Shark Steam Mop vs Eureka Enviro Steamer

Build/Design

In consumer reviews, there are actually quite a few complaints about the Shark Steam Mop's build. Many find it flimsy and there are many who have experienced problems with the handle breaking. The Eureka Enviro Steamer has a sturdier build and I haven't read about any reoccuring breaking problems with it.

Both steam mops have generous cleaning paths. The Shark's is 12 inches and the Eureka's is 12 1/2 inches. Both are lightweight with the Eureka Enviro Steamer weighing 5.4 lbs and the Shark Steam Mop weighing 3 lbs.

Water Tank

The Eureka Enviro Steamer has a 20 ounce water tank, twice as big as the Shark's 10 ounce tank. One of the biggest complaints consumers had about the Shark Steam Mop was about it's small water tank. They said it required frequent refilling. I don't own a Shark but I can get about 15-20 minutes of steam time from my Eureka.

The location of the water tanks is different on each of these mops too. The Shark has it located on the handle area. The Eureka's water tank is located in the mop head. This is where Shark actually has the advantage. With the tank on the handle, it actually has a low profile head while the Eureka's is bulky and won't get under cabinets.

Performance

While I saw reviews from consumers of both steam mops that showed they were happy with the performance, it should be noted that the Eureka Enviro Steamer reaches a much hotter temperature than the Shark. Many stated that the Shark didn't get hot enough to sanitize. If you are buying a steam mop just to clean floors, either one of these should be fine. But if you want one that will get them sanitized too, the Eureka Enviro Steamer seems to have the upper hand.

The Shark heats up quicker, in about 30 seconds, while the Eureka takes a few minutes. Also the Shark only has one steam hole to produce steam from and requires the pumping of a trigger for steam to come out. The Eureka has several steam holes and produces steam automatically when the mop is turned on.

Price

As I mentioned earlier, the two of these steam mops are pretty comparibly priced. While the Shark Steam Mop retails for about $99 and the Eureka Enviro Steamer retails for about $79, both can be purchased at Amazon for around $60 - $65.

Mop Pads

Both steam mops come with two mop pads. The Sharks are microfiber and the Eureka has cloth pads with a waffle texture. Both are machine washable although the Eureka's tend to shrink a little the first time and then require extra tugging to clip them on the machine.

Cord

Both mops have power cords that are about 20 foot long. Pretty standard cord length of a steam mop.

Summing it Up:  Shark Steam Mop vs Eureka Enviro Steamer - Which is the Best Steam Mop?

Taking all of these things plus consumer reviews into consideration, which is the best steam mop? I'm going to have to say the Eureka Enviro Steamer.  I own the Eureka and am really happy with it's performance.  Though I have never owned a Shark Steam Mop, my sister has and she was never very happy with it.  She ended up retiring it and buying a different model.  

This seems to be a common theme with the Shark.  About 1/4 of the reviews I read for the Shark Steam Mop at Amazon.com were negative one star reviews.   While the Eureka received some negative reviews, the majority of them were positive.

Taking all this into consideration and also weighing the fact that the Eureka is a better choice since it gets hot enough to sanitize, I think it is safe to say that the Eureka Enviro Steamer is a much stronger choice!

Read more about these Steam Mops:

Eureka Enviro Steamer Review

Shark Steam Mop Review

Shark Steam Mop - A look at common complaints from consumers

More Steam Mop Comparisons:

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Eureka Enviro Steamer vs Bissell Steam Mop