Your fall (and even other seasons) could be a lot simpler with some help from a battery-powered leaf blower. Gas-powered blowers get a well-deserved bad reputation for their fuel consumption and loud noise. But, these battery-powered models offer impressive performance at reduced volume without the need gas. We’ve chosen the EGO Power+ LB5302 3-Speed Turbo 56-Volt 530 CFM Cordless Leaf Blower as our best overall battery-powered leaf blower for its mix of brute force power and affordability. Keep reading for our category picks.
How we chose the best battery-powered leaf blowers
Living in Upstate New York, I have no shortage of leaves to blow around each fall. In order to choose the best battery-powered leaf blowers, I’ve relied on a mixture of hands-on testing, user feedback, editorial reviews, spec comparisons, and company reputation. I also consulted with some long-time friends who own a successful landscaping business here in the area in regards to what features are worth considering.
Our top picks provide enough power to make quick work of a job without cranking up the noise levels or adding extra bulk. After all, the goal here is to reduce physical exertion and time spent clearing. Lugging around a heavy piece of gear isn’t exactly an efficient endeavor. You can also consider our list of the best leaf vacuums if you’d rather capture the leaves instead of blowing them around.
The best battery-powered leaf blowers: Reviews & Recommendations
While we have a great overall pick, your needs may vary. Here are some great models to consider for various yards and budgets.
Best overall: EGO Power+ LB5302 3-Speed Turbo 56-Volt Cordless Leaf Blower
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- Price: $159
- Max air speed: 110 mph
- Air volume: 530 cfm
- Battery voltage: 56 volts
- Weight: 7 pounds
Unless you’re a commercial landscaper or you live on a property that’s packed with trees, you will probably never need more power than you’ll get with this model. This 3-speed leaf blower can pump out air at up to 110 miles per hour, which is plenty strong, even if you’re trying to pry up matted down leaves or even dirt. It typically operates at three different speeds, the middle of which should be plenty strong for most tasks like clearing leaves or blowing dust and dirt off of a driveway. With the boost button engaged, however, it moves a ton of air. It’s great if you’re in a hurry or have a lot of space to clear.
The 56-volt battery works in more than 80 of EGO’s other yard tools. That’s more powerful than the 40V options on the list, but not as burly as the 80-volt models. This is a great middle ground for people that don’t need maximum output. It runs relatively quietly, but more importantly, it can get up to 75 minutes on a single battery charge. Your actual mileage will likely be less than that, but you should still get an hour out of a charge easily under normal conditions.
This is a great middle-of-the-road model that will do everything you want without taxing your budget–or your grip strength–too aggressively.
Best upgrade: EGO POWER+ 56-volt Battery Handheld Leaf Blower 5 Ah
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- Price: $299
- Max air speed: 200 mph
- Air volume: 765 cfm
- Battery voltage: 56
- Weight: 12.25
Some leaf blowing jobs require maximum power and that’s where this beast comes in. It operates at a maximum power output of 765 cfm or 200 mph. That’s powerful enough to move wet leaves that form heavy sheets on surfaces. It’s also strong enough to dislodge matted down dirt and other tough-to-remove materials.
In order to get that maximum performance, you’ll need to run this tool at max power, which gets you roughly 15 minutes of runtime out of a single battery charge. Luckily, you can dial back the power and get roughly 90 minutes from a single charge if you don’t need maximum output.
This isn’t a light machine. It weighs 12 pounds and puts out serious power, so make sure you have the grip strength to manage all of that before purchasing. But, if you want to quickly clear a large area or dislodge stubborn debris, you’ll be glad you have the extra oomph.
Best budget: Greenworks 40V Cordless Axial Leaf Blower
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- Price: $113
- Max air speed: 100 mph
- Air volume: 350 cfm
- Battery voltage: 40V
- Weight: 4 pounds
You can get a battery-powered leaf blower for $75 off of Amazon, but we don’t recommend it. They typically use a proprietary charger that’s useless for other tools. The quality can also be suspect. This model regularly hovers around $100 and uses Greenworks’ 40V battery. That gives it up to 100 mph and 350 cfm performance. That’s plenty if you’re just blowing leaves or grass clippings off of your surfaces. A friend of mine keeps this model in his Crossfit gym to blow out the dirt and leaves that come in through the large garage door.
It weighs just four pounds, so it’s easy to handle and it’s quiet due to the relatively tame power. You can use it in a garage without blowing out your ear drums. Despite its very demure status, it’s a reliable machine with all the features you ned to get the job done. Plus, it leaves money left in the budget for apple cider once you’re done clearing leaves.
Best compact: WORX Nitro WG543 20V LEAFJET Leaf Blower
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- Price: $117
- Miles per hour: 130 mph
- Air volume: 410 cfm
- Battery voltage: 20V
- Weight: 3.8
At just 3.8 pounds, this is the lightest and most compact model on our list. That’s important for someone who doesn’t have ample hand strength or dexterity. Despite its small size, it’s still capable of pumping out wind at up to 130 mph for powering through tough material. You can switch it over to volume mode to raise the maximum cfm up to 410. That spreads out the power, which allows it to clear larger areas more quickly. The Worx batteries are interchangeable between different outdoor tools.
I particularly like the handle formation on this blower. The chunky top handle allows for two-handed operation in a comfortable arrangement. That’s important when you have it going on full-power.
Best backpack style: Greenworks 40V Cordless Brushless Backpack Leaf Blower
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- Price: $349
- Max air speed: 165 mph
- Air volume: 660 cfm
- Battery voltage: 40V
- Weight: 20 pounds
If you want to put the weight on your back instead of your forearms, then a backpack-style blower makes a great choice. The bulk of the 20-pound device resides on your back. Adjustable straps allow it to sit higher or lower depending on your preference. A thick hose connects the backpack to the nozzle, which blasts away leaves with impressive accuracy.
This model relies on Greenworks’ 40V battery, which works across its entire stable of outdoor tools. This is a great option if you’re going to be swapping out batteries and doing extended clearing sessions.
There are many factors to consider when deciding which battery-powered leaf blower is right for you. Below are the factors we considered most important when writing this guide.
Power
It can be tricky to figure out just how powerful a leaf blower is. That’s because there are several different variables that can indicate output. There are two very common factors you’ll see in most product pages: Miles per hour (MPH) and cubic feet per minute (CFM). MPH is pretty self-explanatory, it represents tha maximum speed at which the air comes out of the tool. Faster air obviously represents a more powerful device. CFM pertains to the volume of air the blower can move in one minute. Again, the higher this number, the more powerful the tool will be.
It may seem tempting to go for the highest MPH or CFM rating available. After all, more power means faster clearing, right? That’s true to an extent, but more powerful blowers are also typically louder, heavier, and more power-hungry than their more reserved counterparts. Blowers with too high of a maximum output can also be so powerful that they damage plants or other items surrounding the area you’re trying to clear. Too much power can easily lay waste to that mulch bed next to the driveway if you’re not careful.
There’s another, better metric you can use to measure blower output, but it hasn’t been widely adopted just yet. ANSI B175.2 measures the actual force applied by the stream of air leaving the blower, which is a more complex measurement that better represents the tool’s actual power. You’re unlikely to see this rating in current models, but hopefully it will gain traction in the future.
Of course, you could always simply rake fall leaves.
Battery power and compatibility
Batteries for this type of device are typically rated by their voltage. You’ll generally find them ranging from 40 volts up to 80 volts. That number doesn’t directly correlate directly with a blower’s power or how long it will last. The most important thing when considering a battery is actually its compatibility with other devices. EGO and other companies typically try to standardize their batteries across their product lines. While it doesn’t feel great to lock yourself into a single battery ecosystem, it’s a heck of a lot easier to get your work done when all your tools run on the same batteries. Unless you’re sure you’re never going to buy another outdoor tool, give the platform some consideration before making the jump. Once you have some batteries and chargers in your collection, you can buy tools on their own, which is less costly.
Noise
Manufacturers don’t typically offer noise measurements on their product pages. But, generally, more powerful models make more noise than their more compact counterparts. If your neighbors are particularly sensitive to noise, consider a smaller blower.
Handling
Unlike other garden tools, you don’t get to push a blower along the ground. Instead, you have to actually hold it in your hand. Our top pick weighs seven pounds, which isn’t the lightest in the bunch, but I found it generally manageable, even for my teenage kids. Once the unit is blowing air, it’s even harder to hold onto, so make sure your forearms are prepared for a powerful blower if that’s the way you decide to go with your purchase.
FAQs
Most leaf blowers show their maximum CFM ratings on the spec sheets. Those ratings are often only achievable at maximum output or with some kind of turbo mode engaged. In truth, a CFM in the 300s should be plenty for simple jobs like clearing leaves and light debris. If you plan to move heavier debris, you’ll want to go to 500 or 600 cfm.
Our top pick can get up to 75 minutes on a single charge, but those numbers can vary widely depending on your usage and environmental conditions. Larger batteries can last more than an hour while smaller capacity batteries can sap a full charge in as little as 30 minutes. Check the manufacturer’s page for an estimated run time and be realistic about your needs. You don’t want to run out of juice halfway through clearing your driveway, but you also don’t want to deal with the extra cost, weight, and noise if you don’t have to.
You don’t have to charge a rake. Rakes and brooms are also a lot cheaper than a battery-powered blower. Blowers typically also aren’t as precise when it comes to wrangling leaves into a nice neat pile. That said, everyone’s needs are different, so choose the device that works best for you.
Final thoughts on the best battery-powered leaf blowers
Whether you have to clear tons of leaves or you just want to keep your driveway clear of dirt and gravel, a battery-powered leaf blower can help cut down on the work time. We recommend the EGO Power+ LB5302 3-Speed Turbo 56-Volt 530 CFM Cordless Leaf Blower as our best overall pick, but there are tons of great options out there.
