Best leaf blowers to make light work of tidying

When spring delivers its bounty of fruitfulness, it also sends us a mountain of leaves and the need for leaf blowers and the quick work of the best lawn mowers to tidy up the mound. While many have fabulous colourful tints and look magnificent carpeting the ground, even these turn into a stodgy mess in time.

Not only do lots of decomposing leaves look unattractive, but also, they encourage plants to start rotting, too – including the lawn grass underneath them.

They can be a slip hazard on paths and other hard surfaces and make a cosy hiding place for slugs and their progeny. So, once your foliage display is over and you're ready to get the lawn mower out of the shed, it’s best to clear them away to a leaf mould bin where, in time, they’ll turn into a useful soil improver.

Best leaf blower at a glance:

• Best value leaf blower: Bosch Cordless Leaf Blower - Buy now on Amazon UK
• Best leaf blower for power: EGO LB5800E Power+ 56V Cordless Leaf Blower - Buy now on Just Lawnmowers
• Best leaf blower for hard surfaces: Kärcher LBL 2 Cordless Battery Leaf Blower with Battery - Buy now on Amazon UK
• Top Pick: Mountfield MBL 50LI Cordless Blower - Buy now on Just Lawnmowers
• Best quiet leaf blower: Stihl BGA 57 Leaf Blower Set with AK 20 Battery and AL 101 Charger Orange - Buy now on Amazon UK

Even in reasonably small gardens, raking is a time-consuming chore, which is where a leaf blower or garden vacuum can be a godsend. In this guide, we've rounded up the best leaf blowers on the market, from battery powered to corded blowers that will need to be plugged in to a power source.

The best leaf blowers

Battery/electric-powered leaf blowers

Two-in-one leaf blowers and garden vacuum

FAQs

What is the difference between a leaf blower and a garden vacuum?

On a surface level, both gardening power tools seem to have a similar purpose. However, there are slight variations in modes and features - such as if your primary goal is to remove leaves in an average-sized garden, then a garden vacuum would be more suitable. However, a leaf blower would be more fitting if you have a larger garden as it can cover an area much quicker than a vacuum.

We've put two big hitters from Worx to the test to answer this very question, in our Leafjet vs WG583E 3-in-1 blower/vacuum review.

Leaf blowers blow the leaves off surfaces and into piles, for collecting and bagging.

Pros: It will not get blocked or damaged from sucking up stones and debris and is usually easier to use than a vacuum.

Cons: It cannot pick up leaves, only blow them into a pile.

Garden vacuums are more versatile. As well as a blow mode, their vacuum mode sucks up the leaves too.

Pros: It is a multi-purpose tool that acts as a leaf blower, garden vacuum, shredder all-in-one. It is less time consuming, and you will not need to pick up leaves manually with a rake. It is also simple to switch between settings and modes.

Cons: Debris and pebbles can get stuck and damage the vacuum.

Most also shred the leaves as they suck, so they take up less space in the collector bag and you won’t have to empty it so often. They’ll also rot down quicker, so you won’t have to wait as long for your leaf mould. Their main downside is that they’re heavier and more cumbersome to move around than blowers.

A vacuum will store the leaves in a bag, making it a more straightforward job overall; however, a leaf blower is better to 'blow' all the leaves to one area, making it easier to clear up afterwards.

What to look for when buying a leaf blower

Adjustable tube length Adjust this to suit your height. This avoids losing suction/blowing power when the device is held too far off the ground

Variable airspeed/control Multiple speeds allow you to increase the force for moving stubborn leaves or decrease it around fragile plants. Some machines refer to this as a turbo or power boost

Nozzle shape Round nozzles are good for moving bulky leaves quickly; flatter ones suit harder-to-move items, such as stuck-on leaves

Shredding ratio This measures how much the original leaf volume is reduced when it passes through the internal shredding impellors

Vac collection bag Larger bags need emptying less, but become heavier on the shoulder as they fill. Zipped bags are easier to empty

Vac tube support wheel Reduces carrying weight and holds nozzle at right height for max suction

Leaf blowers: Power v weight

Petrol-driven machines are generally the most powerful and allow you to roam free, unrestricted by power cables, but they’re not necessary in a small garden. They can be noisy, create polluting emissions and the engine needs regular maintenance. Those powered by mains electricity don’t offer the same walk-around freedom, but are more economical to buy and run, don’t produce emissions, tend to be quieter, need less maintenance and are lighter to carry.

Battery-powered machines are similar in many respects, without the trailing cable trip hazard. Lithium-ion batteries provide great performance, which doesn’t diminish and suffer as the battery loses its charge. Remember that a battery may need frequent recharging if you use the machine a lot, or you could buy a second battery to swap with, while recharging. The Ah (ampere/hour) rating shows how much energy it stores – the larger the number, the longer it runs.

Many manufacturers make batteries that can be interchanged with other powered tools in their range, so you may be able to buy the machine on its own or as a kit that includes the battery and charger. The former cuts the cost, as you only need one battery and one charger to power different tools.

What is the best motor output for leaf blowers?

The larger the motor’s output the higher its number and the better able it is to blow or suck. Electric motors are measured in kilowatts (kW) and battery power in volts (V). Two other numbers are quoted for power output: volume flow rate (measured in cubic metres/hour) and airflow speed (measured in kilometres/hour or kph).

Volume flow rate measures the volume of air that exits the tube. The higher the figure, the more air moves through the machine, which means more leaves moved. But the volume of air is meaningless if it isn’t moving fast enough, which is why airflow speed is also important. The higher the rating, the better the machine is equipped to remove wet leaves, heavier debris and twigs or leaves stuck to a surface.

What to read next:

Artificial grass for an effort-free flawless lawn

Lawn care tips to give your grass a lush facelift

Best garden shredders for an outdoor space free of twigs and stems