Our Shark Press and Refresh Review
The Shark Press and Refresh (GS500) is a no-nonsense product that is meant to assist you when traveling abroad.
It’s light, petite, practical and convenient – perfect to fit in a small suitcase and great to use in a hotel room when on a business trip or vacation.
If that is what you’re looking for, make sure to read our in-depth review of this product. A review which starts… now!
Design and Functionality
The Shark Press and Refresh (GS500) looks slick, stylish and modern. Those of you who care for the aesthetic aspect of products you use should be satisfied.
The device definitely looks like something most professionals and homemakers would love using.
The GS500 delivers in other departments too – the ergonomic handle with a rubber grip makes the device easy to hold and use without you ever feeling uncomfortable.
It weighs 3.3 pounds, so it’s pretty light and easy to carry around compared to a full-size garment steamer. However, in relation to most other hand-held or travel steamers, this is a bit of a monster. The E-best Mini is 1.2 lbs.
A large number of accessories are commonly included with the GS500:
- a vertical press pad,
- 3 detachable Velcro clips,
- a filling flask,
- a steam bonnet for upholstery,
- another steam bonnet with frame,
- a small, delicate steam bonnet, and
- two different brushes.
These accessories can be a powerful addition and improve the user experience tenfold, as they can be used for different types of fabric and allow you to change and tweak the way the device operates.
Out of all these accessories, the vertical press pad is the most valuable as it can transform a door into an ironing surface – which makes the entire steaming process a LOT easier and more convenient.
All in all, the design and functionality of this product are indeed top notch and ensure a compelling user experience. But performance is what matters the most and that is exactly what we will reflect upon in the next section.
Performance
One of the best things about the GS500 is the fact that it is, like most handheld steamers, really easy to use.
All that you have to do is press the steam button and the device pretty much does the job by itself. Additionally, you can use some of the accessories to maximize the effects.
We tested this steamer on a lot of different fabrics and it definitely does what it is supposed to – it removes wrinkles and makes fabrics look fresh and new.
However, this doesn’t mean this device is capable of reproducing all the effects of the conventional iron.
If your clothes get wrinkled in your suitcase or if you don’t have them properly folded in the closet, the GS500 will do the trick, but don’t expect it to miraculously straighten out extremely wrinkled clothes or give steam press-level creases.
This does not mean the performance of this device is underwhelming, on the contrary, it’s just important to have the right expectations.
This is, after all, a handheld, portable fabric steamer.
If your curtains need a quick touch up before your guests arrive, it is absolutely perfect, or if your clothes need to be straightened out and de-wrinkled before an important meeting.
Low water capacity is what most hurts the overall performance. The fact that you have to refill the water tank quite often can be pretty frustrating, especially if you’re in a rush. On the other hand, that’s sort of a given, since this is a handheld device.
The steam output duration is 15 minutes or so. Compared to other hand-held steamers, this is the leader of the pack – it ties with the Sunbeam and provides 50% more steam time than the E-best Mini.
Another thing that is important to note and that is possibly the biggest flaw of this steamer is the fact that it doesn’t have an auto-shut off mechanism.
This can sometimes be dangerous and you could get hurt, so always pay attention to how much water is actually left in the tank and also make sure to use distilled water so the steamer doesn’t get clogged.
Technical Specifications
- Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 12 x 13.5
- Weight in pounds: 3.3 pounds (1.49 kg)
- Steam output duration: 15 minutes
- Capacity: 6.5 oz
- Power and voltage: 1580 W/120 V
- Power cord length in feet: 15 (4.57m)
Pros
- Great design
- Practical
- Light
- Useful accessories
- Easy to use
- Works well on all fabrics
- Heats up quickly
Cons
- No auto-shut off safety mechanism
- Low water capacity
Final Verdict
Does what it says on the tin, but not for everyday use!
The Shark Press and Refresh is a good, well-designed product that can be very useful if you travel a lot or want to quickly dewrinkle a garment before going out.
With that said, it is certainly not meant for everyday use – for that you want a full-size steamer.
Hope this shark press and refresh review helped you decide if this one is for you!