We earn a commission for products purchased through some links in this article.
Tried and tested by our experts at the Good Housekeeping Institute Plasma Cutting Machine Metal
If you’ve ever tried to take on a muddy patio with just a brush and some elbow grease, you’ll know that some garden jobs just need a little extra investment.
That’s where power washers come in. These efficient machines make light work of a deep clean, whether you’re sprucing up your patio and grill for BBQ season, giving your bike a much-needed wash after your latest cycling adventure, or giving your car a shiny new facelift.
Thanks to their concentrated water jets, pressure washers will save you valuable hours on the most heavy-duty tasks, as well as being incredibly satisfying to use on dirt and grime.
Looking for a value buy? The Mac Allister corded pressure washer was our experts' winner and offers an impressive 130 bars of pressure for £117, or you can pick up this VonHaus model for less than £100.
From lightweight cordless options to serious jet strength, here's a quick guide to the Good Housekeeping Institute experts’ favourite models, but read on for our detailed guide.
Unlike your standard garden hose, pressure washers deliver serious power. They use a strong, concentrated jet of water to obliterate dirt in no time.
And because their power comes from jet strength rather than chemicals, they’re a quick and safe option for tackling outdoor spaces, without posing a risk to any beloved pets or damaging your garden furniture.
The first thing you need to consider when investing in a pressure washer is which area or outdoor items you’re looking to clean. This will determine how much pressure – measured in bars – you need your washer to have.
If you're looking for a quick solution for smaller jobs, such as cleaning your grill or balcony, then about 100 bars of pressure will serve you well. This also opens your options up to the growing number of lightweight, cordless models on the market. Just make sure you double check their pressure — although the lack of cable may be tempting, they could lack the power needed to produce sparkling results when tackling tricker jobs.
For fences, dirty cars and cleaning grime off paving slabs, look for a model with 120 bars of pressure. Anything above will be best suited to complete garden overhauls and other industrial outdoor tasks.
Water flow rate is also an important factor, as this tells you how much water passes through the washer per hour. The higher the water flow rate, the quicker you can get your job done.
Basic machines come with one lance – a long tube with a nozzle at the end. A fixed lance can’t be adjusted, though you can move it nearer or further away from the area you’re trying to clean. You can also buy models with a variable pressure lance, where you can twist the nozzle at the end to alter the power of the spray – rather like a hosepipe attachment. This lets you create either a powerful narrow jet of water or a gentler, broad spray.
Some machines come with a rotary lance that spins jets of water. This is useful for cleaning grime off paving slabs, but should not be used on decking or cars as you risk damaging them due the force of the rotary jet. Others come with an angled lance, which is useful for cleaning the underside of cars or garden furniture.
Useful accessories include gutter cleaners, patio cleaners, variable power nozzles and extension wands to increase your reach. Before you buy, be sure to check which are included and which are available as add-ons for the model you’ve chosen, so you can be sure you're getting exactly what your home needs.
Our in-house experts at the GHI assessed the pressure washers' performance on common outdoor cleaning tasks, using their high-power jet sprays to take on muddy patios, windows and cars. The testers noted how easy the pressure washer was to set up, use, manoeuvre and, of course, the time it took to get the job done.
The window and patio cleaning tests factored in whether the pressure washer left an attractive streak-free appearance, and during muddy car washing, our experts paid particular attention to whether the pressure washer was able to reach all the nooks and crannies, including wheel arches and the underside of the car.
They checked for any damage caused during washing and, once the test was complete, how easy each pressure washer was to store.
A truly impressive piece of kit, this powerful pressure washer came into its own during the patio and window cleaning tests, scoring highly for both. It was also easy to assemble, comes with various interchangeable nozzles and has an impressive 130 bars of pressure.
Note that it can be a little noisy while in use, but what it lacks in low decibels it makes up for in affordability.
The Husqvarna PW235R is a great pressure washer with a streamlined design that makes it easy to move around, and sturdy wheels that can glide from garage to garden with ease.
Thanks to its 135 bars of pressure and eight metre hose, it scored highly on our patio performance test, with stubborn dirt vanishing quickly. Testers were also pleased with the on-board storage for accessories and the easy clear-up after use.
The Worx HydroShot’s 5-in-1 nozzle and unique cordless design achieved an impressive perfect score in our ease-of-use tests. It runs on batteries, and you can drop its hose into any water source – from buckets to pools – and you’re ready to start cleaning.
It blitzed most of the dirt from our patio, leaving it streak-free. We were pleased with how much grime it removed from the car and windows, too, although they did require a little more elbow grease – we either had to use a different setting or pay a bit more attention to troublesome dirt traps.
We would have liked our car to be left a little drier too. However, these are relatively minor niggles. Overall, it’s a lightweight, effective and compact pressure washer. A worthwhile buy for speeding through smaller jobs around the garden.
Cleaning dirty windows is a cinch with the K7 Premium Smart Control pressure washer from Karcher. It removed any dirt on the glass with ease, leaving only minor oil stains after we’d washed with both water and detergent.
What makes this model different from other Karcher washers is you can control it from your phone using the brand’s Home & Garden app. Depending on the task at hand, you can get advice on the best setting to use, easily switching between them so you can tackle a whole range of surfaces. Plus, with a maximum of 180 bars of pressure, the washer’s powerful blast can handle any hard-to-reach areas such as the wheels of a car.
Just bear in mind that it’s fairly large, so it can be quite tricky to move around – look to one of our other picks if you’re after something more portable. Plus, it's only sold with a detergent for stone and facade surfaces, so if you want to get started on your windows first, you’ll need to purchase the all-purpose detergent first. Despite that, it’s an effective and powerful cleaner that certainly lives up to the Karcher name.
The Bosch Universal Aquatak 125 is a pressure washer triple threat: easy to use, portable and lightweight. It also comes with a handy detergent bottle and a multi-use nozzle that offers three spray patterns, so you can adapt your lance style for each job.
Be aware that it left some light smears when cleaning windows but it removed overgrown algae and grime with ease. It's ideal if you want a reliable and effective pressure washer that's reasonably priced and easy to carry.
As well as saving you from hours of scrubbing, this pressure washer has a standout 10 metre hose so you can cover large areas without having to manoeuvre the (somewhat heavy) pressure washer unit around. That extra-long hose also makes it a winner for reaching high windows.
Another great addition is the included vario spray power lance, which our testers found particularly useful for car cleaning, leaving the entire frame sparkling fresh – even under the wheel arches. It’s a great value buy for larger gardens and homes.
With up to 150 bars of pressure, this Black & Decker pressure washer put in an impressive performance when tackling dirt in our patio test, getting rid of moss and algae without much trouble.
Across the board, it dealt with hard-to-reach areas well, helped by its compact design and ergonomic carry handle, which made moving it around and directing the nozzle hassle-free. Testers also praised the easy-to-use trigger, which meant they weren’t left with cramp after operating for long periods.
Be aware when changing the jet intensity – our testers found it quite easy to unscrew the blaster when trying to switch settings. The washer also left surfaces a little damper than other models we tested. All in all, though, it’s a lightweight yet powerful cleaner that does a reliable job.
The VonHaus pressure washer was particularly adept at getting dirt off patio surfaces, making it a great pick for sprucing up your garden in time for summer. It effectively blasted dirt away and left zero streaks, thanks to its 130 bars of pressure and variable settings.
Our testers said it struggled a little to clean oil from windows but impressed overall when it came to dirt removal – even from those awkward spaces. There was no damage to the paintwork when we used it to clean the car, either.
Overall, it did take a little more effort to get each surface spotless than some of the highest-scoring pressure washers in our test; however, its lightweight design and easy to use features balanced out this minor flaw.
Plus, it’s the cheapest model we tested – a great option if you don’t mind spending more time on particularly grimy spots.
Megan is the Good Housekeeping Institute’s homes writer. She loves diving into the latest product releases to find the very best buys on the market. When she’s not writing about the newest gadgets and gizmos for your home and garden, you’ll find her cooking, running and exploring London’s foodie hotspots – or trying to make friends with every dog she passes. Megan has an MA in Magazine Journalism and has previously written for Stylist, Glamour, TimeOut, SquareMeal, and YOU magazine. You can find Megan on Instagram @meganlouisegeall and on X @megan_geall
Blossom is our Senior Homes Tester. Passionate about finding the best home products and appliances for our readers, she has tested everything from blenders to pizza ovens. Blossom enjoys delving into the intricacies of products and refining testing protocols for hundreds of items. Innovative items like robot vacuum cleaners and wine coolers are among her favourite tests to date, and her most notable accomplishment is toasting 360 slices of bread in a determined bid to find the best toaster. In her free time, Blossom openly admits to being a music geek and indulges her creative side through crocheting, baking, singing and writing.
17 best flavoured gins, expert tested
26 best eye creams for wrinkles and fine lines
17 best coffee pods to try
The best air fryers for 2024
21 best hair dryers, tried and tested
The best vibrators to buy in 2024
11 best IPL hair removal devices 2024
15 best garment steamers, tried and tested
8 best home gel nail kits
The best pan sets for 2024
Good Housekeeping, Part of the Hearst UK Fashion & Beauty Network
Good Housekeeping participates in various affiliate marketing programs, which means we may get paid commissions on editorially chosen products purchased through our links to retailer sites.
Laser Welding Machine ©2024 Hearst UK is the trading name of the National Magazine Company Ltd, 30 Panton Street, Leicester Square, London, SW1Y 4AJ. Registered in England. All Rights Reserved.