5 best pressure washers

Find the perfect machine and leave nothing in your wake, nothing but cleanliness, the perfect patio awaits

Pressure washers can be extremely cheap, or extremely expensive, and like many other cleaning machines the highest price tags don't necessarily mean you have the best fit for you. If you just want to clean a bicycle or smaller less detailed stuff, save yourself some money and go with a low to mid-range PSI machine.

Mid-range machines have a pressure of around 1600psi and these are better for more challenging cleaning needs, such as patios, fencing, cars, guttering and exterior paintwork. Models with high pressure rates of 2000psi and above are ideal for big areas of paving, driveways, wooden decking, stonework, really grubby 4x4s or caravans. There are exceptions to the rule, but generally speaking, the more you pay, the more accessories you get – patio brush, car wash brush, lance, turbo nozzle, jet nozzle are some of the more common ones.

Pressure washers come in all shapes and sizes, from carry-round units to huge and heavy ones that need chunky wheels for easy transporting. Be sure to think about weight and storage. Hose lengths are dramatically different – another thing to check. But most importantly of all, think about what you’ll be cleaning and how often and work from there.

Kärcher K5: $223.68, Amazon

Bar pressure: 20-130

This is like the Kärcher K7 (also featured in our roundup) without all the bells and whistles. So you still get a really solid, well-built, powerful machine that can do all the basics brilliantly – cleaning the car every week, clearing up the patio once or twice a year, and so on – but without the fine detail and the really serious oomph of it’s far more expensive cousin, which you probably won’t need for regular cleaning jobs anyway. It’s quick and you can easily move between gentle and powerful cleaning sprays, depending on the task in hand. But it is pricey, heavy and there’s no hose reel. Available with a number of accessories.

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Stihl RE 88: $199, Stihl

Bar pressure: 10-100

This entry-level machine from Stihl has big wheels and integrated handles, both of which make it easy to transport (a good job as it’s heavy), while its slim design makes it simple to store. It’s quiet and we found it good at driveways, patios and decking – provided they aren’t too entrenched with dirt. Nifty features include an anti-twist mechanism to prevent the common problem of hose twisting and the special nozzle for blitzing dirt. But it vibrates a lot, you can damage delicate surfaces if you don’t use the right nozzle and there’s no hose reel for tidy storage.

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Bosch EasyAquatak 120: $144.99, Amazon

Bar pressure: 120

If your maximum budget is around $100-150, but you want something that excels on patios and decking, then look no further. It’s quite loud and not as thorough as the more expensive machines in our roundup, but it gets top marks for removing everyday dirt and tackles weeds better than some others we tried around the same price. It’s also good for cars and bikes and it’s light at just 11lbs, as well as being compact and – hallelujah – there’s good cable storage. Released this year as an update to an older model, Bosch responded to customer feedback by making the hose longer.

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Nilfisk 140 Dynamic 140 Pressure Washer/Patio Cleaner: $290.68, Grooves

Bar pressure: 135-140

This is a serious machine. It cleans fast, easily stores away (including cable storage, retractable handle and wheels), has lots of accessories, a long hose and it’s quiet. With the exception of the Kärcher K7, it also offers the best precision control we’ve come across in a pressure washer, meaning you can use it on more delicate surfaces right up to getting grimy filth off driveways. You can use it with hot water up to 140°f, the handle is particularly comfortable to hold and there’s a new nozzle for this year that claims to give it 15% more efficiency. But it’s expensive and not great for cars.

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Kärcher K7 Premium Full Control Home: $515.02, Grooves

This top-of-the-range machine is the king of pressure washers, with seemingly no end to the things it can clean up – patio furniture, driveway, trash cans, and cars, just to name a few – while still managing to be kind to delicate surfaces. Huge patios are its absolute forte, thanks to the patio washer with pointed front for getting into hooks and crannies, plus an extra button for concentrated jet. We also like that you use it with hotter water than most – up to 140°f – and the hose is longer than most. But despite its clear brilliance, it costs a bomb, is huge and there’s nowhere to store the hose so you’ll have to have some seriously big jobs to make it worth the investment.

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The Verdict: Pressure washers

For regular use on larger patios and decks, the Karcher K5 Control Home gets our vote.