Best steam cleaners 2024: Which? Best Buys and expert buying advice

The best steam cleaners take the hard work out of refreshing your floors and surfaces. 

The high temperature of the steam kills harmful bacteria and can eliminate the dust mites that cause asthma and allergies.

Because steam cleaners use steam to wipe away dirt and germs, rather than harsh chemicals, they're better for the environment and your home.

Take a look at our steam cleaner reviews to compare models from brands like Karcher, Vax, Shark and Thane.

Best steam cleaners for 2024

Here's our pick of the best steam cleaners, including the top handheld model, the best cylinder steam cleaner, along with the cheapest model to ace our tests.

Only logged-in Which? members can view our recommendations in the table below. If you're not yet a member, join Which? to get instant access.

Best cheap steam cleaner

Best cylinder steam cleaner

Best steam mop

Best two-in-one steam cleaner

Best steam cleaner for carpets

Best combination steam mop

Best handheld steam cleaner

Pricing, recommendations and test scores are correct as of April 2024.

Not found your dream steam cleaner? See all our steam cleaner reviews.

Video: how to buy the best steam cleaner

Our video will help you decide which type of steam cleaner is right for you.

Which type of steam cleaner should I choose?

Steam cleaners come in three main types: steam mops, handheld and cylinder steam cleaners. 

Meanwhile, two-in-one steam cleaners combine a mop for floors and a handheld steam cleaner for cleaning tiles, glass and other surfaces.

Steam mops 

Steam mops resemble vacuum cleaners, but rather than suck up dirt, they have a mop head on the bottom to clean floors. 

They’re usually lightweight with a pivoting mop head that’s easy to manoeuvre around obstacles and into corners.

• Best for: anyone with hard floors looking to upgrade from a mop for a deeper clean.

Handheld steam cleaners 

Handheld steam cleaners are designed for steam cleaning small areas – bathroom tiles, kitchen surfaces or hard-to-reach corners, for example.

They give a concentrated burst of steam through a nozzle and usually come with a range of attachments for different surfaces. Handheld steam cleaners only have a small water tank, so they are easy to carry around and store.

• Best for: anyone who wants to clean awkward or smaller areas, rather than larger areas such as floors. 

Two-in-one mop and handheld steam cleaners 

These multi-purpose steam cleaners comprise an upright steam mop to tackle large surfaces like floors, plus a detachable handheld steam cleaner for smaller, more awkward spaces.

They can tackle most steam-cleaning tasks, but they're often heavier and more expensive than standard steam mops.

• Best for: those who want the flexibility to clean both larger and smaller areas

Cylinder steam cleaners 

Cylinder steam cleaners are wheeled devices with a larger water tank. The mop head is attached to a flexible hose, and the water tank is housed in the main body that you pull along behind you.

You can connect accessories to the hose to clean different surfaces. A good cylinder cleaner should be able to do all your steam-cleaning jobs. 

• Best for: those with larger areas to clean, as the larger water tanks mean they can steam for much longer. Most steam mops produce up to 15 minutes of steam, but cylinders often last three times that long. 

What floors can you use a steam cleaner on?

We've outlined the type of flooring you can use a steam cleaner on, those you shouldn't, and why.

Read 5 surfaces you shouldn't use a steam cleaner on to find out more

How much should I pay for a good steam cleaner?

We’ve tested and rated dozens of steam cleaners over the years and have uncovered big differences in quality and cleaning power between different brands and models.

You can pick up a Best Buy steam mop for around £70, while you'll need to pay around £120 for one of our two-in-one steam cleaners.

There are far fewer cylinder and handheld steam cleaners. Cylinders can cost more than £250. You can pick up a handheld steam cleaner for about £30.

Be inspired to make home improvements. Get our Home newsletter – it's free monthly

Which steam cleaner accessories do I need?

Attachments help you tackle other cleaning jobs around the home, such as window cleaning, refreshing your carpet, and even cleaning your car.

You won’t usually get any accessories with a standard steam mop other than machine-washable cleaning pads.

But if you’re buying a cylinder or handheld cleaner (either a standalone model or part of a two-in-one device), it’s worth keeping an eye out for the following:

• Squeegees for cleaning glass
• Scrubbing brushes to remove embedded grime from grout and tiles
• Carpet gliders to refresh carpets
• Cleaning pads for wiping down surfaces
• Upholstery tool for treating stains and refreshing fabric – these often comprise a brush or squeegee tool with a cloth/pad fitted over the top
• Scrubbing pad to make light work of removing grease from ovens

We’ve come across a few models that can be used with detergents. These are marketed as giving extra cleaning power, but the idea of using chemical cleaning agents may put you off.

Best steam cleaner features to look out for

You need to consider the capacity of the water tank, heat-up time and steaming time.

• Heat-up time – how long the steam cleaner takes to start pumping out steam. 
• Water-tank capacity – the bigger the tank, the longer your steam cleaner will take before it pumps out steam. And the longer that steam will last.
• Steaming time – how long you can use the cleaner with continuous steam before it needs refilling with water. 

Steam mops are much faster to heat up than cylinder steam cleaners. The fastest mop is ready to use in less than 20 seconds.

Handheld steam cleaners are light and easy to use, but don’t steam for long. Their small tanks mean they can only generate steam for short bursts before you need to stop and fill up.

Anything else I need to know?

It’s worth checking whether the cleaner can be used with standard tap water. 

Some manufacturers recommend you use distilled water, which can be inconvenient and expensive – but failing to use it may invalidate your warranty. 

A built-in limescale filter can be useful if you live in a hard-water area.