We are about to embark on a European trip and wanted a portable steamer. When you are limited by weight, you quickly discover that "smaller-is-better". I purchased the Samsonite and the Conair at the same time to evaluate them both. No question the Samsonite is smaller and lighter - but only marginally so. I pulled a cotton shirt - fresh out of the dryer and wrinkled, and experimented. They did indeed both work. The Samsonite took a bit longer to heat up - minute or so - and put out steam that you could not hold your hand against to the tune of about 3 inches. The Conair heated up much faster and put out steam that you could not hold your hand against to about 4-5 inches. The Conair just gets hotter faster. As the Samsonite moved on, the steam got a bit less and less. Before it was empty, it was not putting out much steam at all - and not enough to "iron" a shirt. You would have had to refill the Samsonite (refilling not a problem with either machine) to get enough proper steam to finish the shirt completely - but no question it will do the job.
The Conair is a bit larger, and perhaps a tad bit heavier - but again - not appreciably so. The Conair heated very quickly and put out a lot of steam - all the way to the end of the tank. Without a doubt it got hotter and projected the steam further from the unit. The steam head is not as wide as the Samsonite, but the vents on the Conair are flared - so I would judge the width of coverage to be about the same. The amount of steam though is another issue, and to me, the more important issue. There is no question with me, that the Conair is the better of the two. The additional steam output will deal with wrinkles more efficiently than the Samsonite. The Samsonite is a good product, but it could be better. Oh, one other very small consideration. They are both dual voltage, but the Samsonite requires you to change the voltage by a switch. The Conair does it automatically.
You could do with the Samsonite. It might take just a bit longer time-wise, but it will do the job. Frankly, I would prefer an even smaller unit - which I had 20 years ago - but it finally quit and was no longer made. It was about 1/2 the size of both of these and put out much more steam. You did have to fill it more often, but boy was it good - and small.
I didn't give it 5 stars only because It could be smaller - and somebody should make one.
I'm taking the Conair.
Ok, so I bought this for a trip to Europe since we only steam clothes at home, and wasn’t sure of what hotels had or didn’t have to keep our clothes looking nice. Now after 5 years of use, my wife and I either on trips together or separate (work trips) don’t leave home without it!! With the folding handle and quick heat time, it’s trully amazing:) I would say it holds enough water for about a 10-15 minute constant steam.
Cleaning is virtually a non-factor. I either just leave the top off and let it air dry prior to packing it for the fight home, or open it once home. I have wiped out the inside with a washcloth only twice ( hard water in other countries).
Con: we only have 1, and sometimes travel at the same time for work;)
My parents are going to Europe for the first time next month so I came on here to get a screen shot of what we have so they can order one, and I told them “ you can’t appreciate how useful this will be until you get there and need fresh looking clothes, not ones that look like they just flew 10 hours”. I have not used an iron since purchasing this steamer! Ohh, and with the long cord, I haven’t had an issue of where to plug it in to use it!!
A must buy!!
I purchased this at the last minute for my wife before she left to fly cross-country for multiple weddings. She wanted something lightweight, packable and of good quality that would not damage her silk dresses. We appreciated that it was small and light enough to pack in her carry-on bag. This travel steamer, although tiny, works extremely well and heats up very quickly. She was able to steam an entire dress before the water ran out. She also noted that the steamer did not cause any issues when used on silk or chiffon. The device comes with a small detachable bristle & lint brush in the event you want to steam thicker fabrics. An added benefit is that it has dual voltage capabilities so we will also be bringing it with us on overseas trips.
I was so glad to get this today & tried it out. Pros: convenient for travel. Good steam for light clothes. NOT HEAVY. Cons: not enough area space for water. Have to refill about every 10minutes. Can't refill until completely cooled down. Makes time to steam 1 item,especially if a pair of jeans very long. Handle not comfortable to hold. If I was going to a warm weather place for travel, this would be perfect for my light clothes, but it really doesn't give enough steam for something heavy. Also really wish it had a automatic shut off as well as more than 1 level of steam. I won't be keeping this. Can't really speak on durability because I've only used it this 1 time, but on multiple articles of clothes. So I guess it would need to be used more over time. Already ordered a different Conair model thru Target as it is available in the store.
As a travel steamer this little guy fits the bill. It is not a steamer I would use at home because it simply doesn't have the capacity to steam an outfit without being refilled at least twice. It also tends to build calcification quickly. Just be sure that you empty the water and wipe it out after each use and you should be ok. It does give a decent output of steam. As with most steamers I find that it is easier to steam from the inside of the Garment. Just be sure that you keep it upright. Also as with any steamer you want to let it get hot enough that the steam is coming at a steady pace. Otherwise it tends to spew water. Again, that's with any steamer. It definitely suited my purpose and is better than ironing for sure.
Feature Product
- Steam at any angle; Folding handle for easy storage and packing
- 10-minute steam time
- Worldwide dual voltage
- Detachable bristle and lint brush
- 8-ft. line cord
Description
Travel Smart by Conair 450 Watt Dual Voltage Garment Steamer
Great travel steamer. Just what I needed for family trip to Italy, my daughter liked it so much that when we went our separate ways, she took my steamer back to Buenos Aires where she is still using it a year later. I then had to replaced it because I missed it & am such a nice Mom! Not sure why some folks had steam issues, mine worked exceptionally well for its size and it was used by three people on our trip. You do have to be careful when refilling it while hot, but common sense helps alot.
Okay, so I don't use this as a garment steamer but as a hair steamer and it works great! The water compartment holds enough to do my full head of hair which is great Warms up quickly and steams the hair in a sleek and compact design.
This is an amazing product. I bought it for my wedding in Greece. It was very important that it work overseas obviously. All I needed was an adapter, not a converter. Everyone in my wedding party and family used it and they all thought it was great. It’s small enough to travel with and never broke or fell apart in our suitcase that we checked. The water reservoir is small but still lasted to do 2 or 3 shirts.
I bought this to take on a business trip for my suits. It works very well on getting the wrinkles out of a wool suit and even some casual shirts. The downside is the handle/size. The handle is a fold-up type thing that if you put your finger on the wrong spot (where the release button is) it will collapse on you while you are using it. Not a deal breaker, just be a little more observant. Also, related to size, the reservoir is really small so you may have to fill it up a couple times to finish a shirt. Over-all, it is not extremely comfortable/user-friendly but I think that is directly related to the fact that it is meant to be compact for travel convenience...which it does really well.
It does exactly what it says it will... good item!
I'm pretty lazy and I hate ironing. I also wear a lot of silks and blouses that wrinkle easily. This product is a must have for me. You pour in some water, plug it in, it starts steaming, and you can use it for about 15 minutes. For me, that's about 4 shirts. I have never had a problem where I could not get the wrinkles out of something. The only downside is that the construction is a bit cheap, and sometimes the top is hard to get on. But that's not a huge problem. I also like how light it is, you can definitely take it with you on trips.
0 comments:
Post a Comment