Comparison Tefal Access Steam Care DT 9100 vs Philips ClearTouch GC 536

– Handheld garment steamer. A portable variation of the garment steamers. The design of such devices includes a steam outlet nozzle (sometimes combined with a mini iron, see "In box"), a miniature steam generation unit and a small volume tank; all this is combined in one case. Of course, in terms of performance and efficiency, manual steamers are inferior to stationary ones – however, they are quite capable of coping with products that do not require special intensity in processing. Separately, we note that such models are very convenient when traveling: the device does not take up much space in the luggage, while it can be used to easily put in order the clothes brought with you.

– Garment steamer. Devices designed primarily for vertical steaming, i.e. the treatment of clothes hung vertically with a jet of hot steam under pressure. Accordingly, a mandatory design element in such models is a stand with a hanger. Vertical steaming allows to effectively smooth out wrinkles – including on clothes for which a standard iron is not suitable, such as jackets and coats made of thick fabric, as well as products with an abundance of decorative details (rhinestones, sequins, etc.). At the same time, the procedure turns out to be more gentle than classic ironing – due to the fact that the nozzle does not crush fabric fibers, and the temperature does not exceed 100 °C even with intensive processing. Initially, v...ertical steaming was used mainly for shoulder items – shirts, dresses, etc.; however, nowadays you can find a lot of steamers with trouser clips (see "In box") and even special nozzles for forming arrows. And some models from this category are equipped with mini-irons, and even full-fledged irons, and can also be used for traditional ironing (in this case, an ironing board is often provided, but this feature is not strictly required).

— Mannequin. Steam ironing mannequins resemble the upper part of the human body or legs, depending on their purpose. A steam mannequin holds clothing in the desired position, making steaming and ironing easier. Upper body garments such as jackets, coats, vests, shirts, or hoodies are placed on the torso of the mannequin, and the ironing process occurs through moist-heat treatment (pressing and treating the items with dry steam). Mannequins shaped like legs are used for ironing and steaming pants, skirts, and other lower body garments.

Additional accessories and equipment supplied with the device.

Modern steamers can be equipped with ironing accessories – irons and mini irons, ironing boards, vertical stops, trouser clips, telescopic stands and additional bottom clips; accessories for processing fabrics – brushes, fabric nozzles, nozzles for delicate fabrics, for arrows; as well as some other items. Here is a more detailed description of the most common options:

– Iron. A classic iron connected to a steamer with a hose. Such equipment actually turns the device into a steam generator for ironing; and models equipped with an ironing board (see below) are often comparable in functionality with full-fledged ironing systems.

– Mini iron. Reduced analogue of a conventional iron. It is not designed for large volumes of ironing, but for simple tasks like ironing 1-2 items of clothing or refreshing a business suit, such a device is quite enough.

– Ironing board. The classic ironing board is a horizontal surface used for ironing fabrics. G...arment steamers are equipped with small boards, which are usually installed vertically during non-working hours and, to some extent, can also replace vertical stops. Usually such a board is mounted on a telescopic stand.

– Vertical stop. Device in the form of a plane mounted vertically. In fact, it is an analogue of an ironing board used for vertical steaming: the processed fabric can be pressed against such a “board”, providing more intensive and efficient processing. Foldable ironing boards can perform a similar function, but they are not considered vertical stops, because they are small and have limited capabilities (whereas a full-fledged stop allows you to completely process trousers or other similar clothing in one session).

– Fabric nozzle. Microfiber nozzle – fabrics based on microscopic fibers. It is used for vertical steaming of various fabrics, thanks to which the steam is evenly distributed over the entire treated surface. Does not leave particles of pile on the surface.

– Nozzle for delicate fabrics. The specific design of such nozzles may be different, however, in any case, they provide the most gentle treatment, with a reduced intensity.

— Brush. In this case, brushes are meant for cleaning clothes and other fabric products. Thanks to the effect of steam, cleaning with this nozzle is more effective than with a manual clothes brush.

– Nozzle for arrows. Special nozzles for forming arrows on trousers. Such nozzles are usually clips of a special design. They are not as convenient to use as traditional irons and mini irons, and the use of such a device requires certain skills. On the other hand, this type of nozzle allows you to refresh the arrows even if there is no ironing board or vertical stop.

– Trouser clip. A special clip that allows to hang trousers and other similar products on the stand of the garment steamer. By default, hangers are installed in steamers, however, for some products they are poorly suited or not suitable at all; in light of this, clips of this type are often also provided in the design. Typically, such a clip is a pair of specific clothespins mounted on the crossbar of the coat hanger.

– Bottom clip. Clip mounted on the garment steamer at the bottom of the stand; usually, it is equipped with a movable mount and can be adjusted in height, it is also often made detachable. In most models, such a device is combined with a trouser clip and has the same design – in the form of a pair of clothespins; however, there are steamers that have only the bottom pair of clothespins – in addition to the usual hangers. In any case, such a clip allows to stretch the clothes hanging on the stand – this further contributes to the effectiveness of the steaming.

– Telescopic stand. A garment steamer stand with a telescopic design – which allows to adjust the height at which the clothes hanger is located. The convenience of this feature is obvious: it makes it possible to adjust the height of the hanger to the specifics of the situation and a particular product. At the same time, telescopic stands are relatively inexpensive, so that such equipment is almost mandatory for modern garment steamers (with the exception of portable handheld varieties).

Rated power consumed by the device during operation. Usually, it is indicated by the maximum power consumption when used in normal mode, without abnormal situations.

In general, this parameter is secondary when choosing: manufacturers select power in such a way as to provide the necessary indicators of performance, pressure, etc. However, some practical points are also associated with power. So, with the same performance (see "Steam intensity"), a more powerful device will spend less time heating water and generating steam; it can also be provided with a more capacious boiler (see "Water boiler volume"), which is useful for long-term continuous operation. On the other hand, such devices turn out to be more expensive, and often also heavier and larger than relatively “weak” steamers, and besides, they load the mains more.

The second point related to power is just the calculations of the load on the wiring and various electrical equipment (protective automation, AVRs, generators, etc.).

The volume of the tank for the water supply provided in the device.

We emphasize that this indicator should not be confused with the volume of the boiler (see above): in this case, we are talking about a reservoir with a supply of cold water, from which such water enters the boiler for heating. Not every steam cleaner is equipped with such a reservoir.

Steam flow provided by the device. For models with power and/or humidity adjustment, this item indicates the maximum possible value.

When choosing according to this indicator, it should be borne in mind that the steam flow characterizes only the amount of water vapor produced by the device per minute. The intensity of the impact of this steam on the treated surface/product can be different, first of all, it depends on the working pressure. Therefore, only devices with similar pressure indicators can be directly compared by this indicator. When making these comparisons, it's worth assuming that higher steam flow allows to handle a large amount of work faster, but requires more powerful heaters and larger tanks – which, in turn, affects the dimensions, weight and price of the entire steamer.

Approximate time that the device is able to operate without breaks. This parameter is determined primarily by the performance and capacity of the boiler/tank: when the water supply is exhausted, the work will have to pause to replenish the stock. At the same time, for models with humidity and/or power adjustment, both the average time of continuous operation (at a certain standard mode), and the longest (at minimum intensity) or the shortest (at maximum) can be indicated; these details should be clarified separately.

It is worth saying that some models allow refueling with water right in the process of operation, but it also does not hurt to clarify this possibility separately.

Heating time until steam is generated. The duration of the heating process directly depends on the power of the device and the volume of the water tank.

We also note that in some situations the actual heating time may be less than the declared one. For example, if the main tank (boiler) is not completely filled, and the design does not provide an additional tank for cold water. For a full guarantee, you should still focus on the value directly stated in the specifications.

Safety system in case a curious little child gets to the device. The specific way the child protection works may vary. So, often it provides blocking the opening of the water tank — during operation, there is high-temperature steam under high pressure in the tank, and opening it, a curious baby can easily get a serious burn or injury. In some models, the controls may also be locked so that the child cannot turn on the device on its own or, taking advantage of the inattention of adults, change its mode of operation.

The length of the steam supply hose included with the steamer.

The longer the hose, the farther you can reach without moving the device itself. On the other hand, a large length can create inconvenience during storage and transportation, as well as when working at short distances.