A steam cleaner or steam mop is a useful tool to have around the home, particularly if you have lots of hard floors. Here’s our pick of the best steam cleaners we’ve tested.
Every steam cleaner we featured has been fully tested by us – we never include products we haven’t tested. Whether you want the best steam cleaner for tile floors, a steam mop for laminate floors or even a steam cleaner for de-mucking grout, one of our selection of the best steam mops will get the job done.
Hit the next arrow or select from the list below for more info on each model.
Best Steam Mop – Bissel Vac & Steam
Best 2-in-1 Steam Mop – Vax Steam Fresh Combi S86-SF-C
Best Cylinder Steam Cleaner – Polti Vaporetto GO
Related: Best Vacuum Cleaners Round-up
This is the first decision you need to make, and it will largely depend on what you want to use your steam cleaner for.
Buy a steam mop if…
...you just want to clean floors. They’re best for hard floors, but some are useful for freshening up carpets and lifting stains from carpets, too. They’re generally cheaper than 2-in-1 steam mops, which can switch into a handheld mode for other tasks.
Buy a 2-in-1 steam mop if…
...you want to clean floors and other surfaces. These more versatile steam mops can be used as handhelds as well, and they normally come with a selection of tools suited to different jobs. This means you can tackle the kitchen tops, bathroom tiles, curtains and plenty more besides, and all with one cleaner.
Buy a cylinder steam cleaner if...
...you find upright steam mops too heavy and cumbersome. While some of the large cylinder steam cleaners are heavier overall, the fact that they’re on wheels means they’re easier to lug about. Most do all the same things a 2-in-1 steam mop will do, while very compact models exist that you can carry on your shoulder.
The other key difference is that cylinder steam cleaners take longer to get ready – normally a few minutes – but the advantages are longer running times and less filling up. Some can even be topped up as you clean, so you don’t have to turn off the cleaner to keep going.