# Pants Press or Garment Steamer?



## Jrdman (Jan 21, 2010)

Hello everyone,

I was hoping to get some advice on a purchase I hope to make soon.

Let me start by saying I am TERRIBLE at ironing - it takes me forever and my end results are always less than perfect. So when I have some pants or shirts that are wrinkled I just take them to the dry cleaner and have them washed. This is of course expensive and damaging to the clothes, so I've decided to invest in something to do this for me at home.

The question is, should I get a pants press or a garment steamer? The steamer of course would do both shirts and pants, but I'm not sure if they can crease the pants. On the other hand, the pants press can crease but won't be able to do shirts. I should also say that pants are more of an issue for me than shirts, since all of my shirts are non-iron (I know, I know - throw them out - but for an iron-challenged person like myself, they're a god send). 

Has anyone had experience with these products? What are some good brands to look at?

Thanks for your help!


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## InsbrokerTX (Jul 25, 2008)

I love my garment steamer. Use it regularly and believe it is some of the best money I've spent.


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## PedanticTurkey (Jan 26, 2008)

They do different things. I find that I use the pants press much more than the steamer. You can't press a crease with a steamer, period. Pants press keeps the crease of your trousers looking sharp for many wears.

Jefferyd, a tailor who posts on here (and has a great blog whose name escapes me at the moment) recommends using an iron instead of a steamer for all purposes. Personally I think the steamer is useful for some applications (crotch of pants, back of jacket) and should be avoided in most others.


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## PJC in NoVa (Jan 23, 2005)

I use both, but they are more for touch-up and maintenance than for commercial-quality pressing.

I use the steamer to remove the wrinkles that my suit jackets and sportcoats develop along the sleeves where the crooks of my elbows are, and across the back of the jacket if I have done a lot of sitting in the jacket that day. I do this after pretty much every wearing. This kind of wrinkling is worse when it's hot and humid out, of course, and less severe in the winter, but either way a steamer application will take care of it.

Be sure to let garments air out till they are fully dry before you put them back in the closet.

I use the trouser press to keep the creases in my wool dress trousers sharp. If I get accordion wrinkles at the back of the knees, I also use the steamer as the t.p. won't get those out.

The brands to look for are Corby (press) and Jiffy (steamer). eBay is your friend.

Be advised that you can't use these tools to press cotton dress shirts, nor will they work if you get major wrinkling, or if a soaking causes the crease to disappear from your trousers altogether (like the time I got caught in a sudden downpour while wearing one of my Hickey-Freeman suits--the suit had to go to the cleaners after that episode).


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## The Raven (Nov 7, 2006)

I have a Jiffy steamer and find it very useful for removing wrinkles from, and freshening, wool clothes. This is what it does best and I belive it can reduce the need to send wool suits and slacks to the cleaners for cleaning or pressing. I belive in this regard it has paid for itself.

I also find the steamer useful for removing wrinkles from casual cotton shirts and slacks that don't require pressing -- polo shirts, jeans, t-shirts. If I didn't have the steamer, except for special occasions, I would probably just wear most of these clothes just a little more wrinkled rather than try and iron them.

The steamer isn't good for dress shirts or slacks made out of cotton. The steamer DOES NOT press garmets; it removes wrinkles.

You might want to look into (gasp) non-iron cotton pants if you are happy with the shirts.


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## Jrdman (Jan 21, 2010)

Thanks for all of the advice everyone.

So if I have a pair of wool pants (I think all of my pants are wool), and they're just wrinkled after a couple of times wearing them, then it sounds like a pants press would be the most useful tool...right?

P.S. an hour I ago spent some instructional videos online about ironing trousers and then tried it out...20 minutes ago I gave up and went to the dry cleaners. So ironing is really not going to do it for me.


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## xerais (Sep 12, 2009)

I have a steamer that I regularly use to get wrinkles out of my suits and pants. I am currently thinking about getting a pants press as well, especially when I can find them for under $100 on eBay. I know another member mentioned Corby as a decent brand, are there any other brands that members have had positive or negative experience with?


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## The Raven (Nov 7, 2006)

Jrdman said:


> So if I have a pair of wool pants (I think all of my pants are wool), and they're just wrinkled after a couple of times wearing them, then it sounds like a pants press would be the most useful tool...right?


In my opinion you just described the perfect application for a steamer (assuming the pants are 100% wool).


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## ilikeyourstyle (Apr 24, 2007)

I used to ruin the front/crotch area of my wool pants by repeatedly ironing them. Now I just spray them with the steam burst on my iron, and the wrinkling comes out with any direct contact. No shiny wool, no wrinkles, and really easy to do. As for the legs of the pants, I occasionally refresh the crease with one pass of the iron. They should not need much more than that unless you are sitting cross-legged in your chair all day.


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## Jrdman (Jan 21, 2010)

The Raven said:


> In my opinion you just described the perfect application for a steamer (assuming the pants are 100% wool).


Ok, now I am really confused.

Could someone explain to me what a pant's press is for then, if not to get wrinkles out of pants?


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## cge (Sep 12, 2009)

ilikeyourstyle said:


> Now I just spray them with the steam burst on my iron, and the wrinkling comes out with any direct contact.


This will destroy all the iron-work done on the clothes and blow seams, just like a steamer-will it not?

I have my clothes pressed with an iron and press-cloth. It's never ruined them, and doesn't cause any shine. Note that if you're doing passes with an iron, you're not pressing correctly: the iron shouldn't be rubbed across the fabric, as this will stretch it-unless, of course, you _want_ to stretch the fabric.

This blog post (jefferyd's blog, if I recall correctly) has more information.


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## anselmw (Jul 5, 2005)

I have both, pants press to keep the crease and light wrinkles on pants. I have the Jiffy steamer for the jacket wrinkles.

I also have a third steamer called the whirpool garment freshener. I use it for light wrinkles as well as clearing any scents I have picked up if I was in a smoky area. It works great. hang the clothing item in the machine, zip it up, add water, press the button and in 20 or so minutes the clothes comes out smelling fresh and most wrinkles will be gone.


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