After testing dozens of cordless leaf blowers, we've found the perfect combination of power, usability and affordability.
Our editors and experts handpick every product we feature. We may earn a commission from your purchases.Learn more.
After testing dozens of cordless leaf blowers, we've found the perfect combination of power, usability and affordability.
Our editors and experts handpick every product we feature. We may earn a commission from your purchases.Learn more.
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The Ego Power+ LB7654 blower is by far my favorite blower. Yes, I didn’t say my favorite electric blower; I said favorite blower—period. The LB7654 is extremely powerful, capable of hitting up to 765 CFM (cubic feet per minute) and 200 MPH (miles per hour) when in Turbo mode. The Ego Power+ is my go-to blower whenever I move large piles of leaves or remove sticky, wet grass after mowing early in the morning.
I also love the Ego LB7654’s 56V battery, which can be used with a variety of other battery-powered tools from Ego. Many other brands have multiple battery voltages, but Ego stays consistent, which makes buying other tools in their lineup less expensive. The blower has a durable brushless motor, a long runtime and a thumb-adjusted cruise control feature that holds the trigger in a constant place.
I have tested this blower head-to-head against many other electric blowers and find it the most well-rounded on the market. From the highest speed and power, easiest to control and use, and most durable construction—the LB7654 is as close to perfect as a leaf blower can get.
CFM: Up to 765 | MPH: Up to 200 | Weight: 10 pounds  | Powered by: Battery
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Never have I been more surprised with the performance of a cordless leaf blower than I was when I got the EnHulk 58V leaf blower. If you recall, CFM is a measure of air volume that leaves the blower, or “pushing power,” as I call it. Most gas-powered backpack blowers are somewhere in the 600-700 CFM range. The super powerful Ego blower I mentioned earlier reaches 765 CFM on turbo mode.
At 930 CFM, the EnHulk 58V blower comes in with one of the most astonishing CFM figures I have ever seen or used. When I first took this into my yard, I thought it was a marketing gimmick. Nope. This blower produces an astounding amount of power. Outside of the extreme power, the blower has a nice screen that lets you set a cruise control function and a turbo mode at the push of a button. It also has multiple nozzles that can attach to the tip, making it versatile for many functions like wet grass, large piles of leaves or a concentrated stream.
CFM: Up to 930 | MPH: Up to 200 | Weight: 15.37 pounds  | Powered by: Battery
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The Stihl BG 86 C was the first leaf blower I owned when I bought my first house and had my first leaves to launch into oblivion. To this day, the handheld blower runs like a charm and is just as powerful as the day I bought it. At Family Handyman, our product testers have found Stihl products—like this backpack leaf blower—to stand up to the test of time.
And while gas handheld blowers are becoming less and less common these days, they still have some positives. For starters, gas blowers are reliable and long-lasting. With proper maintenance and care, a gas blower can last well over a decade. Compared to most electric blowers, most gas blowers provide more power. But there are downsides to gas blowers, and the Stihl BG 86 C is not immune to being loud, making you smell like exhaust, and taking a few tries to get started.
CFM: Up to 444 | MPH: Up to 141 | Weight: 10 pounds  | Powered by: Gas
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I was so shocked when I did the run-time challenge with the Kobalt 80V leaf blower that I almost got mad. I zip-tied the trigger of this blower and set the cruise control to the lowest setting—this scientific testing enabled me to see how long the blower would run compared to what the marketing team at Kobalt said. The advertised run time was for only 75 minutes on the lowest setting.
It lasted almost 3 hours, or 175 minutes. I was speechless at how long this ran and frustrated that I ran a leaf blower in my backyard for 3 hours. Whew. Outside of the extensive run time, I love that this blower has a durable brushless motor, an excellent cruise control function and still very high-end power at 630 CFM. This is a great blower and will last a long time (literally).
CFM: Up to 630 | MPH: Up to 140 | Weight: 8.9 pounds  | Powered by: Battery
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As a dad to a one-year-old, the Ryobi 40V Whisper Series blower has been a lifesaver. One of the only times I can clean my lawn is when the baby is napping. Ryobi helped me by creating their Whisper Series Blower, which blows air at only 57 decibels (dB)—less than the typical 60-70 dB found on electric blowers and way below the 100 dB of a typical gas-powered backpack blower.
The Whisper Series blower keeps things quiet and is also one of the most powerful handheld blowers on the market. While the Ego Power+ and EnHulk both have insane amounts of power, the Ryobi isn’t far behind at 730 CFM. The Ryobi also has the benefit of its 40V battery system, which spans hundreds of other tools across your lawn and home.
CFM: Up to 650 | MPH: Up to 160 | Weight: 10.35 pounds  | Powered by: Battery
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The Milwaukee M18 handheld blower isn’t the most powerful on this list but is part of a great battery system. I’ve used many Milwaukee M18 products, from power drills to great electric lawnmowers. The M18 battery series is expansive and covers hundreds of tools. You can save big on their cordless blower if you already own the M18 battery by purchasing the tool-only version without the battery.
The blower itself is excellent for around-the-house use but manageable with power. It has a durable, long-lasting brushless motor and all the great functionality you would expect from a Milwaukee tool.
CFM: Up to 500 | MPH: Up to 120 | Weight: 5 pounds  | Powered by: Battery
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The Greenworks 80V Cordless blower is a powerful handheld blower with all the basics covered. It has an above-average power output of 580 CFM and 145 MPH. I also like that this blower has a great brushless motor, which keeps the motor running cooler, pushes out more torque and provides reliable motor operation for years to come.
The 80V battery system from Greenworks is surprisingly robust and can carry many tools, such as mowers, hedge trimmers and more. At just under 10 pounds, including the battery, this blower is easy to use for an extended period. This helps keep your shoulder, back and forearms from suffering during peak autumn months.
CFM: Up to 730 | MPH: Up to 170 | Weight: 14.5 pounds  | Powered by: Battery
Cordless blowers come in various shapes and sizes, but there are three basic things you need to understand to ensure you get a powerful, high-quality piece of equipment. These points make up my basic checklist for evaluating a blower.
CFM stands for cubic feet per minute and measures air output on the blower. Higher CFM means more power, but not necessarily more miles per hour. High CFM with a wide nozzle equals fewer MPH; high CFM with a narrow nozzle means more MPH. Ideally, you want a high CFM with a narrow-to-medium nozzle for most backyard and around-the-house jobs. For commercial landscapers, you might find astronomical CFM but low MPH. Blowers with this set of metrics are great for pushing massive piles of leaves but not as great for around-the-house use.
What is the point of having a leaf blower if it is hard to use? Get one that is lightweight, easy to start and has some functions that make your life easier. The top usability features I look for include a molded grip, shoulder strap, cruise control function and turbo button. According to Johannes Hock, president of Artificial Grass Pros, a high-capacity battery should be one of the first things to evaluate.
“Do not be deceived by printed specs or marketing claims that only reflect performance under ideal conditions,” he advises. “Light tasks like clearing dry, loose material may make any blower seem powerful, but the real test comes with damp leaves, layered debris or areas where dust and grit settle deep into turf. Those tougher conditions draw more energy and lower-quality batteries tend to drain much faster under that kind of load.”
Brushless motors reign supreme. They are cooler-running motors with more torque, a longer runtime and a longer lifespan. Brushless motors are the best possible choice when picking a blower.
Hock also recommends choosing a cordless leaf blower with an adjustable airflow control. “Not every cleanup task calls for full blast, and too much power at the wrong time often leads to unnecessary cleanup,” he explains. “A model with variable speed settings gives better control, especially when working near edges, garden beds, or any area that needs a more careful touch.”
I found the best cordless blowers by testing each one in my yard over nearly a decade. Every blower on our list has been personally tested by me in my backyard. I have also included many of these blowers in head-to-head tests on my YouTube channel, where I have lawn tools face off against each other.
Some of the challenges I’ve used to test the blowers include runtime challenges. I test the battery runtime on the blowers by using a zip-tie to hold the trigger down and setting the cruise control to two different settings to see the range of possible run times. I’ve also done a similar challenge with the Turbo button, but instead of zip ties, I actually sat and held down the Turbo button on two leaf blowers until they died.
One of the more eccentric ways I have tested the power of cordless leaf blowers is by strapping them in opposite directions on a spinning office chair and seeing which one would spin the chair—a proxy for which has more power. I am willing to go to these lengths so that you can buy a better leaf blower.
The battery range of leaf blowers varies wildly, from 20 to 70 minutes, depending on the battery amp-hours, speed and brand.
A good MPH on a leaf blower is anything over 140 for most households.
My favorite cordless leaf blower brand is Ego Power+. They make the LB7654 blower, which I ranked as the “best overall blower” on this list.
We have personally tested dozens, if not hundreds, of leaf blowers, including backpack blowers, corded electric blowers, cordless blowers and gas-powered handheld blowers. Basically, if it pushes out air, we have used it and put it to the test.
As a former landscaper, I developed a unique love for lawn tools after using them daily for years. With my deep love for lawn tools, I became an absolute leaf-blower snob. Now, we spend our days testing lawnmowers, string trimmers, leaf blowers and more. Much of our time is spent using new blowers and comparing them to see which one reigns supreme.
We also consulted Johannes Hock. As the President of Artificial Grass Pros, he has extensive experience with cordless leaf blowers. He relies on these tools to clear turf installations, remove debris from work areas and prep artificial lawns both before and after finishing each job. He appreciates their lightweight and compact design, quieter operation and cleaner output.