The Best Hair Steamers for Natural Hair – Top 10 - Curly Nikki (2024)

Photo by Josue Ladoo Pelegrin on Unsplash

By Jacqueline Samaroo

Want to give your hair the pampering it deserves – at home? A DIY hair steaming treatment is the perfect way to do it. Hair steaming will hydrate and moisturize your curls while infusing them with nutrients from your favorite deep conditioner. Get ready for healthy-looking, plump, bouncy curls and springy coils!

This article takes a look at 10 of the best hair steamers for natural hair. Our lineup includes a handheld steamer, steamer caps, tabletop hair steamers, and professional hair steamers. Plus, you can skip to the hair steamer buying tips we’ve got for you.

Or, jump right into our top 5 hair steamers for natural hair:

1. Best Handheld Hair Steamer –Q-Redew Hair Steamer
2. Best Hair Steamer Cap –Vicarko Hair Steamer Thermal Heat Cap
3. Best Tabletop Hair Steamer –Kingsteam 2-in-1 Ozone Hair and Facial Steamer
4. Best Cordless Hair Steamer Cap –Tifara Beauty Cordless Deep Conditioning Heat Cap
5. Best Professional Hair Steamer –Artist Hand Professional Hair Steamer

5 Other great hair steamer contenders:

• Red Pro Hair Therapy 2-in-1 Hair Steamer & Facial Steamer
• Luxebell Adjustable Deep Conditioning Heat Cap
• Debecty Microwavable Heat Cap
• Elite Hair Steamer By Skin Act
• KINGDOM CARES Large 2-in-1 Hair and Facial Steamer

Be sure to see our recent post Should You Be Steaming Your Hair? Helpful Answers to 12 FAQs About Hair Steaming. It’s filled with great-to-know information on steaming your hair, including the benefits of hair steaming and easy-to-follow steps for DIY hair steaming. It also has suggestions for hair steaming products, such as deep conditioners and hair oils.

10 Hair Steamers for Natural Hair

Our Top 5 Pick

1. Q-Redew Hair Steamer

Best Handheld Hair Steamer

This natural hair steamer stands head and shoulders above the pack as a multipurpose hairstyling tool. Not only does it give your curls the benefits of a steam treatment but it’s also a wonderful detangling, volumizing, refreshing, and styling tool. Watch how Msnaturally Mary uses it to stretch her natural hair. Totally awesome!

Be sure to check out the handy accessories and bundles the Q-Redew brand offers, too.

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2. Vicarko Hair Steamer Thermal Heat Cap

Best Hair Steamer Cap

This hair steamer features two temperature settings as well as an adjustable strap to help you get the right fit around your head. The Vicarko natural hair steamer cap is sold in seven different print options for you to choose from. You could also opt for the Vicarko bundle that includes the hair steamer cap and a stylish storage tote that’s designed to also double as a knitting bag.

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3. Kingsteam 2-in-1 Ozone Hair and Facial Steamer

Best Tabletop Hair Steamer

The ceramic heating element of the Kingsteam face and hair steamer produces a strong and steady stream of steam. Use this steamer for your regular hair steaming treatments or remove the hood whenever you wish and transform it into a facial steamer. It helps to unclog pores and exfoliate your skin. The Kingsteam comes in either blue or the coffee color option shown here.

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4. Tifara Beauty Cordless Deep Conditioning Heat Cap

Best Cordless Hair Steamer Cap

This steamer cap is great for totally hands-free, untethered hair steaming. Simply heat the cap in the microwave, as instructed, then put it on. It is designed with an elastic rim so you don’t have to worry about adjusting straps or hooks to get the best fit.

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5. Artist Hand Professional Hair Steamer

Best Professional Hair Steamer

This professional hair steamer has a timer that can be set for up to 60 minutes of steaming. It also features HIGH and LOW temperature settings. The height of the Tifara Beauty steamer can also be adjusted to suit different users. The hood of this steamer has adjustable vents for you to control the amount of steam used in the treatment.

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5 More Choices for Best Hair Steamer for Natural Hair

6. Red Pro Hair Therapy 2-in-1 Hair Steamer & Facial Steamer

This 2-in-1 steamer can be used for hair steaming as well as for facials. While the Red Pro Hair Therapy Steamer does not give you temperature settings, it is designed with vent holes at the top of the hood. You can adjust these to control the amount of steam you are steaming your hair with.

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7. Luxebell Adjustable Deep Conditioning Heat Cap

The Luxebell has two temperature settings and an adjustable rim as well as an auto-off feature. This hair steamer cap comes in four different print designs. Each one comes with a free gift of two reusable plastic shower caps to use with the steamer.

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8. Debecty Microwaveable Heat Cap

This microwaveable steamer cap is actually irreversible, making it seem like two caps in one – sort of. Warm it up in increments until you get to the desired temperature, then enjoy cordless hair steaming while you go get other stuff done!

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9. Elite Hair Steamer By Skin Act

This quiet operation steamer even features a silent timer to ensure your hair steaming session is a peaceful and relaxing as possible. It also has two settings for steam power: Light-Steam and Full-Strength.

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10. KINGDOM CARES Large 2-in-1 Hair and Facial Steamer

Steaming your hair with the multifunction Kingdom Cares steamer is quite easy. Plus, although it is described as 2-in-1, this hair and facial steamer has a powerful enough stream of steam to be used as a humidifier for your room.

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3 Things to Consider When Buying a Hair Steamer

If you are getting ready to buy your first hair steamer for natural hair or you are looking to replace the one you already have, here are some helpful tips to keep in mind.

1. Hair steamer types

Hair steamers come in four basic types. The first three we will look at are typical at-home DIY hair steamers. The fourth is the professional hair steamer. It’s the type you are more likely to see in a hair salon but which you can use at home if you wish.

Handheld hair steamers

You get the convenience of directing the steam exactly where you want it, making a handheld steamer great for both detangling and styling.

Hair Steamer caps

The caps are hands-free hair steamers so you could be doing your morning skincare routine or applying your makeup while you get your hair steamed. The cordless designs give you the added advantage of mobility.

Tabletop hair steamers

These hair steaming products give you the feeling of getting a salon treatment at home. Sit back and relax just like you would in the salon. Read a book, catch up on your messages, or play your favorite digital game. Plus, most tabletop hair steamers can also be used as facial steamers.

Professional hair steamers

Get all the features of the hair steamer for natural hair that your hair salon uses. That includes a sturdier design as well as controls for the length of your steaming session and the temperature at which you want your hair to steam.

2. Hair steamer settings

Apart from the different types of hair steamers, there are several hair steamer features you will want to check out before you buy. These will affect how easy your new hair steamer is for you to use and, hence, how likely you are to use it.

Automatic shut off/timer

This convenient feature means you can go into set-it-and-forget-it mode with your hair steamer. No need to keep checking the time to know when your hair steaming treatment is done.

Temperature control

Most hair steamers feature HIGH and LOW temperature settings. They also have a built-in thermostat to automatically turn the power on and off and keep the temperature of the steam within the desired range.

Adjustable hood or cap

The best hair steamers for natural hair will have this feature, whether they are the cap, tabletop, or free-standing professional variety. It’s a good feature to have as you can ensure the best fit of the steamer for your head and hair. You can also choose to go with either a snug or loose fit of the steamer around your head, to suit your comfort level.

3. Hair steamer price

You can get the benefit of steaming your hair without breaking the bank as there are hair steamers to suit every budget.

As you might expect, the most budget-friendly options are the hair steamer caps. They generally cost below $30. The handheld hair steamer we feature in this post comes in at just under $80 while the tabletop hair steamers are in the $60 – $100 range. A professional hair steamer will cost you closer to $200 for its heavy-duty, heavy-use design.

That wraps up our look at the top hair steamers for natural hair. Remember to check out our other hair steaming article to answer any questions you might have about the hair steaming process and its benefits for your natural hair.

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Do you use a hair steamer? Tell us what you like about it!