Compare the Best Steam CleanersOctober 2020

A steam cleaner is a specialised floor cleaning machine - it heats up water to produce jets of steam, which is then used to clean floors,curtains or upholstery at very high pressure. The mixture of the very hot steam and the high pressure mean that it is far more effective than a vacuum cleaner for shifting stains and dirt from floors and carpets - think of it as a super-powered version of a standard mop and bucket! There are 3 main types of steam cleaner - upright, cylinder and portable:

Water Capacity

Steam cleaners have an onboard water tank that is used to generate the steam used for cleaning. The capacity of these tanks can vary considerably - from small 0.2L handheld tanks, to enormous 2L tanks in the bigger models. The larger the water tank, the more steam can be generated before the machine needs to be refilled. This means larger machines can be used for longer at a time, and so are more efficient for larger cleaning jobs or extended use.

Steam Pressure

Steam cleaners have a pressure rating, measured in 'bars'. The higher the pressure rating, the stronger the steam will be 'pushed' against the floor or carpet. This leads to more effective, deeper cleans, meaning your carpets get cleaner, faster! We have models with pressure ratings from 1 to 5 bars.

Included Accessories

Finally, many steam cleaners come equipped with a range of different nozzles, brushes and accessories to help with different cleaning scenarios. Be aware that some of the extra accessories may come with an additional cost, but the increased utility is usually worth it. Things to look for include:

Steam Cleaner Prices

The price range of steam cleaners is from $27 to $749 and in total we found prices for 17 steam cleaners. A new steam cleaner costs on average $174 and 80% of steam cleaners are priced between $33 and $465. The Rowenta RY7535 is the most expensive steam cleaner that we found at $749, and the Dirt Devil Versa is the cheapest at only $27.

Steam Cleaner Brands - Price Range

The highest average steam cleaner price out of all brands is Rowenta steam cleaners with an average price of $607. Rowenta steam cleaners range in price from $465 to $749.

The second highest average steam cleaner price out of all brands is Polti steam cleaners with an average price of $395. Polti steam cleaners start at $325 and their most expensive steam cleaner costs $465.

The average price of Solac steam cleaners is $238 which is the third highest average price of all steam cleaner brands. Solac steam cleaners range in price from $238 to $238.

Steam Cleaner Brands - Average Ratings

We have analysed 3 expert reviews and 1,073 user reviews for steam cleaners and used this information to calculate the average rating for each brand of steam cleaner.

Biggest Steam Cleaner Retailers

The biggest steam cleaner retailer by number of products currently for sale is eBay. We found 16 current steam cleaner offers from eBay. The second biggest retailer is Target with 4 offers. That means eBay is over 4 times bigger than Target when it comes to steam cleaners. Walmart is the third biggest retailer with 1 current offers.

When Are Most New Steam Cleaners Released?

March to April is the most common period for new steam cleaners to be released in. If you wait until March 2021 then you might be able to get better features on your steam cleaner. It's also worth keeping in mind that the price of the current steam cleaners tend to drop off when the next models are released. March was the biggest month last year for new steam cleaners, with three new steam cleaners released that month. The biggest month in 2018 for new steam cleaner releases was April, with four new steam cleaners released that month. In January 2017, eight new steam cleaners were released making it the biggest month that year for new steam cleaner releases.

How Fast Do Steam Cleaner Prices Drop After Release?

On average, in the first 6 months after release, steam cleaners drop in price by 14%.

A typical new steam cleaner costs on average $174. By waiting 6 months before buying you could save on average $25.

Powers

'Power' measures the power level of the steam cleaner, rated in watts.

The powers of steam cleaners range from 550W to 2,450W. The powers of most steam cleaners range from 1,500W to 1,700W. The Rowenta RY7535, which is on sale for $748.96, has the biggest power and is a 1,700W steam cleaner. The steam cleaner with the smallest power is the Pyle PSTHH05, which is a 900W steam cleaner and is priced at $34.99.

Steam Pressures

'Steam Pressure' denotes the maximum steam pressure that the steam cleaner can achieve.

Comparing all steam cleaners, the steam pressures range from 0.9 bar to 7.2 bar. The steam pressures of the majority of steam cleaners range from 3.5 bar to 4 bar. The steam cleaner with the biggest steam pressure is the Philips GC362, which is a 5 bar steam pressure steam cleaner and currently retails for $91.71. The VAX VRS26, which currently retails for $72.21, has the smallest steam pressure and is a 1 bar steam pressure steam cleaner.

Types

The type of steam cleaner is a reflection of it's case design - each design has both benefits and drawbacks.

The most frequently found type amongst new steam cleaners is upright. We found 83 steam cleaners that are upright steam cleaners. We found 55 steam cleaners that are portable steam cleaners, making this the second most common type amongst new steam cleaners.

Water Capacities

The capacity of a steam cleaner measures how much water it can store at once.

Comparing all steam cleaners, the water capacities range from 0.06L to 5L. The water capacities of most steam cleaners range from 0.3L to 0.5L. The Polti Vaporetto Smart 100, which currently retails for $464.82, has the biggest water capacity and is a 2L capacity steam cleaner. The Philips GC362, which is available at $91.71, has the smallest water capacity and is a 0.07L capacity steam cleaner.

Which Are the Cheapest Retailers for Steam Cleaners?

The chart below helps you decide which retailer is normally cheapest for buying steam cleaners. For each retailer it shows the total number of steam cleaners where they currently have a market leading price. The chart below helps you decide which retailer is normally cheapest for buying steam cleaners. For each retailer we took all of their prices and looked at what proportion of those prices where the cheapest on the market. The cheapest retailer that we found was eBay. 12 of their steam cleaner prices were the cheapest that could be found anywhere.

Proportion of Steam Cleaners for Which Each Retailer is Cheapest?

Assessing how cheap each retailer is for steam cleaners by counting the number of cheapest prices for that retailer, makes the retailers that offer the greatest number of steam cleaner prices more likely to offer the greatest number of cheapest prices. The chart below considers the proportion of each retailer's steam cleaner prices that are the cheapest compared to other retailers. The cheapest retailer that we found using this approach was eBay. 75% of their steam cleaner prices were the cheapest that could be found anywhere.