The 7 Best Leaf Blowers to Clear Your Yard of Leaves and Debris
Updated: Nov. 29, 2023
If you're in the market for the best leaf blower, we found the top-rated options to clear off lawns, walkways, driveways and sidewalks.
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The best leaf blower can make quick work of cleaning up leaves, blowing away grass clippings and even clearing snow. These time-saving devices come in a wide variety of styles and prices, and can often be used with blower attachments, making it hard to know which one will best suit your needs. Here is how to use a leaf blower.
Whether you’re looking for a gas leaf blower, electric model, handheld or backpack version, we researched and sorted through plenty of options to find the best of the best for all needs and budgets. Right this way for the best leaf blower for you…
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Best Overall Leaf Blower
Ego Power+ Cordless Leaf Blower
With plenty of power to move leaves, grass clippings, yard debris and even snow, the Ego Power+ Cordless Leaf Blower gets our pick as best overall option. This lightweight model (less than 5 pounds!) has a turbine fan that can reach speeds of up to 168 miles per hour (mph) to help it perform better than many premium gas-powered models. The high-efficiency brushless motor with a velocity of 580 cubic feet per minute (cfm) delivers plenty of run time for tough jobs. It includes flat and tapered nozzle attachments for clearing debris, and buyers noted how quiet it runs.
Pros
- Reaches up to 168 mph
- Weighs less than 5 pounds
- Comes with two attachments
- Includes a battery and charger
Cons
- On the expensive side
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Best Budget Leaf Blower
Toro PowerJet Electric Handheld Leaf Blower
You’ll get a balance of power and performance at a budget price with the Toro PowerJet Electric Handheld Leaf Blower. At 725 cfm/140 mph, this model has the highest amount of power than any other corded blower. Just grab an extension cord and you’ll be able to move large piles of leaves—wet or dry—with ease.
“It’s small, compact, [and] very, very strong. You can’t go wrong with it and then for the price, telling you just get it, you won’t be disappointed,” writes verified purchaser, Camaross.
Pros
- Won’t break the bank
- Provides a lot of power
- Speed dial allows easy control
Cons
- Cord limits distance use
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Best Leaf Blower for Small Yards
Ryobi One+ Cordless Jet Fan Blower
For homeowners with small yards—or if you’re just looking to clear off a deck or patio—the Ryobi One+ Cordless Jet Fan Blower is the best leaf blower for you. This cordless electric model offers 280 cfm, and the blower features a jet fan design to provide power up to 100 mph. A variable speed trigger gives you plenty of control. At under 6 pounds, this model is lightweight and easy to operate. It even has a hanging hook for storage and a debris scraper for loosening stubborn dirt and leaves.
Pros
- Lightweight and cordless
- Has an ergonomic design
- Comes with a debris scraper
Cons
- Doesn’t include battery or charger
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Best Leaf Blower for Big Yards
Stihl Magnum Backpack Gas-Powered Leaf Blower
Make cleaning up large yards a breeze with the Stihl Magnum BR 800 Backpack Gas-Powered Leaf Blower. Fall leaves will be blown away (literally) with the most powerful blower in the brand’s lineup. You’ll blast through jobs quickly with 912 cfm and a capacity of 239 mph. This backpack model is also comfortable, featuring ergonomic S-shaped shoulder straps and an easily adjustable handle, so any user can select their most comfortable position.
“With a lot of trees and areas to blow, we wanted an additional unit for family members and a step up in power. And boy, does this deliver. It’s extremely powerful,” said an anonymous verified buyer.
Pros
- 912 cfm and 239 mph
- Has an adjustable support harness
- Includes a built-in stop switch
- Zero or low exhaust emissions
Cons
- Loud
- Expensive
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Best Leaf Blower for Quick Jobs
Sun Joe Six-Amp Blower
For light and quick jobs, it’s hard to beat the value of the Sun Joe Six-Amp Blower—the brand has a strong hold on the “most affordable” sector of the leaf blower market. It weighs less than 4 pounds, but this corded blower offers 260 cfm and 155 mph. It’s a nice choice for clearing leaves and grass clippings off your patio or front steps, as well as drying your vehicle after a car wash. This model comes in various colors.
Pros
- Best for sweeping jobs
- Extremely affordable
- Features one-handed operation
- Comes in multiple colors
Cons
- Has a short cord
- Some assembly required
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Most Versatile Handheld Leaf Blower
Toro UltraPlus Leaf Blower Vacuum
If you’re looking for versatility in your leaf blower, you’ll want to check out the Toro UltraPlus Leaf Blower Vacuum. This three-in-one machine is a powerful blower, high-speed vacuum and a leaf shredder. At just under 9 pounds, this corded model puts out an impressive 410 cfm and a maximum peed of 250 mph, allowing you to make quick work of both wet and dry leaves, along with grass clippings. It comes with attachments and a bottom-zip vacuum bag.
Pros
- Three-in-one design
- Provides 410 cfm and 250 mph
- Affordable
Cons
- On the heavier side
- Only has two speeds
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Best Low-Noise Leaf Blower
Makita Gas-Powered Leaf Blower
Not all gas-powered leaf blowers are so loud that they’ll wake up the whole neighborhood. Four-stroke engines add complication to a leaf blower, but they’re significantly quieter. The Makita Gas-Powered Leaf Blower comes with a quality muffler that reduces the noise rating to 67 decibels (dB), roughly equivalent to a noisy dishwasher. Surprisingly, it’s lighter than you might expect for such a machine, weighing in at 9.8 pounds. It delivers a respectable air volume of 358 cfm and 145 mph air speed.
Pros
- Features a large-capacity muffler
- Easy-to-use cruise control lever
- Â Includes a long nozzle, round end nozzle and tool kit
Cons
- May be too heavy to use without a shoulder strap
What to Consider When Buying a Leaf Blower
When buying the best leaf blower for your needs, keep in mind there are plenty of options and things you can do with a leaf blower. Consider how much it weighs, how easy it is to operate, how comfortable it is to use, how noisy it is and how much maintenance it requires. Cost is also important, as prices can vary widely.
You’ll also want to understand cubic feet per minute (cfm) vs. miles per hour (mph). Leaf blowers are rated by the volume of air they move and the speed that air travels. Air volume is measured in cfm and air speed in mph. The higher numbers in these categories, the better, but which matters more depends on the type of debris. A higher cfm will move large amounts of light, dry debris, like grass clippings, while wet leaves or heavier trash require more force and, thus, a higher mph.
Types of Best Leaf Blowers
- Handheld leaf blowers: As the most common choice, they’re a great option for smaller lawns and are available in gas, electric and corded models.
- Backpack leaf blowers: These come with straps to wear on your back. Backpack leaf blowers are a smart option if you have more area to over, such as an acre or more. They’re available in gas and electric.
- Walk-behind leaf blowers: These are more of a specialist machine, many of which are commercial models. They’re ideal for large, flat yards with lots of leaves.
How We Found the Best Leaf Blower
As shopping experts, our only job is to help you find a winning product. We start with the research and reporting basics—what products are made of, what they look like and how much they cost—to ensure that we’re only recommending the buys that are worth your time and money. Then, we research the features that speak to the product’s quality, taking advice from industry insiders and subject matter experts on what makes a product a smart value (or worthy of a splurge). Finally, we do the work of combing through user reviews to see how real people interact with the product, and if it stands up to the test.
FAQ
Which is better: a two-cycle or four-cycle leaf blower?
It depends on your needs. A two-cycle leaf blower is generally lighter in weight and more powerful than a four-cycle, and it uses a mix of oil and gasoline. A two-cycle leaf blower is a popular option for homeowners, since they have a lower price point than a four-cycle.
A four-cycle leaf blower is designed with fuel efficiency in mind. These models allow you to do more work with less fuel, however, they’re often more expensive than two-cycle models.
How many cfm should a good leaf blower have?
The higher the cfm, the more power a leaf blower will have. How much cfm your leaf blower should have depends on how much debris, such as grass clippings, leaves and brush you need to move. A smaller yard with fewer trees can be cleared with a leaf blower with a lower cfm while one with a lot of leaves and clippings will require a higher cfm.
What matters most in a leaf blower?
Price and power are the two things that matter most in finding the best leaf blower for your yard. Find one with enough cfm to get the job done while staying within your budget.
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