The best window vacuums for tackling condensation, tried and tested by experts

Score: 94/100

Karcher is one of the best known brands for window vacuums, and this one aced our tests. Windows and tiles were left streak-free and dry within a couple of sweeps. It was particularly effective in our test bathroom, lifting condensation from mirrors in just one pass.

It didn’t leak when we held it horizontally and glided smoothly across our surfaces. Testers liked the microfibre cloth and edge cleaning tool that come with it and found the controls responsive. The wiper itself was a bit fiddly to clean, but if there’s a blockage it’s easy to take apart and clear. Our top pick for dry, watermark-free surfaces at home.

For more information, read our full Karcher Wv 5 window vacuum review.

Score: 91/100

If you have a lot of windows in your home, this Bosch is for you. While it claims to have a 30-minute run-time, on test, it lasted for 40, which means you should easily have time to collect the condensation from every single window, should you need to.

As its score suggests, it performed reliably, lifting water within up to three sweeps in all our tests. It didn’t squeak at all, moving smoothly over surfaces and leaving very few smears in its wake. The water tank is also easy to peer into, but the spray head was a bit loose, and its trigger leaked a little. It should gobble that straight back up though.

Score: 89/100

This isn’t the cheapest window vacuum we tested, but it’s more affordable than our two high scorers, and it nearly rivalled them performance-wise too, leaving our tiles, mirrors and windows dry and water mark-free. While it wouldn’t replace traditional cleaning, there weren’t too many smears either.

It has an easy-to-use water tank and comes with a cleaning bottle that mists evenly. There’s only one squeegee head though, which makes it trickier to tackle smaller or awkwardly shaped surfaces. For its price, it’s a condensation banishing box-ticker.

Score: 87/100

An extendable pole takes this window vacuum up a notch. While it’s not long enough to reach windows on floors above, for example, the extra 65cm offers more flexibility and makes it easier to reach the top sections of windows or over the top of the kitchen sink. No more tiptoeing required.

Just two sweeps were needed to fully remove water from our windows, and we saw similar results when cleaning a shower screen, mirror and bathroom tiles thanks to the substantial 28cm vacuum head.

The large head did mean it was tricky to clean tight corners but the rest of our surfaces were left clean and streak-free.

Score: 87/100

Weighing just 500 grams, this window vac is the lightest one we’ve ever tested, while being just 3cm narrower than most other models. The compact design is comfortable and balanced to use, with a squeegee head that clicks securely into place.

It put in an excellent performance in our tests, smoothly cleaning up dirty mirrors, shower screens and curved car windows and leaving them streak-free in just one pass. It did well on grubby countertops and tiled splashbacks, too, removing residue from grease and tomato sauce and needing just one or two more passes to mop up any remaining mess.

Our testers didn’t love the tank design, however, finding it quite stiff and awkward to remove and refit. It also needs frequent emptying (especially when dealing with a lot of moisture), and the narrow, angled pouring slot is quite slow to empty. But overall, this is a very competent and well-priced Kärcher that won't take up too much space.

Score: 85/100

This affordable model will set you back under £30 and gives you 29 minutes of water vacuuming power from each charge. Testers liked its large tank and comfortable handle, but it doesn’t come with the same array of accessories as the others we tested (and the squeegee is fiddly to remove and refit), so it’s not as well suited to cleaning smaller areas.

It removed water easily from all our surfaces, taking up to four passes to leave our windows and mirrors dry to the touch. We wouldn’t use it for cleaning, though, as it wasn’t great at picking up residual dirt, which means there was some smearing on glass. But it didn’t leave any water marks or leak. It’s a reliable, budget-friendly way to help deal with any condensation problems.

Score: 84/100

This well-designed window vacuum is lightweight and comfortable to hold (thanks to the curved handle), and our testers found it effective across a range of tasks.

It performed best when cleaning mirrors, gliding smoothly across the surface and removing water in one sweep. On other surfaces, such as windows and the shower screen, the squeegee seemed to push water down rather than vacuum it up initially.

However, a second sweep did the trick. It also removed loosened dirt from the car window, without making a mess or leaving water marks behind.

Score: 79/100

You’ll have half an hour’s worth of battery time to whizz round and dry your surfaces with this nifty gadget. Testers found it lightweight to use and were impressed with how it removed water from glass – its large squeegee head meant it covered a good area in one sweep.

That’s the only attachment it comes with though, and it tended to smear specs of dirt rather than lifting them. Our experts didn’t spot any leaking, however, and there weren’t any water marks after use. A good one to keep on hand for your bathroom or windows.