Conair GS4 Compact Fabric Steamer Reviews

• Awesome! The perfect steamer at the perfect price!

  
  By A16IVRFRJHPKRH on 2004-11-30
  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!
  
  

• helps save your clothes and your wallet!

  
  By A13FS3MY1BVI7L on 2004-12-09
  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!
  
  

• Not worth the trouble..

  
  By A2LJJ4482V9LAW on 2006-01-10
  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.
  
  

• A Big Fat Joke & A Waste Of Money

  
  By A26OJ0URRO16CT on 2006-04-03
  I am a trained research assistant; therefore, I try to research products before I purchase them. In the case of this purchase, I saw the item during an early bird sale at Kohls, so I grabbed it. I owned a professional steamer that was purchased at a store that was going out of buisness, but it is really bulky, so I thought that the compact steamer would be a great choice. On the contrary, it was a big waste of time trying to dewrinkle a blouse, and although it was on sale, it was a waste of money. The problems I had were:
  
  1. The cord is too short: directions instruct user to hang nozzle on the door hook which hangs over the top of any door. The nozzle would not reach to the top of the door, and I live in a mobile home, so it is not like I have the tallest doors in a home.
  
  2. The most important thing in steaming a garment, for me, is to avoid the garment getting wet. I did not fill the steamer to the maximum line, because I know from past experience that this could sometime cause the spitting affect. After 2 minutes of waiting for the steam, I began to try it out on a silk blouse, and what a big mistake I made. The water spat out on the material. I thought that I should not hold the nozzle so close, but it did not matter, because water continued to spit out on the blouse.
  
  3. The steam pressure would not dewrinkle the blouse. The is not a case where the material was so hard to dewrinkle; it is silk, not that hard of a material.
  
  I have read other reviews, and if this machine worked for them, I don't know how, but I can attest to the operation of the steamer that I purchased. I dabble in selling clothing on another website, and I have owned my other steamer since 2002, and I will continue to use it; I will just have to deal with space that it takes up in my home. Conair GS4 Compact is a bust.
  
  
  

• Okay, but not a lifesaver

  
  By A2L6QEYXB53NB7 on 2005-01-04
  I thought that getting this would cut my ironing time in half, but really, it didn't. Basically, it's kind of like ironing on a vertical axis, rather than the traditional horizontal. It takes a while, and you have less control over where the wrinkles come out. It's a great addition to your home for things that you can't iron at all, like silks, so I would definately recomment this inexpensive model. However, if you think this will remove all wrinkles and the need to bring out the ironing board, you'll be disappointed.
  
  
• Can't imagine anyone liked this thing.
  By A18H6WVHKYYMBR on 2006-05-10
  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.
  
  
• I Love It!
  By AJ6H9ZV7TJUUT on 2007-04-21
  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.
  
  
• Not bad...but not what I expected
  By A2YA6NP39QK78K on 2006-02-24
  If you are looking for something just to turn on real quick and it gets all the wrinkles out of your shirt then you'll be disappointed. It takes a while to warm up and it takes about as much time as getting out your ironing board and iron and ironing out the wrinkles as it does to go over and over your shirt with the hose. It does get them out...it's just a little more time consuming than I'd like. I wanted something to just whip out and get the wrinkles out...like a quick steaming and it doesn't do that.
  
  
• Decent Steamer, Decent Price
  By AQNFNFXFM4ONU on 2005-03-22
  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.
  
  
• Conair steamer
  By A56Z4L13E0PQ9 on 2005-09-06
  This steamer was the 3rd one I tried. I had almost given up. This thing does the job. It really puts out steam and the design is great.
  
  
• Great for making synthetic dreadlocks!
  By A1P6SDM7CU2QKX on 2005-09-28
  If you're looking for a steamer to seal your synthetic hair dread extentions, this one will work like a dream. It's hot enough, steamy enough, you don't have to add water very often, and best of all, it's nowhere near as expensive as the other upright models. Why pay an additional 100 dollars for a pole? This steamer comes with an over-the-door hook to hold the steamy end of the device as it warms up or when you aren't using it (to let the water in the tube drain back into the reservoir), and works just as well as any pole.
  
  I also steam our clothing with it, it's quicker and safer than any iron.
  
  Amazing price for such a useful product.
  
  
• good for the money
  By A9KAY47NCPQS on 2006-01-29
  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.
  
  
• I burned my eye pretty bad.
  By AKN3TJ9KL5PVN on 2006-03-07
  This is a dangerous steamer. Sometimes it will pour steaming water and burn you badly. definitely not recommended. I am throwing mine away.
  
  
• Excellent
  By AAH5HYHNPV6ZA on 2007-03-12
  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.
  
  
• Great Steamer
  By APUB5863Q95KV on 2008-03-03
  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.
  
  
  
• Conair GS4 Compact Fabric Steamer
  By APP063CM4N4MF on 2005-09-06
  This item is fabulous. I take it on my vacations and it fits in a carry on piece of luggage. It is very lightweight and compact and steams just as well as my full size steamer. What really drew me to this is the airport has weight restrictions on luggage and my full size steamer always put me overweight and took up too much room in the suitcase. This compact steamer is really great for travel of any kind. It makes your clothes wrinkle free in minutes without bothering with an iron.
  
  
• Conair GS4 Compact Fabric Steamer
  By A2J1IOKYYCCRQ1 on 2005-10-27
  Great! I hate to iron and now I don't have to!! I use this steamer almost every day. It is so easy and quick!
  
  
• As much work as ironing
  By A1LZRV4EYHZ846 on 2006-06-25
  For the price, it IS amazing that this steamer does anything, which accounts for all the rave reviews. This little number is not real powerful, so you don't get the effortless, quick steamer results that most of us seek. The steam output is low, so you go over and over the garment, with little improvement. Forget about using it on linen. Even on thin cotton, it creates tiny spider wrinkles. You have to hold the hose vertically to prevent water from spurting, which is awkward and dangerous, as the hose gets HOT. You have to have a door near an electrical outlet. Then the hook doesn't fit over the thickness of the door, nor does the hose reach the item hanging from it. It is as much work as ironing, but with ironing, you can eventually achieve the desired result. The steamer is compact, heats quickly and doesn't take up much room. I returned mine, but there may be a few people who like this steamer.
  
  
• The Best Cheap Steamer I've Tried
  By A1TNZKWOXB75U5 on 2006-09-29
  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.
  
  
• it works well
  By A3APGOYG22TFNM on 2007-02-12
  I have never used a steamer with a hose before. I purchased new drapes and they were very creased from being in the package. The cost to have them steamed and then get then home without creasing scared me off. So I decided to get a steamer. The canister holds enough water to steam 4 panels, liners too. It worked great. I am not sure about the attachments. I tried a shirt and I will probably still dry clean or iron the shirts because I cannot figuire out how to do the sleeves and sides. But the trousers were easy and came out great. My only complaint was that it seems to sputter water and its hot and if the hand you hold the fabric with is above the nozzle the steam rises and you can be burned. But I love it and will be more careful. I am sure with practise I might even be able to do shirts.
  
  
• Won't replace your iron.
  By A2IJ2VEKZ74SV0 on 2005-08-11
  Bought this today after researching it online. It took a little too long to heat up, and after using it for 20 minutes, I wasn't impressed. It takes about as long to steam a shirt as it would have to iron it, and frankly I was disappointed with the results. Sure it removed most of the wrinkles, but didn't leave the smooth look and feel of being freshly pressed. As someone said earlier, if you think this will replace your iron, you're sadly mistaken. My iron is coming back out, and the steamer is going back.
  
  
• Great product for the money!
  By A15YZW696B6XF9 on 2007-01-07
  I first tried a portable Rowenta steamer and was very dissapointed. This one is also compact and works much better. Make sure you keep the hose in an upright position and don't overfill the tank and it will work great! My only wish for this product would be a switch that would temporarily hault the steam. It would be helpful when moving from one item of clothing to the next. Well worth the money.
  
  
• Good for the price
  By ADPRFBC6ESEAA on 2007-02-06
  I bought this steamer to use on new silk curtains, which were creased. For the price, it works fine. It takes a little while to heat up but once it's hot, it produces plenty of steam.
  
  The hose collects quite a bit of water, and makes snapping sounds. It can also leave drips on the fabric and the floor. Be very carfeful, as water drops can leave marks on silk. Also the drips are very hot, and can burn you.
  
  I looked at other professional steamers, and they were just too expensive. This works for any small steam application such as curtains, tablecloth, formal dresses, etc.
  
  
• Excellent little machine
  By A3DL7EUTS6T5T2 on 2007-07-03
  In the past, I've used numerous small clothes steamers, and this steamer by Conair . . . GS4 . . . is definitely superior to all of them.
  
  The Pros:
  Water heats up very quickly, allowing short wait time to start steaming. Compact size, easy to store.
  Removes wrinkles from every fabric type I have used it on.
  
  The Con:
  Electric cord is not long enough . . . should be a minimum of 8 feet. Because of its shorter length, most people might need to add an extension cord.
  
  I'm very pleased with this purchase, and wish I had bought it sooner.
  
  
• Cheap, but it won't replace your iron.
  By A3GG256R9KA2VS on 2006-01-05
  I read the reviews, and decided to give a chance to this steamer. It is simple to operate - fill the steamer with water, plug it in, wait a couple of minutes. I waited for a while hoping to get the "continuous steam through high-velocity jets...". Nothing like that, though. Just a weak steam that WILL NOT take the wrinkles out of most shirts or trousers. So don't expect this piece of equipment to replace your iron or visit to the dry cleaners.
  
  However, I believe this could work fine with special care (maybe silk) pieces. But don't expect it to save you time, as you have to go slowly over your clothing - just as you will do with an iron.
  
  I give it 2 stars because of its price (saw it on CVS and Kmart for around 30 bucks) and how easy it is to use. And although it won't replace the iron or dry cleaners, it can become handy for some materials that shouldn't be ironed.
  
  
• Does what is supposed to do!
  By AD8FJ9WZTVAHH on 2007-07-13
  I travel a lot in my job and often there is not time to make it to the dry cleaners between trips. The Conair fabric steamer does a good job of knocking out the "airplane" wrinkles and refreshing my suits. I recently had several back-to-back trips and was gone from home for ten days. I put the Conair is a small soft carry on bag and took it with me. It was a bit ackward, and raised the interest of one airport security screener, but it worked great.
  
  
• BEWARE ... SLOW WARMUP TIME
  By A259HKJCO7J6AL on 2007-09-10
  I read all the rave reviews here and bought one of these with confidence .. BUT was most disappointed .. the warmup time is a full 8 min and then you only have limited steaming time. But worse than all that is that you have to remove the hose to fill the base with water and it's all made of plastic .. hard to open and easy to break. I'm returning mine and going to try the mid priced Conair Ionic one .. hoping for faster warm up time and a sturdier unit.
  
  
• Handy and really powerful
  By A2RR10TF8E26GK on 2005-08-06
  I ordered it because it's handy and very easy to stow away. That's a big plus already. But after I used it the first time (curtain and a silk skirt) I was really surprised. It works better than I had expected. Great purchase! And the price is
  unbeatable!
  
  
• Fabulous Steamer, Way to Go Conair
  By A2U4N0SDPQQ884 on 2005-12-12
  After reading other reviews I decided to get this...am I glad I did. I will never pick up my heavy, prone to scorching, expensive iron ever again! This steamer is wonderful. Just find a safe place to hang it and you will actually enjoy making your clothes look so great, so fast! Go for it!
  
  
• Exactly What I Was Looking For
  By A1NCN90RJH1ROG on 2007-03-16
  I am a semi-professional photographer and I was looking for a nice compact steamer to use in my small studio. I saw this unit and decided to give it a try. Works great at removing wrinkles in my backgrounds and makes it much easier than trying to iron and place back up on stands without wrinkles. Great product.
  
  

• Woolite Dry Cleaner's Secret Dry Cleaning Cloths, 14-Count Box
• LC Creations Keep On Truckin' Round Table

• Woolite Dry Cleaner's Secret Dry Cleaning Cloths, 14-Count Box
• Proctor Silex K2070H 1-Quart Automatic Electric Kettle, White
• Omron HBF-400 Body Fat Monitor and Scale
• Black & Decker D2030 Auto-Off Digital Advantage Iron
• Home Touch PS-200 Perfect Steam Commercial Garment Steamer