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The best snow shovels you can buy to defeat any snow bank that stands in your way
The best snow shovels you can buy to defeat any snow bank that stands in your way
Steven JohnJan 7, 2019, 21:30 IST
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Shoveling snow might not be much fun, but it need not be a loathsome burden, either. All you need is a great snow shovel to help you get the job done.
The DMOS Alpha Shovel is our top pick because its serrated blade easily cuts into and lifts large blocks of snow and because the shovel disassembles and packs down small enough to fit in the trunk, in a closet, or even in a backpack.
Winter is great because of all the holidays, the seasonal beers, and of course the chance to romp about in the snow. But winter also has its drawbacks. On those days that are not holidays and on which we are not enjoying a few beers and romping, many of us are instead cursing our way through the frigid morning as we dig our car out of a snowdrift just so we can get to work. Shoveling snow is a task few people enjoy, but it's one that we can't well skip if we want to leave the house without snowshoes and/or a dogsled and team of huskies.
With the right snow shovel, removing all that wintry precipitation from your stoop, driveway, deck, and walkways need not be a daunting chore. A proper snow shoveling technique paired with a decent piece of hardware will make the process faster and easier, and will also reduce the chance of injury.
Which, by the way, is a concern not to be taken lightly: One major 2011 study concluded that during an average winter as many as 11,500 people end up in the emergency room after a snow shoveling-related injury. Lower back injuries are far and away the most common, representing more than a third of total injuries. Which is no surprise, really, because snow can be surprisingly heavy stuff.
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An average cubic foot of snow weighs about 62 pounds. So after a heavy snowfall that dumps, let's say, a foot of snow on the ground, an average driveway alone (let's use 12 by 30 feet as our frame of reference or 360 square feet) might have as much as 22,300 pounds of snow piled up on it! So yeah, that's where the backache comes from.
How to choose the right shovel for you
When choosing the best snow shovel for your property, first think about yourself. If you have any physical issues caused by age, injury, or illness, then opt for a tool that uses wheels, focused leverage, or even a motor to help minimize the effort needed to move that snow. If you're healthy as a horse, a more traditional snow shovel might be fine, but you still need to consider the volume of snowfall you'll be facing and the terrain at hand.
Even a fit person can be overwhelmed by hours of shoveling and should consider a tool that gives them an edge even if it costs a bit more. And don't forget that a bigger shovel is not always better - a shovel that's too wide for your narrow stoop might be counterproductive, and so on.
When possible, don't forget to spread salt before the snow starts, and get out there as soon as possible after it stops, before the stuff can freeze into a more solid mass. Also, don't rule out spending the winters in Los Angeles. It never snows and there are lots of great museums, restaurants, and retail shops there.
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Why you'll love it: When fully assembled for use, the DMOS Alpha Shovel is as capable as any classic snow shovel, easily tossing scoop after scoop of snow.
Far too many products force you to make sacrifices in the name of convenience. That ultra compact folding bike easily tucks away in your dorm room or small apartment, but it's nowhere near as fast, stable, or rugged as a full sized bicycle, for example.
A spork may stab solids and scoop soups, sure, but you'll never get as much food on the tines or as much broth in the bowl as you would with an actual fork or spoon, respectively. Few and far between are products that perform their duty notably well while also being notably more convenient than their counterparts.
In the category of snow shovels, however, the DMOS Alpha Shovel is the notable exception. This clever and capable shovel can help you move snow all day long then pack down small enough for storage in a cramped closet, on a garage shelf, in your car's trunk, or even in a bag. The secret here is that the shovel's handle is both collapsible and detachable. The shaft telescopes out to a generous 63 inches, giving taller users plenty of length for proper leverage, and it can be shortened down four times for shovel users of differing height.
When fully collapsed, the handle can be detached and slid through slots cut out of the shovel itself, creating a package small enough for easy storage and with the grip making it laughably easy to carry the shovel along with you. As the Alpha is fabricated out of rugged but lightweight 5052 aluminum, it only weighs 4.2 pounds.
As for performance, this is just about the best snow shovel I have ever used, and it's my go-to even when I'm home and compact portability isn't a factor. The slender, serrated leading edge of the shovel's blade cuts into all sorts of snow with ease, lifting fresh powder, heavy slush, and icy chunks alike. The long handle makes it easy to lift and toss large scoops of snow, while the all-metal construction ensures that the shaft won't bend or break and the scoop won't crack or buckle.
One Amazon customer called the DMOS Alpha "the best snow shovel," noting how its design made it easy "to cut into hardpack" snow and ice. Another said the shovel was "easy to put together and break down," though he did note its "high price tag."
Though this shovel's durable construction makes that $119 price easier to endure, as you'll use the thing for years.
Pros: Collapses down small, serrated blades cuts into packed snow, lightweight but rugged
Why you'll love it: The ingenious two-handled design of the Snow Joe SHOVELUTION Shovel can reduce back strain by as much as 30% when compared to a traditional snow shovel while also speeding up the snow clearing process.
Remember that statistic we discussed earlier about how more than a third of those 11,500 snow shoveling-related ER visits are caused by lower back injuries? Well then, the Snow Joe SHOVELUTION Shovel could prevent thousands of annual hospital visits by dramatically reducing the strain shoveling puts on the lower back.
This thing is essentially a regular old snow shovel with a straight handle and an 18-inch shovel blade that's curved to help you collect loads of snow, albeit with one notable addition. Right above the scoop, Snow Joe designers added another handle on a short, pivoting rod. This lower handle is spring-assisted, moving up and down in response to your motions and helping to counterbalance the weight of each shovelful of snow.
By keeping your lower hand well above the main shaft of the tool, the Snow Joe SHOVELUTION Snow Shovel allows you to stand up straighter as you work, reducing the strain put on the back's lumbar region. The spring-action second handle also helps you fling aside that heavy snow without as much effort and with reduced shock at the end of each toss, thereby further limiting the effects on your joints, muscles, and skeletal system. The second handle is a small addition that creates a major improvement.
The Snow Joe SHOVELUTION Shovel scores an average 4.4-star rating with owners. One satisfied customer says it was "just what [she] needed," explaining that she can "shovel and not have to mess up [her] back" in the process. Another Amazon reviewer gushes that he "can't express how much I love this shovel."
In a YouTube video review, a gear tester showed how this "back saving shovel" is easy to use and does indeed reduce snow-clearing time while creating "way less stress on the back."
Pros: Reduces back strain, speeds up clearing process, good price point
Why you'll love it: The Toro Power Shovel Electric Snow Thrower can clear snowfall up to a half foot deep with one pass, and you never even have to lift it off the ground.
I own a Toro Power Shovel Electric Snow Thrower and use it often when snowfall blankets our driveway, stoop, and the sidewalk out front, so you can trust me when I say this: with snow piled up as high as six inches off the ground, this electric shovel can help you clear an area quickly and with much less effort than a traditional shovel requires. I also happen to know firsthand, though, that with snow any deeper than that, or with snow that's particularly wet and heavy, this thing bogs down and loses efficacy rather quickly.
A Toro Power Shovel Electric Snow Thrower is perfect for people who live in areas prone to moderate snowstorms that come a few times per season. As noted, it can't really handle deeper snow. But for lighter precipitation, it clears the stuff right down to the pavement, pushing along easily without the strain shoveling places on the knees, arms, and the back.
This electric shovel is best suited to mid-sized properties, as it tosses snow a distance of about twenty feet. If you have quite a large driveway or patio you want to clear, some of that snow is going to fall right back onto it, counter productively piling up. For clearing sidewalks, stoops, smaller or medium-sized driveways, though, it's a great tool. The thrower cuts a 12-inch swath as it moves along, enabling most users to clear a 1,000 square foot area covered by four inches of snow in about twenty minutes.
With many thousands of reviews logged, the Toro Power Shovel Electric Snow Thrower comes in just under a four-star rating, with a 3.9-star average. One customer was thrilled that her 80-year-old mother could use the tool, saying: "she has no problem with it" as she clears a sidewalk and driveway. Another owner calls the Toro "lightweight, powerful," and adding that it "throws like a champ."
A comprehensive write-up from Consumer Reports called the Toro Power Shovel Electric Snow Thrower lightweight and maneuverable but did make the point that the unit "can't handle wet snow," which I can certainly corroborate.
Pros: Minimizes effort and backache, quickly clears shallower snowfall, light at just 12 lbs.
Why you'll love it: The Lifeline AAA Aluminum Sport Utility Shovel weighs less than a pound and a half and folds down to just over two feet long, making it perfect for storage in the trunk of a car.
You never really know when a snowstorm is going to hit. Well, OK, I guess you can follow the weather reports for a few days worth of heads up. And then you can watch as the clouds roll in for another head start on things. So maybe you can predict snowfall, but what you can't always do is plan for exactly where you'll be and what you will be doing when the snow comes down. That's why it's a good idea to keep the Lifeline AAA Aluminum Sport Utility Shovel around.
This low-priced, compact, multipurpose shovel can be stowed away in the trunk, in a closet, or just about anywhere else. It's lightweight, at approximately 1.3 pounds, and it can adjust from 25 to 32 inches in length, allowing for comfortable use by people of varied height. The blade is smaller than that of most traditional snow shovels, but it can still scoop up more than enough wintry precipitation to clear the stoop and steps outside your home, to carve out a narrow footpath, and to help you dig your car out of the snow.
This shovel would also a pretty decent paddle should you ever find yourself needing to get a canoe moving with no actual paddles in sight. Just a thought.
The Lifeline AAA Aluminum Sport Utility Shovel has a solid 4.4-star rating on Amazon with well over 1,000 reviews logged. One happy customer called it an "amazing little shovel" and reports how he used it "to dig out [his] car after a snowstorm." Another owner loves how it's so compact that it "stores under the seat" of his vehicle.
A video reviewer with TheGearTester praised the feel and stability of the "thick aluminum handle," while a Chainsaw Journal review called the shovel "built tough" and praised how compact it is.
Pros: Compact size ideal for storage in car, adjustable handle length, low price point
Why you'll love it: The Suncast Snow Pusher Snow Shovel isn't fancy, but it is effective. For the person who prefers a durable, functional tool over a newfangled, gimmicky product, this is the snow shovel to choose.
The Suncast Snow Pusher Snow Shovel doesn't have a unique, ergonomic handle design. It doesn't have wheels, a motor, or a spring-loaded automatic snow catapult system. (If you know of a shovel that does have one of those, please let me know, by the way!). What this shovel does have is the ability to help you move hundreds of pounds of snow as quickly as you can safely and comfortably toss the stuff.
The Suncast Snow Pusher Snow Shovel measures 51 inches long, giving you plenty of leverage as you toss snow over your shoulder. The ribbed shaft improves grip and is made with a steel core, so it won't bend even under the strain of a shovelful of wet, heavy snow.
The shovel blade has a protective galvanized metal strip across the leading edge and is fabricated from rugged polyethylene. The deep scoop of the shovel allows you to lift large volumes of snow with each heft, but the shovel can also be used to simply push lower accumulations of snow off of a sidewalk or driveway.
This no-frills snow shovel has a 4.4-star rating on Amazon. One customer calls his Suncast Snow Pusher Snow Shovel "the best ever" and loved how the ribbed handle offered a sure grip. Another owner reported how easily she could place the shovel "on the ground and push the snow to the edge of the driveway like a snowplow" despite being over 60 years old and disabled.
A writer with Hipp's Help created a review that called the Suncast Snow Pusher Snow Shovel "much more durable than any other snow shovel we have purchased or used in the past."
Pros: Basic but reliable, long and sturdy handle, works as shovel or pusher
Why you'll love it: The extra wide blade of the Manplow REV42 Revolution Snow Pusher can clear 42-inch swaths of sidewalk, driveway, patio, and more in a single pass.
All right, so the Manplow REV42 Revolution Snow Pusher is not technically a snow shovel, and in fact if you attempt to lift and toss scoops of snow using it, you're using it wrong. If you use this extra wide snow-moving device to clear a 42-inch swath of snow in a single pass, however, you're using it right.
The broad polyethylene blade is designed not to damage the surface over which it is pushed, so you can use the REV42 on cobblestones, brick, wood, and other terrain, though its rugged enough to shove heavy loads of snow aside without bending.
For quickly clearing most driveways and walkways, it's hard to beat a big snow pusher like this. There are two issues to consider, though, if you live in areas prone to heavy snow and/or if you have a large driveway. Once the snow has piled up more than seven or eight inches high, the REV42 becomes ineffective as snow spills over the top. For extra large spaces, you might actually make more work for yourself as you create large berms of snow that become obstacles as you can't fling the snow far from the area in question.
That said, for most suburban homes or for clearing swaths of city sidewalk, the Manplow REV42 Revolution Snow Pusher is a great alternative to a more traditional shovel. And thanks to its clever reversible blade, it will serve you for years, too. When the leading edge of the pusher has become too worn down and uneven to be effective, just remove the blade, flip it upside down, and enjoy a like new snow tool.
With nearly 200 reviews posted on Amazon, the REV42 has a shining 4.6-star average rating. One shopper says that it's the "single greatest invention in the 21st century," reporting that he can clear a 125-foot "single lane driveway in 7 minutes." Another called it "much better to use than the usual snow shovels."
A reviewer from EpicGardening called the REV42 "a behemoth of a tool" that clears "huge swaths out of any snowfall you may encounter."
Pros: Clears huge swath in one pass, reversible blade extends working life, will not damage terrain
