Remember how much you loved snow as a young kid? Most of that joy is gone now, and it’s probably because all you can think about is how much of a pain it is to shovel. As with everything else, however, having the right tool for the job is a game-changer. Toss those manual shovels and embrace the future! The product review experts at BGR tested nearly 40 different models to find the best electric snow shovels that make clearing your walkways a breeze.
Our top picks
- Best overall: WEN 20V Max 12-Inch Cordless Electric Snow Shovel
- Runner-up: Snow Joe 24V-SS10 10-Inch Cordless Electric Snow Shovel
- Best corded model: Earthwise SN70016 Corded 12Amp Electric Snow Shovel
- Best heavy-duty model: Earthwise SN74016 40-Volt Cordless Electric Snow Shovel
- Best cheap option: Snow Joe 324E Corded Electric Snow Shovel
You absolutely cannot go wrong with any of those great models. Trust us; our expert product testers spent dozens of combined man-hours clearing snow to find the best ones. If you want to learn more about what makes each model so impressive, you’ll find all that info down below.
1. Best overall: WEN 20V Max 12-Inch Cordless Electric Snow Shovel
Pros: Easy to use, powerful, lightweight, cordless, good battery life, inexpensive
Cons: Doesn’t work as well with heavy snow
Anyone in search of the best overall electric snow shovel will definitely want to check out the WEN 20V Max 12-Inch Cordless Electric Snow Shovel.
This model has it all. It’s very easy to assemble, and since it’s so lightweight at under 15 lbs, it’s also easy to use. The 12-inch shovel is wide enough that it’ll clear most walkways in two passes, and it has enough power to throw snow far out of the way. Like all electric shovels, however, it works best with light snow and might not perform as well with wet snow.
This WEN model is very inexpensive for a cordless electric snow shovel that comes with a battery and charger. It’s a 5.0Ah battery, no less, so a single charge will give you more than enough power to clear most properties.
2. Runner-up: Snow Joe 24V-SS10 10-Inch Cordless Electric Snow Shovel
Snow Joe 24V-SS10 10-Inch Cordless Electric Snow Shovel
Pros: Lightweight, plenty of power, affordable, good performance
Cons: Not as durable as some other models
The Snow Joe 24V-SS10 10-Inch Cordless Electric Snow Shovel could easily have been our top pick, but the WEN 20V Max Electric Snow Shovel outshined it for two main reasons.
First, the WEN model has a wider 12-inch clearing width compared to 10 inches on this Snow Joe model. It might not seem like a lot, but that extra width can mean the difference between two passes and three.
Second, the Snow Joe model ships with a 4.0Ah battery instead of the 5.0Ah battery that comes with our top pick. That’s a 20% difference, and you’ll notice it the first time you run out of juice while clearing snow.
25 minutes is enough time to clear the walkways on most properties, though, so the Snow Joe 24V-SS10 is an outstanding option for many people. It’s actually a bit more powerful than our top pick, capable of throwing snow up to 20 feet. It’s also lighter at 12.8 lbs, compared to about 15 lbs for the WEN model.
As for downsides, some user reviews mention durability. We didn’t have any issues while we were testing this model, but the build quality isn’t quite on par with some other options in this guide.
3. Best corded model: Earthwise SN70016 Corded 12Amp Electric Snow Shovel
Pros: Powerful, lightweight, wheels make it easy to use, inexpensive, 16-inch clearing width, no batteries to keep charged
Cons: You’ll always be at the mercy of an extension cord
The first two options in this guide are cordless, which gives you all the freedom in the world to clear snow anywhere. Of course, that freedom is worthless when the battery dies on you.
If you’d prefer a corded option so you never have to worry about running out of juice, the Earthwise SN70016 Corded 12Amp Electric Snow Shovel is our top pick.
This lightweight (15.72 lbs) but powerful electric snow shovel can throw snow up to 30 feet. It also has wheels, making it very easy to operate and maneuver. On top of that, it has a super-wide 16-inch clearing width, so you might not even want to bother making a second pass on some walkways.
Earthwise’s electric snow shovel works in snow that’s up to 8 inches deep, though it may have trouble with heavy, wet snow. That’s the case with all electric snow shovels, of course.
As for downsides, there’s only one to speak of, and it’s obvious. Using a corded electric snow shovel means you don’t have to worry about keeping any batteries charged, but it also means you’re at the mercy of an extension cord. That obviously adds a fair chunk to the cost of this model since you’ll need a very long weatherproof extension cord, and good ones aren’t cheap.
4. Best heavy-duty model: Earthwise SN74016 40-Volt Cordless Electric Snow Shovel
Earthwise SN74016 40-Volt Cordless Electric Snow Shovel
Pros: Very powerful, wheels make it easy to use, 16-inch clearing width, good with heavier snow
Cons: Expensive
If you want a heavy-duty electric snow shovel, the Earthwise SN74016 40-Volt Cordless Electric Snow Shovel is the best option we tested.
The Earthwise SN74016 has more power than any other model we tested. In fact, it’s capable of clearing 300 lbs of snow per minute. It was one of the only models that worked well with heavier snow, and it also handled deeper snow in the 6-8 inch range better than other options.
Despite being a great heavy-duty option that weighs almost 20 lbs, it’s still easy to use and maneuver, thanks to the inclusion of wheels. We had no trouble at all pushing this 16-inch-wide electric snow shovel over our walkways.
The only downside worth mentioning is the price tag, which is much higher than the other options in this guide. Still, at under $260 with a battery and charger included, it’s a great value. Note that if you have a lot of walkways to clear, you might want to consider investing in a second battery.
5. Best cheap option: Snow Joe 324E Corded Electric Snow Shovel
Pros: Inexpensive, lightweight, headlight is helpful, great bang for your buck
Cons: Corded, you get what you pay for when it comes to build quality
Of all the models we tested, the Snow Joe 324E Corded Electric Snow Shovel is the best cheap option out there.
This Snow Jow electric snow shovel isn’t going to win any awards when it comes to power or performance. But for the money, it definitely surpassed our expectations. It handles lighter snow with ease, and it’s more than powerful enough to clear any walkways.
At $99, you’re obviously going to have to make some compromises. The build quality isn’t great, and you’ll definitely run into issues if you’re hard on it. Also, this is a corded model, which has obvious drawbacks. But if you already have a good extension cord and you want to spend as little as possible, this Snow Joe model is as good as it gets.
