It’s been several months since I picked up my Conair handheld steamer and, after you were asking, I promised I’d share a review with you! Today’s that day 😊
I’m covering everything from what a handheld steamer is, what it does, when to use it, and the pros and cons of using one!
If you’ve been considering bringing a handheld steamer into your home or sewing studio, then read on for all the steamy details!
This post contains affiliate links, meaning, at no additional cost to you, if you click through and make a purchase, I may receive a commission.
What is a handheld steamer?
Before I dive in and start reviewing the handheld steamer, I figured I should cover what they are 😉
As the name suggests, a handheld steamer is a small and lightweight steamer that you hold in your hand. It’s similar to an iron but, unlike an iron which is used flat with an ironing board, a handheld steamer is used upright (or flat!), and without an ironing board.
This gives you flexibility to use the steamer on items that are hanging up, such as drapes or clothes that are hanging on a hanger. This means you don’t need to worry about busting out your ironing board. So that’s one less item to worry about when diving into a steaming session 😉
It also means that you can steam one layer of clothing at a time.
Why would you want one?
A handheld steamer is certainly not a required tool for your regular quilting activities. Meaning, I don’t use my steamer when I’m piecing my quilt blocks.
This is a great tool if you find yourself pressing a lot of large finished quilts or quilt tops and you want to make super quick work of it.
What model steamer did I get?
After quite a bit of research, I opted to purchase the Conair Extreme Steam 2-in-1 Garment Steamer with Turbo (model number GS208CTXC). What I liked about this one is that it wasn’t crazy expensive, and it has a generous steaming area. I figured the latter would come in handy for making quick work of getting wrinkles out of my quilts!
Why I picked up a steamer
The main reason I wanted a handheld steamer is to help me prepare for trunk shows. When I give a trunk show, I used to spend a couple of hours pressing all my quilts to get them nice and crisp for viewing.
I was hoping the handheld steamer would reduce the pressing time, and I’m thrilled to share that it does 😊
I haven’t actually timed myself, but I’d guesstimate that it probably cut my pressing time in half!
The main reason for this is that I can place the quilt either on the floor or hang it from my design wall (tutorial on how to make your own here).
Once I have it in place, I can simply pass the steamer over the entire surface. There’s no messing around with ironing boards or shifting the quilt around on the ironing board to ensure you get the entire surface area pressed.
By having it hanging or on the floor, I can easily move the steamer from one wrinkle to the next, and watch as they magically disappear!
When I use the steamer
The main occasions that I use the handheld steamer are:
- For pressing quilts. Especially after they’ve been folded and in storage.
- For steaming clothing. The steamer makes quick work of pressing your clothes too. I simply hang the item on a hanger and pass the handheld steamer over it. Bonus – the steam helps kill bacteria!
- For steaming curtains. This was a fun one to wash my curtains, hang them up, and then steam all those pesky wrinkles out!
What are the features of the handheld steamer?
Here’s an overview of the features the Conair handheld steamer offers:
- 1,875 W of turbo steaming power
- Convenient LED and touch control sensor provides you with 4 steam settings from Low to Turbo
- Extra-large aluminum soleplate doubles as an iron with horizontal steam
- Steam or press with the 2 in 1 steamer
- Use the steamer vertically to easily release wrinkles or use it as a traditional iron providing for horizontal steam
- Virtual Instant-on ready in under 10 seconds
- Smart sensor safety feature
- Smart sensor stops the steam when the steamer is placed on a flat surface and starts steaming again when picked up
- Delicate bonnet protects trims and safely steam fine fabrics
- Creaser for perfect pleats and folds
- 2-in-1 Silicone Band and Bristle Brush
- Pulls fabric taut for better results
- Bristle brush ensures steam penetrates fibers for a perfect press, even on heavy fabrics
Steam and output consistency
The Conair offers you 1,875 W of steaming power. What I love is that it generates steam super quick!
Simply click the button and level of steam you want, give it a second or two, and presto you’ve got steamy action!
I tend to use it in turbo mode as I’m usually pressing quilts and I figure those extra layers can use the extra steam 😉
And the steam is very consistent.
Water reservoir
The water reservoir appears quite small, but I was impressed by how long it lasted, especially given that I usually use turbo mode.
I can normally get through steaming a couple of quilts before needing to refill the water reservoir.
Heating time and temperature control
It takes less time than my Rowenta iron to heat up!
All you have to do is click the on button and then select the level of steam you want.
There’re four steam settings from low to turbo. I like using turbo mode!
Warranty details
The Conair steamer comes with a 1-year limited warranty. Not the longest, but should give you time to test it 😉
Where to purchase your steamer
I believe I picked mine up at my local Costco. So, give yours a quick check to see if they’re still stocking them.
Otherwise, I noticed that Conair has come out with a newer handheld steamer version which has similar specifications.
Pros of using a handheld steamer
I’m happy to share there’re quite a few pros of using a handheld steamer.
- Works wonders in getting rid of stubborn wrinkles on quilts that have been in storage.
- Perfect for steaming clothes while hanging on a hanger.
- Quick to heat up.
- Has great steam capability that’s nice and consistent.
- Works great vertically or horizontally.
- Good water reservoir capacity.
- Love that the steam kills 99% of bacteria as it de-wrinkles. Perfect if you sweat quite a bit like me 😉
Cons of using a handheld steamer
There are a few cons that I’ve noted after using my handheld steamer, including:
- The cord is beyond short. It’s a little ridiculous how short it is. I’ve solved this by using an extension cord, but it’s still annoying – ha!
- At a weight of 1.3 kg (2.87 lb), she’s a little heavy. Definitely not something to be thrown in your travel bag!
And that pretty much sums up my cons list!
I hope this review of the Conair handheld steamer came in handy for you! Leave me a comment if you have any questions that I didn’t cover, and I’ll do my best to get you an answer 😊
xo,
Shannon
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I wonder it one could use it for blocking a quilt as well…it might make the prcoess go a lot faster. Have you tried it? I ususally block them on my design wall. I think it might be a good use for a steamer.
That’s a great questions, Carrie! I haven’t tried blocking my quilt with the handheld steamer, but I don’t see why it wouldn’t work and speed up the process. I’d love to know how it goes if you give it a go!
Do you steam the fabric for quilt backs too?
Gosh, why didn’t I think of that, Barb! I don’t see you couldn’t and I bet it would make quick work of it too!
I love the idea of using it to steam quilt backs!
I do have a question about using steam on your quilts. Years ago I was told if you had fullness in your quilt top that steam would help shrink it a bit. I’ve never tried it, although I’m sure I’ve seen a bit, (well sometime a lot) of fullness in my quilt tops. What do you think?
I just checked – Costco still has them.
Thank you for your tips!
Lottie
Great question, Lottie! I haven’t tried using steam to shrink my pieced top when there’s been too much fullness; however, in theory, it should work….up to a point! It could help remove a ‘little’ extra fullness, but I suspect that if there’s quite a bit of fullness, the steam won’t shrink it enough to make it fit. Let me know if that helps!