Why You Won’t Find a Cordless Clothes Steamer (Don’t Believe What You See!)

Despite what the photoshopped images show you online, (and the slew of best cordless clothes steamers lists), cordless clothes steamers do not exist.

The closest thing to a cordless clothes steamer is a cordless iron. No technology is readily available in 2023 to hold enough power and generate enough heat to create steam continuously. Despite what many images show you, there are no cordless clothes steamers.

Cordless Clothing Steamers Are Like Unicorns…

I expect that the technology to create a cordless clothing steamer will come in the future. But in 2023, people are complaining that handheld garment steamers are heavy enough with full water tanks. Could you imagine how heavy a cordless steamer for clothes would be?

You would need a large battery pack attached to the steamer to generate enough power to create steam. I’ve seen this in cordless hair dryers – however, these operate around 400 watts of power, and produce heat up to 57 degrees Celsius (134.6°F), which gives you a run time of about 8 minutes.

Handheld clothing steamers use anywhere from 1200 watts of power up to 1875 watts. This means, with the current technology, you might be lucky enough to steam a pillowcase.

Best Cordless Clothes Steamer Alternatives

Rather than me harping on any further (especially about the number of websites misleading consumers into thinking they are buying a cordless clothes steamer), let’s take a look at cordless steam irons, and handheld clothing steamers with long cords that are great for travel, trade show events or to use at home without needing an extension lead.

Panasonic 1500W Cordless Iron

This cordless iron is a popular choice with quilters and sewing enthusiasts due to the 360 degree design. You can use it vertically as a cordless clothes steamer, with 2 steam settings – light and regular. There is a 3rd no steam setting to use as a dry iron.

It is important to note it is not a rechargeable iron – you will need to plug the power base into a wall outlet.

This iron is around the same size as a handheld clothing steamer, measuring 11.25 inches x 6.94 inches x 8.33 inches. A handy plastic carry case is included.

A bonus also is the built in anti-calcification filter allowing you to use tap water. As always, if you are in an extremely hard water area, Panasonic recommend switching to distilled or demineralized water.

To use this cordless iron as a steamer, you need to set the heat to high. If you don’t change the heat setting the iron won’t be hot enough to generate steam and instead you’re likely to get water droplets spraying your clothing.

For vertical steaming, press the power shot button at 5 second intervals and move from top to bottom of your clothing. Place the iron back onto the power base to reheat.

Mini Irons and Handheld Clothing Steamers

These mini irons and handheld clothing steamers aren’t cordless, but are my top choices as cordless clothing steamer alternatives for either practicality or cord length. Let’s take a look:

Steamfast SF-717 Dual Voltage Steam Iron

This sweet little mini iron can be used as a vertical clothes steamer, outputting steam for 1 full minute.

If you’re quick, you could steam a piece of lightweight clothing in this time. You’ll then need to refill the 1.4oz water tank before steaming again.

What I like about this Steamfast iron is the built in dual voltage – it can be used with 110-120V and 220-240V respectively. It also weighs less than 1 pound and measures a tiny 3.1 inches high x 2.9 inches wide x 5.3 inches long.

Being lightweight and small, it packs nicely into luggage and is perfect for travel. So much so, I’m adding it to my list of best travel steamers.

While this isn’t cordless, the power cord is 7.5ft long – pretty impressive for such a tiny steam iron. And with a ~$20 price tag it ticks all the boxes and is a close option to a cordless clothes steamer.

Sharper Image Portable Iron and Fabric Steamer

This clothing steamer by Sharper Image can be used as both a mini iron and steamer.

Unlike the Steamfast mini iron above, the Sharper Image clothes steamer can steam for up to 10 minutes.

It isn’t cordless or rechargeable, and compared to others on this list the 6ft power cord could be a little longer. But I added it to the list for it’s steaming ability.

If you’re traveling, you’ll like that this steamer weighs just 1.7 pounds. It is 6.7 inches long and 3.6 inches tall – around half an inch larger all round than the Steamfast iron above.

You’d think this would come with a carry bag of some sort, but unfortunately it doesn’t. Included is a handy heatproof mat to sit it on and water jug to fill it up.

If you’re crafty, you could make a drawstring bag to keep it all together, or repurpose something around the home.

USB Rechargeable Cordless Mini Iron

While there are not yet designated clothing steamers on the market that are completely wireless or cordless, I have found some newer technology coming in to the market that combines a mini iron with a water spray, that is rechargeable with a USB.

A universal USB cable that could plug into your laptop or other charging socket is incredibly convenient, especially for travel. Some newer designed power points also have built in USB plugs. This negates the need for travel adaptors when traveling abroad or extra cords to carry with you.

Handheld Steamers With Long Power Cords

We’ve long established there is no cordless clothes steamer, so let’s take a look at the handheld steamers with the longest power cords:

Black + Decker Advanced Handheld Garment Steamer

This handheld fabric steamer often pops up on my lists, and not just because it has a 15ft power cord.

The attachments include delicates bonnet, lint tool and upholstery tool – you don’t find this with many clothing steamers.

It’s not without its drawbacks though – some users have complained the 15ft power cord is too long, and it is entirely plastic, no ceramic or stainless steel soleplate.

The biggest issue is not being able to fully empty the water tank. If you give it a good shake and leave open to dry you can overcome this.

Rowenta X-Cel DR8200 Handheld Steamer

This hand steamer for clothes is an updated model from Rowenta for 2022 and I’m impressed by it so far.

Competing with Conair, the new DR8200 series has 1875 watts of steaming power. It also has a decent power cord length of 9.84ft. It could well be the best (non) cordless clothes steamer on this list.

FAQ’s About Clothes Steamers

How Can I Steam Without Electricity?

There is a product available by the name of InstaSteam, which does not require electricity to use. You do require access to water however. You can read my blog post on InstaSteam here.

You can also try the steam while you’re in the shower method:

1. Close any windows, vents and do not use the exhaust fan in the bathroom.
2. Hang your clothing in the room whilst you are showering. The steam from the shower will help to reduce wrinkles.
3. Ideally, you’ll need to keep the room steamy for around 15 minutes.
4. Make sure you air out the bathroom afterwards, otherwise you could end up with mold.

Final Thoughts

I’m a firm believer that the technology will be developed to create a cordless clothing steamer, but in 2022, it simply doesn’t exist.

So, if you’ve come across one of the many “best of” lists with lots of pictures of handheld or travel clothes steamers without cords, don’t be fooled.

All clothing steamers, small or large, handheld, travel or upright, must be plugged into a power source.