Best Portable Battery Powered and Hand Pump Pressure Washers

Table of Contents

  1. Different Types of Portable Pressure Washer
  2. What Can You Use Portable Power Washers For
  3. Portable Pressure Washer Pressure Comparison
  4. Amount of Water a Portable Power Washer Tank Can Hold
  5. Which is the Best Portable Power Washer
Streetwize SWPW Pressure Washer

With all of our muddy adventures, we needed a portable pressure washer with a tank that we could pump up the pressure ourselve’s or use a battery powered portable pressure washer to clean ourselve’s and our toys, car, outdoor equipment and other things like our dive and underwater photography gear. The last thing you want to do is leave salt or mud all over your beloved things. You will help them last longer and keep things cleaner for future use.

Another reason for looking in to these, is that we park our car in front of our house in a car park and we have no access to an outdoor tap, so a portable pressure washer is a tool we could use for many different jobs.

There are also eco positives with using a portable version of a pressure washer, they save water and use less electricity compared to their electric and plug-in options.Back to top

Different Types of Portable Pressure Washer

There are a couple of different types, compared to normal pressure washers which have a water line in and are powered by plugging in to a wall socket, the portable version can be pressurised manually by hand and also powered by a lithium battery. Both of them require that you fill their tank first, a couple of recommendations;

  • Fill them with warm/hot water so that when you are cleaning your bike, clothes, car or even yourself, you help get the grease off
  • Use a small amount of soap in your pressure washer tank so that helps degrease your dirty and muddy things
  • Carry a spare 5L bottle of clear tap water so you can rinse off any soap you use during the cleaning process

What Can You Use Portable Power Washers For

There are probably hundreds of applications for a portable power washer, we’ll go through some of the things we have tested and what we could use them for in our day to day life as well as other things that people could utilise the portability of a water power washer.

Surfing, Diving and Wearing Wetsuits

Returning from a dive, snorkel, kayaking or surfing, you’ll have salt all over you, one of the best things you can do to prolong the life of your wetsuit or drysuit is to rinse it off with fresh water, especially warm fresh water. Filling any of the portable options with warm water means that you can even use the hose on yourself after a dive and you won’t need to go for a shower straight away. Kill two birds with one stone and rinse your wesuit and other water gear off and yourself too before getting dressed.

Underwater Photography

We usually take action cameras, waterproof housings and our underwater camera setups when we go surfing or diving to capture the best moments and underwater sealife. It is imperative that you rinse off this type of photography gear as soon as you come in from the sea and rinse any salt water off of the equipment. Again, this will make sure that you are prolonging the life of your underwater housings and cameras and means they wont erode with all the salt water they’ll be covered in.

Mountain Biking and Cycling

If you have used your bike at a race event, on a downhill track at an uplift day or even out in the woods with friends, the chance of getting muddy is high, it’s to be expected here in the UK. Whether you keep your bike inside your car or on the back on a bike rack, you’ll want to remove some of that dirt and a portable power washer is perfect for this, they don’t take up much space and you can rinse your bike off and yourself before you head home after your day out on two wheels.

One of the best things about a portable option with bikes and cycling equipment is that you won’t brake anything, the power isn’t too much for it to break seals, get in to your cranks or bottom bracket and remove any vital grease from moving parts, this is an overlooked part of cleaning a bicycle and something the portable versions do well with.

Running, Hiking and Tough Events

Out for the day with your partner doing a fell or even taking on a tough mudder or similar event, a quick shower and wash down will definitely be needed for your gear or even yourself before you pack up and head home, another reason for a portable solution that keeps your gear and you clean and fresh for future adventures.

Cleaning Your Car and Outdoor Areas

This is a tough role for portable washers, none that we have reviewed have the power to wash and clean stubborn dirt, dried in dirt, cars and stone flooring or wood panels on their own, they just aren’t made for that. That is where they get their bad reviews online, people expecting small batteries to power smaller motors or a hand pump which creates water pressure to clean as hard and create as much pressure out the hose as the electric pressure washers do.

You can still use a portable power washer to aid you in cleaning your car, it can soak it, it can wash it down with soap and a soft brush and can even rinse it off, so they are capable, just in a different way. They also give you the option of cleaning your car away from your home, which is what we really liked when testing. Our car is 15m away from our front door in a car park and we have no access to an outdoor tap, so with a portable sprayer we can still get water and a hose (in a sense) to our car via a portable power washer and clean our car.

Washing Your Dog Outside

Another great reason we’re totally sold on these portable versions is that they are so versatile! A lot of the time when we walk our dog, he will return salty after being in the sea, will have ran around in muddy puddles or even rolled in fox poo. With one of these, we can rinse him, wash him and re-rinse before he has even got in the car. This is an absolute life saver for us, as it means he isn’t getting in to the car smelling of fox poo, he isn’t getting that on any of his bedding or towels and means our shower at home stays clean as we have washed him outdoors.

One of the first thing that you’ll want to know is, are portable pressure washers powerful enough? Well that question is different for everyone and the applications they wish to use them for, for everything we have tried, our answer is just about, but we’re not looking at cleaning stone work, removing weeds or anything industrial that needs pressures of more than 5000psi which you’ll find plug in and hose fed pressure washes will easily reach and more.

Portable Pressure Washer Pressure Comparison

The hand pump Rhays and Streetwize portable power washers have a pressure of around 40-50psi out of the nozzle and the Aqua2go has 80-120psi and the Karcher comes in 2nd with about 75psi output.

The most powerful out of the 4 reviews is the Aqua2go, which also has a variable power output which we liked. The karcher has more power than the 2 manual hand pump options which is nice but not as much as the Aqua2go. Don’t expect any more than 50psi out of a hand pump model, no matter what brand you choose, they all use the same technology and the materials used can only handle so much.

Amount of Water a Portable Power Washer Tank Can Hold

Every portable power washer comes with a tank, they range from 4L through to 17L, the Karcher has the smallest tank of the four with 4litre capacity. Second is the Streetwize at 8L tank capacity and the Rhays and Aqua2go both have a 16 and 17L water reservoir tank for extra long cleaning jobs.

Which is the Best Portable Power Washer

Out of the four, we are super excited about the Aqua2Go, it’s easily the most versatile, has the best pressure output at 120psi and can hold the most amount of water. You can even find other accessories for it on Amazon UK and elsewhere so you can take it camping and use as a portable electric shower on camping trips and can be used for pretty much anything, as long as you’re ready to get your hands dirty. Thats the thing wit the portable options, you can’t just spray and everything will be perfect, you also have to get your hands dirty to clean any really thick or bad parts/sections of gear, but the likes of the Aqua2go certainly will help you with that and will be more than a positive impact when it comes to keeping many outdoor items you own clean and fresh ready to use again.

We’re going to put all the others on the same level, the Karcher, being electric but more expensive, does offer more power than the 2 hand pump versions, but it holds less water than both as well. If you want a named brand we would reccomend it highly for smaller tasks.

If you want something you can chuck in your boot with few moving parts, less parts to break and dont mind hand pumping every few minutes, the Streetwize and the Rhays will both be adequate for minor tasks. Coming back from a day out on the trails, with both of these they will get 95%+ of the dirt and grime off of my Trek mountain bike and ready to put inside my car and drive home without ruining the cars interior. It will take longer to clean certain things with these two as they have less power, but they help you soak things, clean muck off when needed with the brush accessory and will rinse items well too.

We have factored in the price, what accessories they come with and how powerful they are in our decisions as well as checking out online reviews from other people elsewhere online.


Review of Aqua2go Pro Portable Pressure Washer

This is a review of the Aqua2go Pro Portable Pressure Washer

Aqua2go Pro Portable Cleaner Pressure Washer

The Aqua2go pressure washer on first glance looks fun and a piece of kit that has been practically designed to do its job. It comes provided with a 6m length hose, a shower head and brush with soap reservoir. It also has the option to plug it in if you so desire, so you can run it from your cars 12v cigarette lighter if the battery is low.

Weighing in at 7kg it is not the heaviest nor the lightest pressure washer available however it is easy to move with its four wheels at its base and the option of a trolley handle or a canvas shoulder strap to carry it around, meaning its a viable portable option for your cleaning duties. It does sit fairly inconspiciously in the boot with only its bright green colour to draw the eye, they also have bright orange options too.

We have used this in the garden as well as from our car as we do not have an outside water tap outlet. As it can hold 17-20 litres (depending on which of the two sizes you choose) it provides a good amount of cleaning or watering, giving about 12 minutes (17 litre tank) or 30 minutes (20 litre tank) of use.  

Providing 3-8 bar in water pressure it doesn’t provide a great deal of power , however this is perfect for small cleaning jobs that you’ll need to do when being an outdoor lover as well as being a “keeping your car clean” lover. Muddy boots, bikes, coats, wetsuits, water gear and more can all be cleaned using this device at home or out in nature. The pressure is also gentle enough to clean muddy paws! Especially if you have a spaniel who loves muddy puddles, this is a very good purchase if you have multiple things to keep clean and make last longer.

Again, like the others, you could use this on your car but really that is where you need a higher pressure wash ability. Unless you are happy with rinsing, washing by hand and using it to re-rinse then this isn’t for dirtier applications and environments. Just like with cleaning walls, stone floors and removing weeds, this just doesn’t have the punch it needs to do those type of pressure washer jobs.

The Aqua2 go pressure washer also provides you with a portable battery back which can be USB charged and also charge other devices such as phones, tablets. The battery itself also has a torch/flashlight option. Therefore with these extra features makes it a worthy car travel companion. Something which we didn’t expect with this purchase was this extra feature, it sure has come in to its own, everything gets cleaned after a day out whilst on the road and dirty gear doesn’t have to travel in the car any more. Incase of emergencies as well, even with a little bit of power left in the battery after you have used it you can charge extra devices in your car, battery powered head torches and more.

One of my main critiques with the Aqua2go model is that is not the most robust package, some of the connection points can being a little loose and have the potential to leak if you are not careful with it. You can however purchase spares and new parts online on Amazon UK so not all is lost.

It also has the option to run as a cordless power washer shower system, which is perfect for your camping trips or if you yourself need a rinse down after being in the sea or getting dirty whilst out on a trail run or cycle, this really is a well thought out package, if you can deal with the lack of pressure (120psi is max) then you’re on to a winner.

Pros

  • Portable
  • Fun stylish design
  • Trolley handle and wheels for easy moving
  • Canvas shoulder strap for easy carrying
  • No power or water connection needed
  • Adjustable spray
  • Comes with showerhead, brush with soap resevoir 
  • 6M water hose
  • Has separate mutifunctional power outlet
  • Can be USB charged
  • Battery can also be used as a torch/flashlight 
  • The 20 litre version can work for 30 minutes of continuous use
  • Can be plugged in to 12v car cigarette lighter to run from the cars battery

Cons

  • Heavier than other portable pressure washers available 
  • Quite expensive
  • Care is required with the hose and also in cold weather
  • The connectors are not the most robust

Verdict

The Aqua2go Pressure Washer is a bright green multi-purpose car companion device, it is the most expensive pressure washer we have tried, providing a large amount of water for pressure washing as well providing a phone charging back up and torch light for breakdown emergencies. It provides more pressure than the hand pump manual versions and has a bigger tank. We love this item and only time will tell with how long it will last, hopefully for years to come.

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Review of Streetwize SWPW Portable Pressure Washer

This is a review of the Streetwize Portable Pressure Washer

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The Streetwize SWPW Portable Pressure Washer is very lightweight at 1.6kg and at a very small cost its silly not to have one of these for your car if you find you, your dog or you gear gets regularly dirty or muddy. 

In all honesty it doesn’t really live up to the “power” pressure washer of its name, but instead providing a portable option to wash muddy boots, rinse of your tent or coat. If you use the large brush attachment provided this will be able to help get off stubborn mud or dirt that would otherwise require better water pressure. 

There is also the benefit of a trigger lock to save your finger from holding the trigger down. You can tighten or loosen the end of the nozzle to control the amount that comes out. 

To open the tank you will need to first unlock by clicking it unlocked and then twisting it anti-clockwise. You will be able to fill it with 8 litres of water. Once you put the handle back on and lock it. You’ll be required to pump the handle about 25 times to provide it with the pressure needed for the water to come out. It isn’t the largest amount of water so this really is for small muddy jobs and for light tasks.

Expect this portable power washer to moisten up very dirty sections of bicycle or car, you can then wash it with the brush attachment and then rinse off afterwards. Unlike with a plug-in and hose fed pressure washer, which will clean up a car or bike in no time with just water pressure alone.

Pros

  • Very cheap
  • Very lightweight
  • Easy to use
  • Easy to transport and carry

Cons

  • Very little water pressure
  • Manual pump
  • Small size water tank

Verdict

This isn’t really a “power” pressure washer even with the manual pumping involved but it provides good ability rinsing at a cheap and cheerful price. If you are after a portable option that will rinse wetsuits, dirty clothing and get most of the mud and grime off of a bicycle after riding in muddy conditions then this will suit you and your tasks perfectly without breaking the bank. If you want a powerful pressure washer that will also clean your flooring, remove weeds, clean a dirty car through pressure alone, then this is not for you.

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Review of Karcher OC3 Pressure Washer

This is a review of the Karcher OC3 Portable Battery Powered Pressure Washer

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Looking like a small cute robot you may find on Star Wars the Karcher OC3 Pressure Washer comes in a neat little package. With a small 4 little water tank it makes it very convenient for any outdoor enthusiast to quickly fill up with water and pop in the car awaiting a potential muddy return from your adventures.

It is all very very light even with a full tank of water inside. It takes very little space when transporting in your car boot, there is a very convenient hard plastic handle to the top of the washer which you can use to lift and move it. You’ll then notice you have two handles there one on top of the other. You have a handle on just the water tank which is the grey part to the top and then the larger handle attaches to the pressure washer. Once you lift the water tank off , underneath you will find a storage space that is sat on top of the pressure washer itself. This holds the nozzle and hosing, it is all nicely concealed and means essential parts aren’t going to go missing. There is also a much larger storage box (that can be bought separately) which fits underneath the pressure washer that contains further accessories such as a brush, cloth and charging adaptor for mains use. 

The pressure of the water is 5 bar (75psi) which is rated as a low pressure. This is safe for use against skin, so if you are partaking in any challenges such as the tough mudder it can be used as a portable shower as well, this is one of the advantages of lower pressures, you aren’t going to hurt yourself when using it. At this pressure level it is also safe to use to help clean up furry friends who like to are quite partial to rolling in anything dirty and muddy puddles when out on walks.

On full battery you have 15 mins of use from your Karcher OC3 Pressure Washer. To use fill up your tank, press the on button on the front, lift out the nozzle and hose and place the tank back down making sure the hose fits through the little gap in the plastic and away you go. Bear in mind the pressure is quite low, you will still be able to clean many items with the Karcher OC3 Pressure Washer even your bike. Now with 15 minutes available and this is on full power I would say you have plenty of time to give the dirtiest or muddiest mountain bike a good clean, you may have to pull of tough bits of mud yourself due to the pressure level unless you purchase the accessory box also which means you can use the brush to scrub along stubborn sections with it. The brush to the end nozzle also works well on fabrics such as when cleaning your boots or even a tent if you enjoy camping in all weathers. 

Pros

  • Easy to use
  • Lightweight
  • Easy to carry with handle
  • Can be charged from the car
  • Portable, ideal for cleaning small items
  • Comes with 3 year warranty

Cons

  • Pricey
  • No next day delivery
  • small tank for bigger jobs
  • Requires in car charger
  • Useful accessories are available but are purchased seperately. 

Verdict

The Karcher OC3 Pressure Washer is a great compact device that is portable and can be used on most muddy adventures. If you don’t require a lot of water pressure and are happy to pay a little more for a good quality purchase this is the pressure washer is what you are after. 

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Kärcher OC3 Portable Cleaner

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Last update was on: October 30, 2024 1:13 am
£129.99 £139.99

Review of Eco Portable Pressure Washer/Garden Sprayer

This is a review of the Rhyas Eco Portable Pressure Washer

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This hand pump washer/paryer is slim and lightweight, it is very simple in design and has an easy grip handle to the the top and a hose. Do not expect to get a huge amount of water out as each nozzle is quite narrow as well with only providing a maximum of 3 bar water pressure, a gentle tickle on the skin is what your going to get. This however is all that is really needed to clean a lot of small items that may get dirty when doing outdoor activities. Another positive of this is that you can rinse off yourself and most of your gear without worrying about hurting or breaking your skin and equipment as some of the plug in power washers can be very powerful and dangerous.

To fill the tank you will need to unscrew the handle, you will be able to fill it to 8 litres of water. With the tank providing 8 litres of water combined with relatively low pressure means it does last a good while making it quite eco friendly. There is no battery power to this portable washer, you just need to pump the water with the green handle which requires a little more manual labour than battery powered options and then its just a case of pressing and holding the trigger. 

The Portable Pressure Washer can be stowed away easily in the boot or if empty in the foot well of the passenger seats. There is also a shoulder strap to carry it quickly meaning you can walk around your car or bike and rinse it off easily, it is a real portable solution to cleaning muddy gear.

Pros

  • Portable
  • Lightweight
  • Cheap

Cons

  • Small nozzle size
  • Very little water pressure
  • Manual pump not battery powered

Verdict

This is a very simple portable car pressure washer, cheap to buy and eco friendly to use as it will use less water than the plug in type. If you are after something that saves on water because of its lower pressure then this is for you. It will be more than adequate for rinsing gear down, and getting mud off things. If you want to also wash your car or large object, you may need a big hand sponge with its own soap supply as the pressure in this device is not strong enough to remove the thickest or dirtiest of cars.

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