Does the Neakasa Magic 1 Vacuum Steamer Live Up to the Hype? I Tested It on My Wrinkliest Clothes to Find Out

Fast Facts

• Colors: 3
• Modes: 2
• Water tank capacity: 4 ounces

How I Tested the Neakasa Magic 1 Vacuum Steamer

I used the steamer on several pieces of extremely wrinkled clothing: A Sézane cotton button-up, a Cynthia Rowley mini dress made of polyester satin and $790 (!) organic Clementine silk pajamas. My main concern was seeing whether the steamer could tackle synthetic and natural fabrics, including ones that were extremely fragile and irreplaceable. When evaluating, I used the PureWow100 scale, rating the steamer out of 20 points in five categories—ease of use, efficacy, design, ergonomics and value—for a total score out of 100.

Complicated gadgets are anathema to me because I can barely navigate a TV remote. Neakasa’s steamer is straightforward with two buttons. Long press the power button to turn it on; short press to pause the steam. The second button with a fan symbol activates the vacuum function.

The Vacuum Function Actually Delivers

Initially, I was hesitant. The vacuum function requires a plate surrounding the metal iron, which takes up quite a bit of surface area. In comparison with my previous steamer, the Magic 1 has a smaller surface area—about 3.75’’ across versus 5.5’’—and because of the vacuum, the actual hot plate is reduced to about 50 percent.

This did not, however, affect the efficacy. The vacuum gently suctioned the fabric so it made better contact with the steam, without pulling threads or scratching the more delicate silk. While nothing will beat actual ironing, after just one pass the wrinkles were reduced by about 95 percent, if not altogether.

This isn’t even a real con. I found the water chamber’s capacity to be a bit dinky, though it was still more than my previous steamer. Honestly, most steamers could use larger water chambers, just so you’re not constantly refilling them, though that would certainly add to the device’s bulk.

You could probably steam one entire small garment (shirt, mini dress, etc.) with the Magic 1, but you’ll need to top it off for larger swaths of fabric.

The Bottom Line

Retailing at $100—though often on sale for $85—the Neakasa Magic 1 is a little bit pricier than run-of-the-mill steamers, like the PureWow reader-favorite Beautural steamer, which is under $30. It is more modestly priced, however, than other luxe options I’ve seen, retailing for $140+. The vacuum function is truly the unique and most valued selling point; it’s competitively priced for similar steamers.

Overall, if you’re short on time and space, and are, like me, tired of burning yourself, the Magic 1 vacuum steamer is convenient and intuitive. In fact, it’s so easy I’m tempted to steam my entire closet.