Best cordless leaf blower

Best Cordless Leaf Blower Reviews 2023

Like the LB7654, the only drawback to its design is the size of the battery. With the battery attached, the blower weighs in at a hefty 9.6 pounds. There are hooks on the blower for a shoulder strap, but no straps were included.

The Best Cordless Leaf Blowers of 2023

A person holds a cordless leaf blower while three others sit on a table

Recommendations are independently chosen by Reviewed’s editors. Purchases made through the links below may earn us and our publishing partners a commission.

A person holds a cordless leaf blower while three others sit on a table

Product image of Ego Power+ LB7654

Ego Power+ LB7654

If you need a cordless blower to access the back corners of your yard, the Ego Power+ LB7654 is your best bet. Read More

Pros

Cons

Product image of Kobalt KHB 3040-06

Kobalt KHB 3040-06

The Kobalt KHB 3040-06 moved more leaves and debris more quickly than any other cordless blower in our testing. Read More

Pros

Cons

Product image of Ego Power+ LB6504

Ego Power+ LB6504

Blowing 650 cubic feet of air per minute, this is perfect for most medium to large yards and shares the intuitive design of the Ego Power+ LB7654. Read More

Pros

  • Can use around landscaping without disturbing it
  • Decent run time

Cons

Product image of Ryobi RY40407BTLVNM

Ryobi RY40407BTLVNM

This Ryobi model seemed under-powered compared to other corded models, but it blew well on the Turbo setting—the extra-power button. Read More

Pros

Cons

Product image of Ryobi RY40480VNM

Ryobi RY40480VNM

The Ryobi 40480VNM seemed under-powered despite an air volume measurement of 535 CFM. Read More

Pros

  • Turbo setting enhances performance
  • Solid battery life

Cons

TJ Donegan

Meg Muckenhoupt

Written by TJ Donegan, Meg Muckenhoupt, and Kevin Kavanaugh

Updated August 4, 2023

Whether you’re dealing with lawn debris, acorns, or a never-ending torrent of falling leaves, a reliable leaf blower is a must-have for a homeowner. The best cordless leaf blowers will clean up your yard, deck, and garden areas in less time and with less effort than hand tools like rakes and brooms.

We’ve spent hours finding the best leaf blowers on the market, including corded electric models, and found the Ego Power+ LB7654 (available at Amazon for $329.00) is the best cordless blower you can buy. If you hate lugging an extension cord around—or need something that can get to hard-to-reach spaces—this cordless leaf blower can help get the job done with far less fuss.

For another great cordless leaf blower that has an even better price, check out the Kobalt KHB 3040-06 (available at Lowe’s), our choice for Best Value.

We’ve put all the models here through their paces, blowing leaves, pine needles, acorns, and dust off dozens of obstacles. Our top picks do the best job of balancing power, battery life, and weight to deliver the cord-free leaf blower you’ve been looking for.

The Ego Power+ LB7654 leaf blower sits on grass

The Ego Power+ LB7654 is the best cordless leaf blower we’ve tested.

Power: If you need a cordless blower to access the back corners of your yard, the high-powered Ego Power+ LB7654 is your best bet. This blower can move 765 cubic feet of air per minute and you can feel that power as soon as you hit the Thrust button.

It has an intuitive design with buttons placed where the hand naturally falls. The speed control button has a tab that makes one-handed operation easy. We mostly used this leaf blower on the low setting, as it has plenty of power to accomplish a variety of yard jobs.

The Thrust power button proved most effective at clearing out large, embedded piles of leaves, but that same power can also eliminate most of your mulch if you’re not careful. It’s all the power you need to take care of a large yard.

Comfort: With the battery attached, the Ego LB7654 is well balanced. The motor is located in the middle of the blower and is well protected from pant legs and windbreakers. The design is streamlined and well thought out.

The only drawback to its design is the size of the battery. With the battery attached, the blower weighs in at a hefty 9.6 pounds. There are hooks on the blower for a shoulder strap, but no straps were included. Carrying this blower around the yard could become a chore in itself.

Noise: The Ego registered 86 decibels on the lowest setting, so it is at the upper range of noise levels for a yard tool. This machine is perfect for larger yards where there is more room between homes.

Battery: At 30 minutes, the Ego LB7654 had the best run-time of the cordless blowers we tested.

Pros

Cons

Kobalt KHB 3040-06

The Kobalt is a great cordless leaf blower and an excellent value.

Power: Formerly our top cordless pick, the Kobalt KHB 3040-06 moves leaves and debris more quickly than most other cordless blowers we tried, blowing out an estimated 480 CFM. It also has a variable-speed trigger and a Turbo button for increasing power to dislodge stubborn wet leaves. And at a fraction of the price as our Best Overall pick, it’s a great budget buy, as well.

Comfort: The Kobalt KHB 3040-06 also feels well-balanced and easy to carry, unlike other cordless models which are back-heavy due to battery weight.

Noise: Close up, it sounds like a household vacuum, not a gigantic grinding machine, although it isn’t quiet. Kobalt representatives say it has a noise rating of under 65 decibels at 50 feet, which means it meets most leaf blower noise laws. Of course, it’s much noisier for the person operating it, so wear ear protection to prevent hearing loss.

Battery: The one drawback to the Kobalt KHB 3040-06 is its relatively short running time. With the blower set on minimum power, the Kobalt ran for 16 minutes, 30 seconds on its lowest setting. If you’re thinking of running your blower continuously for a longer span, consider buying an extra battery.

Pros

Cons

A long leaf blower floats on a pale yellow background. Its handle is on top.

With a heavy dose of raw power, the appropriately named Ego Power will blast away yard waste.

Power: Blowing 650 cubic feet of air per minute, this is perfect for most medium to large yards and shares the intuitive design of the Ego Power+ LB7654. However, this model’s speed control button does not have a tab and we found that controlling the speed took two hands.

We mostly used this leaf blower on the low setting, as it has plenty of power to accomplish a variety of yard jobs. The Thrust power button proved quite capable at clearing out large, embedded piles of leaves. This model is the same size and weight of the LB7654, and we found this blower to be quite capable even with its lower CFM.

Comfort: Like the LB7654, the Ego LB6504 is well balanced. The motor is located in the middle of the blower and is well-protected from pant legs and windbreakers. The Ego design is streamlined and well thought out.

Like the LB7654, the only drawback to its design is the size of the battery. With the battery attached, the blower weighs in at a hefty 9.6 pounds. There are hooks on the blower for a shoulder strap, but no straps were included.

Noise: The Ego registered 92 decibels on the lowest setting and was the loudest blower we tried. The added noise is one more reason to consider the more powerful and quieter LB7654.

Battery: At 24 minutes, the Ego LB6504 had one of the best run-times of the cordless blowers we found.

Pros

  • Can use around landscaping without disturbing it
  • Decent run time

Cons

Product image of Ryobi RY40407BTLVNM

Power: This Ryobi model seemed under-powered compared to corded models, despite manufacturer-advertised ratings of 550 CFM. It blew well on the Turbo mode, but it didn’t pick up and move leaves the way the Kobalt model did.

Given that the battery lasted less than 20 minutes on the lowest setting, don’t count on using that Turbo setting very much unless you have a second battery ready.

Comfort: This Ryobi felt heavy and awkward, thanks largely to a battery that weighs more than 3 pounds and is positioned on top of the leaf blower.

It’s also designed with the fan on the back of the leaf blower, behind the handle, where it can suck in clothing. The back fan could become an annoyance or a safety hazard.

Noise: The RY40407VNM Whisper model claims to be “the industry’s quietest handheld blower,” producing 59 decibels at 50 feet. It seems to achieve this lower rating via a layer of foam on the interior of the air tube. It’s quieter at a distance, but subjectively, it doesn’t seem much quieter for the operator.

Battery: During use, the RY40407VNM’s battery lasted for 18 minutes, 20 seconds on the lowest setting. It’s not terrible, but if you have a larger yard, you’ll want to invest in a second battery.

Pros

Cons

Product image of Ryobi RY40480VNM

Power: Much like the Ryobi RY404070VNM Whisper model, the 40480VNM seemed under-powered despite an air volume measurement of 535 CFM. The main way the 40480VNM differs from the other Ryobi model is that it’s louder, producing 68 decibels of high-pitched, whiny noise at 50 feet. The Turbo setting enhanced the 40480’s performance, but not to the level of our top three models.

Comfort: Both cordless Ryobi models we tested felt heavy and awkward thanks to a top-mounted battery that weighs more than 3 pounds. The battery puts a third of this blower’s weight right below the handle, and boosts the total weight to 9.4 pounds.

During testing, the 40480’s rear-mounted fan sucked my clothes against the back of the blower when I held the blower in front of me. No harm was done, but depending on your clothing choices and your arm position, this back fan could be a safety hazard.

Noise: The RY 40480VNM has a noise rating of 68 decibels, and produced a loud, high-pitched whine.

Battery: The RY40480VNM’s battery lasted a reasonable 21 minutes, 35 seconds on the lowest setting. If you’re planning on using the Turbo setting to dislodge wet leaves or gravel, you should have a second battery ready.

Pros

  • Turbo setting enhances performance
  • Solid battery life

Cons

Product image of Litheli U1BR21103

Power: The Litheli U1BR21103 delivers 480 cubic feet of air per minute, which could work for most medium to small yards. It is a capable blower, but its poor design prevents it from being a good value or a good choice.

The air intake on the Litheli is located on the back side of the blower and no matter how you position your body, the blower will find your pants leg and latch on, making a most distressing sound. This design seriously inhibits the lateral movements needed to move leaves across the yard.

Comfort: The Litheli is not a comfortable blower to use. Even though the battery is small and the blower weighs in at only 7.5 pounds, most of the weight is located in the back of the blower. It lacks balance and can be awkward to use effectively.

The tube of the blower extends for easier directional jobs, but it lacks attachments for any other applications. This blower would be a good choice for small, quick clean up jobs around the yard.

Noise: The Litheli registered 85 decibels on the lowest setting.

Battery: The Litheli had a decent run-time of the cordless blowers we tested: 14 minutes, 30 seconds. The battery is quite small, but it did deliver power for its duration. Unlike the Ego blowers, the Litheli’s battery only indicates its present charge if you depress the battery button.

Pros

Cons

How We Tested Cordless Leaf Blowers

Three leaf blowers are on display leaning up a tree and laying on the forest floor.

Our leaf blower testing focused on how well each worked, ease of use, battery endurance, and its power and balance.

The Testers

I’m Meg Muckenhoupt, a garden writer and reviewer. I’ve been wrangling with trees, branches, leaves, and gravel for more than 20 years, and along the way I co-founded a community farm and earned a certificate in field botany. I live under a canopy of oak, pine, maple, and hickory trees, and I’ve used many different techniques for managing the leaf avalanche that engulfs my yard every fall.

And I’m Kevin Kavanaugh, a retired public school teacher who has always been intrigued by all things mechanical, be it watches, power equipment, vintage bicycles or classic cars. After I finished testing the best lawn mowers for Reviewed, I went to work leaf blowing to add to Meg’s previous findings. Aided by fellow lawn care enthusiast Ray Lane, I cleared leaves and other debris from my half-acre yard that’s surrounded by trees.

The Tests

We tested these blowers by moving piles of dry leaves across the yard and clearing the driveway and street of light debris, small sticks and sand. We further tested their power by moving large piles of leaves caught under bushes and woodpiles.

Following the logic that the best battery powered leaf blower is one that has good battery life, we tested each cordless leaf blowers’ battery endurance by running a zip-tie around their power buttons with the speed adjustment dial turned to the lowest setting, and timing how long it took for them to run out of power. Measurements varied from 8 minutes, 45 seconds for the Hoover BH57205 to 30 minutes for the Ego Power+ LB7654.

We rated how heavy or unwieldy these blowers felt carrying them up and down a 100-foot slope, and whether they felt unbalanced. We also evaluated how easy it was to store them in a tight space, and tried out any special accessories they included.

Overall, power and speed settings were highly correlated for these blowers: The blowers that blew leaves away the fastest also blew them across the largest area and did the best job of prying up wet leaves.

How Does A Leaf Blower Work?

At heart, leaf blowers are giant hair dryers without a heater, fans mounted on an engine with a tube to direct the airflow. The major differences between leaf blowers have to do with three main factors:

  • The power of the stream of air coming out of the tube, often measured in CFM (cubic feet per minute)
  • How comfortable it is to carry them around
  • How they’re powered—by gas engines, an electric cord, or a rechargeable battery

Cordless Leaf Blower Buyer’s Guide

Kobalt leaf blower battery

We tested each cordless leaf blower to see how long the battery lasts on the lowest setting.

Cordless leaf blowers are powered by gas or electricity. Gas-powered leaf blowers have several disadvantages—they’re noisy, they produce pollutants, and their maintenance can be difficult, to name a few. Electric leaf blowers, which are powered by a battery, provide more freedom than corded models but are limited by battery capacity.

You can read about all of our leaf blower picks in our roundup of the best leaf blowers, but you won’t find gas-powered leaf blowers in either roundup. Among other things, many municipal laws prohibit them.

Here are a few things to consider when looking for a cordless leaf blower:

  • CFM: When shopping for a leaf blower, look at air volume, not airspeed. Air volume (cubic feet per minute, or CFM) tells you how much air is coming out of the blower, or how big a mass of leaves you can blow away. Airspeed (miles per hour) measures how fast the air is going, which tells you how well a blower will dislodge and lift leaves.

Look at CFM to tell if a leaf blower is supposed to clear your entire yard (at least 400 CFM) or just your deck (under 300 CFM). Airspeed is much less important to general performance.

  • Decibels: Leaf blower noise ratings show how loud the blowers are to someone standing 50 feet away. There are two numbers you should remember: 65 decibels (dB), which is the maximum allowable noise rating for leaf blowers in some municipalities; and 80 dB, the level where hearing loss can occur after extended exposure (two hours or more).
  • Battery: Most battery-powered leaf blowers will only run 15 to 20 minutes under typical conditions, and recharging times can vary depending on the surrounding temperature, how much the battery has run down, and how old the battery is. If you’re choosing a cordless model, check how much an extra battery costs.

Though a powerful leaf blower will make quicker work of your lawn than a weaker one, if your lawn is covered in leaves you likely can’t clear it in less than a half hour. In almost all cases, i we recommend having an external charger and battery, to go with your cordless leaf blower, so consider a model that includes one, or that matches other battery-powered tools you already have.

Judging by product listing and reviewers’ comments, most rechargeable leaf blower batteries will take somewhere from 60 to 90 minutes to recharge, so if you just have a single battery you could turn a quick 30-minute job into a 4-hour waiting game.

More Articles You Might Enjoy

Prices were accurate at the time this article was published but may change over time.

The product experts at Reviewed have all your shopping needs covered. Follow Reviewed on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, TikTok, or Flipboard for the latest deals, product reviews, and more.

Meet the testers

TJ Donegan

Former Director, Content Development

TJ is the former Director of Content Development at Reviewed. He is a Massachusetts native and has covered electronics, cameras, TVs, smartphones, parenting, and more for Reviewed. He is from the self-styled “Cranberry Capitol of the World,” which is, in fact, a real thing.

Meg Muckenhoupt

Meg Muckenhoupt is an environmental and travel writer. Her book Boston Gardens and Green Spaces (Union Park Press, 2010) is a Boston Globe Local Bestseller. Meg was awarded a certificate in Field Botany by the New England Wild Flower Society and earned degrees from Harvard and Brown University.

Kevin Kavanaugh

Kevin Kavanaugh is a retired public school teacher and a product tester for Reviewed. Kevin has been cutting lawns for just about 50 years. He has always been intrigued by all things mechanical, be it watches, power equipment, vintage bicycles, or classic cars.

Checking our work.

Our team is here for one purpose: to help you buy the best stuff and love what you own. Our writers, editors, and lab technicians obsess over the products we cover to make sure you’re confident and satisfied. Have a different opinion about something we recommend? Email us and we’ll compare notes.

Best Cordless Leaf Blower Reviews 2023

Best Cordless Leaf Blower Reviews

The battery-powered blower landscape sure has changed since we did our first head-to-head review several years ago. There are a lot more options and the performance is leaps and bounds ahead. So who makes the best cordless leaf blower in 2023?

That depends on what your specific needs are. We have recommendations for handheld and backpack models covering the highest performance to high value and a lot in between!

Our Top Picks

  • Most Powerful: EGO 765 CFM – Buy at Acme Tools
    Jump to this Blower ↓
  • Quietest: Ryobi 40V HP 730 CFM – Buy at Home Depot
    Jump to this Blower ↓
  • Best Leaf Vac: Ryobi 40V HP Brushless Jet Fan – Buy at Home Depot
    Jump to this Blower ↓
  • Best Cordless Backpack: EGO Commercial Backpack Blower – Buy at Acme Tools
    Jump to this Blower ↓
  • Best for the Money: Greenworks Pro 60V 610 CFM – Buy at Tractor Supply
    Jump to this Blower ↓
  • Best on a Budget: Skil PWRCore 20 Brushless 400 CFM – Buy at Acme Tools
    Jump to this Blower ↓

Best Cordless Leaf Blower Power

EGO 765 CFM Battery-Powered Blower

Best Cordless Blower Power | EGO 765 CFM Battery-Powered Blower

We had blowers from EGO, Ryobi, and Stihl all hitting more than 21 Newtons. But that was then and this is now. EGO’s 765 CFM blower is redefining the landscape by producing more than 25 Newtons with its stock 5.0Ah battery. It even touched 26 Newtons using a 10.0Ah battery in our tests. That’s legit backpack blower territory! When it comes to handheld models, this is the most powerful cordless leaf blower you can get.

  • Best For: High-performance homeowner and property owner use
  • Max Airflow: 765 CFM
  • Max Air Speed: 200 MPH
  • Blowing Force: 26.0 Newtons

Price: $249.00 bare tool, $329.00 with a 5.0Ah battery and charger, and $499.00 with two 5.0Ah batteries and charger

If you want to save some money and still have one of the strongest battery-powered leaf blowers available, give EGO’s 650 CFM model a look!

Quietest Cordless Leaf Blower

Ryobi 40V HP Brushless 730 CFM Blower

Best cordless leaf blower noise level

As battery-powered blowers have increased in power, their noise levels have crept up along with it. Reversing that trend, Ryobi’s 40V HP Brushless 730 CFM leaf blower crushed it in our Newton force test by hitting 21.7 N. But instead of producing the 85–88 decibels most high-performance blowers do, it’s just 72 decibels in high and 76 decibels in Turbo measuring from our operator’s ear.

Let’s put that in perspective. The SPL (decibel) scale shows that a drop of just 3 decibels is half the sound pressure level. However, a drop of 10 decibels sounds half as loud. For Ryobi, running in Turbo mode hits your unprotected ear with roughly 8x lower SPL and half the perceived loudness. It’s incredibly impressive when you’re using it side-by-side with other cordless blowers.

Though it’s a few decibels louder, the Stihl BGA 200 is another model that’s quieter than most.

  • Best For: High-performance homeowner and property owner use
  • Max Airflow: 730 CFM
  • Max Air Speed: 190 MPH
  • Blowing Force: 21.7 Newtons

Price: $229.00 bare, $329.00 with two 4.0Ah batteries and charger

Best Cordless Leaf Blower Vac

Ryobi 40V HP Brushless Jet Fan Blower Vacuum

Ryobi 40V Leaf Blower Vac

Ryobi shook things up with the launch of its 40V HP Brushless blower vac. Other designs have a somewhat awkward side intake method of switching the nozzle around between blowing and vacuuming modes. Ryobi keeps everything in line and eliminates the nozzle switch. Instead, you just attach the bag, flip the impeller from blow to vacuum, and you’re on your way.

It’s no slouch in the performance department with the brushless motor delivering 600 CFM and 100 MPH. While that is a little low on the airspeed side, it’s plenty to handle the blowing and collection of fall leaves that’s the primary goal of this design. It’s also a solid mulcher, using a metal impeller to reduce those leaves down at a 20:1 ratio.

  • Best For: Homeowners who want leaf blowing, collection, and mulching in one tool
  • Max Airflow: 600 CFM
  • Max Air Speed: 100 MPH
  • Blowing Force: 16.7 Newtons

Price: $369.00 bare, $469.00 with two 4.0Ah batteries and a rapid charger

Best Cordless Backpack Leaf Blower

EGO Commercial Backpack Leaf Blower

EGO Commercial Backpack Blower Review

While EGO’s 765 CFM leaf blower is the strongest handheld option, its 800 CFM Commercial Backpack Blower is the strongest cordless leaf blower overall. Taking advantage of two batteries to extend the runtime (it can also run on one), it’s rated at 26 Newtons. In our tests, it hit 27.9 Newtons, giving EGO the distinction of having the three of the most powerful battery-powered blowers we’ve tested.

In addition to its blowing force, EGO also includes a handy digital display on the throttle. You can easily see your battery levels and which mode you’re in with just a glance. Combined with a comfortable harness, it’s a serious option for Pros who want to move away from gas.

  • Best For: Cordless high-performance professional use
  • Max Airflow: 800 CFM
  • Max Air Speed: 219 MPH
  • Blowing Force: 27.9 Newtons

Price: $399.00 bare tool, $699.00 kit with two 6.0Ah batteries and dual-port charger

Best Cordless Leaf Blower For the Money

Greenworks Pro 60V 610 CFM Leaf Blower

Best Value Battery Leaf Blower

Getting the most bang for your buck doesn’t mean dropping completely away from excellent performance. Greenworks’ Pro 60V 610 CFM blower offers the best value in our opinion. It pairs a top blower force of 19.7 N with a $199.99 price tag that includes a 2.5Ah battery and charger. While you can find cheaper battery-powered blower kits, you’ll have a hard time finding one at that price that pushes this much air.

  • Best For: Upper mid-range performance for homeowner use
  • Max Airflow: 610 CFM
  • Max Air Speed: 130 MPH
  • Blowing Force: 19.7 Newtons

Price: $199.99 with a 2.5Ah battery and charger

Best Budget Cordless Leaf Blower

Skil PWRCore 20 Brushless Leaf Blower

Skil 20V Blower Size

Trying to find a cordless leaf blower under $100 is a tall task, and we didn’t find any that include a battery and charger that we’d use ourselves. What we did find comes from Skil’s PWRCore 20 lineup, and there are several reasons why it’s worth upping your budget a bit to grab.

First, it has a brushless motor that produces up to 400 CFM—a much more relevant level of airflow than the cheaper models we considered. Skil also packs it with a 4.0Ah battery, offering higher capacity and runtime than less expensive options that only include a 2.0Ah pack. Finally, there’s the platform. The battery in this kit can operate any of Skil’s PWRCore 20 tools. In our experience, they offer a lot of bang for the buck, so you’re entering into a system of power tools and lawn care equipment that can tackle nearly any weekend project you’d like to take on.

  • Best For: Homeowner use
  • Max Airflow: 400 CFM
  • Max Air Speed: 52 MPH
  • Blowing Force: 9.0 Newtons

Price: $129.99 kit with a 4.0Ah battery and charger

More Recommendations From Brands We Trust

Best DeWalt Battery-Powered Leaf Blower

DeWalt moved to an inline design with the latest version of its FlexVolt blower and packed 600 CFM with 125 MPH into it. In our tests, it hit 17.0 Newtons. The downside is that it’s loud—91 decibels at our operator’s ear. The pitch of that sound is also somewhat irritating. However, the performance level is legit and beats out what we can get from a gas handheld model. If DeWalt is your brand, the DCBL772 is your best bet.

  • Best For: Cordless mid-range professional and homeowner use
  • Max Airflow: 600 CFM
  • Max Air Speed: 125 MPH
  • Blowing Force: 17.0 Newtons

Price: $219.00 bare, $299.00 with a 3.0Ah battery and charger

Best Greenworks Battery-Powered Leaf Blower

Greenworks joins the 700 Club as one of the few battery-powered blowers to reach the 700 CFM rating. As the top-performing handheld leaf blower on Greenworks’ Pro 60V line, it’s capable of 170 MPH top speed and is one of the elite blowers to hit 20.0 N in our testing.

  • Best For: High-performance homeowner use
  • Max Airflow: 700 CFM
  • Max Air Speed: 170 MPH
  • Blowing Force: 20.0 Newtons

Price: $179.00 bare, $299.00 with a 5.0Ah battery and charger

Keep your eyes open for a new backpack blower on the 60V line. Greenworks has an 824 CFM/151 MPH dual-battery model that promises to eclipse the performance of the 700 CFM handheld model.

Best Greenworks Commercial Battery-Powered Leaf Blower

Greenworks Commercial targets the professional market and those crews tend to prefer backpack blowers. The Greenworks Commercial 82V backpack leaf blower (82BA26) boasts an impressive 690 CFM and 195 MPH, combing for 26 Newtons. If you’re coming from the gas world, that’s what you get from the 63cc gas engine class.

If that’s still not enough, keep your eyes open. Greenworks Commercial is teasing an upcoming backpack leaf blower that can hit 36 Newtons!

  • Best For: High-performance professional use
  • Max Airflow: 690 CFM
  • Max Air Speed: 195 MPH
  • Blowing Force: 26.0 Newtons

Price: $362.99 bare, $899.99 with two 5.0Ah batteries and a dual-port charger

Best Hart Cordless Leaf Blower

HART rolled out its SuperCharge line in time for spring and designated its highest-performing lawn care tools with it. Sitting at the top of the line is the 650 CFM brushless blower. Combined with up to 160 MPH of airspeed and hitting a solid 17.1 Newtons in our tests, it’s also part of HART’s Ultra-Quiet Series. It lets you balance excellent performance while keeping the noise levels down to just 76 decibels at your ear while using Turbo mode.

  • Best For: Mid-range homeowner use
  • Max Airflow: 650 CFM
  • Max Air Speed: 160 MPH
  • Blowing Force: 16.3 Newtons

Price: $268.00 with a 5.0Ah battery and charger

Best Makita Cordless Leaf Blower

We love the Makita XBU03 blower as a lightweight blower for quickly cleaning off hard surfaces. If it’s the highest performance you’re looking for, though, check out Makita’s ConnectX system. Using a 1200Wh backpack battery as an energy source, it tethers to the CBU02 blower and produces up to 670 CFM and 160 MPH. With a top blowing force of 22 Newtons, it’s a replacement for a 65cc gas backpack blower. It’s part of a Pro-level system aiming to help commercial crews make a seamless transition from gas to battery power.

  • Best For: Cordless high-performance professional use
  • Max Airflow: 670 CFM
  • Max Air Speed: 160 MPH
  • Blowing Force: 22 Newtons

Price: $749.00 bare tool, $1379.00 battery

Masterforce 400 CFM Battery-Powered Leaf Blower

You can pick up the Masterforce 20V brushless 400 CFM leaf blower at Menards. It does a fine job considering it hits up to 100 mph and runs on just a single 20V battery. We find it to be a good fit for smaller lawns that mainly require hard surface cleanup after mowing and light fall leaf collection. If that sounds like your lawn and you’re looking for a lightweight alternative to gas or corded leaf blowers, this is for you.

  • Best For: Homeowner use
  • Max Airflow: 400 CFM
  • Max Air Speed: 100 MPH
  • Blowing Force: 8.5 Newtons

Price: $139.99 with a 4.0Ah FlexPower battery and charger

Milwaukee M18 Fuel Dual Battery Blower

Milwaukee’s leaf blower resume` got a big boost with the launch of the 2824. It boasts 600 CFM and 145 MPH. Using two batteries for power, the brushless motor hit an excellent 18.0 Newtons in our testing—much better than the 11.2 Newtons from the previous model. Dropping the ambidextrous cruise control slider to deliver 12N (the high end of handheld gas blowers), we were able to run continuously for more than 30 minutes. Designed for professionals, this one runs $299.00 as a bare tool.

  • Best For: Cordless mid-range professional use
  • Max Airflow: 600 CFM
  • Max Air Speed: 145 MPH
  • Blowing Force: 18.0 Newtons

Price: $299.00 bare tool

Best Ridgid Battery-Powered Leaf Blower

For the first time ever, we’re talking about Ridgid OPE! In its initial launch, Ridgid’s cordless leaf blower runs on a single 18V battery and is able to produce up to 510 CFM and 130 MPH. Pushing as high as 12.8 Newtons on our meter, it’s a solid replacement for homeowner-level gas blowers.

Until recently, Ridgid’s battery line might have been a tough sell for a leaf blower at this level. However, with the 8.0Ah and 12.0Ah Max Output batteries now available, it’s a relevant option for those of you with more area to blow.

  • Best For: Homeowner use
  • Max Airflow: 510 CFM
  • Max Air Speed: 130 MPH
  • Blowing Force: 12.8 Newtons

Price: $189.00 bare, $249.00 with a 6.0Ah Max Output battery and charger

Best Skil Cordless Leaf Blower

If you’re on a tighter budget, check out the Skil PWRCore 40 leaf blower. For $159.00, you get a brushless blower with 500 CFM and 120 MPH top airspeed that hit 12.0 Newtons in our testing. The kit comes with a 2.5Ah battery and PWRJump quick charger. It’s a quality option if you’re looking to make the switch to battery power without maxing out your credit card.

  • Best For: Homeowner use
  • Max Airflow: 500 CFM
  • Max Air Speed: 120 MPH
  • Blowing Force: 12.0 Newtons

Price: $159.00 with 2.5Ah battery and charger

Stihl BGA 200 Blower

Making the case for Stihl’s premium BGA 200, it hit an impressive 21.3 Newtons with both the AP3000 backpack battery and the 6.3Ah AP300 battery pack. The physical shape looks different from other blowers and it serves a purpose. By angling the nozzle down, the air goes where it needs to while keeping your wrist at a more comfortable angle. Between the performance level and the extended runtime a backpack battery offers, there’s little doubt this is one of the best cordless blowers for performance-minded Pros.

  • Best For: High-performance professional use
  • Max Airflow: 553 CFM
  • Max Air Speed: 188 MPH
  • Blowing Force: 21.3 Newtons

Price: $479.99 bare

Toro 60V Max Flex Force Leaf Blower

Toro has quietly produced an excellent line of cordless OPE and their top brushless blower is worth considering. Maxing out at 605 CFM and 157 MPH, it’s a significant upgrade in airspeed from the previous model. One thing that’s unusual about this model is the front handle. If you want to reduce your overall fatigue, go ahead and use two hands—that’s what it’s there for.

  • Best For: Mid-range homeowner use
  • Max Airflow: 605 CFM
  • Max Air Speed: 157 MPH
  • Blowing Force: Not rated

Price: $299.99 with a 4.0Ah battery and charger

Cordless Blower Buying Guide – What We Look For

Blowing Force

How much blowing force a cordless blower has makes a big difference in how you’re going to use it. Some might be great for helping you with fall leaves, others might be good for light sweeping only. Air value (CFM) and airspeed (MPH) are helpful, but the numbers we see on the box are best-case scenario, sometimes with different nozzles.

We measure Newton force to get a single number that describes how much force is actually coming from the blower. At the end of the day, that’s the best way to compare the work a blower does.

Runtime

Runtime is another important area to consider. You might have less than 10 minutes of actual trigger time when you clean the driveway and sidewalk after mowing. But your fall leaf management might require 20 or 30. Understanding how much work you have helps you determine whether a blower meets your needs. Most people buy multiple tools that work on the same battery and having extra batteries extends how much work you can get done.

Noise Level

Cordless blowers are quieter than gas models, but that doesn’t mean that all of them are quiet. ANSI standards rate blower noise levels from 50 feet away to consider the hearing safety of bystanders. We measure from our operator’s ear so you know how much noise you have to deal with as the user.

Weight and Balance

Because most cordless blowers are handheld models, it’s good to know how much weight you’re going to muscle around. The balance is important, too. A well-balanced blower points down naturally at wide open throttle so you don’t have to work as hard to keep the nozzle at the best working angle.

Features and Design

Blowers are fairly simple compared to some of the tools we review. Here are some of the features that make using them easier or improve the performance:

  • Brushless motor
  • Cruise control
  • Turbo mode
  • Inline design
  • Multiple nozzles
  • Shoulder strap
  • Rapid charger

In addition to the features themselves, we also look for things you might like or dislike while you’re using the blower such as uncomfortable seams or better grip.

Value

At Pro Tool Reviews, we know price is important. Most of us have some kind of budget we’re working under, but value is more than just an inexpensive price tag. Sometimes, the most expensive option is so far ahead or solves such a big problem that it’s also a great value. Other times, one of the best budget picks presents itself as the best value. Often, it’s something in between. Wherever it is, we want to help you get the most bang for your buck

Why You Can Trust Pro Tool Reviews

Ever check out a “review” site and you can’t tell if they actually tested the tools or if they’re just “recommending” the Amazon top sellers? That’s not us. We won’t recommend anything unless we’d actually use it ourselves and we don’t really care who the primary retailer is. It’s all about giving you a legitimate recommendation and our honest opinion of each product.

We’ve been in business since 2008 covering tools, writing reviews, and reporting on industry news in the construction, automotive, and lawn care industries. Our Pro reviewers work in the trades and have the skills and experience to know whether tools can perform well in the field.

Each year, we bring in and review more than 250 individual products. Our team will put our hands on hundreds of additional tools at media events and trade shows throughout the year.

We consult with innovators in the technology and design of tools to gain a broader grasp of where these products fit and how they work.

We work with more than two dozen professional contractors around the United States who review products for us on real job sites and consult with us on testing methods, categories, and weighting.

We’ll provide more than 500 pieces of new content this year absolutely free for our readers—including objective evaluations of individual tools and products.

The end result is information you can trust because of the editorial, scientific, and real-world professional experience we collectively utilize each and every time we pick up and test a tool.

Kenny Koehler

Kenny Koehler

Kenny holds a B.S. in Biology and a minor in chemistry. While that might not sound like a direct line into the power tool industry, his analytical and scientific mindset help him design repeatable testing methods for Pro Tool Reviews’ head-to-head testing and offer highly objective comparisons in his reviews.

Kenny’s life around power tools started early. His grandfather was an airplane mechanic in WW2 and took up woodworking as a hobby after retiring from the power industry. Building everything from bookshelves to lazy Susans, he became extremely accomplished while his young grandson observed, fascinated at the way raw wood could turn into something both beautiful and functional. In fact, Kenny still uses several pieces that his grandfather made more than 30 years ago.

At home, Kenny’s dad made the family budget stretch further by doing many DIY repairs around the house. From his dad, he was able to learn irrigation, landscaping, car maintenance, basic electrical, and more. He even rewired their bass boat for fun one weekend as a young teenager.

Looking back, both family and friends were significant influences on Kenny’s knowledge and use of tools. No one could have known then what God in his providence would move him into as a career. Now more than 10 years into his role as the Managing Editor of Pro Tool Reviews, he has enjoyed seeing many of the greatest innovations in tool technology develop and launch, changing the way both Pros and DIYers work.

When he’s not diving into the latest tools to arrive at the Pro Tool Reviews World Headquarters or building the latest buying guides, Kenny’s passions include his faith, his family, and the outdoors.

On any given day, you can find him in the kitchen (affectionately known as The Village Idiot Pub and Grill) preparing a meal for his wife and two children (they’re twins) or the church potluck on Sunday. His smoked brisket on his Traeger and grilled surf and turf on his Big Green Egg are legendary, and there’s a better than average chance he’s going to smell like BBQ smoke several days a week.

When he has the time to relax in the outdoors with his wife, they’ll often be fishing on his flats boat in Tampa Bay, cycling the roads and trails around Lakeland, or sometimes just in their hammocks in the backyard listening to a sermon or podcast. When they’re stuck inside, Kenny and his wife enjoy plotting their next backcountry adventure to the Rocky Mountains, planning a kayaking trip on Florida’s rivers, or looking for the best deals on a Caribbean getaway.

Leave a comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *