Nota bene: If you buy through the links in this article, we may earn a small share of the profits.
This is Stuff We Swear By, a series in which our editors expound on an item they use (and love) on a daily (or near-daily) basis.
Item: Beautural Steamer
Description: A handheld garment steamer to keep my clothes wrinkle-free and looking presentable, even in our WFH times. It’s also Amazon’s number one seller in “garment steamers” and has a solid 4.4/5 customer rating.
How I use it: Every single morning, weekday or weekend, meeting or not. I flick it on, wait 30 seconds (or longer, I get distracted easily) and then spend maybe 30 more seconds running it over my clothes to get out wrinkles and folds. Then I click it off and forget about it until the next day.
Why I swear by it: I used to distrust garment steamers.
They leaked. The ones I’d find in hotel rooms were often grimy and moldy. And another brand I owned for a few years only worked if the unit and the clothing item was vertically placed, so I’d have to hang the clothing or hold it up with one hand on a hanger to get those wrinkles out (I still do that, but it was the only way the steamer would work).
But I hated ironing more — storing and getting out the ironing board is the worst — so I tried a different garment steamer last year. No joke, this was a Christmas gift I asked for. And it’s changed my life.
I haven’t picked up an iron for any reason in ten months. I used this for the first few months of the year when going to our (business casual) office. It was my go-to for a few formal events I attended in late winter/early spring. And for Covid times? It’s my one minute of prep so I look like I got out of bed. Pants I wore and threw on the floor yesterday? They look fine now.
A good garment steamer gets me the same result as ironing in about a minute. I’ve never had a leaking issue, even if I’m tilting the device horizontally — which I often am, as my bed has become a de facto ironing surface (or, ahem, steaming surface). It’s also been used on every type of fabric I own without a problem.
Oh, and I only have to fill up that water tank once a month. My last steamer required refills weekly.
If there’s a con, it’s that Beautural isn’t compact enough to be considered a travel steamer; that said, I’ve had limited success with smaller or fold-up steamers in the past. Since I’m not going on any trips for a long time, I really just need my clothes to look less rumpled before I leave the house. I keep this by the bed and flick it on just as I start my day (it’ll supposedly go off after a few minutes of non-use; I’ve never left it in for that long).
I’d also prefer it didn’t have a cord, but much like my handheld vacuum, I feel that the corded version is giving me some extra power (or steam).
Side note: The device comes with a fabric brush, creaser and lint brush, but I’ve never used any of the attachments. I’m definitely leaving some usefulness on the table.
More Like This
We've put in the work researching, reviewing and rounding up all the shirts, jackets, shoes and accessories you'll need this season, whether it's for yourself or for gifting purposes. Sign up here for weekly style inspo direct to your inbox.