RRP: £20.99, buy now (Not available in the US).
On paper, the Hydro 360 is a feature-packed snow foam lance, but how does this detailing tool perform in reality? Here’s our hands-on review.
How I Tested The Hydro 360 Snow Foam Lance
I used the Hydro 360 snow foam lance during one of my frequent detailing sessions. As ever, using my favorite snow foam, I observed how easy the lance was to use and how well it performed. It’s always good to see lots of foam from a lance, and plenty of nice additional features that make detailing easier. So, that’s what I looked out for when deciding whether this was a snow foam cannon that I personally would want to use again.
Editor’s Note:
Elizabeth has long been into car detailing, and has plenty of automotive writing experience. That makes her the perfect person to conduct tests like this for Fast Car.
First Impressions
The Hydro 360 snow foam lance impressed me the minute I took it out of the box. It looks good, feels solid, and immediately seemed like a snow foam lance I was going to enjoy using.
Features
The Hydro 360 snow foam lance ticks just about every box you could want from a snow foam lance, and there’s a lot to like here. The bottle has a nice wide base, which means it’s stable and won’t fall over when not in use. The bottle also has a good-sized opening, which makes filling easier and less messy. I also love the bottleneck indent, which makes it easier to pick up and hold, even with wet hands. And this is even textured for extra grip, which is a nice touch.
The pick-up hose features a filter, which is always nice to have, but the hose itself is a little stiff. Finally, you get both horizontal and vertical spray adjustment via the chunky nozzle, which rounds off a seriously impressive list of features.
What’s It Like To Use The Hydro 360 Snow Foam Lance?
I had very high hopes for the Hydro 360 snow foam lance, but it just falls short in terms of actual performance, which was disappointing. Foam levels are impressive, and it also has the biggest spray angle adjustment range of any snow foam lance I’ve tried. So far, so good. However, the multiple nozzle adjustment is incredibly stiff. This makes it very hard to adjust the spray pattern without also moving the horizontal/vertical adjustment portion.
This makes it frustrating to use as the nozzle keeps rotating whenever you adjust the spray pattern. It’s not the end of the world, but it’s just irritating. It also makes it hard to make small adjustments to the spray angle. On top of that, the measuring markings on the bottle don’t start until 200ml, which is annoying. Even more so is the fact that the markings stop at 800ml when 1 liter is the norm. This makes filling it up frustrating because you have to use a measuring beaker to accurately dilute your snow foam beforehand.
The Verdict
The Hydro 360 snow foam lance is an excellent piece of detailing kit. It’s absolutely loaded with features and is one of the most impressive snow foam lances I’ve used. However, that makes its shortcomings all the more frustrating. The stiff nozzle isn’t a deal-breaker, but the poorly thought-out measuring scale combines to hold this snow foam lance back. However, it’s still a really good snow foam lance and worth a closer look.
