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The 7 Best Electric Snow Shovels for Breaking Up Snow Without Breaking the Bank—or Your Back
Like a snowblower on a stick, the electric snow shovel clears snowy sidewalks and patios with ease.
Overworking yourself while shoveling snow is dangerous. It’s easy to ignore signs of fatigue in the cold, putting you at risk for a back injury or even a heart attack. According to a 2020 study from the American Heart Association, shoveling snow can increase the risk of a cardiac event.
For small homes with shorter walkways and fewer steps, an electric snow shovel puts the snow-moving power of a snowblower in a lighter “shovel-like” form factor. (Honestly, they look more like small rototillers to me.) They can launch the snow on your walk up to 25 feet through the air so you don’t have to bend or lift as you dig out after a storm.
An electric snow shovel may offer a viable alternative to a snowblower for small homes, but they also work well as supplemental tools for clearing out outdoor stairs, walkways, patios, decks, and anywhere else a snowblower may not be able to reach. If that sounds like it could help you out of a blizzard-induced jam this winter, we can steer you toward the best electric snow shovels, and pick out the right one for your home.
Get This Gear Before You Get Snowed In: Best Electric Snowblowers ● Best Snow Shovels ● Best Salt Spreaders
The Best Electric Snow Shovels
- Best Overall: Ego Power+ Multi-Head Snow Shovel Kit
- Best Value: Greenworks 8 Amp 12-Inch Corded Electric Snow Shovel
- Best Cordless: Ryobi 40V Cordless Electric Snow Shovel
- Best For Driveways: Earthwise SN74016 Cordless Electric Snow Shovel
- Best Battery Life: Greenworks 80V 12-Inch Cordless Electric Snow Shovel
The Expert: I’m a freelance writer who has written about landscaping, home improvement, gardening, and home security for publications like Bob Vila, U.S. News and World Report, Popular Science, Pro Tool Reviews, and Futurism. As someone who grew up in the Northeast, I understand the pain and toil that comes with clearing driveways and walks post snowstorm.
What to Consider in an Electric Snow Shovel
Do You Want An Electric Snow Shovel or A Snowblower?
Before selecting an electric snow shovel, I’d be remiss if I didn’t point out that this whole category of yard machines has some limitations. Most electric snow shovels can only handle snow depths up to 6 inches and lack the power to handle heavier slushy snows. They are ideally reserved for powdery snow on walkways, patios, decks, and maybe a small driveway. If you see heavy snowfalls regularly, or have a large number of driveways and parking spaces to clear, you will want to get a snowblower before you buy an electric snow shovel.
Corded Vs. Cordless
You can find both corded and cordless electric snow shovels, both of which have their advantages and disadvantages.
Corded electric snow shovels plug into a standard three-prong outlet, giving you unlimited runtime… so long as you stay within the range, which will be 100 feet at most without an extension cord. It’s also a pain to drag and orient the cable as you move around.
Cordless electric snow shovels, like all cordless outdoor appliances, work off of a large rechargeable lithium-ion battery. This frees you from being tethered to an outlet, but severely limits the snow shovel's runtime. Most cordless electric snow shovels only last around 30-40 minutes on a single charge. (In most cases, you can buy extra batteries to keep charged and extend your runtime.) Cordless models are also generally more expensive.
When push comes to shove, I recommend looking for a cordless electric snow shovel, rather than a corded one. Having the freedom to move without worrying about a cord makes the whole shoveling/snowblowing process much easier. That said, if you’re on a tight budget or only need to clear a short walk or small patio or deck that’s near an outdoor outlet, you can get by with a corded model.
Clearing Depth and Width
Much like a snowblower, electric snow shovels are rated by how much snow they can move. The wider the shovel, the fewer passes it will take to clear an area. Most electric snow shovels move a 10-16 inch wide path of snow. While a small, narrow shovel will be useful for creating pathways, wider is generally better. You will definitely want a larger model if you plan to completely clear a patio or driveway.
Electric snow shovels can handle snow banks around 4-8 inches high, depending on their clearing depth. Technically, you can remove deeper snowfall with these machines, but you’ll have to make more passes to do so.
Throwing Distance
For an electric snow shovel to be useful, it should be able to propel the snow far enough that it’s off the deck, walkway, or driveway that you’re clearing. Most electric snow shovels launch their snow between 20-30 feet, which is on par with weaker corded snowblowers, but shorter than cordless and gas snowblowers that can throw snow a distance of 40 feet or more. With that in mind, consider the route you plan to take while clearing, and make sure you’re moving the snow somewhere out of the way so it can sit until spring arrives.
Weight
Electric snow shovels process and throw snow like a snowblower, so you won’t need to bend over and scoop up snow like you would with a shovel. However, you should still look for the lightest possible option. While you won’t have to lift and throw snow as you would with a conventional snow shovel, you will have to hold it upright and apply some force to push it through the snow. At the very least, you should look for a shovel that you can lift easily whenever you need to clear steps or multiple levels of patio.
Some electric snow shovels often weigh between 10 and 20 pounds. As you might expect, more powerful shovels that can move more snow and feature large batteries tend to be heavier than smaller, narrower models. Some large electric snow shovels have a set of wheels mounted to the rear of the base, which allows them to stand upright on their own so you can maneuver the machine with minimal lifting.
How We Selected The Best Electric Snow Shovels
To make my choices for the top electric snow shovels, I used my own experience with snow removal machines. I also conducted extensive research to inform my selections, comparing specs and prices and scouring recommendations and feedback gleaned from dozens of customer reviews. When making my final selections, I included snow shovels of various size, weight, and price in an effort to meet a variety of snow removal needs and budgets.
Editor’s note 1/19/24: After the recent heavy snowfall in parts of the country, and subsequent demand for snow-clearing power, some of our electric shovel picks are out of stock. For those models that come in various sizes or specs, you might be able to find them if you click through the options on the retailers’ pages. We’ll also continue to monitor availability and update our recommendations as winter progresses.
Tony Carrick is a full-time freelance writer who specializes in technology, home improvement, DIY, home security, and outdoor recreation. He’s tested and written about everything from home security systems to power tools to gas grills. His product guides, how-to articles, and feature stories can be found in such publications as Bob Vila, Angi, U.S. News and World Report, Field & Stream, Futurism, and Switchful. When Tony isn’t writing, he can be found working on his latest home improvement effort at his home in North Carolina.
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