The Absolute Best Hair Steamers and How to Use Them at Home (2024)

If you already own a hair dryer, grab this bonnet attachment to DIY an easy hair steamer. After smoothing on your favorite hair mask, cover your hair with one of the included shower caps, slip on the bonnet, and connect the attached hose to your blow dryer. Boom: Instant steamer with low, medium, or high heat abilities (depending on your blow dryer), all for less than $10.

THE REVIEWS: According to one tester, “Instead of sitting uncomfortably under a hooded dryer, I now have the flexibility of relaxing on the couch or in bed while I dry my hair. It can be very easily packed for vacation, as it takes up minimal space. Great purchase!”

My BFF has the best hair I’ve ever seen—think: defined curls that never lose their definition—and she swears by this tabletop steamer, which comes with both a cap attachment for your hair and a wand attachment for your face (yup, it’s a whole-body, all-in-one spa experience). It’s definitely bulkier than a cap, but it features a bigger dome that helps steam every single strand of her long hair without requiring her to physically wear it.

THE REVIEWS: According to one reviewer, “I have had no issues with this amazing tool. I have steamed my hair and my face a couple of times now, and what an experience. It takes about five minutes to get started, and then you are off. It produces so much steam. 10 out of 10 recommend!”

Don’t have the space for a clunky, salon-size hair steamer? Try this cult-favorite steamer instead (see: 770k+ views on TikTok) that you can hold in your hand like a typical blow dryer. And, thanks to its teeth-like design, you can work the steamer through your dry hair to refresh and re-define your roots between wash days. Just fill it up with distilled water, plug it in, and press the green button to release a fine mist that gently hydrates your hair. Need a visual? Watch this quick steamer tutorial.

THE REVIEWS: “I LOVE THIS STEAMER!” writes one reviewer. “I started using the steamer every other night on my natural 4c hair. It adds extra moisture to my dry hair. The next day after using it, my hair feels like a big, soft cotton ball. I honestly wish I had started using a steamer earlier; I didn't even know that my thick, 4c, Z-coiled hair could actually feel so soft.”

Calling all hair-steaming newbs: This steamer cap comes with two customizable heat settings that allow you to play around with the temperature to find your hair’s happy medium, especially if you’re afraid of accidentally overdoing it. So if you’ve never steamed before, or your hair is extremely dry, make sure to first massage your favorite hair oil (like castor oil or avocado oil) through your wet hair before popping the cap on.

THE REVIEWS: “This heating cap is miraculous,” writes one reviewer. “It allows my deep conditioner to really penetrate my hair and leave it shiny and healthy.”

The beauty of this hair-steamer cap is that it's both easy to use and even easier to store (like, no need to invest in a storage unit for this bb—it's small enough to fit in any bathroom drawer). Just plug it in, pop it on top of your shower cap, press the "on" button, and allow the gentle steam to amp up the efficacy of your fave deep conditioners.

THE REVIEWS: “The entire cap warms up consistently,” reads one review. “I’m satisfied with it. It’s lightweight, portable, and also comfortable to wear. It beats pulling out the old and heavy hooded-dryer, which can be uncomfortably hot.”

As long as your hotel room, Airbnb, or actual home has a microwave, you can use this cap to warm your hair without having to lug around a heavy device. After sliding a shower cap over your favorite hair mask, microwave this cap for up to 60 seconds, then let it sit on your head for 15 to 30 minutes to allow the heat to penetrate your hair. Plus, it’s completely hands-free, so you can scroll on your phone and watch Real Housewives, all while deep-conditioning your hair. Bliss, tbh.

THE REVIEWS: “This is easy to use: Just throw it in the microwave and put your favorite conditioner on,” writes one tester. “It makes the conditioner penetrate well. It holds the heat pretty well too. Also, it got a lot hotter than I thought it would, that is for sure!”

If you're looking for a legit salon-level hair steamer, you can't go wrong with this wheeled option from Amazon. It's a bit pricey, but considering it has an auto shut-off time control (up to 60 minutes) along with temperature controls (low and high), it's pretty worth it for people who like to steam their hair regularly.

THE REVIEWS: According to a review, “It is very easy to assemble and maintain. I use it once a week after washing my hair and just sit and watch tv while it’s on. I keep it in a closet and just roll it out when I need it, add water, and then turn it on. It has been great for both my hair and skin. I love that there is a shut-off timer so that I know exactly how long I have been using it too.”

Steaming can definitely be good for your hair, especially if your hair needs some hydrating TLC. When you stick your head under a steamer, the moist heat helps hydrate your hair strands, promote scalp circulation, and open the hair cuticle (which can help amp up the effects of your hair and scalp treatments, especially if you have low-porosity hair). Oh, and they're also relaxing as f*ck. According to Dickey, you can also use your hair steamer to soothe your scalp and pre-cleanse your hair on wash day before your shower.

"Steamers can do a lot for anyone who's trying to get their natural, dry texture to feel softer," says Dickey. "It just makes your hair more pliable so you have more styling options." He also adds that wavy and straight hair textures can benefit from steamers too—particularly those with longer lengths or color-treated hair. "Everyone—regardless of their hair texture and hair type—is looking for their hair to be smoother and shinier," he says. And that's where steaming can help.

No, you shouldn’t steam your hair every day, says Dickey. As stated above, too much heat can damage your hair, while excess moisture can actually make your hair feel limp and dry—a phenomenon known as hygral fatigue. Hygral fatigue is the damage that occurs when your hair shaft repeatedly expands and contracts to absorb water.

Basically, using your hair steamer too often can damage your hair and have the opposite effect you’re going for. Instead, steam your hair no more than once a week or every 7 to 10 days to keep a proper balance of moisture.

What you put in your hair while steaming depends on your ~goals~, like if you’re looking for hella moisture, or damage repair, or for a deep clean. Which also means there are no “best” or “correct” products that you absolutely need to use, either. Take it from Dickey: "There really aren't any real rules for what to put in your hair when steaming.”

Still, recommendations are never a bad thing, especially if you’re new to steaming. So here’s a quick breakdown of Dickey’s recommendations:

Deep conditioner

Before you sit under your steamer, smooth a deep conditioner through your wet hair from roots to ends. "Naturally dry textures really benefit from the combination of steam and conditioner," says Dickey, because the steam helps the formula’s moisturizing butters and oils better penetrate your hair strands. The result? Intensely conditioned hair.

Hair oil

"Steaming with hair oils not only helps soften your hair, especially if it's dry and tangled," says Dickey, "but it's also a great way to help prep your hair for shampoo, especially if your hair has been in a protective style" (hi, braids and twists). "Often, when you go straight to water and shampoo after your hair has been in a protective style, your hair can matt up and dry out," he says. The fix? Gently massage the oil through your scalp and hair until saturated, then sit under your steamer for 15 to 20 minutes.

Curl cream

After shampooing and conditioning, get out of the shower and coat your wet hair in your favorite curl cream before sitting under your steamer to hydrate and define your curls. Steam helps the formula (and all of its butters and oils) absorb deeper into your hair shaft, allowing your hair to better retain moisture and be less prone to shrinkage.

How to use a hair steamer will depend on the directions for your specific tool, since the way you use a handheld steamer will differ from the way you use a tabletop steamer or a heat cap. But if you’ve never steamed before and need a visual, check out this tutorial on how to steam type-3 curls, and this tutorial on steaming type-4 hair.

In general, though, don’t steam for longer than 30 minutes or more than once a week. And if your scalp or the cap itself starts to feel like it’s burning, stop steaming immediately.

Get real about your laziness level

Want to get some reading done while you steam? Opt for a hands-free hair steamer, like a tabletop steamer, a rolling steamer, or a heat cap. But if you don’t mind working your arm muscles a little bit, you might enjoy the extra coverage and precision that a handheld steamer can offer.

Determine how intense you want the steam to be

A heat cap doesn't technically emit steam—it just warms up your strands to help increase the efficacy of your conditioning products (which is why it should be used with a deep conditioner or a leave-in treatment). A true hair steamer, however, emits an intense, warm mist to both hydrate your hair and make your treatments more effective.

So which should you choose? Well, if your hair isn’t super damaged or overly dry, you might prefer a heat cap to help boost the effects of your conditioning products. But if your hair has been color- or chemically treated, go for a steamer hood or wand, which will (1) help increase your hair's hydration levels, (2) act as a curl refresher and re-definer, and (3) help your products absorb deeper into your hair cuticle for better results.

Consider your hair’s thickness and length

Hair-steamer caps are not one-size-fits-all, as noted by the product testers who had difficulties fitting their longer, thicker hair—see: locs, braids, and protective styles—in a few of the caps (which I called out above). So if you're working with fuller hair, you may want to skip the trial-and-error altogether and instead try a tabletop steamer with a wide hood, or a handheld steamer that’ll give you flexibility to use on any length or style of hair.

• Anthony Dickey is a hairstylist and the founder of Hair Rules salon in New York, NY; Los Angeles, CA; and Atlanta, GA, and Hair Rules, a line of hair products for every texture. He is known for his ability to work with and enhance all hair textures through haircutting and styling.

Beth Gillette is the beauty editor at Cosmopolitan with four years of experience researching, writing, and editing hair stories that range from hair straighteners to curly hair brushes. She’s an authority in all hair categories, but is an expert when it comes to hair steamers after interviewing experts and researching dozens of tools. She regularly tests and analyzes hair tools for efficacy, while working with the industry’s top hairstylists and trichologists to assess new formulas and brands.

Ruby Buddemeyer was the beauty editor at Cosmopolitan for nearly three years, and has five years of experience writing about beauty, fashion, and celebrity news across print and digital, including travel hair dryers and round brushes. Her hair steamer picks were based on product reviews, ratings, and personal testing, along with information from industry experts.