Clear your yard of debris in comfort with best backpack leaf blower for you and your yard. Here are our top choices.
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Buying a Backpack Leaf Blower
If you have a large property or lots of wet, heavy leaves to clear, you could benefit from a backpack blower. These deliver more power to finish the job faster than handheld leaf blowers. And while backpack blowers often weigh more than their handheld counterparts, they feel lighter due to better weight distribution across the user’s chest, back and hips.
There are plenty of high-end backpack blowers built (and priced) for commercial operators who’ll strap them on them for multiple hours every day. For this list, we focused on models targeted to DIYers.
If you’re ready to start shopping for a backpack leaf blower, here are a few factors to consider:
- CFM and mph: You’ll see these two figures on every blower. Manufacturers rate leaf blowers by the amount of air they move and the speed the air travels. Air volume is measured in cubic feet per minute (CFM) and air speed in miles per hour (mph). So which one is more important? It depends on the material that you’re trying to move. A higher CFM will move large amounts of light, dry debris. But wet leaves or heavier debris require more force, so mph matters more.
- Power source: Backpack leaf blowers can be gas-powered or battery-operated; there are essentially no corded models. Gas motors will be two-stroke (requiring a gasoline/oil mixture) or four-stroke (gas only). Two-stroke motors are lighter and easier to repair, while four-stroke motors are quieter, more efficient and more environmentally friendly.
- Padding and vibration reduction: A backpack leaf blower should be comfortable to use. Look for a padded, adjustable harness to reduce weight and vibration reduction on the engine. This is especially true if you’ll be using it for long stretches, or if you have a medical condition that makes you more sensitive to the vibrations.
- Noise: Leaf blowers are noisy, even the “quiet” ones. Electric leaf blowers are quieter than gas-powered models. All blowers list their operating noise in decibels (dB). Some manufacturers use weighted decibels (dBA), a measurement adjusted for the range of human hearing. It’s not a one-to-one ratio between dB and dBA, but for our purposes we’ll use them interchangeably.
- Weight:Generally speaking, the lighter the blower, the better. The average weight of a backpack blower is around 23 pounds.
- Price: Most consumer backpack leaf blowers cost between $150 and $500.
- Maintenance: Gas leaf blowers require more maintenance than electrical ones, but all blowers require the occasional clean out.
- Warranty: Many manufacturers offer different warranty periods for commercial and residential use. Always check the consumer use period to make sure you’re comparing apples to apples.
Most Comfortable Gas-Powered Backpack Leaf Blower
Weight and comfort is a common concern with backpack blowers. The Schroder SR-6400L Backpack Leaf Blower is lightweight at 19-1/2 lbs. and comes with padded shoulder straps and back support. While the difference between a 19-1/2- and a 25- or 26-lbs. blower may not seem like much, that additional weight will be noticeable after a long day’s work.
This leaf blower features two-stroke gasoline engine. It offers an airspeed of 230 mph and an impressive air volume of 920 CFM. The SR-6400L is covered by a five-year warranty.
Most Powerful Backpack Leaf Blower
The numbers on the Echo PB-9010T Backpack Leaf Blower speak for themselves. With an air speed of 220 mph and a jaw-dropping 1,110 CFM, the PB-9010T can moving large volumes of material as well as wet leaves, trash and debris.
This gas-powered beast weights in just under 27 pounds. Note that at 80 dB, it’s not quiet. It comes with a five-year consumer warranty.
Best Budget Backpack Leaf Blower
The Badger WBBPBL43 Backpack Leaf Blower was also in the running for several other categories. With a retail price of about $200, it’s a great deal. It’s also the lightest gas-powered model on this list at only 17.4 pounds.
It comes with vibration-dampening engine mounts, adjustable back straps and a generous six-year warranty. And with airflow of 550 CFM and speed of 190 mph, it’s no slouch at actually moving leaves.
So why isn’t it our pick for best overall value? Because it’s very loud — 90 dB. If you’re spending any amount of time with that motor behind your ears, absolutely invest in hearing protection.
Quietest Backpack Leaf Blower
The Ryobi RY40440 Backpack Leaf Blower is part of the Whisper Series. These power tools are marketed for those who value quality tools that also protect their hearing. This cordless electric leaf blower registers a manageable 59 dB. (For comparison, 60 dB is conversational volume in a restaurant.)
Powered by a 40-volt rechargeable battery, the RY40440 still delivers on power, putting out 625 CFM and 145 mph. It weighs 21.1 pounds and the battery is compatible with other tools in the Ryobi 40V system. There’s a five-year warranty on the blower and three years on the battery.
Best Cordless Electric Backpack Leaf Blower
The Greenworks BPB80L2510 Backpack Leaf Blower is part of the Greenworks PRO 80V max system, so you can swap out the battery with other lawn care tools like chainsaws, lawnmowers,string trimmers and edgers. It’s incredibly light at 14.6 pounds while produces airflow of 610 CFM and air speed of 180 mph.
The Greenworks warranty covers the blower for four years and the battery for two.
Gas-Powered Backpack Leaf Blower with Push-to-Start
If you like the heft and power of a gas-powered blower but hate the “prime, pull and pray” routine of starting one up, here’s an alternative: the Lawnmaster NPTBL31AB Backpack Leaf Blower with a two-cycle engine and a 7.2-volt rechargeable battery.
The manufacturer estimates you’ll get about 250 starts on a fully-charged battery. The blower itself is a light 18.5 pounds, and it produces 175 mph and 470 CFM. The blower is covered by a three-year warranty, with two years on the battery and charger.
Best Overall Value Backpack Blower
While there are many great picks on this list, the Ryobi RY38BP Backpack Leaf Blower provides a terrific balance of power, price and dependability. A two-cycle gas-powered blower, it’s rated at 75.5 dB and weighs 20.2 pounds.
The padded shoulder harness lets you work in comfort while the 175 mph and 760 CFM air volume moves massive amounts of leaves. It comes with a three-year warranty.
Best Splurge Backpack Blower
If you want to spend a little more on a backpack leaf blower, the Makita EB7660WH Backpack Leaf Blower is a worthy upgrade.
It produces an air volume of 706 CFM and air speed of 206 mph, but the four-stroke engine really sets it apart. It burns cleaner and more efficiently than two-stroke models while running at 76 dBA. Most four-stroke blowers are heavy, but Makita managed to keep the weight under control (24-1/2-lbs.).
At $600, this straddles the border of consumer/commercial pricing. But if you want the convenience of a four-stroke motor plus serious power, the Makita EB7660WH delivers.
