Use your electric leaf blower to remove leaves this spring, then bust it out again for yard cleanup in the fall.
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There are many ways to remove leaves from your lawn, but the quickest, quietest, and cleanest is to use a cordless leaf blower. Just slide in the battery and pull the trigger.
We’ve got nothing against using a rake. They’re quiet and provide you with some great exercise. And we love gas-engine blowers when you need the power required to remove a thick layer of damp or frozen leaves from tall grass. But, even then, battery-powered leaf blowers are catching up to some gas-engine models—and there’s no preparation such as mixing or pouring fuel or the hassle of trying to start an engine that hasn’t been used in a year.
These battery-powered models make little noise and certainly don’t spew out exhaust fumes. And many cordless leaf blowers are small and light, which makes them especially well-suited for leaf removal in small yards where one battery charge will probably be enough to see you through the job. Use it in the spring to whisk buds and winter debris off of sidewalks and patios, in the summer to clear grass clippings, and in the fall to move leaves into a pile.
We put a range of cordless leaf blowers through our testing process to determine the best options out there. Read on for the models we recommend, followed by buying advice and in-depth reviews.
Electric leaf blowers remove a scattering of light leaves from normal-height grass and sweep the pavement of grass clippings. For ankle-deep piles and damp leaves, or to move lawn debris like twigs and nuts, choose one with more voltage and higher airspeed. For anything deeper, or if you frequently contend with wet or semi-frozen leaves, prioritize higher air speed and volume in cubic feet per minute (CFM).
Remember that a leaf blower’s advertised airspeed and voltage are its best-case scenario at full power and, sometimes, using specific nozzles. For the most potent and efficient blower you can find, we recommend the Cat 60-volt, 800-CFM leaf blower.
Depending on the size of your yard and the leaf cover, some of these machines can runt hrough a couple of batteries in a morning’s worth of work. Most battery-powered leaf blowers last 10 to 15 minutes per battery depending on the power mode. To double your runtime, outfit yourself with two batteries and consider a third for really tough conditions. Consider a backpack—they holster stronger batteries and are easier to control.
The higher a blower’s CFM, the larger of a surface area it can blow per minute. Generally speaking, cordless battery-powered leaf blowers are recommended for yards roughly a quarter of an acre in size or less. Few cordless leaf blowers go beyond 800 CFM, while many on this list range in the sweet spot of 400 to 600 CFM—ample power for spring and summer grass clippings, though heavily tree-populated spaces may require stronger blowers.
If your property measures in acres instead of square feet, you’re probably better served with the oomph of a gas engine—but these cordless ones are invaluable for spot-treating areas like your patio or pool deck.
The speed settings on a cordless power blower determine the airflow volume and velocity produced by the blower. These settings allow users to adjust the power to suit different tasks.
Generally, lower speeds are best for light-duty tasks like blowing leaves off flower beds or clearing dust from a garage. Using lower settings also helps preserve battery power. Higher speed settings are for heavier tasks like blowing wet leaves, clearing debris, or quickly sweeping larger areas. Some models have turbo boost modes, which offer maximum power only while you’re pulling a trigger (this is helpful for stuck-on debris, like a few wet leaves at the bottom of a pile of dry leaves).
Many cordless blowers also have speed triggers or dials that let users precisely control speed in real time, either by pulling the trigger harder or by moving the dial as you hold the control trigger. This is especially helpful when moving between surfaces like fragile, wet grass and your sturdy blacktop driveway.
We blew leaves and hay off of grass to put these cordless blowers through the gauntlet, employing a small gas-engine leaf blower for comparison. Next, we measured continuous runtime with the machines set to maximum power. Then came our airspeed test—we used an MGL Avionics Stratomaster Vega airspeed indicator for an airplane and built our own testing apparatus, gauging the airspeed 6 inches from the tip of each blower tube.
We also measured sound levels right at the operator’s position and 75 feet away (to help keep your neighbors friendly). Our last evaluation, the sawdust erosion test, was perhaps the most telling. We taped off a large area of pavement and covered it with a thin layer of sawdust, then blew the leaf blowers horizontally over the pavement, leaving an impression of the shape of the air stream.
For the leaf blowers we haven’t tested ourselves yet, we looked at specs like airspeed and CFM, and made sure to prioritize brands we’ve come to trust for their power tools. After all that, the electric leaf blowers below came out on top.
More and more, we’re seeing battery-powered equipment that rivals or exceeds the performance of their gas-powered counterparts. This cordless leaf blower is a case in point. We measured airspeed at 134 mph and found, combined with the volume of air (650 CFM, claimed), that it easily blasted leaves from our test area when we were standing still.
Stepping forward while sweeping back and forth cleared the area in seconds. Our sawdust test revealed a focused air stream with sharp edges extending beyond the end of our test area.
While the runtime may seem short, bear in mind that’s on the turbo setting. In use, we’ve learned that it’s rare to continuously hold down the turbo button or even the trigger. A more realistic runtime (without turbo locked on) is at least 27 minutes. And we could have probably extended the runtime further because the LB6504 features a dial that allowed us to set and hold the airspeed at the lowest setting and use the trigger or turbo button to boost speed when needed. This vastly extends runtime and more realistically reflects typical yard work needs.
This budget-friendly model is the 20-volt version of the above BL80L2510, meaning it’s lighter and expectedly weaker. However, it’s the most affordable cordless blower we recommend, and comes with an included battery and charger. It claims a 120 mph airspeed and 500 CFM. Although we haven’t tested this one, we generally recommend Greenworks products for value-forward power tools, and given the performance of its stronger brother (which we tested and recommend in this guide), we see promise in this model.
Given its weaker power, its battery lasts only 10 minutes at full power, but buying a second one gives it double life. (And if you've already subscribed to the Greenworks family, the tool alone is only $100.) Several user reviews say it’s great for small jobs and spaces, and it’s powerful enough to tidy a patio or driveway in a jiffy. One major qualm, however, is its noise; though weaker, it’s surprisingly loud, according to many users.
One of the lightest cordless leaf blowers, even this Greenworks model can replace a gas-powered unit. With our anemometer, we clocked the airspeed at a respectable 127 mph, which falls in the middle of the range for handheld gas blowers. The tube tip is tapered at the end, creating a little narrower, focused air stream, evident in the pattern left in our sawdust test.
We also noted more precision when blowing leaves out of our test area, which we cleared in seconds, taking just a few steps. Compared to other models, runtime is fair—considering the 2.5-Ah battery.
Greenworks offers 80-volt batteries up to 5 Ah, which would significantly lengthen how long you can use the BL80L2510 in one shot. And if you already have a battery from another of their tools, use it and buy just the leaf blower without batteries to save some cash.
The Ryobi should be on your shortlist if your overarching requirement is a quiet handheld blower. Fortunately, that doesn’t come at the expense of leaf-moving power.
The bright yellow-green blower has enough for dry leaf cover, removing grass clippings and leaves from paved surfaces, and cleaning out the garage or dryer vent. No, it’s not the most powerful leaf blower we’ve used, but it’s certainly one of the quietest and most pleasant.
Other features that contribute to its ease of use are a well-positioned latch to the left of and above the adjustable-speed trigger, a booster button for more air output, and a detachable nose cone made out of rubber that concentrates the airspeed up to 190 mph.
The cone’s circumference is marked with the airspeeds it will produce at three intervals (from base to the tip): 190, 175, and 160 mph. You could slice the cone at any of the two intervals (175 and 160), shortening it to provide less airspeed.
At first glance, Cat’s leaf blower appears stout with a wide blower tube and tip. This is usually the case with blowers that move a significant volume of air, and the claimed 800 CFM is just that. We clocked airspeed at 115 mph, and with that much air, moving that fast, the Cat cleared a wider swath than most in our sawdust erosion test.
Like many models in our testing, the controls include a standard trigger, cruise control dial, and turbo boost button. The 60-volt, 800-CFM blower is a bit heavier than some models, partly due to the larger battery format—which is generally the case with higher-speed blowers.
While the Cat easily cleared debris around the hard surfaces of our testing area, it should also do well on stubborn leaves in or on grass.
This cordless leaf blower makes a lot of sense for people that already own tools in Milwaukee’s M18 Fuel platform, since the batteries are completely interchangeable. It’s available as a “tool only” or with a large, 8-Ah battery, which yielded a continuous run time of 14 minutes and 45 seconds during our testing.
The M18 has two ranges indicated by rabbit and turtle icons, each controlled by the same variable speed trigger. It took us longer to clear the leaves in our test area with the Milwaukee, but it was easier to carry, being roughly 1.5 pounds lighter than any other model we tested. It did take a bit longer to move the leaves, the reason for which we discovered in our sawdust test.
While the shape of the air stream was similar to other handheld blowers, it was a little smaller in both length and width. This isn’t really a fault, but a limitation of the lower voltage compared to other models. As such, the M18 might not be ideal for large properties with heavy leaf coverage.
It is, however, great for clearing out gutters, sweeping the driveway, blasting debris tracked into the garage or leftover from projects, and clearing sidewalks, porches, patios, and small yards.
Don’t be misled by this DeWalt’s low airspeed. It’s well-shaped and productive, capable of carving its way through debris. And we found it was easy to use in a sweeping motion to brush leaves aside.
Its brief runtime, however, suggests that the tool is best on small patches of leaves or for jobs like construction-site cleanup or sweeping out the garage. Its design for these purposes is clear, judging by the hefty skid plate below the blower housing and battery that should help this cordless leaf blower withstand rough-and-tumble use.
This Greenworks is the lightest and most compact of the backpack blowers we tested. Its runtime was a modest 19 minutes (at full turbo power). At that setting, the blower’s air stream forms an effective leaf-moving zone—even if it appeared to be weaker on the outside edges.
The machine also scored high marks for its comfortable and highly adjustable shoulder straps, an ergonomic handle, and the 90-degree elbow that connects the impeller housing to the flexible blower tube. That elbow permits the blower tube to pivot straight up, so it takes up less space when you store this model in the garage or shed.
Kevin Cortez is an editor for Runner's World, Bicycling, and Popular Mechanics covering reviews. A culture and product journalist for over ten years, he’s an expert in men’s style, technology, gaming, coffee, e-bikes, hiking, gear, and all things outdoors. He most recently worked as the Style Editor for Reviewed, a top product recommendation site owned by USA TODAY. He also helped with the launch of WSJ's Buy Side commerce vertical, and has covered the music and podcast industries for Mass Appeal, Genius, Vulture, Leafly, Input, and The A.V. Club. Equally passionate about leisure as he is his penmanship, Kevin dedicates his spare time to graphic novels, birding, making cold brew, and taking long, meandering walks.
Brad Ford has spent most of his life using tools to fix, build, or make things. Growing up he worked on a farm, where he learned to weld, repair, and paint equipment. From the farm he went to work at a classic car dealer, repairing and servicing Rolls Royces, Bentleys, and Jaguars. Today, when he's not testing tools or writing for Popular Mechanics, he's busy keeping up with the projects at his old farmhouse in eastern Pennsylvania.
Roy Berendsohn has worked for more than 25 years at Popular Mechanics, where he has written on carpentry, masonry, painting, plumbing, electrical, woodworking, blacksmithing, welding, lawn care, chainsaw use, and outdoor power equipment. When he’s not working on his own house, he volunteers with Sovereign Grace Church doing home repair for families in rural, suburban and urban locations throughout central and southern New Jersey.
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Roy Berendsohn has worked for more than 25 years at Popular Mechanics, where he has written on carpentry, masonry, painting, plumbing, electrical, woodworking, blacksmithing, welding, lawn care, chainsaw use, and outdoor power equipment. When he’s not working on his own house, he volunteers with Sovereign Grace Church doing home repair for families in rural, suburban and urban locations throughout central and southern New Jersey.
Kevin Cortez is an editor for Runner's World, Bicycling, and Popular Mechanics covering reviews. A culture and product journalist for over ten years, he’s an expert in men’s style, technology, gaming, coffee, e-bikes, hiking, gear, and all things outdoors. He most recently worked as the Style Editor for Reviewed, a top product recommendation site owned by USA TODAY. He also helped with the launch of WSJ's Buy Side commerce vertical, and has covered the music and podcast industries for Mass Appeal, Genius, Vulture, Leafly, Input, and The A.V. Club. Equally passionate about leisure as he is his penmanship, Kevin dedicates his spare time to graphic novels, birding, making cold brew, and taking long, meandering walks.
Massage Gun Us Brad Ford has spent most of his life using tools to fix, build, or make things. Growing up he worked on a farm, where he learned to weld, repair, and paint equipment. From the farm he went to work at a classic car dealer, repairing and servicing Rolls Royces, Bentleys, and Jaguars. Today, when he's not testing tools or writing for Popular Mechanics, he's busy keeping up with the projects at his old farmhouse in eastern Pennsylvania. \n