The Best Electric Leaf Blowers For Clearing Your Yard

Photo: amazon.com

Leaf blowers make it easy to clean up fallen leaves without straining your back using a rake across your entire yard. They are also great for clearing decks, driveways, patios, and garages. Power up one of these devices to blow the leaves into a convenient pile where you can pick them up and toss them in a yard bag.

Electric leaf blowers have a significant advantage over gas-powered leaf blowers because they never require a fuel or oil refill. Just plug the extension cord into the nearest outlet or attach a long-lasting battery to a cordless leaf blower and get hours of environmentally friendly blowing power.

The best electric leaf blower for you depends on whether you want a corded or cordless blower. Additionally, you should decide if you prefer a single-use leaf blower that only blows leaves, or if you want a more versatile tool that blows leaves, vacuums yard debris, and even mulches. Continue reading to find the right model for your yard care needs from a selection of some of the best electric leaf blowers.

1. BEST OVERALL: WORX WG520 Turbine 600 Electric Leaf Blower
2. BEST BANG FOR THE BUCK: Sun Joe SBJ597E 6-Amp 155 MPH Electric Leaf Blower
3. SINGLE-SPEED PICK: Greenworks 24012 160 MPH Electric Leaf Blower
4. QUIET PICK: Greenworks Pro 80V Cordless Electric Leaf Blower
5. LIGHTWEIGHT PICK: BLACK+DECKER Electric Leaf Blower, 7-Amp
6. BEST WITH VACUUM: Toro 51621 UltraPlus Electric Leaf Blower Vacuum
7. BEST WITH MULCHER: BLACK+DECKER 3-in-1 Electric Leaf Blower with Mulcher

Photo: depositphotos.com

Types of Electric Leaf Blowers

Electric leaf blowers save you the hassle of refilling a gas-powered engine and don’t give off any harmful fumes. These leaf blowers are separated into two broad categories based on their power input, including corded and cordless electric leaf blowers.

Corded

Corded electric leaf blowers, as the name suggests, are powered through an electrical connection using a power cord. These electric leaf blowers have several advantages over the cordless style, including unlimited access to power instead of needing recharging.

Corded electric leaf blowers generate more energy than cordless electric leaf blowers, which allows some corded models to function as a blower, vacuum, and mulcher. In contrast, cordless models currently don’t offer a vacuum or mulcher option. However, the downside to any corded tool is dealing with the power cord. A cord can tangle around trees, plants, shrubs, or other yard obstacles and impede your work if you need to frequently stop to move it to a different outlet for better access.

Cordless

Cordless electric leaf blowers are easier to use than corded leaf blowers because you never have to deal with a troublesome cord that can get caught up on various objects or tether you to an outlet that isn’t close enough to get the job done. While you won’t be able to find a cordless blower/vacuum/mulcher combo, you will get a versatile blower that can have an airflow volume as powerful as a handheld gas leaf blower.

To avoid having to stop and wait for a battery to charge mid-way through the job, consider picking up a spare battery that can charge while you work. By doing this, you can get all the benefits of a cordless electric leaf blower without dealing with one of the worst drawbacks to a battery-powered tool.

What to Consider When Choosing the Best Electric Leaf Blower

Before choosing an electric leaf blower for your yard care needs, take a few minutes to educate yourself on the most important shopping considerations to keep in mind.

Yard Size

The size of your yard is a significant factor to keep in mind when choosing between a corded or cordless electric leaf blower.

• Corded electric leaf blowers usually come with a short cord that must be attached to an extension cord for mobility. With a very large yard, you will likely run into issues with the extension cord’s length, availability of power outlets, and avoiding yard obstacles. However, corded electric leaf blowers are ideal for small- to medium-sized yards where a single extension cord could cover the entire area.
• Cordless electric leaf blowers are better in terms of maneuverability, allowing you to reach the far corners of a very large yard without having to worry about finding an available power outlet. However, these blowers run on battery, so if it takes you longer to clean the yard than the maximum battery life allows, you may be left waiting while your battery charges.

Motor Power

The motor power of an electric leaf blower is measured differently depending on whether it is a corded or cordless electric leaf blower.

• Corded electric leaf blowers have a motor power measured in amperes, also known as amps (A). The range of motor power for a corded blower begins at about 6A and can be as powerful as 12A.
• Cordless electric leaf blowers measure their motor power differently because the energy is provided by a battery instead of directly from an outlet. Motor power for a cordless blower is measured in volts (V), with a range between 20V on the low end of the energy spectrum and up to an impressive 80V of power.

Airflow

An electric leaf blower’s airflow is the measurement of the total volume of air that a blower can push in a given period. This number is usually measured in cubic feet per minute (cfm). Put simply, the higher the maximum cfm output, the more air you can move. However, this is not a measurement of the speed of the air that is moved, only the volume of the air being moved. Airspeed will dictate how quickly this volume of air is pushed out of the blower. Standard airflow ratings fall between 150 cfm and 800 cfm, with no significant difference between corded or cordless. If your yard has a very heavy falling of leaves or you know you will be dealing with wet yard debris, find a high cfm electric leaf blower to ensure you can move enough air to tidy your yard.

Airspeed

Airflow is the measurement of the air volume that exits the blower, and airspeed is the measurement of the speed of the air when it leaves the blower. This airspeed rating is typically measured in miles per hour (mph), and it is an excellent indicator of whether your electric leaf blower can handle heavy leaves and yard debris.

Like airflow, the higher the maximum airspeed rating, the better the electric leaf blower will be. The typical range for the max airspeed on an electric leaf blower is between 60 mph to about 250 mph. To handle various jobs, look for a leaf blower with a variable speed setting so that you are not constantly managing a 250 mph airspeed when you don’t need to. Also, keep in mind that the higher the airspeed setting, the faster the battery power will drain on a cordless electric leaf blower.

Size and Weight

The size and weight of an electric leaf blower are important considerations. Smaller leaf blowers tend to be much easier to use for long periods of time, which is good because on average they are much less powerful. Large electric leaf blowers will be heavier, taking less time to cause hand fatigue, but they generally have more power.

Corded electric leaf blowers weigh less than their cordless counterparts because they do not need to account for the battery’s size and weight. However, even this difference is minor, with most electric leaf blowers both corded and cordless falling between 3 and 10 pounds.

Working Modes

Electric leaf blowers have advanced over the years to tackle a bit more than just pushing leaves and debris around your yard. Now you can find models that can act as a leaf blower and a vacuum or even models that incorporate a built-in mulcher to reduce yard waste to a manageable size.

• Blower mode is often the primary function. This setting blows air at a single speed or various speeds depending on the product. The blown air lifts and pushes leaves and other yard debris into a manageable pile.
• Vacuum mode makes the clean-up of your leaf pile as simple as flipping a switch. Once you switch modes, simply turn it on to begin vacuuming up the pile of leaves and yard debris. Most electric leaf blowers with a vacuum mode will also have a bag, but always check the product details just to be safe.
• Mulcher mode is usually the third mode included with 3-in-1 electric leaf blowers. This mode features mulching blades that chop up the leaves and yard debris after they have been suctioned into the blower with the vacuum function.

Battery Life

The battery life of your electric leaf blower is only a consideration if you have decided to go with a cordless blower. Corded leaf blowers offer the advantage of never having to worry about battery power. However, if you are set on a cordless product, you want to find an electric leaf blower with the longest possible battery life to ensure that you can get the job done without waiting for a battery to charge.

Another consideration to battery life is that the more powerful a leaf blower is, the faster the battery will run out of energy. Therefore, consider a cordless leaf blower with a variable speed setting so that you can get more runtime when you don’t need the most powerful airspeed. You may also want to get a spare battery to charge while you work so that you always have the power you need.

Additional Features

Electric leaf blowers, like many yard tools, have developed over the years to make it easier for you to clean up your yard. These developments include new operating modes, but they also offer additional features like variable speed settings, unique nozzle shapes for variable wind directionality, and a high-quality metal impeller in the mulcher instead of a less durable, plastic impeller. You may also find an electric leaf blower that comes with a variety of accessories, such as vacuum tubes, blow tubes, leaf bags, and nozzle attachments. The variability between products, even those made by the same manufacturer, is impressive, so do your homework to find the precise combination of features and specs that you desire.

Our Top Picks

The top-rated products below were chosen for quality and price to help you find the best electric leaf blower to keep your yard clean.

Best Overall

Photo: amazon.com

The WORX 12 Amp WG520 Turbine 600 Electric Leaf Blower has an impressive 12-amp motor that provides power to the turbine to generate up to 110 mph airspeeds. While this doesn’t seem like a very fast rating for such a powerful motor, you have to take into account the maximum airflow volume of 600 cfm. This airflow volume is about 200 cfm more than what is normally produced by a leaf blower, and at 110 mph, you can tackle a lot of yard in a very short period of time.

This corded electric leaf blower has a variable speed setting so you can go fast and heavy (600 cfm at 110 mph) or slow and light (320 cfm at 60 mph). The leaf blower weighs only 6.4 pounds, and it is made to allow one-handed control. The electrical cord comes with a retainer to prevent the connected extension cord from disconnecting if the cord gets snagged. Finally, it features an attachable nozzle to direct all that air volume in a concentrated area for tougher jobs.

Best Bang For The Buck

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If you have a smaller yard and just need a simple, straightforward electric leaf blower that can get the job done in a hurry without costing you a bundle, then you need the Sun Joe 6-Amp Electric Leaf Blower. This leaf blower has a small, 6-amp motor that weighs almost nothing, allowing the entire leaf blower to come in at just 4 pounds. At that weight, you could carry it around for an entire day and barely notice.

This corded electric leaf blower has a single speed setting, so you know what you will get every time you turn it on. It has a maximum airflow volume of just 260 cfm, but it moves air at a maximum speed of 155 mph, allowing you to clean up a small yard in no time. When you are done, you can disassemble the blow tube for easy storage.

Single-Speed Pick

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Single-speed electric leaf blowers are an excellent option for smaller yards or spaces that may only have one or two trees to deal with because they are more affordable than a variable-speed blower. However, they still provide all the power you need to clean up your yard. The Greenworks Single-Speed 160 MPH Electric Leaf Blower has a simple ON/OFF switch and uses a 7-amp motor to produce an airflow up to 150 cfm at a top airspeed of 160 mph.

The corded electric leaf blower is also lightweight, at just 4.5 pounds, and it has a durable plastic design to dampen vibrations so you won’t have to worry about hand fatigue while you are using it. Despite the small size, it may still be difficult for some people to control with just one hand, so a secondary handle was added to the top of the blower to allow for two-handed use.

Quiet Pick

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Some neighborhoods have noise restrictions in place that can make it difficult to use a leaf blower. Still, the Greenworks Pro 80V Cordless Electric Leaf Blower is rated at just 60 decibels, the same volume as the average conversation, allowing you to clean up your yard without worrying about the neighbors. The 2.0 Ah battery charges in only 30 minutes with the included rapid charger, and it runs for up to 70 minutes on the low-speed setting, 28 minutes on medium, and 12 minutes on high.

This cordless electric leaf blower has an impressive 80V system that can produce a massive airflow maximum of 500 cfm at a top airspeed of 125 mph. The leaf blower weighs 9 pounds, which is heavy for an electric leaf blower. However, the cushioned overmold grip helps to absorb some of the vibration and stress from your hands so that the weight difference between this product and common corded models is barely noticeable.

Lightweight Pick

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If you plan on using your leaf blower for more than an hour at a time, or you prefer a lightweight product that is easy to lift and maneuver, then the BLACK+DECKER Lightweight Electric Leaf Blower might fit the bill. At just 4.4 pounds, you will likely never find yourself struggling to control this lightweight, corded electric leaf blower. You can hold the leaf blower in just one hand, or use the built-in secondary grip for better control.

This electric leaf blower has a 7-amp motor that operates at just one speed setting, so you don’t have to worry about switching between airspeed levels. The maximum airflow is 180 cfm at 180 mph, and the leaf blower also comes with a cord retainer that helps ensure the extension cord remains connected even if it gets caught on a tree, plant, or other yard obstacle.

Best With Vacuum

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If you need an electric leaf blower with a vacuum to make a clean-up job easier, check out the Toro UltraPlus Electric Leaf Blower with Vacuum. It has a maximum airflow of 350 cfm in blower mode to clean up the yard in a hurry. While the maximum airflow of 410 cfm in vacuum mode allows you to suck up leaves and yard debris without issue, the built-in mulcher reduces 97 percent of all collected leaves to less than a half-inch in size using the high-quality metal impeller.

This electric leaf blower weighs 9 pounds because of the addition of a vacuum and mulcher function and has a 12-amp motor that can produce an airspeed up to 250 mph. The set also comes with a blow tube, vacuum bag, cord storage hook, power insert for wet and heavy leaves, a concentrator for corners and crevices, and an oscillating nozzle that moves back and forth, so you don’t have to strain your wrist.

Best With Mulcher

Photo: amazon.com

The BLACK+DECKER 3-in-1 Electric Leaf Blower with Mulcher is the perfect tool if you don’t want to have to deal with the hassle of manually picking up leaves and yard debris and sifting it into yard bags. This corded electric leaf blower has a built-in vacuum and mulcher so that when you are done blowing the leaves into a pile, you can quickly suck them up and cut them down to a reduction ratio of 10:1.

The electric leaf blower has a 12-amp motor and operates at two different airspeeds of 150 mph (low) or 210 mph (high). At 210 mph, the leaf blower can move 300 cfm of air, allowing you to clean up a lot of leaves in no time. This electric leaf blower weighs just 7 pounds and comes with a blow tube, a vacuum tube, and a collection bag so you can easily dump the mulched waste into a yard bag.

FAQs About Your New Electric Leaf Blower

Take a look below to find the answers to some of the most commonly asked questions about electric leaf blowers.

Q. Are electric leaf blowers quiet?

Quiet is a relative term that can mean different things to different people depending on the setting, their hearing ability, and their proximity to the leaf blower. The average leaf blower operates at a noise level between 70 to 75 decibels, which is about 10 to 15 decibels louder than the average noise level produced by a regular conversation.

Q. Can you use a leaf blower on wet leaves?

Yes, though it would be best to find a powerful electric leaf blower with a high-speed setting intended for lifting wet leaves that can also be dialed back based on the varying types of leaves you’ll encounter.

Q. How long do electric leaf blowers last?

Most electric leaf blowers come with a 2 to 3-year manufacturer’s warranty, but they can last up to 10 years on average if they are properly cared for and maintained.