We rated, and tested, the best emissions free leaf blowers on the market. Here is what we found.
More cities and towns are banning gas powered blowers, due to noise and air pollution. If raking your leaves isn’t an option, keep your yard tidy with an electric leaf blower. Faster and less manually demanding than raking leaves by hand, electric leaf blowers are far quieter and much more eco-friendly than their gas-guzzling counterparts.
Small gas engines, like in leaf blowers, are worse polluters than large engines, such as in a conventional car or truck. This is because many consumer-grade blowers have a two-stroke engine, where gas and oil are mixed. This creates a toxic cocktail of:
- Carbon monoxide
- Nitrous oxide
- Hydrocarbons.
These air pollutants are some of the leading causes of global warming, smog, and acid rain.
One 2011 study found that leaf blowers emit 300 times the air pollutants as a pickup truck used for the same timeframe.
Unlike trucks, leaf blowers don’t have built-in systems for filtering or capturing emissions.
This pollution level is so inexcusable that California passed a ban on gas-powered lawnmowers and leaf blowers that took effect in 2024. Other states are doing the same, with leaf blower bans of their own.
In contrast to gas blowers, electric leaf blowers are:
- Lightweight
- Less noisy
- Free of tailpipe emissions.
And if you charge the batteries using a renewable energy supply, such as from solar panels, your leaf blower is very green indeed!
How to choose a leaf blower
Gas versus electric isn’t the only consideration when choosing a leaf blower. Here are some other things to think about before buying:
Finally note that some leaf blowers come with extra features like leaf vacuums, collector bags, mulching attachments, and different nozzles for specific jobs. These add all-in-one functionality to the blower and can be a more affordable and efficient way to get yard tasks done while minimizing your tool collection and overall environmental impact.
Our top pick
Ego LB6504 Power+ 650 CFM
Highlights: Impressive blowing power, long run-time, ergonomic design and three power modes. And it’s surprisingly quiet, for a leaf blower.
- Quiet! 64 dBA
- Air volume: 225-470 cfm
- Turbo button offers impressive 650 cfm
- Air speed: 180 mph
- 4 Ah battery gets you up to 80 minutes run-time on regular mode
- Low power mode nets you 180 mins run-time!
- Lock on button for ultimate control
- High-efficiency, durable brushless motor
- IPX4-rated weather-resistant construction
- 5-year tool warranty, 3-year battery warranty
- Surprisingly heavy (12.9 lb.)
- Batteries have a 3-5 year lifespan only and are pricy
The Ego Power+ leaf blower packs a punch, even without a gas motor. It’s powered with a 4 Ah 56V ARC lithium battery that’s interchangeable between all Ego Power+ tools. Put it on its highest setting, and you’ll get up to 650 cfm for a blast powerful enough to move any leaves.
The blower boasts water-resistant construction and an ergonomic design, meaning you might not even notice the nearly 13 lb. weight.
A highly efficient brushless motor ensures a long run time with low vibrations for hand comfort. With the 4 Ah battery, you get up to 80 minutes run-time on regular. Upgrade to a 5 Ah battery and you get an impressive 90 minutes of run-time per battery charge on regular mode and up to 200 minutes on low mode. Unsurprisingly, this shrinks to just 15 minutes on Turbo with the 5 Ah, or around 10 mins with the 4 Ah.
EGO now offers a wide range of leaf blowers, with different air speeds, cfms, and battery configurations, or as bare tools (assuming you already have an EGO compatible battery). Tools range from around $149 to nearly $900 for commercial use, backpack style, super powerful blowers (one of which we include below).
Our experience
After a year of hands-on use, here’s what Leaf Score’s Taylor had to say about his experience with the Ego leaf blower:
Our property abuts a few acres of woods, so a leaf blower is a must. Once leaves start falling, we typically spend about an hour cleaning them up two or three times a week.
Much like our other Ego products, this leaf blower has been amazing. We got a 5 Ah battery and this provides enough run time to handle our front and back yards without issue. In the event that it’s not quite enough, we can easily swap in our other battery that came with our Ego mower.
The default power level is more than plenty for sidewalks, driveways, and short grass. I find the turbo button is often necessary for:
- Larger piles of leaves
- Longer yards where leaves are more tangled in the grass.
Liberal use of the turbo button drains the battery a lot faster though.
With neighbors on both sides, we wanted a blower that isn’t obnoxiously loud. We also wanted to avoid the need to store jugs of gasoline. The Ego leaf blower checks both boxes.
It is, of course, a leaf blower, so it’s not exactly quiet, but you won’t alert the entire neighborhood each time you use it, unlike with a gas leaf blower.
Final Thoughts: Corded or Battery-Operated?
One of the first things you need to decide when choosing a leaf blower is whether to go cordless. Here’s a breakdown of the pros and cons of battery versus corded leaf blower:
| Corded leaf blower | Cordless leaf blower |
|---|---|
| Usually lighter | Heavier due to batteries |
| Usually cheaper | More expensive upfront / ongoing battery replacement costs |
| Usually quieter | Quieter than gas leaf blowers but typically louder than corded |
| Steady power with no run-time issues | Need to recharge batteries |
| Need to be in reach of a power outlet | More flexible on where you can use them |
| Best for: small yards and pathways near homes or businesses; folks needing a lighter tool | Best for: small projects, use away from power outlets, folks with batteries from other tools |
Unlike corded models, you can use battery electric leaf blowers anywhere. The tradeoff is that they weigh more and typically only run for under an hour before needing to recharge. The best blowers let you switch out batteries, so you can keep working with the spare while your battery charges.
My advice, settle on an outdoor tool brand and enjoy use of the same batteries for your leaf blower, lawn mower, string trimmers, chainsaws, and more.