A mainstream brand this site had no page for until today — and the only one in the registry that under-promises its own run time.
By Scooter M., enthusiast, crease control · Published
Buy the BLACK+DECKER VacuSteam if you steam shirts on a flat surface and hate fighting the fabric with your spare hand — it is one of only two machines in this registry that run a fan to pull the cloth onto a heated plate and hold it there, and the cheaper and better-documented of the pair. Buy the Easy Store Pro instead if what you actually need is a 1,200-watt handheld that folds down a quarter smaller for a drawer or a case. The brand's weakness is weight: at 3.1 pounds the VacuSteam is the heaviest handheld on this site. Its unexpected strength is honesty — it is the only maker here whose stated run time comes in below what its own tank arithmetic allows.
We earn a commission if you buy through the links on this page, at no extra cost to you. It does not change which steamer we rank first — the ranking comes from published specifications and the arithmetic on our method page. We have not tested these units. Full disclosure.
Why this page did not exist until today
This site has covered thirteen brands since launch and BLACK+DECKER was not one of them, which was an oversight rather than a judgment. The brand sells three garment steamers on US Amazon, all three currently buyable, and it is one of the most recognized names in US small appliances. A previous round's note recorded that "only Electrolux and Tefal remain" among mainstream brands without a page here; that note was wrong, and this page is the correction. Tefal still has no verifiable US garment-steamer listing. BLACK+DECKER had three all along.
The three models, side by side
Every BLACK+DECKER garment steamer currently listed in the US, read from the live listings
VacuSteam
Easy Store Pro
Press & Steam 2-in-1
Model
GS0541-0ADT
GS0311-0PD
HGS500
Power
1,400 W (stated as peak)
1,200 W
Not published
Tank
200 ml, removable
150 ml
Not published
Heat-up
35 s
45 s
Not published
Weight
3.1 lb
Not published
3.75 lb (1.7 kg)
Warranty
2 years limited
Not published
Not published
Stated run time
7 min continuous
7 min continuous
Not published
Tank arithmetic says
8.9 min
7.8 min
Cannot be computed
Steam output
22 g/min
18 g/min burst
"180% more steam" vs a named rival
Cord
3 m (about 10 ft)
10 ft
Not published
Score on published figures
4.4 (4 of 4)
4.2 (3 of 4)
Not scored — see below
Run-time arithmetic uses this site's standard rate: an 1,875 W element converts roughly 30 ml of water per minute, scaling with power. Scores come from the rubric on /methodology, computed only over published figures.
The Press & Steam is deliberately not scored and carries no card on this page. BLACK+DECKER publishes no wattage, no tank capacity and no heat-up time for it — only a weight. The rubric would therefore score it on a single metric, and because 3.75 pounds sits above the top of the handheld weight range the arithmetic would print a 0.0 next to machines scored on four figures. That number would be an artifact of an empty listing rather than a verdict on the machine, and it is the kind of figure an AI assistant or a skim-reader lifts out of context, so this site declines to publish it. What can be said is factual: it is an iron-shaped 2-in-1 with a ceramic soleplate, it weighs 3.75 pounds, and its "180% more steam" claim is BLACK+DECKER's own third-party-commissioned comparison against one specific named Rowenta model at one specific burst interval — not a general output figure. If a 2-in-1 is what you want, the 2-in-1 roundup has units that document themselves.
The suction mechanism, and what it actually buys
Most handhelds in this registry work the same way: you hang the garment, the garment's own weight holds it taut, and steam relaxes the fiber so the wrinkle falls out. This is why hanging technique matters so much, and why a limp or gathered area — a sleeve, a pleat, the back of a shirt against nothing — is the hardest thing to steam. Only one other machine here answers that differently: the Rowenta AeroSteam Twist, added in October 2026, which is nearly a pound lighter than this one and publishes its suction force where BLACK+DECKER does not.
The VacuSteam runs a fan that pulls the fabric against a heated ceramic plate and holds it there while it steams. The tension comes from the machine instead of from gravity. That is a genuine mechanical answer to the category's most common complaint, and it is the only one on this site: no other unit here supplies its own tension. BLACK+DECKER offers three modes — suction low, suction high, and steam only — so it can also be used as an ordinary steamer when the suction is in the way.
The limits follow from the same mechanism and the page should state them. Suction needs something to pull against, so it earns its keep on the flat panels of a shirt, a trouser leg laid out, a pillowcase. On a structured jacket shoulder, a gathered sleeve head or a lined garment with interfacing beneath it, there is nothing for the fan to flatten and you are carrying a fan for nothing. It is also the mechanism that makes the machine heavy, which brings us to the real cost.
The weight is the real problem
At 3.1 pounds the VacuSteam is the heaviest handheld on this site, past the 3.0-pound Rowenta Pure Force and well past the 1.26-pound OGHom at the other end. The rubric scores its portability 0.4 out of 10, which is close to the floor of the class, and that single number drags its overall score to 4.4 despite respectable power and a good heat-up.
That score deserves the same qualifier this site applied to the Steamery line: the rubric measures four published figures, and a machine selling something the rubric has no column for will score below what it is worth to the right buyer. Suction is not in the rubric. If holding the fabric for you is the thing you want, the 4.4 is not the number to decide on — but the 3.1 pounds is, because weight is not an abstraction in a handheld. It is held out at arm's length for the length of a session, and three pounds is the difference between steaming one shirt comfortably and steaming ten unpleasantly.
The reading that follows from the mechanism: this is a machine for short, flat, deliberate work at a table or a board, not for working down a rail. If you steam standing at a rail, the Rowenta XCEL does 1,875 watts at 1.4 pounds and is the opposite machine in every respect.
The one thing BLACK+DECKER does that nobody else here does
It under-claims its own run time. Both documented models state seven minutes of continuous steam; the tank arithmetic this site applies to every unit says 8.9 minutes for the VacuSteam's 200 ml at 1,400 W and 7.8 for the Easy Store Pro's 150 ml at 1,200 W. In both cases the maker's claim is below what its own published tank and power allow.
That is genuinely unusual in this category. Among the handhelds whose run-time claims this site has checked against their own tanks, Conair claims twenty minutes on a 216 ml tank the arithmetic puts at 7.2, and PurSteam claims fifteen on a 210 ml tank it puts at 7.7 — over-claims of roughly three times and two times respectively. The CHI SteamPress claims nine against an arithmetic 8.5, which is close but still the optimistic side. BLACK+DECKER is the only maker in that set whose number lands on the conservative side of its own specification.
It is a small thing and it is not performance. But on a site that spends a lot of its time catching listings that file catalog defaults in specification fields and runtime claims in heat-up fields, a maker that publishes a number you could beat is worth saying out loud. It is the clearest signal available here about how a brand treats its own spec sheet.
Where the range falls short
No standing or full-size unit. All three US models are handhelds or hybrids. If you steam a rail, curtains or anything floor-length, BLACK+DECKER has nothing to sell you — the standing roundup is the place to go.
The Easy Store Pro publishes no weight, on a product whose entire argument is that it packs down. That is the one figure a buyer of a folding steamer would most want, and the omission costs it a metric in the score.
Two of three models publish no warranty term. The VacuSteam's two years is genuinely good and it is the exception, not the brand's standard.
The Press & Steam publishes almost nothing at all — no power, no tank, no heat-up. Three missing figures is the most incomplete listing from any brand on this site.
120 V only. Nothing in the range publishes dual voltage, so none of it travels internationally. The travel page has the units that do.
The 1,400 W is footnoted as peak power. Treat it as a ceiling rather than a continuous draw, which puts the VacuSteam's real working output somewhere below the 1,500 W Electrolux rather than alongside it.
Which BLACK+DECKER, if you want one
The decision
If you
Buy
Steam flat panels and want the machine to hold the fabric
VacuSteam — one of two units here that supply their own tension, and the cheaper one
Want a published warranty from this brand
VacuSteam — two years; the other two publish none
Need it to pack down into a case or a drawer
Easy Store Pro — folds about 25% smaller, which nothing else here does
Want the cheapest documented 1,200 W handheld
Easy Store Pro
Steam standing at a rail for twenty minutes
Neither. 3.1 lb and a 200 ml tank is the wrong shape of machine — see the handheld roundup
Not the Press & Steam — it publishes no power, tank or heat-up. The 2-in-1 roundup has alternatives
Travel internationally
Neither. All three are 120 V only
The honest summary of the brand: BLACK+DECKER is mid-pack on the figures and it brought a mechanism to this site that only one rival now matches. The VacuSteam answers "I need a third hand" with hardware rather than with advice about hanging technique, and it charges three pounds of carry weight for it — the Rowenta AeroSteam Twist does the same job a pound lighter, for more money and with no published tank. That is a clear trade rather than a compromise, and whether it is a good one depends entirely on whether you steam at a table or at a rail. Every figure on this page was read off the product's own live listing and links back to it; we have not handled either unit, and we earn a commission on both.
The two documented models
Ranked on published specifications. Tap a row for the full write-up; the price button goes to Amazon.
#
Product
Best for
Spec score
Price
1
BLACK+DECKER VacuSteamOne of two steamers here that add suction to steam, and the one that makes you carry 3.1 pounds to get it.
The one machine here that holds the fabric for you
The mechanism is genuinely different and worth understanding before the figures. Every other handheld here relies on the garment's own weight to hold it taut while steam relaxes the fiber, which is why hanging a shirt properly matters so much. This one runs a fan to pull the fabric onto a heated ceramic plate and holds it there while it steams, so the tension comes from the machine rather than from gravity. That is a real answer to the most common complaint about handhelds — that you need a spare hand to pull the cloth tight.
It is paid for in weight. At 3.1 pounds this is the heaviest handheld on this site, ahead of the 3.0-pound Rowenta Pure Force, and weight is the specification a reader notices most because a handheld is held out at arm's length for a whole session rather than set down between garments. The rubric scores portability 0.4 out of 10 here, which is close to the bottom of the class, and that is not a quirk of the scoring — it is the trade the suction fan and the plate impose.
1,400 watts and 200 ml work out at about nine minutes of continuous steam by the arithmetic used across this site, and BLACK+DECKER's own listing claims seven. That is the right way round and it is rare: Conair claims twenty minutes on a tank the same arithmetic puts at seven, and PurSteam claims fifteen on one it puts at under eight. A maker under-claiming its own run time is the most reassuring thing on this listing.
Two figures deserve a flag. The 1,400 watts is footnoted as peak power rather than continuous draw, so treat it as a ceiling. And the 45%-faster claim is BLACK+DECKER's own internal testing against its own baseline, which is not independent and is not something this site can verify — it is reported here as the maker's claim, not as a finding.
Good
Suction holds the fabric taut against the plate, which only one other machine here does
35-second published heat-up, among the faster figures in the class
Two-year limited warranty, published — most handhelds here publish none
Its stated run time is BELOW what its own tank arithmetic allows, which is the opposite of the category norm
Not good
3.1 lb is the heaviest handheld on this site, and it is held at arm's length
200 ml is about nine minutes of steam — ordinary, and short of the 300 ml units
The 1,400 W figure is footnoted as peak power, not continuous draw
The 45%-faster-crease-removal claim is the maker's own internal testing, not independent
Who should not buy it. Skip this if you steam standing at a rail for twenty minutes at a time. Three pounds in the hand is the wrong tool for a long session, and the suction only earns its weight on the flat panels of a shirt — on a jacket shoulder or a gathered sleeve there is nothing for it to pull against.
2. Handheld · A handheld that folds down for a drawer or a case
BLACK+DECKER Easy Store Pro
Folds to a quarter smaller and costs the least of any BLACK+DECKER here, with one specification simply missing.
BLACK+DECKER does not publish weight for this model, so that figure is excluded from the score rather than estimated.
What the numbers mean
The selling point is the hinge. BLACK+DECKER states the body is 25% smaller folded, which matters for the one problem compact steamers are bought to solve — fitting in a case or a drawer rather than living on a shelf. Nothing else on this site folds, so there is no comparison to draw inside the category.
1,200 watts and a 150 ml tank give about eight minutes of continuous steam on this site's arithmetic, against the seven BLACK+DECKER claims. The tank is the small figure: 150 ml is below every full-size handheld here and above only the travel units, which is the honest consequence of a body that collapses.
BLACK+DECKER publishes no weight for this model and no warranty term, so the portability metric is dropped rather than estimated and the score rests on three figures instead of four. For a product sold on being small and packable, a missing weight is the one gap that actually costs the buyer something — it is the figure you would most want before putting it in a carry-on.
Good
Folds about a quarter smaller, which nothing else on this site does
45-second heat-up and a 10-foot cord, both published
Dual steam modes — an 18 g/min burst or continuous — stated on the listing
The cheapest route into a documented 1,200 W handheld here
Not good
150 ml is roughly eight minutes of steam, the smallest tank of any full-size handheld here
No published weight, on a product whose whole case is portability
No published warranty term
Scored on three figures rather than four, which flatters it against fully documented units
Who should not buy it. Skip this if it will live in a cupboard rather than a suitcase. You are paying for a hinge, and if the machine never folds you can have more watts and a bigger tank for the same money from a unit that does not.
Questions people actually ask
+Is BLACK+DECKER a good garment steamer brand?
Mid-pack on published figures, and early on one mechanism. Its two documented models score 4.4 and 4.2 on this site's rubric, held down mainly by weight and tank size. Against that, the VacuSteam is one of only two steamers here that use suction to hold fabric against a heated plate — and the cheaper of the two, with a published 200 ml tank and a two-year warranty the Rowenta rival states neither of — and BLACK+DECKER is the only maker in this registry whose stated run times come in below what its own tanks allow.
+What is BLACK+DECKER VacuSteam technology?
A fan that pulls the garment onto a heated ceramic plate and holds it there while the unit steams, so the tension comes from the machine rather than from the garment hanging under its own weight. Three modes are offered — suction low, suction high and steam only. It works on flat panels and does nothing useful on a structured shoulder or a gathered sleeve, where there is nothing to pull against.
+How long does the BLACK+DECKER VacuSteam run on one tank?
BLACK+DECKER states up to 7 minutes of continuous steam. The arithmetic this site applies to every unit — roughly 30 ml per minute at 1,875 W, scaling with power — puts 200 ml at 1,400 W nearer 8.9 minutes. It is one of the few listings in this category whose claim is more conservative than its own specification.
+Which BLACK+DECKER garment steamer should I buy?
The VacuSteam if you steam flat garments at a table and want the machine to hold the fabric, and if a two-year warranty matters. The Easy Store Pro if you need it to fold down for a case or a drawer, or want the cheapest documented 1,200 W handheld in the range. Neither if you steam a rail or curtains — BLACK+DECKER sells no standing unit in the US.
+Why is the BLACK+DECKER Press & Steam not scored on this page?
Because BLACK+DECKER publishes no wattage, tank capacity or heat-up time for it. The rubric would score it on weight alone, and since 3.75 pounds is above the top of the handheld weight range it would print a 0.0 — an artifact of an empty listing rather than a verdict on the machine. This site drops the figure rather than publish a misleading one.
+Is the VacuSteam too heavy?
At 3.1 pounds it is the heaviest handheld on this site, and weight is the specification users notice most because a handheld is held at arm's length. It is fine for a few garments at a table and genuinely tiring for a long session at a rail. If you steam standing for twenty minutes, buy something near 1.4 pounds instead.
+Does BLACK+DECKER make a dual voltage steamer?
Not in the US range. All three models publish 120 V only, so none of them can be used abroad — a plug adapter changes the pin shape, not the voltage, and a 120 V element on a 230 V supply destroys itself.
