Ironing is never going to be on the top list of the most fun chores ever – if such a list actually exists. However, whether you are preparing for an interview, or having the first meeting with your girlfriend’s parents, you’ll need to iron out. Or steam press! Saving time and producing professional, dry-cleaner results.
For you, we’ve tested 17 models and compiled a list of the 6 best steam presses, with the SINGER Magic Steam Press ESP-2 being at the top of our list. We’ve included steam presses with power levels ranging from 1,000 to 1,500 watts so less powerful will release less heat, perfect for delicate garments. There are steam presses with several settings too, allowing you to adjust the temperature and steam output for different types of fabric. Functions like auto shut-off are found in some models too, meaning your press will switch itself off if it hasn’t been used for a set period of time.
Extra features: auto shut-off with alarm, variable steam with steam burst button
If you‘re looking for the best steam press all-round on the market, you‘ll find the features you need in the SINGER Magic Steam Press. This steam press is one of the overall best because it gives the performances of professional pressing, right in the comfort of your own home.
This steam press has an extremely large pressing area and uses an adjustable amount of steam and heat settings to get you the perfect settings and temperature control to provide you with the best results for your type of fabric. With the SINGER Magic Steam Press, you can steam press various types of clothes and fabrics throughout your house. Since it has a 24-by-9-inch surface, it can handle all types of fabrics, from large-scale tablecloths to window hanging curtains with over ten times the surface size of the average steam press. This steam press can do it all – plus all the average steam pressing on clothes, including dress pants, your most professional button-down shirts, and more.
Using powerful bursts of steam, this steam press also comes with a spray bottle, a measuring cup, and a pressing cushion to help you out while steam pressing. The SINGER Magic Steam Press was also designed for practicality and ease-of-use, opening wide for larger items and highly portable with a comfortable handle for easy grip, as well. It comes with a washable pad cover, an audible alarm for safety, an auto shut-off with an electronic alarm that sounds every 10 seconds, and a power indicator light.
Extra features: 2 steam burst buttons, press lock feature
With the Steamfast SF-680 Deluxe Digital Steam Press, you can expect professionalism in your own home. With it, you can easily get your clothes pressed and ironed to look professional, clean cut, and like new. And thanks to its larger pressing surface, we can say it’s one of the best steam presses for sheets, duvet covers, and bed cloth overall.
This steam press is one of the best on the market, with two extra features of two steam burst buttons, and a safety press lock feature. However, those are not the only features that make the steam press so tempting. The Steamfast SF-680 eliminates the need for extra chemicals to make your clothes or fabrics as good as new. In a matter of seconds, this steam press takes care of wrinkles and smoothes down fabric to make it look clean and crisp.
This steam press operates with easy-to-use, digital controls that can help you adjust the temperature settings and digital fabric choices. All you will be responsible for is choosing the types of material and let the steam press do the work for you. With its heated non-stick pressing plate with a pressing surface that measures 25 x 10.5 inches, stainless steel body with rich black finishes, and a 10-oz. water tank for the Steam Burst Mode, you can rest assured that you will receive professional results in no time with limited resources and less money.
Extra features: can be used as dry ironing press or as a steam press, optional height-adjustable press stand available
The Speedy Press PSP990 is a handy tool to have in your back corner for quick pressing and ironing when your clothes need it the most. With its extra features of being able to be used as a dry ironing press or as a steam press, you can rest assured that it has the attributes to be able to deliver a professional style pressing every time.
The pressing surface is smaller than that of some competitors, but we found that it’s still enough to easily steam press clothes because it still measures seven times the size of a regular iron at 21.6 x 8.6 inches. Also, the steam press is compact and portable.
Even though it ranks low in power, it still gets the job done. With 100 lbs of even pressure, temperature indicator lights, and a large opening area, the Speedy Press PSP990 delivers quality results, reducing ironing time, especially for delicate fabrics.
With an optional, height-adjustable press stand available, the Speedy Press is ranked pretty high when compared to others on the market. This high-end reputation is made possible through the brand name manufacturer’s claim to fame and responsibility. With over 40 years of a history of importing and manufacturing professional ironing equipment, the brand likes to take care of their customers. With a purchase of this steam press, you also get a free extra cover and underfelt foam, which is a retail price of almost $50! Not only do you receive those additional accessories, but you also get free delivery, a spray bottle, pressing cushion, and a measuring cup.
Extra features: press up to eight layers at once, 11-layer Birch wood board absorbs excess humidity, auto shutoff after 10 seconds
The Janome Artistic Heat Press EP100, although unfortunately discontinued by the manufacturer, is still on the market and can be purchased. The limited number of products, however, should make you want to invest before they are all gone.
Able to handle up to eight layers at once, this steam press has the power of Birch wood – all 11 layers of it – to be able to deliver 100 lbs of pressure, which is five times more than the pounds of pressure of regular irons. The Baltic Birch that makes up the board can absorb excess humidity in your clothes or the fabric, eliminating it from your clothes.
With its Swiss design, the Janome EP100 full size has a pressing surface of 24 x 10 inches, making it extremely time-saving and allowing you to get twice as much done than when doing it with smaller irons.
Less effort for you makes the cost much more effective. With all of its features, you can easily receive professional results in the privacy of your own home. The steam press eliminates shiny effects on fabrics and lessens the risk of wear and tear on your clothes or other fabrics.
This Swiss Steam Press is also extremely safe. With an electronic safety power cut, the machine shuts off after only 10 seconds in the closed position. This is effective for eliminating scorched laundry and is safer for children and pets in your home.
With only one knob to choose the fabric type, the steam press is easy to use, eliminating any possibility of complicated buttons to work. This steam press is also highly flexible, able to not only press high-end fabrics but also can be used to iron on interfacing, patches, iron-on transfers, iron-on rhinestones and more.
Extra features: includes accessory package
As one of the most adjustable steam presses on the market, the Sienna Expresso SSP-1990 is a powerful steam press that can get your job done – no matter what it may be. It doesn’t matter if it’s a last-minute task, this steam press is there in your corner when you need it the most. With six levels of adjustable steam and five fabric settings adjusted through manual selection, you can easily choose the right amount of steam and setting for whatever fabric you may have before you.
Although it is still available for purchase, even including an accessory package, the problem lies in the manufacturer – it is no longer being produced, and the model has been discontinued. This means just one thing – if you’re interested in a highly-adjustable steam press at an affordable price, you’ll need to hurry up and purchase it now or else it will be gone – forever!
With a surface area that is six times the size of a traditional ironing surface at 22 x 9 inches and a low weight of just 19 lbs, it is a great tool to have around the house. You can easily use it on nylon, silk, wool, cotton, and linen. The SSP-1990 reaches 212–410 degrees Fahrenheit, with a manual setting control, which means that you can control the settings as much as possible.
With each time of use, you’ll get over 100 lbs of even pressure on your non-sticking pressing plate to create sharp, long lasting creases that you thought were only possible at a professional dry cleaner.
This steam press also includes an accessory package, including a spray bottle, pressing cushion, and a water fill cup.
Extra features: 2 steam burst buttons
The Steamfast SP-660 Fabric Steam Press is your witness and evidence that you can afford high quality without breaking the bank. As our number one budget pick, the Steamfast delivers professional quality pressing at a reduction of the cost of most steam presses on the market.
Not only does it save you money in the product purchase, but it also saves you the hassle of going to the cleaners and also saves the environment from extra harsh chemicals. Using just water from a 10-oz. easy-to-fill water tank, the Steamfast SP-660 can heat up in just three minutes and then smooth out and press your clothes in a matter of seconds.
With simple-to-use controls and five different fabric settings – from nylon, silk, wool, cotton, and linen – you can easily tackle and smooth out any clothes or fabric around your home. Two steam burst buttons located on the handle produce a powerful burst of steam, making it an easy, fast, and powerful way to get that professional look.
The heated non-stick pressing plate measures 22 x 8.7 inches and is backed by a 1-year hassle-free warranty. With its tabletop size and press lock feature, not only is it much easier for you to carry and store it away, it also is safe for all family members around the house.
Your investment of the Steadfast SP-660 also includes a spray bottle, pressing cushion, a funnel press, and measuring cup to aid in the pressing process.
Choosing the best steam press can be a confusing decision, especially with all the options out there and knowing which features are best for you and your situation. In hopes to help you through the purchasing process, we’ve presented this buying guide for you, taking you through the process step-by-step.
Whether you are heading to a professional interview, an important dinner or making your first impression in the workplace, it’s never wrong to have a clean-crisp look to you. You could have the best outfit in the world, but if it is ladened down with wrinkles and an unprofessional wave, you might be ruining the best first impression you can make. A top-notch steam press is worth the investment to make. Not only do you get a dry cleaner’s quality in the comforts of your own home, but you also can save yourself money in the long run – instead of paying at the dry cleaner’s every time. The only disadvantage of a steam press is that you can not take it with you on a trip, but that’s what travel irons are for.
You can also save the environment by using less harsh chemicals in the air since most steam presses use only water in their pressing formulas. You can save yourself time when getting those fabrics ready because not only does it save you a trip to the dry cleaner’s, it also works incredibly fast, with most presses, like the Steamfast SP-660 Fabric Steam Press, heating up in just three minutes.
If you’re ready to invest in the best steam press, here are a few features to consider when choosing your product.
The last thing you could possibly want is to invest in a steam press just to come to find out that you could have gotten a better one, a faster one, or a higher-quality one for the same – or even lower – price! To help you avoid this mistake, here are the features to consider before diving in.
Just like with anything on the market that is measured in watts or horsepower – the more power, the better. In steam presses, power is defining the ability to produce heat. That heat will then transform your wrinkly clothes into crisp, clean, professional wear. When comparing “watts”, which is the unit of measurement when discussing power, a 1,000-watt steam press, like the Janome Artistic Heat Press EP100, will be less powerful than, say, the SINGER Magic Steam Press ESP-2, with 1,540 watts of power – making it one of the most powerful steam presses on our guide.
However, you will also want to consider the downside. More power – even though it makes your job easier – will consume more energy.
So, if you are looking to save energy in the long run, you might want to consider the presses like the Janome over the SINGER.
In steam presses, you’ll be using high-quality water to steam out the wrinkles. Some appliances even have “bursts of steam”, that use water to pressure out the steam onto the clothes and shoot out wrinkle-free power. The larger the capacity of the water tank, not only the better the smoothness of your fabric, the less frequently you will have to fill it back up again. If you are looking to use your steam press frequently, you’ll want a large water tank capacity.
Most of these steam presses will allow you to control the temperature and steam settings – normally with a digital panel. You’ll be able to adjust the settings to the proper steam outage to be able to steam press the various fabrics well and adequately. On these digital, pre-programmed settings, you’ll find it easy to pick out the type of fabric you’re working with and which steamed setting will work best.
Typically, you’ll want to add more heat for linens and other fabrics that are seen to be much more durable and to turn the heat down for delicate fabrics, like nylon. Instead of having to guess or refer to a heat-setting manual for various fabrics, with automatic settings you’ll eliminate all that guesswork and ensure that you’ll get the perfect output, every time.
One of the most important features of your steam press will be the surface area that it has to work with. The larger it is, the more space you’ll have to work with and the more room you’ll have to press. This also means that the pressing will be faster and more efficient, overall.
However, you should be aware that you might not need all that area. You also might not have that much room to store the steam press when not in use – making it an important factor to consider when deciding from one steam press to another.
On the other hand, you don’t want to get a steam press that’s too small, either, making quick jobs even longer and more difficult. The sweet spot when it comes to size is at least 22 inches long and 10 inches wide.
As we already mentioned before, choosing the perfect temperature for certain factors usually are already pre-programmed into these steam presses, which puts an end to the guesswork and makes everything on your end that much easier. It will also eliminate that worry or concern about damaging your fabrics or items. Choosing a steam press with an automatic shut-off is also part of the “temperature control” feature because it will then save your fabrics from being singed or burnt – see “auto shut-off” later on.
Be aware that some steam presses will be extremely heavy, as you probably will have to move them around. In that case, you can easily opt for a much lighter steam press, like the Steamfast SP-660, which just weighs 19 lbs. This will make a huge difference when you’re carrying it in and out of storage. If you are also buying it as a gift for someone older or with some physical disability or ailment, you may want to consider the weight as a factor.
This particular safety feature can make or break your decision because it can dictate a lot about the device and its brand. Especially if you have young children running around the house or pets that like to get on-top or into things – think of pesky, prowling cats – you’ll want to make sure that you have a steam press with an auto shut-off feature.
This feature will turn the steam press off once it has been idle for a designated period – usually 10 seconds on a down position – so that it prevents overheating and fire disasters.
It’ll also help keep your garments safe from burning or fringing. You can even get a steam press that has a lock on the handle to help prevent accidental access to the steam press when it’s hot.
A quality warranty will be about one year. If the steam press is backed by a 1-year warranty, that usually means that is an adequately built machine and that the manufacturer is willing to make a bet on the material.
Knowing that you might have a ton of questions before you make that investment, click that “purchase” button and send your new steam press to your home, here are our most frequently asked questions, answered – just for you.
For any sort of delicate fabrics and quilting projects, you might want to consider using a special iron for quilting and sewing rather than a steam press.
Now that we’ve presented our comparison table, in-detail review of each product, and the buying guide, here is the final summary of the best three products from above. If you’re in a hurry, here are our top three choices of the best steam press on the market.
If you want to go with the best of the best, the SINGER Magic Steam Press ESP-2 is not only powerful, with 1,540 watts of power, it also has five digital fabric settings and a large pressing surface of 24 x 9 inches. With a 1-year warranty, an auto shut-off with alarm and a variable steam with steam burst button, it is our best choice and best all-around steam press.
The Steamfast SP-660 Power is our best-advised choice if you’re looking at a product-picking when you’re on a budget. With 1,300 watts of power and five fabric settings, you can get high-quality steam pressing at an affordable price. You can also count on this steam press to be lightweight, at only 19 lbs.
The Speedy Press PSP990 is our choice if you’re looking for a steam press with everything you could possibly need included. You receive a free extra cover and underfelt foam, free delivery, a spray bottle, pressing cushion, and a measuring cup.
We hope that this guide of the best steam press has helped you make an informed decision to make your clothes professional-looking and wrinkle-free!
Aren’t steam presses bad for fabrics though? I heard they can really damage your clothes, wanted to get a steam press for ages, so would really appreciate any advice!
Hey Nell,
Nope, these definitely don’t cause your clothes any damage! The only time a steam press could damage fabrics is if you use a high temperature setting for delicate fabrics such as silk.
Hope that helps!
We used to have a steam press at home, made ironing shirts soo much easier. Actually I think it might have been the Janome model or something similar, but we ended up giving it away when we moved. I think once you’ve had a steam press there’s just no going back, I forgot how much I hate ironing
Might try the Singer this time…ugh, just wish these things came with a smaller price tag!
Really struggling to choose between the Singer Magic and Steamfast, they seem to be pretty similar in terms of cost and other features…
Hi Glo!
You’re right that the two are quite similar, but when it comes to their performance, I would say that the Singer is the more powerful of the two. The Steamfast looks and feels more “sleek”, but the Singer seems to get the job done faster and with less effort, which seems to me to be the most obvious difference.
Whichever you choose out of the two, you’ll be getting a great steam press!