When autumn arrives the trees begin to slowly transform, with the lush green leaves slowly turning to oranges and yellows before falling to the ground. It’s a sight to behold, especially when you have trees in the garden that will add a whole new palette of colour to the outdoor space.
Yet all these beautiful leaves quickly accumulate in the garden and can become more of a hassle as autumn progresses. The nice colours turn into muddy browns and as soon as they get wet, they become a soggy pile of mush that is a nightmare to walk on when covering pathways, patios, driveways, decking etc.
This is where a good cordless leaf blower comes into play. With this handy tool you can quickly gather up all the fallen leaves around the garden and easily dispose of them, ensuring the garden looks great and isn’t covered in a huge mess of leaves.
Not only that, you can use this versatile tool for all kinds of maintenance, including gathering grass clippings, cleaning gardening tools, removing dead grass from a lawnmower, clearing sawdust and other fine materials, and can even be used to level out stones on gravel pathways.
Check out the reviews and buying guide below for all the info you need to choose the best cordless leaf blower for your garden!
Bosch ALB 36 LI Cordless Leaf Blower
- 36V Lithium-Ion Battery
- 35 Minute Runtime
- 5 Hour Charge Time
- Variable Speed Between 170-250km/h
- Removable Tube for Compact Storage
The Bosch ALB 36LI is a cordless blower suitable for medium and large sized garden. Boasting an impressive 36V battery and variable speed settings, the ALB 36 LI is a versatile blower that can be used for a variety of tasks around the garden.
Whether gathering leaves, clearing debris from the patio, or leveling out stones on a gravel path, the ALB 36 LI is up to most tasks, with the 35-minute runtime offering enough charge to complete your chores in one go.
When the battery dies it doesn’t take too long to charge at just 1.5 hours, so you won’t be waiting too long for it to recharge. You can also partially recharge the battery in about an hour, although it will lower your runtime and may not be a good idea when using higher speed settings.
The ALB 36 LI comes with variable airflow speed settings, so you can switch from low to high speeds to accommodate different tasks. For example, wet leaves usually require higher speeds while finer debris like sawdust or metal shavings can be gathered on lower settings.
An ergonomic handle provides comfortable use and it only weighs 2.5kg, so most people shouldn’t struggle to carry it around for extended periods.
- Powerful 36 V lithium-ion battery
- Ergonomic design for comfortable working
- Speed control delivers the most effective airflow for various applications
Ryobi OBL1820S ONE+ Cordless Blower
- 18V Lithium-Ion Battery (sold separately)
- 22 Minute Runtime (with 5Ah Battery)
- High Speed Nozzle
- 245km/h Airflow Speed
The Ryobi OBL1820S is a cordless electric blower that is part of a wide range of compatible power tools from Ryobi. Basically, the same 18V lithium-ion batteries can be used across over 100 tools, so if you currently own a Ryobi cordless power too you may already have a battery for the blower!
For this reason, the stand-alone version doesn’t include a battery, so if you don’t have any compatible batteries you will need to buy one separately or choose a battery and charger bundle, with the latter usually being the most cost-effective option.
It’s recommended to use at least a 4Ah battery for the blower, although a 5Ah gets a maximum runtime of 22 minutes. This makes the blower suitable for most mid-size gardens, as the battery may not last long enough for larger spaces.
The airflow speed is high enough to get most tasks completed in that time though, offering a top speed of 245km/h. This should handle thick, wet piles of leaves and other heavier debris, so it packs plenty of power for a smaller leaf blower.
- High speed nozzle provides airflow of 245km/H
- Lightweight Design with ultimate cordless convenience makes quick work of...
- GripZone over mould for comfortable grip
Einhell Power X-Change Cordless Leaf Blower
- 18V 2.0Ah Lithium-Ion Battery
- 25 Minute Runtime
- 40 Minute Charge Time
- Variable Airflow Speed
- Top Speed of 210km/h
This compact and lightweight cordless leaf blower is part of Einhall’s Power X-Change battery system, which means you can use the same 18V battery included with this product with over 100 different power tools!
The 18V 2.0Ah lithium-ion battery offers a decent runtime of up to 25 minutes. Expect different runtimes depending on the speed settings you use, as this model comes with an impressive six variable speed settings that you can quickly adjust to suit different tasks.
Also, there is an LED display on the handle of the blower that indicates how much battery is left, so you don’t need to second guess the runtime remaining.
Don’t worry if the battery runs out in the middle of a job though, as the high-speed charger included with the blower will recharge the battery in around 40 minutes. This is one of the best charge times for a leaf blower battery.
It’s a somewhat compact design but doesn’t lack power, with the maximum airflow topping at 210km/h, which is enough for most jobs.
- Suitable for the Einhell power x-change battery system
- Supplied with 2 Ah battery and fast charger
- Electronic speed control
Bosch ALB 18 LI Cordless Leaf Blower
- 18V 2.5Ah Lithium-Ion Battery
- 10 Minute Runtime
- 60 Minute Charge Time
- Top Airflow Speed of 210km/h
The ALB 18 LI is Bosch’s smaller cordless blower behind the ABL 36 LI. Not everyone requires the biggest, most powerful blower on the market, you have a small garden then a model like the ALB 18 LI is a good choice, coming with good specs and a very reasonable price
It comes with an 18V 2.0H lithium-ion battery and provides a great airflow speed of 210km/h, which is suitable for most lighter applications but will struggle to move heavier debris such as stones. The battery only offers about 10 minutes of runtime, which doesn’t seem like much but can be enough for smaller gardens, although its best to avoid using it in anything but a small garden.
The 60-minute charge time means that you can recharge it relatively quickly should the battery run out, although you may benefit from a second battery if using the blower in any mid-size gardens.
As a smaller model the ABL 18 LI is very lightweight so it won’t cause any fatigue from using it, as will the ergonomic handle and low vibration output. You can also remove the nozzle for more compact storage.
- Powered by a Lithium-ion battery
- 210 km/h blowing speed
- Lightweight, weighing 1.8 KG
BLACK+DECKER 36 V Lithium-Ion Blower
- Blowing and Vacuuming/Mulching Function
- 36V 2.0Ah Lithium-Ion Battery
- 15-40 Minute Runtime
- 60 Minute Charge Time
- Variable Speed Settings
- Top Speed of 218km/h
- 5L Leaf Bag
This 36V cordless leaf blower from BLACK+DECKER is a powerful and versatile option that is great for medium and large-sized gardens with lots of leaves and other loose debris. It offers both blowing and vacuuming functions, so you can either gather leaves into a pile or suck them into the blower where they are mulched into a finer consistency.
Coming with a powerful 36V 2.0Ah lithium-ion battery, you can get anywhere from 15 to 40 minutes of runtime, giving plenty of options for all kinds of cleaning around the garden. The reason the runtime is so varied is down to the different speed settings.
Turbo mode is the fastest airflow setting, offering an impressive 218km/h airflow, being suitable for heavier debris, while ECO mode reserves as much power as possible by reducing airflow speed. Turbo will reduce runtime to around 15 minutes and ECO mode gets you close to 40 minutes.
A built-in scraper is included on the blower nozzle, so you can easily scrape up those piles of wet leaves that are tougher to remove. You can swap out this nozzle for a vacuum nozzle, which sucks up leaves and shreds them with a metal mulching blade, which reduces the consistency volume from 7 to 1 when gathering into the leaf collector bag.
- A garden tool that combines 2 functions in 1 – blower and vacuum – thanks to...
- Perfect all round the year tool with blowing speed of 218 km/he to tackle...
- Powered with 36V 2.0Ah lithium ion battery, this cordless blower will allow to...
Buying Guide
There are so many great leaf blowers but how do you choose the right product for your needs? It’s important that you choose something right for your garden, otherwise you may end up with a blower that creates more problems than it solves.
Here are some things to think about to help choose the right leaf blower:
Petrol V Electric
Cordless leaf blowers are always a better option than corded blowers, as they aren’t restricted by a power cable. As a result, you can take the blower almost anywhere you need it and clean away loose debris or dry off stuff you’ve just washed like a car, bike, or patio furniture.
There two main for a cordless leaf blower – petrol or electric powered.
Electric models feature a motor powered by a lithium-ion battery and are a great choice for most people. They are lightweight but powerful enough to gather all kinds of debris around the garden, so if you’re in the market for an all-round performer you can’t go wrong with electric blowers.
Petrol leaf blowers feature a combustion engine, resulting in some serious blowing power. These devices are ideal for anyone with a very large garden, being the top choice for professional gardeners, landscapers, and groundsmen
However, they are also very heavy and noisy, while the power produced is probably overkill for most gardens. The engine also requires more maintenance and you need to always have petrol on hand, which can get expensive and isn’t the best for the environment.
For these reasons, most buyers should stick with an electric cordless leaf blower!
Runtime
Electric models use lithium-ion batteries, meaning there is a limited runtime for using the blower. It’s important to choose a model with a decent sized battery, as this ensures a longer runtime to get everything gathered in one charge.
For instance, 36V batteries are the biggest so offer the longest runtime, usually around 45-minutes, which is recommended for most medium and large sized gardens. Smaller gardens should be fine with 18V batteries.
Charge Time
Nobody wants to wait hours for a battery to charge so always make sure you know how long it takes to recharge. The best batteries offer around one-hour charge times, which is pretty impressive and should be fine for most people.
Longer charge times may not be an issue for everyone, especially if you’re patient and remember to fully charge before using. Always make sure to fully charge the battery before using, as the last thing you want is for it to die halfway through a task and then needing to wait hours for it to recharge.
Spare Batteries
If you are concerned about runtime being too short for your garden or it’s going to take too long to charge the battery, it may be worth buying a second battery. This is a good idea for most cordless electric tools, as you are effectively doubling the runtime of the leaf blower, albeit it will cost more for the second battery.
Plus, with two batteries it means you don’t need to worry about one dying mid-way through a task -assuming you always charge both before using the blower!
Some manufacturers have bundle deals that include a second battery and other accessories, so these could offer good value for money if you want another battery.
Interchangeable Batteries
There are also batteries that are interchangeable with other power tools from the same brand (e.g. an 18V Bosch battery that works with other cordless tools), so you may already have a battery on hand that can be used with the leaf blower!
Be sure to think about any cordless tools you may have to see whether there is a leaf blower that is compatible with these. You could end up having a spare battery before buying a thing, that or you can save money by purchasing a blower that doesn’t include a battery.
Airflow Speed
The airflow speed of a blower is basically how much power it has. The more airflow speed that a blower has the quicker it gathers debris, while certain things (like stones) may need a stronger airflow to be moved.
Airflow speeds are linked to the battery and motor, so the larger these are the more airflow you can expect. You can also improve airflow speeds with different nozzle shapes, such as a directional nozzle for creating a high-speed blowing effect similar to a hurricane – on a much smaller scale of course!
You may not require the highest airflow speeds if you don’t have too many trees or lots of debris to gather. People with a few large trees will benefit from higher airflow speed options, as it is necessary for gathering large piles of sodden leaves that often gather below larger trees.
A model with variable airflow speed is a great choice, as you can switch to different speeds to suit the task at hand, such as high speed for gathering leaves and lower speed for sawdust. This can also help preserve battery life by switching to lower speeds, so always look out for variable speed functions as it’s quite useful.
Vacuum Function
Not all leaf blowers simply blow the leaves for you to gather – many come with a vacuum function that collects them into the blower itself. Vacuum functions are usually included along with the blowing function, with these models being a 2-in-1 garden vacuum and blower combo.
This makes maintenance even easier, as you don’t need to worry about raking up the pile of leaves you gather with the blower, as they are literally sucked inside of the machine and placed in a collection bag similar to a lawnmower.
Being able to use the blow function as well as the vacuum function makes for a highly versatile tool for all kinds of garden maintenance. These products tend to cost a bit more than a basic leaf blower but the extra cost is often worth it for the added function.
If choosing a model with a vacuum function, make sure to check the collection bag so that is large enough to hold all the garden waste.
Weight
You’ll be carrying around the blower as you use it, so it’s important to consider the overall weight to ensure that it’s not too heavy. Using a heavy blower for too long can become very tiring and even lead to aches and pains on the back and shoulders, so be mindful of choosing something too heavy!
Thankfully, most battery powered leaf blowers are relatively lightweight. This is because lithium-ion batteries weigh very little so can help reduce the overall weight of the machine, so be sure to select a battery-operated blower if you want something lighter.
As you may expect, products with larger batteries and motors are heavier, so the more powerful the device the heavier it is going to be to carry around. Smaller models are also a good idea for people with conditions like arthritis.
Also, think about the size of your garden. If it is a big garden you will be carrying the blower around for longer!
Many leaf blowers come with a carry strap that can offset the heavier weight and make it much easier and more comfortable to operate. Be sure to look for this if the blower seems on the heavier side!
Other Features
There are various features that you may find useful on a leaf blower, many of which make it more efficient and easier to operate.
For example, a narrow nozzle is always a good feature to have because it improves airflow and lets you target precise areas, which is handy when clearing out nooks and crannies in the shed or garage.
Another great feature is mulching blades. These are found on blowers with vacuum functions and will shred up all the leaves into much finer material. With this feature the blower will have even more capacity for loose leaves – it can increase carry capacity by ten times in some instances.
Be sure to check the quality of the mulching blades too. Metal blades are always the best choice, being much sharper and durable than plastic blades. The vacuum function is great but it can suck up smaller stones that may damage the blades, so always choose a model with metal blades rather than plastic!
Also, if choosing a 2-in 1 leaf blower and vacuum make sure that the collection bag is waterproof! If the bag isn’t there is a good chance that all the wet leaves you gather up will start to leak, so try to ensure that the collection bag is waterproof.
Last update on 2024-12-06 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
