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Which snow foam lances are best?

0 intro IMG 1734 AC
0 intro IMG 1734 AC

We’re testing the snow foam lances here, rather than the snow foam itself, so we used the same household brand solution in every foam gun, diluted as recommended according to the manufacturer, and with the guns’ adjustable mixture setting at maximum.

All were applied to a filthy but dry car using a mid-range Karcher pressure washer, and then left for 10 minutes before rinsing off. Our snow foam lances ranged in price from budget options to pricier equipment claimed to be preferred by expert detailers, and we rated the effectiveness of the foam coverage as well as the quality of the lance and bottle, and how easy it is to fit the gun to the pressure washer.

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Best buy:

Autoglym Polar Blaster

Fits: Karcher, Kew, Alto, Nilfisk, Nilfisk Pro, Kranzle and Lavor

The Autoglym bottle and nozzle feels reassuringly heavy duty, with brass fixings and a spring-loaded adaptor for the Karcher K Series pressure washers - though it also fits a wide variety of other pressure washers. The spring-release adaptor for the Karcher makes the Autoglym assembly a doddle to fit, and it’s also easy to fill thanks to the bottle’s wide neck and clear measurement lines. When attached, the snow foam gun rotates on that adaptor joint so that it stays level, which is a neat trick.

The bottle’s nozzle doesn’t do anything dramatically different to many others here, offering an adjustable spray ranging from a fan to a high pressure jet, but it foamed up the shampoo brilliantly for a really long-lasting foam. It didn’t go through as much snow foam solution as others here to achieve that, either, so should make the most of what can be expensive foam solution. It’s not cheap, but it’s really effective and the easiest to use of all our guns.

What Car? Says 5 stars


Runner up, and budget best buy:

Qooltek Adjustable foam cannon

Fits: Karcher K2 - K7 Series

The Qooltek foam canon does a great job at a good price. It can be a bit messy filling the bottle’s narrow neck, and it only fits Karcher pressure washers, which will rule it out for some. Even so, there are 100ml measurement increments marked to help get your mix right, the bottle and nozzle feels hard-wearing, and there’s even a 24 month warranty on the whole thing. The spray offers a standard fan- to jet adjustment, with a wider fan spray than most, and it leaves a really thick, satisfying duvet of foam.

What Car? Says 4 stars


BigBoi FoamRpro

Price £60.00

Buy from Theultimatefinish.co.uk

Fits: Karcher K, Karcher HD, Nilfisk, Kranzler, Lavor

The BigBoi is the most expensive gun here, but you can see why. There are five settings on the nozzle head - cone, jet, horizontal fan, vertical fan and downward. We found the downward spray really helped to get good coverage on the roof of a high vehicle, and it was really easy to use - plus, it fits just about every variety of pressure washer provided you choose the correct fitting type when you buy it. The foam it delivers is satisfyingly fluffy and lasting, too, but you need to be a real car-cleaning fanatic to warrant the cost of this for the marginal benefits it offers over usefully cheaper alternatives.

What Car? Says 4 stars