Fourteen polymer coatings were evaluated for their ability to promote and sustain dropwise condensation of steam. Nine of the coatings employed a fluoropolymer as a major constituent; four employed hydrocarbons and one a silicone. Each coating was applied to 25-mm-square by approximately 1-mm-thick metal substrates of brass, copper, copper-nickel, and titanium. While exposed to steam at atmospheric pressure, each coating was visually evaluated for its ability to promote dropwise condensation. Observations were also conduction over a period of 22,000 hr. Hardness and adhesion tests were performed on selected specimens, On the basis of sustained performance, six coatings were selected for application to the outside of 19-mm-dia copper tubes in order to perform a heat transfer evaluation. These tubes were mounted horizontally in a separate apparatus through which steam flowed vertically downward. Steam-side heat transfer coefficients were inferred from overall measurements. Test results indicate that the steam-side heat transfer coefficient can be increased by a factor of five to eight through the use of polymer coatings to promote dropwise condensation.