LG Styler review: kill bacteria on your clothes and look your best in video conferences

• Buy LG Styler at John Lewis

Behold the mighty LG Styler; a smart steam closet. Though it doesn’t wash clothes, the LG Styler is very adept at reinvigorating things like crumpled shirts and suits. It does this by, basically, gusting steam over garments whilst 'wobbling' them on robotic clothes hangers. In normal use, you can process three shirts, dresses, skirts or other prized garments at a time.

Now, it's hard to imagine a worse time than this to be promoting a 1900 quid device for 'refreshing' 3 items of formal wear at a time, but that's not LG's fault. There's no doubt that Styler is a remarkable product. It's definitely the best steam wardrobe… thing, I have ever encountered.

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LG Styler: What is it?

Core features of the appliance are like this: there’s Refresh, which can be used for freshening up suits, dresses, sweaters and suchlike. 20 minutes is all it’ll take. There’s also Gentle Dry, which does a fine job of drying clothes that you’d rather not put in a conventional tumble dryer. Think gentle heat and even gentler treatment.

Next up, you’ve got Sanitary, which will sanitise your clothes, eliminate 99% of all allergens (certified by the British Allergy Foundation by the way) using LG’s TrueSteam tech. It’ll also has the potential to kill off bugs and bacteria in the process. Obviously, LG is not going to make any specific claims about this in regards to the current situation, as that would be foolhardy.

Bringing up the rear is the rather useful trouser press feature, which includes a fold-out ‘pants’ holder on the inside of the door. Pop your crumpled strides in there and they’ll emerge post-mode manoeuvres looking as pin-sharp and tightly creased as the day you bought them. It's bad news for trouser press overlord Corby. 

LG Styler: Dimensions

You’ll need space for the LG Styler. Dimensions-wise the Styler is tall and relatively slimline at 1850mm high, 445mm wide and 584mm deep. But it weighs a lot, over 80 kilos, so requires some muscle and that’s just to get it out of the packaging.

Getting it into position also takes a bit of manhandling and, if you’re planning on placing the appliance on a carpeted area you’ll need to install mean-looking hooks that puncture your prized floor covering to hold it firmly in place. Hard floors, meanwhile, just need to be solid, stable and level.

The good news is that the LG Styler is a standalone unit, which means it doesn't need any plumbing in. There’s a tank for water and a container for waste droplets too. Theoretically it shouldn't leak water, although there is a supplied drip tray to cover any eventuality.

Realistically, if you are thinking of buying a Styler, we are going to assume you can afford to have it installed. Although due to social distancing guidelines, this may have to be via a robot or one very large, strong man, like a James Bond villain's henchman. 

LG Styler: ease of use

Using the LG Styler is a cinch. The glass door that opens outwards to let you put your clothes inside is also home to all of the controls. Touch sensitive buttons within the glass allow you to power up, select your mode and then set the program running. You’ll need to replenish that small water container set into the bottom part of the interior, along with emptying the similarly sized drain tank, but that’s it.

LG also provided us with a pack of Aroma Sheet by Saffron filters, which you can use inside the Styler to give your aired laundry that extra touch of freshness. People who like air fresheners around the home or in the car might go for these, but we prefer the au naturel vibe you get from using the appliance without any man-made smelly stuff.

• Buy LG Styler at John Lewis

LG Styler: app 

The Styler can be managed using the SmartThinQ app and Wi-Fi combination that is common to other appliances in the LG range. Meanwhile, the heat pump design proved great for drying out soggy coats and produced little in the way of noise and hardly any vibration either.

Three supplied hangers let you suspend your favourite shirts at the top of the unit and these jiggle around as the Styler does its stuff. We found the results were actually pretty impressive. If we were keeping it, then our iron would be going out with the (unemptied) bins.

LG Styler: verdict

So, does the LG Styler justify its existence and its high price tag? It’s certainly good at refreshing your clothes, reducing creases and also sanitising. We found it handy for revitalising random things like stuffed toys and coats that had been sitting in the back of a wardrobe for ages.

There’s the energy consumption to think of, with the steam mode using 1850W. LG reckons it’s less when you’re just using the drying programs. It’ll also act as a dehumidifier if you run it with the door open. But, using the LG Styler requires you to think a bit differently, rather than heading straight for your multi-function washing machine and/or tumble dryer.

Visit Korea and you’ll see these things lined up en masse inside electrical retailers. They're a big deal and the US has also taken a shine to the steam closet. We love the thing, but it’s undoubtedly a niche product in the UK. Broadening its appeal a touch, you can get the LG Styler in either black or white.

• Buy LG Styler at John Lewis