Every time you need wrinkle-free clothing, you need to take out the ironing board and iron and then iron your clothes to make them wrinkle-free. It is a tedious process; however, with a garment steamer, getting wrinkle-free clothes has become simplified.
The garment steamer is an easy-to-use and simplified tool for removing wrinkles from linens, clothing, drapes, and slipovers. These steamers are designed to work similarly to the traditional irons. Still, the only difference is that these steamers work by heating the water in the tank to produce steam to effectively remove the creases and wrinkles.
But, purchasing a garment steamer takes work, as it involves various factors you must consider to purchase the appropriate one without difficulty. Hence, in this article, we will discuss a garment steamer buying guide that will make your purchasing task for a garment steamer seamless and hassle-free.
Table of Contents
Garment Steamer Buying Guide – Things To Consider Before Buying
The points below are essential factors you need to consider while buying a garment steamer.
Types of Garment Steamer
Buying a garment steamer is a crucial long-term decision; therefore, it is crucial to buy the appropriate one. Choosing the right kind of garment steamer will become challenging if you are unaware of its types.
Therefore, it is imperative to have a brief idea regarding the types of garment steamers. Regarding the typology of garment steamers, there are two major types: upright and handheld.
The upright garment steamers or the floor models are the most potent type. They come with large water tanks offering longer steaming sessions of multiple garments, saving you time and effort. The upright garment steamers feature built-in hangers, which offer 360-degree access to garments.
The attached hanger lets you hang your clothes and steam them without bending. This type of garment steamer comes with various heads that let you steam various kinds of fabric with ease or without worrying about damage.
Regarding weight, upright garment steamers are usually bulky, making them less portable. Owing to their higher specifications, this garment steamer comes with a costly price tag. The upright garment steamers have a powerful steam output that removes creases from the clothes within minutes.
The handheld garment steamers are the ones that come with small water tanks. The small capacity water tanks and light weight makes the handheld garment steamer highly portable. The compact size of this type of garment steamer lets you carry them in bags while traveling.
Handheld garment steamers are an ideal choice for beginners because of their easy usage. The compact build and light weight of the handheld garment steamer also facilitate easy storage of the appliance.
Heat Settings
Our laundry consists of clothes made of various fabrics. And different fabrics require a specialized heat setting. You have to set the heat as per the type of fabric. For instance, cotton fabrics require high heat, while delicate fabrics such as silk, wool, waxed jackets, etc., will get damaged if exposed to the same heat as that cotton fabric.
Therefore, opting for a garment steamer with a heat setting specification is crucial. It will let you adjust the capacity of the heat as per your requirement.
Water Tank Capacity
Another crucial factor that cannot be missed while buying a garment steamer is the water tank capacity. The water tank capacity determines the number of clothes you can steam in one go.
If you are required to steam a large bundle of clothes or heavy upholstery, then it is better to opt for a garment steamer that has a larger water tank capacity.
The large water tank capacity will let you steam all your clothes and upholstery without getting into the hassles of continuously refilling the tank. However, if you have limited clothes to steam, a garment steamer with a capacity water tank will be sufficient.
Hand Grip
Steaming our clothes, curtains, or bed sheets is a regular affair that also takes a lot of time. A garment steamer without a proper hand grip will only add to the difficulty of ironing the clothes and upholstery.
Therefore make sure that before buying a garment steamer, you make it a point to check the hand grip. A garment steamer with a proper hand grip will let you freely steam your clothes without facing any hand fatigue. Regarding the hand grip, the upright models usually come with a smaller one.
Safety Features
Using an electronic appliance opens the chances of any accidents that might harm you or the appliance. Therefore, it is crucial to ensure that the garment steamer you choose comes with essential safety features such as auto shut-off specifications.
It will ensure that the garment steamer shuts off automatically when the water dries out completely. The safety features will minimize damage to the appliance, adding to its longevity.
Attachments
Investing in a garment steamer with several essential attachments is always advisable. The attachments of the garment steamer will increase your steaming experience to a greater manifold. Look for a garment steamer with necessary attachments such as trouser press attachment, fabric brush attachment, trouser clips, etc.
The fabric brush is ideal for refreshing your upholstery, while trouser press attachments help create plates easily. While the trouser clips will let you hang the clothes or curtains on the hangers and steam without worrying about burning your fingers.
Wattage
The wattage of a garment steamer implies the amount of power it consumes while functioning. The power wattage of the garment steamer determines the appliance’s steam flow rate and speed. The higher the wattage, the more powerful will be the steam output.
Size
Size is an essential factor that cannot be missed while buying a garment steamer. A large-sized garment steamer such as the upright one is non-portable. While a small-size garment steamer will let you carry it easily while traveling.
Heat Up Time
The heat-up is a vital selection criterion while buying a garment steamer. If you have an acute time crunch, opt for a garment steamer with less heat-up time.
Steam Flow Rate
A garment steamer’s steam flow rate determines the steaming session’s efficiency. Look for a garment steamer that has a high steam flow rate. A high flow rate will facilitate fast and easy removal of the creases.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much watt is suitable for a garment steamer?
The watt, suitable for a garment steamer, ranges between 1000 watts to 2000 watts. This watt steamer will provide you with the optimum results.
What are the advantages of a garment steamer?
The advantages of garment steamers include they are easier to work with, are gentle on the clothes, remove wrinkles and creases from the clothes efficiently, provide a fresh and crisper look, etc.
Which is a better garment steamer, upright or handheld?
The handheld steamers are suitable for traveling and are easier to use. In contrast, upright steamers are ideal for steaming clothes at once.
What are the disadvantages of a garment steamer?
The disadvantages of garment steamer are that they sometimes make the clothes damp, and you cannot wear them immediately; it does not work well if the creases are tough or the clothes have thick fabrics; they require repeated water refills if you need to steam all your clothes.
Conclusion
Hence, above, we have discussed the garment steamer buying guide. We hope that following our above discussion, you can easily purchase a suitable garment steamer for yourself without any confusion.
The garment steamer makes ironing clothes seamless and hassle-free, and you can get wrinkle-free clothes quickly. Hence, you should purchase a garment steamer for yourself.
We have also discussed a few frequently asked questions that will help to solve the queries that might arise in your mind while purchasing a garment steamer.
