The 3 Best Cordless Snow Blowers

While some people imagine snowstorms as a time to stay cozy inside with a cup of hot cocoa, many of us who live in colder areas know it actually means waking up early to plow driveways and walkways. The best cordless snow blowers include a battery and charger, and can be used for at least 20 minutes at a time before needing a recharge.

The first thing to consider when buying a cordless snow blower is the battery life. Clearing a pathway or small driveway could take up to 40 minutes, but getting the snow off of a car may take only 10 minutes. You'll want to pick a rechargeable snow blower, so you won't need to worry about buying new batteries. Rechargeable batteries are often measured in amp-hours (or Ah), which indicates how much power, or amps, the battery can put out over an hour. While cordless electric snow blowers are not as powerful as gas-powered ones, they are lighter and cheaper, which can be worth the trade off.

Next, think about the measurements of the area you want to clear. Snowblowers can throw snow up to a specific distance, so keep that in mind when doing your research. Some snow blowers also have chutes to throw snow in a particular direction, which is helpful when clearing pathways. The best chutes can be rotated 180 degrees, so you can blow the snow where it needs to go. Longer throwing distances are great for blowing driveways and large pathways as well, as they prevent you from having to move the same snow twice.

If you plan to use your snow blower at night or in the early morning, you'll want one with LED lights, but if you will only be operating it during the day, skip the lights to conserve battery. Finally, look for a snow blower with a brushless motor, which is more efficient and powerful than a brush motor of the same size.

Ready to find the perfect cordless snow blower to add to your winter weather arsenal? Here are some of the best.

1. The Best Overall

• Battery: 4.0 Ah lithium-ion
• Run time: 40 minutes

This cordless snow blower has hundreds of five-star reviews on Amazon, so you can feel good about this purchase. It's powered by two 4.0 Ah lithium-ion batteries, and can run for up to 40 minutes at a time. The Snow Joe can handle moving as much as 14 tons of snow on a single charge, thanks to its 1200-volt brushless motor, and can throw snow up to 20 feet. If you tend to handle snow blowing either at night or very early in the morning, this machine also has two LED lights to help you see better.

One fan raved: “I loved everything about Snow Joe. It cost more than most battery blowers but was well worth it for me.It is wonderfully well assembled, no screws or wrenches for us to worry about. The two ion batteries are powerful, it's recommended to only use them an hour at a time, they can wear down otherwise.We had a huge storm here last week - 41 inches - and most of that was too high for any blower.But we were able to knock the mounds down and the blower had no trouble picking it up. It has more punch than I thought and almost as much as most of the gas blowers we've seen. I often dread buying machines like this online, something almost always goes wrong. Nothing went wrong, minutes after it arrived, it was out of the box and widening and trimming our paths.I appreciate everything about this well-made machine, it's as if they made it with me and limitations in mind. I totally and thoroughly recommend it."

2. The Best Snow Blower Shovel

• Battery: 4.0 Ah lithium-ion
• Run time: 40 minutes (according to Amazon reviewers)

If you like the feel of a snow shovel, but want a little more power, the Earthwise electric snow shovel is a great choice. It's powered by a 4.0 Ah lithium-ion battery, and features a 40-volt brushless motor that's quiet but effective. This electric shovel can move as many as 300 pounds of snow per minute, and reviewers say it can run for up to 40 minutes on a single charge. It can throw snow up to 30 feet in any direction, thanks to its rotating chute.

One fan raved: “I waited until i could use the snow blower and today with the blizzard that hit NY i have to say this item surpassed my expectation. Not only was the assembly a breeze (it took lil ole me 10mins to put it together) when i finally tested this baby on the snow boy was it just amazing. I was able to clear out my parking space and around my vehicle in about 20 mins. It was super fast. I highly recommend this product! Best part it also comes with the battery and charger unlike others that you have to buy those separately."

3. The Best Handheld Snow Blower

• Battery: 2.0 Ah lithium-ion
• Run time: 20 minutes

This little handheld cordless blower may be designed for leaves, but it works great for getting light snow off of your car too. Powered by a 2.0 Ah lithium-ion battery, it weighs only 2 pounds, and has both blow and vacuum settings, so you can clean off the top of your car, then clean up the inside too. The motor type is not specified, but this blower can run for up to 20 minutes at top speed and can fully recharge in 60 minutes.

One fan raved: “Love it. I also use it for light snow removal. When I saw the box, I laughed. I thought they have sent me the wrong item. It's small but powerful. I absolutely love it. The battery doesn't last all that long but it's good enough. It does charge quickly.. It comes apart easily for storage. Make sure if you don't have the bag on it, you are careful not to get clothes stuck in it. 😁 It's light enough for anybody to use. I am used to gas powered ones that are very heavy. This one works easy to use. I would definitely buy it again”