Conair GS4R Compact Fabric Steamer
by Conair
|
List Price: Our Price: $29.99 You Save: $10.00 (25%) Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours Buy Used: from $19.99 (click here) Category: Home See more product details |
|---|
Tools and Hardware Reviews of Conair GS4R Compact Fabric Steamer
Customer Review: Five stars with reasonable expectations
Summary: 5 Stars
As mentioned by some, this will not replace an iron. If you expect it to you need to take your clothes to the dry cleaner. If you want to look presentable for work and hate ironing this was well worth the price.
I wear alot of women's button up shirts and find them to be very difficult to iron and my lack of patience and skill does not help. The steamer on the other hand was very easy to use and functioned to level that made me very presentable for work.
Good:
-I was able to steam all the shirts I own (10-11) and the several skirts and pants in about 30 minutes.
-even and strong steam if used correctly-READ the DIRECTIONS about what to do when the tube sputters and it wont dribble on your shirt or hands
-The pants and skirts were all synthetic material and this is when the steamer functioned at its best, only requiring 1 or 2 passes to look great.
- the shirts were all polyester cotton bends some were very wrinkly and though it did take alot of passes they still looked nice when they were done
-easy set up and clean up
-stores in a very small space
-I only paid $33 for mine at Bed Bath and Beyond with one of those mail coupons they are always sending out
-water reserve was only a little over half gone after may 30 minutes of steaming
Bad-
-makes wrinkly clothes slightly wet with lots of passes (this actually wasn't bad for me I just let them hang on the door knob to dry for 10-15 minutes and then put them away and they look great)--but not for last minute use like in the AM right before you are late for work
-does take a long time to heat up-- 10 minutes for full strong steam
-I burned myself a couple of times with the steam--not seriously-but I wont blame this on the machine as it was usually my fault for holding the garment and then trying to steam too close to my hand
All in all I am very pleased with my purchase especially for the price. I can't speak to the long term durability but I would recommend the purchase even if it only worked 3 or 4 times as my dry cleaning bill would be twice that by then.
Tips for successful use:
-read the directions- I know it sounds stupid but I was much more successful once I did-before that I was less than satisfied with the machines function
Customer Review: Good steamer for the price
Summary: 5 Stars
I got this a few dollars cheaper at Target. Easy to set up, easy to use. The nozzle has a hook on the back so it can hang on the end of the over the door hook while you're taking down one garment and hanging up another. It didn't save me time on my work clothes, but they came out looking a lot better than with an iron. It saves me a LOT of time with casual clothes, though. I read a lot of reviews here about this and other steamers so I was prepared for different problems (holding the nozzle so that the condensation goes back down into the nozzle instead of on my hands, not over-filling, be careful not to steam my fingers, making sure the garment is hanging high so I don't get burned) and it worked out fine.
For pants, I hang them upside down by the cuff and steam them that way. I don't get a razor-sharp crease like I do with an iron, but this is much gentler on my clothes and the crease I get is good enough for civilian life.
I recommend this for steamer for household use. It's a good product.
*edit*
I got the Whirlpool Fabric Freshener at a steep discount for a market research study. It usually sells for $200, but I prefer the this Con-Air steamer. It's not as cool looking as the Whirlpool gadget, but it gets the wrinkles out, is easier to store, and you don't have to buy replacement parts on a regular basis. (Whirlpool recommends buying $20 water cups for the Freshener every 6 months.) I'm sticking with the Con-Air model.
To be fair, clothes do come out smelling a lot fresher from the Whirlpool product than the Con-Air, but the Whirlpool product requires distilled water and steams in an eclosed space (heavy-duty canvas) and the Con-Air doesn't. I'm sure if I started using distilled water in the Con-Air product and steaming in an enclosed space, the Con-Air would make the fabric fresher, too.
I recommend this product because it's functional, convenient, and well within my budget.
Customer Review: Awesome! The perfect steamer at the perfect price!
Summary: 5 Stars
I spent several months researching garment steamers and could not decide which one I wanted - price vs. quality and which brand was best etc. So I decided to buy an inexpensive one and see if I liked it. Well... I love it and I'm so happy I didn't spend $200 on one either!
I took my 20% off coupon to Linens and Things and was able to compare several models side by side and CAUTION!!! the much more expensive Sharper Image model is the EXACT same as this one just a different color! As far as I could tell, this table top model was the same as the pro models but without the extension pole and with a smaller water tank - I mean, how long are you going to be steaming anyway?
When I got it home, it was easy to assemble - just stick the hose in, fill it up with water and turn it on. It took a few minutes - actually I realized I hadn't been paying attention and filled it way past the max fill line - ooops - but it still never overflowed or leaked. As soon as the water started boiling, it began to put out a lot of very hot steam. I was a bit worried that the hose was too stiff but once the steam started flowing, it became very flexible.
For all the people that did not like the short poles on the more expensive models, the over the door hanger was perfect. The steam handle hangs on it and it is a much better design for long pants or dresses.
I steamed a pair of curtains, a bed skirt, my comforter (still on the bed), a shower curtain, and a pilgrim outfit. I ran the steamer for about 30 min. and when I stopped, the water level had just made it down to the max line. My biggest problem was that I ran out of things to steam! I was having so much fun watching the wrinkles disappear from all my stuff!! I did steam my hand once or twice at first but I quickly figured out how to stop doing that!
I got this steamer for just under $25 and I couldn't be happier!
Customer Review: Great Little Steamer!
Summary: 5 Stars
This is a great little steamer and I mean little. I was surprised how small it is. My toaster oven is bigger! Still, it gets the job done.
Set up is easy, just remove the hose and pour water in the hole where the hose connects. There is a very clear line for the max amount of water. The unit will get HOT and you will hear the water boiling in the unit. The hose will be hot but the hose is covered where you hold it stays comfortable. Allow the unit to cool before you empty, water collects in the hose and that is boiling hot water. I allow the steamer to dry out before I put it away. This keeps it clean for mold and mildew, I don't want to steam that into my clothes. I also recommend using bottled water if you have hard water.
The door hanger is great, you can hang the clothes to steam and the hose as well, very nice.
I did a lot of research before I bought this steamer. I belong to a resale collective that has sales events twice a year and I needed a steamer that would allow me to steam over a hundred clothing items with ease, ironing is to much effort. I am glad I chose this steamer, It worked great on one of my sons old button down shirts, t-shirts and jeans, the wrinkles came out easily, it is the perfect size for the job I need it to do and then some. I only wish I could purchase attachments for the head, one with a brush and microfiber pad, that would be very useful.
For those that don't know the difference, this will NOT Iron your clothes, it will not give you that crisp ironed look and flat seams. This will remove wrinkles quickly without having to lug around the ironing board and iron.
I see many reviewers expecting more then it is designed to do.
Customer Review: Great Steamer, Low Price
Summary: 5 Stars
This steamer isn't perfect, but works good enough for most tasks. Great bang for the buck. I also used it to block my knitted items and it works like a charm.
It holds a good amount of water. It will sputter a little bit if the water accumulates in the hose. It's best to use the hanger and make sure the hose is completely straight, so any condensation flows back down. Give it a few minutes to heat up completely. If it sputters, hold the nozzle upright and shake gently to get the condensation to flow back down. I used this on delicate synthetic curtains and it was fast and easy to get the wrinkles out. It's also useful for straightening fabrics before sewing. I lay the fabric on my berber carpet and then steam horizontally. It's powerful enough to get strong creases out of 100% cotton quilting fabric. This is a LOT faster than ironing on a board!
It isn't a replacement for a real iron, though. I steamed some 100% linen pants and they turned out okay, but it's hard to hold the pants straight and steam at the same time. I was steaming them vertically. It might be easier to steam them horizontally.
I like how there is a place to wind the cord underneath. It is compact and stores easily in my closet. One downside is that the hose is hard to remove for water refill. It turns to one side, and then you pull it off. It takes quite a bit of force to pull it off.