If you’re looking for an effective and versatile electric mop, you’ve probably come across the Kärcher models. The German brand enjoys a strong reputation in the home appliance market, as evidenced by the three models we’re going to look at: Kärcher FC 7 vs 5 vs 3 Cordless. These are three mops that, despite being from the same manufacturer, have some notable differences. Do you want to discover them all? Stay tuned!
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Kärcher FC 7 Vs 5 Vs 3 Cordless: the differences
Let’s start by talking about how the three electric mops differ, which will help you choose the one that best suits your needs:
Tank capacity: little difference
Scrubbing with clean water is a luxury that not all electric mops or hoovers with a scrubbing function allow. Kärcher, however, equips its products with two tanks for alternating clean and dirty water, which is much more hygienic. The Kärcher FC 3 holds up to 360 ml in the clean water tank and 140 ml in the dirty water tank. The other two mops, on the other hand, increase this capacity to 400 ml and 200 ml respectively.
Lightweight: the Kärcher FC 3 has the edge over the others
Handling an excessively heavy mop can be difficult, especially if you have to manoeuvre it into hard-to-reach corners. In this respect, the Kärcher FC 3 has the advantage, weighing 2.4 kilos compared to 4.3 kilos for the Kärcher FC 5 and FC 7.
Operating range: FC 7 is twice as long as its rivals
As you know, all three mops we have chosen are cordless and battery-powered. However, battery life is one of the factors where there is a clear difference. The Kärcher FC 5 and FC 3 models have a battery life of approximately 20 minutes. The FC 7, on the other hand, has a battery life of 45 minutes, twice as long as the FC 5. What they do have in common is the charging time, which in all three cases is about 4 hours.
Intelligent fill level control – an advantage for the newer model
The Kärcher FC 7 comes with an added level of intelligent features, and one of the main innovations is the intelligent tank fill level control. The mop emits an acoustic and visual signal when the tank is full, in which case it will also switch off automatically to prevent water overflow.
Surface area: more than double with just one fill-up
The Kärcher FC 3 and FC 5 can clean an area of approximately 60 square metres with a single filling. The Kärcher FC 7, on the other hand, doubles this to approximately 135 square metres.
Price: a significant difference
Kärcher is one of the most expensive brands on the market, although there are notable differences between its own appliances. It should be noted that this variation could change depending on the economic offers available at any given time. However, the Kärcher FC 3 is available for less than 300 euros (without previous offers), while the FC 7 model is available for around 500 euros.
Rollers and accessories: FC 7 has the slightest advantage
The set of accessories is similar in all three cases. In all of them there is a cleaning station, the cleaning detergent and two different tanks. The small advantage of the Kärcher FC 7 is that it has four microfibre rollers, while the other two models have two.
Loudness: a point for the FC 7
The last aspect we will talk about in this section is the noise level made by each mop. Both the Kärcher FC 3 and FC 5 reach a level of around 85 decibels, which is quite loud. In contrast, the Kärcher FC 7 remains at 71 decibels, a very considerable noise reduction.
Kärcher FC 7 Vs 5 Vs 3 Cordless: common features
Now that you’ve seen how the mops differ, it’s time to see what similarities they share:
Multi-purpose: suitable for all hard floors
It’s common to have different types of floors in the same house, but you should know that any of the three Kärcher mops are suitable for all types of hard floors. The company has a wide range of detergents and cleaning products specifically for each floor, so you don’t have to worry about damaging them.
Accessory storage: on the machine itself
In all three cases you can store the accessories in the cleaning station itself, which is very useful so that you don’t lose any of them and they don’t take up extra space.
Cordless mops
As you know, all three Kärcher models in this review are cordless, although they are also available in a corded version.
Power regulation and LED display
The optimisation of energy and, in this case, water quantity, is enhanced by the option of regulating the power level. So, depending on the amount of dirt in each space, you can choose how much water you want to use. In all three cases, you will also be able to see it through a LED display located on the upper part of the handle.
Drying time: 2 minutes
Another common feature in all three cases is that the time it takes to dry the floor after the Kärcher has been wiped is approximately 2 minutes.
Which Kärcher electric mop to buy?
If you take a look at the reviews left by other users on Amazon, you will see that any of the three models you choose will give you good results. The Kärcher FC 7 is the most comprehensive of the three. It works with four rollers instead of two, is quieter, allows you to control the tank fill level and covers twice as much surface area. All these features make it also the most expensive.
The difference between the Kärcher FC 3 and FC 5 is not very significant in terms of performance, but it is significant in terms of price. The FC 5 has a slightly larger tank capacity, but for the rest of the features they are very similar. In fact, the FC 3 is cheaper and lighter.
At this point, you have to decide whether you would prefer to spend a little more money on a more complete electric mop, or opt for a more basic but equally effective model.
What are the most popular Kärcher hoovers on Amazon?
If you’re still in doubt, you may find it useful to know which are the best-selling models on Amazon:
[amazon bestseller = “cordless vacuum karcher” items = “5”]
Recommendations for choosing the best Kärcher electric mop
We know that if you’ve never used an electric mop before, it’s easy to not know all the components or the most important elements that allow you to compare the performance of various options. To help you, here are a few tips that can help you make the right choice, but your choice will depend on your needs:
- Type of rollers: Chances are you have different types of floors at home, and it would be impractical to use one mop for each one. So make sure you choose a model whose roller is suitable for all types of hard floors.
- Manoeuvrability: it is not recommended that the mop is too heavy, as this can make it more difficult to handle. Especially if it has two tanks, which means an increase in weight when they are full. Our recommendation is that it should not weigh more than 4 kilos.
- Double tank: electric mops usually have a double tank to always clean with clean water and, on the other hand, to collect the dirty water. In fact, this is the best way to maintain hygiene, even if it is a bit more expensive.
- Tank volume: another factor that can make a difference is the capacity of the tanks. This will determine the total surface area you can clean with a single fill. In addition, some models include a system to detect the fill level and prevent overflowing.
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