You might be considering buying a travel steamer for several reasons. Maybe you're taking a long flight to a wedding, wear lots of wrinkle-prone fabrics like cotton or linen, or like to be prepared if your hotel bathroom doesn’t get quite steamy enough to remove wrinkles while you shower. Regardless of your reasoning, we're here to help!
Before we start, it’s essential to understand voltage in the context of travel steamers. Some models are dual voltage and can work for different power grids worldwide; you’ll only need an outlet adapter. However, you may be out of luck if your steamer isn't dual-voltage. Some models will work with a power converter and a travel adapter, but others require higher wattage and won’t. Some travel steamers on this list will not work with travel adapters and power converters, while others have dual-voltage capabilities built in. It’s essential to pay attention to what your steamer is capable of since one of our testers fried hers in Germany after she belatedly realized it wasn’t a dual-voltage model. Thankfully, she had managed to get all her clothing perfectly steamed first since it never turned on again.
Why You Should Trust Us
If you’ve ever traveled for a friend’s wedding, you’ll know how essential travel steamers can be. Luckily for you, dear reader, we here at Pack Hacker have been in that situation more times than we can count. Some of our team members exclusively steam their clothing at home, while others have been traveling with a steamer for over a decade. In each case, we picked their brains to find the best travel steamer for different situations and use cases, whether you’re looking for one that heats up quickly, one that only requires a few passes to release wrinkles—or both.
How We Tested It
We cleaned out our closets and brought in some wrinkled cotton shirts to see how well each travel steamer performed. If you’re not familiar with how to use a steamer, here’s a quick tutorial:
First, place the garment on a hanger and place it where it can hang freely without touching anything else; the shower rod in the bathroom works well. Steam the item in sections, using one hand to hold the garment flat and the other to sweep the steamer across the taut section until the wrinkles are released. Pull the steamer away and hold the section for 10-15 seconds to allow the fabric to cool. Don't keep the steamer too long in one spot, or the fabric will get wet, but you may need to go over stubborn wrinkles more than once.
Test 1: Obviously, you have to heat up the appliance before you steam. Some of the best travel steamers heat up in 30 seconds or less, while others take up to 2 minutes to come to a boil. We filled up each one and timed how long it took for steam to come out so you'll be prepared if you oversleep the day of the big event.
Test 2: We got to work steaming our wrinkled shirts. We counted how many passes of the steamer were required to get most wrinkles out so you know how quickly each travel steamer will work.
Finding something smaller is typically the goal when looking for a piece of travel gear. The Hilife Steamer combines features you're used to working with at home and a small package conducive to travel purposes. Whether you need the best travel steamer for your brother's wedding or are crossing the country for work, you can count on this model from Hilife.
As you were probably expecting, for something smaller, there's probably a downside. As it is, it took our tester 20 passes to lessen the wrinkles on a cotton shirt, and she finds it rather weak, as it doesn’t put out enough steam or penetrate far enough into those fabrics to get the wrinkles out. However, for most clothing you'd take on a trip, it works great! Just make sure to give yourself enough time to get ready: this one takes over 2 minutes to heat up.
When it comes to your hunt for a travel steamer for clothing, the Hilife Steamer is a great bet.
Why We Like It- It includes a brush attachment and a refill cup
- The design is similar to what you’re used to at home
- Not powerful enough for thick fabrics
- Design isn’t particularly sleek
Regardless of the cause of the trip, you want your gear to get the job done while you’re traveling. The Bear Travel Steamer is simple enough to work quickly and effectively while you're away from home. It heats up in less than 30 seconds, and it has a unique style that doesn't look cheap while coming in at a budget-friendly price point.
Even though this travel steamer is so tiny, it works fairly well, getting wrinkles out in about a dozen passes. However, it struggles with heavier fabrics, and can take so long that your clothing may end up a little damp.
That said, it comes at a budget price point, so you don't have to worry if it breaks while crossing the globe and you have to replace it when you return. Plus, we've found it rugged enough to handle most adventures, so !
Why We Like It- It’s a great price if you don’t find yourself needing a steamer very often
- We dig the futuristic design
- You’ll need to go over bad wrinkles multiple times
- Not the widest spray length, so it takes longer to cover the surface area
The best travel steamer is a lot like the best travel hair dryer: it needs to be compact and maybe even fold up to be easier to slide into your travel backpack or rolling carry on luggage. The BEAUTURAL Steamer fits the bill with a removable water reservoir and a nozzle that folds down to lay against the handle.
It begins heating up as soon as you plug it in and is ready to use when the indicator light on the top turns red. Unfortunately, that light is very dim, and our tester had to cup her hand and press her eye to the top to see the red light. On the other hand, it was ready in just 30 seconds. To use it, just press the little button on the handle. There are no worries about setting it down on the counter because steam doesn’t come out until you want it to. It works well, too, eliminating wrinkles in just 10 passes.
Why We Like It- It includes a storage bag to hold all the pieces together
- The steamer works when held vertically or horizontally
- BEAUTURAL says you can’t use it on higher voltage outlets, even with an adapter or portable converter, so it’s not good for European vacations
- It’s hard to know when the steamer is ready to use
If you're big on saving space in your back, the Nesugar Steamer was designed with you in mind. It has a broad head so you can get a lot of coverage while steaming your clothing once you arrive, but it rotates to run parallel with the handle so that it doesn't take up more room in your pack, as the straight body fits just about anywhere after you rotate it, no matter what travel backpack or daypack you're using.
It heats up in less than 8 seconds, and works for nearly 10 minutes on a single fill-up. Unfortunately, it has a weak steam output and takes at least 20 passes to start removing wrinkles from clothing. You can go with green or red, which aren't the sleekest colorways, but having the option to choose is nice. Even if you hate those colors, saving space might still be worth it!
Why We Like It- Unique design saves space
- Reasonably powerful for its size
- It’s not as strong as we’d like and takes more passes to actually get the wrinkles out
- The design takes some getting used to
Sometimes you want to push a button and go—the iSteam Steamer for Clothes works just like that. It features a simple design that's easy to use no matter where you are so that you can stay stress- and wrinkle-free. Plus, there are four colorways to choose from, which we love to see.
It heats up in about 30 seconds, but wait a few more before putting it near your clothing: it spits a bit of water as soon as it reaches a boil, but stops quickly. In our tester’s experience, it only takes about 12-15 passes to be wrinkle-free, and since you can also use it horizontally, it’s easier to get stubborn creases out as you would with an iron.
It comes with a brush accessory, which is meant to help dust off clothing, but we don't find that very useful, so we'd leave it at home. It may come in handy for specific kinds of clothing, though!
Why We Like It- The design is simple with effective functionality
- It comes with a brush attachment designed to brush dust off materials like wool
- The slider holding the tank in place doesn’t feel very sturdy
- It spits out water more than other steamers we’ve tested
If you’ve ever found it unwieldy to steam a sleeve, the MASTEAM is the best travel steamer for you. It includes a press mitt, and if you don’t know what it is, you may have opened the box and been puzzled to find a tiny oven mitt inside. It works similarly to the one you use for baking: you put the mitt on one hand and insert it up the sleeve to the top of the arm, then steam the section of the sleeve covering the mitt. Slowly draw the mitt and the steamer down the sleeve toward the wrist area, then repeat on the back side of the sleeve. It also works well on stubborn wrinkles or other awkward areas, like suit coat collars, giving you more leverage while preventing burns.
The MASTEAM isn't the smallest model on this list; however, it'll fit in a travel backpack or rolling luggage bag. You can use it with a travel converter up to 700W, and it heats up in one minute, 13 seconds.
This steamer has no special features or bells and whistles, but it’s one of the most powerful models we tested, flattening out wrinkles in just seven passes. The simple design gets the job done when it matters, and if you're bringing a steamer on vacation, you'll need it.
Why We Like It- It comes with a carrying case for travel and mitt to protect your hand
- Puts out a lot of steam
- It’s not as packable as other steamers we’ve tested
- Unlike other steamers claim, it’s compatible with a power converter
The Conair Travel Smart Handheld Steamer was recommended to us by Pack Hacker Pro Members. It's lightweight and takes up less space thanks to a foldable handle, plus it’s fairly durable and won't break the bank. This one checks a lot of boxes.
It’s the best travel steamer for travel to Europe because it includes a dual-voltage switch. It only takes a minute and a quarter to heat up and gets the job done in 8-10 passes, though it can be hard to use for extended periods because of its size, especially if you have large hands. That said, we’d rather have a smaller steamer that doesn't take up as much room in our pack than one that's more comfortable and makes it so we can't bring as many stroopwafels home.
Why We Like It- Lightweight, small, and effective
- Includes a dual-voltage switch, so it’s great for international travel
- The handle can feel too small for those with larger hands
- The water tank isn’t detachable
Okay, we know what you might be wondering. How can you put this on the best travel steamer list? We hear you—but hear us out.
Downy Wrinkle Release is a handy little spray bottle that can handle mild wrinkles in clothing and other fabrics. If you aren't going to a wedding where you need to be picture-perfect or don't wear fabrics that tend to wrinkle badly, this spray will be more than enough for your next trip!
It won't be able to tackle bad cases of creases or heavier fabrics like denim, so be sure to bring along a travel steamer for those kinds of materials. However, for most users, this spray will be more than enough! Plus, it’ll fit into your sling. It’s also worth noting that this must go in a 3-1-1 bag if you’re flying because it’s a liquid.
Why We Like It- It fits just about anywhere
- It smells good
- Can’t tackle bad wrinkles
- The fragrance isn’t for everyone
Others We Considered
We love the throwback vibes of the Conair Handheld Garment Steamer, especially in the Mint Green colorway, and were excited to find that it heats up in less than 40 seconds. Unfortunately, it spits out water right away and continues to do so intermittently. Even when it doesn’t, it puts out so much steam that our shirt was visibly damp in spots, though wrinkle-free, so we can’t recommend it for anything that may show water spots or stains. However, it does have a dual-voltage switch on the bottom for European travel, which we were pleased to see since that’s not very common.
So there you have it; some of the best travel steamer, iron, and spray products on the market. Hopefully, you’re ready to take on that wedding, cross-country trip, or a vacation with a winkle-free attitude. Enjoy the trip!
