The Best Leaf Blower (2024)

We’ve been testing and evaluating leaf blowers since 2014. In that time, we’ve consulted with two landscapers—Kevin Walker of K.G.W. Services in Carlisle, Massachusetts, who conducted some of our testing, and Chad Crosby of West Michigan Lawn Services—in interviews. We’ve also had a long conversation with Dan Pherson, a product manager at Stihl USA, and we’ve gotten the input of other manufacturers such as Toro and Ego.

I’ve been using leaf blowers seasonally for nearly 20 years—long before I began working on this guide in 2014. I own a 16-acre property in rural New England that is loaded with maples and oaks, so leaf blowing is a crucial part of my winter preparation. I’ve also written guides to lawn mowers, string trimmers, and snow blowers, so I have a good understanding of what makes a solid piece of outdoor power equipment.

Maybe you just need a rake. If you live on less than a quarter acre, clean up after only one or two trees, and don’t mind a workout, we recommend a rake. If raking is more labor than you’re willing to deal with, a leaf blower is a better choice.

Or maybe you don’t need to do anything at all. Some naturalists advocate for simply leaving the leaves where they fall. As explained in this New York Times article, leaf litter not only naturally composts into the root system of the tree, but it is also, “home to all sorts of animals, including invertebrates, reptiles, amphibians and pollinators.” As the article points out, leaf litter is also an attractive home for ticks, so if you choose to leave your leaves, be wary of those disease carrying insects.

But leaf blowers can do a lot. Leaf blowers not only work faster than rakes and take less effort but can also perform many tasks that rakes and mowers can’t. Blowers can clean pine needles from a gutter, blow dust out of your garage, clear grass clippings from a driveway, or get leaves out of thick ground-cover plants like vinca or pachysandra. They can even clear light dustings of snow.

Learn your local regulations regarding their operation, especially if you use a gas-powered model. Some cities and towns have full-on leaf-blower bans, and others allow leaf blowing only during selected times. For example, Arlington, Massachusetts, allows just one gas-powered blower per 6,000 square feet, to be operated only 30 minutes at a time, with 15-minute breaks in between. Other communities adhere to maximum decibel levels and California is in the process of prohibiting all gas leaf blowers. For general etiquette advice, Stihl has a guide to safe and courteous leaf blowing that’s worth a look.

We think corded leaf blowers are the best fit for most. They need to be tethered to an outlet, so they might not be as maneuverable as other options, but they’re the lightest, they cost the least, have limitless run time, require almost no maintenance, emit a not-so-irritating sound, and issue zero emissions, all of which are major concerns for cordless and gas blowers. We’ve also been very impressed with their power—the best corded models are on a par with or better than many gas blowers.

Cordless battery-powered blowers are powerful and maneuverable, but run time can be an issue. For run time, the best models we’ve found top out at around 30 minutes, but most are in the 20- to 25-minute range. Couple that with a charge time of around an hour (at least, usually more), and it potentially means a lot of starting and stopping. To deal with this, additional batteries are available for purchase or you could choose to buy into a particular company’s set of tools, so you would own multiple tools and multiple batteries, all compatible with one another. Battery blowers are also heavier than corded blowers, but on the good side, cordless models are generally the quietest blowers.

Gas blowers are a poor option. In the past, we’ve recommended gas blowers for large properties, but we’re no longer doing so. As the capabilities of battery-powered blowers increase each year, gas models make less and less sense, with all of their maintenance, noise, emissions, and general mechanical tediousness. We’ve also found that a good backpack blower is about the same cost as one of our cordless picks plus the purchase of an additional battery, making runtime much less of an issue.

Don’t put too much stock in the airspeed (mph) and air volume (CFM, cubic feet per minute) numbers that manufacturers use to try to sell their blowers. According to Pherson, “Velocity helps lift the leaves, the volume helps blow them away.” The problem is that there is no standardized way to measure blowers’ airflow stats—some companies record them from the end of the blower tube, while others measure air coming directly off the motor, inflating the numbers. That said, for comparison purposes, they’re really only a starting point.

Ease of use is important. We wanted to recommend an accessible lineup of leaf blowers, including options that are easy to use by a wide range of people of various abilities. That meant we sought models with versatile handle and grip options, a light and manageable weight, and good enough balance to make the blowers easy to control without a struggle during extended use.

We did the majority of our testing on a rural property in New Hampshire. The approximately 2-acre lawn is surrounded by, and dotted with, oak, maple, ash, and apple trees, all of which have leaves that drop in the fall. We used the blowers around flower beds, cobblestone steps, and stone walls, as well as in dense ground cover like pachysandra and vinca. We also took the blowers into the woods to test them on the dense, damp mat of pine needles and leaves that make up the forest floor. Through this testing, we kept an eye on the ease of the controls, the weight of the machines, and the overall ergonomics, looking subjectively at how far we could move leaves and how easily the air helped us steer the leaf pile around.

Run-time tests were done on all of the cordless blowers. We fully charged their batteries, then set them to high and waited until each one died out and recorded the time.

Corded blowers meet most people’s needs because they’re powerful, lightweight, relatively quiet, free of emissions, and low maintenance. After nine years of testing, our pick is the Toro PowerJet F700, which combines gale-force air movement with a smartly designed handle, an essential feature with such a strong and unruly blower. Compared with the other leaf blowers we tested, the Toro showed no problems getting under a bed of thick, damp, matted leaves and pine needles on the forest floor. With the blower tubes in the same position, the Toro pushed leaves at least 2 feet farther than most other blowers we tested. The Toro’s variable-speed control can be used one-handed to easily tone down the airflow when going around flower beds or dusting out a garage. The long curved handle lets you adjust the angle of the blower, lessening wrist strain. The design also includes a front pommel grip, which we found useful in our tests particularly at the highest speeds, where the power of the blower could get a little intense. Typically costing under $100, the Toro F700 is reasonably priced for a blower of this caliber.

The Toro moves some serious air. Running the Toro at full speed feels a little like being pulled down a sidewalk by a leashed dog chasing after a squirrel. Once we got the hang of it, though, and directed it toward the leaves, they didn’t stand a chance. Tested against the other corded and cordless leaf blowers, the Toro has impressive air-moving power, lifting and launching wet, matted leaves with ease and blasting them farther than nearly all of the others. Only our runner-up recommendation, the Worx WG521 Turbine 800 Leaf Blower, is stronger, but the handle isn’t as good as the Toro’s.

The Toro is also easy to operate. The interface is one-handed and consists of a single thumb dial that turns the blower on and off and adjusts the speed. There is no trigger that you need to hold continually; it’s either off or on. Toro has put the dial to the right side of the handle (looking at it from the top), which actually makes it a little awkward for a right-handed person but offers benefits when you use a two-handed grip. In addition, the handle is curved, which makes it easy to direct the blower down in front of you.

The Toro also adds a pommel grip at the top of the handle. The extra piece allows for a comfortable two-handed grip, which we ended up using a lot ourselves. With both hands on the tool, we found that the positioning of the power dial made more sense (for right-handed people), as it’s easy for the lead hand to reach and operate.

The control setup is intuitive and responsive. The Toro offers the ability to reduce the airflow quickly if cleaning out a flower bed or around a recently mulched tree. Even using the blower just to sweep dust out of the garage, using less air will prevent a giant dust cloud.

Like any leaf blower, the Toro is loud. But because it doesn’t have a gas engine, it sounds more like a really, really loud hair dryer, which, minus the heating coil, is basically what it is. We found during testing that the noise of an electric motor is very different from the irritating high-pitched whine of a two-stroke engine, even if the decibel readings are in the same ballpark.

Don’t forget the extension cord. Keep in mind that if you’re starting from scratch and in need of the full 100 feet of maneuverability, you’ll need to drop an additional $50 to $75 on an extension cord. Toro recommends at least a 16-gauge cord for 25 feet, a 16-gauge cord for 50 feet, and the heavier 14-gauge cord for 100 feet. I can say from experience that a 100-foot, 14-gauge cord is extremely unwieldy and difficult to wrap up—and sadly, capable of taking out an entire flower bed.

The air intake is at the rear. So for all the air that’s blasting out the nozzle end, an equal amount is being sucked in through the back. Because of this back-end positioning, the blower can easily pull clothing against the intake cover. In our tests, during normal use with the blower at our side, this wasn’t a problem, but when we passed it from side to side or did any other operations that put the blower directly in front of us, a shirt sometimes got sucked against the intake cover—easy enough to deal with, but annoying once it happens a few times (don’t worry, the cover is substantial enough that clothes won’t get pulled into the fan). You just have to get used to keeping the blower farther away as you move it around your body.

It comes with only a wide nozzle. The leaf-moving power of the Toro is immense, but there is no way to pinpoint the airflow for clearing out things like stone walls or gutters. It works best with wide, swinging arcs, and for blasting leaves across the yard. But for smaller shifts back and forth, such as under a rose bush, you’re fighting the blower’s power, and it can get a little tiring.

If the Toro PowerJet F700 isn’t available, we also like the Worx WG521 Turbine 800 Leaf Blower. This blower is actually more powerful than the Toro, but the handle design makes it difficult to wrangle. According to Worx, this blower blasts a whopping 800 CFM of air. We couldn’t verify those numbers (or the numbers on any other blower), but during testing, this one was clearly the champion of the leaf-moving sweepstakes. On the flip side, the handle is small and there is really only one way to grip it, so a lot of strain is put on the forearm, especially at higher speeds. The blower is controlled with a three-speed thumb dial that is easy to reach and turn.

To go beyond the limits of an extension cord, we recommend the Ego LB6504 Power+ 650 CFM Blower. In our tests, it had among the longest run times and was one of the most powerful cordless blower we tested. Its more focused airstream was even a little better than that of the Toro and Worx corded models at lifting wet, matted leaves.

The Ego offers easy one-handed controls and a turbo button that can add a boost of power. Be warned, though: At around 10 pounds, it’s nearly double the weight of the Toro. Typically sold for around $275, the Ego is on the pricier side for a cordless blower. Even with those drawbacks, however, we think the benefits are there. Not only does the Ego leaf blower offer extended run time and excellent power, but the included 5.0 Ah battery is also a good starting point if you decide to buy into the Ego system, which we’ve had success with. We currently recommend the company’s string trimmer, lawn mower, and snow blower. The batteries on these tools are all interchangeable, so once you have a battery, you can purchase the other tools without batteries at a reduced price.

In our tests, the Ego LB6504 provided about 27 minutes while set on high. The only other blowers that lasted longer were our previous pick, the Ego LB5804, which clocked in at just over 30 minutes, and the Worx WG584 40-Volt Power Share Turbine Cordless Leaf Blower—both are less powerful. We tested the three head-to-head-to-head and were able to get more done with the LB6504 in the same amount of time. The Ego battery fully charges up in about 110 minutes.

The controls are nice and slightly changed from those of the previous Ego models. With the LB6504, the speed dial turns the blower on and off, instead of just setting the power. So with this model, there is no need to constantly hold the trigger if you’ve set the dial. The trigger can still be used independently, but for open yard blowing, we liked just setting the dial and not having to put any energy toward the trigger.

The Ego’s noise isn’t completely awful. Along with the other cordless blowers we tested, the Ego LB6504 proved to be quieter than the electric models we looked at. Although our decibel readings were similar across the two types of blowers, the sound of the Ego was much easier to take than the electric models.

But it’s heavy. At around 10 pounds, it’s a load. This model is heavier than most other cordless blowers, and it tops the corded Toro by around 4 pounds. We found the weight noticeable but not unmanageable. To compensate for the Ego’s weight, we probably switched hands more often than with the other blowers, but at no point were our arms and wrists too exhausted to go on (the Ego does have a spot for clipping a shoulder strap). Looking over the reviews of the Ego LB5804 (our previous pick, which weighs about the same), we found similar sentiments, with many reviewers mentioning the weight but still giving the blower a high rating. But we also saw reviews from a handful of people who simply found the Ego too heavy for them or their spouse to manage, so if you have limited arm strength, it’s something to consider.

It’s pricey compared with some. Typically about $275, the Ego is not cheap or even average priced. It’s expensive and there aren’t too many handheld cordless blowers that cost more. The majority of this cost lies in the large 5.0 Ah battery, the very element that gives the tool such strong power and such a long run time. Buying the battery by itself sets you back about $250. But while few cordless models we found were priced like the Ego, none of them performed like it either, with such a combination of run time and power.

Ego’s other tools work on the same battery. If you’re thinking about getting this model, it makes sense to look at the purchase as if you’re buying into Ego’s lineup of battery-powered outdoor power tools, which includes string trimmers, mowers, snow blower, and chainsaws. All of these tools operate on the same battery, making this leaf blower an easier choice if you already have (or plan to buy) those other tools, which you can purchase at a lower cost without a battery or charger.

If you need a cordless leaf blower but the Ego LB6504 is unavailable, we also like the Ryobi Ry404014 40V Whisper Series Leaf Blower. It has roughly the same run time as the Ego, but it’s a little less powerful and not as balanced in the hand. It’s a little quieter, though, which we liked. These differences were apparent in side-by-side testing, but they’re not so severe that someone operating the Ryobi would think they were using an inferior tool. On the whole, the Ryobi is very similar to the Ego, but it lacks the highest of the high points that the Ego attains. Still, we moved a lot of leaves with it and think it’s a good choice, especially if you already have other Ryobi 40 volt tools.

The Ryobi clocked in at around 26 minutes minutes (on high), just a minute less than the Ego. The Ryobi is a powerful blower, but not as strong as the Ego, but we had no problem moving leaves across a lawn with it. The Ryobi does have a charge time of about 90 minutes, which is a bit faster than the Ego.

The Ryobi is quieter than the others. The motor noise eliminates most of the whine associated with leaf blowers. This is a notable feature, especially now that more and more of your neighbors are likely spending a lot of time at home. We never considered the other cordless blower to be loud, but after having used the Ryobi for a bit, they sounded squealy. The Ryobi creates the sound of moving air and that’s about it.

The rear intake can be annoying. Ryobi has the air intake placed at the rear of the tool, which can pull in clothing as the blower is passed in front of you. The intake is protected by a plastic grid, so it’s not a huge deal, but we found it a slight annoyance. On the Ego, the intake is in the center of the blower, so it doesn’t have this issue.

Compared with the Ego, the Ryobi is less balanced and a little heavier. The Ryobi battery, which is where much of the weight comes from, sits to the rear of the handle, so when we’re holding the tool, the end of the blower tube is naturally tipped up by the bulky battery. This means that it takes wrist effort to tip it down in order to blow leaves. It might not sound like much, but it creates a strain that we noticed after a solid 10 minutes out in the yard with the tool. The Ego’s battery is placed directly under the handle, so the nose of the blower is naturally tipped down towards the leaves.

The Ryobi blower runs on a 40-volt battery that’s compatible with other 40-volt Ryobi tools. Overall, we’ve found the Ryobi 40-volt systems to include a solid selection of capable tools, but none of them have power or ability on a par with that of their Ego counterparts. They do tend to be less expensive than the Ego tools, so if you’re looking for a budget-friendly line to buy into, Ryobi’s 40-volt series would be a nice choice. Note too, however, that these 40-volt batteries are not compatible with Ryobi cordless tools such as drills and saws.

We tested a number of additional blowers and dismissed others before the testing phase.

Corded blowers

The Worx WG520 and DeWalt’s DWBL700 were previous pick of ours, but both the Toro F700 and the Worx WG521 are more powerful.

The Stihl BGE 61 costs more than the Toro F700 and doesn’t appear to have their air-moving power.

Cordless blowers

Before discussing the cordless models we dismissed, we need to state that if you are already invested in a company's battery system, it’s very likely that the best cordless leaf blower for you is the one that is compatible with your other tools. There are definite differences between models and we think that the picks above offer the best combination of performance, features, and cost. But the other models, especially those from reputable companies like DeWalt, Milwaukee, Greenworks, and Toro are all solid tools as well. Because cordless leaf blowers can often be purchased as a bare tool—meaning they don’t come with a battery or a charger—the cost savings are significant. We value an uncluttered life and the streamlined nature of a single battery system, may outweigh the cost as well as the performance differences found in these dismissed models.

The Milwaukee 2824 Dual Battery Leaf Blower, tested in 2023, needs two batteries to operate; that adds to the weight, making this model more than a pound heavier than our Ego pick. Our test showed about 19 minutes of run time on high, but with no turbo button, it was operating at the absolute max power for the entire test. Running the Ego in turbo mode yielded about 15½-minutes of run time. Since the Ego has a slightly higher ceiling (650 CFM compared with the Milwaukee’s 600 CFM), the leaf-blowing abilities of these two models is pretty similar. But even if the Milwaukee does have a longer run time, there’s still the issue of the cost. The Milwaukee is wildly expensive. Buying it as a bare tool (with no batteries or charger) costs around $300—about $40 more than our pick, which comes with a battery and charger. Adding the two needed batteries and a charger to the Milwaukee blower puts it in the $550 range, almost $300 more than the already pricey Ego. Even if you have a box full of Milwaukee batteries in the garage, this is a steep investment.

In our tests, the Echo DPB-2500 eForce 56V Leaf Blower had a fairly short run time of about 16 minutes on high. It also has an air intake on each side, which sucked against our pants no matter how we were holding it.

The Ryobi RY404100 40V Cordless Jet Fan Blower boasts some big numbers with a CFM of 730 (in the turbo mode). This blower comes with two batteries, which is nice. But from what we’ve read in the Q&A section for the tool on the Home Depot site, one battery lasts about 15 to 20 minutes on high; that puts this model at about the same level as our Ego pick, which is roughly $70 cheaper, and you only have to deal with a single battery. Still, if you’re looking to buy into Ryobi’s 40V platform, the two batteries make this an appealing purchase.

We tested the Ego Power+ LB7654. It has a higher CFM rating than our pick—765 versus 650—but this is only felt in the turbo mode. The CFM scale of the regular power dial is the same between the two blowers, maxing out at 500 CFM. So in regular use, they’re basically the same blower. This little bit of added oomph with the turbo button is nice, but only noticeable with the tools side by side. This model is typically priced $50-$60 more than our pick and we don’t think it’s worth the added investment

We also tested Greenworks Pro 60V Brushless Leaf Blower. It has similar leaf moving power as our top pick Ego and roughly the same run time. It has a shorter charge time at just under an hour. It’s a nice tool to use and we liked it overall, but it’s heavier than the EGO and more difficult to swing back and forth. If you already own Greenworks batteries and chargers for other tools at home, or purchasing a Greenworks tool is just easier for you than getting the Ego or the others, this is a fine choice.

The Milwaukee 2724-21 M18 Fuel Cordless Handheld Blower doesn’t have the run time or power of the Ego, emptying out a battery in just under 15 minutes. It’s light and maneuverable, which we liked, but the wild high pitch squeal is aggressive and not neighbor-friendly.

The Worx WG585 Nitro 40V PowerShare is extremely light, and very easy to grip, hold, and swing back and forth. It’s powered by two 20-volt batteries and comes with a dual-port charger. For runtime, it landed in the low to mid range at around 17 minutes, and it doesn’t have the leaf moving ability of the others. The blower is controlled on a three setting thumb dial, so it’s not a true variable speed, making it a little more difficult to quickly transition between speeds during delicate work, like around flower beds.

The Toro 60V Max Brushless Cordless Leaf Blower has a similar handle and overall vibe as our top corded pick, which is a good thing. But compared with the other cordless picks, it doesn’t have the same power and it has a mid-range run time of about 22 minutes. It’s a nice blower and we enjoyed using it, but there’s nothing that sets it above our picks in terms of performance.

The Ego LB5804 Power+ 580 CFM Blower was our previous cordless pick, but it doesn’t match the power of the latest Ego blower, the LB6504. It has the longest run time of any cordless blower we’ve tested, about four minutes more than the LB6504, but we were able to get more done with the stronger blower.

The Oregon BL300 had a short run time of just over 13 minutes on high.

Stihl also has a cordless blower, the BGA 85, but, as with the Milwaukee, the price is exorbitant. Just the tool alone, with no battery or charger, currently costs about $300. To get the rest of the package, you need to drop another $200, making it a $500 purchase.

Gas blowers

In the past, we recommended gas blowers, like the Stihl BR 350, but given the consistent advancements in cordless technology, these gas models no longer make sense to us. Gas models are loud, they crank out emissions, and require gas, oil, and maintenance. Their only advantage is their extended runtime. But we’ve found that a gas blower that is worth buying (like the Stihl BR 350) is about the same cost as our cordless picks, plus an additional battery. So once you’re able to be leaf blowing with one battery, while the other is charging, the runtime equation changes entirely.

1. Roy Berendsohn, 5 Backpack Leaf Blowers to Dominate the Backyard, Popular Mechanics, September 11, 2013

2. Bradley Ford and Roy Berendsohn, The 7 Best Backpack Leaf Blowers, Popular Mechanics, 2018

3. Sal Vaglica, TOH Tested: Leaf Blowers, This Old House

4. David Wolman, Review: Leaf Blowers, Wired, September 29, 2011

5. Kevin Walker, owner of K.G.W. Services, interviews, September 2014

6. Chad Crosby, West Michigan Lawn Services, interviews, September 2014