Here’s a good article on winter tools by Andrea Beck for Better Homes & Gardens.
Slick sidewalks and snow-covered driveways are no match for these highly-rated products. Wondering how to get rid of snow fast when winter weather hits? Whether you’ve endured a record-breaking blizzard or just enough of a dusting to turn the world into a winter wonderland, you’ll need to have the right snow removal equipment at your fingertips. We’ve rounded up a few of our favorite tools for powering through the first snow of the year all the way to the final ice storm before spring. When you need to get your driveway and sidewalks cleared off, these are the best snow removal tools for making the job quicker and less back-breaking.
1. Best Snow Shovel for Reducing Strain on Your Back
A good old-fashioned shovel is one of the best ways to get rid of snow and slush. Still, especially for large areas like driveways, we really start to feel it in our back after all that bending and tossing. Here’s a snow shovel that will make this chore less hard on your body. The second handle on this shovel is designed to improve your posture and spare your back muscles a little by giving you better leverage for scooping and throwing snow. Reviewers also love how lightweight this tool is, which also helps to make it easy to use.
2. Best Ice Scraper and Snow Sweeper
According to reviewers, this is one of the best ice scrapers you can buy for quickly clearing a few inches of snow off your car. It has an extendable handle (from 35 to 52 inches) that you can use to push snow off your windshield or car roof with one pass, and the silicone sweeper can move a lot more snow at once than a traditional brush. The edges of the sweeper are also flexible, so you won’t scratch your car while you’re clearing it off. Finally, for icy, frosty days, the opposite end has a classic ice scraper to take care of anything that the sweeper can’t remove.
3. Best Environmentally-Friendly Ice Melt
No one wants to slip and slide on ice all winter, so having a bag of ice melt around is a must. This blend is safe for the environment, kids, and pets, and you can use it on both wood and concrete. Toss a few scoops out on your sidewalk, driveway, or porch when it starts to get slick, and reviewers say it’ll quickly get to work melting away patches of ice.
4. Best Roof Rake
We tend to focus on what accumulates on the ground in the winter, but if you live in an area that gets heavy amounts of snow every year, you need to think about getting it off your roof, too. True Temper’s snow roof rake to the rescue! It can extend up to 17 feet so you can reach your roof without a ladder. Just make sure you watch out for icicles when you’re using it, and try not to push all the snow directly onto any shrubs or flowerbeds. Instead, try to rake snow off in small clumps rather than one big avalanche so you’re less likely to damage any plants below.
5. Best Electric, Cordless Snowblower
When you can expect several snowstorms during the winter, you may want to consider investing in a snowblower to help you power through it all. This model from Ego can clear off your driveway in minutes. It’s cordless, so you don’t have to navigate around an extension cord while you’re working, and it’s battery-powered, making it quieter and more environmentally-friendly than most gas-powered snowblowers (not to mention easier to start). We also like that it’s heavy-duty enough to throw snow up to 35 feet away, but still lightweight and compact enough to make storage simple. It’s also got nearly 1,300 five-star reviews, for being quiet, powerful, and effective.
We’ve got our fingers crossed for a mild winter, but even if you see inches of snow turn into feet, these tools will help you keep it under control. And even if your region doesn’t usually get much snow, stocking your shed or garage with at least a shovel and some ice melt for that rare snowstorm could definitely come in handy. With a little preparation, you’ll be ready for anything winter can throw at you.
