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Cordless snow blowers are worthwhile investments that let you finally retire your trusty shovel without hesitation. They don’t need to be tethered to an outlet to run, which gives you complete flexibility in where you work. If you’re clearing snow from a front and backyard, you don’t have to worry about keeping a door or window propped open to run a power cord through. Despite their portability, cordless snow blowers are nearly as powerful as ones that must be plugged in constantly thanks to advances in lithium-ion batteries. You’ll need to monitor its power source (either a battery or gas tank) to ensure you have enough juice, but that’s the only tradeoff. The best cordless snow blowers will allow you to clear the snow outside your home to make it safe for you, your family and friends, and pedestrians alike.
Best overall: Greenworks 80V Brushless Cordless Snow Blower
Best splurge: EGO Power+ SNT2102 Cordless Snow Blower
Best compact: Greenworks 40V Cordless Snow Blower
Best gas-powered: PowerSmart Gas-Powered Snow Blower
Best value: Snow Joe SJ627E Electric Walk-Behind Snow Blower
How we chose the best cordless snow blowers
We based our cordless snow blower recommendations on their size, weight, power (as determined by throw distance), and price. Design features that impacted how this tool works were also considered highly. Some cordless snow blowers come with an additional accessory, like a second battery, which also factored into how we made our recommendations.
The best cordless snow blowers: Reviews & Recommendations
Ready to ditch your snow shovel once and for all? Tired of dragging extension cords? Our cordless snow blower choices all operate roughly the same, able to dig effectively into snow 6- to 10-inches deep on average, but vary in a few key ways. The best option to clear your pavement will be easy to move, the correct size for your space, and long-lasting. So read up on snow removal safety then read these picks. You’ll find what you need below, whether you want a big, gas-powered cordless snow blower or a petite-but-still-powerful battery-powered model.
Best overall: Greenworks 80V Brushless Cordless Snow Blower
Specs
Power source: Battery
Size: 31 x 21.6 x 37 Inches
Weight: 33 pounds
Throwing distance: 25 feet
Pros
Mid-sized
Not too heavy
Good balance of power and cost
Cons
Midrange throw distance
Greenworks’ 80V Brushless Cordless Snow Blower is the Goldilocks in its category, offering a solid mix of power, design, and maneuverability at a solid price. It can throw snow up to 25 feet away, which means it’s not quite as powerful as some other models we’re recommending, but fine for most driveways and stoops. You can rotate its chute up to 180 degrees to ensure all the snow ends up in a neater pile rather than all over the place. At 20 inches wide and 33 pounds, this cordless snow blower is in the middle of the pack size-wise. You’ll still have to put effort in to push and maneuver it, but it’ll be more manageable than larger models, which can weigh over 80 pounds.
Makers of our favorite cordless chainsaw because of its thoughtful touches, Greenworks put the same eye for detail into play here. The company built a pair of lights into the front of its cordless snow blower, which makes it easier to use in the dark. But be mindful that these lights will drain the snow blower’s battery more quickly. Engaging this snow blower requires you to push a button and pull down on a thin bar below its handlebar. This design prevents you from accidentally turning the snow blower on and having it run ahead of you. The snow blower will automatically stop when you loosen your grip on the small bar. If you have a mid-sized driveway, Greenworks’ 80V Brushless Cordless Snow Blower will suit your needs perfectly.
Best splurge: EGO Power+ SNT2102 Cordless Snow Blower
Specs
Power source: Battery
Size: 35 x 22 x 45 Inches
Weight: 50.71 pounds
Throwing distance: 35 feet
Pros
Longer throw distance
Comes with multiple batteries
Can clear snow drifts up to eight inches tall
Cons
Heavy
Expensive
EGO Power+’s cordless snow blower is so powerful it requires two batteries (which are included) to run. It can throw snow at distances up to 35 feet, and its feeder is tall enough to suck up and throw snow piles up to eight inches tall. This cordless snow blower also has many features we highlighted in our best overall pick, including a two-step starting mechanism, headlights, and a flexible chute. All of this power is necessary when cleaning up after a big blizzard, but it comes with a couple of notable downsides.
First, this cordless snow blower weighs over 50 pounds, so you’ll have to exert a lot more energy to move it around. It also adds to the snow blower’s price, which is fair given when you’re getting for your money, but makes it a no-go for those with more modest budgets or needs. If you require an uber-powerful snow blower to clean up the front and back of your house or clean multiple properties for neighbors, it’s well worth the price.
Best compact: Greenworks 40V Cordless Snow Blower
Specs
Power source: Battery
Size: 38.58 x 17.52 x 44.29 Inches
Weight: 17.52 Pounds
Throwing distance: 20 feet
Pros
Narrow size size
Very low weight
Easy to maneuver
Cons
Weak throw distance
If you’re still (literally) holding onto your shovel because of snow blower space concerns, Greenworks’ 40V Cordless Snow Blower will prove you wrong. At just 17.5 inches wide, this snowblower can fit more easily into a corner of your garage or basement. Furthermore, its main handle can be folded over the front of the cordless snowblower to take up less vertical space. Finally, because it’s battery-powered, you won’t have to worry about gas or oil being stored indoors. Despite its size, this small snow blower has built-in lights, a two-step activation mechanism, and flexible chute.
You do miss out on power—this cordless snowblower has the shortest throw distance, for example—but it’s also lighter than our other recommendations, which makes it easier to move (making it the best snow thrower for elderly people). You’ll have to make additional passes to clean up a larger area when compared to a full-sized snowblower, but the difference in size and weight is an appropriate tradeoff. Regardless of size, this cordless snowblower will still be faster and more efficient than a shovel.
Best gas-powered: PowerSmart Gas-Powered Snow Blower
Specs
Power source: Gas
Size: 50 x 21 x 36 Inches
Weight: 80 Pounds
Throwing distance: 35 Feet
Pros
Long throw distance
Doesn’t need to charge
Fast engine
Cons
Heavy
If all you want is raw power, PowerSmart’s Gas-Powered Snow Blower is the best cordless option for you. It has a throw distance of 35 feet, and PowerSmart says it can clear up to 1,680 pounds of snow per minute. If you have a large driveway, this power will come in handy (and power is one of the reasons the company also makes one of our favorite snow blowers for gravel driveways). This is the only gas snow blower we’re recommending, and its fuel source is a big part of why it’s so powerful. PowerSmart didn’t need to limit the strength of its motor for the sake of battery efficiency. You can continuously fuel up this snow blower and have it run at full strength for as long as the job takes.
One of the downsides to having a big, powerful motor is increased weight. This snow blower weighs over four times more than our lightest recommendation and over twice as much as our top pick. You’ll have to exert yourself to get the cordless snowblower moving, but you shouldn’t have to go over any areas multiple times to clean them up. As you’d expect, this cordless snowblower has standard features like a built-in light and movable chute. Better still, its handle can be folded over the snow blower for convenient storage.
Best budget: Snow Joe SJ627E Electric Walk-Behind Snow Blower
Specs
Power source: Battery
Size: 23.4 x 22 x 26 Inches
Weight: 34.8 Pounds
Throwing distance: 25 Feet
Pros
Wide clearing path
15-amp motor
Price
Cons
A little heavy
Snow Joe’s budget-priced cordless snowblower has all the features you’ll find in more expensive models—albeit with less power—at a far lower price. Every major design feature, from a rotating chute and two-stage ignition process to headlights and foldability for storage, is present. It’s a little heavier than most of our recommendations and only has a throwing distance of 25 feet, which may not work depending on the size of the space you’re clearing.
It does have a powerful motor and wide clearing path, so you shouldn’t have to go over the same parts of your driveway or porch multiple times to get it cleared. Snow Joe says the rubber-tipped steel blades on its cordless snow blower can move 25 tons of snow per hour. If you need a cordless snow blower to clear a narrower space, or you don’t have more than $150 to spend on this winter cleaning tool, this is your best option by far.
There are many decisions to make when choosing the best cordless snow blower for your needs. Below are the most important factors when determining which to feature in this story:
Power source
Cordless snow blowers can run on a battery or gas, and the one you choose largely depends on preference. Both gas- and battery-powered electric snow blowers can clear an identical amount of space in roughly the same amount of time. The biggest benefit to a gas-powered snow blower is that you can immediately refuel it if necessary. If your battery-powered snow blower conks out, you’ll need to charge it up, which could take hours. The solution is buying an additional battery, which adds to the expense. On the other hand, if you plan on keeping this tool indoors year-round, a battery-powered model may be the way to go because you won’t have a tank full of gas sitting around.
Size
A cordless snow blower’s size will impact how long it’ll take to clean up an area. Wider cordless snow blowers will do the job more quickly but can be more difficult to maneuver. Measure how narrow your driveway, walkway, or porch is before making a decision.
Weight
Using a cordless snow blower is not as taxing on your body as shoveling, but you will still need to push it for an extended period. This can be particularly difficult if you’re clearing a large space. A lighter snow blower will be easier to move around but won’t be as powerful, so make that tradeoff wisely.
Throw distance
This cordless snow blower tech spec shows how far a snow blower can throw snow out through its chute. Throwing snow further means you will likely avoid going over the same area more than once. Our recommendations can throw snow between 20 and 35 feet.
Remember, snow removal is serious business
Snow removal is a normal part of life for homeowners in large swaths of North America, so it’s easy to dismiss the fact that it’s a very taxing activity that can become quite dangerous for people with health issues. The combination of cold temperatures and intense physical exertion while shoveling a driveway can lead to an increased risk for a heart attack, according to the American Heart Association, particularly if you have high blood pressure or cholesterol. Your risk of a catastrophic health event is also higher for people with conditions like diabetes, smokers, and those of us who don’t get to the gym enough.
Adults, especially older ones diagnosed with heart or physical health issues, should avoid snow removal entirely. If you can, hire someone to shovel your driveway and walkway. According to Dr. Claire Ankuda, clearing snow is always a risky move for older people with physical limitations. If that’s not an option, use a compact snow thrower to remove as much snow from your walkways and/or driveway as possible. It minimizes the risk of muscle and back strain (or worse) and can clear a large area more efficiently while limiting your exposure to the elements. Best of all, it doesn’t require as much physical exertion as a shovel. Even then, Ankuda still advised caution:
“It’s important to physically warm up with stretching, to wear appropriate boots to reduce the chance of slips, and to take frequent breaks,” She said. “The majority of injuries that are related to snow blowers have been due to hand or finger injuries, from people reaching in to clear blockages in the discharge chute. This can be avoided by using a tool or a stick to unclog the machine.”
FAQs
Q: Is it worth buying an electric snow blower?
Yes. An electric snow blower that runs on battery power can last long enough to clear a mid-sized driveway before recharging.
Q: Do battery snow blowers work?
Yes. Battery-powered snow blowers do work well enough to clean snow from large areas without getting stuck or hitching. The only trouble you may run into is having a battery run out of power in the middle of a job depending on the size of the space you’re clearing.
Q: Are battery snow blowers as good as gas?
Yes. A battery-powered snow blower can be as powerful as a gas-powered model.
Q: How much does a cordless snow blower cost?
This depends on its size and power source. Our recommendations range in price between $239 and $679.
Final thoughts on the best cordless snow blowers
Best overall: Greenworks 80V Brushless Cordless Snow Blower
Best splurge: EGO Power+ SNT2102 Cordless Snow Blower
Best compact: Greenworks 40V Cordless Snow Blower
Best gas-powered: PowerSmart Gas-Powered Snow Blower
Best value: Snow Joe SJ627E Electric Walk-Behind Snow Blower
A cordless snow blower will be your most-used winter tool if you live in a cold, wet climate. Shoveling a large area can be dangerous to your health, including increasing your risk of having a heart attack. Using a cordless snow blower will still strain your body, especially if you’re subjecting yourself to walking outdoors in sub-zero temperatures, but not nearly as much as shoveling will. If you’re done with analog snow removal, a cordless snow blower is your best investment.
Why trust us
Popular Science started writing about technology more than 150 years ago. There was no such thing as “gadget writing” when we published our first issue in 1872, but if there was, our mission to demystify the world of innovation for everyday readers means we would have been all over it. Here in the present, PopSci is fully committed to helping readers navigate the increasingly intimidating array of devices on the market right now.
Our writers and editors have combined decades of experience covering and reviewing consumer electronics. We each have our own obsessive specialties—from high-end audio to video games to cameras and beyond—but when we’re reviewing devices outside of our immediate wheelhouses, we do our best to seek out trustworthy voices and opinions to help guide people to the very best recommendations. We know we don’t know everything, but we’re excited to live through the analysis paralysis that internet shopping can spur so readers don’t have to.
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