15 jobs in one, ambitiously affordable machine - is this £50 steam cleaner a steal?

I'm always asked about steam cleaners. Are they worth the hype? Do you really not need chemicals? And are the cheaper models any good, or are you better off saving for a premium name? Having tested these machines almost non-stop for a year, I've found that when they work, they really do work: a scalding blast of water vapour lifts grease, grime and bacteria like magic. However, plenty of models are heavy, limited to a single function, or carry a price tag that's hard to justify for something that lives in a cupboard most of the year.

The Beldray 15-in-1 Steam Cleaner is a little different. At under £50, it's one of the most affordable steam cleaners we've tested, yet it comes with a generous bundle of accessories that turn it from a simple floor cleaner into a window cleaner, grout scrubber and handheld tool.

"For the price, I genuinely wasn't expecting this much kit in the box," says our tester Liz, who put the Beldray through its paces over several weeks. She looked into the long accessory list as well as the performance, testing to find out whether a budget steam cleaner could really compete with pricier, more elaborate models, or whether the savings come at the cost of steam pressure, build quality or ease of use.

Beldray 15-in-1 Steam Cleaner review

• RRP: £47.99
• Dimensions: 26.5 x 15 x 26.6 cm
• Weight: 2 kg
• Power: 1,350 watts
• Cord length: 5m
• Water tank capacity: 550ml
• Accessories/attachments: floor mop, handheld, garment steamer
• Warranty: 1 year

How we test steam cleaners

Before we get into the details of this Beldray 15-in-1 Steam Cleaner review, here's some backstory behind the person who tested this steam cleaner. She's part of our Tester Network, where readers, like you, review products that we think you'll love. If you want to read more about how we test steam cleaners in our home, we also have a page which does a deep dive on the details.

Liz Morrell

Liz Morrell has a thing for gadgets, particularly for the home, and has cupboards full of them. With two children and two cats living with her she’s also no stranger to a steam mop, having owned a few different ones previously, but this is her first true multi-function steam cleaner test.

Who would the Beldray 15-in-1 Steam Cleaner suit?

• First time users who want versatility: with 15 different attachments for various jobs and a low price point, it's an affordable way to test whether this suits you
• Homes with hard floors: especially those with children or pets bringing dirt indoors.
• People who want to tackle awkward cleaning jobs: from grubby grout to windows and upholstery, without buying multiple appliances.

If you've been curious about steam cleaning but can't justify spending well over £100, the Beldray 15-in-1 Steam Cleaner is probably the model you have in your basket. It packs impressive versatility into a surprisingly affordable package, converting from a traditional steam mop into a handheld cleaner, with attachments for everything from windows and mirrors to upholstery and grout. As a result, the Beldray promises a lot of functionality for under £50, making it a sensible choice for anyone who wants one appliance that can tackle a whole house clean.

Our tester, Liz, found that versatility paid off in everyday life. "If you have hard floors, a steam mop is an essential cleaning tool for quickly and effortlessly cleaning and sanitising your floors," she says. "This is especially useful if you have kids and pets leaving muddy footprints." She also loved how the handheld attachments transformed some of the most tedious cleaning jobs: "Being able to easily clean grouting, such as on well-worn floors or in grubby bathrooms or kitchens, is also a godsend, saving you from endless scrubbing." It's this combination of practicality, value and useful accessories that makes the Beldray feel like a good budget buy.

Unboxing the Beldray 15-in-1 Steam Cleaner

Given the Beldray's low price point, we weren't expecting a luxury unboxing experience, but I did want the setup to be straightforward. After all, a steam cleaner should make life easier from the moment it arrives. While the generous collection of attachments immediately hints at its versatility, there are a few frustrations before you can get cleaning.

Liz's first impressions were mixed. "Unfortunately, the box fell apart when I was taking it out of the delivery box it had arrived in. The glue had failed at the side," she says, adding that this was disappointing because many people will want to store the cleaner and its accessories in the original packaging.

Thankfully, assembling the cleaner itself proved much simpler. "The steam cleaner was fairly intuitive to set up," she explains. Her biggest frustration came when fitting the microfibre pad to the mop head. "If you have ever tried to fit a tight fitted sheet onto a mattress, you will know my pain. It pinged across the room more than once." Once she'd realised the protective carpet glider needed removing, the process became clearer, although she still found fitting the cover fiddly and easy to catch her fingers on. Fortunately, these are all one-off setup niggles rather than problems that affect everyday cleaning.

What is the Beldray 15-in-1 Steam Cleaner like to use?

The Beldray 15-in-1 is great on a fundamental level. It's lightweight enough to carry from room to room and the generous five-metre cord gives you plenty of reach before you need to swap sockets. However, its multi-functional design means it's not quite as refined as dedicated steam mops we've tested. The body feels slightly top-heavy and, while most of the attachments click reassuringly into place, we found they don't always stay there. Liz experienced several occasions where sections untwisted or even popped off under the pressure of the steam, which interrupted cleaning more than we'd have liked.

In use, however, the Beldray really won us over. It heats up in around 20 seconds (if not a little quicker) and produces an impressively generous amount of steam for such an affordable model. "The mop pumps out a lot of steam, which is quite satisfying and is especially useful if you have tough areas to clean," says Liz. We were also pleasantly surprised by how well it maintained its cleaning power when converted into the handheld unit with the longer hose attachments, although the steam does tend to arrive in short bursts rather than a constant flow. It's a little noisier than some premium models, but that's largely because you can hear the powerful steam output working hard.

On Liz's well-used cream stone kitchen floor, it quickly lifted everyday dirt and made light work of a weeks-old blob of sticky jam. She noted that it was "also surprising how powerful it is given the long distance from cleaner to mop head the steam must travel when the longer hose attachments are on."

The grout tool was also effective, restoring discoloured floor grout to its original cream colour, showcasing versatility across the attachments. As Liz pointed out, "tackling grout first is definitely the way to go, as the tool blasts out an impressive amount of hidden dirt."

So, if you're going to be using yours for floor cleaning and grout-refreshing, the Beldray is well worth considering, then the extra attachments act as useful bonuses rather than must-have features.

It is worth noting, however, that there are a few other compromises that come with its budget price. Whilst we appreciate the secure fit of the washable cleaning pad, it's much more fiddly than the Velcro alternatives used by many rival steam mops. Liz found that "other steam mops I have owned have had Velcro pads. This means they are quick and easy to remove with one hand mid-way through cleaning if you want to attach a new pad or rinse out the existing one." She also noted that, although the Beldray's cover "may have stayed in place better than other steam mops I've owned, it was fiddly to get on and off."

We were less convinced by some of the specialist attachments: the under-rim toilet cleaner couldn't shift stubborn limescale without extra scrubbing, and while the garment steamer worked well, Liz admitted she would still reach for her iron, as a more traditional and powerful appliance to use on any fabric.

Cleaning the Beldray 15-in-1 Steam Cleaner

One of the advantages of a steam cleaner is that there's very little maintenance once you've finished cleaning, and the Beldray is no exception. We always look for appliances that are easy to keep in good condition, because the less faff involved, the more likely you are to use them regularly. Thankfully, emptying and cleaning the Beldray takes just a few minutes.

Liz found that there was very little to do after each cleaning session. "I simply tipped out the remaining water from the main unit and ran the attachments under the tap to rinse them," she says, whilst the reusable microfibre cover can be popped straight into the washing machine. As with most white cleaning cloths, though, don't expect it to stay pristine forever. Liz also noticed that the elastic began to pull away from the towelling after she'd struggled to fit the cover during setup, although she believes this was caused by her initial attempts rather than normal use.

As with any steam cleaner, ongoing maintenance is just as important as day-to-day cleaning. If you live in a hard water area, like Liz, it's worth running a steam cleaner-compatible descaling solution through the machine around once a month to prevent limescale from affecting its performance. Stay on top of that, and there's very little else to think about, making the Beldray a refreshingly low-maintenance appliance to own.

Should you buy the Beldray 15-in-1 Steam Cleaner?

The Beldray 15-in-1 Steam Cleaner is an ambitious budget appliance that packs an impressive number of attachments into a compact, affordable package. For occasional deep-cleaning jobs, particularly restoring grubby grout, tackling stubborn stains and reaching awkward corners, it delivers results that belie its price tag. It's also compact enough to tuck away in a cupboard without taking up too much valuable storage space.

That said, we think most people will spend far more time cleaning floors than refreshing grout, and it's here that the Beldray doesn't quite match the polish of the best steam mops we've tested. While it cleans effectively, the awkward handling, fiddly design and concerns over durability mean it isn't the effortless cleaning companion we'd hoped for. If your priority is versatility on a tight budget and you don't mind a few compromises, there's still value to be found here. However, if you want a steam cleaner you'll reach for every week, we'd recommend investing a little more in a model that's smoother, sturdier and more enjoyable to use.