Over the five-plus years Consumer Reports has been testing battery-powered snow blowers, models that score sufficiently to recommend have been few and far between. But that?s changing. These tools, which are also sometimes sold as "cordless" or "cordless electric" snow blowers, are improving by leaps and bounds.


?Battery snow blowers are really nipping at the heels of comparably sized gas models, and they offer advantages that gas snow blowers can?t match,? says Dave Trezza, CR?s test engineer in charge of snow blowers.

Chief included in this is that battery snow blowers need neither gasoline nor oil, not to mention engine maintenance. In addition they start instantly with the push of a button and have a tendency to run much quieter than gas models. They?re lighter and easier to handle, too.

But battery snow blowers aren?t for everyone. They come mostly in a single-stage configuration, with only 1 two-stage model currently inside our ratings, and they can?t plow as much snow. They can move 6 to 9 inches of snow per pass, although some of the larger gas snow blowers are designed for snow that's 18 inches deep in one pass. Battery models may also be considerably more expensive than single-stage gas snow blowers with comparable performance. Those we recommend cost $650 to $1,300; for $420, you may get an excellent single-stage gas model from our tests.

(For a deep-dive on the differences between types?and to learn why we use water-saturated sawdust to check snow blowers? https://www.explosion.com/132174/snow-blower-tips-that-make-snow-removal-quick-easy/ have a look at our free snow blower buying guide.)

Below, CR members can read ratings and reviews of the three best battery-powered snow blowers from our tests. We've also included one power snow shovel for many who have to clear decks or small patios of several inches of the white stuff. For even more options, see our complete snow blower ratings, which include a lot more than 60 models in six configurations.