The Portable Garment Steamer, Including One That DJ-Host Karyn Wong Loves For Its Convenience, Is The Underrated Travel & Household Essential You Should Buy

Travelling and hate having wrinkled clothes (or paying for the hotel’s laundry services)? Or need something handy at home to eliminate wrinkles on your delicate clothes and even curtains? Not many folks would think of getting a portable steamer, especially if you already own an iron, but more people are warming up to the fact that this could be an underrated household appliance and travel essential.

After all, these nifty gadgets are fab for eliminating wrinkles on fancy or delicate garments that require more TLC, and are lightweight enough to tote around the house to banish wrinkles from curtains and bedsheets. Some are even designed small enough to toss in your suitcase for your next overseas trip, whether you’re looking to look picture-perfect for your vacay snaps, or just look presentable on your work trip.

One particular handy and wallet-friendly one is the Bear portable garment steamer that DJ-host Karyn Wong recently tried. Available at $29.90 from The Wonder Shop, the sleek steamer weighs just 0.66kg and comes with a 120ml water tank that will last for over 10 minutes of steaming.

“I like it because it’s compact, lightweight and leakproof. I like how secure it is,” Karyn tells 8Days. She recalls how she’d once brought out other portable steamers that leaked (“that wasn't ideal!”). Besides taking a steamer with her when she attends events (“if we need to iron our clothes just prior to the event, this is a great option”), Karyn reveals that she also sees herself taking it on her travels too.

We took the Bear portable steamer for a whirl ourselves to see if it lives up to the hype. Set-up is so easy, it’s practically idiot-proof— just detach the water tank and fill it up. It helps, too, that it’s quick to heat up (a light indicates when you can start steaming). Our cotton tee was steamed straight in a matter of minutes. It took us about six minutes (and half the water tank) to get a chiffon-blend dress, which is more delicate and not suitable for ironing, in pristine condition. However, stubborn creases remained on a linen dress we tried steaming, though admittedly linen is a notoriously difficult fabric to iron. Still, we can see why folks would take this compact, lightweight gadget on a work trip or even a long vacay.

Portable steamers come in all shapes, sizes and functions — from foldable ones that are great for folks who aren’t travelling with a large suitcases, to multi-tasking steamers that also allow for dry ironing. Scroll on for more options for portable garment steamers.