Best Handheld Steam Cleaner Reviews 2018

For healthy and “green” cleaning, steam cleaners are better alternatives to using chemicals and other agents that are harmful to our health and environment. To get the best handheld steam cleaner, there are certain features you need to consider. We’ve done exactly that in this review and have, after much research, selected 5 handheld steam cleaners from 5 top brands. Please note that these brands have more handheld steam cleaners than the ones we’ve presented here – feel free to check those out as well!

Overview

PROS

CONS

SPECS

Size

Capacity

Steam Power

Run Time

Accessories

Our Top Choice

Gideon Handheld Steam Cleaner/Sanitizer

For many years, Gideon has been offering top-quality products at competitive prices.

Powerful and continuous steam for up to 20 minutes. Cleans dirt. Easy to use. 9-foot power cord.

There have been some complaints about the on/off switch being fragile.

10.2 x 9.7 x 5.9 inches; 4.4 pounds

12 ounces

1050 watts

20 minutes

9 accessories

Best Value

Aspectek Comforday Handheld Steam Cleaner

Aspectek Comforday specializes in environment-friendly products. It designs products to clean every area of your home.

Used to clean any type of surface. No fumes or harmful residue when used.

The steam sometimes stays at medium heat.

16 x 9 x 6 inches; 4 pounds

8 ounces

1050 watts

20 minutes

9 free accessories

McCulloch Heavy Duty Steam Cleaner

McCulloch has been providing heavy-duty, reliable, durable, and versatile steam cleaning products to the world for almost a decade.

Comes with 18 accessories. Provides up to 45 minutes of constant and powerful steam.

It puts out a lot of water along with the steam.

20.1 x 13 x 12.6 inches; 15 pounds

48 ounces

1500 watts

45 minutes

18 versatile accessories

Bissell Hard Surface Steam Cleaner

Bissel has spent over 140 years creating premium-quality cleaning products that are designed with your family and pets in mind.

Doesn’t emit fumes or harmful residue. 16-foot power cord.

It’s a bit heavy and hard to maneuver.

8.5 x 13.2 x 10 inches; 5.5 pounds

6.6 ounces

1000 watts

Info not provided

Accessory nozzle

Steamfast Steam Cleaner

Since 1999, Steamfast has been producing premium-quality steam products, using its passion and knowledge to make steam cleaning an option for everyone.

Lightweight and compact. 12-foot cord. Extension hose and 6 accessories.

It takes quite some time for the steam to clean dirt and mildew.

10.5 x 5.5 x 8.2 inches; 2.6 pounds

6 ounces

900 watts

10 minutes

6 versatile accessories

(Updated June 8, 2017)

Skip ahead and go directly to the reviews.

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Watch Our Handheld Steam Cleaner Review

How Do I Choose the Best Handheld Steam Cleaner?

Of all the cleaning tools, a handheld steam cleaner may be the best option for your home. Handheld steam cleaners use only water to thoroughly clean your home and rid it of germs – this can be particularly useful for your family during allergy and cold season. Further, these devices are portable and easy to use.

Though they’re not ideal for cleaning floors, they can be used to clean kitchens, table tops, and bathrooms – maybe even better than a mop can! They can reach most neglected areas like sink handles and door knobs. Better yet, their heat is enough to dissolve stains and dirt, and even kill some insects!

Though price is a factor to consider when choosing a handheld steam cleaner, consider the fact that they’re eco-friendly, and don’t use expensive cleaning products. You can save a lot of money with this type of steam cleaner that would have otherwise been spent on those products.

Compared to vacuum cleaners, handheld steam cleaners make less noise. They’re small, lightweight, and can be easily stored away without taking up a lot of space. They’re also easy to maneuver - no pushing or dragging it over cleaning space.

To make it even more effective, consider the accessories or attachments the handheld cleaner has. These accessories can help you clean different types of surfaces, and include window cleaners, grout cleaners, jet nozzles, and so on. Sometimes they come with the steam cleaner, but you can purchase them separately. For convenience, ensure that you’re getting the handheld steam cleaner with the right accessories for you; most brands attach more accessories to their products than you can get separately.

It’s important that you consider your budget before selecting a handheld steam cleaner. Fortunately, they’re quite affordable and can be a huge investment, especially if you plan to use it more often. It’s advisable that you go for high-end ones which are naturally more expensive.

Price

Price is an important factor to consider when choosing any product and handheld steam cleaners are no exception. From what we’ve reviewed, you can get a handheld steam cleaner within the range of $19.00 and over $2,000.00. As a matter of priority, getting a good handheld steam cleaner is what matters.

Granted, there are cheap handheld steam cleaners in the market, just like with every other product; but, in line with our culture, we didn’t include them in our review. You definitely don’t need some poorly constructed handheld steam cleaner that’ll breakdown in no time – you need nothing short of the best you can afford.

Features

It’s not new knowledge that the features of a product influence the cost. Before selecting a handheld steam cleaner, please consider these features carefully as they’ll help you make a choice that will suit you.

Water tank capacity/continuous refill
Heat-up time
Safety features
Fingertip controls
Indicator light
Non-slip handle
Attachment locking system
Pressure gauges

Construction and Design

Handheld steam cleaners differ from traditional steam cleaners in that they use only tap water and have smaller water tanks. This will require constant refilling during usage, and some consideration about the kind of water you have available. For example, if you live where there’s only hard water, you might have to fill your water tank half with distilled water and half with normal water.

For handheld steam cleaners with the continuous refill feature, you can always refill the water tank even in the middle of cleaning. Keep in mind that steam cleaners have two reservoirs. One is for holding the cold water, while the other has a boiler that converts the cold water to steam. This means that you’ll be without the reservoir when you do a refill, so it’ll take a little time for the boiler to convert the water before you can continue using the steam cleaner.

Performance and Ease of Use

One important feature of the handheld steam cleaner is the heat-up time. The average handheld steam cleaner can take about 7-15 minutes to heat up while the advanced models can heat up in 5 minutes - this feature determines how quick your cleaning job will be. Apparently, steam cleaners with less heat up time will lower the amount of time spent cleaning, which is great for those with a tight schedule.

But if you go for those with longer heat up times, you have no option but to be patient. It’s at this point that the usefulness of the indicator light comes in. This feature is designed to alert the user when something happens. For example, when the water has been heated up, the light will indicate so the user can begin cleaning, or alert the user of the need for additional water.

Other relevant features are the fingertip controls and the non-slip handle. The handheld steam cleaner is designed to be carried around during use. The fingertip control allows the user to operate the cleaner with no added stress while using it, and the nonslip handle is designed to be a little rough so that the steam cleaner won’t slip out of the user’s hand. Seeing as one’s hand is likely going to get wet during cleaning, this feature is quite essential. The attachment locking feature on the other hand is to ensure that the attached accessories are properly locked to it, to avoid burns or trips.

Most people think that higher pressure means better performance, but this is clearly a misunderstanding. What’s required for better performance is not higher pressure; rather, it’s consistent pressure. Consistent pressure ensures consistent performance. This can be ensured by the pressure gauge, which is designed to help you monitor and maintain the required steady pressure. Once your pressure swings, the performance of your steam cleaner swings with it, affecting the performance. This feature adds to the overall ease of use of the handheld steam cleaner.

What is the Best Handheld Steam Cleaner?

Having gone through our buying guide, we believe you now have a clear understanding of what to look out for in a handheld steam cleaner. Let’s now take a look at the handheld steam cleaners we’ve chosen for this review.

Our Top Choice

The Gideon Handheld Steam Cleaner is an advanced multi-purpose cleaner. It can be used to clean any surface, including stovetops, ovens, glass, and so on. It even removes wrinkles from fabric! If you want a portable fabric steamer, you could check out the Gideon Handheld Portable Fabric Steamer. It heats up quickly and is extremely easy to use.

Gideon Handheld Pressurized Steam Cleaner and Sanitizer - Removes Stain, Grease & Mold

Gideon Handheld Steam Cleaner - Chemical Free

Features

Gideon is a well-known producer and distributor of top-quality comfort and utility products. Its products are used by thousands of people across the nation and abroad. Gideon’s products are all competitively priced, even though they’re made with the best materials and are of the best quality. Its staff is committed to excellent service as customers’ satisfaction is its number one priority. If you need a top-quality handheld steam cleaner, Gideon is definitely one of the best places to look.

The Gideon Handheld Steam Cleaner is an effective cleaner that’s 100% chemical and detergent-free. It can be used to clean a wide range of items and places such as stove tops, glass, floors, ovens, vehicles, barbecue grills, and so on. It removes all types of dirt, germs, and bacteria, and can even be used to remove wrinkles from fabric.

It’s a 1050-watt steamer, has a 12-ounce water capacity, and emits powerful steam continuously for up to twenty minutes. This steam cleaner is lightweight at 4.4 pounds and has a comfortable handheld design with a 9-foot power cord, which helps the steam get to corners and crevices that are hard to reach. It also has an auto shut-off feature which shuts off the steamer when the water is too little or when the steamer gets too hot. The maximum steam temperature of this steamer is 275 degrees Fahrenheit so it is able to easily disinfect.

This unit also comes with accessories that enable you to clean any part of your house, and they include a window squeegee, grout brush, fabric cloth steamer, and an angle concentrator. And with dimensions of 10.2 x 9.7 x 5.9 inches, this cleaning tool is easy to carry around. Should you have any issue with this steam cleaner, it also has a three-year limited warranty.

For an effective and 100% chemical-free handheld steam cleaner, check out the Gideon Handheld Steam Cleaner.

Best Value

The Aspectek Comforday Handheld Steam Cleaner is a multi-purpose steam cleaner that can be used to clean anything. It can even be used outdoors. It emits pressurized powerful steam for up to twenty minutes at a go. If you want a yellow-colored handheld steamer, we recommend the ALL IN ONE Comforday Handheld Steam Cleaner. It’s also highly versatile.

Aspectek Comforday All-in-one Handheld Steam Cleaner—High Pressure and Chemical Free

Aspectek Comforday Handheld Steam Cleaner HH2241

Features

For many years, Aspectek Comforday has been producing top-quality cleaning products for every area of your house - even the outdoors! Aspectek Comforday is known for its humane and environment-friendly products, as it believes that cleaning should be easy and shouldn’t involve any harsh chemicals that will destroy our planet. It’s known around the world for its premium-quality products, and also boasts an efficient customer and aftersales service personnel that takes your complaints seriously.

The Aspectek Comforday Handheld Steam Cleaner is a powerful cleaner that uses 1050 watts of power to emit pressurized steam for up to twenty minutes. The steam emitted is hot, at about 250 to 270 degrees Fahrenheit, and cuts through mold, grease, and stains. This steam cleaner doesn’t emit any type of fume or residue, and can be used to clean multiple surfaces and a variety of places.

It also has a safety cap and a safety lock on the handle for added safety. Better yet? It comes with nine free accessories that are attached to the cleaner and help you reach crevices and corners. It’s lightweight at 4 pounds and has dimensions of 16 x 9 x 6 inches so it can easily be carried around. It’s also quite easy to use and can even be used industrially.

Here’s one more steam cleaner by Aspectek Comforday:

Comforday Multi-Purpose Handheld Pressurized Steam Cleaner, Red - It has 9 extra accessories that help you clean hard-to-reach areas

If this isn’t exactly what you had in mind, feel free to check out other handheld steam cleaners by Aspectek Comforday.

The McCulloch Steam Cleaner is a heavy-duty cleaner with a lockable steam trigger that allows powerful steam to be continuously blasted, and comes with an extra-long power cord. If you want a steam cleaner that’s also a wallpaper remover, we recommend the McCulloch Wallpaper Remover and Steam Cleaner. It heats up in 30 seconds and has a 10-ounce water tank.

McCulloch MC1275 Canister Heavy-Duty Steam Cleaner – Available in 2 Pack Sizes

McCulloch Handheld Steam Cleaner MC1275 – 1-pack

Features

For almost a decade, McCulloch has engineered reliable and powerful steam cleaning products that bring a heavy-duty approach to the steam cleaning world. Its products are known to be highly versatile and affordable, and with impeccable customer service and employee treatment, it has a loyal customer base.

The McCulloch Steam Cleaner is a heavy-duty cleaner that emits steam easily and powerfully. It features a 48-ounce water tank that provides at least forty-five minutes of steam, and this water tank heats up in eight minutes. This unit also has a lockable steam trigger that allows you to blast the steam continuously. And with eighteen extra attachments and an on-board storage for them, this is one nifty cleaning tool. It also has a 15-foot power cord so you can reach corners and crevices. This cleaner may be on the bigger side, with a weight of 15 pounds and dimensions of 20.1 x 13 x 12.6 inches, but it sure does pack a punch!

McCulloch’s other handheld hand steamers include:

McCulloch MC1230 Handheld Steam Cleaner - It has a 6-ounce water tank that heats up in about three minutes. It also has a lockable steam trigger
McCulloch MC1245 Rotary Action Steam Cleaner - It has three steam settings and a rotary function that’s quite powerful and efficient
McCulloch MC-1120 Handheld Steamer - It uses 900 watts of steaming power and no chemicals are required
McCulloch MC1226 Handheld Steam Cleaner - It heats up in about three minutes and emits continuous steam for up to eight minutes

If you’re not satisfied, McCulloch has many other top-quality handheld steam cleaners that you could check out.

The Bissell Surface Steam Cleaner uses 1000 watts of power to emit high-pressure steam. It has an easy-to-press trigger, so it’s able to emit a continuous flow of powerful steam. If you want an upright hard floor steamer, you can check out the Bissell 1940 PowerFresh Steam Mop. It has a built-in easy scrubber and can be used on all types of hard floors.

Bissell Steam Shot Hard-Surface Cleaner—Chemical Free

Bissell Handheld Steam Cleaner 39N7A

Features

For over 140 years, Bissell has been producing top-quality cleaning products. Its main aim is to help people enjoy every nook and cranny of their home without worrying about how to keep the whole place neat. As a family business, it knows the peace of mind most people get when their home is clean. And even though the home is the number one priority for Bissell, it still produces products that help take care of the community and the planet.

The Bissell Surface Steam Cleaner is an effective cleaner that uses 1000 watts to emit powerful and pressurized steam. It’s easy to move around with its 16-foot power cord and 6.6-ounce water tank capacity, and also has an easy-to-press trigger that helps you control the steam power. It heats up in about thirty seconds and has a light to notify you when the heater is ready.

It can clean multiple surfaces and removes dirt easily, featuring accessories such as an extension hose, window squeegee, detail brush, and angle concentrator to help you clean different places effectively. It’s incredibly portable at 5.5 pounds, and has dimensions of only 8.5 x 13.2 x 10 inches. And you won’t believe us when we tell you this steam cleaner is completely affordable!

Bissel’s other handheld steam cleaners include:

Bissell Steam Shot Hard Surface Steam Cleaner 39N7D - It uses tap water to produce high-pressured powerful steam. It includes two scrubbing brushes that are different colors
Bissell Steam ShotTM Hard Surface Cleaner 39N7-8 – It’s chemical-free and comes with a fabric steaming tool

Not satisfied? Don’t worry, as Bissell has some other handheld steam cleaners you can check out.

The Steamfast Steam Cleaner is a powerful cleaner that heats up in about 3 minutes and provides 10 minutes of powerful and continuous steam. If you want a steam cleaner that’s not handheld but still top-quality, we recommend the Steamfast SF-370WH Multi-Purpose Steam Cleaner. It’s a 1500-watt cleaner with a large 45-ounce water tank.

Steamfast Everyday Handheld Multipurpose Steam Cleaner

Steamfast Handheld Steam Cleaner SF210WH

Features

Steamfast is a top producer of quality steam cleaning products. Its first product, a garment steamer, was made in 1999 and was an instant success. Since then, Steamfast has produced a wide range of premium-quality products. Steamfast believes that steam can solve all of our cleaning problems and it wants to give everyone the option to participate. Its products can be used for cleaning in any environment and are known to be highly durable. If you’re looking for a reliable handheld steam cleaner, you’ll most likely find it at Steamfast.

The Steamfast Steam Cleaner is an effective cleaner that uses 900 watts of power to emit powerful and pressurized steam at the push of a button. It’s easily portable at 2.6 pounds, and also has a 12-foot power cord. With dimensions of 10.5 x 5.5 x 8.2 inches, it’s convenient to hold and carry as it has a portable and ergonomic handheld design.

Its steam heats up in three minutes and is emitted continuously for up to ten minutes. It even has a “steam ready” indicator light and 6 user-friendly attachments that help make your cleaning more effective. It also has an attachable extension hose so you can easily clean hard-to-reach areas.

Steamfast has other handheld steam cleaners in its collection:

Steamfast SF-226 Handheld Steam Cleaner - It heats up in three minutes and has a 6-ounce water tank
Steamfast SF-220 Portable Hot and Handy Handheld Steamer - It uses 900 watts of power for emitting steam and no chemicals are required
Steamfast SF-246 Portable Canister Steam Cleaner - It uses 1500 watts and has a 33-ounce water tank
Steamfast SF-320 Portable Steam Cleaner - It uses 1300 watts to emit powerful and pressurized steam

Steamfast still has many other handheld steam cleaners you could check out if you don’t like this featured one.

Get the Best Handheld Steam Cleaner of 2018!

Now, we believe you have sufficient information to find the best handheld steam cleaner and hope you’ve found one you love. Peradventure you didn’t see the exact handheld steam cleaner you were looking for, please consider taking a look at others from the brands we selected for you.

Our Top Choice

Gideon Handheld Steam Cleaner/Sanitizer

Best Value

Aspectek Comforday Handheld Steam Cleaner

McCulloch Heavy Duty Steam Cleaner

Bissell Hard Surface Steam Cleaner

Steamfast Steam Cleaner