be no more. Well, the principle of a Clothes Steamer is much the same - only quicker and more powerful!

Simply add water to the steamer, allow it to heat up and run the steamer over the garment in a downward motion with the steamer trigger pressed and the steam will release the wrinkles for a beautiful crease-free garment.

The Benefits of a Travel Clothes Steamer

There are a number of benefits to using a clothes steamer, including

• An effective and quick way to remove wrinkles caused by packing
• You can use a steamer on most types of fabrics and materials
• Clothes steamers are small and portable, so can easily travel with you
• Whilst not a replacement for washing a clothes steamer will refresh your clothes

Are there Different Types of Clothes Steamer

There are two main types of clothes steamer with each type having a different use.

• Upright Clothes Steamer. Often known as vertical clothes steamers, upright models are larger and more powerful than their portable counterparts. Built for steaming at scale, vertically oriented models often have built-in hangers, are height adjustable and have larger water tanks, making them perfect for professional laundries or retail stores. 
• Handheld or Portable Clothes Steamer. The norm when it comes to domestic clothes steamers, these models are significantly lighter than upright versions and come with significantly smaller water tanks. This makes them easier to store and is great for travelling.

What is the Difference Between a Clothes Steamer and an Iron

A travel clothes steamer offers a greater deal of flexibility when compared to an iron, particularly those provided by hotels or AirBnBs. They are portable and can easily fit into a suitcase if need be.

‍They are great if you are short of time and don’t need an iron board to make your clothes wrinkle-free. They also offer the added benefit of giving your clothes a refresh - and killing certain bacteria - if they’ve been folded in a suitcase. 

But, if you’re looking for your clothes to be pristinely pressed, go for an iron. 

What Features to look out for in a Clothes Steamer

Size of the Water Tank

The size of the water will dictate how long the steam can be used without refilling. If you’re looking to steam a lot of clothes or upholstery in one go, you should choose a clothes steamer with a larger water tank. Ordinarily, upright clothes steamers have larger water tanks.

Steam Settings

Different types of fabrics will require different steam output and therefore different steam settings. For delicate fabrics such as silk that have a lower tolerance to temperature, a lower steam setting will be required.

Heating Time

In most cases, someone is looking for a quick fix to their wrinkle problem, so the time it takes to heat the device and for it to be ready to use, is very important. Most devices will heat up and be operational within a couple of minutes, but be sure to check before purchasing.

Weight

The device's weight will depend on whether it’s an upright or portable model. Upright models are, unsurprisingly, heavier than portable devices.

Also, remember to consider the size of the water tank as this will impact the weight when in use. 

Adjustable Height

This feature only relates to upright steamer models but is a very important consideration as it will directly impact how comfortable it is to use the device. An adjustable unit will allow you to steam a lot of garments in one session as it will simply be more comfortable.

Accessories

Nearly all clothes steamers will come with some accessories, such as lint brushes, or trousers press attachments. Double-check which accessories are included prior to purchasing.

Power and Wattage

It’s a simple equation. The higher the wattage, the more powerful the steamer will be. In an ideal world, look for a clothes steamer with a minimum output of 1,500 watts.

Continuous Steam

Some clothes steamers require a trigger or button to be pressed or held in order for the steam unit to work. If you want to steam a number of garments in one go, a trigger might be uncomfortable, so check before committing to a purchase.

Fabric Types

Clothes steamers can be used on most fabrics, but double-check the instructions provided with the device beforehand. You shouldn’t use steam on suede, plastic-type materials or wax-based jackets.

Portability

If you’re looking to take a clothes steamer when you travel, make sure it’s lightweight and can fit comfortably into a bag or suitcase, remembering to include space for any accompanying accessories.

Hose length

For upright units, the hose length will dictate how high you can steam. For long dresses, make sure you have a good, lengthy hose.

Power Cord Length

Again, this is more relevant for upright units. If you’re going to be steaming at scale, make sure you have a long enough cord, so that you won’t have to keep moving the unit of garments themselves.

Can I use a Clothes Steamer on Upholstery?

Yes, a clothes steamer works really well on upholstery and curtains. In fact, much like garments, upholstery can be reinvigorated by steam. Just be careful to check the suitable fabric types in the device instructions before steaming - some fabrics such as velvet or very heavy materials can react badly to steam.

And Finally

We hope you’ve enjoyed this guide to the best travel clothes steamers. Clothes steamers are a great and easy alternative to a hotel or AirBnB iron and can really help with making your clothes wrinkle-free.