Top 5 compared
The best steam mops
Clean hard floors with nothing but water and heat, and no dirty bucket to dump afterward.
As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. It costs you nothing extra. How this works
The top 5 at a glance
A steam mop heats water in a small tank and pushes steam through a microfiber pad, lifting dirt and dried spills from tile, vinyl and sealed wood without a bucket or cleaning spray. The plainest simply steam and glide. Others bring something extra for stuck-on messes, such as a flip-down scrubber, spinning pads or a button that fires a blast of steam, and a 2-in-1 has a handheld steamer that lifts off the pole.
Most heat up in half a minute or less and come with washable pads. Use one only on sealed floors, such as tile, sealed hardwood, laminate and vinyl, and try a hidden corner first, especially on wood.
What matters
- A tank big enough to finish a room on one fill.
- A light body, if it’s going up and down stairs.
- Adjustable steam, from a light pass to stuck-on spills.
- A cord long enough for your biggest room.
#1BISSELL PowerFresh Steam Mop (1940A)
$75–$100
A flip-down scrubber on the head breaks up dried-on spills and grime in grout without extra elbow grease, and three steam settings go from a quick freshen-up to stuck-on messes. The 23 ft cord covers most rooms from one outlet.
What owners say: Owners say it heats fast and leaves tile and sealed wood spotless, though some had the water tank’s cap crack or the mop give out after a year or so.
A closer look: Add one of BISSELL’s Spring Breeze scent discs and the room smells fresh as you mop. Save the flip-down scrubber and the top steam setting for tile and grout, and turn it down for sealed hardwood, where less moisture is kinder to the boards.
- 3 steam settings
- 23 ft cord
- Washable microfiber pads
- Takes optional scent discs
- 2-year limited warranty
Best for: Tiled floors with dirty grout
- Heat-up
- 30 seconds
- Water tank
- 16 fl oz
- Weight
- 6.2 lb
- For stuck-on messes
- Flip-down scrubber
- Handheld steamer
- No
#2Shark Steam & Scrub Steam Mop (S8001)
$150–$200
Two round pads spin at over 150 scrubs a minute while it steams, so it does the scrubbing for you on stuck-on stains, and LED headlights pick out crumbs under the cabinets. Light, Normal and Deep steam modes go from a quick pass to a sticky kitchen floor.
What owners say: Owners find the spinning pads do the hard work, which suits anyone who finds mopping tiring, though a few see circular marks on some floors and opinions on the price are split.
A closer look: Four machine-washable pads come in the box, so a fresh pair can go on while the used ones are in the wash. At 6.7 lb it’s a heavy mop, so it suits a single floor better than a house with stairs; the tank lifts off for refills at the sink.
- 150+ scrubs a minute
- LED headlights
- 4 washable pads included
- Light, Normal and Deep modes
- Filling flask included
Best for: Stuck-on kitchen spills
- Heat-up
- –
- Water tank
- 11.8 fl oz
- Weight
- 6.7 lb
- For stuck-on messes
- Spinning pads
- Handheld steamer
- No
#3Shark Steam Mop (S1000)
$50–$75
Shark’s basic steam mop: fill the removable tank, wait 30 seconds, and steam comes on demand, with swivel steering to get around chair legs. At 4.6 lb it’s easy to carry between rooms, and it suits everyday kitchen and bathroom floors.
What owners say: Owners like how quickly the pads swap on and off and how easily it glides over tile and linoleum, though steam output, value and durability all get mixed reports.
A closer look: Keep the second pad for the bathroom so kitchen grease stays in the kitchen, and wash both after use. On sealed wood and laminate, don’t let the head rest in one place, so no spot gets too wet.
- Swivel steering
- Steam on demand
- 18 ft cord
- 2 washable pads
Best for: Linoleum and tile, room to room
- Heat-up
- 30 seconds
- Water tank
- 12.7 fl oz
- Weight
- 4.6 lb
- For stuck-on messes
- Pads only
- Handheld steamer
- No
#4Shark SteamSpot Steam Mop with Steam Blaster (S2001)
$100–$150
Under 5 lb, so it’s easy to carry upstairs, yet a touch of a button fires a targeted blast of steam at sticky spots. Two different pads come with it: a Dirt Grip pad for everyday cleaning and a stiffer scrub pad for stuck-on messes.
What owners say: Quick to heat and light to push, owners say, with a tank that lasts; they’re split on how much steam it puts out and whether the cord is long enough.
A closer look: Use the Dirt Grip pad for the weekly clean and swap to the scrub pad for a sticky kitchen or a muddy entryway. Plug in at an outlet near the middle of the area to save moving the plug, and keep Deep mode for the worst spots so a tankful goes further.
- Light, Normal and Deep modes
- Both pads machine washable
Best for: Stairs and quick spot cleans
- Heat-up
- 25 seconds
- Water tank
- 16.9 fl oz
- Weight
- 4.8 lb
- For stuck-on messes
- Steam blast, scrub pad
- Handheld steamer
- No
#5Mxnsewr 11-in-1 Steam Mop with Detachable Handheld (C021)
$50–$75
A floor mop and a handheld steamer in one: the steam unit lifts off the pole for counters, grout, windows and wrinkled clothes. A knob sets how much steam comes out, and the 15.2 fl oz tank lasts up to 45 minutes, so most jobs get done on one fill.
What owners say: Owners have taken years of grime off a floor in a few minutes with it, and like how fast it heats, the reach of the long cord, the set of attachments and how easy the tank is to refill.
A closer look: Set the telescopic pole to your height before starting, then let the head’s swivel carry it under the sofa and around table legs. It stands up on its own while you move furniture, and the cord winds onto the body for storage, which keeps all 23 ft of it tidy in a closet.
- Steams up to 45 minutes
- Adjustable steam knob
- Stands up on its own
- 23 ft cord with wrap
- Telescopic pole
Best for: Floors plus grout, counters and clothes
- Heat-up
- 20 seconds
- Water tank
- 15.2 fl oz
- Weight
- –
- For stuck-on messes
- Handheld with attachments
- Handheld steamer
- Yes
How they compare
Swipe sideways or rotate device to see all 5.
| Feature | #1BISSELL PowerFresh | #2Shark S8001 | #3Shark S1000 | #4Shark SteamSpot S2001 | #5Mxnsewr 11-in-1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best overall | Best premium | Best budget | Best 2-in-1 | ||
| Picked Rating | 8.9 | 8.7 | 8.6 | 8.6 | 8.6 |
| Price | $75–$100 | $150–$200 | $50–$75 | $100–$150 | $50–$75 |
| Heat-up | 30 seconds | – | 30 seconds | 25 seconds | 20 seconds |
| Water tank | 16 fl oz | 11.8 fl oz | 12.7 fl oz | 16.9 fl oz | 15.2 fl oz |
| Weight | 6.2 lb | 6.7 lb | 4.6 lb | 4.8 lb | – |
| For stuck-on messes | Flip-down scrubber | Spinning pads | Pads only | Steam blast, scrub pad | Handheld with attachments |
| Handheld steamer | No | No | No | No | Yes |
| Best for | Tiled floors with dirty grout | Stuck-on kitchen spills | Linoleum and tile, room to room | Stairs and quick spot cleans | Floors plus grout, counters and clothes |
| Buy now | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon |
Photos are illustrative, some computer-generated. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. It costs you nothing extra. How we pick · How this works.
