Refresh your space with one of the best steam cleaners. These cleaners are bound to be a big help when it comes to resetting your home, with features that go a little further than your mop and bucket to get things ship-shape.
How does a steam cleaner work? They use high-powered steam, often in several ways (thanks to attachments) to clean and sanitise all number of surfaces in your home, not just your floors. We’re talking behind your fridge, your shower, and your hobs. Yep, this is a serious value-for-money investment.
We know how important it is to have hands-on experience with the products we recommend, which is why we’ve reviewed all of the steam cleaners that you’ll find below so that we can give you our honest findings on which type will suit you best.
Now, once you’ve given your home a once-over with the best vacuum, one of these expert steam cleaners will surely become a sure-fire staple in your cleaning routine.
The quick list – Best steam cleaners
1. Vax Steam Fresh Combi S86-SF-C
Best overall
+ Excellent onboard tools and tool storage
+ Handy triangular brush
+ Option to use detergent
– Small fill hole makes setup a little tricky
2. Polti Vaporetto Smart 100_B
Best powerful
+ Large water tank
+ Impressive performance
+ Gets under low-lying furniture
– Pricey
3. Black & Decker 10-in-1 Steam Mop FSMH13E10
Best affordable
+ Easy to carry
+ Stores away easily
+ Uses a switch instead of a trigger
– Shorter cord than other options
4. Bissell Powerfresh SlimSteam 2234E
Best for speedy cleaning
+ Wall mount is convenient
+ Good attachment carrier
– Handheld function is awkward to use
Best Shark
+ 2 year warranty
+ Quick heating time
+ Lots of accessories
– Big floor pad not great on corners
6. Hoover Steam Capsule 2 in 1 CA2IN1D
7. Kärcher SC 2 Upright EasyFix
Best for hard floors
+ Excellent performance on sealed floors
+ Slim, space-saving design
+ You can often find it for under £100
– No carpet glider included
Best canister steam cleaner
+ Excellent for removing stubborn dirt
+ Works well on carpet too
+ 6m cord
– Heat up time is a little long
Best steam and vac combo
+ Easy to fill water tank
+ 3-year guarantee
– No handheld cleaning tools
Best steam cleaner overall
(Image credit: Vax)
This superb upright steam mop has a triangular floorhead, two cloths, and a carpet glider, securing you value for money from the offset. You can pop the head off to reveal a medium-sized triangular brush perfect for scrubbing.
This is a traditional upright steam cleaner with a pop-out handheld in the middle for use with detail tools: squeegee with cloth cover for upholstery, concentrator, scraper and four different brushes. In a stroke of genius, there’s also onboard storage for six tools on the back of the upright, which is uncommon in cleaners like this.
This steam cleaner never let us down during testing; in fact, our tester Carmel thought it was so excellent that she found it difficult to step away from it as she envisioned other things in her home she could clean.
Carmel used this with the floorhead and carpet glider to clean the tide marks on an old, colourful rug. It worked to great effect and she only needed to switch to the brush a few times.
In our tests, we found this cleaner was ready to use in less than 30 seconds. The steam itself is variable and powerful on the top setting. Carmel also liked the fact that it can stand up independently when you need to pause cleaning and that you can use detergent as well as just water on tough stains. There are some drawbacks with this model, including the too-small fill hole, but on the whole, it’s a great value buy.
Our Vax Steam Fresh Combi S86-SF-C review has the full details.
Best powerful steam cleaner
(Image credit: Polti)
The Polti Vaporetto Smart 100_B has a large 2 litre water tank that feeds the boiler, but you can pop out the tank at any time for a refill without waiting for it to cool down or even disrupting cleaning.
The body boasts variable steam control and an anti-calc collector. It comes with a squeegee with cloth cover for cleaning upholstery, plus concentrator, scraper and two sizes of nylon brush. These are all great for cleaning, but might be a bit much if you’re tight on storage space.
The cleaner comes with a floor glider and one cleaning pad. The floorhead is slim to fit under furniture and has a small brush on the back so you can reverse slightly to scrub stains.
In our tests, Carmel found that steam took over one minute to heat up and then can stop and start instantly with a press of the trigger. It’s powerful: the lowest setting is similar to the steam offered by most steam mops, the highest setting is much stronger.
Carmel absolutely loved using the Polti, even if it is a bit on the pricey side. The controls are excellent, the design is practical and it feels weightless in the hand, so much so that you can lift it to clean windows, curtains and more. Use on a tiled wall was particularly easy too, so if you hate cleaning your bathroom, this is a great cleaner to consider.
Our Polti Vaporetto Smart 100_B review has the full details.
Best affordable steam cleaner
(Image credit: Black + Decker )
The design of the Black & Decker 10-in-1 Steam Mop FSMH13E10 is immensely lightweight. It has a great selection of tools and manoeuvrability is easy. We also found that it’s also one of the best options in terms of storage, so if you’re short on space, look no further.
The Black & Decker 10-in-1 Steam Mop FSMH13E10 took just 12 seconds to heat up and start cleaning during testing. You can’t choose different steam levels, so controls are a simple on and off switch mechanism. While it’s great on floors, our reviewer Carmel did find that tile and wood took a while to dry after use, and that the cord it runs with is a little short.
The middle pops out and converts to a handheld, with a lightweight design. It made quick work of lifting grime from upholstery, tiled walls and more. At this price, it’s a great buy and does more than most steam cleaners, but just watch out for the small water capacity.
Our Black & Decker 10-in-1 Steam Mop FSMH13E10 review has the full details.
Best steam cleaner for speediness
(Image credit: Bissell)
Pretty much all convertible steam mops have a handheld that pops out of the middle of the upright cleaner. This, however, is designed more like the best cordless vacuum cleaners. You hold the handheld and then add tubes below to clean floors. As a result, it’s nippy but top-heavy. It won’t stand up by itself then and there’s no carpet glider.
During the review process, our writer Carmel found we liked the design and how easy it was to convert back and forth. She loved the plastic tray that clips to the underside and holds all four supplied tools (concentrator, scraper and two shapes of brush). If your steam cleaning is a mix of floors and fiddly smaller things then the Bissell is hard to beat because your tools are always on board and converting is a doddle.
Cleaning is versatile and the two steam levels are good enough for all uses. It’s not the most powerful steam on test and yet it’s the cleaner Carmel would pick up and use again and again, especially thanks to the easy wall storage too,
Our Bissell PowerFresh SlimSteam 2234E review has the full details.
Best Shark steam mop
(Image credit: Shark)
Uniquely, the Shark’s floorhead and cleaning pad are double-sided, giving you twice the surface area for more cleaning. It comes with a second cleaning pad, too, which our Ecommcerce Editor Molly thought was excellent value for money during testing, even without using Shark discount codes.
It’s only designed for cleaning floors, so there are no accessories except a filling jug. There are two steam levels: a button on the front of the body of the cleaner cycles between these and off. In our tests, Molly found it heats up in under 30 seconds.
On the main side of the pad, you steam clean as normal. The pad is big and rectangular, ideal for cleaning large areas fast (though less good on corners). Flip the floorhead back on itself to use the other side, then push the whole machine down to get a powerful steam blast that sprays directly forwards onto the floor.
If you only want a steam cleaner to clean floors, this is powerful and the double-sided floorhead and two cleaning pads mean it can tackle large homes with ease. Check out the best Shark vacuums for more floorcare buys from the same brand.
Best 2-in-1 steam cleaner
(Image credit: Hoover)
The Hoover Steam Capsule 2 in 1 CA2IN1D is an all-rounder, and earned high praise from our reviewer Carmel. It’s got a design that many in search of the best steam mop will gravitate towards. Our first impression was that it’s an annoyance to assemble it, as you’ll need a screwdriver. It does look great though, and the handle is very ergonomic, even if the entire cleaner is a little tricky to manoeuvre.
It comes with a steam hose and a number of accessories, such as brushes and cloths. There isn’t any on-board storage, but the power cord is long, at 7 metres.
You can pop out the handheld from the back of the Hoover Steam Capsule, and there are three levels of steam controls to choose from. It’s possible to pop off the steam head, leaving a scrubby triangular brush which is amazing at picking up stubborn areas of dirt and grime.
Our The Hoover Steam Capsule 2 in 1 CA2IN1D review has the full details.
Best steam cleaner for hard floors
(Image credit: Karcher)
The Kärcher SC 2 Upright EasyFix is powerful and easy to control. It doesn’t come with carpet attachments, but its ‘stick’-style design is reminiscent of a cordless vacuum cleaner, which is very pleasing for those who love convenience. You can even clip away the cord so it doesn’t get stuck underfoot.
In terms of attachments, it’s a little minimal. It just comes with one microfiber pad for the floorhead and a descaling cartridge. There is no spare for when the pad is in the wash, and nothing for carpets either.
During our tests, we found that on hard floors it was very effective, with strong steam that lifts dirt with ease. There’s also a descaling cartridge to tackle limescale in tap water: the machine alerts you when it’s time to replace it.
Our Kärcher SC 2 Upright EasyFix review has the full details.
Best canister steam cleaner
(Image credit: Karcher )
This premium, cylinder-style steam cleaner is a completely different animal from a normal steam mop. It does an outstanding job of cleaning so much more than floors and it can keep cleaning for hours. It has a 6m cord and a large 1.5 litre water tank and the water is then pumped into a pressurised steam tank. This means you can refill the machine at any time, even when it’s in use, without pausing your cleaning.
Then you can attach various tools. There’s a large, rectangular floor head which comes with two Velcro cloths and a clip-on carpet glider. This steam cleaner also has a large square brush with cloth and large round brush – with space on the Kärcher to stow. The only thing it’s missing that we care about is a window squeegee. However, Kärcher offers a wide selection of accessories if you care about this or other tools.
Cleaning was outstanding – the floor head is much more than a floor head. It’s on a lightweight lance, so we found ourselves instinctively lifting it up and cleaning the bathroom’s tiled walls, right up to the ceiling. The only downside? It’s a little slow on the uptake when you begin cleaning.
Best vacuum and steam cleaner combi
(Image credit: Bissell)
Combine two cleaning tasks into one swift motion with the Bissell Vac & Steam, which does exactly what the name says. It lifts as much dust and hair as possible and then uses water to lift the remaining grime.
There are no handheld cleaning tools with this cleaner as it’s just for floors. It’s heavy (4.4kg) and perhaps not as versatile as some of the other options on this list, but it does have the value of a vacuum and steam cleaner combined.
For steam cleaning you just need to fill the 380ml tank and add the fabric pad (it comes with two, one plain and one with lines to scrub dirt, each with a pocket for adding an optional fragrance disc).
You can use each feature independently but the Bissell Vac & Steam is at its best when you use both at once to save time. You can whizz around the house at double speed if dirt isn’t too ingrained.
How we test our steam cleaners
At Ideal Home, we know that in order to give you our opinion of the best steam cleaners on the market, we need to have tested them ourselves. That’s why all of the steam cleaners within this guide have been rigorously tested, with each function and accessory used to establish value for money and functionality.
The process of exactly how we test involves using the products in our own homes frequently, in order to put them through their paces. By using them over an extended period of time, we can judge whether these products are worth your investment and whether they can stand the test of time. That includes weighing up each steam mop’s cleaning quality, ease of use, specialist features, and value for money.
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Here’s a rundown of exactly what qualifies our testers as experts, and the kind of homes these mops have been tested in.
Carmel Quin
Our tester Caramel has decades of experience of reviewing technology products, writing for, among others, The Evening Standard, The Express, The Guardian, The Independent, The Mail on Sunday, The Sunday Mirror, The Telegraph and The Sunday Times. She’s long been part of the Ideal Home family, and knows exactly what you’re looking for in a good steam cleaner. And when it comes to steamers, she’s an expert, having tried out the best clothing steamers for Ideal Home too.
With two teenage children and a pet dog to clean up after, Caramel has been able to give each steam cleaner a rigorous test at home over several weeks. She’s looked at every aspect of each cleaner, taking into account its ability to clean, to manoeuvre (taking into account its weight and the reach of its cable), the tools that come with it and therefore its versatility, and how easy it is to control.
Molly Cleary
Our Ecommerce Editor Molly oversees vacuum and cleaning content at Ideal Home. She has tested out a number of these steam cleaners in her two-bedroom London flat, including the Bissell PowerFresh SlimSteam and the Shark Klik n’ Flip Automatic Steam Mop.
Testing these cleaners simultaneously has allowed her to see which cleaners excel at which task, and to judge them on ease of use and storage, which is crucially important in her very compact space.
FAQs
What is the best steam cleaner in 2023?
All of our best steam cleaners have been reviewed by home tech expert Caramel Quin, our Ecommerce Editor Molly Cleary or our freelancer Joanne Lewsley. You can click through to our steam cleaner reviews to see how they got on with them in her own homes, complete with pictures and comparisons. We have voted the Vax Steam Fresh Combi S86-SF-C as the best steam cleaner in 2022. Alternatively, if you want something a little more versatile, then the Polti Vaporetto Smart 100_B also comes (very) highly recommended.
How much should I spend on a steam cleaner?
The most straightforward steam mops start at £50, but up to £150 is average for a convertible upright. These are steam mops that double as smaller, handheld cleaners. Budget upwards of £300 for a cylinder model with much more steam power.
What are the different types of steam cleaner?
Steam mop
If you only want to steam clean floors, consider a simple machine that doesn’t convert to a handheld. It will be light, easy to manoeuvre and you won’t have to store fiddly tools that you’ve no intention of using.
Convertible steam cleaner
A.k.a. 2-in-1 cleaners, these are upright steam mops where the steam generator can pop out from the middle to be used as a smaller, handheld cleaner. They come with various tools for steam cleaning smaller stuff.
Cylinder steam cleaner
For the ultimate in powerful, long-lasting steam, get a cylinder cleaner. They generate a constant flow of strong steam that make light work of anything. But they take up more cupboard space.
Does steam cleaning actually work?
After testing a whole host of them, we can say with confidence that steam cleaning does work – and on several surfaces too! From your hobs to your shower tiles, these cleaners can help to remove stubborn dirt, and to sanitise, thanks to the high temperatures of the steam these appliances omit.
Steam cleaning is also effective in helping to get rid of household pests, such as bed bugs. Yep, that’s right, these appliances are really that useful –our explainer on whether steam cleaning kills bedbugs has the full details.
