After the past two years, we have all tried to be conscious of germs. From singing “Happy Birthday” while washing our hands to hoarding hand sanitizer, the overall alert around germs has been heightened and measures have been taken to eliminate them. However, you may not remember to use antibacterial wipes every time you’re cleaning your house. Plus, you may have run out. But what if you had a device that not only could sanitize and disinfect your home but also keep your clothes from wrinkling? Enter the Laurastar IGGI steamer.
The Laurastar IGGI steamer is a handheld 2-in-1 device that disinfects fabrics and more. With high-pressure steam, it can keep your home cleaner and keep you looking better. It’s targeted at those who need it for travel but also families who want to keep their kids’ toys clean. Does it hold up? I reviewed it to find out.
Pros
- Expertly designed with good safety features
- Heats up incredibly fast
- Kills 99.9% of germs without using chemicals
- Compact enough to carry
Cons
- Expensive
- A bit noisy
IGGI design
The Laurastar IGGI design is a rather simple one but it is made from Swiss engineering, so it has been tested vigorously. It looks similar to other steamers you may have seen before with a nozzle and a trigger that shoots out the steam. But it is incredibly efficient, more than 15x faster than other leading steamers. You receive the refill bottle that carries three ounces of water and has an auto-stop function. You fill this up and unscrew the cap on the device and push the bottle into the device. That causes the water to come out. You can use distilled water and bring three ounces of it with you and it won’t leak, thanks to the bottle design.
Once you load up the canister with water, you screw the cap back on. You plug it in and it immediately starts heating. There’s an orange light that lets you know it’s heating and when it’s done, it turns green. It takes no more than two and a half minutes. Not only is that an indication that the bottom is hot, but there is a safety near the nozzle that prevents you from accidentally pushing the trigger and having hot steam come out when you don’t want it to. Once the safety is off, you can use the device. The Laurastar IGGI also comes with a thermoprotective glove that you can wear while using it.
Disinfecting abilities
When you pull the trigger, it will shoot out hygienic Dry Microfine Steam (DMS). This can disinfect all kinds of fabrics and objects. I used it on door knobs and toys around my home. The noise that comes out is a bit loud, but the fine steam comes out in a strong force, thoroughly covering your surface. You don’t need chemicals to disinfect the areas and, while the steam may leave some moisture on the surface, it doesn’t saturate it and it dries rather quickly. It kills 99.9% of germs.
Laurastar IGGI steaming ability
While disinfecting is a great feature of this, it really is great as a portable handheld clothes steamer. Using the same methods of pouring in distilled water, plugging it in, heating it up, and then pressing the trigger, the DMS will work wrinkles out. Again, this won’t saturate your fabric like some irons do if water happens to leak out of it. I was able to steam with one hand and pull the fabric with the other in order to work the wrinkles out.
It only took a matter of moments to notice the difference. The steam is warmed and works its way through wrinkles. My shirt, which was decently wrinkled, was much tidier and ironed within minutes. The steam also didn’t run out easily. It lasted a while, so I was able to disinfect and do a few more shirts in a short amount of time. When you are done steaming, you also can’t open up the canister quickly. There is a button that prevents it from opening if it’s too hot, another great safety feature. Once the canister has cooled enough, the button is able to be pushed in and the cap can be unscrewed.
IGGI portability
On top of the refill bottle and glove, it also comes with a drawstring bag that will fit the IGGI. The product measures 4.3″ x 4.3″ x 10″. It is simple to put in the bag and fit in with luggage. Using it while it’s plugged in works but it also works while unplugged. You don’t need to be near an outlet to use this. The refill bottle and glove are easy to store too. The steamer weighs 2.2 pounds, meaning anyone can use it.
Conclusions
This is great for a lot of different people. Those with kids, who travel a lot for business, or just who need to steam clothes at home will benefit from this. Your amount of use for this will help justify if the cost makes sense for you. At $300, it is pricey.
The competition
There are other steamers that will disinfect, as seen by steam mops and steam cleaning machines. While the IGGI isn’t great for steam cleaning your floors, it’s great for smaller surfaces and specific objects. Options from Conair or PurSteam can do more for larger surfaces and may not cost as much.
Should I buy the Laurastar IGGI handheld steamer?
Yes, especially if you want to keep items in your home clean and your clothes wrinkle-free at home or on trips.
