There’s always the question of choosing between a battery snow blower and a gas snow blower, though. “Battery snow blowers are really nipping at the heels of comparably sized gas models in terms of performance, and they offer advantages that gas snow blowers can’t match,” says Dave Trezza, who oversees CR’s snow blower tests.
Chief among cordless snow blowers’ advantages is that they need neither gasoline nor oil, not to mention engine maintenance. They start instantly with the push of a button and tend to run much quieter than gas models. They’re also lighter and easier to handle, and many single-stage models offer a much lower cost barrier for those on a tighter budget.
Battery snow blowers are generally good if you don’t have a lot of snow to clear. They come mostly in a single-stage configuration (there are fewer than 10 two-stage models currently in our ratings compared to the almost 20 single-stage models), and single-stage models can’t plow as much snow. While single-stage models are always less effective than two-stage models, the difference tends to be amplified in battery units. For a deep dive into the differences among types—and to learn more about why we use water-saturated sawdust to test snow blowers—check out our snow blower buying guide.
Below, CR members can read about the best battery-powered snow blowers from our tests. We’ve also included a couple of power snow shovels for those who need to clear a few inches of the white fluffy stuff from decks or small patios (as opposed to snowy driveways). For even more options, see our complete snow blower ratings, which include almost 90 models in six configurations.
