The Best Foam Cannons Make Car Washing Better
You may have an image of washing a car in a driveway with a hose and a bucket of suds, but the best foam cannons are a much easier way to do it. Not do they take less time and water, they also takes out some of the risk of rubbing grit into your finish. Even if you’re not that passionate about detailing or washing your car, owning a pressure washer and a foam cannon to use with makes the job a lot faster, easier, and can give you better results.
Most foam cannons are fairly basic and affordable products, attaching to a pressure washer or even garden hose, and blanketing your car with a nice, thick layer of foamy soap so you can get straight to washing. Instead of constantly dipping your hand mitt or sponge into a bucket full of soap, you use your foam cannon to get your car ready to be wiped down. All the mixing happens in the bottle, so they use less soap and water, too. You don’t have to constantly put your hand mitt back into your bucket for more soap, which means less chance of dirt getting back onto your paint.
There are also air powered air foamers, which use high volume compressed air for a low-water spray, but they require a lot of air and use a lot of soap. We couldn’t find a consumer version rated highly enough to make our list.
Why You Should Trust AutoGuide's Product Reviews
We drive the latest new cars, trucks, and SUVs, but did you also know the team at AutoGuide.com tests tires, waxes, wiper blades, and pressure washers? Before we recommend a product as a top pick in one of our popular product lists, our editors put it to the test. We run through all its features, test the claims that the brand makes about each product, and then give an honest opinion on what we like and don’t like from our personal experience. As experts in all-things automotive, from minivans to sports cars, and from portable jump starters to ceramic coating, we want to make sure you buy the product that’s right for you.
How We Chose Foam Cannons
We looked for the best examples of the different styles available, and included both (serious) bargains and name brands. Some of these are very similar products, but it might be worth spending more to get a warranty or customer support. Features like brass connectors and a quality bottle distinguish the best foam cannons from other choices, as the most common issues with spray foamers are leaks, and the bottle breaking at the neck. We narrowed the list down to the best based on personal experience, features, and our criteria for selection. We’ll be doing some hands-on testing, too, when summer hits the AutoGuide Garage.
For more information on the best foam cannons, refer to our table of contents.
Table of contents
- 1. Editor's Pick: DUSICHIN Adjustable Foam Cannon
- 2. Professional Upgrade: Chemical Guys TORQ Professional Max Foam 8 Cannon
- 3. Most Versatile: Adam's Premium Foam Cannon 2.0
- What is the Difference Between a Foam Gun, Foam Lance, and a Foam Cannon?
- What Should I Consider When Choosing a Foam Cannon?
- Can I Use My Pressure Washer as a Foam Cannon?
- Do I Need Special Soap for a Foam Cannon?
- What is the Soap-to-Water Ratio for Foam Cannons?
- Foam Cannon Tips and Tricks
- Recent Updates:
1. Editor's Pick: DUSICHIN Adjustable Foam Cannon
You could hardly pay less or find a better reviewed model than the DUSICHIN Adjustable Foam Cannon. This spray foamer comes with a .25-inch quick release fitting and features a one liter bottle. All of the included connectors are made from quality brass, so durability shouldn't be a concern. To use this foam cannon, your pressure washer must have a very high 2.0 GPM and over 1,000 PSI of pressure. It supports maximum flow of 5.3 GPM and maximum pressure of 3,000 PSI. There's a single adjustable nozzle, which is adequate but not as versatile as models with multiple nozzle options, which DUSICHIN offers for a few dollars more, as well as a version with a larger bottle.
Testing the DUSICHIN Foam Gun
We loaded up our DUSICHIN foam gun with about 20% Meguiar's Gold Class Car Wash, and hooked it to a 1.76 GPM SunJoe pressure washer, which despite making less than the recommended 2.0 GPM, quickly and completely covered our car. We did find the foam pattern to be very finicky and had trouble getting an even spray, but this might well have been because of the low pressure. We think even if we had more pressure it would sill have been tricky. We used teflon plumber's tape on the top of the bottle, and didn't have any leaks while using it, and the sprayer components were heavy brass and quality-feeling plastics. The only leaks we had were when we turned it over and shook it to mix up the soap and water before use.
The DUSICHIN Adjustable Foam Cannon has a good 85% positive rating and almost 13,000 reviews. To quote the company, "It makes soft fluffy snow foam, fun and simply."
DUSICHIN Warranty and Customer Service
The only warranty offered is Amazon's 30-day warranty, which only applies to defective product but is usually easy to deal with. DUSICHIN has a US website, but there isn't much in the way of customer service, not that we really expect much for a product in this price range. There is contact information, including a local phone number, for company founder and namesake Jinlong "Robert" Du, in Shenzen, if you really need to talk to him. As far as we know, DUSICHIN is the only brand sold by Shenzhen Dushi Jinkang e-commerce Co., Ltd. in the USA, although they are a supplier for well-known paint sprayer brand Graco.
Pros | We've paid more for a sandwich, light, and easy to use |
Cons | Very touchy and limited spray adjustment, needs high pressure |
2. Premium Pick: Chemical Guys Big Mouth Max Release Foam Cannon
The Chemical Guys Big Mouth Max Release Foam Cannon doesn't come cheap, and it's fair to wonder if it's worth the price difference. After testing and evaluating the unit for over a month now, we'd highly recommend it to car enthusiasts who wash their cars regularly—say, weekly—using a pressure washer. For starters, we love its large, 34-ounce canister. However, it's the adjustability and the substantial amount of foam it delivers that make it the best we've tested. Were it not for its high price tag, it would easily be at the top of our list. But those looking for the best of the best and willing to spend the money, this is the foam cannon you get.
We found the knob incredibly easy to adjust, allowing precise control over the amount of foam delivered, and the clear canister simplifies the process of diluting car wash soaps when necessary. You can choose from either a wide fan or a concentrated stream of foam. Chemical Guys notes that it works with pressure washers starting at 800 PSI and 1.4 GPM, though the company recommends 2.0 GPM for optimal performance. Finally, one thoughtful design feature we really liked is the hex pattern on the cap, which makes it very easy to grip and screw on to the bottle.
Chemical Guys Warranty and Customer Service
Chemical Guys only offers a one-year warranty against defects on the Big Mouth Max Release Foam Cannon. Chemical Guys does have multiple ways to contact customer service, with a toll-free and local California phone numbers, several emails for different needs, and a web form. We didn't have any trouble getting through to a person when we called and they were very helpful, although we would have liked them to have hands-on knowledge of the product.
Pros | High capacity bottle, high quality product, plenty of foam, good customer service |
Cons | Disappointing warranty, you could buy at least four cheap ones for the price |
3. Most Versatile: Adam's Premium Foam Cannon 2.0
Adam's Premium Foam Cannon is definitely not another rebranded generic product. It's built with their decades of experience in exterior detailing products, and is built to hold up. A wide mouth, 35 ounce canister makes filling easy, although the large size does put stress on the threads. There's a convenient secondary set of threads to use with Adam's 16 ounce bottles.
All fittings are stainless steel for long life and corrosion resistance. There's wide adjustment to the spray pattern, and the nozzle rotates 360°, so you can fan suds in the direction you want. This foam gun does require setup and maintenance that you won't have to do on some other brands. The threads both on the fittings and on the bottle can leak if not sealed with Teflon tape, and be sure not to screw on the bottle dry, or you could damage the seal. It requires a minimum 870 PSI and 1.3 GPM, and works up to a high 3190 GPM 5.3 GPM, at up to 140°. With an outstanding 95% positive rating and over 250 reviews, it's even better rated than Adam's Italian-made professional MTM brand.
Adam's Warranty and Customer Service
Adams's offers a no-hassle one year limited warranty on defects, and free shipping on returns with a receipt. There is a toll-free number with Saturday hours, email, and live chat on the Adam's site. We had no trouble getting through to a very laid back customer service representative when we called, and they were able to answer all our questions.
Pros | Wide mouth for easy filling, all-stainless construction, great foam coverage with higher pressures, good warranty |
Cons | Threads can leak without sealing, bottle can break with rough handling |
What is the Difference Between a Foam Gun, Foam Lance, and a Foam Cannon?
No one seems to agree on what either term means and they're often used interchangeably. When you ask detailers, however, they tend to agree that a foam cannon is a more serious piece of equipment that requires high-pressure water, usually from a pressure washer. If you use a self-serve car wash pressure washer, that's a foam cannon. They can not only produce a thicker foam and spray it on faster, but they can do it with enough force to start to lift the dirt right away.
A foam gun usually screws onto a regular garden hose. It's a spray foamer that does exactly the same thing as a foam cannon, coating your car with detergent to start the pre-wash process. It doesn't do it as fast or as hard, but in the end if you take your time, you can get results just as good without needing to haul out extra equipment.
Products sold outside North America are often called foam lances, and it's also used interchangeably with foam cannon and foam gun.
What Should I Consider When Choosing a Foam Cannon?
Your first question is, "do you have a pressure washer," and if so, how much pressure does it make (and how much water can it move)? A few will take as low as 800 PSI, but most foam cannons need at least 1,000 to 1,100 PSI for results that aren't disappointing. You'll also need decent water flow (GPM, gallons per minute) along with the pressure. Requirements vary from 1.3 GPM and up, but 2.0 GPM is safe. That's hard to find in an electric pressure washer, so unless you have a gas powered model, look for foam cannons that with lower flow needs.
If you don't have a pressure washer, see our list for the best garden hose foam gun we could find. It'll work just fine, if not as well as one that uses pressurized water.
Can I Use My Pressure Washer as a Foam Cannon?
As we talk about in our pressure washer article, you really need to know what you're doing before you point a pressure washer nozzle at a car. It only takes an instant to start removing paint rather than dirt, pop off a badge, or force water under weatherstrip and seals. With the right nozzle and settings, it can be a good tool to rinse away dirt before a wash, but a foam cannon not only uses your pressure washer to make foam, it reduces the water pressure to safe levels. When used with a high pressure pressure washer, you can shoot out soap foam hard enough to make a difference, but not hard enough to damage the finish.
Do I Need Special Soap for a Foam Cannon?
With trial and error, you can use just about anything that's safe to use on a car, including dish soap. But it may take a lot of trial and error, involving a lot of frustration. It certainly won't hurt your foam cannon, it just depends on how much time you want to spend getting your mixture right. Foaming car washes, designed for foam guns, foam cannons, and foam lances, will have mixing instructions that give you great foam the first time. Many spray foamers can be bundled with soap, but you can use any brand with any foaming sprayer.
What is the Soap-to-Water Ratio for Foam Cannons?
That varies with not just the brand, but your experiences with how much pressure and water your pressure washer delivers. It can be as little as 1:15 or less, or two ounces to a 32 ounce bottle, for a concentrated premium brand; to 1:5 or more. These soaps are also appropriate for hand washing or detailing with a bucket and chamois, at even lower concentrations.
Foam Cannon Tips and Tricks
Leaks and broken bottles are the most common complaints about foam cannons. Leaks can often be addressed with some wraps of Teflon (plumber's) tape, which will cost you about $2 almost anywhere tools are sold. We'd apply it to any threads before use, and to the bottle if there are leaks there.
The only advice we can give about broken bottles is be gentle with them, especially when putting your foam cannon down. Keeping the spray head and bottle disconnected when not in use will reduce the likelihood of damaging the bottle (and increase the risk of not being able to find one), and keeping it out of heat, cold, and direct sun will help a lot.
If you can, use your foam cannon with clean water after foaming, until it runs clear without any soap. You can make this part of rinsing your car. If it has a removeable filter, take it out and rinse it from the other direction to flush out anything that could restrict the flow. When storing your foam cannon, glance at the gaskets and make sure nothing fell out when you disconnected it.
Recent Updates
- March 22, 2024: For a more streamlined and better shopping experience, we've reduced the number of recommendations to three. We have also updated our top three recommendations based on hands-on testing and evaluation of several different foam cannons. We have also added photos from those tests.
- October 9, 2023: Added Foam King, updated links
- September 19, 2022: Replaced the MJJC recommendation with a newer version of its Foam Cannon.
- May 26, 2022: Updated DUSICHIN foam cannon with hands-on test results.
- March 15, 2022: Updated introduction. Replaced Fasmov brand with MJJC Foam Cannon Pro. Removed Twinkle Star brand due to lack of warranty and customer service. Added Gilmour Foamaster. Updated information for MTM Hydro Original Foam Cannon and TriNova Foam Cannon. Removed Blisstime, Tool Daily, and Obecome brands. Updated product links. Added FAQ sections.
- March 14, 2022: Replaced Adam's Standard with better rated Adam's Premium Foam Cannon.
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After completing a degree project in automotive design, Dave wrote and photographed for almost a decade in print car magazines (remember those?), before transitioning to digital. He now subjects a series of old high-performance cars to the roads and weather in Vermont and wonders why they're always expensively broken. Please stop when you see him crawling under one on the side of the road.
More by David Traver Adolphus
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