Kärcher WV Classic window vac review 2023

Price: RRP £46 | Buy now from Amazon

Overall rating: 5/5

Key specs

What we like

Affordable
Lightweight
Easy to store
Great for getting rid of water from flat surfaces

What we don’t like

Short run time
Can’t be used on laundry

Buy now from Amazon

What Mumsnet users say

“I also have a Karcher window vac. It's brilliant for clearing condensation and also for cleaning the windows.” Rated by Mumsnet user Clarice99

Our verdict

Condensation on windows can be the bane of life for many over the winter months. Except those smart enough to have bought a Kärcher Window Vac.

For those of you who aren’t familiar with the concept of a window vac, it’s a handheld device that does pretty much as the name suggests. Lightweight and easy-to-use, it sucks up water and condensation from windows, shower doors, mirrors and worktops - in fact, any flat surface in the home.

The Kärcher Window Vac WV 50 Plus was the very first battery-operated window vacuum. Although various other models have been launched since, the WV50 Plus is still on the market as the rebranded WV Classic, with exactly the same specifications as its predecessor, according to manufacturer Kärcher.

Reviewer Mel King has had many happy years of use out of her WV50 Plus, which is still going strong, proving that sometimes the original really is the best.

How easy is the Kärcher WV Classic window vac to set up?

The window vac is easy to set up. Plug the appliance in and let it charge up for 120 minutes. Once it’s up to full power, unplug it, clip the nozzle on the top and you are ready to tackle wet windows.

Granted the battery runtime is only 25 minutes, but as Mel can attest, for a quick, daily vacuum that should be all the juice you need.

“I charge it probably once a week, maybe even less frequently than that," she says.

What is the Kärcher WV Classic like to use day-to-day?

The Kärcher Window Vac is a quick and convenient way of tackling condensation.

Mel said: “In the mornings in the winter, because we're not double glazed, the water is running down our windows and it's obviously going to damage the paintwork. With this, I can vacuum all of it up. It’s brilliant and it doesn't take very long.”

Mel uses her Kärcher on 11 panes of glass every morning during the winter months. She says that not only does this save time (as well as her paintwork), it also means that she is not going through tea towels at a rate of knots. “I was getting through three or four tea towels each time, wiping the water up and then wringing them out,” she said. “I fill up the reservoir on the Kärcher twice while doing the windows. It's amazing actually how much water you get. "It saves me hours."

And the brilliance of the Kärcher Window Vac is that it doesn’t just work magic on condensated windows, but it can suck up excess water from any flat surface. “It’s also really good for the shower,” agreed Mel. “There is nothing I dislike about it. I love it.”

When you’re done vacuuming, the excess water can be poured straight down the sink, without you having to have any contact with the dirty water. And just like that, the window vac is ready for another round.

Does the Kärcher WV Classic window vac offer value for money?

Mel has been reaping the benefits from her window vac for several years, and says that the vac continues to perform as well now as it did when it was purchased, with no drop in suction. On the basis of this longevity alone, the Kärcher WV Classic offers great value for money, costing less than £50 at the time of writing (September 19th, 2023). It also comes with a spray bottle with microfibre wiping cloth as standard, to help you keep your windows in tip-top shape.

If you like the sound of the Kärcher WV Classic, but are looking for more (or fewer) accessories, then there is a complete universe of Kärcher Window Vacs to choose from, from the basic (but no less efficient) Kärcher WV 1 (£37 on Amazon at the time of writing) to the all-singing, all-dancing Kärcher WV 6 Plus extension set (£139 at the time of writing). In short, there really is a Kärcher Window Vac out there for everyone.

If you would like to find out more about the different types of Kärcher Window Vacs available, check out the indispensable Mumsnet guide to Kärcher Window Vacs.

How we tested

Reviewer Mel lives in a three-bedroom house in Sussex with her husband, two teenagers, three cats, three degus, two tortoises and a hamster called Winnie.

Mel has been using the Kärcher Window Vac for several years, on a daily basis throughout the winter months, to remove water from single-glazed windows. It is also frequently used on the shower and to vacuum up spillages from the kitchen worktop.

About the author

Laura Cooke is a Content Editor at Mumsnet, with a special focus on home care content.

Laura started writing Swears By articles for Mumsnet in 2021 and has recently taken over responsibility for laundry content. She writes buyers guides, cleaning articles and tests products, to help Mumsnetters make informed choices when it comes to parting with their pennies.

Laura is also a freelance journalist and has written articles for publications including the Daily Mirror, the i, Metro, Stylist and Happiful magazine.

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.