9 of the Best Leaf Blowers to Clean Up Your Yard in a Hurry

It's a cold hard fact that if you live in a climate with deciduous trees, leaves can quickly become a nuisance. While they undoubtedly make for a beautiful autumn sight and can create a nice micro-ecosystem for critters in the area, they can also wreak havoc on your yard, drains or roof, as thick mats of them may kill your grass, encourage pests and fungus and clog your drains and gutters. If you’re wondering what to do with them all, it's time to prep by investing in one of the best leaf blowers around. Not only can these machines help you save time when it comes to cleaning up your property, they can give your back and legs a much-needed break from manual raking.

We’re here to help you weed out of the best of these machines from the pack. But before you skip ahead to our list, here are a few helpful things to know about purchasing a new leaf blower.

Leaf blowers operate on the basis of something called centrifugal force. If you're going, "Huh?", that’s when power is pushed outward from the center of a spinning object and away from its energy source. In the case a leaf blower, the spinning object is the motor-powered fan blade, which first pulls in air from the outside before pushing it through a tube-like structure to create a jetstream of air that can move leaves—and other debris—around.

Leaf blowers can vary in price, depending on the brand and how much power you require (most electric models range between 7 and 12 amps). Generally, a corded electric leaf blower can cost around $50, whereas a battery-powered cordless option might be a little pricier, running you upwards of $100. The most expensive leaf blowers tend to have gas-powered engines and can cost more than $200, plus the price of gasoline.

The most common types of leaf blowers have electric motors, battery-powered motors or gas-powered engines.

• Electric: Electric leaf blowers rely on long extension cords to get their power. While they may seem a little inconvenient when it comes to mobility, they tend to be lighter in weight and quieter than gas models, more powerful than cordless models and release no harmful emissions into the air.
  
• Battery-powered cordless: This option has many of the same benefits of an electric leaf blower, including a light build (usually less than 10 pounds) and quiet operation, only without the cumbersome extension cord, since it’s powered by a rechargeable battery.
  
• Gas-powered: If you're looking for ultimate power when it comes to taking care of those pesky leaves, then a gas-powered leaf blower is probably your best bet. Although, with great power comes heavier weight, more noise and harmful air pollution due to the burning gas and fuel. In fact, a 2011 test by Edmunds found that a commercial-grade leaf blower emitted more pollution than several car models. Yikes!

Now that you are ready to battle those fall leaves, check out our list of the best leaf blowers on the market to keep your yard looking fall-tastic.

• Best Overall: Black + Decker Leaf Blower
• Quietest Leaf Blower: Ryobi Whisper Series Cordless Leaf Blower
• Best Battery: Greenworks 2411902 Cordless Leaf Blower
• Longest Run Time: Ego Power+ Cordless Leaf Blower
• Best Lightweight Leaf Blower: Worx WG543 Cordless Leaf Blower
• Best Backpack Leaf Blower: Schröder SR6400-L Backpack Leaf Blower
• Most Powerful: Hyper Tough Leaf Blower and Vacuum
• Most Efficient: Worx WG584.9 Cordless Leaf Blower
• Most Versatile: Black + Decker 3-in-1 Electric Leaf Blower

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Desirée O is a freelance writer who loves to track down the best products and share the hottest deals. She's written for Adweek, Best Life, Brit+Co and more. When she's not doing a little (or a lot!) of online shopping, she's scanning social media for exciting new trends and releases.