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Concept:
Welcome to my review of the NIXX PRO S2.0 Foam Cannon.
If you’ve seen my other foam cannon reviews, you know I tend to break these into three categories: budget, mid-range, and premium.
On the budget end, the Sooprinse Foam Cannon (around $20)
has been my go-to budget pick. At the premium end, the MJJC Foam Cannon Pro
sits as one of the best performers (around $100).
But what if you want something in between? Something that performs very well right out of the box and does not need to be modified.
That’s where the NIXX PRO S2.0 comes in. At around $40 (2025), it’s a lower mid-range priced foam cannon, offering sturdier build quality,
thicker foam output, and thoughtful design touches, without climbing into premium pricing.
On paper, it looks like the perfect balance for enthusiasts who want better performance than a budget cannon but don’t want to overspend.
So, how does it perform? Let’s take a closer look.
Introduction to Foam Cannons:
If you are new to foam cannons or haven’t yet read my other reviews here is a general overview.
A foam cannon is an essential tool for automotive detailing, connecting to a pressure washer to produce thick, clinging snow foam.
This rich foam blankets the vehicle, encapsulating dirt, grime, and contaminants for easy rinsing without direct contact.
By minimizing physical scrubbing, foam cannons significantly reduce the risk of swirl marks and marring, ensuring a safer, more efficient wash.
The even foam coverage reaches crevices and complex surfaces, delivering a professional-grade clean that enhances your vehicle's shine
while protecting its paint.
Automotive detailing enthusiasts aim to touch the vehicle as little as possible to avoid marring or swirling the paint.
By using a foam cannon, they can pre-soak the vehicle with foam, lifting contaminants off the surface.
This minimizes the need for physical scrubbing, significantly reducing the risk of scratches and paint damage.
The foam provides a lubricated barrier between the dirt and the paint, allowing for a safer and more efficient wash process.
Additionally, the even coverage of foam ensures that all areas of the vehicle are adequately cleaned, enhancing the overall
effectiveness of the detailing process.
Foam Cannon Benefits:
Using a foam cannon in automotive detailing offers several benefits:
1. Effective Cleaning: Foam cannons attempt to generate thick, clinging foam that encapsulates dirt and grime, lifting them off the surface for a more thorough clean.
2. Surface Protection: The foam acts as a lubricant, reducing the risk of scratches and swirl marks during the washing process.
3. Time Efficiency: Applying foam with a cannon is quicker and covers more area than traditional hand washing methods.
4. Even Coverage: Ensures an even distribution of soap, enhancing the cleaning process.
5. Enhanced Appearance: Produces a professional-looking finish, giving the car a deep, clean shine.
These benefits make foam cannons a valuable tool for achieving a high-quality, efficient, and safe car wash.
Two Process Types:
In automotive detailing there are two main types of foaming:
A) Pre-Rinsing with Foam:
Purpose: The goal of pre-rinsing with foam is to loosen and lift surface dirt and grime before the main wash. This step helps reduce the risk of scratching the paint during the wash process.
Foam Characteristics: For pre-rinsing, a foam that clings well to the surface is ideal. This allows the cleaning agents time to work on breaking down contaminants.
Soap Types: Use a foam-specific pre-wash or snow foam soap.
This can be either Acidic for removing mineral deposits, water spots, and brake dust OR Alkaline which is more effective for heavy-duty cleaning, such as removing grease, oil, road tar or film.
These are formulated to produce thick, clingy foam that effectively loosens dirt without necessarily providing a high level of lubrication needed for direct washing.
B) Washing with Foam:
Purpose: The main wash involves using foam to directly clean the vehicle's surface after the pre-rinse has removed the majority of loose contaminants.
Foam Characteristics: For washing, the foam should be both lubricating and effective at suspending and removing dirt.
Soap Types: Use a high-quality pH-Neutral car wash soap designed for use with foam cannons. These soaps create rich, lubricating foam that
helps safely lift and remove dirt while washing, minimizing the risk of scratching and being gentle on waxes, sealants and ceramic coatings.
Both of these types contribute to a thorough and safe cleaning process, ensuring your vehicle’s paint remains in excellent condition.
Many detailers (myself included) prefer to use both methods, a foam pre-rinse followed by a foam pH neutral wash, for the safest and
most effective results. Having more than one foam cannon makes this process faster and more convenient, since you don’t need to stop
and swap soaps. Thanks to the NIXX Foam Cannon’s mid-range price, you can easily dedicate one to stronger acidic/alkaline pre-rinse soaps
and another to a pH-neutral main wash, and still spend less than the cost of a single premium cannon.
Why Choose the NIXX PRO S2.0 Foam Cannon?:
The NIXX PRO S2.0 is marketed as a newly upgraded mid-range model designed to be a significant step above the generic foam cannon offerings.
It is modeled after the MTM Hydro PF22 Foam Cannon, often considered as one of the best high end foam cannons on the market.
Below we will look into what makes it stand out.
Features
Quality nickel plated brass and copper fittings for better long term durability.
1000ml (33.8 oz) bottle capacity
Wide mouth bottle for easy filling.
Wide base for greater stability.
Anti-slip bottle surface treatment.
Quarter turn bottle cap for convienience and durability.
Silicone Tube and Metal Gravity Ball, makes it easier to completely consume all the liquid while held at any angle.
Bottle design includes a transparent strip labeled in both ounces and milliliters for volume visibility.
Dual orifices included (1.15 mm and 1.25 mm) for tuning based on your pressure washer’s PSI/GPM.
Equipped with a 1/4" stainless steel quick-connect fitting (o-ring type)
Adjustable knob to control foam concentration
Adjustable nozzle to control both spray width and angle
Benefits
Thicker Snow Foam Technology – marketed as delivering “shaving cream–like” foam.
Heavy-duty brass/copper construction – more resistant to leaks, wear, and corrosion than cheaper alloys.
1L wide-mouth bottle with anti-slip grip – easy to fill, handle, and monitor soap levels.
Dual interchangeable orifices (1.15 mm & 1.25 mm) – optimize foam output depending on your pressure washer output.
Adjustable foam knob – lets you control foam concentration on the fly.
Adjustable spray pattern – rotate to change spray width and angle for full vehicle coverage.
Gravity ball in flexible silicone draw tube – helps pull product even at lower fill levels.
Quick-connect fitting and adjustable settings make setup and customization straightforward, even for beginners.
Lower mid-range price point (~$40) – a strong value in between budget and premium.
Technical Data
Brand: NIXX
Model: PRO S2.0
Color: Grey/Orange
Bottle Capacity: 1,000ml (33.8 oz)
Maximum Pressure: 2200 PSI
Orifice size: 1.25mm and 1.15mm
Item Weight: not specified
Product Dimensions: 10.2"h x 7.28"w
ASIN: B0DS9GFK8B
UPC Number: 709084183721
Customer Reviews: 4.4 out of 5 stars (135+ reviews)
Maintenance Tips
Rinse with clean water after every use to avoid soap buildup.
Let air dry with the cap off before reassembling for storage and store in a cool, dry place.
Handle the HDPE bottle carefully to avoid cracks, though it’s much tougher than clear plastic bottles.
Note on Dilution Ratios
I always test my foam cannons' output to dial in the perfect soap to water mix for my vehicles wash routine.
I aim for a 2.0% panel impact ratio (PIR) on touchless washes and drop it to 0.5% for standard pH-neutral ones.
PIR is the final soap concentration hitting the vehicle surface after cannon dilution.
To find a cannon’s native dilution rate, I fill it with 1,000ml of water, spray into a bucket, and measure the total output.
To dive deeper into the full details of how I calculate the Panel Impact Ratio (PIR), check out my
Foam Cannon Spreadsheet!
This tool lets you input your desired cannon load volume, and it automatically calculates the soap and water amounts.
For instance, if you’re planning a touchless wash covering the body, underbody, and wheels/tires, and estimate a starting 800ml total load,
using the 1.15 orifice, the spreadsheet will suggest 144ml of product and 656ml of water.
You can also adjust the PIR percentages as well to suit your needs. For example, lets say you want a 1.00% PIR with a 1000ml total cannon volume
for your vehicle’s size and dirt level. It’ll output 90ml of product and 910ml of water. Perfect for customizing your wash!
Be sure to calculate your cannon’s native dilution rate, as factors like incoming water pressure, electrical amperage, and your
pressure washer's specs all affect your foam cannon's native dilution rate and resulting soap to water mix.
Review
The grey HDPE plastic appears to be very durable as opposed to clear plastic bottles which are significantly more brittle.
Though the head of this unit is quite heavy, the shape of the bottle promotes stability.
There is a good level of resistance on the both the spray pattern adjustment and the spray angle adjustment, and both have detents
reducing inadvertent movement during use, an awesome feature
The NIXX PRO S2.0 is my current choice for Foam Cannons in the lower mid-range price category.
This is designed after the MTM Hydro PF22 Foam Cannon, long known as the industry standard, and it includes improvements over the MTM
such as wide mouth bottle and quarter turn lid.
This cannon does produce the "shaving cream" type foam as advertised though slightly runnier than what the MJJC produces.
Using Chemical Guys Mr. Pink Foaming Car Wash Soap at the dilution ratio recommended by my aformentioned foam cannon spreadsheet,
both the 1.15mm and the 1.25mm orifice combined with my Active 2.0 pressure washer setup, were able to produce thick levels of protective
foam that appeared to cling well during a pH neutral wash. Ultimately I decided to keep the 1.15 orifice installed.
The anti-slip grip on the bottle was more useful than I expected, especially when wet.
The 1/4" quick-connect comes pre installed and does not require teflon tape if you remove it.
No major modifications were needed to this cannon as it comes standard with a flexible silicone tube with weighted and filtered stainless steel
ball to extract all the soap solution from the bottle even when held at various angles.
One negative with this foam cannon was the initially loose fitting lid which was remediated by installing the included extra o-ring gasket
making for a much more snug fit and no chance of loosening during usage.
Compared to the premium MJJC, the NIXX doesn’t quite hit the same ultra dense sticky foam texture, but it is close enough at less than half
the price. For most hobbiest detailers, it will be more than enough.
As I had hoped, the NIXX Foam Cannon PRO S2.0 fills the gap perfectly between cheaper budget cannons and higher end premium models.
Watch my YouTube review for a demo of the NIXX PRO S2.0 Foam Cannon in action on my 4Runner!
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