Years ago, the only real way to wash your car at home was with a garden hose, a hose nozzle, a bucket of soap, a wash mitt, and your hard work. But just like cars have changed over the years, so has the car care industry. Now, you can get yourself a pressure washer and a foam cannon, and do your best imitation of those professional detailers that charge hundreds of dollars to wash and detail your car.
A key component for blanketing your car with a thick layer of your favorite car wash soap is by using a foam cannon, preferably paired with a pressure washer. Fear not if you don’t have a pressure washer, we also have a recommendation for a foam cannon that works with your traditional garden hose. If you’re curious about buying a pressure washer, see our recommendations for the best pressure washers. Below, you’ll find our list of the best foam cannons, and while it may seem most of the products are the same, they’re not. Over the years I have used multiple foam cannons and have run into my fair share of those that break at the neck. It’s just as terrible as it sounds, with your solution of car wash soap spilling all over the ground and getting wasted.
That being said, we do have some more affordable recommendations because we understand some people are shopping on a budget. Those recommendations are the best quality foam cannons within a certain price range, and if you use them with care, you shouldn’t run into any issues.
1. Top pick: Chemical Guys Big Mouth Max Release foam cannon
If you’ve read any of my other posts recommending car care products, you’ve probably caught on that I’m a big fan of Chemical Guys. They’re not the only brand I use, but I find its products to be high quality, reliable, and very consistent in terms of performance. This is one of the few foam cannons I have sitting on the shelf in my garage, and I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend it to anyone, provided they have the budget for it. If you’re comparing the price of this foam cannon to our best budget pick, for example, you might be wondering if it’s worth the difference. I’d say that really depends on how often you wash your car. If it’s weekly, pay the extra money for a foam cannon like this one, which will last.
Chemical Guys’ Big Mouth Max Release foam cannon might be a mouthful, but in my experience with using it, it lives up to its claims of generating “tons of car wash suds.” It lays down a thick layer of foam, which helps prevent swirling and scratching while you wash your car. An easy adjustment knob lets you control how much foam output you have, while the quick release makes it easy to attach it to your pressure washer. I actually prefer the clear canister compared to other foam cannons that have a frosted white appearance, so you can see your actual car washing solution.
The company says the foam cannon needs as little as 800 PSI and 1.4 GPM to work, but it recommends a pressure washer that flows 2.0 GPM.
2. Runner-up: Adam’s Premium foam cannon
Another professional option comes from the car care experts at Adam’s Polishes. It’s another brand I often use in caring for my own vehicle and this was my go-to foam cannon before I replaced it with the Chemical Guys Big Mouth Max Release. There isn’t anything particularly wrong with this product and it is priced lower than my top pick. It features a dual adjustable spray fan, so you can choose between vertical or horizontal adjustments, and the wide fill canister helps prevent tips and spills. Quality is never an issue with any products from Adam’s, and its foam cannon is no different, featuring brass and stainless steel fittings.
Adam’s recommends a minimum pressure of 870 PSI and a minimum flow of 1.3 GPM for its foam cannon. Maximum figures come in at 3190 PSI and 5.3 GPM, although we doubt any of you will run into issues with maximum output. For added versatility, you can actually swap out the canister of this foam cannon with a 16-ounce bottle of your favorite car wash soap.
3. Best on a budget: Tool Daily foam cannon
Now for our recommendation for those shopping on a budget, or those who find it unnecessary to spend so much on a foam cannon. This product comes from Tool Daily and it’s your run-of-the-mill budget foam cannon with a one-liter capacity. It’s compatible with pressure washers from 1000 to 3000 PSI and like most of our other recommendations, it uses a 1/4-inch quick connect for easy attachment to your pressure washer gun or wand. It also has an adjustment knob so you can control the amount of foam it dispenses, while the nozzle adjusts the spray pattern. Tool Daily includes five different nozzle tips, each with a different angle (0, 15, 25, 40, 65 degrees) so you can choose the best one for your job.
Given its price, you might run into some issues with this foam cannon over time. I’d recommend it if your car washes are more on a monthly basis than a weekly basis. Just use care and support the bottle while you spray and it should last you.
4. Best for garden hoses: Chemical Guys Torq Foam Blaster 6 foam wash gun
We get that not everyone is able to use a pressure washer to clean their car. For those who have no choice but to use a garden hose but still want the benefits of a foam cannon, here’s another product from Chemical Guys. This is the Torq Foam Blaster 6, a foam wash gun that attaches to any garden hose. While it naturally won’t offer the same performance as a foam cannon attached to a pressure washer, this is still more ideal than using nothing at all.
The foam wash gun comes with a dual action hose nozzle, a 32-ounce bottle with an adjustable foam dial, and a foam nozzle. The quick connect fitting on the bottle attaches to the hose nozzle to help blanket your car in your favorite car wash solution. Again, you won’t be able to compare the performance of this to the other foam cannons on our list that rely on a pressure washer, but we do highly recommend grabbing yourself one of these if you’re using a traditional garden hose for washing your EV.
5. Honorable mention: DUSICHIN foam cannon
Our final recommendation is one of the most affordable foam cannons out there, so we recommend it with a bit of caution. The only reason why we are including it on our list of recommendations is for those shoppers who absolutely need something really inexpensive and are willing to take the gamble. It’s a pretty standard one-liter foam cannon that requires at least 1000 PSI and 1.2 GPM from your pressure washer. It has brass connectors and an adjustable spray nozzle, along with your standard 1/4-inch quick disconnect.
Now the reason why we say it’s a gamble is that if you get a good unit, then it’ll work just fine. If you get a faulty one however, then you’ll have to contact the company for a replacement. Like many of the more affordable products manufactured and distributed by an overseas company, quality control is hit or miss. But if you want something that’s even more affordable than our budget recommendation, this is the one I would get. It’s one of the better affordable foam cannons out there, just know that you might get a dud.
How do I use a foam cannon?
Foam cannons are relatively straightforward and easy-to-use products, especially when compared to other car care tools like an orbital buffer. Here, we’re assuming you’re using a foam cannon with a pressure washer and not the Torq 6 Foam Blaster we recommend on our list, as that one is pretty self-explanatory. First, you’ll want to fill the container with your favorite car wash soap, mixing it as specified by your soap’s recommendations. Now, before you spray the foam all over your car, rinse it off with the pressure washer first. This will help get all the loose dirt and grime off the surface, and the moisture will help soften the more stubborn particles. Then, make sure the top of the foam cannon is screwed on tightly and securely before connecting it to your pressure washer wand or gun. Once you have it safely attached, adjust the nozzles accordingly and proceed to blanket your car with a thick layer of foam. Let it sit for a little bit to loosen the dirt and grime before going at it with your wash mitt.
How do I care for my foam cannon?
You might think after washing your car that you can just toss your foam cannon back on your garage shelf until next time. We don’t recommend that however. Instead, you should pour out the remaining soap mixture and fill the foam cannon’s container with clean water. Once again, attach the foam cannon to your pressure washer and spray the water out. This helps ensure the nozzles are clean and no soap remains. Pour out any remaining water in the container and then you can safely put your foam cannon on the shelf until next time.
Why use a foam cannon?
We get it, you’ve been washing your car for decades with a hose, bucket filled with soap, and a wash mitt. Why do you need a pressure washer or a foam cannon? Not only does it make the car washing experience more enjoyable, it makes it a lot easier and quicker. Less effort and you get a cleaner car, who can argue against that? At the end of the day, using a foam cannon also makes washing your car safer, as the layer of foam makes for a real slick surface to get all that dirt and grime off the body of the car without the risk of accidental scratches or swirl marks.
