Best Overall
Ryobi 1900 PSI 1.2 GPM Electric Pressure Washer
THE HOME DEPOT
- It efficiently removed years worth of grime from cement.
It efficiently removed years worth of grime from cement.
- This only comes with three nozzles: 15-degree, soap, and turbo. The turbo nozzle was powerful enough to strip paint.
This only comes with three nozzles: 15-degree, soap, and turbo. The turbo nozzle was powerful enough to strip paint.
The Ryobi 1900 PSI 1.2 GPM Cold Water Wheeled Corded Electric Pressure Washer is our top pick because it’s compact and easy to use, and it impressed us throughout testing with its efficiency.
This electric pressure washer earned high marks from the start because it was very easy to set up, thanks to its clear instructions. We found that it was easy to change out the quick connect nozzles, and starting it up was as easy as turning it on and pulling the handle. The handle and wheels of this machine make it smooth to move around when not in use, and the 20-foot hose and 35-foot cord were sufficient for us as we tested it.
The machine was just as simple to disassemble, and we appreciated the storage for the power cable and a velcro strap to store the water hose. It also has an on-board detergent tank and accessory storage, making it convenient to stow away when not in use.
Though this electric power washer has a PSI of 1,900, which is on the lower side, we found that it was powerful enough to get all of the dirt, grime, and stains from a cement porch. It has three quick connect nozzles: turbo, 15-degree, and a soap nozzle.
Keep in mind that, if you choose to use the more powerful turbo tip, be sure you’re using it on the proper surface. When we used it on a painted metal fence, we had to swap to the 15-degree tip because we found that the more intense nozzle was taking the paint off.
Product Details: Hose Length: 20 feet | Pressure Rating: 1,900 PSI | Machine Weight: 21 pounds | Flow Rate: 1.2 GPM
- BETTER HOMES and GARDENS / DYLAN THOMPSON
BETTER HOMES and GARDENS / DYLAN THOMPSON
Key Terms To Know
PSI: This stands for pounds per square inch and is the measurement of the pressure washer’s force. The higher the PSI, the higher the pressure. The lower the PSI, the lower the pressure.
GPM: This stands for gallons per minute and is the measurement of the amount of water that your pressure washer uses per minute. The higher the GPM, the faster they will clean.
Best Splurge
Greenworks 3000-PSI Brushless Electric Pressure Washer
AMAZON
- There’s clearly labeled storage for each of the five spray nozzles, so you don’t need to worry about losing track.
There’s clearly labeled storage for each of the five spray nozzles, so you don’t need to worry about losing track.
- Because of its continuous motor, we found that this pressure washer is very loud.
Because of its continuous motor, we found that this pressure washer is very loud.
If you’re looking to splurge on an electric pressure washer that is able to take on stubborn messes and stains, the best electric pressure washer for the job is the Greenworks Pro 3000 PSI 2-Gallon-GPM Cold Water Electric Pressure Washer.
While testing, we found that this machine was intuitive to use, with five spray nozzles: turbo, soap, and 15, 25, and 40 degrees.The nozzles were easy to switch out, and there was no leakage or spraying when taking them on and off. We also loved that there was a place to store those nozzles, and they’re neatly labeled on the panel so we didn’t misplace them.
With a PSI of 3,000, this pressure washer has a gas-style, continuous-run brushless motor that allows the washer to run continuously as it cleans. We felt that it performed just as well as a traditional gas motor model, but it was lightweight and easy to maneuver.
The cord was nice and long at 35 feet, which came in handy while cleaning a driveway. The driveway we tested this pressure washer on has been dirty for three years, and we were amazed to see how the grime and dirt washed away in just 11 minutes.
The nozzle was powerful but it did not damage the concrete at all. We also tested this pressure washer on a lawn mower, and it had the mower (which had never been washed in three years) sparkling in four minutes.
We loved the cord storage on the machine—it could be swiveled to get the cord off more easily. This pressure washer has 10-inch never flat wheels, and a rugged steel frame that made it easy to roll on concrete, decking, and grass.
Product Details: Hose Length: 25 feet | Pressure Rating: 3,000 PSI | Machine Weight: 47 pounds | Flow Rate: 2 GPM
- BETTER HOMES and GARDENS / ANNA KNIEF
BETTER HOMES and GARDENS / ANNA KNIEF
Best Battery-Operated
CRAFTSMAN V20 1500 PSI 1.2-Gallons Cold Water Battery Pressure Washer
LOWES
- All of the attachments store on the body of the pressure washer, making it easy to store.
All of the attachments store on the body of the pressure washer, making it easy to store.
- We found that this pressure washer was not strong enough for tough jobs like driveways.
We found that this pressure washer was not strong enough for tough jobs like driveways.
If you’re looking for a pressure washer that doesn’t require a cord, the Craftsman V20 1500 PSI 1.2-Gallons Cold Water Battery Pressure Washer is our top choice since it’s an efficient battery-operated model.
Setting up this pressure washer was a breeze—it only took us seven minutes without the help of the manual, making it a great choice for a beginner. With 60 minutes of runtime on the battery, we found that it easily tackled washing a car, the side of a house, and a wooden fence without needing to be charged again.
This electric pressure washer also earned high marks for its design during our testing. We found that it was simple to push or pull thanks to its wheels, and it was stable as we maneuvered it around the yard.
It is also self-priming, which means that you can run it from any fresh water source, not just your garden hose. When it comes to storing it away, we were really impressed that there was a spot for every nozzle, hose, cord, and wand, which helped us keep all of the accessories organized.
With 1,500 PSI, this pressure washer worked very well on the wooden fence and car, but we found that it is most powerful when used straight on. We noticed it wasn’t as effective cleaning higher points on the house siding.
With three spray tips included, you can choose from a turbo, 15- or 40-degree nozzle.We did appreciate that, because it does not have the most powerful spray, there were no worries about damaging any finishes or paints.
Product Details: Hose Length: 25 feet | Pressure Rating: 1,500 PSI | Machine Weight: 17 pounds | Flow Rate: 1.2 GPM
- BETTER HOMES and GARDENS / JENNIFER MAY
BETTER HOMES and GARDENS / JENNIFER MAY
Best Portable
Worx Hydroshot Cordless Power Cleaner
WORX
- It’s the lightest electric pressure washer on our list at just 8 pounds.
It’s the lightest electric pressure washer on our list at just 8 pounds.
- If you have stubborn messes and stains, this pressure washer may not be powerful enough to remove them.
If you have stubborn messes and stains, this pressure washer may not be powerful enough to remove them.
If you don’t want to have to worry about cords as you clean, we were big fans of the Worx Hydroshot 20V Power Share 320 PSI Portable Power.
We used this pressure washer on a home without any external power sockets, so we found its rechargeable battery to be convenient. The battery for this pressure washer is a 20-volt 4.0 Ah battery, which lasted an hour after an hour-long charging period.
This pressure washer is super compact, weighing in at only 8 pounds. We found that its size not only made it easy to maneuver while cleaning, but also easy to store when finished. We also appreciated its portability, and it can be hooked up to any water source such as a garden hose, pool, lake, bucket, or even a 2-liter bottle of water. This makes it a breeze to use on cars, RVs, boats, and more.
This electric pressure washer includes a five-in-one nozzle, with zero-, 15-, 25-, and 40-degree settings, and even a watering setting. Keep in mind that, while we found this pressure washer effective when cleaning a sidewalk, a compost bin, and even a car, we found that it isn’t the most effective when cleaning heavy-duty messes.
Product Details: Hose Length: 20 feet | Pressure Rating: 320 PSI | Machine Weight: 8 pounds | Flow Rate: 0.5 GPM
Best For Cars
Greenworks Pro Electric Pressure Washer
LOWE'S
- It’s extremely easy to use from start to finish, and it has start-up instructions on top of the machine.
It’s extremely easy to use from start to finish, and it has start-up instructions on top of the machine.
- It was as loud as some gas pressure washers we tested.
It was as loud as some gas pressure washers we tested.
During testing, the Greenworks Pro 2300 PSI TruBrushless Electric Pressure Washer was gentle enough not to damage any of the car’s paint, but effective enough to remove any grime with ease.
We loved how easy it was to use this pressure washer from start to finish. Assembly was simple and only took 10 minutes, and starting the machine was intuitive with start-up procedures labeled on top of the machine.
This electric pressure washer uses technology that is meant to deliver the right amount of pressure depending on your project. It has a maximum 2,300 PSI, as well as a rapid rinse setting and a high area reach.
Its metal quick-connect wand comes with 15-, 25-, and 40-degree settings, plus a soap and turbo nozzle. Another convenient feature was the soap tank that’s on board, which made washing the car simple.
We found that it took two different passes to completely wash the car—the first pass removed bugs and dirt, while the second pass with soap left the car clean and shiny. It took about 22 minutes to completely clean the car with this pressure washer.
The electric pressure washer also has wheels so it was easy to maneuver around the car. However, we did find the noise level was quite loud and was comparable to gas pressure washers.
Product Details: Hose Length: 25 feet | Pressure Rating: 2,300 PSI | Machine Weight: 41 pounds | Flow Rate: 2.3 GPM
Best Small
ACTIVE 2.0 Electric Pressure Washer
AMAZON
- While lightweight and portable, it feels like an industrial-quality pressure washer.
While lightweight and portable, it feels like an industrial-quality pressure washer.
- We found that the hose, while plenty long at 20 feet, can kink if not careful.
We found that the hose, while plenty long at 20 feet, can kink if not careful.
Whether it’s because you don’t have a lot of storage space or simply want a portable model, the Active 2.0 Electric Pressure Washer is the best small electric pressure washer for the job.
We were impressed by the experience of using this electric pressure washer, which was easy and intuitive to set up with minimal work other than easily connecting and screwing in the various parts. It only took us 16 minutes.
At just 12.5 pounds, we found that it is easy to maneuver as we put this electric pressure washer to the test against a deck made of ipe wood, a smooth, cream-colored stucco wall on the outside of a house, and a car. We were impressed by its power, given its compact size.
It has four quick connect nozzles: 0, 15, 25, and 40 degrees. Our favorite was the 25-degree nozzle, which we found effectively cleaned a deck, house siding, and the 15-degree nozzle, which we used to clean a car.
We found this pressure washer to be very effective, watching as it quickly removed years of dirt and grim from the stucco house siding and entirely changed the color of the deck from dark to light gray. We will note that, after allowing the deck to dry, we found that we would see a faint outline of where we sprayed, though we believe this could be remedied by using further diligence and more water.
One of our favorite things about this pressure washer is its portability. It doesn’t have wheels, but at just 12.5 pounds, it was easy to carry from place to place when working in various areas of the yard.
Keep in mind that we found that the hose, which is 20 feet long, had a tendency to kink throughout the testing process, causing us to stop and unfurl them during use. We found that when we were done using the hose and cord, it was difficult to store them, but this seemed a small price to pay, given the effectiveness of this model.
Product Details: Hose Length: 20 feet | Pressure Rating: 1,800 PSI | Machine Weight: 23 pounds | Flow Rate: 2 GPM
- BETTER HOMES and GARDENS / LIZZ LEONARD
BETTER HOMES and GARDENS / LIZZ LEONARD
Best for Beginners
Sun Joe 2030-PSI Electric Pressure Washer With Hose Reel
AMAZON
- During testing, it easily removed algae and mildew from a driveway.
During testing, it easily removed algae and mildew from a driveway.
- We found that the handle used to store the electrical cord was difficult to use and did not effectively wrap up the wire.
We found that the handle used to store the electrical cord was difficult to use and did not effectively wrap up the wire.
Don’t consider yourself a pressure washing pro just yet? We found that, thanks to its maneuverability and ease of use, the Sun Joe SPX3001 2030 PSI 1.76 GPM 14.5 AMP Electric Pressure Washer was the best electric pressure washer for beginners.
From start to finish, we found that this pressure washer was straightforward to use and came mostly assembled, so setting it up was a breeze. We loved that this pressure washer was lightweight—its large wheels and handle made it easy to roll around. Beginners won’t have to worry about difficulty maneuvering it around their space.
This model has five quick-connect spray tips: 0, 15, 25, and 40 degrees, plus a soap setting. These nozzles easily clicked on and off a panel, and there was a holster to keep the spray nozzle in place when not in use. The electrical cord was 35 feet long, which we found to be a helpful feature for larger yards.
In terms of overall effectiveness, this pressure washer was effective at its highest pressure, especially when it came to removing algae and mildew from a driveway and exterior columns of a home. However, we found that some stains, like dried-on paint and oil stains, were too difficult to remove.
We found that when it came to storing the electrical wire after use, the handle used to store the electrical wire was flimsy and did not secure it well. This may mean extra time when cleaning up or difficulty storing.
Product Details: Hose Length: 20 feet | Pressure Rating: 2,030 PSI | Machine Weight: 36 pounds | Flow Rate: 1.76 GPM
- BETTER HOMES and GARDENS / CAITLIN SOLE
BETTER HOMES and GARDENS / CAITLIN SOLE