If you’ve never seen a video of a pressure washer in action, open up YouTube and look some clips up - you’re in for a treat. There’s nothing quite like watching a never-cleaned surface, whether it’s a wooden deck or a concrete pavement, get a deep powerwash from one of these superb cleaners, returning quickly to an almost brand new look.
They’re also useful for a range of cleaning types, whether it’s cleaning grimy mud from your car’s hubcaps, blasting built-up grease off an outdoor grill or cleaning off garden furniture. If you think now’s the time to refresh some of your belongings with a deep clean, a power washer is for you.
That said, it can be a little difficult to know what to look for in a washer, so we’ve done the hard work for you, surveying the industry to pick out some highlights for you to choose from.
Karcher K4 Full Control
Silverline 943676
Karcher K5
Bosch EasyAquatak 100
Karcher K2
Our Top Pick: Best Pressure Washer
Powerful cleaning
Karcher’s washers are simply superb and the K4 is a great balance of price and quality.
Karcher K4
When it comes to pressure washers, Karcher is king - the cleaning brand has a range of superb washers that will power through muck and grime with ease. Probably the one that will most impress people is the K4 Full Control, a wheeled unit with a sophisticated trigger gun and the option of a range of different accessories and nozzles.
That handle lets you easily switch between different pressure modes depending on what you’re cleaning, making it easily adapted to different tasks, while it also has handy storage onboard for its pressure hose and nozzles. It’s a comprehensive system that will tackle whatever you need, as its price indicates.
A great alternative
A great option at a slightly lower price-point.
If you’re looking to spend a little less, there are still plenty of options. One of the best is represented by this cleaner from the little-known Silverline. It’s a great budget option, with raw performance that comes very close to matching the Kärcher model above, without some of the quality of life upgrades you can manage without.
It’s a little clunkier to look at and use, plus lacks a display or similar to give you more information, but it’ll still get the job done admirably, and is a good chunk of change cheaper, which shouldn’t be downplayed.
Even more power
Karcher’s top-line product packs absolutely superb power in for a higher price.
Karcher K5 Premium Electric Power Pressure Washer, 2000 PSI, 1.4 GPM
Karcher’s more than a little dominant in the pressure washer sphere, as you’re gathering, and the K5 offers the top-of-the-line experience that it’s got to offer.
That means amazing power that’ll have you easily washing off any grime or encrusted dirt you’d need. Of course, that does also make it the most expensive washer on our list, and we suspect the K4 would do for most people.
Handily portable
If you prefer a smaller unit, Bosch has got a great option right here.
Bosch EasyAquatak 110
There will be plenty of people browsing this list wondering if they have to buy a stand-up, chunky unit like those we’ve looked at so far, and luckily there are some options for those who want a smaller system. This washer from Bosch, for example, shrinks the form factor down but still delivers good cleaning.
It’s basically handheld using that obvious handle, and while it can’t match the power of a bigger washer, it’ll still do the job for most tasks, if a little more slowly. It also all folds down and clears away into an easily stored arrangement that isn’t much bigger than the main unit’s body. It’s a great way of spending less on a washer.
Another portable option
Another small, more portable choice is this great unit, again from Karcher.
Karcher K2 Compac
Karcher gets the final word, too, though, with its own shrunk-down washer. The K2 is in the same line as the K4, above, and like the bigger model is a great choice for those with less space or who need less power. You can easily carry it about, and it doesn’t get too far away from the maximum flow rate offered by its big brother.
You also get a less sophisticated trigger and no readouts to help you, but that doesn’t make it complex to use. You’ll still be able to easily set a pressure level and clean away. Realistically, this would be an amazing choice for most personal users.
