Best Steamer Trunk Reviews 2023

Steamer trunks have a wide array of styles, designs and sizes and this greatly affects their price. Your budgeted amount will play a vital role in the type of steamer trunk you'll buy. There are feature-laden high-end steamer trunks that are quite pricey and the low-end ones with fewer features and more affordable. We still have the mid-range products that have some balance between cost and quality or function. You'll have to decide the type of steamer trunk that you want, especially considering what you're going to be using it for. If it's for its antique value, then you'd have to be ready to spend quite a tidy sum because the truly antique steamer trunks are somewhat expensive.

We reviewed a range of steamer trunks covering the low-end, high-end and mid-range categories with prices ranging from $35 to $1200. And to ensure you get your money’s worth, all the items reviewed here come from reputable brands that are top players in the field. Since we are dedicated to bringing only the best quality products to you, we won’t be featuring some of the cheap steamer trunks we found that were made from flimsy materials that will not stand the test of time.

Shopping for a steamer trunk can be fun if you’re well acquainted with the qualities that are important in such a product. In order to make the right choice of a steamer trunk, here are some of the features to look out for:

• Type
• Suitable uses
• Manufacturing material
• Color and design
• Other extra features

There are different types of steamer trunks but the two most common types are the flat-topped and the dome-topped steamer trunks.

Flat-topped steamer trunks have a flat top cover and were used primarily for travels in the early days. They are extremely stackable and quite easy to stow away. They’re usually fabricated from a mix of materials like leather, canvas, wood, metal components and sometimes covered with a waterproof material.

The dome-topped steamer trunks are often referred to as round-top, camel, humpback or barrel trunks. They feature dome-shaped top covers which make them better suited as stationary storage units or decorative pieces. They’re usually made of embossed tin or any other metal. There are still other less common types of steamer trunks like slatted trunks, Jenny Linds, wall trunks and the Saratoga trunk.

Different materials are used in manufacturing steamer trunks but the major materials include leather, wood, paper and canvas. They're usually adorned with decorative metal pieces like embossed tin. They can also be made of metal like the British polished steel travel trunks and the Dutch iron bound trunks. Most of them are sturdily built to last especially as they were meant for long travels and are exposed to lots of abuse from both man and the elements. Most antique steamer trunks are constructed using wooden slats and carefully finished with hide and skin material, canvas and paper. They may also be covered with rolled steel, tin or strips of wood which help to make the trunk stronger. They often feature a brass lock for security. The interior is often lined with fabric material, leather or canvas.

The color and design on a steamer trunk may be the signature of the manufacturer and it’s often used to distinguish the trunk from others. The leather steamer trunks are usually brown while other materials can be painted with any other color like red, black, and blue. Some of them have patterns all over like flower pattern which often depicts a feminine steamer trunk, or it could be patterned with a map. The decorative ornaments also vary and are all geared towards making each steamer trunk stand out or appear unique among the rest.

Steamer trunks are travel boxes with lots of ornaments and they're used much in the same way as contemporary boxes. Most of them come with simplistic locks that are easy to use while others come with a combination of locks that even the seasoned thief will be hard-pressed to manipulate. Depending on the material, you may find it a little tricky to clean and maintain a steamer trunk, especially if it’s an antique piece. Most of the leather or canvas-bound steamer trunks will just need you to wipe them down with a dry duster while the metal steamer trunks need appropriate mild chemicals to help retain their shine and luster.

Steamer trunks were originally designed for long distant travels, but with the advent of more compact and lightweight traveling gear, they've been converted to other uses. Before buying a steamer trunk, you should have a specific purpose in mind for it, so that you can choose one that suits the part. If you want to use it as a lamp stand, dresser, television stand, or for any other function that involves placing objects on top of the trunk, then you'd be looking for a flat top steamer trunk. If you would rather have one to use as a decorative or accent piece, then the dome-top steamer trunk should be your focus.
Steamer trunks can also be used as general storage units, file cabinets, footlockers, window seats, footrests and for anything at all that you fancy.

There are different sizes of steamer trunks, from the small footlocker sizes of about 14 inches to the 17 inches-tall trunks suitable for use as modern tables. Typically, the bigger the steamer trunk size, the more expensive it is.
The hardware is another important part of the steamer trunk as only the highest quality hardware can offer the type of durability required of a steamer trunk. You should be on the lookout for gray metal, solid brass or black painted metal, as they offer the best durability for steamer trunks.

Some steamer trunks come with accessories like clothes hangers, trays, compartments, drawers or a combination of these, while others are not accessorized, and with just an empty space for you to use as you see fit.