6 tried-and-tested pressure washers that make outdoor cleaning a breeze

Buying one of the best pressure washers is a time-saving alternative to manually scrubbing patios, driveways and garden furniture.

These nifty devices will make light work of the grime and moss that build up on decking and patios, and unlike using a hose, pressure washers provide immaculate results more quickly and with less effort.

To help you find the best pressure washer for your needs, we've rounded up our top recommendations from the Homebuilding & Renovating team, comparing everything from price and hose length to pressure and flow rate.

The Quick List

Need to dash? Here's a quick rundown of the best pressure washers, including direct links to a detailed overview.

Best corded pressure washer

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If you've never used a pressure washer and are looking for a simple, affordable model to get you started, look no further than the Kärcher K4 Premium Power Control Pressure Washer.

Our tester, Linda Clayton, praised the step-by-step washing instructions available on the Kärcher Home & Garden app, which guides users through the cleaning process and explains how to adjust the pressure settings. In addition to car washing, it also provides guidance on cleaning bikes, paving slabs, and other home and garden projects, making it ideal for beginners.

Its power is pleasantly surprising, allowing it to tackle dirt on a wide range of surfaces with ease and helping to keep your garden and vehicle looking shiny and new.

Alongside the two main nozzles, this model comes supplied with a Home Kit, which includes a patio cleaning brush and stone detergent, as well as a Car Kit featuring a foam nozzle, wash brush, and car shampoo.

Read our full Kärcher K4 Premium Power Control Pressure Washer review

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Best cordless pressure washer

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The Cobra PW18024V allows you to get to work without a plug-in power source and can draw its water supply from any suitable water source.

While it doesn't pack the power of corded machines, it is well suited to homes with smaller gardens or decks, or properties with hard-to-access areas where a power or water supply is difficult to reach. Our tester, Alison Wall, recommends it for small to medium-sized jobs around the home, from cleaning brickwork to making garden furniture sparkle.

It comes with two power settings: high mode (for stubborn marks) and eco mode (for light cleaning), along with all the accessories you need to get started – a water inlet pipe, detergent bottle, multi-function nozzle, long lance, long brush, plus a battery pack, charger, and storage bag.

Weighing just 5kg (the lightest option in this guide), Alison found it easy to use and was able to remove the grime from her garden patio. While the cordless design made the job easier, she did note that battery life was the main drawback, lasting only long enough for a couple of slabs at a time. If that's a problem, we recommend the Kärcher K4 Premium Power Control Pressure Washer instead.

Read our full Cobra PW18024V review

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Best pressure washer on a budget

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This Kärcher pressure washer has a lot to offer for its attractive price tag. The variety of attachments means you can easily switch between cleaning jobs, and it includes a dirtblaster lance, which is great for tackling stubborn areas such as dirt and moss from patios. It also comes with a standard lance, quick connector, patio cleaner, detergent, and suction tube, as well as handy on-board storage.

"The best things about the Kärcher Eco Pressure Washer are the range of attachments that come with it which allow for a variety of cleaning jobs," says our tester Joseph Mullane. "Plus, the water butt function allows me to use any bucket with water, rather than relying on a hose pipe if I don't have access to one."

Compact and upright, with a built-in handle, the design is easy to maneuver, which is aided further by the wheels. It may not be as powerful as the Kärcher K7 Premium Smart Control Home, but it is an effective pressure washer that delivers good results across a wide range of cleaning tasks.

"The only negatives are it isn’t cordless and is a bit heavy, but the water butt function helps with this," says Joseph. However, if that would be an issue, you might want to try the Cobra PW18024V Cordless Pressure Washer instead.

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Best mid-range pressure washer

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For frequent washes, this Kärcher model fits the bill, thanks to its four spray settings, which make it easy to handle a variety of cleaning tasks. You can use higher-pressure blasts to remove dirt and lower-power settings for cleaning decorative paving, for example.

You also get several accessories for your money, including a comfort high-pressure gun, a 4-in-1 multi jet spray lance, an extra-flexible high-pressure hose with an integrated hose reel, a natural universal cleaner, and built-in accessory holders.

Homebuilding's web editor Amy Willis tried it on her large patio and was pleased to find that it only took her an hour, noting that “it was much faster to clean the patio compared with models I've used in the past.”

"As someone who does not enjoy pressure washing, I did find it surprisingly satisfying blasting the jet at the patio and making nice clean lines in the dirt as I went. And while you will still get a mild arm ache at holding the lance, I did not get soaking wet and dirty for once (whoop), plus it was easy to pack away afterwards," she says.

While this model does have an impressive 145-bar pressure, the Kärcher K7 Premium Smart Control Home offers even more (180).

Read our full Kärcher K5 Comfort Premium review

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Best pressure washer for small jobs

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One of the best compact pressure washers around, the Bosch EasyAquatak 110 is great for cleaning awkward nooks and crannies and tackling smaller tasks around the garden.

It's easy to work through push-fit connections, and it comes with multiple attachments: a high-pressure gun, a 3m high-pressure hose, a variable fan jet nozzle and rotary nozzle, and a high-pressure detergent nozzle for deeper cleaning.

The high-pressure detergent nozzle is particularly impressive, helping you save time on cleaning through an auto-stop system. This means that it only delivers power when it's needed, which is energy-efficient too.

It is lightweight and easy to move around the garden, but not the most powerful - if you're after something similar, but for bigger tasks, then check out the Bosch Universal Aquatak 135.

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Best premium pressure washer

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The Kärcher K7 Premium Smart Control Pressure Washer is one of the best all-rounders thanks to its range of use, power and brilliant accessories.

Its power (courtesy of a 180 bar max pressure, the highest on this list) makes it well-suited for cleaning large patios and driveways. And one of the accessories, a 3-in-1 multi jet lance, lets you select the perfect cleaning mode for your application, providing an efficient wash on a range of items.

Its size is another noteworthy feature, boasting on-board storage for the accessories, which include a telescopic handle, the full control lances, and the T7 T-Racer to help you clean large surfaces.

Just like the K4, it comes with the Kärcher Home & Garden app, which is brilliantly user-friendly if you're not confident about cleaning with a pressure washer for the first time.

The only reason this doesn't feature higher in this list is because of the price – and while it is certainly value for money, the Kärcher K4 is a more budget-friendly model.

Read our full Kärcher K7 Premium Smart Control Pressure Washer review

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How we tested the best pressure washers

There’s a lot to consider when buying one of the best pressure washers, and the Homebuilding & Renovating team has been getting hands-on experience with the products in this buying guide to help you feel confident in choosing the right model for you.

In our ongoing independent reviews, we test cleaning power and ease of use to gauge each pressure washer’s effectiveness, and we assess key factors including the size of the patios or decking on which each washer was tested, as well as value for money.

We also review everything in between, from included attachments to which households will benefit most from buying a specific pressure washer.

Our team is passionate about DIY and home improvement (which probably won’t be a surprise), so we already have detailed knowledge of the brands that make these pressure washers. Moreover, we have taken into account user reviews when compiling this buying guide.

For more information on our procedure, read our dedicated page on how we test products.

How to choose the best pressure washer

Arguably, there are two big considerations when buying the best pressure washer: your budget and how much you will use it.

Naturally, if you only plan to use it once in a while on small jobs, like cleaning brickwork or bikes, then you can afford to pay less. But if you want a model that will last you a long time, and enable you to perform a variety of cleaning tasks through frequent uses, then you will need to pay a bit more.

Additionally, keep an eye out for these factors when perusing for your item.

1. Pressure

The bigger the pressure, the bigger the jobs your pressure washer can handle.

As a rough guide, smaller corded models tend to have a 100 bar pressure, which will be sufficient for cleaning bikes, furniture and decking; mid-range models will have a 120 bar pressure, which is more effective for tackling tasks such as guttering; and larger models will have more than a 130 bar pressure which is better for cleaning large patios and driveways.

2. Hose length

Knowing how long the hose will be (and the lengths of any attachments) is key. If you want to clean the end of your drive, you'll need to go for a model that can reach (cordless options are available too). But if you just need to clean your bike in the back garden then a longer hose length isn't as essential.

3. Accessories

Most pressure washers come with accessories, but it's prudent to explore whether these will offer a benefit to your cleaning needs. If you want to clean your patio then you'll want to ensure it comes with a patio cleaner, and while a rotating car brush can be handy, it's not going to be that useful if you don't plan on using it.

If you're still feeling undecided, you may want to read our guide on the best Kärcher pressure washers specifically, or learn how to clean decking.

Edited by Beth Murton.