Philips 5000 Series Handheld Steamer review: Sweet-shop looks, real steam
It heats up in 35 seconds, comes with a heat glove and two water tanks, and looks like it escaped from a pick and mix. We took it to silk, jersey and the final boss of laundry: the cotton shirt.
The Philips 5000 Series is a handheld steamer that looks after you. Philips has packed the box with things rivals charge extra for: a heat glove that doubles as a storage pouch, a hanging steaming mat and a second, bigger water tank. Silk and jersey give up almost instantly. A cotton shirt puts up more of a fight, and no handheld this size will change that. If you can live with it, buy it.
What we like
Ready in 35 seconds, with up to 24 g/min of steam on Max
Two tanks, 120ml and 200ml, for a whole rail of clothes
The heat glove and hanging StyleMat both earn their place
A ball joint head that tilts to any angle and straightens for storage
Quick specs
| Price | £69.99 RRP, often lower at retailers |
| Model | STH5030/20 |
| Power | 1400W (at 240V) |
| Steam output | Up to 24 g/min on Max |
| Heat-up time | 35 seconds |
| Steam settings | Eco and Max |
| Water tanks | 120ml and 200ml, both detachable |
| Cable | 2m |
| In the box | Heat glove that doubles as a pouch, StyleMat with hook, second tank |
| Colours | Marine Blue, Soft Blush |
What it costs
Philips launched the 5000 Series at the end of 2024, and the version on sale in the UK is the STH5030/20. Philips lists it at £69.99. Retailers wander from that number, though. A price comparison site showed it from around £40 while we were writing this (approx., and prices move fast, so check before you click). Amazon UK also stocks a dark STH5030/80 version, so read the model number before you buy.
At £70 it is a fair deal. At £40 it is the sort of bargain you make and then mention to everyone you meet. Wait for a sale if you can stand it, but do not agonise. Even at full price you are getting a lot of box for the money.
Design and build
Most steamers look like they were designed by someone who has never met a colour. The 5000 Series arrives in rich royal blue with coral red and candy pink details, and it is a steamer you might actually leave out on a chair instead of hiding in a cupboard.
The party trick is the brightly coloured ball joint. It lets you angle the head to suit whatever you are tackling, then straighten it out so the whole thing stows away without hogging space. It is comfortable to hold, the 2m cable reaches a hanging rail without a tug of war, and the pointed tip gets into cuffs and collars. That balance of fun and function is rare in a category full of grey plastic.
Philips says the heated steam plate is safe on any ironable fabric, which means you can press it against the cloth instead of hovering nervously an inch away.
Design snobs will point to pricier steamers. The Steamery Cirrus X costs around £100 to £120 and, on paper, offers lower steam output and fewer accessories. It is undeniably more minimalist, and we will not pretend the 5000’s playful look suits every home. But we know which one we would rather own.
The crease test
There are two modes, Eco and Max. We lived on Max, because handheld steamers run out of puff quickly once the creases get serious. Max gives you 1400W and up to 24 g/min of steam, which is a solid figure for this class. It sits a little above the budget Philips Steam&Go and a little below the pricier Philips 7000 Series.
Plug it in and it is ready in about 35 seconds, roughly the time it takes to find the shirt you meant to wear. A silk blouse lost its wrinkles in no time. Jersey fabrics, including cotton T-shirts and viscose tops, were short work.
Then came the boss fight: a cotton shirt. We got a respectable result fairly quickly, but it was not flawlessly smooth. We were not surprised, and frankly we would have been suspicious if it were. Handheld steamers are brilliant at making clothes look freshly worn and not brilliant at pressing. If crisp cuffs and sharp collars are part of your daily uniform, an iron and a board are still the answer.
The pattern is the one you would expect. Fabrics that hang loose and relax under steam, such as silk and jersey, do most of the work for you. Stiff, tightly woven cotton needs heat and pressure held against it, and that gap is exactly what separates a steamer from an iron.
Extras that earn their place
This is where Philips wins us over. The heat protection glove is the bit we would fight to keep. Wear it and you can stretch and adjust the fabric while you steam, without roasting your knuckles. It also lets you press back against the inside of the cloth, which helps with stubborn creases and awkward spots such as collars. A drawstring at the opening turns it into a storage pouch, exactly the sort of small, sensible idea that makes us slightly cross other brands did not think of it first.
The StyleMat gives you a surface to work on, and because it has a hook you can use it hanging or lying flat. It is not a full ironing board and does not pretend to be. Think of it as a tidy little assistant. For the money, it is a generous pile of extras.
Tanks, and why they matter
Two tanks come in the box: 120ml and 200ml. Most rivals give you one small one. The Steamery Cirrus X, for example, holds 85ml, which is roughly two small, uncomplicated garments or one large one before you are back at the tap. With the Philips you fill both tanks before you start, swap in the full one the moment the first runs dry, and keep going. That suits anyone steaming a whole rail of clothes, or packing for a week away, and it means fewer trips to the tap, which is the boring reason it wins.
Does it matter? Here is the napkin maths, not a stopwatch test: tank size divided by the claimed steam output at full blast.
| Steamer | Tank | Minutes of steam |
|---|---|---|
| Philips 5000, both tanks | 320ml | 13.3 |
| Philips 5000, large tank | 200ml | 8.3 |
| Philips 7000 | 200ml | 7.1 |
| Steamery Cirrus X | 85ml | 4.3 |
Minutes of steam on paper, at maximum output. Real life varies with fabric and technique.
Steam it or skip it?
Buy it. That is the short answer, and the long one is not much more complicated. The Philips 5000 Series does what most of us actually need from a handheld steamer. It freshens silk, jersey, viscose and everyday cotton tops in minutes, it heats up before you have found a hanger, and the glove and mat make the whole job less fiddly. It is comfortable, fairly priced and cheerful enough to leave out on the bed.
It also travels well. Philips pitches the compact body at suitcase duty, and the glove that doubles as a pouch keeps the bits together. Hotel irons have let most of us down at least once.
Skip it if your working week is built on cotton shirts with sharp cuffs. Buy a proper iron, and maybe add this as a support act. Skip it too if you want the strongest steam money can buy, because for that you need to look upwards, and the next section does exactly that. Everyone else can stop scrolling and check the price. If you spot it near £40, do not think twice.
Also consider
Two rivals are worth a look, depending on what you want from a steamer.
Philips 7000 Series STH7060/86, £99.99
More steam (up to 28 g/min from 1500W), a metal steam plate and a longer 2.5m cable, with 100ml and 200ml tanks plus a glove and StyleMat in the box. Choose it if you steam most days and want extra punch. If you steam a couple of times a week, the 5000 Series is the smarter spend.
Steamery Cirrus X, around £100 to £120
The minimalist option. It is ready in about 20 seconds and looks like it belongs in a Scandi furniture showroom, but the tank holds 85ml and steam output is 20 g/min. Choose it if looks come first and you do not mind topping up often. Price varies by colour and retailer.
Which steamer should you buy?
Three things decide it: what fills your wardrobe, how often you steam and what matters most to you. Read the four verdicts below and pick the one that sounds most like your Sunday evening.
Team Philips 5000: buy it. You wear things a steamer handles well, you want a fair price and you like a bit of colour. Buy the 5000 Series, ideally nearer £40 than £70.
Team Philips 7000: spend the extra. You steam often and you want power. The Philips 7000 Series STH7060/86 at £99.99 has more steam, a longer cable and a metal plate. Buy it and stop thinking about it.
Team Steamery Cirrus X: buy it, with eyes open. Looks come first for you, and that is a legitimate way to shop. Expect to pay about £100 to £120, and expect to refill the 85ml tank a lot.
Team iron: keep your iron. A handheld steamer will not give cotton shirts the sharp finish you want, so do not buy one to replace your iron. Add the Philips 5000 Series only if you want help with everything else.
Prices and stock checked on 21 September 2026. Retail prices move, so confirm before you buy.
