Ironing Isn’t Just About Looking Neat — My Years with a Handheld Steamer
I’ve always lived in an old three-story walk-up on the east side of New York City. The windows are old, and the radiator’s always a bit noisy, but the sunlight is very good and can reach the small corner where I use to dry my clothes. In the past, I didn't pay much attention to dressing neatly, especially after remote working began. It seemed that no one cared whether my clothes were neat or not. It was not until one day that I got a last-minute video call request. When I got up, I noticed a huge crease down my shirt — it looked like a roadmap, and I immediately felt that I was a bit undignified.
After that day, I opened my browser and, upon a friend's recommendation, clicked into the official website of Nesugar, where I saw their line of handheld steamers. The steamers on the page do not have an exaggerated appearance, but they give off a practical, no-fuss vibe — just like those unremarkable but particularly reliable people you encounter in life.
At first, I didn't think too much about it. I just thought it might come in handy one day. Unexpectedly, this use was the beginning of a habit.
There’s a reason those steamers keep topping the bestseller lists — they just make sense in real life
I'm not a tech enthusiast. I'm not very sensitive to parameters and I don't pursue any fully automatic intelligent recognition. But during my use of these handheld ironing machines, I can sense one thing — they’re not designed to be flashy — just to save you time and hassle.
For instance, it heats up quickly, is lightweight and easy to carry, is not picky about the material of the clothes, and will not burn the fabric. Every seemingly ordinary detail is from the user's perspective, rather than being a forced gimmick. Later, I noticed that this series of products has actually always been regulars on the bestseller list. I think it's probably because many people, like me, only realized what a "just right" design means after actually using it.
Not everything needs to be brimming with a strong sense of technology. Sometimes, all we need is a small household appliance that can solve practical problems and won't slow down your pace. And those steam irons that appear on the bestseller list have precisely achieved this.
From not loving to iron clothes to being able to iron them all the time, my transformation is very simple
I used to be the kind of person who didn't like to touch the iron at all. When I was a child and saw my mother standing by the clothes hanger ironing clothes, I always thought it was a laborious and time-consuming thing. After starting work, I would even rather buy a few more clothes than deal with those wrinkled shirts. It was not until the epidemic that I moved and sorted out my clothes. Suddenly, I found that many of my favorite clothes had been "put away on the shelf" just because they were not flat enough.
That feeling is a bit like — you have a bunch of good ingredients but no decent pan to cook them in.
When I first dealt with that linen dress that I hadn't worn for a long time with a handheld steam iron, I was blown away by how fast it worked. Just hang it on the hanger and gently brush it from top to bottom. The clothes will instantly regain their luster as if awakened. The whole process took less than three minutes. I even regretted a little why I didn't use this kind of product earlier.
And that iron later followed me to many places — on business trips to Los Angeles, visiting relatives in New Jersey, and even on short weekend vacations, I would take it with me. Lightweight and portable, it doesn't take up much space. Just put it in the box after use. You can handle everything without an ironing board.
Perfect for small spaces
My home is not big and the storage space is also limited. I don't really like those household appliances that take up a lot of space because in New York, every square foot counts.
So when I decided to use the steam iron for a long time, my considerations were actually very practical: it shouldn't be too heavy, it shouldn't take up too much space, it shouldn't consume too much electricity, and most importantly, it should be easy to store and use. The several products I have used precisely meet these standards.
I often think that whether something can stay in your home for a long time doesn't depend on what cutting-edge technology it uses, but on whether you are willing to take it even when you are the busiest.
Later, I found out that not only me, but also many of my friends living in the city were like me. They would rather spend some money on a good handheld steam iron than queue up for several hours to go to a dry cleaner as they used to. Moreover, most of them mentioned the same thing: Only after using it did they understand that "efficiency" does not equal "complexity".
It’s not just an iron — it’s how I reset my rhythm
For a period of time, I was in a state of confusion between my work and life rhythms. Every day I'm in a rush, jumping and coping, not even bothering to think about what to wear. During that period, I suddenly found that every time I ironed my clothes flat, my overall state would become much more composed. It's not because the clothes are "more expensive" or "more beautiful", but because they are "decent", and I have thus become more "confident".
So later on, I increasingly felt that those products that repeatedly appeared on the bestseller list were not driven by marketing, but by the "stability" brought about by actual use.
Stable experience, stable effect, and stable life rhythm.
This has nothing to do with the brand or the advertisement. It's only related to a simple judgment: Are you willing to give yourself a little respect in your daily life?
Every morning that is willing to be taken seriously deserves a good iron
Some people say that life in New York is tiring and fast-paced. I don't deny this. But precisely because it's fast, I cherish those moments that can make me "slow down" all the more. For example, when waking up in the morning, apply a hot towel to your face, make a cup of hand-brewed coffee, and iron a piece of clothing to be worn that day. That feeling is not a sense of ceremony, but rather a confirmation that I’m in charge of my own day.
Later, I became more and more willing to spend time choosing those "not complicated but very considerate" household appliances. The several products in the Nesugar steam iron series are just like this: You don't need to read the manual or learn the usage logic. Just plug it in, add water, wait for one minute, and get on with your day — smooth, simple, and stress-free.
