Tower Cordless Window Cleaner review: our verdict on the budget condensation buster

Price on writing: £45 | Buy now from Amazon

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How we tested

Mumsnet editor Poppy tested the Tower Cordless Window Cleaner in her home over the course of January and February 2024. With multiple single-glazed windows in her house, she tested the window vac on damp windows, as well as for cleaning tiles and a shower screen. She took detailed notes on quality, effectiveness and ease of use.

Our verdict

If winter weather turns your windowpanes into puddles, Mumsnetters swear by investing in the best window vac you can find. These clever gadgets are part shower squeegee, part dehumidifier and they swiftly suck all the condensation from your windows, storing it safely in their water tank to be emptied into the sink.

I was initially sceptical about the window vac. Having never used one before, I wondered how much more effective it would be than simply wiping windows with a piece of kitchen towel, as I had done in the past. However, after one use the value of a window vac was clear to me. By sucking water into a tank (rather than just pushing it down the pane onto your window frame), it dealt with the water much more quickly and effectively. If you have multiple windows to deal with each day, it definitely saves time.

The Tower Cordless Window Cleaner has a generous 150ml water tank, so you won't need to worry about emptying it after every use. The vac itself is also quite large, so you might need to manoeuvre around handles to get to all the condensation. I have some sticky-out handles and the window vac fit comfortably under them, although I had to hold it at a slightly awkward angle.

Contrary to popular belief, window vacs aren't a one-trick pony, and the Tower Cordless Window Cleaner is also useful for cleaning windows, tiles, oven doors, kitchen worktops - pretty much any shiny surface. Just spritz some glass cleaner onto the surface and draw the window vac over for a clean, streak-free finish.

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How easy is the Tower Cordless Window Cleaner to set up?

Arriving with very minimal assembly required, the Tower Cordless Window Cleaner is quick and easy to put together. With a 3-hour charge time, I did have a to wait a while before I could set to work on my windows with it.

It's worth noting that the Tower Cordless Window Cleaner comes with a mains charger included, but it isn't a USB cable so you'll need to keep this safe - it won't fit the usual USB-C, Micro USB or Lightning charger cables you might use with your smartphone.

Once the window vac was fully charged, it took just a few swipes to get the hang of. Start at the top of your window and draw the window vac downwards for best effects, or sideways for awkward spots. I have fluted glass on on back door, which took a little more attention and pressure to get all the moisture from between the grooves.

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What is the Tower Cordless Window Cleaner like to use day-to-day?

Having recently moved to a home with mostly single glazing and wooden window frames, the Tower Cordless Window Cleaner has been a real godsend. Waking up to soggy windows is never nice, so I've been glad to have a quick and simple solution to hand during the colder months.

It's also been great to be able to hoover up condensation caused by cooking on days when opening a window is just a bridge too far. Plus, it's cut the time it takes to clean the shower screen and tiles in half.

It remains to be seen how much I'll use it as the weather gets warmer and the central heating goes off, but it's compact and easy to store so I won't mind putting it in a cupboard until autumn.

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Does the Tower Cordless Window Cleaner offer good value for money?

At £45, the Tower Cordless Window Cleaner sits in about the middle of the price range for window vacs. It's similar in both price and design to Mumsnetters' top choice, the Karcher Window Vac, but if the bright yellow of the Karcher doesn't appeal, the Tower provides a similar service in more muted tones, plus it has a larger water tank.

All in all, I'd recommend the Tower Cordless Window Cleaner to condensation-blighted friends, and think it's good value for money.

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About the author

Poppy O'Neill is a Content Editor at Mumsnet and a mother of two. She's been researching and reviewing baby and child products for 2 years, with a particular focus on baby essentials, toys and books for toddlers and outdoor play equipment. From potties to paddling pools and bunk beds to bedtime stories, she loves to deep-dive into research and find the best products out there.

Poppy is also an award-winning, best-selling children's and parenting author of books such as Don't Worry, Be Happy, The Extraordinary Book That Makes You Feel Happy and Mother Power. She specialises in children's mental health and her books are used by therapists, teachers and SENCOs across the UK. She won a The Week Junior Book Award in 2023, her books have been translated into several languages and she's been featured in The Guardian, The Sunday Times and The Sun.

After earning a BA in Creative Writing from the University of Leeds and a PGCert in Fashion and Lifestyle Journalism from University of the Arts London, she worked in fashion for most of her 20s. When her children were young, she undertook an MA in Creative Writing from the University of Chichester and re-trained as an author and freelance writer.

About Mumsnet reviews

All Mumsnet product reviews are written by real parents after weeks of research and testing. We work hard to provide honest and independent advice you can trust. Sometimes, we earn revenue through affiliate (click-to-buy) links in our articles. However, we never allow this to influence our coverage.