The Best Leaf Blower
November 2019

Compbrella Guide to The Best Leaf Blowers

“All the leaves are brown, and the sky is grey” or so goes that old song. It’s a timeless classic but what they don’t mention is that someone has to clean up those beautiful red and brown leaves off the ground when fall comes. Leaf blowers will keep your yard from looking abandoned when fall comes, but they’re also useful year-round. Use them for cleaning sandy porches in the summer or for blowing away the light snow in winter.

Electric leaf blower Or Gas leaf blower?

Your leaf blower’s power source is going to affect how you use it and the question of gas vs. electric is going to be dependent on how you consider convenience, speed, and budget.
Electric leaf blowers are very popular. They’re lightweight, run quieter than gas models, and are easy to maintain due to the fact that you don’t have to refuel or oil change. Electric models are handheld, easy to carry and come in corded and cordless options. Electric leaf blowers used to be considered less powerful than gas models but nowadays they perform and sometimes exceed the performance of gas blowers.

Gas leaf blowers have been mainstays of every man’s tool shed for decades. They’re powerful, reliable, and will clean up leaves, grass clippings, and debris for as long as you have fuel in the tank. They’re noisier than electric models and require more maintenance. Gas blowers come in three styles: handheld, backpack, and walk-behind (similar to a lawnmower, perfect if you have a large property). Walk-behinds and backpacks are easier to use because you’re not carrying them in your arms, but keep in mind that handheld blowers are smaller and easier to store.

Cordless leaf blower Or Corded leaf blower?

To go cordless or corded means you’ve gone with the electric leaf blower option.
Corded leaf blowers weigh around 8 pounds and are designed to be carried and used with one hand. Operating the blower is simple: just push the on button to turn on and the same button to turn off. The downside of the power cord is that you’re limited by how far you can go from the electric outlet so consider moving to a cordless if you have a large area to cover.

Cordless leaf blowers weigh a bit more than corded, around 10 pounds, but that’s still pretty lightweight for a handheld appliance. Cordless electric leaf blowers are become and more popular for people who don’t want the hassle of maintaining a gas-powered model and who want the freedom of working far from their house. These leaf blowers run on rechargeable batteries for about an hour before you have to stop and recharge.

What features to look for when shopping for a leaf blower?

Beyond the aforementioned power and connection considerations, there are other features to look for when choosing the leaf blower that’s right for you.

• Extra Hand-grip: keep an eye out for models with a second hand-grip. This will give you better control and help the weight distribution.
• Nozzle Design: Nozzles are usually either flattened or rounded. Some blowers come with one, the other, or both. Flatter tips are better for sweeping loose leaves and rounder tips are for loosening leaves stuck in the lawn.
• Speed Control: Multiple speeds or variable throttle let you set the power for hard surfaces or delicate flower beds.
• Convenient Shutoff: Make sure the model you buy has a quick and easy shut off switch for better safety.
• Clear Fuel Tank: If you decide to go with a gas model, make sure you have a clear tank so you can tell when fuel is running low just by looking at it.
• Bottom-Mounted Air Intake: If you’re looking at handheld models, look for one with a bottom air intake. It’s less likely to pull at your clothes.
• Adjustable Air Deflector: An air deflector lets you adjust the airflow on wheeled leaf blowers. This is helpful to collect leaves in one big pile as you work.

Compbrella Pick for Top 3 Best Leaf Blowers

Best Overall: Husqvarna 965877502 350BT 2-Cycle Gas Backpack Blower – This gas-powered leaf blower is perfect for professionals and homeowners that have big properties. It features a powerful X-Torq engine that reduces exhaust emissions by 60% and increases fuel efficiency by 20%. Its ergonomic harness system has padded straps and hip belt that are shaped to fit your body and its variable speed throttle will let you clear your yard of leaves in comfort.

2nd Best: Makita EB7650WH 75.6 cc MM4 4-Stroke Engine Hip Throttle Backpack Blower – This clean-burning gas model is ideal for those looking for a best-in-class backpack leaf blower. The engine is engineered for quick and easy starts, while the heavy-duty anti-vibration mounts and padded shoulders straps will let work easily without causing strain on your back.

Best Value: Greenworks Pro 80V Cordless Brushless Axial Blower – This handheld electric leaf blower will let you keep your home clear of debris as easy as you were waving a want. It has a brushless motor that will give you a quiet performance while extending engine life. It has multiple speeds that will provide up to 70 minutes of run time, and comes with an extra battery and rapid charger so you’re always ready to blow away the dirt.

Why you should trust us

Compbrella was founded by a group of entrepreneurs with over twenty years experience working in retail, electronics, and e-commerce. Over the years, we have spent endless hours writing and revising consumer guides, interviewing customers about the products they enjoyed using, and talking to an untold number of technicians about why some products fail and others don’t. We draw from our own experiences about what products a household needs and what we use in our everyday lives. If we’re reviewing a product, it means we one of us has it in their home and thinks it, or a different version, would be a great addition to your homes. We stand by our recommendations because we make them to each other first.