Compare the Best Steam CleanersJuly 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

In total we found 53 steam cleaners ranging from £21 to £699. On average, a new steam cleaner costs £145 and 80% of steam cleaners are priced between £34 and £340. The most expensive steam cleaner that we found is the Polti FAV80 at £699, and the cheapest is the Dirt Devil Versa at only £22.

Steam Cleaner Brands - Price Range

The highest average steam cleaner price out of all brands is Hotpoint steam cleaners with an average price of £340. Hotpoint steam cleaners range in price from £340 to £340.

Rowenta steam cleaners start at £206 and their most expensive steam cleaner costs £441. The second highest average steam cleaner price out of all brands is Rowenta steam cleaners with an average price of £323.

Polti steam cleaners range in price from £51 to £699, and the third highest average steam cleaner price out of all brands is Polti steam cleaners with an average price of £250.

Steam Cleaner Brands - Average Ratings

We have analysed 26 expert reviews and 2,393 user reviews for steam cleaners and used this data 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 35 current steam cleaner offers from eBay. The second biggest retailer is Freenet Electrical with 9 offers. That means eBay is over 3 times bigger than Freenet Electrical when it comes to steam cleaners. Argos is the third biggest retailer with 8 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. Three new steam cleaners were released in March 2019 making it the biggest month that year for new steam cleaner releases. In 2018 most new steam cleaners were released in 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?

In the first 6 months after release, steam cleaners drop in price by 8% on average.

If you are prepared to wait then you could save an average of £11 on a typical £145 new steam cleaner by waiting 6 months before buying.

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 Polti FAV80, which sells for £699.00, has the biggest power and is a 2,450W steam cleaner. The Hotpoint VS S15 AAW, which is on sale for £339.74, has the smallest power and is a 550W steam cleaner.

Steam Pressures

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

Comparing all steam cleaners, the steam pressures range from 1 bar to 7.2 bar. The steam pressures of most steam cleaners range from 3.5 bar to 4 bar. The Polti FAV80, which is priced at £699.00, has the biggest steam pressure and is a 6 bar steam pressure steam cleaner. The steam cleaner with the smallest steam pressure is the Black & Decker FSMH1351, which is a 2.5 bar steam pressure steam cleaner and is available at £99.00.

Types

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

Amongst new steam cleaners, the most frequently found type is upright. We found 79 steam cleaners that are upright steam cleaners. We found 52 steam cleaners that are portable steam cleaners, making portable the second most frequently found type amongst new steam cleaners.

Water Capacities

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

The water capacities of steam cleaners 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 £199.00, has the biggest water capacity and is a 2L capacity steam cleaner. The steam cleaner with the smallest water capacity is the Philips GC362, which is a 0.07L capacity steam cleaner and is priced at £55.00.

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. 14 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. 40% of their steam cleaner prices were the cheapest that could be found anywhere.