Your membership has expired

The payment for your account couldn't be processed or you've canceled your account with us.

Re-activate

Save products you love, products you own and much more!

Save products icon

Other Membership Benefits:

Savings icon Exclusive Deals for Members Best time to buy icon Best Time to Buy Products Recall tracker icon Recall & Safety Alerts TV screen optimizer icon TV Screen Optimizer and more
    outside the labs

    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.

    When you shop through retailer links on our site, we may earn affiliate commissions. 100% of the fees we collect are used to support our nonprofit mission. Learn more.

    Siswow, Tasalon, Granteva hair steamers
    Steam caps, bonnets, and traditional steamers can all help haircare products penetrate the hair more effectively.
    Photo: Manufacturers

    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.

    In this article Arrow link
    MORE ON PERSONAL CARE

    Enter hair steaming, a haircare technique that is experiencing renewed interest on TikTok and Instagram, and has long been a part of healthy hair routines for some, especially Black people caring for their natural curls. Unlike a lot of videos on those platforms, hair steaming is not just a fad. Alesha Wells, a licensed cosmetologist, hairstylist, and owner of Genesis Beauty Salon in southeast Texas, says she has seen many hair trends come and go but is “glad to see hair steaming back on the rise.” 

    Steaming is like giving the strands of your hair a warm shower. It opens up your hair cuticles and allows products like protein and masks to penetrate and do what they need to do, says licensed cosmetologist and hairstylist Heather Lewis, owner of Heather’s Haven in Houston, who has been offering hair-steaming services to clients suffering from hair loss for about a year.

    I evaluated three types of hair-steaming devices—a cap, a bonnet that attaches to a hair dryer, and an actual steamer that uses water—to see which worked best to help my moisturizing products penetrate my hair and my 18-year-old daughter’s hair. Spoiler alert: They all worked, but one far better than the others. Read on to get the pros and cons of all three devices. 

    Become a member to read the full article and get access to digital ratings.

    We investigate, research, and test so you can choose with confidence.


    headshot of Camille Briggs

    Camille Briggs

    Camille Briggs is a freelance writer based in Southeast Texas. She is an award-winning television journalist who has spent over 20 years in media and public relations. Briggs also founded Speak Life: Inspiring the Next Generation, a motivational self-empowerment company. She is a wife and a mother who enjoys traveling and working with the youth in her community.