Best pressure washers 2023 for cars, patios and garden furniture

The first question we asked ourselves as we unpacked the German brand's flagship product was, "do we really need our pressure washer to be smart?". The QR code that presented itself to us on opening the box, telling us to scan the code and download the app before doing anything else, seemed to imply that Karcher definitely think so.

The app helps set up the machine and allows you to choose one of nine different cleaning targets, after which it will show you what pressure level you need the water to run at, which of the three spray settings you need to twist the lance around to and then how many more steps you’ve got to follow before your job's done. This is all very helpful, except the machine is so versatile and user-friendly on its own that it won't take you long to figure out exactly what you need, to complete your job with the minimum of effort and its controls are so intuitive you can do it all on the fly without having to waste time consulting the app.

The K7 is one of those "they’ve thought of everything" products from the fact that the casing has been designed to store and transport multiple accessories, saving you multiple trips back to the garage, to the control you have over the entire machine (and your clean) from the handle of the gun. Simply using the plus and minus buttons you’re able to adjust the pressure between a minimum of 20bar and a maximum of 180bar over six settings.

In addition, you can adjust the spray by turning the lance to one of three settings: flat jet, dirt grinder or detergent. Holding down the plus button activates boost mode, regardless of what setting you were using, which increases the pressure level for 30 seconds if you encounter a particularly sticky or dirty patch.

The dropped points only come from the fact that it is noisy and quite an unwieldy, heavy piece of kit to get around, but then it has to be when it comes bristling with so many accessories and such a big motor to power the maximum pressure. Also, the fact that you’re paying for it to be app-enabled when, in our humble opinion, it really doesn't need to be.