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LG's magical steam closet is still $200 off
ZDNET's key takeaways
- The LG Styler Steam Closet saves you time and money in the long term by keeping your work clothes clean at home.
- It comes with multiple cleaning options such as refreshing, sanitizing, and drying.
- The LG Styler Steam Closet is currently $1,299, a $200 discount from its original price.
Your work clothes don't always have the option of just going in the wash. And heading to the dry cleaner every few wears can become a hassle. The LG Styler Steam Closet can freshen up your clothes at home while saving you trips to dry cleaner.
When I started working in the city last summer, I was surprised by the volume of clothes I went through each week. I take the subway to get to and from the office, and thinking about the number of times my clothes have come into contact with the same seats that hundreds of others have sat on... isn't appealing.
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More importantly, a lot of my clothes consist of sweaters, blouses, blazers, and work pants that I can't just throw in the washer whenever they need a cleaning -- that is, unless I want them to shrink, become discolored, or end up irreversibly wrinkled.
That's where the LG Styler Steam Closet comes in. One model is currently still available for over $200 off -- a great deal if you're looking to splurge on a laundry upgrade.
I first came across this machine in my parents' home. It was a particularly rainy day and I came home with a drenched and raggedy fur coat. The air pollution in Korea isn't great so we try to avoid any snow or rain when possible, but I had forgotten my umbrella that day. My mom suggested I put my coat in the LG Styler, and after about half an hour, my coat came out completely dry, with the fur no longer matted. The best part was that my coat no longer held the distinct smell of polluted rainwater.
How does it work?
Fascinated, I knew I had to test the LG Styler in my own home back in New York. The hardest part of the setup process was getting the actual steam closet into my apartment and unboxing the tall and heavy box. Shaped like a skinny refrigerator, the closet weighs 162.5 pounds and is 17.5 x 72.75 x 23 inches.
The Styler can be used for the following materials: Cotton, linen, hemp, ramie, alpaca, camel hair, cashmere, fur, leather, silk, wool, acetate, acrylic, nylon, polyurethane, and rayon.
According to the Styler Manual, there are four types of cycles: Refresh, Sanitary, Gentle Dry, and Downloaded (specifically for suits and coats or wool and knit fabrics). The Refresh cycle heats the water that is in the water tank to supply the steam that then sprays onto the clothes. The Sanitizing cycle reduces germs from the clothes, and the Gentle Dry cycle removes moisture in the clothes.
After you've selected your cycle and pressed start, you can view the time remaining on the touchscreen display.
The Styler Manual that came with the box also contains charts that break down the durations of each cycle depending on the setting, as well as what types of settings and cycles work best for the article of clothing you want to put in the Styler. Here's the lowdown.
Cycle | Setting | Time Display (Hour:Minute) | Refreshing | Drying | Sanitizing |
Refresh | Normal Light | 0:48 0:20 | Yes Yes | Yes Yes | |
Sanitary | Heavy Duty Normal | 2:13 1:28 | Yes Yes | Yes Yes | Yes Yes |
Gentle Dry | Normal Time Dry | 2:00 1:00 | Yes Yes | ||
Downloaded | Suits/Coats Wool/Knit | 0:35 dn 1 / 0:28 | Yes Yes | Yes Yes |
One test that I ran with the Styler was putting in a dress shirt that had been sitting in the back of my closet. I started by filling the water tank and putting it in the compartment at the bottom of the closet. Then, I chose the desired cycle on the touchscreen display and waited.
To my delight, the LG Styler removed a significant amount of wrinkles and removed any scent that had been left from extended storage. The Styler Manual mentions that some wrinkles may still remain on certain items, but it did an excellent job of removing them in the clothes that I put in within one cycle.
Before and after the LG Styler Steam Closet.
I have tested the steamer with dresses, winter coats, leather jackets, and several other fabric materials, and the LG Styler did not disappoint.
I also added in my leggings, gym shorts, and athletic tops after my workouts, and all traces of gym sweat and smell dissipated after I ran the cycle. The LG Styler can also clean tights and stockings.
The only work that I had to do was make sure the water tank was full and empty the drain tank every once in a while.
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You can also use the LG ThinQ app to check the status of your cycle, run a Smart Diagnosis, use Night Care, check energy usage, and keep track of the number of cycles you have used.
This comes in handy if you're away from the steamer.
Some caveats to note
One of my qualms with the LG Styler is the price, but right now, one model is $200 off. My other qualm is how it doesn't remove stains unless it's something minor like slush that got onto the hem of my leather pants.
There are two hangers included with the LG Styler, but you can also purchase extra pants hangers and shelf accessories from the company and third-party retailers.
Who should buy the LG Styler?
If you find it annoying having to take trips to the dry cleaner every few wears of your favorite sweaters, blazers, suits, and dress pants, the LG Styler can be an effortless timesaver. Not to mention, the frequent trips to the dry cleaner add up over time.
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Some dry cleaners also use chemicals that can be toxic. Personally, I want a safer alternative for my clothes if I'm planning on wearing them every day and well into the future.
If you'll be using the machine in the long run, value saving time, and may even share the steam closet with family or roommates, the LG Styler is certainly justifiable.