You’re this close to weekends down the shore, the big trip you’ve been packing for since February, or the annual family migration to the Cape. While bare feet and flowy cover-ups might suffice for 20 hours out of 24 on a beach day, occasionally you’ll need a non-rumpled pair of shorts to wear to dinner. In that case, you’ll want to tote along Rowenta’s Ultrasteam Steambrush, a super-light, handheld clothes-steamer that’s about a foot long and takes two minutes max to set up.
Seriously, take those rain boots out of your suitcase—you do not need them—and throw this in instead.
If there’s one household chore I detest, it’s ironing, and the last time and place you want to worry about finding and unfolding an ironing board, then wait for a hot appliance to heat up, all the while boiling yourself as you finally get to working those stubborn, unsightly creases out, is on vacation. Am I right?
Just plug in, and the thing heats up almost instantaneously, making it convenient for last-minute touch-ups (using the hair straightener has its limits). Rather than a clunky water tank, the handle has a built-in compartment that snaps in and out to refill with enough H2O to steam about two very wrinkled tops. A no-brainer dial controls steam output by fabric type, and a few quick swipes down both a delicate silky camisole and a linen t-shirt left both blessedly wrinkle-free.
A bonus: Steaming removes odors from clothes that’ve been stuffed in a bag all week, too. At $40, the device is well worth its value in making life a little bit easier.
If your Type A self must iron, the brand’s First Class Travel Iron ($39.99), at under two pounds and about 8 inches long, is a comparably efficient alternative to the sketchy salt-rusted one in the beach-rental linen closet. With its own travel pouch and multi-function as a steamer when held vertically, it’s a smart buy for future dorm-dwellers, too. Find the Rowenta Ultrasteam Steambrush and First Class Travel Iron at any Bed Bath & Beyond or Macy’s in the county.
