The Best Steam Mop

Our pick

Bissell PowerFresh Steam Mop 1940

The best steam mop

The PowerFresh made cleaning easier than other steam mops did thanks to its light weight, maneuverability, and uncomplicated operation.

Buying Options

$90* from Amazon

*At the time of publishing, the price was $84.

Its cleaning head has the best flexibility and cornering of any mop we tested, its removable water tank was the easiest to refill, and it uses a continuous stream of steam that’s less complicated to operate than the triggers or buttons on its competitors. The 1940 PowerFresh also looks decent (or at least subtle), it has a reasonable price for the category, and it takes up a bit less room in a cleaning closet than other steam mops. It weighs less, too, especially compared with other mops’ full water weights. It reaches under things easily, and the back of the mop head has an “easy scrubber” useful in getting down into grout.

Upgrade pick

Shark Genius Pocket Mop System (S6002)

For bigger jobs

With an easy way to switch to a fresh cleaning pad, the Shark Genius is worth the extra cost if you’re cleaning larger areas of flooring.

Buying Options

$130 from Home Depot

If you have a lot of steam-tolerating stone floor to clean, you’re going to go through multiple cloth mop heads in one session—and in that case, it’s worth upgrading to the Shark Genius Steam Pocket Mop System. You can flip over a cloth mop cover and use the other side without having to stop the mop and you can change out covers without touching them while they’re hot and messy. The Genius Steam Pocket Mop is also relatively lightweight, maneuvers well (though not as well as our top pick), and uses Shark mop head covers that are easy to wash or replace.