Steam reforming of light hydrocarbons is a key step for producing hydrogen and syngas for important processes in the petroleum and petrochemical industries. Since the establishment of the SMR process in 1930, research and development have led to improved catalyst performance and improved reactor tube materials. Since about 1970, new reactor configurations have been considered. The authors critically review recent attempts to radically improve the SMR reactor performance, analyze the areas of improvement and the suitability of proposed configurations for different reforming applications.