We independently evaluate all of our recommendations. If you click on links we provide, we may receive compensation. Shopping People Tested We Braved Snow, Wind, Sludge, and Sleet to Find the 5 Best Snow Blowers of 2024 Our winner is easy to use and cleared our path of snow in minutes By Cai Cramer Cai Cramer Cai Cramer is a shopping writer at PEOPLE.com with 2 years’ experience in journalism and digital media. She regularly tests the best and buzziest products in the beauty and lifestyle spaces and has researched and written about moisturizers, blow dryers, clothing, and luggage, among many other popular products. People Editorial Guidelines Updated on January 10, 2024 06:24PM EST In This Article Expand In This Article Our Top Picks ReviewsYou'll Also Need Ororo Women's Classic Heated Jacket Moyidea 36-Inch Extendable Ice Scraper Snow Brush Things To Consider How We Tested FAQ Why Trust PEOPLE? What Is PEOPLE Tested? Photo: People / Alli Waataja Picture this: It’s an early winter morning, and your neighborhood is frosted in snow. You grab your winter coat and heated gloves and walk out to scrape your ice-coated car, feeling grateful for the modern luxury of car heating. But just as you’re about to pull away, it dawns on you: The driveway is plastered with a thick layer of snow that you must remove before you can drop your kids off at school, head into the office, or go about your day. Now imagine that instead of hauling out a cumbersome shovel and performing some early morning manual labor, you can simply dust off your snow blower and clear your path with the flick of a button. If that reality sounds as good to you as it does to us, then we’re pleased to share that we’ve taken to our snow-filled driveways to find out which snow blower is the best on the market. According to Cheryl Higley, director of education at the Snow and Ice Management Association, anyone in the market for a snow blower should consider “the type of snow, the accumulation amount they plan to clear, and the surface type they’ll be clearing” when picking the right machine for their needs. We braved snow, wind, sludge, and sleet to find the snow blower that performs best, rating them on performance, ease of use, safety, and value. In the end, we were left with five top-performing machines. Keep reading to find the best snow blower to clear your paths with ease. Our Top Picks Best Overall: Ariens Classic Snow Blower at Amazon ($1,426) Jump to Review Best Budget: EGO Power+ Cordless Single-Stage Snow Blower at Amazon ($699) Jump to Review Best Investment: Ariens Deluxe 28 SHO at Amazon ($1,849) Jump to Review Easiest to Maneuver: Cub Cadet 2X IntelliPower Snow Blower at Cubcadet.com (See Price) Jump to Review Best Cordless: EGO Power+ Cordless 2-Stage Snow Blower at Amazon ($1,499) Jump to Review Ororo Classic Heated Jacket at Walmart ($160) Jump to Review Moyidea Extendable Ice Scraper Snow Brush at Amazon ($17) Jump to Review Best Overall Ariens Classic Snow Blower PHOTO: Lowe's $1,426 at Amazon $1,149 at Lowe's $1,149 at Ace Hardware Our Ratings Design 5/5 Performance 5/5 Ease of Use 5/5 Safety 5/5 Value 4.5/5 Pros Self-propelling feature makes for easy maneuvering Compact design takes up less space for storage than other snow blowers we've tested Cut through large piles of snow easily and quickly Cons Setup took about 40 minutes before first use Our coveted “best overall” spot goes to the Ariens Classic snow blower, which blew us away (pun intended) through all of our tests. Two thick-treaded wheels lift the base of this machine off the ground, and a self-propelling feature offers six forward and two reverse speeds to help you easily go up or down driveways and sidewalks at an incline without any strenuous pushing. On the day that we tested this snow blower, we faced 4.3 inches of wet snow covering the driveway and a little over a foot of snow piled at the end of the driveway from the morning street plow. The Ariens Classic snow blower easily cut through the heavy, wet snow down the entire driveway and handled the foot-high pile of snow within just a few minutes. All in all, this two-stage snow blower cleared a 1,000-square-foot driveway, sidewalk, and large front walkway — all in about 35 minutes. Plus, there was still some gas left in the tank. But while this machine cleared the snow really quickly, it did take about 40 minutes for us to set up. The snow blower comes with both paper and video instructions (we found the video instructions to be more helpful), and it requires you to have a few tools at home to finish the setup. All in all, we recommend the Ariens Classic snow blower to anyone looking for a machine that’s a breeze to maneuver up and down hills and can cut through heavy, wet snow like a dream. Power source: Gas | Weight: 187 pounds | Size: 44 in x 26 in x 54 inches | Throw distance: 40 feet | Ideal Snow Depth: Up to 12 inches People / Ashley Craiger People / Ashley Craiger Best Budget EGO Power+ Cordless Single-Stage Snow Blower PHOTO: Ace Hardware $699 at Amazon $599 at Walmart $699 at Ace Hardware Our Ratings Design 4.5/5 Performance 4.6/5 Ease of Use 4.3/5 Safety 4.5/5 Value 4/5 Pros Performs just as well as some of the most expensive snow blowers we've tried, making this an excellent value Very quick set up took us just 10 minutes to get up and running Uses rechargeable batteries instead of gas Small footprint makes this snow blower easy to store Cons Doesn’t have as many features as more expensive options This snow blower gets the job done — and for a fraction of the price of other machines. The EGO Power + Peak snow blower took just 10 minutes for us to set up and quickly cleared away three inches of powdery snow off of a two-car driveway. It runs on two rechargeable lithium batteries (which means no gross gas fumes), and they promise to clear a 10-car driveway with just one charge. Powdery, light snow is naturally easier for snow blowers to tackle, so we brought this machine out for a second time after a particularly dense, wet snowfall. This time, we had to adjust the shoot (so that it spat out removed snow further away), and fiddle with the auger (the rotating blades that pick up snow off the ground) speed. We were pleasantly surprised at how well this budget-friendly model cut through the denser snow, though when the snowfall got above 4 inches, we had to go over those patches with the machine a few times to fully clear them. Another helpful feature of this machine is an attached headlamp to light your path through the dark, just in case you need to clear your path at night or before the sun comes up. Even on a -25 degree day, we were able to easily start this blower with a push-start button. While it might not have as many bells and whistles as the more expensive options, the EGO Power + Peak snow blower has everything we needed to clear away both light and heavy snow with no clogging, slipping, or dead batteries. Power source: Battery | Weight: 60 pounds | Size: 45 x 35 x 22 inches| Throw distance: 35 feet | Ideal Snow Depth: Up to 8 inches People / Katie Bowler People / Katie Bowler People / Katie Bowler Best Investment Ariens Deluxe 28 SHO PHOTO: AE Outdoor Power $1,849 at Amazon View on Ariens.com View on Aeoutdoorpower.com Our Ratings Design 4.5/5 Performance 5/5 Ease of Use 4.8/5 Safety 5/5 Value 4.5/5 Pros Easily clears a path over two feet wide in seconds Offers both choke and electric start options to ensure the snow blower starts up no matter the weather Great extra features like LED headlights and auger-control grips Cons Very large machine might be hard for some to store Heavy-duty snow piles were no match for this tough snow blower. The gas-powered machine easily cut through tall end-of-driveway snow piles, and though the machine itself is quite heavy, the self-propelling feature made it feel light and easy to maneuver, even around tight turns. The Ariens Deluxe machine clears a 28-inch wide path through the snow so that you can get the job done faster and waste less time freezing in the process. We tried out both the electric start and choke-start options on this snow blower and found that both turned the machine on quickly and easily. The electric-start option might come in handy during colder temperatures because it doesn’t require the tugging of a choke start. The machine’s shoot has a handy lever on the side that made it easy to direct the snow away from our path, and it comes with an ice scraper to remove any possible clogs in the machine (though we didn’t experience any in our tests). Another handy feature that comes with this deluxe snow blower is an auger-control option on the handle grips that allows you to keep the self-propelling function going without the auger, so that you can easily glide over areas that you’ve already plowed. This machine also comes with LED headlights, so you can feel safe plowing away both night and day. Because it has the capability to clear 28-inch paths at a time (as opposed to our top pick's 24-inch clearing abilities), this machine is bigger than most others that we tried. This can be a really good thing if you have a lot of space to clear, but it might make storage difficult if you’re short on garage or shed space. Overall, this machine was easy to set up and use, and we recommend it to anyone who wants a machine that can easily tackle big jobs with minimal effort. Power source: Battery | Size: 45 x 30 x59 inches | Throw distance: 55 feet | Ideal Snow Depth: Up to 14 inches People / Jodi Espinosa PEOPLE / Jodi Espinosa Easiest to Maneuver Cub Cadet 2X IntelliPower Snow Blower PHOTO: The Home Depot View on Cubcadet.com $1,300 at farmandfleet.com View on Acmetools.com Our Ratings Design 5/5 Performance 5/5 Ease of Use 4.9/5 Safety 5/5 Value 4.3/5 Pros Very easy to maneuver with steering assist Multiple speed options allow you to clear snow at your own pace Tires have deep treads, which helps ensure that they don’t slip Cons Takes a bit of time (and some tools) to assemble One of the trickiest parts of clearing snow from a driveway is maneuvering the snow blower machine. While they make it easier and faster to clear the road and get you on your way, they’re also much larger and more cumbersome than a shovel. But the Cub Cadet 2x snow blower was shockingly simple to maneuver thanks to steering assist, and the multiple speed options allowed us to plow through varied thicknesses of snow with no trouble. It turned on a dime with barely any effort on our part. We tested this machine through 7 inches of powdery snow on a -5 degree day and had no trouble turning it on with the helpful electric start. The choke was easy to adjust, and the tires had plenty of grip on ice, slush, and snow and never slipped. Even on a day with thicker, wetter snow, we had no trouble guiding this machine to clear it all without needing to adjust anything. This machine came mostly assembled, but the tube frame that all the controls are mounted onto needed to be unfolded and levered into place, and then secured with bolts. Some of the control wires that run from the handles to the various systems had to be shifted around so that they didn't catch on anything. But through all of our tests, this machine never faltered. Power source: Gas | Weight: 227 pounds | Size: 35 x 28 x 48.5 inches | Throw distance: 40 feet | Ideal Snow Depth: Up to 12 inches The 10 Best Ski Jackets of 2024, Tested on the Slopes People / Anna Knief People / Anna Knief People / Anna Knief Best Cordless EGO Power+ Cordless 2-Stage Snow Blower PHOTO: Walmart $1,499 at Amazon $1,599 at Walmart $1,499 at Ace Hardware Our Ratings Design 4.5/5 Performance 3/5 Ease of Use 4.5/5 Safety 4/5 Value 4.5/5 Pros Rechargeable batteries mean no gas, fumes, or smell Batteries held up through our 45-minute test Cons Took a bit of adjusting to make it work on different surfaces Rechargeable batteries are to thank for the Ego Cordless 2-Stage Snow Blower’s power — which means no gas, no fumes, and no smell. This model is more expensive than the other Ego cordless snow blower that we tested, but for good reason — it can handle 10 more inches of snow than the cheaper model. The batteries lasted through our 45 minutes of testing without needing a recharge. We were able to successfully clear a 10-foot wide one-car driveway and 35 yards of hilly sidewalk with this snow blower in about 40 minutes. Our one complaint with this two-stage snow blower was the manual adjustment required to position the skid shoes (the plastic shims that govern how far the snow-sucking mechanism is lifted from the pavement). The sidewalk that we tested this machine on was uneven, and this required us to go back and adjust the skid shoes a few times so that it would remove enough snow without dragging on the pavement. Once we were able to adjust the skid shoes to the sweet spot for our surface, this snow blower was easy to maneuver and turn. Power source: Battery | Weight: 150 pounds | Size: 45 x 26 x 49 inches | Throw distance: 50 feet | Ideal Snow Depth: Up to 8 inches People / Anna Knief People / Anna Knief People / Anna Knief You'll Also Need While a snow blower can drastically reduce the time it takes to clear your driveway, using one will still require you to be out in the cold for a bit. To make braving the cold temperatures more bearable, we recommend the following PEOPLE Tested cold-weather winners: Ororo Classic Heated Jacket PHOTO: Amazon $160 at Walmart $233 at QVC $170 at Home Depot Our Ratings Ease of Use 5/5 Heating 5/5 Design 5/5 Comfort 4.5/5 Value 5/5 A heated jacket provides an extra level of warmth against the winter chill. We like this one from Ororo because it heats up quickly and its water-resistant material kept us dry and toasty. Moyidea Extendable Ice Scraper Snow Brush PHOTO: Amazon $14 at Amazon Our Ratings Effectiveness 5/5 Durability 5/5 Features 4/5 Ease of Use 5/5 Value 5/5 Once the driveway is clear of snow, clearing your car windshield is the next task you'll need to complete before you can be on your way. If you're looking for an ice scraper to do the job, we recommend The Moyidea Extendable ice scraper because of its sturdy and durable design, which is able to chip away at even thick ice without the need to turn on the car heater. Compared to the other ice scrapers we tested, this one's extendable reach and cushioned handle made it more comfortable to use. Things to Consider Before Buying a Snow Blower Gas or Electric Traditionally, snow blowers (much like lawn mowers) relied on gas and oil as the sole source of power. Nowadays, you can also find a handful of electric-powered options on the market. Both gas and electric snow blowers have their own pros and cons: gas-powered snow blowers are often more powerful than their electric counterparts but also give off fumes that can ultimately smell bad and negatively affect the environment. While electric snow blowers are more eco-friendly, SIMA educational director Cheryl Higley tells us they’re only recommended for light, fluffy snow because they’re less durable than their gas-powered counterparts. Surface Type While snow blowers can be used on concrete and asphalt driveways without worry, Higley says gravel driveways are a different story. “If you're clearing a gravel driveway, you will need to choose a two-stage blower,” Higley says. “The paddles on electric and one-stage blowers make contact with the surface, so you risk throwing rocks and gravel with these machines.” Our top pick for a two-stage blower is the Ariens Classic 24-inch 2-Stage Snow Blower. Climate The right snow blower for you is highly dependent on the climate that you live in — whether you get lots of snow or just a sprinkling (or if the snow tends to be moist and dense or light and powdery). If you live in a climate that tends to get a lot of sun and snow during the winter (such as Colorado), you should keep in mind that melted snow that freezes over can turn into icy sludge that might require a tougher machine. Each snow blower is rated for different depths and types of snow, so it’s important to keep that in mind when choosing the right machine for your local climate. How We Tested We tested the best snow blowers on the market to narrow it down to the five best of the best. We rated each on design, performance, ease of use, value, and safety. We began our tests by removing the snow blowers from their boxes and thoroughly reading any included instructions and safety information. Using a stopwatch, we timed how long it took to assemble the snow blower. Once the snow blowers were charged or filled with gas, we waited for a snowy day to put them to the test on our driveways and sidewalks. Not all snowfall is the same — wetter snow can be more difficult to pick up than dry, fluffy snow and icier conditions create more challenges — so we took that into account when assessing each snow blower. We also took note of the size of each driveway and sidewalk that we plowed so that we had a clearer picture of how long each machine took to clear the driveways. We tested each snowblower multiple times during different snowfalls and took careful note of how easy each snowblower was to push, how many times we had to go over the same area to fully clear it, and how easy each machine was to store. In the end, we came away with the 5 best snow blowers to clear your path quickly and efficiently. Frequently Asked Questions Do snow blowers work on heavy snow? Yes! While not all snow blowers work well on heavy snow (sometimes you'll need to resort to a snow shovel), many machines are created to handle heavy, wet, or deep snow. For that kind of snow, Higley recommends going with a gas-powered snow blower because they “have the engine power to clear heavier accumulations of snow.” We recommend our top pick, the Ariens Classic 24-inch Gas Snow Blower, for all types of snow accumulation. What are the different types of snow blowers? There are a few different varieties of snow blowers, including gas-powered, electric-powered, single-stage, and double-stage machines. Gas and electric-powered snow blowers are pretty self-explanatory, but single- and double-stage snow blowers take a bit of explanation. Single-stage snow blowers use an auger to both pick up and propel the snow out of your path. They usually can't handle quite as much snow as double-stage machines. Double-stage snow blowers use an auger to pick up the snow and a separate fan-like mechanism to throw the snow away from your path. Double-stage machines can typically throw the snow further than single-stage machines. How much should a snow blower cost? While most double-stage snow blowers are in the $1000-$1,700 range, you can find less expensive singe-stage models for around $600, including our pick for the best budget snow blower, the EGO Power+ Peak Power 21-inch Snow Blower Kit. Why Trust PEOPLE? Cai Cramer is a commerce writer who covers the beauty, fashion, health, and lifestyle spaces. To compile this article, she consulted our testers for their opinions of a range of slow blowers, considering design, ease of use, performance, and safety. Cai grew up in snowy Colorado and knows from experience how frustrating large snowfalls can be when clearing your driveway. While researching snow blowers, we spoke with Cheryl Higley, director of education at the Snow and Ice Management Association. What Is PEOPLE Tested? We created the PEOPLE Tested seal of approval to help you find the very best products for your life. We use our unique methodology to test products in three labs across the country and with our network of home testers to determine their effectiveness, durability, ease of use, and so much more. Based on the results, we rate and recommend products so you can find the right one for your needs. But we don't stop there: We also regularly re-review the categories in which we've awarded the PEOPLE Tested seal of approval — because the best product of today might not be the best of tomorrow. And by the way, companies can never buy our recommendation: Their products must earn it, fair and square. In short, PEOPLE Tested provides recommendations you can trust — every day, every purchase.