We’ve tested 25 steam mops, ranging from a $49 Dirt Devil model to units costing more than $500
Price isn’t always an indicator of performance – our tests show that some cheaper models are better performers than pricier ones
We rate each model based on performance, including how much water they leave behind after mopping and how easy they are to use. Become a CHOICE member to see our full reviews
A sloppy mop and bucket is so old school, right? Enter the steam mop. Hailed as a saviour for busy neat freaks, there are now dozens of steam mops on the market that promise sparkling floors with less effort.
Basically, you plug it in, and steam pumps out of the cleaning head onto your floors. This loosens grime that the cloth then wipes away.
Steam mops are generally good at removing stains and they don’t use cleaning chemicals, which is a definite plus (although some do use detergents). And they do away with the issue of trying to get your floor clean with dirty water.
Plus, your floor is left much drier after cleaning than it would be with a regular mop – so no yelling at the kids to stay out of the kitchen while the floor dries.
We’ve tested 25 steam mops that are currently available, and given them each a CHOICE Expert Rating.
This is based on factors such as how much water is left on the floor after you mop (and therefore how long it will take to dry), and how easy they are to use, including how easily the mop head glides across your floor and how easy it is to replace.
Here we dish the dirt on the two mops that bottomed out in our expert tests.
Bissell Steam Mop Select 23v8-F.
Bissell Steam Mop Select 23V8-F
Cost: $169
CHOICE Expert Rating: 62%
Ease of use score: 65%
Floor wetness score: 50%
We review six Bissell steam mops at different price points, and they all have varying results for performance.
This model was the cheapest we reviewed from this brand, but its performance failed to impress our testers, who gave it a CHOICE Expert Rating of just 62%.
They didn’t have many positive things to say about this model, and it got a floor wetness score of 50%, which means it’s likely to leave a few puddles of water behind.
Although the triangular shape of the mop head is supposed to make this mop easier to get into hard-to-reach places, our testers gave it an average overall ease of use score of 65%.
This Bissell isn’t terrible at its job – but it’s not great either. In fact, although it costs almost twice as much as the Bissell above, it’s still the second-worst scoring model in our test.
It scored 70% for floor wetness, so you’ll be able to walk on the floor reasonably soon after using it (unlike the models below), but the only good point they noted about it was that it can stand up on its own. Not exactly groundbreaking stuff.
For around the same price or less, you could pick up one of the highest scorers from our tests and get far better results.
The whole point of steam mops is to make cleaning your floors easier and faster, so a steam mop that leaves your floor wet defeats the purpose of having one in the first place – you might as well stick with that old-school mop and bucket and save yourself the money.
Floor wetness makes up 20% of the overall CHOICE Expert Rating, so it’s definitely a key factor to consider when you’re buying a steam mop.
These wet mops scored the lowest – just 50% – for floor wetness in our testing. So, if you just want to mop the floor and get on with things quickly, these aren’t the ones for you.
Pru Engel is the Audience and Engagement editor at CHOICE. Her job is to ensure as many Australians as possible know about the great work we do at CHOICE.
She works closely with our testers and experts to find the gems of information in our data and research that will resonate with Australian consumers and help them make the best decisions, whether they're purchasing an air fryer, looking for a new mattress or trying to find the cheapest car insurance. She also helps to drive meaningful change for consumers by collaborating with our Campaigns team on content covering issues such as grocery pricing, product safety and scams.
Prior to CHOICE, Pru worked as an editor at many of Australia's leading food and lifestyle titles.
Pru has a Bachelor of Arts in Communication (Journalism) from the University of Technology, Sydney.
Find Pru on LinkedIn.
Pru Engel is the Audience and Engagement editor at CHOICE. Her job is to ensure as many Australians as possible know about the great work we do at CHOICE.
She works closely with our testers and experts to find the gems of information in our data and research that will resonate with Australian consumers and help them make the best decisions, whether they're purchasing an air fryer, looking for a new mattress or trying to find the cheapest car insurance. She also helps to drive meaningful change for consumers by collaborating with our Campaigns team on content covering issues such as grocery pricing, product safety and scams.
Prior to CHOICE, Pru worked as an editor at many of Australia's leading food and lifestyle titles.
Pru has a Bachelor of Arts in Communication (Journalism) from the University of Technology, Sydney.
Find Pru on LinkedIn.
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