The best Kärcher pressure washers to easily clean outdoor surfaces

Kärcher is a leading brand in pressure washers, and owning the best Kärcher pressure washer is an investment that can save you time on several outdoor cleaning tasks.

The best pressure washers can take the hard work out of cleaning mud and mildew from your patio or decking, and can mean you'll no longer need to hand scrub your car or family mountain bikes. Instead, just point the lance towards your surface and get the job done in half the time. 

Kärcher's reputable range of pressure washers come in a variety of sizes, prices and power options, so how do you know which one is best for you? In putting this guide together we've considered key factors you need to know. For example, if you're looking for a powerful machine to clean your driveway then you'll want to look for a higher pressure model, while smaller pressure models can be great for cleaning smaller patios or other garden spaces, and these are likely to be cheaper too. 

We’re also considered everything in-between from the benefits of certain attachments that may be included, which machine best suits your budget, and how easy they are to use. The pressure washers that come with Kärcher's user-friendly Home & Garden app are particularly useful, as the app is surprisingly handy for guiding you through the stages required for your clean. 

Use this guide to the best Kärcher pressure washers available now to learn which model is best for your home. 

The best Kärcher pressure washers

The Kärcher K2 is the standout choice if you have a modest budget and don't feel too confident using one for the first time. 

This is a simple-to-use, affordable pressure washer that handily guides you through which pressure to use depending on your task of choice. It comes with four cleaning settings to choose from, and the application of detergent will effectively blast dirt on patios and driveways and clean more delicate materials, such as wood. 

It's not as powerful as the K7 (more on this below), but it does come with a high-pressure gun and hose, plus full control lances and a cable, which are great for cleaning small-to-medium-sized patios and decking, and even cars and bikes.

It's lightweight too, easy to carry with you, features on-board storage and once you've finished, it's easy to store away.  

A newer model of the K2 is now available which comes with the app enabled, which can guide you to select the right pressure for your cleaning task.

The Kärcher K7 Premium Smart Control Pressure Washer is widely regarded as one of the best, if not the best premium pressure washers around. 

Our reviewer tested it on his car and his patio and described as "an amazing pressure washer, with obvious high build quality". It has incredible power (courtesy of a 180 bar max pressure, the highest on this list), which makes it well-suited for cleaning large patios and driveways. 

It also comes with brilliant accessories, including the 3-in-1 Multi Jet lance (Vario, dirt blaster and detergent), which lets you select the perfect cleaning mode for your application.

There's on-board storage for the accessories, which include a telescopic handle, the full control lances, and the T7 T-Racer Surface Cleaner to help you clean large surfaces. 

The app is particularly handy for use with the K7, which explains the various parts of the machine and how it works. 

Read our full Kärcher K7 Premium Smart Control Home Pressure Washer review

If the K7 is outside of your budget, then the next best premium Kärcher pressure washer is the K4 - a good all-rounder which effective blasts through larger patios and driveways. 

The K4 comes with a vario power spray lance, a dirt blaster spray lance and a surface cleaner brush, and the tools can be stored on board. It also has a retractable handle for increased convenience when storing it away. 

It's slightly less powerful than the K7, and comes with a smaller hose, but it is very effective - especially if you're looking for a pressure washer you don't want to use that often. 

Notably, it's also very quiet. And you'll appreciate this benefit during longer cleaning jobs. The only criticism is that it's quite bulky, making it harder to carry around. 

Our reviewer said of the K4 after cleaning her roof: "I was incredibly impressed by how the K4 removed every stain and inch of dirt with ease. No need to go over any areas twice."

Read our full Kärcher K4 Premium Power Control Pressure Washer review.

The Kärcher OC3 Portable Cleaner is brilliant for those who love spending time in the great outdoors. It is a cordless and compact option you can use at home to clean down your bike or muddy boots (or the muddy dog) after a walk, and you can take it in the car for quick washes after a hike. 

It won't be suitable for cleaning stubborn dirt out of your driveway, but that isn't the point of this washer. It's designed for quick and easy jobs, utilising effective gentle pressure that's perfect for a quick rinse of dirty clothing or objects. 

Plus, it utilises on-board storage for the spiral hose and trigger gun under the removable water tank, so it's easy to transport. 

The K2 Compact is Kärcher's best budget pick, and despite lacking some of the power and features of the other pressure washers in this list, its 110 bar pressure is effective on both delicate surfaces such as your car, or harder surfaces such as brickwork. 

This is Kärcher's smallest and cheapest pressure washer, but it's excellent value for money. It comes with a trigger gun, hose and lance which can all be neatly stored on the machine, and an integrated suction tube allows detergent to be applied to any surface being cleaned.

How to choose the best Kärcher pressure washer

Kärcher is a leading brand so whichever machine you opt for will deliver high-quality results, but these are some considerations to make before making your purchase.

Cost

If budget isn't a factor, then K7 is one of the most supreme machines available and well worth investing in. The K2 Full Control Pressure Washer is more cost-friendly but offers fantastic value for money.

Usage

If you only plan to use your pressure washer once in a while on small jobs, like cleaning brickwork or bikes, then a cheaper model such as the K2 Full Control Pressure Washer or Kärcher K4 Full Control Home Pressure Washer will do the job. But for regular, bigger jobs, the K7 will offer the best results. 

Pressure

The bigger the pressure, the bigger the jobs your pressure washer can handle. For cleaning bikes, furniture and decking then a 100 bar pressure will suffice, while larger jobs such as cleaning large patios will likely require a 130 bar pressure or higher. 

Hose length

If you want to clean the end of your drive, you'll need to go for a model with a hose that can reach (the Kärcher OC3 Portable Cleaner is a great cordless alternative). But if you just need to clean your bike in the back garden, a longer hose length isn't as essential. 

How we test Kärcher pressure washers

There's a lot to consider when buying one of the best Kärcher pressure washers, and the Homebuilding & Renovating team is 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 are testing the cleaning power and ease of use to gauge each Kärcher pressure washer's efficacy, and assessing key factors including the size of the patios or decking the washer was tested on, and value for money.

We’re also reviewing everything in-between from included attachments to which households will most benefit 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 about the brands that make these pressure washers. 

Moreover, we have taken into account user reviews when compiling this buying guide, and gleaned key information from our sister sites such as Real Homes and Ideal Home to help you find the best Kärcher pressure washer for your home.

Find out more about how we test on our page. Here are a few of our Homebuilding & Renovating pressure washer testers:

Linda Clayton

Linda Clayton is an experienced journalist, specialising in home, interiors and fitness for more than two decades. She’s a fastidious product reviewer, design obsessive, serial renovator, and amateur runner. She has reviewed the Kärcher K4 Premium Power Control Pressure Washer for Homebuilding & Renovating, testing how it coped with blitzing all manner of muck from her patios, rooftops and car.

Garry Martin

Garry is an independent product tester and tools addict. For Homebuilding & Renovating, Garry has reviewed the Kärcher K7 Premium Smart Control Home pressure washer, which he says will easily tackle stubborn dirt and grime, or delicate car paintwork.