If you’re on the fence about a leaf blower, know that owning one of any kind will reduce the amount of raking you do, but rarely eliminate it. For small yards, or if you (or your neighbor) have just one medium-sized deciduous tree, a rake and a tarp may be all you need. On the other hand, if you live in an arboretum, the long runtime of a gas backpack blower may be worth the maintenance headaches—unless you’re willing to invest heavily in multiple batteries.
I’ve tested the newest crop of battery-powered blowers on everything from heavy fabric leaves to gravel, mulch, and even knocking over a concrete paver. Today’s models deliver serious clearing power without the gas-can hassle, though runtime is always the primary trade-off. Here’s everything you need to know about battery-powered blowers.
When factoring in overall performance along with the quality and diversity of Ego’s outdoor tool ecosystem, this blower is the best option for most users. In testing, it delivered gaslike power, easily knocking over a 5-pound brick paver on high speed where lesser machines required turbo mode, and it cleared the test patch of leaves without issue, without relying on turbo. Even with all that power, it was the second-quietest machine on turbo, registering about 89.7 decibels at an arm’s-length distance of 30 inches—though Ego still suggests hearing protection.
A bright, 1.75-inch LCD serves as the tool’s dashboard and is easy to read even in direct sunlight, though some details, like confirmation that a battery is installed, add clutter without much information. The electronic cruise control is intuitive: squeeze the variable-speed trigger to your desired speed, press the speed lock button, then release the trigger. The blower maintains that pace until you press the speed lock button again.
Ergonomically, the blower’s relatively narrow frame keeps the tool comfortable and tight to your body during operation, and the unit naturally pitches the nozzle towards the floor. A plastic grid covering the air intake and battery location helps prevent stray leaves from clogging the vents. The included fan nozzle widens the airflow for clearing hardscapes, though on a lawn, it can scatter leaves rather than help corral them. The tool sits securely on a wide base so it doesn’t tip very easily, and has a stubby, 4.5-inch-long nozzle beneath the blower tube that works for drying a car or a grill.
Ego's was nearly the most expensive blower we tested, and its 56-volt battery powers a capable range of outdoor power equipment, from lawn mowers to string trimmers and chainsaws, making it a good choice for outfitting your garage or shed. The manufacturer has also branched into lifestyle gear, including portable power stations that run on its tool batteries, fans, wet-dry vacuums, and even a fun-looking mini bike. The downside of this leaf blower is runtime, which Ego attempts to offset by packaging the kit with two 4 amp-hour batteries. It had the shortest runtime of the tested models, a direct trade-off for its high performance. The thinking is that you can charge one battery while using the other, which may work for most users since few people blow continuously for 11 minutes.
The Skil checks two important boxes for a battery-powered leaf blower: It was the least expensive model we tested and tied for the longest runtime, at just over 33 minutes on high. Skil, a sister company to Ego, couldn’t match our top pick’s power—it would only knock over the brick on turbo and took a bit longer to push a brick-topped tarp—but it’s capable for most common leaf-blowing jobs. It was also the quietest blower in our test, registering 78.6 decibels on high, though Skil still recommends hearing protection.
The trigger system is as simple as it gets: Pull the variable-speed trigger, or rotate the dial with your thumb to set cruise control for longer sessions. Like most blowers, a separate button engages boost mode. The air intake is covered on all four sides by a black plastic grid that didn’t clog with leaves during testing, though if one gets sucked in it should be easy to pull off. This compact blower measures just under 36 inches long and is one of the few models that can stand upright when the battery is attached, which could help with storage.
