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STEAM-POD

This premium travel iron heats in 3 mins, works on all fabrics, and packs easily. With dry and steam modes, keep your clothes wrinkle-free and your look sharp anytime, anywhere.

  • Project Overview STEAM POD - Revolutionizing Garment Care with a Portable Steaming Solution

  • Background Analysis and Design Plan for STEAM POD

  • How to Use: STEAM POD - Your Portable Garment Care Solution

  • Exploded View and Detailed Features

  • Others

What it does

This project introduces a portable garment iron that merges ironing and steaming into a single, intuitive, and user-friendly device. Built for convenience, it offers a smarter way to keep clothes looking fresh—anytime and anywhere.

Your inspiration

I often found myself frustrated with the limitations of existing portable garment steamers — from inconvenient wired designs and uncomfortable grips to the risk of steam burns. One morning, while using a hair straightener to style my hair, I had a sudden thought: What if we applied the clamping principle of a hair straightener to clothing ironing? This simple but powerful idea became the starting point of our design journey — one that aims to redefine how people care for their clothes.

How it works

Our device simplifies ironing with an intuitive knob to switch between low-temperature dry mode and high-temperature steam mode. A color-coded indicator light shows the selected setting at a glance. The water tank uses a standard threaded interface, allowing easy replacement with different sizes for flexible use—small for short sessions, large for longer ones. Inside, a center-hollowed heating plate reduces heat concentration, protecting delicate fabrics and ensuring safer, more effective wrinkle removal.

Design process

Inspired by the clamping motion of a hair straightener, we set out to design a simpler, safer way to iron clothes. Early concepts focused on combining steaming and pressing into a compact, handheld tool. During prototyping, we tested core functions and continuously refined the design—improving heating speed, grip comfort, and water tank usability. We introduced dual modes (dry and steam), added a mode indicator light, and incorporated a center-hollowed heating plate to protect delicate fabrics. To ensure ergonomic excellence, we conducted hand-grip tests with 17 users. Based on their feedback and hand measurements, we finalized a handle diameter of 4.5 cm and selected the most comfortable shape. Through iterative testing and user-centered design, we developed a portable, intuitive garment steamer that delivers professional results—anytime, anywhere.

How it is different

1. A New Way to Smooth Clothes Inspired by hair straighteners, our device uses heated plates to press out wrinkles directly — no ironing board needed. 2. Steam and Dry Ironing in One Device Switch easily between steam and dry ironing modes to suit different fabrics and wrinkle types. Modular Water Tank System. 3. Customizable for Any Need Interchangeable water tanks let you choose capacity based on your needs — perfect for home or travel use. 4. Thoughtful Engineering A center-hollowed heating plate reduces heat concentration to protect delicate fabrics from damage. 5. Ergonomic Handle Based on Real User Data Based on real user testing, the 4.5 cm handle offers maximum comfort and control during use. Compact & Travel-Friendly 6. Designed for Modern Lifestyles Lightweight and easy to pack, it’s powerful enough to replace a full-sized iron — ideal for modern, on-the-go lifestyles.

Future plans

Our future improvements focus on better ergonomics, faster heating, smarter features, enhanced safety, and eco-friendly design—making the portable garment steamer more efficient, user-friendly, and sustainable.

Awards

Our Innovative Garment Care Solution Wins Bronze at the 2025 Conceptual and Applied Design Awards (CADA)

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