Last Updated on August 15, 2026 by Stewart
When it comes to removing old wallpaper, it can be a bit of an exasperating task if doing this with a scrapper. The alternative is to use a wallpaper stripper. Not only is it more efficient, but it can also prevent RSI and joint strain when compared to using a scraper on its own to remove old wallpaper.
There are quite a few different wallpaper strippers on the market, some of which are better than others. There are chemical wallpaper strippers, and also steamer wallpaper strippers which use steam to break down the adhesive on the wallpaper to safely remove it from the wall.
I’ve collated my favourite steamer strippers during my rigorous testing to help you make the right choice. Decorating should be an enjoyable task, and using one of these wallpaper strippers will make the process a lot easier, and less stressful! I’ve narrowed down the top three picks to Black + Decker, Wagner and also Draper.
Last update on 2026-10-14 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API As an Amazon Associate, I earn a commission from qualifying purchases.
Table of Contents
How I Tested These Wallpaper Steamer Strippers
With just over 10 years of experience of removing wallpaper (for myself, family and friends) from new builds with modern walls and also older houses from the 1980s using a hand scraper and chemicals, I turned to using a steam wallpaper stripper to assess how well they can remove wallpaper from walls. Over the 10 years, I have removed wallpaper from more than 250 walls, so I’ve developed a strong understanding of what is needed to remove this properly.
The walls that these were tested on included brand new plasterboard walls, walls that had been installed several years prior and walls that had numerous levels of wallpaper on them. I also tested these strippers on walls that had wallpaper put directly on top of paint to see if this had an impact on the strippers functionality.
The testing also involved using the wallpaper strippers in varying temperatures. This ranged from 15°C to 28°C and how long it would take to remove wallpaper from walls in an average sized room. A crucial factor is how many passes it takes to remove the wallpaper, as well as any residue that may be left afterwards. Lastly, the physical exertion required for this is also an important factor.
Since steam is being used to remove the wallpaper, I would strongly recommend that protective gloves are used. I found that generic gardening gloves offered great protection, and these are inexpensive as well, with them being available online and from supermarkets such as Asda for £3-4.
| Pass Number | Single paper 2020 | Single paper 1993 | Double paper 2021 | Double paper 1997 | Vinyl paper 1999 |
| BD | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 1 |
| Wagner | 1 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 2 |
| Draper | 1 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 3 |
Black+Decker KX3300T 2400W Best for Stubborn Vinyl
At over 100 years old, Black+Decker have solidified themselves as a tool powerhouse.
This KX3300T is slightly cheaper than the Wagner mentioned below (as of May 2026, it can be bought for just over £40), and it only comes with one steaming plate, and there isn’t a hand scraper included in it. However, this is a very powerful wallpaper stripper. It has a 2400w generator and that additional, raw power, really does make removing wallpaper easy.
Exceptional Power For Vinyl and Painted Wallpaper
In terms of weight, it is only slightly heavier than the Wagner, with it weighing 2.4kg, and you can also have this one on the floor and don’t need to hold it whilst carrying out the stripping.
The party piece of this unit though is that it can also remove vinyl decorations and paint with ease thanks to the immense power from the 2400w generator. Vinyl can be tricky to remove due to it having water resistant properties, often requiring various passes before it can be peeled off. This isn’t the case with the Black+Decker and the extra 400w over the Wagner above proves this fact. One pass was more than enough to remove old vinyl wallpaper. In comparison, using the Wagner on vinyl required several passes.
Likewise, with the residue removal, I only had one instance where all the residue wasn’t removed.
Similarly, removing old painted wallpaper from the wall was easy with the Black+Decker.
Speed vs Runtime Trade Off
The massive steaming plate made short work of paint, vinyl and wallpaper I used it on. The maximum run time from the 4 litre tank is one hour, but that’s due to its more powerful heater. Despite it having a shorter run time than the Wagner (this will run for 1 hour and 10 minutes), it also let me get around an average sized room with wallpaper of the same age, 15 minutes faster than the Wagner.
The Small Downsides
I found it comfortable to hold for prolonged periods of time, and the finish was second to none. The downside however is that there isn’t a smaller steam plate included, and I did find that getting into some tighter spots were trickier.
In addition to this, Black + Decker only give a 2 year warranty, compared to the Wagner 4 year warranty. I have used this wallpaper stripper for over 50 hours and have not run into any problems with it be it performance or reliability. I bought this steam stripper for £42 (October 2023) and the price has remained somewhat constant since then. Much like the Wagner, the cost of this is much cheaper than hiring a professional to carry out this task for you.
Verdict
The Black + Decker KX3300T wallpaper stripper is the ideal choice for DIY enthusiasts that want a highly powerful unit that can finish the job in a record time. This is especially true if there is going to be a significant amount of vinyl wallpaper needing stripped. It should be noted that you will need to get a hand scraper as well which will add a few pounds onto the bill.
What I Liked
- The powerful, 2400w generator generates enough steam to significantly cut down stripping time.
- Quickly melts down vinyl wallpaper and is strong enough to remove it in one pass
- The giant steaming plate is great for covering a large surface area
- Excellent value for money when compared to hiring a professional decorator
What Could Be Better
- Unlike the Wagner, there is not a smaller plate included. This can make getting around sockets and frames trickier.
- Shorter running time at 60 minutes due to increased power of the 2400w generator
- No hand scraper included in the box, so you’ll need to purchase this elsewhere
- Unlike the Wagner, the warranty is only for 2 year
- REMOVES WALLPAPER WITH LESS EFFORT: The quick and easy way to remove large areas of wallpaper, or stubborn spots, using the power of steam. No chemicals required!
Last update on 2026-10-14 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API As an Amazon Associate, I earn a commission from qualifying purchases.
The Black + Decker stripper is available on Amazon.
As an Amazon Associate, I earn a commission from qualifying purchases
Wagner SteamForce Plus
Wagner are well known for their excellent range of paint sprayers, but they also have wallpaper strippers as well. They have quite a few on the market, but my favourite one is the SteamForce Plus for a few reasons.
Easy Setup And Use
The first is just how easy it is to use the system. All that’s needed is to fill the 4 litre tank with water, plugging it in and turning it on at the socket. There are no fiddly dials or settings to apply, it’s literally set and forget. The benefit of the 4 litre tank is that you are able to get 70 minutes of continuous steaming. During the testing process, I found that I was able to remove just over 20 square metres of wallpaper from the 4 litres. This room was a moderately sized one with wallpaper that had been hung for 8 years.
When testing this, the steam was produced very quickly and the lightweight steam plate meant that I could do entire lengths without my hand or arm getting sore.
Should You Invest In the Plus Variant?
When you buy the Plus variant, you also get a hand scraper and a secondary steam plate. The secondary plate is smaller in size. The smaller plate is perfect for tight spaces:
- Made removing wallpaper around switches and sockets a breeze
- Removing the wallpaper around door frames and window frames was also easier.
A hand scraper also comes with the Plus variant. For an extra £7, these two additions are worth it. Some scrapers on their own cost £5 online and in stores, so getting both for this price is a no brainer. The handles on both the large plate and the small plate are well made, and comfortable to hold onto as well.
Performance on Conventional vs Vinyl Wallpaper
Regardless of the length of the time that the wallpaper has been on the wall for, the SteamForce Plus had no issue at removing it with ease when it comes to conventional wallpaper. It warmed up the old adhesive so well that removing it with the hand scraper was a breeze. The overall finish was flawless, and the wall was ready to take a new wallpaper after I had finished using this. There was very little residue left over. The small amount that was remaining was quickly removed by a fast pass of the steamer and then scraping it away.
One area where it did falter though is the removal of vinyl wallpaper. Whilst it can do it, it takes much longer to remove vinyl wallpaper when compared to the Black+Decker listed above. I found that the perfect way to get around this issue was to get a sharp blade and make numerous, deep incisions in the vinyl. This then helped the steam to melt the adhesive behind it and scrape it off.
I also really like that the hose from the stripper to the steam plate is also really long. The benefit of this is that you don’t need to hold onto the tank whilst you’re steaming the wall. When it does come time to move it, it is only 2.2kg, which is light considering that it generates a hefty amount of steam from its 2000w generator.
Value For Money & Warranty
When initially tested, (October 2023), the Wagner Steam Force Plus cost me £54, and of May 2026 it’s actually decreased to just over £45. This offers excellent value for money when compared to hiring a professional that charges by the hour and starts at a rate of £50. If you used this on 2 average sized rooms, this would have paid for itself. You could also carry out this task for friends and family and take a small amount from them, meaning that you’ve made money from it.
A factor that’s important to me is how long a manufacturer supports a product for. Wagner offer a 3 year warranty. You can extend this to 4 years if you register your unit on their site within a month of buying it. In the 50 hours of testing, I have not run into any issues with the unit.
Verdict
My opinion is that this is the wallpaper stripper for those that want to flexibility of having different sized steam plates as well as having an additional scraper in the kit. It is also ideal for those that don’t want to strip off vinyl wallpaper (or do it infrequently).
What I Liked
- Set and forget use
- Massive 4 litre tank allows for over an hour of use
- When using the Plus version, a smaller steam plate is included
- 4 year warranty for peace of mind
What Could Be Better
- Stripping vinyl wallpaper is a challenge
- The warm up time is longer than most steamer on the market
- No physical switch on the unit, you need to unplug it from the wall to stop it from heating up
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The Wagner Steam Force Plus can be purchased at Amazon.
As an Amazon Associate, I earn a commission from qualifying purchases
Draper Storm Force Wallpaper Steamer
Draper also has a wallpaper stripper, and I was curious to see how well it performs. I like that it has a 4 litre tank on it. I managed to get 50 minutes from this before I had to fill the tank back up again. However, it produces 2000w of power which was enough for me to get nearly round the entire room before I had to top it up.
Thankfully the warmup time is pretty short too, with, on average it took 8 minutes for the water to be at the right temperature to remove the wallpaper which is the fastest off all 3 items that I’ve tested.
Real-World Performance
As part of the more than 50 hours of testing, I found it to be good at removing the wallpaper in one pass, and very rarely did I have to have a repeated pass for the wallpaper. Some residue was left over, and did require me going back over it again, but this is a trivial point and can easily be removed afterwards.
It also removed vinyl wallpaper, but it did require a few more passes. Thanks to the consistent stream of steam, I was able to get around nearly an entire room before I had to top up the water tank again.
Ergonomics
As with the others on the list, the hose is ideal on the Draper as it has a 3m hose on it, which means that you don’t need to hold the whole unit whilst you’re moving the pad over the wall. Similarly, the steaming plate comes with a comfortable handle to hold for even prolonged periods of use.
Value For Money
With respect to the warranty, Draper provides a 24 month warranty with the steamer. Much like the other two items on this list, I tested this more than 50 hours, and I didn’t experience any issues with it. It was also the cheapest when I purchased it in October 2023 with it costing me £40. As of May 2026, it is now available for just over £41, although I have seen it for just over £38 in the past
Verdict
There is not a scraper included, so you’ll need to purchase one of these separately. I would say that this is the ideal wallpaper stripper for those that want a no-frills steamer at a low cost point that will also carry out the task.
What I Like
- Fast to action with steam being available after 8 minutes
- Powerful 2000w generator
- 2 year warranty with the unit
What Could Be Better
- No hand scraper included, and only one steaming plate
- Run time is only 50 minutes
- Fast Action - The steamer is ready to use within 10 minutes of switch-on
Last update on 2026-09-11 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API As an Amazon Associate, I earn a commission from qualifying purchases.
The Draper steamer is available from Amazon.
As an Amazon Associate, I earn a commission from qualifying purchases