One-minute review
The Karcher Window Vac WV 6 Premium is the brand's most advanced window vacuum cleaner. It boasts some impressive technology that promises to deliver a streak-free shine to windows, mirrors, tiles, shower screens and more.
As with the best vacuum cleaners and best cordless vacuums, I put the Karcher Window Vac through its paces in several ways. The set up, usability and battery runtime was all tested, along with how well the handheld appliance actually cleaned.
I've been using the Karcher Window Vac WV 6 Premium in my home for three weeks. It has cleaned windows, bathroom tiles and a shower screen – all with mixed results. I found that the window vac achieved better results on areas that were cleaned regularly, with battery life that has just kept going (the vac still hasn't been recharged) and a dirty waste bucket that has seldom required emptying.
Also included in the box is a quick charger, premium spray bottle with microfibre wiping cloth, window cleaner concentrate ( 1 x 20ml), microfibre wiping cloth outdoor, plus interchangeable suction nozzle and dirt scraper – which is more than you really need, in my opinion. The instructions aren't particularly clear, so you'll be on your own when it comes to setting up the appliance – although there are only so many things that slot / fit together.
You'll need to use the spray bottle for misting the window cleaner concentrate onto surfaces, and while the window vac performs well for cleaning less stubborn messes, I wouldn't say it's one for tackling areas where dirt and limescale may have built up.
Read on to discover how we got on using the Karcher Window Vac WV 6 Premium for cleaning my windows, bathroom tiles and shower screen.
Karcher Window Vac WV 6 Premium review: price and availability
- List price: $149.99 / £124.99 / AU$ 230.40
- Exclusive to the Karcher website
- Not available in Australia
The Karcher Window Vac WV 6 Premium is only available to buy direct from Karcher.com/US and Karcher.com/UK, but not Karcher.com/AU. Instead, the Australian site lists the WV 6 Window Vac and WV 6 Window Vac bundle.
Resellers such as Amazon US and Amazon UK stock various models of Karcher Window Vac, just not the WV 6 Premium.
The Karcher Window Vac WV 6 Premium was launched on the Karcher US site in 2022 as an exclusive. Also available in the US are the VW 1 Plus and WV 6 Plus, which come with either a lower spec or fewer accessories. The UK site has slightly more choice, with models including the WV 2 Plus, WV 5 Plus N and WV 6 Plus N.
The Karcher Window Vac WV 6 Premium is the most expensive out of the brand's window vac range with a list price of $149.99 / £124.99 / AU$ 230.40.
Value: 4/5
Karcher Window Vac WV 6 Premium review: specifications
Karcher Window Vac WV 6 Premium review: design
- Cordless handheld unit
- Removable blade
- Separate spray bottle
The Karcher Window Vac WV 6 Premium is a cordless, handheld vacuum designed to remove drips and streaks from smooth surfaces. It weighs 0.8kg and measures 126 x 280 x 310mm (l x w x h), which makes it relatively easy and comfortable to use.
It comes with two interchangeable squeegee heads, which can be detached from the suction nozzle for cleaning after use. These heads measure in at 18cm and 28cm. Both feature the new lip technology to allow for upper-edge cleaning to the ground without interruption, to achieve a streak-free finish.
The water tank, which holds 150ml of dirty water, is also easily removed for emptying. Since dirty water takes some time to accumulate, you won't have the hassle of frequent emptying.
You use a separate spray bottle with window cleaner concentrate to help lift the dirt from the surface. While not exactly groundbreaking, a microfibre cleaning cloth head can be attached just above the spray nozzle to wipe over the spray when triggered. Ensure that the trigger is securely fixed to the bottle to avoid any leaks.
The battery is integrated into the window vac, so you'll need to plug in the entire appliance for charging. The LED display proved useful as an indicator of how much charge, minute-by-minute, the Karcher Window Vac had accumulated, and also consumed when in use.
Design: 3.5/5
Karcher Window Vac WV 6 Premium review: performance
- Easy to set up
- Easy to use
- Best results on a clean-ish surface
I had high hopes for the Karcher Window Vac WV 6's cleaning performance. I live in an old house with high ceilings and, therefore, have numerous tall windows to clean.
And not only is this Karcher designed for cleaning windows, it can also bring back the sparkle to mirrors, tiles and shower screens.
Before I could start cleaning I needed to set up the window vac. Since I hadn't used such an appliance before, I was relying on the instructions included in the box. These were terribly poor, comprising a set of linear drawings – as opposed to step-by-step written instructions – to provide some clue as to what to do with the appliance. I interpreted the double-sided A3 sheet of instructions as best I could, and did get the Karcher Window Vac working – but the process could have been easier.
The battery arrives with just six minutes of power, so I first needed to set the appliance to charge. This took no longer than a few hours, and I could watch the battery indicator count up, minute-by-minute. Once it reached 100 minutes, we were ready to clean up to 300m² on one single charge.
Having added the cleaning concentrate to the spray bottle with 150ml of water, my first cleaning job with the Karcher Window Vac WV 6 Premium was the three- window bay in my front room.
Although this is a relatively new window (only around six months old), it hadn't been been cleaned since fitting, and so was in a pretty grubby state. The largest, middle pane was in the worst state with dust, finger prints and sticky hand prints marked on it.
I sprayed a generous amount of the cleaning solution over the window, then working the Karcher window vac vertically down the pane. I started with the smaller squeegee head, but later switched to the larger one to cover more surface area at once.
Whilst liquid did get sucked into the waste water tank, it also flooded over the sides of the window pane – despite the new lip technology. This is supposed to ensure a streak-free finish up to the edge. It also quickly became apparent that the windows were dirtier than I had first thought, because the squeegee started smearing the now more concentrated dirt over the other window panels I was attempting to clean. I removed the dirt by wiping the blade with a paper towel.
Next, I tried the Karcher Window Vac WV 6 Premium out on the tiles in our bathroom. These tiles cover a large part of the wall behind the bath / shower. I live in an area of hard water, which causes limescale to build up quickly if not cleaned regularly. Admittedly, I hadn't cleaned the tiles for some time, so the Karcher had work to do.
I have to say I was impressed by the results. Surprisingly, I didn't have to repeatably go over the area with the spray bottle, and the squeegee blade wiped away all of the diluted concentrated cleaning liquid to reveal a shiny surface – with no water marks to be seen.
Spurred on by the success on my bathroom tiles, I turned my attention to the shower screen – which was in a pretty dire state. Although we have a squeegee sitting on the tiles for use after each shower, we seldom use it – which results in a buildup of limescale on the shower screen.
I sprayed the cleaning solution on the harder-to-reach areas of the shower screen first, then turned on the window vac. I moved in a vertical direction and could see the buildup (almost) vanish. This was a great result.
Tougher areas of the screen, where there was a buildup of limescale, took a bit more effort. I repeated the application of spray, several times, on more stubborn areas and glided over it with the window vac – also several times. It did lift limescale to a level that I was satisfied with, but it didn't remove it completely.
The Karcher Window Vac WV 6 Premium comes with just one setting, which is off / on. It has a constant speed and therefore constant noise level of 73dB; the equivalent to being inside a car.
I'd recommend cleaning the blades after each use, or when you see a buildup of dirt on the blade during a clean; I used a paper towel, but you could also give the blade a quick rinse under clean running water.
The dirty water tank holds up to 150ml of dirty water, which means it will take some time to fill; you simply unclip it to empty. A quick rinse under running water will ensure your Karcher system remains clean for your next use.
Performance: 3/5
Karcher Window Vac WV 6 Premium review: battery-life
- 100 minutes of runtime
- Takes 170 minutes to fully recharge
- Minute-by-minute LED display
The Karcher Window Vac WV 6 Premium arrives with just six minutes of battery life, so it will need a full charge before you can use it. And since the battery is integrated, you'll need to plug in the entire unit.
On charge you can watch the status of the battery count up minute-by-minute on the LED display. When it reaches 100, the Karcher is fully topped up and capable of cleaning up to 300m² off a single charge. The display is equally useful when you're cleaning and want to check the battery life remaining.
Battery: 5/5
Karcher Window Vac WV 6 Premium review: should I buy?
Buy it if...
Don't buy it if...
Karcher Window Vac WV 6 Premium review: also consider
If you're looking for a vacuum cleaner for the floors, rather than one for your windows, here are a couple of suggestions...
How I tested the Karcher Window Vac WV 6 Premium
- Used for up to 3 weeks
- Tried on windows, shower screen and tiles
I used the Karcher Window Vac in my home over the course of three weeks, for cleaning my windows, shower screen and tiles. Delivering mixed results, the best outcome was when using it to clean my bathroom tiles, which didn't have much in the way of limescale buildup.
I' hadn't used an appliance quite like the Karcher Window Vac WV 6 Premium before, and while the idea is nice, I'll probably be sticking to standard window cleaner and a microfiber cloth to clean the smooth surfaces of my home.
Read more about how we test.
[First reviewed March 2023]
