The Best Leaf Blower

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 over 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 and fast chargers 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 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 Stihl’s 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 (but not boost or turbo mode) 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. Only a few blowers have displayed better runtime and in most cases, they were less powerful. The Ego battery fully charges up in about 110 minutes, faster than most.

The intake fan is guarded. We like how the back of the fan is somewhat guarded by the battery. This really reduces any clothing or leaves from getting pulled against the blower as it’s being moved from hand to hand or just while it’s swinging back and forth in front of us. Also, the battery being so far to the rear of the blower adds to the successful balance of the machine.

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. 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. There are many other cordless leaf blowers that are priced like the Ego, none of them performed 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.

The Husqvarna Leaf Blaster 350iB Cordless Leaf Blower has the longest run time of any cordless leaf blower we’ve tested, and unlike a lot of others, it matches that longevity with a substantial amount of power. Add in the excellent ergonomics, smart body design, easy controls, and the fast charging time, and the result is the finest cordless leaf blower we’ve ever used. It typically costs about $100 more than the Ego, and while the power is comparable, we found the Husqvarna to be a more satisfying tool to use overall.

In our test, the Husqvarna crested 30 minutes of run time (and it also has a fast charger). Thirty minutes is the highwater mark we’ve been hoping to achieve for years. The closest we’ve gotten in the past is 28 minutes with the Worx WG584, but that tool doesn't have anything close to the power of the Husqvarna. What’s even more impressive is that the Husqvarna couples this run time with a charger that fills the battery in approximately 90 minutes, which is a fast recharge time for a battery of this size.

It’s powerful. The 800 CFM stated in the marketing material is when the blower is in boost mode. This is certainly a powerful blast of air, but at the regular high setting—which is what we used for our run-time test—the blower is in the 550 CFM range. This is roughly the same power as the Ego, maybe a little higher. During testing we didn’t really see much difference between the two at the high setting, but in the turbo/boost mode, the Husqvarna was clearly more powerful.

The controls are more “digital” than on other leaf blowers. Controlling the Husqvarna is done through three buttons and the power trigger. One button turns the blower on, another turns the boost mode on and off, and the last sets the cruise control speed. To use it, pull the trigger to the speed you want, then hit the button, and the blower maintains that airspeed without the trigger being pulled. Other blowers all have a more analog feel, with larger toggle switches and cruise control levers. Our one thought is that this reliance on the digital world may result in yet another thing that can malfunction, but we’ve been using the Husqvarna cordless chainsaw (which uses the same battery) for almost a year and have seen no issues with the controls. As we continue to test the 350iB on a long-term basis, this is something we’ll be watching closely.

It has great ergonomics and an excellent design overall. With the battery, the 350iB weighs a little over 10 -pounds. So it’s a bit heavier than the Ego, but it’s an easy tool to maneuver, and the streamlined handle is easy to hold. We also like that, similar to the Ego’s, the 350iB’s intake fan is protected by the battery housing. During our extended testing period, we never dealt with clothing or anything else getting pulled against the fan guard, as we did with models with the intake fan at the rear end of the body.

The scraper tip can be useful. The Husqvarna comes with two nozzle ends: a cone and a scraper tip. The cone reduces the size of the opening and allows for more precise work; the scraper tip maintains a larger opening, but it adds a little piece that juts out of the bottom of the tube. This can be used to manually loosen up damp and matted leaves or to scrape debris out of a stone wall or a pavement crack. It’s a nice feature because if you’re not using it, you don’t even know it’s there, so it’s really a bonus when you do need it.

It’s more expensive than the others. With a retail of roughly $380, the Husqvarna is a bit of an investment. For about $100 less, you can get the excellent Ego, and most people will be totally happy with that. But in all ways, the Husqvarna is a better tool, though maybe not by much in some areas: It has only a few more minutes of run time, and the charger is faster by about 15 to 20 minutes. But these little things add up to a better leaf-blowing experience in your yard.

We like what we’ve seen from Husqvarna’s cordless line up. So far, we’ve been impressed with what Husqvarna offers on this battery platform. We tested its Power Axe 350i Chainsaw and saw the same combination of runtime, power, and ergonomics. We plan on testing its string trimmer and push mower in 2025. Husqvarna is a company known for making pro-grade tools, so at least for the moment, its cordless line up doesn’t include a range of lifestyle items like Ego’s does.

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 Black+Decker BV6600 High Performance Blower/Vacuum/Mulcher and the Toro 51619 Ultra Blower/Vac are nice blowers, the mulching function. But its leaf-blasting ability was just not on a par with that of the Toro F700 or the Worx WG521 in our tests.

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.

In the past, we recommended the Ryobi Ry404014 40V Whisper Series Leaf Blower, but it has annoyances not found on the Ego—it’s heavier and not as well balanced. It’s a decent blower but the cost is comparable to the Ego, while the power and runtime are not. If you’re invested in the Ryobi 40-volt platforms, it’s a good option, but if you’re starting from scratch, we’d always pick the Ego.

We also used to recommend the Worx WG584 40-Volt Power Share Turbine Cordless Leaf Blower, which is a solid budget option for a cordless leaf blower. It’s lighter than the others and takes two 20-volt batteries. Over time, we stopped using it, preferring the stronger, single-battery models, all of which were more effective at moving leaves.

The Toro 60V Max 900 CFM Brushless Blower is very powerful and can move a lot of leaves. It has a relatively short run time of about 17 minutes on high and, unlike the Ego, it has the rear intake fan design that can pull on clothing. It’s usually over $50 more expensive than the Ego.

The Milwaukee 3017-20 500 CFM Cordless Leaf Blower typically comes without a battery or charger. We tested it with a sizable 8 Ah battery and only got about 10 minutes of runtime out of it. It might be enough to clear around a couple trees or dust off a sidewalk, but it’s not enough for any substantial work.

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—a little 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 $30 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.

The Ryobi 40470VNM 40V 550 CFM Brushless Jet Fan Blower was a previous pick of ours. Compared with the current Ryobi pick, this one has less power and less runtime.

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 Ryobi 404100 40V Jet Fan Cordless Leaf Blower is more powerful than our current Ryobi pick, and even rivals the Ego, but it has a very short runtime of 13 minutes.

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 Greenworks BL80L2510 80V Jet Electric Leaf Blower is similar enough in power to our Ego cordless pick, but the run time in our tests was a middling 22 minutes.

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.