We work really hard to earn money. So, we definitely don’t want to spend our hard earned money on products that are not worth it. But it is not always easy to know which products are worth it and those who are not.
That is exactly why we started doing reviews on this website. Because we hate wasting our money. All our readers know we don’t simply list a bunch of products like the top 10 products for this or that without any clear explanation.
We test. We really compare and give our conclusions with solid criteria so that you can choose the right product for you following your own preferences. In a nutshell, we save you time because we do all the hard work (ok ok I admit testing beauty products can not be considered as hard work haha)
So, this is how we tested 10 facial steamers. We selected the Top 3 face steam machines here and found 2 that should be avoided.
The Panasonic EH-SA31VP Spa Quality Facial Steamer is one of those 2 machines that we clearly do not recommend. It is just our personal opinion of course. And here is why.
Contents
What is it?
We have here a basic facial steamer, a machine that generates hot steam out of water from a water supply tank. This is a very convenient way to get a face sauna because you do not need to deal with all the fuss with boiling water, pouring it in a bowl etc…. With a face steamer, you quickly get hot steam for your face treatment the easy way.
How does it work?
The way it works is pretty simple. You just fill up the water reservoir. You turn on the device, which will heat up the water and generate hot steam from it after a few minutes. Simple, isn’t it? Yeah, that is so much more convenient than the old method of pouring boiled water in a bowl.
Who is the distributor?
The distributor of this machine is obviously the panasonic company. I love that brand. They have nice products that I currently use. But I do have to say I am so disappointed by their facial steamer.
What comes in the package?
Nothing surprising
- The facial steamer base unit
- A user manual
My Panasonic EH-SA31VP Spa Quality Facial Steamer Review
So did I like this machine? Is it worth buying it ? let’s check it.
First impression
I am not really impressed as I have tested other machine so in comparison, I am not a big fan of the design. I wish the design team had made a better job with the design. Don’t get me wrong, it is not ugly but I definitely prefer other face steamers in terms of design. Anyway this is subjective. I don’t like it.
Capacity /volume
The water tank capacity is ridiculous. It is way too small. It is a 50 ml water tank whereas most other steamers have at least 100 ml to 320 ml volume…. With such a small reservoir, you can only get 4-6 minutes of steam, which is ridiculous. Sorry, but this is almost useles…I almost prefer to pour boiled water in a bowl….
I recommend for a face steaming session about 12-18 minutes of steam, which is also what most beautycians recommend. If you skin is sensitive, you would obviously have to reduce the session duration.
So with this Panasonic EH-SA31VP Spa Quality Facial Steamer, you clearly cannot get enough steam.
Quality of steam: flow and “size” of steam
I find the steam flow a little too weak. It is not consistent enough for me, which is not surprising because you won’t have enough water to get a consistent flow of steam.
The steam can actually give you results but it will be very limited because of that low capacity. I definitely prefer the other machines with larger capacity because they can give you a stronger steam flow.
They also claim this machine can generate really small water particles (4000 times finer). All manufacturers pretty much use the same technology so the steam of this machine is more or less the same as any other machine in terms of water particles size.
Ozone function
This device does not have that ozone function but as I told you in our guide, it is not a very useful feature at this level. So even though we don’t have it here, it does not really matter.
The ozone function is supposed to sterilize the steam but as I repeated in another review, hot steam is sterile so there is no need to sterilize it.
Speed of use
It won’t come as a surprise if I tell you that you get steam pretty quickly with it. You would have to wait anywhere between 30 seconds to 1 minute to get the steam coming. It is quicker to heat up small volume of water and with such a tiny teeny water tank; you don’t need to wait long to heat it up. With the other machines with larger capacity, you would have to wait about 2-5 minutes. It also depends on the initial water temperature. If it is really cold water, it will also take a little more time.
Noise
The Panasonic EH-SA31VP Facial Steamer does not make any particular noise. So there is no problem whatsoever to use it any time of the day.
Robustness
The steamer is made up of hard plastic and is pretty robust and solid.
Automatic shut off
Another let down from this machine: while most face steamers have this automatic power off function, this one does not. So you need to be careful and make sure not to let the machine on too long without any water.
Optional features
Nothing, which is disappointing if we consider the high price of this machine.
- No mirror
- No hair steaming cap attachment
- No spot for the essential oils
Warranty
Even if this face steamer is really way too basic, at least they offer a 2-Year Warranty (the most common warranty period is 1 year)
Pricing
The price is $100 – $130, which is absolutely not worth it. It is the simplest machine you can get and it sells at an outrageous price. You can get so much better face steamers for a fraction of the cost…. Here, you mostly pay for the brand. I really am disappointed. I really think panasonic should have proposed a better machine especially with such a high price.
Results
The results here are limited simply because you cannot get a long enough face sauna session. You can only get a few minutes of hot steam.
Overview
So what are the pros and cons of the Panasonic EH-SA31VP Spa Quality Facial Steamer ?
Pros
- 2 year warranty
Cons
- Too small water tank (50 ml) when other have 100 ml or 320 ml
- Too expensive ($100 – 130)
- No optional features
- Too basic
Our verdict
Sorry but I clearly don’t recommend this Panasonic EH-SA31VP Facial Steamer.
It has a tiny water tank 50 ml whereas other machines from our testing have at least 100 ml to 320 ml, which means at least 12 minutes to 40 minutes of steam. This machine will only give you 4 – 6 minutes of hot steam… This machine is sold at about $100 -$130. Don’t bother. There are so many other machines out there with much more capacity, better features at a much better price ($30 to $65). You can check our comparison table with the best facial steamers here.
Where to buy
If you still decide to go for it, the best deal you can find is on amazon.
