Clear Out Fall Leaves With These Tested Leaf Blowers and Vacuums (2024)

Our Top Picks

The Ego Power+ 670 CFM Blower impressed us with its maneuverability, raw power, and long run time, which is why it’s our favorite battery-powered leaf blower. It’s a single-function model that doesn’t vacuum or mulch, but we think it’s worth adding to your power tool lineup after using it in our own yard to tidy up grass clippings, evict dried leaves we found hiding in the margins, and keep our driveway and walkways tidy, without ever needing to stop mid-task to recharge.

When we tested this blower at home, we were impressed with its intuitive controls and powerful performance. We like that it has an easy dial you can use to adjust the output from 250 to 530 cfm to handle lighter jobs and thick mats of wet leaves. The turbo mode is especially powerful, but we wish it had a toggle because holding it down can get tiring.

We used this leaf blower all around our house to corral grass clippings and remove other debris. It worked quite well to virtually sweep our driveway and walkways, leaving them spotless and free of grass clippings, and it was also maneuverable enough to get into tight spots.

We were even able to blow out a bunch of dry leaves that had gotten stuck between our air conditioner and the house during the previous fall, which our old plug-in Ryobi leaf blower missed.

This leaf blower is a little on the heavy side, but that’s largely because the powerful battery weighs almost as much as the bare tool itself. Together, they weigh almost exactly the same as a fully-fueled Echo 2-Stroke Cycle Handheld Leaf Blower (our overall best gas pick). We never felt fatigued, though, and we think the raw power and long-lasting battery life are worth the extra weight.

_{Fuel Type: Battery | Weight: 9.5 pounds | CFM: 250 to 530 | MPH: 180 | Noise Rating: 64 dB}

The Echo 2-Stroke Cycle Handheld Leaf Blower is our favorite gas leaf blower because it is powerful, surprisingly lightweight, and performed very well in real-world testing. We were especially impressed with how well it handled different surfaces, including our yard, sidewalk, and brick patio, which we’ve had trouble clearing with other methods.

This leaf blower is similar to the Ego Power+ 670 CFM Blower (our overall best electric leaf blower recommendation) in terms of specifications. It has slightly lower airflow and wind speed numbers, but it performs very similarly in real life. The main difference is that it’s much louder, so make sure to wear ear protection.

The airflow feels very powerful, and it never had any trouble removing any debris we aimed it at. We used it to clear wet grass clippings, dry leaves, and other debris from a variety of surfaces, and we’re confident that it will handle wet leaves quite well since we were able to use it to move mulch around.

One area where this leaf blower really impressed us was our brick patio, which we’ve struggled to clean with a broom in the past. We had even been unable to get it totally clean by hosing it off, but this leaf blower left it spotless. We were also able to blow off our patio furniture while we were at it.

We think it’s a great option for medium and large yards with lots of leaves, but you may want to pick up a shoulder harness if you have a big yard—while we were able to use this leaf blower with one hand and never felt too fatigued, we do think its weight and power could be tiresome for more than clearing a smaller yard.

We also had some initial trouble with the pull start (one reason we tend to prefer battery-powered options), but it became easier to start after we ran it a few times.

_{Fuel Type: Gas | Weight: 8.6 pounds | CFM: 453 | MPH: 170 | Noise Rating: 105.8 dB}

For small yards and light cleanup that doesn't require the power of a more expensive model, we recommend the Greenworks Single Speed Electric Blower. We tested one both in the Lab and at home, and we found it to be very lightweight and easy to maneuver (as long as you don’t trip over the power cord), with enough power to handle both wet and dry leaves.

We used this leaf blower at home primarily on our front porch to clear hydrangea leaves and petals, blow grass clippings off our driveway and sidewalk, and tidy up other debris. We had previously used a larger and more powerful blower for those tasks but found it to be so unwieldy that we would just sweep instead. That wasn't an issue with how lightweight and easy this blower is to handle.

One thing we love about this electric leaf blower is the cord lock system, which holds your extension cord in place. We never had the cord accidentally come unplugged, so we think that it’s really an essential feature for a corded electric blower like this. We also liked how easy it was to plug it in and start blowing off our porch at any time, without worrying about batteries or gas.

This leaf blower isn’t as powerful as many of our recommendations, with a slightly slower airspeed and significantly lower airflow. That's why we think it’s best for smaller jobs. You’re also limited by the length of your extension cord and the availability of power outlets around the exterior of your home.

It had more than enough power, though, to clear dead leaves, flowers, and grass, and we even used it in the winter to clean out the floor of our garage.

_{Fuel Type: Plug-in | Weight: 4.5 pounds | CFM: 150 | MPH: 160 | Noise Rating: 69.3 dB}

If you want a leaf blower that makes less noise than the average model without compromising on power, we recommend the Milwaukee M18 Fuel. This leaf blower had no trouble clearing our yard of huge maple leaves despite producing less noise than most other battery-powered models, which are already significantly quieter than gas leaf blowers.

We used this leaf blower to handle regular yard maintenance in our big backyard, which is home to two full-grown maple trees that drop a ton of leaves, and our front yard, where we have a river birch that seems to shed constantly. It easily handled the birch leaves, and to our surprise, it also moved wet and dry maple leaves even when they were caught in tight crevices.

We had previously used a handheld Echo gas leaf blower to remove all the leaves in our front and back yards, and we were surprised to find that this battery-powered Milwaukee model handled the same tasks without making a dangerously loud noise.

We do wish it came with some nozzle attachments since the huge blower tube isn’t very precise at all, but we think it’s well suited to any situation where power is more important than precision. The version we tested also had excellent battery life since it came with two batteries, but if that configuration isn’t available you’ll need to buy a Milwaukee M18 Fuel battery in addition to just the tool itself.

_{Fuel Type: Battery | Weight: 5.4 pounds | CFM: 500 | MPH: 120 | Noise Rating: 57 dB}

If you’re looking for a leaf blower that can also vacuum and mulch, we recommend the Greenworks Cordless Brushless Leaf Blower/Vacuum. We tested this combo unit all around our yard to blow grass clippings from our patio and walkways and also checked out the vacuum mode, and it performed both tasks quite well.

This blower did a great job clearing wet and dry grass clippings from our yard, patio, and walkway. The airflow is on the low side, but the airspeed is quite fast, so it excels at blowing lightweight debris like grass clippings. It’s much quicker than sweeping manually and less tiring since the blower is very light and easy to handle.

We also tested out the vacuum mode and mulching feature with grass clippings since the leaves had yet to start to fall. Aside from an initial issue with getting the collection bag securely zipped up, we found that it vacuumed up most of the grass clippings, and then we could switch back to the blower mode to finish tidying up.

Since this leaf blower/vacuum is on the weaker side in terms of airflow, we think it’s best for lighter jobs, smaller yards, and dry leaves. It may struggle with large or wet leaves, so keep that in mind if you prefer to clear your leaves all at once. In that case you may do better with a more powerful option like the Ego Power+ 670 CFM Blower (our overall best battery-powered leaf blower) or a dedicated leaf mulcher.

This combo model comes with a blower tube, a vacuum tube, and a large collection bag, and we found it quite easy to switch between modes. The accessories snap into place without too much time or effort, and the process isn’t difficult to figure out. It is a little awkward to hold and access the controls when using it in vacuum mode, but we were able to use it effectively anyway.

_{Fuel Type: Battery | Weight: 5.6 pounds | CFM: 340 | MPH: 185 | Noise Rating: 70 dB}

If you have a big yard and a lot of leaves to deal with, we recommend this backpack leaf blower from Ego. It’s extremely powerful but also surprisingly lightweight, with a harness that makes it very comfortable to wear for long periods of time. When we tested this leaf blower in our lab and at home, we found the controls to be very easy to use, but it’s definitely more powerful than it is precise.

This leaf blower performed exceptionally well when we tested it in our lab, clearing leaves from a variety of surfaces in a short amount of time. The powerful airflow didn’t allow us to achieve any level of precision, but we think you should be able to gather large, loose piles of leaves if you have a huge lawn with a lot of trees.

We were especially impressed with how this leaf blower performed in our tests of raw power, which involved moving weighted fish nets. We were able to stand quite a distance away and still freely move the weighted nets, so we think it’s a great option for clearing out piles of heavy, wet leaves.

When we used this blower at home in our yard that has more than 20 trees, we found that it vastly reduced the amount of time we would typically spend raking. It also handled other debris like sticks from our driveway, and then we used it to clear some snow from the driveway and sidewalk during the winter.

We found this leaf blower to be very comfortable to wear for long periods of time since it has a well-designed harness. It also weighs about half as much as the Husqvarna Gas Backpack Leaf Blower (our most powerful pick). The Husqvarna is more powerful, but it’s also a lot noisier.

This leaf blower also has a cruise control mode that we found very useful. While it normally requires you to hold down the trigger to keep the blower going, the cruise control mode lets you set the airflow you want. We appreciate that option, since it doesn’t fatigue your hand as much.

_{Fuel Type: Battery | Weight: 12.7 pounds | CFM: 600 | MPH: 145 | Noise Rating: 64 dB}

The Worx Turbine 600 Electric Leaf Blower is our favorite corded leaf blower because it provides very high airflow while still being lightweight and easy to handle. It performed well in our lab tests and then helped reduce the time we spent doing yard work at home, with variable speeds that blew right through small and large tasks.

When we tested this leaf blower at our lab, it was extremely effective at clearing both dry and wet leaves from a variety of surfaces. It was especially fast when blowing leaves from a hard concrete surface, but we were also impressed with how well it handled heavy, wet leaves. The air speed is lower than a lot of the models we’ve tested, but the extremely high airflow really gets the job done.

We also used this blower at home to clear leaves from our yard and patio area, which is where it came in handy that it’s so lightweight and maneuverable. We like that it has two power settings, which we used to handle different jobs around the yard. It was a bit awkward to change the power setting with just one hand, but we were able to reach over with our other hand to take care of it.

The only problem we encountered with this blower was with the extension cord. It initially came unplugged, but after we figured out how to use the cord retainer, that was no longer an issue. The version we tested also came with an extension cord that became very stiff and difficult to maneuver in cold temperatures, so we really recommend picking up acold-weather extension cord if you want to use it through the winter months.

_{Fuel Type: Plug-in | Weight: 6.4 pounds | CFM: 600 | MPH: 110 | Noise Rating: 90 dB}

If you’re looking for raw power, we recommend the Husqvarna 150BT. This backpack leaf blower runs on gas and has a hefty 51cc motor, and it outperforms all of our other recommendations by a significant amount. We were blown away by the sheer speed of the air flowing from the nozzle and the massive volume of air it pushed, which made very short work of an 800-square-foot area covered in grass clippings and leaves.

While we used this leaf blower in a relatively small area, the power impressed us so much that we’re confident it’s suitable for the biggest yards with the heaviest leaf coverage. It shortened the amount of time we’d typically spend on yard maintenance by a significant amount, blowing away wet grass clippings and leaves with remarkable speed.

All that power comes with a few downsides, including noise and flying debris. We feel like it’s very important to wear ear protection when using this tool, and you may want to consider eye protection or a face mask. We noticed a lot of grit and other debris flying around and even back at our face, especially when blowing off hard surfaces.

This is a heavy tool, tipping the scales at almost three times the weight of the handheld Echo 2-Stroke Cycle Handheld Leaf Blower (our overall best gas leaf blower pick), but the harness is so comfortable that we never really felt the weight. The weight is really only an issue when taking the leaf blower out of storage and putting it away since we barely felt it once we had it on.

In addition to being comfortable to wear for long periods (perfect for handling huge yards with lots of leaves), we found the controls to be ergonomic and easy to handle. The blower tube has a joystick mounted to it that fits easily in our hand, allowing us to freely redirect the airflow wherever it needs to go while also controlling the airspeed. It does require regular maintenance like any other gas-powered tool, and it’s harder to get started than a battery-powered model, but we think it’s worth it if you need the extra power.

_{Fuel Type: Gas | Weight: 22 pounds | CFM: 765 | MPH: 270 | Noise Rating: 110 dB}

The Toro Power Sweep Electric Leaf Blower is our favorite option for small yards because it’s small, compact, lightweight, and very easy to use. It lacks the power to handle big yards or heavy, wet leaves, but it was the most precise model we tested at our lab. It also performed very well when we took it home to clear leaves and other debris from our deck, walkways, and other areas around the house.

This leaf blower has the lowest airflow of any model we recommend, which is why it isn’t suitable for heavy-duty jobs. It excels at smaller tasks, though, like blowing dry leaves and grass clippings. The relatively low airflow makes it much easier to control, with no kickback or tiring vibrations.

When we tested this leaf blower in our lab, it was one of the only models capable of handling our precision tasks and the fastest. Where other more powerful leaf blowers sent leaves flying everywhere, this one allowed us to easily corral leaves into a target area.

We also took this leaf blower home to test for about six months, using it to tidy up a variety of areas around our home. It excelled at clearing leaves and other debris from the deck, and we also used to blow grass clippings from the walkways.

Since it’s so light and easy to use, we had no qualms about pulling it out weekly to keep everything looking neat and tidy. We even used it to blow leaves out of our gutters before they could accumulate and make a mess, sending them out into the yard where we could pick them up with a lawn sweeper.

_{Fuel Type: Plug-in | Weight: 4.6 pounds | CFM: 155 | MPH: 160 | Noise Rating: 63.5 dB}

Final Verdict

After testing dozens of leaf blowers at the Lab and home, we determined that the Ego Power+ 670 CFM Blower is our pick for the overall best battery-powered leaf blower. We loved the turbo mode and extremely high airflow, which made short work of even the toughest jobs. If you prefer the extra runtime and power of a gas model, we recommend the Echo 2-Stroke Cycle Handheld Leaf Blower. We found it to be very powerful and efficient, with a compact design that's easy to handle and surprisingly lightweight for a gas model.

Testing Leaf Blowers for Noise, Battery Life, and Power

FAQ

• Is CFM or MPH more important in a leaf blower?

  CFM measures the volume of air that the leaf blower can move, whereas MPH measures the speed at which the air moves. It’s important to look at both numbers because they work together. However, a higher airspeed does nothing without a large push power—the volume of air coming out every minute (CFM)—and therefore, large differences in CFM between models can often make a bigger difference in how quickly you can complete a job.

  Biermeier compares leaf blowers to snow plows, comparing CFM to “volume of pushing power or the size of the snowplow's blade“ and MPH to “the speed of the vehicle pushing the plow.” Larger blades move more snow, whereas faster speeds throw the snow a greater distance. In other words, a higher CFM will reach and move more leaves at a time, whereas a higher MPH will blow the leaves a greater distance. Biermeier advises that you prioritize CFM or MPH based on your particular needs.

• Can you clean gutters with a leaf blower?

  Many people clean leaves and other debris out of their gutters using leaf blowers, as the tool makes this cumbersome chore faster and easier. However, it’s important to keep safety in mind if you clean gutters with a leaf blower. It’s not advised to try to wrangle your leaf blower while balancing on a ladder, and—instead, you should invest in a gutter-cleaning attachment for your specific tool (such as the Worx Gutter Cleaning Kit). These attachments include a long tube with a hooked end, allowing you to blow leaves from your gutters while standing on the ground. Biermeier recommends you buy an appropriate, specially-designed extension kit to clean your gutters, rather than climbing on top of your roof and relying on your leaf blower to do the job. Biermeier also notes when it comes to thick, wet leaves “a more powerful, corded or gas model might be able to blast them out, but a cordless model only does a fair job of it when the gutter contents are thoroughly dry.”

The 8 Best Leaf Mulchers of 2024