Compare the Best Steam CleanersApril 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 £20 to £699 and in total we found prices for 70 steam cleaners. The average price of a new steam cleaner is £123 and 80% of steam cleaners are priced between £34 and £243. The Polti FAV80 is the most expensive steam cleaner that we found at £699, and the Dirt Devil Versa is the cheapest at only £20.

Steam Cleaner Brands - Price Range

The average price of Kärcher steam cleaners is £252 which is the highest average price of all steam cleaner brands. Kärcher steam cleaners start at £39 and their most expensive steam cleaner costs £610.

The second highest average steam cleaner price out of all brands is Polti steam cleaners with an average price of £215. Polti steam cleaners range in price from £23 to £699.

Rowenta steam cleaners range in price from £156 to £243, and the third highest average steam cleaner price out of all brands is Rowenta steam cleaners with an average price of £199.

Steam Cleaner Brands - Average Ratings

We have analysed 21 expert reviews and 2,577 user reviews for steam cleaners and used this data to determine the average rating for each brand of steam cleaner.

Biggest Steam Cleaner Retailers

We found 48 current offers for steam cleaners from eBay making it the biggest steam cleaner retailer. That is slightly bigger than the second biggest retailer, Amazon UK for whom we found 45 current offers for steam cleaners. The third biggest retailer is Freenet Electrical with 17 current steam cleaner offers.

When Are Most New Steam Cleaners Released?

Most new steam cleaners tend to be released between March and May. That means that most of the latest steam cleaner technology was released in within the last 3 months, and now is good time to buy. Last year most new steam cleaners were released in May, with three new steam cleaners released that month. The biggest month in 2019 for new steam cleaner releases was March, with three new steam cleaners released that month. April was the biggest month in 2018 for new steam cleaners, 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 11% in the first 6 months after release.

That means that on a typical steam cleaner costing £123 you could save on average £13 by waiting 6 months before buying.

Powers

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

Comparing all 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 FAV80, which is a 2,450W steam cleaner and can be purchased for £699.00. The steam cleaner with the smallest power is the Pyle PSTMH15, which is a 900W steam cleaner and sells for £50.98.

Steam Pressures

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

Across the range of steam cleaners, the steam pressures 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 Black & Decker FSM1615, which is priced at £89.97, has the biggest steam pressure and is a 6 bar steam pressure steam cleaner. The steam cleaner with the smallest steam pressure is the Russell Hobbs RHDSM4001, which is a 0.8 bar steam pressure steam cleaner and is priced at £74.99.

Types

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

Upright is the most popular type amongst new steam cleaners. We found 83 steam cleaners that are upright steam cleaners. We found 57 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.

Comparing all steam cleaners, the water capacities range from 0.06L to 5L. The water capacities of the majority of steam cleaners range from 0.3L to 0.5L. The Polti Eco Pro 3.0, which is priced at £83.99, has the biggest water capacity and is a 2L capacity steam cleaner. The Philips GC36286, which currently retails for £59.99, 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. 32 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. 66.7% of their steam cleaner prices were the cheapest that could be found anywhere.