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I’ve tested my fair share of pressure washers over the years, so when I heard that Kärcher were releasing the 7th edition in their ‘K’ range, I was eager to see how it would stack up against my current arsenal of cleaning tools.
Kärcher is a well-known brand in the world of pressure washers, and their latest flagship model promises to go one further than other feature-rich models on the market. But will this rhetoric wash with such a high price tag? And just how handy is the addition of a Bluetooth app? In this review, I’ll give you my thoughts as we discuss everything from power to flow rate and accessories.
Contents
What’s in the box
- 1x K7 Premium Smart Control Pressure Washer
- 1x High Pressure Gun 1x Spray Lance
- 1x 10m High-Pressure Hose
- 1x 1L Stone & Facade Detergent
- 1x T 7 Plus Patio Cleaner
Product overview
The Kärcher K7 Premium Smart Control Home high-pressure washer is the cream of the cleaning machine crop, pushing the company’s premium range to the limit with even more bells and whistles.
It’s incredibly powerful, as you’d expect from a German manufacturer, boasting an impressive 3000 watts and a maximum 180 bar pressure. In layman’s terms, this means you’ll have much more power than you’ll ever need to blast away everything from paint to stubborn dirt and grime. So, if you plan to use it to wash down your patio or driveway, you can expect sparkling results.
But power isn’t everything. The Kärcher K7 Premium Smart Control Home also has various features that stand out from other pressure washers on the market. One of the most impressive is the Smart Control trigger gun, which allows you to adjust the pressure and flow of water with a simply tap of a button. This makes it easier to switch between different cleaning tasks without having to adjust the machine settings manually—an issue that makes other models feel cumbersome. It also has a fancy app that transfers pressure information over Bluetooth.
Likewise, the Kärcher K 7 Premium Smart Control Home features a Plug ‘n’ Clean system that makes it easy to switch between different cleaning agents. It comes with various detergents that you can use for specific cleaning tasks.
Regarding usability, Kärcher has really raised the bar, designing a washer that clearly has the user in mind. For instance, it has a sturdy and well-built construction befitting of its price. The addition of a telescopic handle and 10-metre hose also make it super easy to manoeuvre.
Below, we’ll dive down into these features and discuss a few more.
Kärcher K7 Smart Control Pressure Washer Main Features
- Smart home app
- Extra boost
- 3-in-1 Multi Jet spray wand
- 180 Q Smart Control gun
- Home kit
- 10-metre high-pressure hose
- 3-year guarantee
- 17.7kg
Power and performance
As you might expect, the Kärcher K7 Premium Smart Control Home high-pressure washer is an absolute powerhouse. This is the company’s heaviest pressure washer to date, one-upping the K5 model. It delivers a whopping maximum pressure of 18bar/MPa and 600l/h flow rate at 2.8kW— nearly double that of the Ryobi RPW150XRB I recently reviewed.
But what really sets it apart from the competition is the Extra Boost mode, which you can activate either via the gun or the app. This mode releases an additional 15 bar, making quick work of stubborn stains that need a little more oomph. Just make sure to stand back!
I tested out the Kärcher K7 on my patio, car, and windows, all of which never left me wanting more power. The Multi Jet spray wand and T7 Patio Cleaner both delivered excellent results, and the fact that you can adjust the strength and spread of the spray with the rotating gun is a nice touch. The extender tool is also a great feature, as you don’t need to bend down.
The app that comes with the Kärcher K7 shows you different pressure settings and helps control the amount of detergent used. But to be honest, I found it just as easy to use the system manually without the connection.
Design
The Kärcher K 7 Premium Smart Control Home high-pressure washer is a thoughtfully crafted machine, built with quality in mind. The unit measures 463 x 330 x 667mm (L x W x H) and weighs around 18.2kg, making it relatively heavy compared to some of the other models available in the market. However, this is largely due to the powerful motor and sturdy construction.
One of the most noticeable design features is the Smart Control Trigger gun, allowing you to easily adjust the pressure settings with the touch of a button. This is a significant improvement over the K5 and cheaper models that traditionally require you to manually adjust settings. The unit also comes with a 10-metre-long high-pressure hose, making it easier to reach all the nooks and crannies without constantly pulling the device around.
You’ll also get a telescopic handle and large wheels. I found it easy to adjust the handle to my height, and the large wheels skirted seamlessly over different surfaces, including my stairs, gravel, and concrete. Talking of attention to detail, the unit also features a water-cooled motor that cleverly prevents overheating, which is a common issue with many high-pressure washers I’ve tested.
Pricing
There’s no doubt that the K7 is a premium product, and that’s reflected in the price. At the time of writing, it’s available for around £500, making it one of the more expensive options on the market.
However, it’s important to note that the power and range of features available on this machine make it an excellent investment for anyone who needs a reliable and high-performing unit. It’s certainly not one of those products that we’ll file into the “obsolete” draw anytime soon—after all, how many pressure washers come with an app?!
Of course, the price may be a barrier for some customers, especially those who don’t have large cleaning needs or don’t want a shedload of power. In those cases, I recommend checking out the middle-market options in the Kärcher range—for around £200 less, you can bag the company’s K5 model which still packs a credible 2100 watts and 145 max bar pressure.
That being said, for those who do need a high-powered and versatile cleaning machine, the Kärcher K 7 Premium Smart Control Home is definitely worth the extra few quid. It’s a machine that’s built to last, with a range of features that make cleaning a wide variety of surfaces easier and less time-consuming.
Smart Home app
One of the standout features of the Kärcher K 7 Premium Smart Control Home high-pressure washer is the ability to control it using the company’s app, which is available for both iOS and Android devices.
Remarkably, the app connects to the pressure washer via Bluetooth, allowing you to adjust pressure, flow rate, and monitor detergent use. I checked it out for myself, and everything worked swimmingly, but I felt like it was a little bit of overkill. Some of you tech-heads might appreciate it more than me though!
The app also features several cleaning guides that help users tackle specific cleaning tasks more effectively. For example, there are guides for cleaning cars, patios, and bicycles, each with detailed instructions on achieving the best results.
Using the app is simple and intuitive, with a user-friendly interface that’s easy to adjust settings and access the various cleaning guides. The app also allows you to save your preferred settings, so you can quickly switch between different cleaning tasks without having to readjust the pressure and flow rate each time.
I also realised that you can activate the Extra Boost function (offering up 15 more bars of pressure) in the app rather than the gun itself. Again, this might be overkill, but I was impressed all the same!
Verdict
The Kärcher K 7 Premium Smart Control Home high-pressure washer is an outstanding device that performs exceptionally in all categories. Its powerful motor, multi-jet wand, and T7 Patio Cleaner can handle almost anything without breaking a sweat. And the extra boost feature is a game-changer—something I’m yet to come across on competitor washers. The design is well-thought-out, with careful attention to manoeuvrability, but I personally thought the app was a bit too much. The only major downside is the high price point, but if you need a high-quality pressure washer that lasts for years, I think the investment is fair.
