Swan ProSteam foldable garment steamer review: a great affordable travel option

Overall star rating: 4.5/5

Price on writing: £30 | Buy now from Amazon

Key specs

Price: £30 | Tank Capacity: 120ml | Transparent Water Tank: Yes | Hanging Equipment: No | Accessories: Water jug, removable fabric brush | Power: 1,470W | Dimensions: H18.20cm x W10.40cm x D15.20cm | Weight: 800g

What we like

• Affordable price

• Folding handle so it’s easy to tuck in your suitcase

• Heats up quickly

• Sturdy base, so unlikely to topple over

• Surprisingly powerful

What we don’t like

• Tended to ‘spit’ when first switched on

• Doesn’t come with a travel bag

Related: The best budget washing machines under £500

Our verdict

Whether you are heading off on a city break or a weekend wedding, a clothes steamer is a must for your suitcase.

The team at Swan has come up with an ingenious steamer with a foldable handle, meaning it is compact enough to take on your holidays as well as taking up less storage space when you return home.

The Swan ProSteam foldable garment steamer heated up quickly and I found it to be surprisingly powerful, dispensing with creases efficiently, even from heavier fabrics like denim. I liked the sturdy base, so I felt I didn’t have to worry about the steamer potentially toppling over.

The Swan ProSteam doesn’t come with the range of accessories that other handheld clothes steamers do, but it’s a budget-friendly product that can do the job along with the best of them.

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Is the Swan ProSteam foldable garment steamer easy to set up?

The Swan ProSteam came with a small plastic jug to transfer water to the tank without any spillages. I removed the rubber stopper from the top of the tank and added 120ml of water before replacing the stopper. Once the tank had been filled, the steamer was ready to be plugged in. After a very speedy 15 seconds, the blue indicator light showed that the steamer was up to temperature and ready for use. In short, the Swan ProSteam is easy to set up and was ready to steam in no time at all.

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What is the Swan ProSteam foldable garment steamer like to use day-to-day?

Weighing just 800g, the Swan ProSteam is lightweight and comfortable to hold, while the 1.9-metre power cable offers the user a good amount of freedom. I found the steamer had a tendency to ‘spit’ when it was first switched on, plus there was an alarming smell of burning, which I hadn’t previously experienced with other clothes steamers that I had tested. Reassuringly, the instructions confirmed that this was totally normal and would disappear after the first few uses, which it did.

The ProSteam performed really well, and stubborn creases and wrinkles fell away quickly and easily, even in thicker fabrics. This is thanks to the ProSteam’s stainless steel steamer panel, which delivers even heat distribution. The tank is much bigger than the travel-friendly Tefal Pure Pop, but the max steaming time is only five to eight minutes, so if you have a large pile of clothes to steam, you may be better shelling out for the Propress MINI and its extra large Big Belly tank. One thing I did like about the Swan ProSteam, which was lacking on both the Tefal Pure Pop and Propress MINI, is its sturdy base, so when you put the steamer down to cool after use, there is no chance of it toppling over. Once the steamer has been cooled and emptied, a sliding switch allows the handle to be folded down for easy storage.

Swan recommends that the ProSteam is cleaned after every use to maintain the performance of the steamer. The steaming plate and steaming holes should be cleaned with a damp cloth, but steer clear of any abrasive cleaners, scouring pads, descaling agents or sharp objects.

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Does the Swan ProSteam foldable garment steamer come with any accessories?

The Swan ProSteam comes with a removable fabric brush, for use on finer fabrics, and a small jug to pour water into the tank. Unlike the Tefal Pure Pop and Propress MINI, the Swan does not come with a travel bag. 

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Does the Swan ProSteam foldable garment steamer offer value for money?

Priced at just £30 on Amazon at the time of writing (January 25th, 2024), I feel the Swan ProSteam foldable garment steamer offers great value for money. It compares favourably with the Tefal Pure Pop (£40 on Amazon at the time of writing). The Pure Pop has a much smaller tank (70ml), but from a traveller’s point of view, it is lighter and comes with a travel bag, if that is important to you.

If you want to save a few more pennies, you may be interested in the Swan SI12020N Handheld Garment Steamer (£22) as an alternative to the ProSteam. It has a much larger tank (250ml), so the steamer is slightly heavier as a result, but it also has an overheat protection safety feature and the same 1.9 metre-long cord to allow you to get to all the hard-to-reach places. But if you are after something compact and suitable for travel, the Swan ProSteam foldable garment steamer is a great budget buy.

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How we tested

Mumsnet reviewer Laura lives in Sussex with her husband and two kids, aged four and six. The Swan ProSteam foldable garment steamer was tested on an assortment of light and heavy fabrics on its ability to remove creases and wrinkles. Our reviewer also took into account how easy the clothes steamer was to set up, use and clean.

About Mumsnet Reviews

All Mumsnet product reviews are written by real parents after weeks of research and testing. We work hard to provide honest and independent advice you can trust. Sometimes, we earn revenue through affiliate (click-to-buy) links in our articles. However, we never allow this to influence our coverage.