Compare the Best Steam CleanersJune 2021

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 $31 to $558 and in total we found prices for 13 steam cleaners. A new steam cleaner costs on average $141 and 80% of steam cleaners are priced between $32 and $300. The most expensive steam cleaner that we found is the Polti Vaporetto Smart 100 at $558, and the cheapest is the Shark S3601 at only $32.

Steam Cleaner Brands - Price Range

Polti steam cleaners start at $43 and their most expensive steam cleaner costs $558. The highest average steam cleaner price out of all brands is Polti steam cleaners with an average price of $300.

The second highest average steam cleaner price out of all brands is Solac steam cleaners with an average price of $269. Solac steam cleaners range in price from $269 to $269.

Philips steam cleaners range in price from $90 to $99, and the third highest average steam cleaner price out of all brands is Philips steam cleaners with an average price of $95.

Steam Cleaner Brands - Average Ratings

We have checked 25 expert reviews and 2,734 user reviews for steam cleaners and used this data to determine 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 11 current steam cleaner offers from eBay.

When Are Most New Steam Cleaners Released?

The most common period for new steam cleaners to be released in is between March and May. Three new steam cleaners were released in May 2020 making it the biggest month that year for new steam cleaner releases. The biggest month in 2019 for new steam cleaner releases was March, with three new steam cleaners released that month. In 2018 most new steam cleaners were released in April, with four new steam cleaners released that month.

How Fast Do Steam Cleaner Prices Drop After Release?

On average steam cleaners drop in price by 17% in the first 6 months after release.

A typical new steam cleaner costs on average $141. By waiting 6 months before buying you could save on average $24.

Powers

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

Across the range of steam cleaners, the powers range from 550W to 2,450W. The powers of most steam cleaners range from 1,500W to 1,700W. The steam cleaner with the biggest power is the Polti Vaporetto Comfort, which is a 1,800W steam cleaner and is available at $42.77. The steam cleaner with the smallest power is the Pyle PSTMH15, which is a 900W steam cleaner and can be purchased for $69.99.

Steam Pressures

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

The steam pressures of steam cleaners range from 0.8 bar to 7.2 bar. The steam pressures of most steam cleaners range from 2.5 bar to 3.5 bar. The steam cleaner with the biggest steam pressure is the Philips GC362, which is a 5 bar steam pressure steam cleaner and is priced at $99.43. The Pyle PSTMH15, which is available at $69.99, has the smallest steam pressure and is a 3 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.

We found 83 steam cleaners that are upright steam cleaners, which makes this the most popular type amongst new steam cleaners. Portable is the second most popular type amongst new steam cleaners. We found 57 steam cleaners that are portable steam cleaners.

Water Capacities

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

Across the range of 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 steam cleaner with the biggest water capacity is the Polti Vaporetto Smart 100, which is a 2L capacity steam cleaner and currently retails for $557.99. The Philips GC362, which sells for $99.43, 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. 10 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. 90.9% of their steam cleaner prices were the cheapest that could be found anywhere.