Samantha Jones has been at Dotdash Meredith since 2021. She is currently an associate editor on the Better Homes & Gardens commerce team, writing and editing content on a variety of home and gardening topics. Previously, Samantha held roles as a performance content writer at Meredith Corporation and as an apprentice at Better Homes & Gardens.
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Better Homes and Garden / Rachel Marek
Taking care of your yard can feel like a never-ending battle against sprouting weeds, under- or over-watered grass, and the constant piles of leaves that collect on your lawn and in your gutters every fall. However, buying the right leaf blower can help make the job of keeping your yard in top condition a little bit easier.
When looking for the best leaf blowers, you’ll need to decide between a gas-powered or electric leaf blower. While gas leaf blowers tend to be the most powerful, they’re quite loud, expensive, and they can require a lot of upkeep that makes them less suited for small- to medium-sized yards. Instead, we recommend electric leaf blowers, which are quieter, more maneuverable, and come in either corded or cordless models.
“Cordless blowers are the best options for almost all of your blower needs,” says Nicole Durden, senior merchant at The Home Depot. “They require little maintenance, have quick start with the touch of a button, and are significantly quieter. Also, once you’re in a battery platform, the same battery that powers your drill and other indoor tools can power your leaf blower and other outdoor tools as well, making it the most versatile option.”
To create a definitive list of the best electric leaf blowers on the market, we assembled a team of home and garden experts to test some of the top-selling leaf blowers in our lab in Des Moines, Iowa.
Our testers spent an entire day assembling leaf blowers, measuring their noise level when running, and using them to move debris across a grassy yard and a cement walkway. We also used them on areas with mulch to see how well each electric leaf blower moved debris without disrupting the landscaping. Finally, we compiled all of our experts’ insights to create a list of the best electric leaf blowers.
Our favorite leaf blower was the Ryobi 18V One+ 280 CFM Jet Fan Leaf Blower because it was quite powerful while remaining super easy to maneuver and control. It’s lightweight, which makes it less cumbersome to carry around for long periods of time, and it worked well at moving debris around on grass and cement alike.
Here’s our complete list of the best electric leaf blowers.
Why You Should Get It: Our testers said this leaf blower was one of the most lightweight and easiest to control out of all the ones we tested.
Keep in Mind: The battery life is only 30 minutes, so it’s better suited to small yards or quick projects.
Whether clearing grass clippings from your sidewalks in the summertime or bagging dead leaves on your lawn in the fall, the Ryobi 18V One+ Jet Fan Leaf Blower is a powerful all-season option to make yard work easier. At 6 pounds, this electric leaf blower is super easy to carry and use for long periods of time without fatiguing, and the three-speed jet fan blows air at up to 100 miles per hour.
Our testers, who were tasked with moving wet leaves, dry leaves, and fishing weights from one side of the yard to another, found that the Ryobi One+ leaf blower was powerful enough to move the debris yet extremely easy to control. Because the airflow doesn’t send leaves flying in all different directions when it’s on, you can remove leaves from gutters and garden beds while making neat piles for easy cleanup.
When running, it emits about 108 decibels of noise, according to our testers (though the manufacturer claims it can be as quiet as 65 decibels on its lowest setting). 107 decibels is approximately as loud as a lawn mower, and it was comparable to many of the other leaf blowers we tested, so our testers weren’t bothered by the noise.
The only thing to keep in mind with this leaf blower is its battery life, which only lasts 30 minutes. While this certainly isn’t the shortest battery life out of the ones we tested, it may not be long enough to complete larger projects or to use in a big yard. In these cases, a corded leaf blower may be a better choice.
Price at time of publish: $122
Beter Homes and Gardens / Rachel Marek
Why You Should Get It: This leaf blower boasts 180 minutes of run time without needing a recharge.
Keep in Mind: It takes slightly more space to store due to the backpack.
People who have a large yard with a lot of leaves to clean up in the fall may be willing to spend more for a high-powered leaf blower with a longer battery life.
Our testers loved the Ego Power+ 600 CFM Backpack Leaf Blower, which cleared wet and dry leaves from our testing space in just 15 seconds. It has a CFM (cubic feet per minute) of 260 to 600, depending on what level you have it set to, which measures the volume of air it produces—and how quickly it can move debris around your yard.
Our testers found that the Ego Power+ backpack blower had no trouble moving both wet and dry leaves, and it even pushed the fishing weights from one part of the yard to another without needing to get super close to the objects. At 12 pounds, it’s a bit heavier than other models we tested, but since it’s a backpack model, it didn’t weigh our testers down or feel clunky to wear.
In fact, we found that the backpack was quite comfortable, thanks to the cushioned backpack straps and the flexible wand, which allowed us to move around freely. One of our testers even noted that using this leaf blower was “fun.”
The tube itself is adjustable, making it easy to expand or retract it depending on how concentrated you’d like the blast of air to be. Compared to other leaf blowers we tested, it’s also reasonably quiet at just 93.6 on the turbo setting. However, our favorite thing about this leaf blower is its impressive battery life, which lasts up to 180 minutes on a single charge.
Because of the backpack and removable battery, this leaf blower may require more creative storage than a handheld leaf blower. You’ll need somewhere to recharge the battery between uses, and the backpack will stay in the best condition if it’s hung up, which may require you to store the leaf blower parts separately, depending on your storage configurations.
Price at time of publish: $500
Better Homes and Gardens / Rachel Marek
Why You Should Get It: For the price, it’s very powerful, lightweight, and easy to use.
Keep in Mind: It’s difficult to control where the leaves end up when using this leaf blower.
People with a small yard may not need a high-powered (and expensive) leaf blower to keep fall foliage in check. Instead, the Avid Power 12-Amp 600-CFM Electric Leaf Blower is a budget-friendly yet still powerful and effective tool to move debris out of your yard and garden beds.
This corded electric leaf blower pushes air at a maximum velocity of 135 miles per hour, which allowed our testers to clear both dry and wet leaves from the grass in a little over 30 seconds. There are six different speed settings to choose from, giving you the ability to better control how powerful the blast is.
Our testers noted that it’s very difficult to control the exact direction the leaves end up with this blower; the wide mouth causes debris to go everywhere. However, it’s still great for dislodging leaves from garden beds and under your deck or removing grass clippings from sidewalks and driveways after mowing the lawn.
It also comes with an attachable tube that elongates the nozzle so you don’t have to bend over when using the device, and at just 5.1 pounds, it’s lightweight enough to hold for long periods of time without getting tired.
Price at time of publish: $45
Better Homes and Gardens / Rachel Marek
Why You Should Get It: Our testers liked that they were able to use this leaf blower without having to bend over.
Keep in Mind: Transitioning between power settings isn’t very smooth.
Complete your yard work without having to drag out a long extension cord. Many shoppers prefer cordless electric leaf blowers to corded models, because they don’t need access to a nearby outlet to operate. Our testers were impressed by the Makita 18-Volt Brushless cordless leaf blower, which easily moved leaves across the yard, out from garden beds, and over concrete driveways.
With a CFM of 459 and a maximum velocity of 116 miles per hour, the leaf blower is powerful enough to dislodge wet and dry leaves without being excessively loud (it measured 100 decibels on its highest speed). We found that it was also super lightweight, making it easy to hold in one hand while changing the power setting with the other. It’s also only 6.5 pounds, so you won’t get tired when using it in your yard for long periods of time.
The Makita brushless cordless leaf blower uses the same removable 18-volt battery that other Makita products use, so you’ll be able to purchase additional batteries (or use the ones you already have) to swap in and out whenever one is running low. This allows you to keep using the leaf blower for as long as you need to complete your yard work.
Changing speed settings on this leaf blower isn’t as smooth a transition as our testers hoped; it has a slight kickback when moving from a lower speed to a higher one. This wasn’t a major concern for us when testing, but be prepared to point the blower away from leaf piles and hold on firmly when switching between speeds.
Price at time of publish: $199
Better Homes and Gardens / Rachel Marek
Why You Should Get It: This 600-CFM leaf blower comes with its own extension cord for easy access to just about anywhere in your yard.
Keep in Mind: It was harder for our testers to control the exact direction of the leaves when using this model.
If you’re okay with staying within reach of an outlet while operating your leaf blower, this Worx 12-Amp Turbine 600 Electric leaf blower was our testers’ favorite corded model. It comes with its own 50-foot extension cord, allowing you to reach a larger radius of space in your yard while powerfully moving leaves and other debris.
When using the Worx electric leaf blower to move wet and dry leaves across the lawn and out of garden beds, our testers found that it was super easy to use and control. Though initially tricky to flip the switch from off to on one-handed, our testers could easily change its speed settings by turning a small switch on the side of the device. This allows you to better control where the leaves in your yard end up.
According to the manufacturer, this corded leaf blower has a CFM of 600 and an air velocity of 110 miles per hour, so it’s powerful enough to move debris out of gutters, off of your driveway, and across the grass. We found that it took around 30 seconds to move a 1-pound pile of leaves from one section of the yard to another, which is consistent with the other corded and cordless leaf blowers we tested. Testers also loved that it has a retractable power cord, making it even easier to put away the machine once they were finished using it.
It’s a little bit difficult to control the actual direction of the leaves when pointing the Worx electric leaf blower at them; the shape of this device’s nozzle causes them to go in multiple directions at a time. This wasn’t a huge concern for our testers, since they weren’t trying to make perfectly neat piles, but someone who wants a leaf blower with more precise control may be disappointed.
Price at time of publish: $58
Better Homes and Gardens / Rachel Marek
Why You Should Get It: At just 3.7 pounds, this lightweight leaf blower is easy to operate and carry for long periods of time.
Keep in Mind: It only has one power setting.
It’s no secret that a majority of your yard work requires a bit of elbow grease to accomplish. However, cleaning up stray foliage from your grass, gutters, and garden beds doesn’t have to, thanks to this extremely lightweight leaf blower. At just 3.7 pounds, it’s super easy to carry around and use without fatiguing.
Our testers really liked the design of the Black+Decker 20V Max Cordless Sweeper, which has a long plastic tube that allows you to move debris without bending over and an oval-shaped opening for more control over where the leaves end up. While it took about two minutes to move the leaf piles from one section of the yard to another—a bit longer than other models we tested—the leaves didn’t go flying in all directions as we worked.
This leaf blower isn’t as loud as other models at around 82 decibels when we tested it in our lab, which is about as loud as a busy restaurant. According to the manufacturer, it has an air speed of 130 miles per hour, so it’s great for clearing debris off your deck, driveway, and lawn. The only thing we’d change is that this model only has one power setting, so you can’t change the air velocity for different projects.
Price at time of publish: $89
Better Homes and Gardens / Rachel Marek
Why You Should Get It: It moved wet and dry leaves faster than several of the bigger (and more expensive) leaf blowers we tested.
Keep in Mind: Because of its size, it’s best for small- to medium-sized yard projects.
If you have a small yard or limited storage space, buying a small electric leaf blower allows you to keep your patio and backyard clean without taking up tons of space in your garage when it’s not in use. The Toro Power Sweep electric leaf blower was the best small model we tested since it has two power settings and a velocity of up to 160 miles per hour.
At 16.5 inches long by 11.7 inches wide and weighing only 4.7 pounds, it’s very compact compared to other leaf blowers, making it easy to use and store. Our testers found that it was quite powerful at removing debris from grass, concrete, and flower beds, too. This powerful device moved a 1-pound pile of dry leaves from one area of the yard to another in under 20 seconds. While it took around 30 seconds to displace the pile of wet leaves, this was still faster than many of the larger leaf blowers we tested.
It’s a corded model, so you won’t have to worry about the battery dying and cutting your project short. The cord is retractable, so it’ll coil itself up inside the machine after you’re done using it, making the leaf blower even easier to store. The machine made about 103 decibels of noise, which is certainly still loud, but not as loud as some we tested.
Keep in mind that, because of its small size, this leaf blower is less efficient when attempting to clear large amounts of debris from your yard or deck. If you have a large yard or frequently have big piles of leaves that need clearing, you’ll probably want to get a bigger leaf blower.
Price at time of publish: $57
Better Homes and Gardens / Rachel Marek
Why You Should Get It: It is the most powerful leaf blower we tested, with a CFM of 610 and maximum air velocity of 180 miles per hour.
Keep in Mind: The battery only lasts 18 minutes, so you’ll need to swap out the battery part way through long projects.
If your backyard is littered with large piles of leaves every fall, the last thing you probably want to do is grab a rake and get to work. Instead, buying a backpack leaf blower is a quicker and easier way to clean up. Our testers raved over the Greenworks Pro 80-Volt Cordless Backpack Leaf Blower, saying that it was comfortable and easy to use.
While heavier than a handheld model at about 15 pounds, this backpack leaf blower is well-balanced so it doesn’t feel too bulky or tiring when holding it for a long time. There’s a convenient trigger on the handle, making it easy to change between the different speed settings for better control.
According to our testers, it was able to clear dry leaves from the grass and a garden bed in under 30 seconds, and even less for wet leaves.
It has a maximum CFM of 610 and velocity of 180 miles per hour, making it the most powerful model on our list of the best leaf blowers. This means it’ll be better equipped to handle large projects, since it can move leaves and debris more easily than less-powerful models.
The battery life is relatively short, at just 18 minutes of life, but it comes with an 80-volt rapid charger that allows it to fully recharge in just 40 minutes. You can also use any of the other Greenworks 80-volt batteries with this leaf blower, so you can always buy additional batteries to swap in when one runs out.
Price at time of publish: $317
Why You Should Get It: It has a trigger on the underside of the handle that makes it easy to switch between power settings.
Keep in Mind: The battery lasts only 12 minutes on its highest setting.
One of the biggest challenges when using a leaf blower is getting the debris to go in the direction you want it to, rather than scattering all over the yard. Leaf blowers with varying speed settings can make it easier to control the direction of the leaves, which is why our testers liked the DeWalt Brushless Handheld Blower.
This electric leaf blower has a CFM of 450 and its air velocity can reach 125 miles per hour on its highest setting, allowing it to rapidly clear debris off your deck or organize fall foliage into easy-to-manage piles. Our testers found that it could move leaves across the grass and out of garden beds in under a minute.
The DeWalt brushless handheld blower was the easiest to control out of all the leaf blowers we tested because of the trigger on the underside of the handle, which allows you to pulse the power button. This helped our testers control the direction the leaves went without them going flying all over.
It has three separate speeds to choose from, which impacts how long the battery will last before needing a recharge. On its lowest setting, you can use the device for up to 87 minutes; on its highest, it’ll last for 12 minutes.
Price at time of publish: $197
Better Homes and Gardens / Rachel Marek
After an entire day of testing, we chose the Ryobi 18V One+ 280 CFM Jet Fan Leaf Blower as our choice for best overall leaf blower because of its lightweight and powerful yet easy to control design. This makes it helpful for a variety of yard projects including cleaning the gutters, dealing with fall foliage, and more in many small- to medium-sized yards.
To create our list of the best electric leaf blowers, we assembled a team of home and garden experts and had them test 27 different leaf blowers in our lab in Des Moines, Iowa. Our tests included assembling the leaf blowers, measuring their noise level, and using them to move wet and dry leaves from one side of a grassy yard to the other. We also used the electric leaf blowers on cement and in areas with wood chips to see if it would make a mess when moving leaves out of garden beds and landscaping.
After an entire day of testing, we gathered insights from all of our testers about the performance, noise level, effectiveness, battery life, and ease of use for each leaf blower, then created a final list of the best electric leaf blowers based on these insights.
One of the most important things to consider when choosing the best electric leaf blowers for your yard is its motor speed. This will help you determine if the leaf blower is powerful enough to move debris around your yard while remaining easy to control, and will typically be listed in the product description in miles per hour (MPH) and cubic feet per minute (CFM).
“CFM is the cubic feet per minute of air volume generated by the fans,” Durden says. “The higher the CFM, the more leaves and debris you'll be able to blow at once. Miles per hour is the air speed. The higher your MPH, the further the distance it can push debris.”
During testing, our home and garden experts found that the best electric leaf blowers had a maximum air velocity of 100 miles per hour and above, with a CFM of 200 to 400. This made them powerful enough to move wet and dry leaves alike with ease while remaining easy to control.
If you’re leaning towards purchasing a cordless electric leaf blower, you’ll want to consider the battery life each model possesses. According to Durden, the best cordless electric leaf blowers will have at least 20 minutes of battery, though some of the leaf blowers we tested could last a lot longer on a single charge.
“Most cordless blowers will provide between 20 to 30 minutes of run time during continuous use,” Durden says. “Consider blowers with larger amp hour batteries or multiple batteries to extend your run time.”
The weight of your electric leaf blower may not seem like a huge factor at first, but when you’ve been using it for 30 minutes or longer, you’ll likely change your tune. Due to the elongated shape, finding a leaf blower that is well-balanced and not clunky to use can make a huge difference.
Based on our testing, the best electric leaf blowers weigh about 6 pounds, though backpack leaf blowers will weigh more. However, since the weight is distributed on your back instead of solely in your hand, it’s less cumbersome to carry for long periods of time.
At 9 pounds, the Greenworks Pro 80V Axial Leaf Blower was significantly heavier than other leaf blowers we tested. Our tester noted that this made it more difficult to change the speed settings and carry the device for a long period of time, so we chose not to include this model on our list of the best leaf blowers.
Though our testers liked the compact size of the Craftsman V20 Cordless Blower for storage purposes, they noted that it’d be difficult to complete any large projects with this device. Because of its smaller size, it’s not capable of moving large piles of leaves at a time, and it was quite noisy when operating.
The power cord on the Black+Decker Three-in-One Electric leaf blower kept coming unplugged from our extension cords when testing this model in the lab. Our testers also found that it was quite difficult to control this leaf blower due to its bulky design and loud operation.
When shopping for the best electric leaf blowers, you’ll need to decide whether a corded or cordless model makes the most sense for your needs. If you have a large yard with limited access to an electrical outlet, you’ll likely appreciate the freedom that a cordless leaf blower offers. With these models, you’ll be able to work in any part of the yard without switching between outlets or getting tangled in an extension cord, but your work time will be limited to the device’s battery life.
For people who like the convenience of constant power, corded electric leaf blowers may be a better choice since you won’t ever have to worry about recharging your device in between uses. However, you’ll be limited to a shorter radius of space or rely on an extension cord, depending on how long the leaf blower cord is.
Aside from using it to help clear large amounts of leaves from your lawn, your electric leaf blower can be used to accomplish several other projects around the yard, too. First, you can use it to routinely clear debris out of your gutters, which eliminates the need to reach in manually and scoop out all the gunk.
You can also use your electric leaf blower to clear grass clippings from your driveway and sidewalk after mowing, which helps to keep your lawn looking spic and span. Finally, leaf blowers are helpful at getting leafs and other debris out of hard-to-reach spaces in your yard, such as in garden beds or around the edges of your deck. Since these places are difficult to access with a regular rake, a leaf blower can help displace the leaves and make them easier to clean up.
When choosing between an electric leaf blower and a gas-powered one, many homeowners prefer the former because it’s quieter to operate, doesn’t pollute the air, and often requires less maintenance. Gas leaf blowers tend to be more powerful than electric leaf blowers, so shoppers with big yards with lots of leaves may find a gas leaf blower to be more effective at cleaning up their yard.
However, the extra power means that it is twice as heavy as an electric model and that it contributes to air pollution. For these reasons, an electric leaf blower will often be the best choice for most shoppers.
Samantha Jones is a home commerce editor at Better Homes & Gardens, writing and editing stories about the best patio umbrellas, bath towels, removable wallpaper, and more. For this story, she thoroughly researched the most important features to look for when buying the best electric leaf blowers, then compared her findings with insights gathered from our leaf blower lab tests in Des Moines, Iowa. Samantha also interviewed Nicole Durden, Senior Merchant at The Home Depot for her expert insights on this topic.
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