Comparing Leaf Blowers and Leaf Vacuums

With a leaf blower you can clear leaves from the lawn, patio and driveway in a fraction of the time it takes with a rake. A leaf vacuum can also suck up the leaves and often shred them straight away into a collection bag. On this page you can compare leaf blowers and leaf vacuums from, among others, Gardena, Makita, Kärcher, Einhell and Bosch, with the current prices.

Blowing or vacuuming too?

A leaf blower blows leaves into a pile or into the border. That's light and quick work. A combined blower and vacuum then sucks up the leaves and chops them up small, so more fits into the bag. That shredded leaf matter is great for the compost heap. A leaf vacuum is, however, bigger and heavier.

What should you look out for?

• Air speed and air volume: the speed (km/h) determines how well wet leaves are loosened, while the volume determines how many leaves you can move at once.
• Battery or corded: with a battery you're free to move around the house, with a cord you have unlimited runtime.
• Weight and noise: lightweight models are easy to hold for long periods; cordless leaf blowers are usually quieter than petrol models.
• Collection bag: with a leaf vacuum, the capacity of the bag determines how often you need to empty it. A shredding function chops the leaves small, so more fits in.

Brands

Here you can compare cordless and corded leaf blowers and leaf vacuums from, among others, Gardena, Makita, Kärcher, Einhell, Bosch and Wolf-Garten. For cordless models, use the filter to see whether the battery is included in the price.

After blowing, you can clean the patio with a pressure washer. View all types on garden tools.