Our 30 year old steamer was unusable because it was leaking steam from the handle. I was surprised to find that replacements were available online. This one works great and seems to be of the same quality or better than the original.(Note, in searching online I also found a model with a metal head and a wood handle that would seem to be even better, but one of the vendors pointed out in the description that that unit is for drapes/curtains and therefore has a longer hose which causes a drop in temp at the head rendering it less effective for cotton clothing).