We already have expensive guides on the best snow blowers and the best electric snow shovels. Now, we’ve turned our attention to manual snow shovels. After all, everyone needs a good manual snow shovel to clear steps and other places where snow blowers will never reach. It wasn’t easy on our backs, but the product review experts at BGR tested nearly 60 different show shovels to find the very best ones.
Our top picks
- Best overall: Suncast 20″ Snow Shovel
- Runner-up: Yocada Snow Shovel
- Best for heavy snow: Snow Joe SJ-SHLV20 Shovelution 20″ Snow Shovel
- Best ergonomic model: True Temper 1603072 Ergonomic Snow Shovel
- Best snow shovel for your car: AstroAI 39″ Folding Snow Shovel
- Best electric snow shovel: WEN 20V Max 12-Inch Cordless Electric Snow Shovel
Those are our top picks, and you certainly can’t go wrong with any of them. Below, we’ll dive a bit deeper into what makes each of the aforementioned snow shovels so impressive.
1. Best overall: Suncast 20″ Snow Shovel
Pros: Solid construction, lightweight (for a heavy-duty shovel), durable, low price
Cons: Not good for painted desks, some people said they broke the plastic handle
Of all the snow shovels we tested, the Suncast 20″ Snow Shovel was our favorite overall.
This snow shovel is the perfect length and width for most people. It’s very durable thanks to the steel shaft and the high-quality plastic used in the blade. Also, it weighs only 7.43 lbs, which is very light for a heavy-duty snow shovel. We found that we grew less fatigued while clearing snow with this shovel compared to most other options we tested.
One of this snow shovel’s strengths may also be considered by some people to be a downside. There’s a galvanized steel wear strip along the front edge of the shovel, which obviously makes this model more durable than shovels that only use plastic. Of course, it also means that you shouldn’t use this shovel on pained surfaces like wood porches and decks. You’ll run into the same problem with most high-quality snow shovels, which is why some people also buy a cheap all-plastic shovel for their porch.
Also, some user reviews complained that the handle broke while they were shoveling. We didn’t run into that problem ourselves, but any snow shovel with a plastic or fiberglass handle can have this issue if you don’t shovel with proper form.
2. Runner-up: Yocada Snow Shovel
Pros: Solid (for a regular-duty shovel), very lightweight, durable, anti-slip grip
Cons: Not good for heavy snow
The Yocada Snow Shovel is our runner-up choice, and it came close to beating our top pick for the best overall snow shovel (Suncast 20″ Snow Shovel).
In the end, there’s really only one thing that kept this model from being our top pick: it’s not great with heavy snow. Since it’s a regular-duty shovel and not a heavy-duty snow shovel, that should be expected. If you live in a region where you don’t often get very heavy snow, this is definitely the snow shovel you should buy.
We loved the design of the Yocada snow shovel, and it’s exceptionally lightweight at just 3.41 lbs. The anti-slip handle sleeve is also a nice touch, though it won’t be in a great location for every user. It all depends on where you grip the shovel while you use it.
This snow shovel is very sturdy overall. It has an aluminum allow strip across the front of the scoop, so you don’t have to worry about shaving plastic off your blade as you shovel.
3. Best for heavy snow: Snow Joe SJ-SHLV20 Shovelution 20″ Snow Shovel
Pros: Durable, lightweight, spring-assisted handle, second handle for easier lifting
Cons: Not great with ice
If you live somewhere with heavy snowfall during the winters, get yourself a Snow Joe SJ-SHLV20 Shovelution 20″ Snow Shovel. Trust us, you’ll be happy you did.
This model has a fantastic design that was engineered with heavy snow in mind. In addition to the main spring-assisted handle, there’s a second shorter handle on top. This way, you can grip it with your non-dominant hand when you fling the snow, making it much easier on your back. It takes a few tries to get used to, but it’s amazing once you get the hang of it.
The only real downside we found is that the aluminum wear strip on the 20-inch shovel blade isn’t at a great angle for ice. Instead of breaking it up, we found that the wear strip would sometimes get caught on the ice.
4. Best ergonomic model: True Temper 1603072 Ergonomic Snow Shovel
Pros: Durable, lightweight, awesome ergonomic design
Cons: More expensive than other options in this guide
We tested almost a dozen different ergonomic snow shovels while compiling this guide. The True Temper 1603072 Ergonomic Snow Shovel was our clear favorite.
This snow shovel has the perfect ergonomic handle to help take some of the strain off your back. It’s also remarkably lightweight for a snow shovel this sturdy. Despite the steel alloy construction, this shovel weighs just 3 lbs.
We definitely appreciated how the bent steel handle is the perfect shape for both scooping and pushing snow. The only real downside is that this snow shovel is a bit more expensive than the other options in our guide.
5. Best snow shovel for your car: AstroAI 39″ Folding Snow Shovel
Pros: Ultra-compact, sturdy for its size, very lightweight
Cons: Handle is shorter than a regular shovel, plastic blade isn’t very durable
If you live in any region where it snows, it’s always a good idea to keep a snow shovel in your car. A full-size shovel would take up way too much space, which is why we love the AstroAI 39″ Folding Snow Shovel.
This AstroAI snow shovel folds up to be super compact, so you can easily stow it out of the way in your trunk. Then, when you need it, you can simply unfold the shovel and pop on the handle. It’s great for digging yourself out when you need to, or for helping someone else out of a sticky situation. You’ll be surprised at all the different situations where having a snow shovel in your car can come in handy.
It should go without saying that there are a few inherent downsides to a snow shovel with this design. First of all, the 39-inch length is shorter than a conventional shovel, so it’s not as easy to use. If you want something compact, however, that’s a necessary trade-off. AstroAI could have made the blade out of a sturdier plastic, though.
6. Best electric snow shovel: 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.
