I have not touched my iron in six months, and I am not sure I ever will again. A handheld steamer does in thirty seconds what used to take me ten minutes with an ironing board, and it is harder to ruin a shirt in the process. I was a skeptic until I borrowed one.

Why Steam Beats Ironing

A steamer relaxes the fabric with heat and moisture instead of pressing it flat. That means no scorch marks, no awkward creases, and no wrestling with collars. It works on clothes hanging in your closet, so there is no setup. For most everyday clothes, it gets you presentable fast.

What to Look For

• Heat up time. The best ones are ready in under a minute.
• Water tank size. A bigger tank steams more garments between refills.
• Steam output. Stronger steam knocks out wrinkles in fewer passes.

Where It Falls Short

It will not give you the crisp crease that an iron puts in dress pants or a stiff shirt. For formal occasions, the iron still wins. But for my daily shirts, dresses, and anything that has been sitting in a dryer, the steamer is my first choice every time. It also freshens clothes between washes, which I did not expect to care about.

If you hate ironing, this is the gadget that finally lets you quit.