The popularity of using a snow foam lance to wash your car has exploded in the last few years due to its benefits and also for the great photo opportunities. The foam clings to the paintwork to loosen the dirt and grime and after a specified dwell period, it can then be rinsed away with water ready for the next stage of cleaning your car.
If you require a quick answer, after testing multiple lances (as shown in the image above), we found that the best snow foam lance is the Pro-Kleen SnowPro and it’s suitable for the vast majority of pressure washers. However, if you are willing to invest slightly more, the Autoglym Polar Blaster is the best alternative that’s built to the highest of standards.
In terms of rating the snow foam lances, as well as testing multiple, we also based our recommendations upon their build quality, value, warranty, compatibility, bottle size and the adjustability of the thickness and spray pattern.
Table of Contents
Snow Foam Comparison
| Snow Foam Lance | Construction | Bottle Size |
|---|---|---|
| Pro-Kleen SnowPro | Solid Brass & Plastic | 1.0 Litre |
| Autoglym Polar Blaster | Solid Brass & Plastic | 1.0 Litre |
| Autobrite Magifoam | Solid Brass & Plastic | 1.0 Litre |
| Detailers United | Solid Brass & Plastic | 1.0 Litre |
| Karcher FJ6 Foamer | All Plastic | 0.6 Litre |
| Nilfisk Super Sprayer | All Plastic | 0.5 Litre |
Snow foam is a unique formula that’s best used as a “pre-cleaning” solution. Once sprayed onto the car, you simply wait for the soap to get to work and then rinse it off. It really is that easy and it helps to prevent the risk of causing damage.
It’s important to note that in order to begin using a snow foam lance, you will need a suitable pressure washer and soap that’s designed for the lance. The majority of brands offer a lance attachment that’s compatible with all of the popular pressure washers in the UK but it’s crucial that you choose the correct compatible lance.
Below is a list of the best snow foam lances that are suitable for a range of pressure washers and can be easily adjusted to produce ultra thick foam.
The Best Snow Foam Lance
1. Pro-Kleen SnowPro Foam Lance
The Pro-Kleen snow foam package includes both a lance and soap solution to produces thick foam. The attachment is designed to be used with all Karcher K series models but the brand also produce alternatives for other pressure washers. In terms of the build quality, it uses a solid brass manifold with a strong plastic nozzle for maximum durability.
Other features of the Pro-Kleen SnowPro include:
- Compatible with K2, K3, K4, K5, K6 and K7 models
- Adjustable spray nozzle to adjust the spray
- Maximum pressure of 160 bar
- 1 litre bottle for the soap mixture
- Maximum temperature of 60 degrees
Overall, the Pro-Kleen SnowPro is the best snow foam lance for the Karcher K series pressure washers. Although Karcher offer their own lance (as shown below), it simply doesn’t have the superior build quality of this snow foam lance. Therefore for the small amount extra, the SnowPro by Pro-Kleen is a worthwhile investment that you won’t regret.
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2. Autoglym Polar Blaster Lance Kit
The Autoglym Polar Blaster is designed to accompany the brand’s popular snow foam soap to produce ultra thick and dense foam. It’s a fully adjustable lance that allows you to control both the spray pattern and thickness to best suit your requirements. It also features an intuitive “Click and Go” quick release mechanism for interchanging between other pressure washer attachments, which is a great added bonus.
Other features of the Autoglym Polar Blaster Kit include:
- Karcher K Series compatible
- Solid brass manifold
- Durable plastic reservoir bottle
- Intuitive quick release mechanism
- Thickness and pattern easily adjusts
- Made in the UK
Although more expensive than the Pro-Kleen alternative above, the Polar Blaster is built to the highest of standards and is also backed by the reputable Autoglym brand for complete peace of mind.
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3. AutoBrite Snow Foam Lance
Autobrite produce a range of lances with specific connectors for the vast majority of pressure washers. This lance in particular is designed for Nilfisk machines and it’s constructed of a solid brass manifold with a plastic nozzle.
Other features of the AutoBrite Nilfisk Snow Foam Lance include:
- Maximum pressure of 200 bar
- Variable spray nozzle
- Includes a 500 ml Magifoam soap
- Heavy duty 1 litre bottle
- Compatible with multiple Nilfisk models
To conclude, the AutoBrite snow foam lance is very similar to the Pro-Kleen SnowPro above but simply features a different connector. If you own a Nilfisk pressure washer, the AutoBrite lance is the best option and it won’t disappoint.
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4. Detailers United Snow Foam Cannon
Another popular snow foam lance is by the Detailers United brand. It follows the same solid construction of both the Pro-Kleen and Autobrite alternatives but the brand also provide a 12 month warranty. This is a clear indication of how confident they are that their snow foam lance will be long lasting and withstand years of use.
Other features of the Detailers United Lance include:
- Compatible with Karcher pressure washers
- Variable spray nozzle
- Maximum pressure of 200 bar
- 2 piece solid brass construction
- Adjustable chemical dial
Overall, the Detailers United snow foam lance is an excellent all-rounder that offers great value for money. Unlike many of the alternatives, it has a long warranty (12 months), which provides you with complete peace of mind because some lances are known for breaking easily.
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5. Karcher Snow Foam Lance
Karcher themselves also produce a dedicated snow foam lance for all their pressure washers and it’s suitable for the complete range such as the K2 to the K7 models. Due to the big brand backing the lance, it’s one of the most popular lances in the UK but this is mainly due to its low price tag.
Features of the Karcher HJ6 Foam Jet include:
- 0.6 litre transparent bottle
- Adjustable detergent dosage
- Variable spray nozzle
- Direct fit to Karcher pressure washers
- All plastic construction
Although this is the official Karcher snow foam lance, it isn’t necessarily the best option. This is due to the smaller bottle and lack of brass or stainless steel components which may become inconvenient and easily break. However, it’s one of the cheapest available, which is quite surprising considering that it’s a Karcher product.
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6. Nilfisk Super Foam Sprayer
Nilfisk also produce their own snow foam lance like the Karcher above but unfortunately it has the same drawbacks. Without the stainless steel or brass components, you will have to be careful whilst using it to avoid any early damage.
The Nilfisk lance also has the smallest bottle size at 0.5 litres and this can become frustrating as you may be refilling it regularly. However, on the plus side, it’s the cheapest lance within this article and its produced by a reputable brand.
Other features of the Nilfisk Super Foam Sprayer include:
- Adjustable dosing
- Easy access to the filter
- Works with the majority of Nilfisk pressure washers
- Lightweight due to the smaller bottle
- Produces dense foam
To conclude, it’s a cheap snow foam lance that’s perfect for those that want to experience snow foam without spending too much. Although the bottle size is quite small at just 0.5 litres, the brand claim that it uses 30% less detergent than their previous foam sprayer.
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How We Rated The Lances
Snow foam lances are available in a variety of shapes and sizes but we’ve managed to narrow down our recommendations to the above options. Our recommendations come from testing and researching a variety of lances as well as rating them on their build quality, value, warranty, compatibility, bottle size and adjustability (spray pattern and foam thickness). Below is a video we posted on our Instagram page of us testing a snow foam lance by Karcher.
Snow Foam Lance Buying Guide
The use of a snow foam lance to produce thick foam has become very popular over the last few years. The main benefit is that it makes it safer to wash your car because it reduces the chances of swirl marks and other light surface scratches. It’s also great fun to spray onto your car and take great photos as its clinging onto any dirt too.
In order to begin using a lance, you’ll require a compatible pressure washer. Although there are some alternatives that can be used with a garden hose, we would recommend avoiding them. This is because they simply don’t provide enough pressure to produce the desirable thick foam, which makes it pretty much pointless.
To help you make an informed buying decision, we have produced the below guide regarding snow foam lances.
Compatibility
One of the most important factors to consider before purchasing a lance is whether or not it’s compatible with your pressure washer. There are unique connectors that brands use for adding specific attachments to their machines.
It’s important to note that all snow foam lance manufacturers will state the brand of pressure washer that it is compatible with. Some manufacturers even offer a lance for all the of main brands of pressure washers such as Karcher, Nilfisk, Bosch and a few others.
How To Use A Snow Foam Lance
Once you have found a suitable snow foam lance, you will want to begin using it straightaway. To help you use the lance correctly, follow the 7 steps below.
- Park the car in a shaded area (if its sunny).
- Use the pressure washer to remove tough dirt beforehand.
- Fill the bottle with the specified amount of soap and the rest with hot water.
- Connect the lance to your pressure washer.
- Adjust the air intake and nozzle to the amount of foam you require.
- Spray an even layer of foam over the car (start from the top to the bottom).
- Allow the soap to dwell for at least 5 minutes.
- Rinse the foam from the car with water.
Whilst you are spraying your car with foam, it’s important that you don’t let it dry on the car. The soap mixture that you are using should state a specific dwell time on the bottle and its advised to stay as close to the dwell time as possible.
After you have finished using the lance, it’s recommended that you empty the bottle with clean water and clear the nozzle. This helps keep the filter clean of any excess foam left inside of the bottle.
Build Quality
Snow foam lances are known for breaking easily and manufacturers have since improved the design. Improvements include brass and stainless steel components as well as hardened plastic bottles to hold the mixture.
Damage often occurs at the top of the opening in the form of cracking due to the pressure going through the bottle. Plastic threaded bottles may also cause problems because they can also strip through, which makes them unusable.
Whilst testing some of the snow foam lances, we were impressed by the quality of the Autoglym Polar Blaster. As shown in the image below, it’s built the highest of standards and offers plenty of adjustments.
Producing Thicker Foam
All of the above recommendations have the ability to adjust the thickness of the foam. This is made possible by altering the water and air intake, which allows you to set the thickness to your personal preference.
To create thicker snow foam, you will need to reduce the amount of water going into the lance and increase the air intake. Although this will use more of the mixture, it has the result of creating much thicker snow foam.
Adjusting The Spray Pattern
Another desirable feature of the latest snow foam lances is the ability to adjust the nozzle of the lance to spray wide or narrow foam. The benefit of this is that it allows you to spray large vehicles (vans or lorries) far quicker with a wide spray but also target precise areas around the car with a narrow spray pattern.
Conclusion
Adding a snow foam lance to your car washing equipment is a great investment. Not only are they great fun to use but they also improve the safety of your car cleaning because it reduces the risk of swirl marks.
All of our recommendations listed above are suitable for a range of budgets and work with the majority of pressure washers. However, to avoid disappointment, we advise that you stay clear of the budget lances on the market. Many of the cheap examples use plastic components that simply shatter under pressure. The best snow foam lances are those that use stainless steel or brass components for maximum durability.
