The Best Hair Steamer We Tried Was Quiet and Did Not Drip Hot Water
Want softer, more manageable hair? Add steaming to your haircare routine with either a stand-up steamer, a cap, or a bonnet.
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The struggle to keep my hair healthy and looking good is real. I use a lot of heat when styling my hair, plus the gels, mousses, and sprays that I use contain alcohol, which experts say can be drying. But does that stop me from using them? Nope.
To combat dryness, on my journey to healthier hair I have created numerous homemade hair masks with ingredients such as mayonnaise, peanut butter, avocado, honey, and others that I am too embarrassed to name—surely you’ve seen them on social media—all in the hopes of producing healthy, shiny, and moisturized hair for my daughter and me.
We both have 4B/4C hair—mine is relaxed and colored, and my daughter has virgin hair. Our hair dries out quickly, and keeping it moisturized in order to prevent breakage is an ongoing battle.
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About the cap: The outer layer of the Siswow feels like satin, and the inner liner has fireproof insulating silicon fibers that are covered with plastic. The lightweight cap warms up quickly, includes a timer, and has a lengthy cord, which allows you to move somewhat freely. My daughter spent her time reading and working on her computer while using it. It is the only product in this evaluation that made zero noise.
Ease of use: The Siswow Hair Steamer Thermal Heat Cap was by far the easiest to use. When I pulled the Siswow out of its pretty purple box, all I had to do was remove it from the pouch, plug it in, and start steaming my hair. That’s it.
With 10 heat settings, I chose level 7, which was pretty warm, then bumped it up to 8. The adjustable drawstring lets you tighten or loosen the cap to make for a comfortable fit. The way the cap was positioned, I didn’t have to worry about too much heat directly touching my forehead or neck. I also never experienced condensation dripping down my ears or the other side effects that came with the other steamers I evaluated. The cap had three timer settings—30, 45, and 60 minutes—which makes tracking the time easy. When the timer shuts off, you simply take it off.
Performance: After 30 minutes of steaming, my hair was noticeably softer and easier to detangle. I also liked the fact that the cap, well, was a cap. The heat was close to my hair and I never felt scalp irritation or discomfort. I personally felt that the heat was penetrating better due to the proximity of the cap. The Siswow was comfortable and effective. Because it was a cap, my hands were free, and I could move around with it, with little risk of it falling or sliding off. With the other steamers I evaluated, I felt the need to be stationary and seated.
Steaming adds moisture to the hair . . . helps [it] retain moisture and makes it easier to comb.
Licensed cosmetologist, hairstylist, and owner of Genesis Beauty Salon in southeast Texas
Wells, who opts for having her clients sit under a hair dryer instead of a steam service, says that products like the Sisow cap provide a similar result without the steam.
Cleaning and storage: I covered my hair with a processing cap before using the Siswow, so cleaning was a snap. I simply let the cap cool, wiped the inner portion with a damp rag, and then the steam cap was ready for storage. The best part about this steamer was that it was foldable and easy to store. I could easily slide this thermal cap into my carry-on for steaming while traveling or store it under my bathroom sink.
About the bonnet: The Granteva is an oversized hair bonnet with a hose that funnels the heat from your hair dryer to the bonnet. After opening the Granteva, I was surprised by how thin the material was. It didn’t look like the picture on the website.
Ease of use: The setup was simple. After applying the Granteva Hair Dryer Bonnet, I tightened it with the drawstring, snapped the neck strap around my chin, and attached my hair dryer. But that’s where the positives end.
Once I turned on my hair dryer, I couldn’t hear anything else or have a conversation without yelling—which, in all fairness, happens when using my hair dryer solo—but this was worse. I entered a hot air balloon vacuum of loud loneliness. On a normal day, it takes me only about 10 to 12 minutes to blow-dry my hair. Thus, I hated listening to my hair dryer for 25 minutes.
But it gets worse. My hair dryer kept falling on the floor (perhaps due to the short cord), and that caused the hair bonnet’s hose to fall. I had several domino-falling scenarios unfolding. Once everything was repositioned, I felt that I had to remain frozen in position to not offset the balance of my devices. Thus, no reading or working, and I couldn’t hear the television for 25 whole minutes.
[Steam] helps hair to be softer and more manageable. It also gives a nice flow and bounce, so [it] has a lot of benefits.
Licensed cosmetologist and owner of Garnet’s Hair Care in Atlanta
Performance: It worked, but it has a lot of drawbacks. The Granteva warmed up quickly, and it felt like the heat penetrated my entire head well. After using it, my hair was softer and easier to detangle, but I would never use the Granteva Hair Dryer Bonnet again.
Bottom line: There were too many moving parts. This was a loud and uncomfortable experience. Honestly, I looked and felt ridiculous with that big, noisy balloon bonnet on my head. This is a pass for me.
About the steamer: This freestanding steamer comes with a spray bonnet hood, four wheels, a base, a standing pole, a water tank, and a recycle water container. The hood’s height is adjustable, from 37 to 49 inches.
I was super-excited to evaluate the Tasalon Standing Hair Steamer. I’ve seen similar products in hair salons, and when I saw videos of the water boiling, I knew I was in for a unique experience. This steamer makes a small amount of noise from the rumble of boiling water.
Ease of use: Assembly took about 20 minutes, a bit longer than I expected, especially after the other two were basically plug-and-play. If you are not an assembling pro, I would enlist assistance. After plugging it in and adding water to the fill line on the water tank, it took about 8 minutes to warm up. Then water started boiling in the water tank and mist started to come from the spray hood. It looked really cool.
Then came the heat.
It took a while for both of us to find the perfect position so that the steam did not cook our foreheads or necks. We went back and forth between tilting and lowering the hood and lifting and lowering the adjustable pole. I never found the perfect position. Then, 15 minutes into steaming, condensation started, and hot water started dripping on my daughter, which made her very uncomfortable. She was done with her evaluation when this happened!
When asked about the dripping water, the brand said, “it is normal for a few drops of hot water to fall off during the steaming process.” It gave a simple solution, which I’ve seen in some hair salons: “We recommend that users wrap a towel around their necks and shoulders while using the steamer. This precaution is advisable for both salon and home use to ensure comfort and protect against [drips],” a representative said in an email.
Performance: After only 15 minutes of steaming, my daughter’s hair was noticeably softer and very easy to detangle. I did the entire 30 minutes, but I used a towel over my shoulders to catch the dripping water. My hair was noticeably softer, too. The Tasalon worked well for us both. It was cool to see this steamer in action, and I felt my hair getting moisturized. It also felt like I was getting a pampering treatment. It was nice to be surrounded by mist.
An alternative to steaming is using high-quality products and processing caps under the dryer, but "you don’t get the pampering of the steam."
Licensed cosmetologist, hairstylist, and owner of Heather’s Haven in Houston
But there was just too much water with the Tasalon. The dripping hot water in the middle of the process was an unwanted surprise that made the steaming session very uncomfortable.
Cleaning and storage: Cleaning up was very simple. I waited for the Tasalon to cool off and then emptied the recycling water container and the water tank. It was easy to unscrew and empty. Then I tried storing it. Even if you take the steamer bonnet off the pole, it is still just too big. There is no easy way to break it down and store it. I literally rolled it into a corner of my house, and it still keeps showing up in the background of my Zoom calls. There was no putting this away. But if you have excess storage space, this may not be a problem for you.
Bottom line: It worked well, but because of the immense effort that it took assembling, setting up, finding a comfortable position, and storing it, I wouldn’t use the Tasalon again.
Benefits of Hair Steaming
Experts we spoke with say steaming has several benefits. “Steaming adds moisture to the hair and helps [the hair] retain moisture and makes it easier to comb,” says Wells. “It can improve the hair’s elasticity by opening up the follicles and allowing moisture to get into the hair shaft. Once the scalp is moisturized, it promotes hair growth.”
Pinnock specializes in natural hair and has offered steaming services for more than 10 years. She recommends hair steaming for her clients at least once a month in the summer and twice a month in the winter when your skin and hair are dryer due to the weather.
“The hair is open to all the elements, and depending on your hair products, sometimes it dries your hair,” Pinnock says. “When you are exposed to the elements, it can cause your hair to be brittle and dry, so if you are using heat like blow-drying, it is important to use steam to rebuild your hair.
“It helps hair to be softer and more manageable. It also gives a nice flow and bounce, so [steam] has a lot of benefits,” says Pinnock.
Expert Safety Tips for Steaming With Water
When using a steamer that utilizes water, such as the Tasalon above, the experts we spoke with recommend proceeding with caution.
Pinnock says poor positioning or super-high settings can cause burns. “I use a steamer over the sink and allow my clients to lay back like they are getting a shampoo. If it is too close to a client’s scalp, it may burn them a little bit,” says Pinnock.
Lewis, who has been a stylist for more than 24 years, says it’s best to leave steaming to the professionals due to the dangers associated with working with a professional machine, using too much moisture, and adding too much protein to your hair. Wells agrees.
“You have to be careful with attachments because the water can be very very hot. You have to be very careful on the position of the steamer and how to handle the water when taking it out of the canister,” Wells says. "I recommend (using) a professional because the safety precautions can be daunting and you can over steam.”
For those who don’t want to deal with the issues that come with real steaming tools, Lewis suggests using high-quality products and processing caps under the dryer to get good results. “You don’t get the pampering of the steam,” she says, but you do get similar benefits.
