Customer Reviews

Conair GS4R Compact Fabric Steamer

5 star:		(56)
4 star:		(44)
3 star:		(20)
2 star:		(18)
1 star:		(39)

 

 

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!

I love silk everything, so my dry cleaner loves me. Like many people, I take a boatload of items in every few weeks and hope they don't wrinkle again on the way home or in my closet ... the whole process is expensive, and this little steamer really helps save your clothes and your wallet. It generates a strong, steady flow of steam in about five minutes, and is easy to fill, carry, and store. With one max fill I was able to refresh three silk cardigans, smooth the wrinkles out of three silk blouses and a few of my husband's ties -- a good 20 minutes of steaming. It comes with an over-the-door hanger, and two other attachments (brush and velour) that slide over the nozzle head. Instructions for the unit are clear, but nothing is said about the additional attachments. The steamer itself is thoughtfully designed -- the nozzle hose coils around the unit, and the head locks into place on top of the steamer, and underneath the steamer is a built-in cord wrap for the power cord.

I don't know how favorably this would compare to the fabric steamers in the $200 range, or how this would work for someone who wants to give up ironing altogether ... but this has definitely reduced my dry cleaning trips, and will help extend the life of some of my favorite clothes. Definitely a worthwhile investment at under $30!

O.K., it's probably not the best steamer in the world but for the price, it's a great value. I've only had it a little over a month and I've already found so many uses for it that it's more than paid for itself. I'm a knitter and find that it works beautifully for steaming and blocking my delicate handknits. Of course, it's great for other clothes too and my drapes never looked better. Tonight I used it to steam out an area rug that had been rolled up too long and had developed some serious creases and it worked like a charm. Now I only wonder why I waited so long to buy it.

I'll start by saying I am an avid sewer and have been sewing for over 20 years but have never owned a steamer. I love my iron and the extremely crisp look of a nicely ironed garment. Why I finally decided I needed a steamer is because I was making several outfits out of expensive velvet that cannot be safely ironed without potential permanent damage to the velvet. After researching a variety of steamers, I decided upon this Conair Compact Fabric Steamer based mostly on the customer reviews and price. My only real concern was with the reports of the steamer "spitting" but at least one helpful reviewer commented that this problem was easily avoided by following the instructions and raising the hose occasionally to allow condensation to drain back into the tank (this is 100% effective in completely eliminating that issue - my steamer NEVER spits on my garments!)

After reading the instructions and setting my steamer up, the 1st thing I steamed was an old piece of velvet which had be folded and stored in a box for at least 10 years. I didn't expect this fabric to be recovered or restored into any usable condition as it was extremely wrinkled, but after just a few minutes of steaming it was as wrinkle-free and beautiful as the day it was bought.

I steamed many garments that day, cotton, poly, cotton blends, shirts, pants, skirts, etc. and of course, the velvet britches, cape, and dress I was making. I am extremely satisfied and happy with my steamer, it worked better than I hoped or expected on everything I steamed that day, especially the velvet.

On the silk, wool, and velvet garments and sweaters that I would never iron anyway, this steamer is fabulous and, on these types of garments, I would completely recommend the steamer with no reservations.

My only reservation is this...
If you are obsessive and compulsive about your shirts and/or pants being extremely crisp like me, you definitely will not want to abandon your iron. I was not able to get my shirts to look like they had been compulsively ironed and starched, but the wrinkles were removed and they looked nice. One good thing about this is that my teenaged son and daughter do not like the obsessively crisp starched look in their clothes but I don't like the "just rolled out of bed" look, this steamer will give you a nice happy medium - neat but not compulsively so.

I bought this a week ago, It works well with most materials (collars still need to be ironed for the most part... but expect that with any steamer). It is 1200 watts, 300 less than the top of the line Jiffy and Rowenta models but in my eyes works just as well from reading reviews. You may have to make one extra pass, but to say 70-150 bucks...its worth it. It also comes with a door hook as opposed to those gangly pole models which I hear break easily. The only drawback I see is the hose length, there is a reason they call it a table top steamer... it will reach hanger to floor when set down by a door, but dont expect slack. All in all a fairly decent model.

This is a decent product for the price. Use it 6 times and it will have paid for itself in dry cleaning bills. I agree with the other reviewer who said that steaming is not a panacea, but is like ironing vertically rather than horizontally, and some time and energy are still required. However this product is really good for people who don't know how to iron. I've burned things trying to iron. I have found that you cannot really damage clothes with a steamer, and on that ground I find this to be superior to ironing.

The Conair people could improve this product by making it more compact to store.

Excellent!!!!!!!I ordered the Steamer based on the reviews it recieved and thought it only fair now that I have one to give a review. It took me 45 minutes to Steam a weeks worth of Clothes. Now I can just get up and go.

I have owned 4 steamers. One was the SteamMax Vapor Steam Cleaner, and at $700.00 it was wonderful and I used it for everything. I also owned one for $70 bucks that was very good and unfortunately cannot rememember the name. But, in the under $30 range, this is the only one that actually worked in one pass over fabric. There are some techniques I used to keep splattering to a minimum, like getting all my clothes on hangers in a pile, ready to be steamed, and a place to move the finished ones close by. In a short period, I steamed all my laundry. And I pull the fabric down at the ends which helps the wrinkles come out more easily. I am interested in seeing how long this product lasts.

I gave the steamer a fair try. First time I used..worked okay, took awhile to get the wrinkles out of an average 80% cotton blouse..longer than I thought it would but for the price compared to the much more expensive steamers, that's what was expected. 2nd use and it sputtered, spewed water all over my shirt constantly and it was a complete mess. Had to steam even LONGER this time as it was producing more water spewage than steam and the shirt was completely wet with so much steam and all the sputtering of water. Checked settings, hose, water level, instructions..no use. Completely unwearable shirt and unusable product. Not happy and am returning.

I hate to iron and despise the cost of dry cleaning...so, I was really excited when I saw this steamer at CVS. It was reasonably priced and sounded wonderful. I was bragging about how much I loved this steamer after using it just once! It was easy and fast....then, the second time I used it---Water everywhere!

Water started to spit and spray out of the (sealed and closed) base of the steamer. I had turned the top to the locked position...but, the black rubber ring (supposed to keep the thing sealed?) was all twisted up---explaining why it wasn't working. Well, I fixed that rubber thing back into place, but it still kept spraying boiling water. SO, right now it's sitting in the corner waiting to be thrown out.

I'm very frustrated with this product, but love the way that clothes steamers work. It looks like I'm going to have to bite the bullet and buy an expensive one. But, how expensive should these things be? All they do is boil water and shoot it out of a nozzle, right?

This product is a waste of time and money...I can't believe that there were any good reviews.