What is the difference between a portable facial steamer and a facial steamer? Actually, there is no difference in most cases. Consumer portable facial steamers and consumer facial steamers are typically one in the same. The only case where they are not one in the same is if you were to purchase an industrial or professional facial steamer for a business. The industrial and professional versions are not quite as portable as the consumer versions that you can purchase in most stores.
Just how portable is the facial steamer? To give you an idea, we will look at the Conair MDF2R Facial Sauna with Timer. At the time of this writing, this particular model is one of the best selling models on Amazon.com. Target also carries this model. This facial steamer consists of three pieces that fit together which includes the base, a large cone attachment, and a small cone attachment. The largest piece of the three piece setup is the large cone which measures just six and three fourths inches wide and less than ten inches long. The base and small cone are much smaller in comparison. If you were traveling, this definitely has a small enough of a footprint for what it is to be portable. Another popular model at the time of this writing is the Paragon Petite Table-Top Facial Steamer. The specification for this model is 12 x 6 x 15. Again, small small enough to be portable if you need to have a facial steamer when you travel.
If you are having any issue deciding if the model you are considering is small enough to be portable for your situation, make it point to visit a few local stores to see if they stock any models that are considering. It is much easier to make that determination when you see it for yourself in person. You could also call in advance to be sure they stock facial steamers before driving down to shop for them. If the model you are considering sounds small enough or portability is not a major concern, order it online from a reputable merchant that has a good return policy such as amazon.com. Have Fun!