With a good handheld cleaner, you get an all-around cleaning power packed in a portable unit. However, with the multitudes of cleaners on the market, we opted to narrow it down to the best models. Considering suction power, versatile design features, reliable performance and user reviews, these cleaners have outperformed their competition.
Cleaning your house will be the easiest of chores with these top handheld cleaners that go for the best prices. Moreover, we have included full reviews and a quick guide to make the most of handheld steam cleaning.
We combed through the sea of subpar handheld cleaners that have small capacity tanks, poor heating elements and low power. As a result, we found the best handheld cleaners capable of real cleaning.
We’ve included a variety that meets different cleaning needs and intensities, as well as budgets. So, whether you need something capable of heavy-duty cleaning or something for simple daily clean-ups, you’ll find one here. Moreover, we’ve included a detailed review below to give you a better understanding of their features, pros and cons.
Contents
Why Purchase a Handheld Steam Cleaner?
Handheld cleaners make cleaning simpler, faster and better in different aspects of home cleaning. See, this cleaning tool can make cleaning the most stubborn stains, stuck-on dirt, and stickiest messes dissolve effortlessly. Moreover, the steam’s heat effectively sanitizes the surfaces you clean without the need for harsh chemicals.
These handheld units also feature attachments and design features that easily clean through the cracks and crevices around your home. Moreover, its cleaning power beats the old spray bottle – cleaning rag combo. This means you can eliminate the need for extra bottles, scrubbers and chemicals to tackle different messes easily.
Whether you want to clean your kitchen, bathroom, garage floor and any other surface a handheld cleaner comes useful. Additionally, they partner well with your good ol’ mop for better sanitation while universally useful for spot-cleaning and simple jobs.
Our top picks feature models from Zitronick, Reliable, Hoover, BISSELL and Comforday that offer a great feature-set and excellent performance.
Read also our reviews about :
How to Choose a Mini or Portable Steam Cleaner
Now, if you have decided on buying a handheld steamer, let’s look at what to look for. Understanding this helps you choose one that fits your cleaning habits and home environment the best. See, while our featured models each do great, considering the following features helps you find the best fit.
Price
Pretty much self-explanatory that your budget dictates what you can buy. However, if you find just a small variance in price between units that may be above your budget, consider value. See, spending just a few more can be the difference between durability and a wider feature set.
Heat-up Time
The average heating time among handheld steamers fall within the 15 to 20 minute mark. While that doesn’t seem like much of a difference, some units actually take a little more time than that. Moreover, some reviews note that users who had units with longer heat-up time tend to forego its use.
Tank Capacity
Simply put, a larger capacity means longer cleaning time for each fill. If you have wider surfaces and areas you clean often, a larger tank makes more sense. Moreover, we found that even mini steamers have tanks comparable to full-sized steamers.
Attachment Set
Most handheld steamers come with multiple accessories. However, you may end up not having need of all these accessories. So the best one for you should be one with the attachments you’ll find most useful to your household cleaning.
Cleaning Power
Depending on the type of cleaning tasks you have, you may opt for models with higher cleaning power and pressure. Powerful steamers easily clean through stubborn grease and stains whilst easily reaching difficult areas.
If you often use a grill, have grout on your flooring and the like you need more power. A powerful option comes with higher PSI levels along with high temperature steam.
Brands
Some cheaper unknown models seem appealing with their price and published features however, they tend to fail to deliver. For this reason, we recommend only trusted and established brands confirmed by many positive reviews. We found that steam cleaners from the best brands guarantee both quality and value.
As such, we’ve included models from BISSEL, Zitronick, Reliable, Hoover, and Comforday.
1.


PurSteam Handheld Pressurized Steam Cleaner
Some users note how its hose and attachments feel cheaply built
A number of negative reviews received defective units that broke with one to two uses
- Affordable price
- Nine accessories included
- Long power cord
- Pressurized steam
- Long run-time despite small tank
- Not for heavy-duty use
- Not ideal for grill-cleaning
Over all, the PurSteam makes daily light jobs and basic cleaning easy and convenient. Moreover, its steam power effectively sanitizes without the need for bleach or harsh chemicals. This newer model also comes with improved spill-proofing features, extra heater power and an added extension wand for improved performance.
2.


Reliable – Best Overall, Runner up
- Extra-long power cord (20 feet)
- Heavy-duty cleaning power
- Abundance of accessories
- Ergonomic handle
- Multi-surface cleaning (from delicate fabrics to grease-stricken ovens and grills)
- 1-year warranty for all parts
- Lifetime Warranty for boiler unit
- Too expensive for most buyers
3.


Vapamore MR50 – Best Hybrid
- Hybrid function
- Versatile cleaning with attachments
- Excellent performance
- 1-year warranty
- Heavier that our handheld steamer options
- Short power cord for vacuum tasks
- Better fit for flat-surface cleaning (not ideal for grills and ovens)
4.


Bissell Little Green ProHeat
- Multi-surface cleaning
- Lightweight and compact for easy storing
- Included cleaning solution
- 2 accessories
- Heated carpet and upholstery cleaning
- For light and simple cleaning tasks only
5.


Comforday Handheld Steam Cleaner
While our first picked models all come from well-known brands, this mini steam cleaner from Comforday delivers just as well. See, though not yet as popular, we found that Comforday’s Handheld Steam Cleaner delivers a reliable cleaning power. It features a long 20-minute cleaning time, and for a great price, you get a versatile cleaning machine.
Though not powerful enough for harder jobs, the Comforday makes your regular cleaning lighter and more effective. Since it features a lightweight design many users find it easy to use and carry around their home. Moreover, its 1050W powered pressurized steam thoroughly kills any bacteria and eliminating dirt and grime.
The Comforday Handheld Steam Cleaner comes with a number of useful accessories that help with different cleaning tasks. From cleaning the floor to refreshing curtains and linen and cleaning car seats and BBQ grills.
The Comforday can’t tackle heavier jobs but it makes a great choice if you need a cheap handheld steam cleaner. Moreover, for a starter and cheap option, it still comes with a good number of accessories.
- Cheap price
- Multiple Attachments
- Multi-surface cleaning
- Versatile
- Up to 20minutes of continuous steam
- Difficult to remove its water tank cap
- Not powerful enough for heavier tasks
Overall, if you’re looking for something simple, affordable and more for light use, the Comforday will do well. It performs adequately for regular cleaning tasks and spot-cleaning, though not powerful enough for tougher cleaning tasks. Finally, its included attachments let you use its steam power for many other cleaning tasks.
Buying Guide – Handled Portable Steamers
It’s good that you’ve looked up a guide like ours to help you make the best choice. And to make sure you do choose the right one for you, here are a few things to consider:
What’s the Budget
If there’s any first consideration to any purchase, it’s budget. However, as you consider this also consider the long run costs. For example, cheaper models and their accessories don’t last as long as expensive ones.
You may not need an expensive model anyway depending on your need. A basic model may do just fine as a supplement for an existing tool. Meanwhile, you might consider bending that budget by a few dollars if it means reliable performance, durability and warranty coverage.
Your Usual Cleaning Tasks and Surfaces
Think about your usual cleaning tasks (treating stains, cleaning pet messes etc...) and consider what you’ll need. For example, some models feature a wide array of attachments, but you may end up having no use for them. In this case, a simpler and cheaper option may actually suit you better.
Generally, at the least, you’ll want something that comes with a wide and narrow nozzle. This allows you to clean with both a wide cleaning path and a more focused one as needed. Meanwhile, if you have carpeted surfaces, consider a model that comes with an attachment for carpet cleaning.
While handheld steam cleaners feature a more lightweight and mobile build, they feature limited power. So, if you find that most of you tend to do more hardcore cleaning, a full-sized canister may be better.
Set Realistic Expectations
You can’t expect a handheld steamer to clean whole floors and the toughest jobs (even when they advertise to do so). See, handheld steamers have limited power and coverage. As such, you may instead want to consider a steam mop or a full-sized canister for those tasks.
Handheld steam cleaners definitely make cleaning easier. However, it doesn’t mean zero work completely. You can still expect to do some level of scrubbing and mopping as neededConclusion
Overall, handheld steamers give excellent value for money considering their versatility, mobility, environment safety features and price. Whether you’re buying one as a supplement or on its own, you’ll probably how you ever got along without one before. Meanwhile, if you’re more interested in something more fitting for whole house cleaning consider a canister steamer.
Like handheld steamers, a canister comes with a set of attachments that performs like a combined mop and handheld unit. This makes it a package more powerful than a handheld steamer alone. Moreover, they also clean multiple surface types, from tile floor, vinyl floors to wood floors.
Check out our favorite handheld steamers, commercial carpet cleaners and more! Check it out at https://steamcleaning.reviews
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