If you’re looking to lock in moisture, the best hair steamers help hydrate and open hair cuticles to allow products to better penetrate your strands. This is particularly great for coily, curly, wavy, and low porosity hair types. You’re basically getting the most out of your deep conditioners, treatments, hair masks and even leave-in conditioners, says Kerry E. Yates, trichologist and founder of Colour Collective. As someone with coily hair, I decided to try three at-home hair steamers, and found that Pattern Beauty’s newest hair steamer was worth it. It comes with two attachments, a prong to lift and separate hair to better steam from root to tip, and a diffuser to scoop up curls so the steam reaches all the way down to parched ends. Read on for my full review, plus top-rated recommendations from hair stylists and experts for your next wash day routine.
The best hair steamers at a glance
Does it benefit a particular hair type more than others?
According to Yates, while anyone can benefit from the use of a hair steamer, curlier hair types and textures like 4c hair might reap the most reward from them in their hair care routine. “It’s used quite a bit on super curly hair to ensure a treatment is effective from root to tip; the bends in the curly hair can make equal distribution of a treatment product difficult,” she says
What are the advantages and disadvantages of a hair steamer?
The main advantage of using a hair steamer is hair health as it helps to “improve product efficacy,” Yates says. However, the downside is that these tools can be misused and end up doing more harm than good. “The disadvantage is that misusing it can cause burns and/or even hair damage,” Yates says. Christine Bellemare, co-founder, owner and lead hair stylist at Maven A Collect adds, “Hair steamers are a good option for those with dry hair, as they enhance product penetration and support deep hydration during conditioning treatments.” She continues, “However, steamers can be expensive, and finding 15 minutes to steam your hair might not always be feasible. A simple alternative is to use a deep conditioner in the shower, allowing the natural steam to boost the treatment’s effectiveness for similar results.”
Is steam better than heat?
Yates explains that when using the right tool, opting for a steamer can be a little easier and better to use on the hair than plain heat because of how well the temperature of the steam and the steam’s distribution through the hair is controlled.
How should someone choose a good hair steamer?
While there seem to be improvements to hair steamers that can be used at home, there still needs to be caution around using these tools. Bellemare highly recommends that people follow instructions carefully and use it in combination with high-quality hair care products suited to your specific needs to ensure safety and efficacy. However, as a professional trichologist, Yates firmly believes in leaving this step to the pros.
Original video by Glamour tester Jamie Wilson
In the past using a hair steamer at home was a no-no and best left to the salon professionals. But, Pattern Beauty’s makes it easy to use. I loved how uniform the steam was released, in fine particles, and at a moderate temperature too which is so important when it comes to safety. I have coily hair and preferred the diffuser attachment since it was easy to clump my curls together and steam them making the process faster. I liked that the pronged tool easily moved up and down my hair shaft without pulling my hair out, so I didn’t have to detangle again. When I steamed my strands I’d already coated them in leave-in treatment, so one of the things I noticed after the process was that my formerly parched strands felt much more moisturized and softer too. Just keep in mind that the brand recommends using distilled water to avoid any mineral build up that can happen with tap or spring water.
- Pros: Easy to operate and has a sleek design
- Cons: It’s a bit heavy for a hand-held product
I’ve tried this thermal cap while doing both deep conditioning treatments as well as oil treatments and it works well for both. I like that it doesn’t take long to heat up (about a minute) and although it needs to be plugged into an outlet, the cord is actually a decent length so you don’t feel stuck at one spot. One of the perks of having a heated cap to steam your hair is that the maintenance is pretty simple. Vicarko’s cap is detachable and the inside lining is easy to wipe down. It offers gentle heat to steam wet hair and allows any deep conditioners, masks, or treatments to absorb better (one of the benefits of steaming) into the hair without overheating the scalp. It also has a 10 temperature setting with a timer to customize temperature settings and can automatically shut off at 30, 45 and 60-minute time intervals.
- Pros: Simple to clean and maintain
- Cons: Although it uses gentle heat, it might not feel hot enough for some users
The KingSteamer is an Amazon best-seller with thousands of highly-rated reviews. Along with being a hair steamer it also comes with a facial steamer making it a package deal. Reviewers love that it’s easy to assemble and quiet. It’s also not a hand held tool which can help create a salon environment at home since the dome design hovers over the hair to get the job done. This would be an ideal pick for anyone who wants to relax and give their arms a break during a marathon wash day. “Tabletop steamers like this one are a versatile, space-saving option that works well for most hair types,” says Bellemare.
- Pros: It’s great value since it has both a hair and face steamer; auto-off function
- Cons: Might be difficult to clean and maintain product
I’ve used this pick while traveling and it made keeping up with my hair routine while on the go so much easier. Not only that, but it’s also TSA-friendly and doesn’t take up much space in a suitcase or carry-on. After one minute in the microwave, yes microwave, this heat cap is ready to steam your conditioned hair. Unlike other options for steaming hair, this pick is basically a portable shower cap steamer that’s super easy to use. However, it doesn’t offer things like temperature control heat settings, timers, or built-in attachments like some of the other hair steaming options available which can be a slight downside. So for me, it was like a step up from steaming your hair in the shower while wearing a shower cap. But if you’re trying to keep things as simple as possible when it comes to taking care of your hair, then this hair steaming option might just be the item you need.
- Pros: Compact and great for traveling
- Cons: No heat or temperature controls
For those who can’t afford a steamer Bellemare suggests replicating the effect “by applying a deep conditioning treatment in the shower, covering your hair with a plastic cap to trap steam, and leaving it on for about 15-20 minutes.” However, this budget-friendly Amazon pick might be right up your alley to give you the desired effect without breaking the bank. This is an electronic temperature control heating cap that uses heat to steam damp strands which is ideal for those who love to add a heated steaming process to their deep conditioning treatment or mask treatments for an improved product result. Adding a steam treatment like this would be great for anyone who is dealing with temporary dryness, has chronically dry hair or wants to manage frizz and work on hair growth.
- Pros: Boasts a wider cap size for people with very thick or long hair
- Cons: Although it has an adjustable drawstring it might still be loose on smaller heads
The cap is designed to be wide and deep for optimal coverage no matter how much hair you have while still being compact enough to fit in a smaller space for storage. A design benefit that users love is that it has an automatic shut-off timer so that you don’t have to count down yourself. It also heats up relatively fast but has a built-in thermostat to turn the power on or off to maintain your desired steam temp (which is adjustable with this tool’s temperature settings). After steaming, you can go straight into styling with your usual hair products whether that is with a blow dryer or a heatless option.
- Pros: It’s travel-friendly and includes an automatic timer function
- Cons: Might be a big loose on smaller head sizes
For those of you who are a bit more advanced, this hair steamer will bring the salon home for the ultimate hair styling experience. While it is a bit bigger than most of the tools on this list, if you have the space it might be worth the investment especially if you have thicker hair. Bellemare explains, “Hooded steamers like this one are ideal for full coverage, especially for thick or curly hair.” Although this steamer is on the list it has a swivel rolling base so that it can easily be relocated without much hassle. It is said to also be relatively quiet compared to other professional hair steamers which is a plus too.
- Pros: Although it’s big, it can easily be moved around with its wheel attachments
- Cons: Takes up a lot of space and needs to be assembled
