It was a sad day when our expensive Philips garment steamer broke down. Instead of getting another, my wife decided that the Xiaomi Mijia Garment Steamer would work just as well, given that our now-useless steamer still has a nice hanger and board that we could use. But the Xiaomi handheld steamer did impress, though the small water reservoir means you have to refill every four-ish shirts.
Quicks specs
- 1200W output
- 1 speed only
- 130 degrees Celsius panel
The Mijia steamer heats up pretty quickly, in about 30 seconds, and you're ready to go. You press the button at the handle to put out pressurised steam. There are, however, no toggles to adjust the heat, or the amount of steam. But that's fine, because you don't really need it. I tried the steamer on my cotton shirts and long sleeve shirts, and the heat was just right. It didn't wet my clothes, too.
The steamer will occasionally put out a lot more steam all of a sudden, so be sure to use a heat-resistant glove to protect your hand. You can use the iron in either vertical or horizontal positions. Either position works fine, and it wasn't difficult to use at all. I was able to remove creases from my shirts really easy. My wife told me she usually needed to refill after two cotton outfits, but I was able to go up to four before a refill.
The steamer's 160ml water tank isn't the biggest — so you'll need to constantly refill it. But it's easy enough to do so, just twist the tank, and out it comes. The steamer also comes with a wool cleaning brush, and a 1.6m power cable. My version came with a Singapore-friendly 3-pin plug, so make sure you check before you buy. I also like that it's small enough that I can bring it on trips so I don't have to rely on the hotel having an iron.
At around S$35, the Xiaomi Mijia Garment Steamer is easily a can buy. Especially if your older steamer is not working anymore, but you still want to use its other features (such as the ironing board and hanger). Get it from Shopee, Lazada or Amazon.
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