6 Best Leaf Blowers to Clear Your Yard of 2023

As the dog days of summer come to a close, it's time to prepare for falling leaves. As leaves sporadically fall from trees and blow all over your yard, it can be a full-time job to keep them managed.

Luckily, you don’t have to rely just on a rake. Instead, a quality leaf blower can do some of the leg work for you.

Not all leaf blowers are created equal. Leaf blowers can be powered by gas, plug-in electricity, or batteries.

They also come in a wide range of performance capabilities. For example, the speed at which air leaves the leaf blower nozzle is measured in miles per hour (mph), and the amount of air leaving the nozzle is measured in cubic feet per minute (cfm).

Use this guide to compare some of the best leaf blower models on the market and find the best one for you and your yard.

Toro PowerJet F700: Best Overall Leaf Blower

This Toro leaf blower gets the job done while maximizing user comfort and control.

Delivering 725 cfm of air volume at 140 mph, this model can easily move large piles of leaves, even heavy, wet leaves. The air volume capabilities are quite remarkable for a plug-in electric blower.

Leaf blowers should be simple to use—Toro got the message. This leaf blower is easily controlled with just one hand, and the curved handle is comfortable to hold.

The variable speed dial allows you to use more or less power, depending on the needs of the job.

Building upon the positive user experience, the unit is only 6.66 pounds, so can be used for long periods of time. The 12-amp motor is powerful, yet lightweight.

While you are limited in the distance you can use this model due to the cord, the cord retracts inside the machine for easy storage and a cord lock helps to hold an extension cord firmly in place.

Key Features

• Power source: Plug-in electric
• CFM rating: 725
• Weight: 6.66 pounds

Sun Joe 6-Amp 155 MPH Electric Leaf Blower: Best Budget Leaf Blower

If you have a small yard with just a few leaves or grass clippings, save some money with this Sun Joe electric leaf blower.

With just a 6-amp electric motor in this blower, it is still capable of 155 mph air speed and 260 cfm air volume.

The compact size makes this machine perfect for clearing off porches, patios, and walkways. It features an instant start mechanism.

Keep in mind, this model has just a short “pigtail” electrical cord. You will need to attach an extension cord, and even then, your range will be limited.

This Sun Joe model is not meant for heavy-duty work. Use it for light landscaping within the range of nearby electrical outlets.

Key Features

• Power source: Plug-in electric
• CFM rating: 260
• Weight: 3.9 pounds

Worx WG521 Turbine 800 Leaf Blower: Best Leaf Blower for Performance

This Worx leaf blower is an absolute beat. The 12-amp electric motor delivers 800 cfm wind power at 135 mph.

With this amount of power, you can expect to move a heavy pile of leaves far across a yard, and quickly.

You don’t need to use all of this power all the time, though. The variable speed motor allows you to operate at slower speeds to clear corners and lower the noise.

The unit is actually pretty lightweight for its capabilities at 6.6 pounds—using just one hand for control should do the trick.

That being said, some users commented that the design of the handle on the machine makes it a little difficult to hold for longer periods of time.

This Worx model uses plug-in electric power, complete with an extension cord retainer that keeps your extension cord connected and cleanly stored.

Key Features

• Power source: Plug-in electric
• CFM rating: 800
• Weight: 6.6 pounds

ECHO 58.2cc Gas 2-Stroke Cycle Backpack Leaf Blower: Best Backpack Leaf Blower

Backpack leaf blowers are essential for larger properties with more trees and landscaping. The weight of the motor rests on your back rather than help up by your forearm.

This ECHO leaf blower will help you manage lots of leaves with its 517 cfm air volume capabilities at 216 mph.

Carrying a backpack around while landscaping might seem tiresome, but fortunately, this model keeps user comfort in mind. The backpack is uniquely vented to circulate air around the user.

That being said, the unit does weigh 22.7 pounds, so it might become unforgettable after extended uses.

A 4-point vibration reduction system helps you keep the nozzle steady. Also located directly at the nozzle, a variable speed tube allows you to adjust the speed with cruise control features.

The motor uses a 2-cycle oil that must be prepared at a 50:1 ratio, requiring a bit of extra prep before leaf blowing can commence.

Key Features

• Power source: Gas, 2-cycle oil
• CFM rating: 517
• Weight: 22.7 pounds

Makita GBU01M1 Brushless Cordless Blower Kit: Best Battery-Powered Leaf Blower

Battery-powered leaf blowers can clear leaves as well as gas-powered ones while producing zero emissions.

This Makita leaf blower certainly competes with gas-powered models. It packs a punch offering 565 cfm of air volume delivered at 143 mph.

The unit runs off 40-volt max lithium-ion batteries. One battery pack is included, but consider purchasing multiple to ensure your device is always charged and ready to go.

The brushless motor runs cool and efficiently, which helps extend battery life.

A variable speed trigger and cruise control lock are located on the 3-stage telescoping nozzle. With variable speed control, you can adjust speeds depending on the size of the leaf pile you are working with.

With no cords or gas mixes to deal with, this battery-powered leaf blower makes landscaping a breeze.

Key Features

• Power source: Battery
• CFM rating: 565
• Weight: 14.95 pounds

Craftsman 25cc 2-Cycle Engine Gas Powered Leaf Blower: Best Gas-Powered Leaf Blower

This gas-powered leaf blower offers some serious high performance, with an air volume up to 430 cfm and an air speed up to 200 mph.

With this amount of power, the Craftsman leaf blower has no issue blowing large piles of leaves, including heavier wet leaves that have soaked in the rain.

It easily starts up with a simple 3-step start process: prime, choke, and pull. The gas power will keep it running for many hours.

The product weighs 11 pounds and is said to be lightweight, but some users mentioned needing a break after holding it for a while.

The variable speed motor allows you to throttle for both noise and fuel consumption control. The motor uses a 2-cycle engine oil, so be ready to prepare this.

Key Features

• Power source: Gas, 2-cycle oil
• CFM rating: 480
• Weight: 11 pounds

How We Picked Our Top Leaf Blowers

We used five main criteria, in no particular order, to evaluate our top picks for leaf blowers.

Customer Ratings

The products we sourced boast a high number of satisfactory customer reviews. Most of the products have at least 1,000 customer reviews and at least an average 4-star rating. Alternatively, products may be deemed “best sellers” or “top picks” by the applicable retailer.

Brand Accessibility

To ensure these leaf blowers are easily purchased by anyone interested, we chose products from large and accessible retailers, including Amazon, Lowe’s, and Home Depot.

Pricing

By comparing different makes and models of leaf blowers with similar features, we were able to justify the price of all of our top leaf blower picks.

Quality & Features

Our leaf blower picks are equipped with the necessary features to get the job done and the standard of quality needed to last for years to come.

What Should You Consider When Buying a Leaf Blower?

There are four main categories to consider when choosing the best leaf blower for you and your property: performance, power source, size and weight, and speed settings. Each of these categories is detailed below.

Performance

A leaf blower's performance rating is essentially how well it moves leaves. Two different metrics are used to define the performance: CFM and MPH.

CFM stands for cubic feet per minute—the cubic feet of air the leaf blower discharges per minute. MPH stands for miles per hour—the speed at which the air is discharged from the leaf blower.

Most leaf blowers have a CFM range between 200 and 800 and a MPH range between 100 and 250.

The size of a leaf blower's motor determines the power it has and how well it performs. Performance capabilities can be determined based on the size of a leaf blower’s motor; however, using CFM and MPH figures is industry-standard.

Power Source

Most often, leaf blowers are either gas, plug-in electric, or battery-powered. The capabilities of a leaf blower depend a lot on the power source.

Gas

Gasoline-powered leaf blowers tend to be the most powerful and offer the best performance, but this isn’t always the case. The powers of corded electric and battery-powered leaf blowers are continuously improving.

Gas leaf blowers are best for large yards with lots of open space. The open space is essential because the carbon dioxide exhaust needs to be well-ventilated.

The engines are often 2-cycle, meaning they run off an oil and gasoline mixture that needs to be prepared each time the tank is filled up.

Plug-In Electric

Plug-in electric leaf blowers have a power cord that needs to be connected to a standard outlet. The devices are usually lightweight and easy to use.

The cord attached to the leaf blower itself will not have a ton of slack. You will need to attach a 50-foot or 100-foot outdoor extension cord.

Due to the restricted mobility, these types of leaf blowers are best for clearing leaves and debris directly around a home or a small property.

Battery-Powered

Last but not least, battery-powered leaf blowers are cordless and run off of a lithium battery pack. The battery will add a little weight to the device, but not nearly as much as a gas-powered motor.

You will have a full range of mobility with a battery-powered leaf blower, but your runtime is restricted to the charge of the battery pack. Therefore, consider purchasing multiple battery packs to ensure you never run out of power.

Size and Weight

Leaf blowers come in a variety of sizes and weights. Handheld leafblowers usually range from 3 to 15 pounds, while larger backpack leaf blowers can weigh up to 30 pounds.

Consider what size you might be comfortable with. For example, heavier models may begin to strain your forearm after using a leaf blower for more than 10 minutes.

Sometimes a leaf blower model will come equipped with a should strap to take some of the pressure off your arm and hand.

Speed Settings

Leaf blowers will either be one-speed or variable speed. One-speed leaf blowers are more basic models. They only operate at one static speed and airflow.

Variable speed leaf blowers usually operate at three different set speeds or a wide variety of speeds available with a speed control dial.

Changing the speed of your leaf blower is a useful feature. You may want to turn up the speed to conquer a wet, heavy pile of leaves or turn it down to move some light, grass clippings.

When you use a lower speed setting on a leaf blower, the noise will also often be quieter— useful if you blow leaves early in the morning or late at night.

What's the Most Powerful Leaf Blower You Can Buy?

The most powerful leaf blower you can buy will feature a high CFM, or cubic feet per minute airflow output. On the higher end, leaf blowers could have a CFM that exceeds 800 or even exceeds 1,000.

Which is Better MPH or CFM for a Leaf Blower?

MPH and CFM are both important leaf blower metrics. CFM is how many cubic feet of air a leaf blower releases per minute. The higher the CFM, the more leaves you will be able to clear and push further. MPH is how many miles per hour the air is released from a leaf blower at. The higher the MPH, the easier it is to move wet, heavy leaves.

How Many CFM is a Good Leaf Blower?

For most homes, a CFM between 200 and 400 is adequate to clear leaves and debris. However, if you have a large property with many trees, consider a higher CFM in the 400 to 800 range.

What is the Most Important Spec for a Leaf Blower?

CFM and MPH are the most important specs for a leaf blower. CFM measures how much air leaves the nozzle of a leaf blower, and MPH measures the speed of the air. Both metrics determine how powerful and effective a leaf blower is.