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A close-up of a snow shovel digging into a snow bank. The person holding it is attempting to clear a walkway that's covered in a few inches of snow. . Credit: Reviewed / Jackson Ruckar

The Best Snow Shovels of 2024

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A close-up of a snow shovel digging into a snow bank. The person holding it is attempting to clear a walkway that's covered in a few inches of snow. . Credit: Reviewed / Jackson Ruckar

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Editor's Choice Product image of Suncast SC3250 18-inch Snow Shovel/Pusher Combo
Best Overall

Suncast SC3250 18-inch Snow Shovel/Pusher Combo

Check Price at Walmart

A comfortable, ergonomic shovel versatile enough to plow, scoop, and scrape. Read More

Pros

  • Ergonomic handle
  • Plowing is easy and smooth
  • Able to maneuver around and under objects

Cons

  • Handle limits throwing directions
  • Small scoop
2
Editor's Choice Product image of True Temper 1627200 18-Inch Mountain Mover
Best Value

True Temper 1627200 18-Inch Mountain Mover

Check Price at Amazon

An affordable, basic snow shovel perfect for clearing compact, obstacle-heavy spaces. Read More

Pros

  • Affordable price
  • Easy to use

Cons

  • Backaches can occur after long sessions
  • Not great for plowing or scraping
3
Editor's Choice Product image of Ames True Temper 1613400 Aluminum Combo Snow Shovel

Ames True Temper 1613400 Aluminum Combo Snow Shovel

Check Price at Home Depot

For an aluminum shovel, this tool is quite heavy. It is sturdy and scoops quite a bit of snow, though. And you'll have a tough time beating the price. Read More

Pros

  • Big scoop size
  • Sturdy metal wear strip
  • Affordable

Cons

  • Heavy
  • Shovel could corrode over time
4
Editor's Choice Product image of Snow Joe SJ-SHLV01 Shovelution

Snow Joe SJ-SHLV01 Shovelution

Check Price at Amazon

The two-handle design of the Shovelution makes shoveling heavy snow easier on your back. It also breaks down for easy storage. Read More

Pros

  • Stows away easily in small spaces
  • Dual handle design minimizes back pain
  • Sturdy and durable

Cons

  • Unusual design takes some getting used to
  • Not for all types of snow
5
Product image of JM Enterprises Snowplow 50530, 30-inch

JM Enterprises Snowplow 50530, 30-inch

Check Price at Amazon

A decent plow shovel that maneuvers well, but leaves a lot of snow behind. Read More

Pros

  • Plows a full load easily
  • Maneuverable

Cons

  • Handle difficult to control
  • Snow falls off shovel
  • Best Overall Suncast SC3250 18-inch Snow Shovel/Pusher Combo
  • Best Value True Temper 1627200 18-Inch Mountain Mover
  • Other Snow Shovels We Tested
  • How We Tested Snow Shovels
  • How to Choose the Best Snow Shovel for You
  • More Articles You Might Enjoy

For something that brought us so much joy as children, a forecast of snow can inspire feelings of dread in an adult. Clearing driveways and digging out vehicles that are buried in snow can be a nightmare, but with a good snow shovel, a snowstorm doesn’t have to be such a pain.

Still, though, shopping for a shovel can be quite difficult because there are so many options. Should I get one with an ergonomic handle? Plastic blade or metal? Snow pusher or scoop? What about a sleigh-style shovel?

For these reasons, we put the top snow shovels currently on the market to the test. After hours of scooping, maneuvering, and pushing, the Suncast SC3250 18-inch Snow Shovel/Pusher Combo (available at Walmart for $56.35) is the best snow shovel for most people. Featuring an ergonomic shaft, not only is this combination snow shovel great for lifting and tossing snow, it does an excellent job of plowing, making it one of the more versatile shovels on our list.

If you’re looking for something a bit more basic, our best value shovel—the True Temper 1627200 18-inch Mountain Mover (available at Walmart)—will absolutely make it through any shoveling job that you have.

People who get frequent snow also may want to consider a snow blower or an electric snow shovel, but even then, a snow shovel is a necessary tool. Here are our favorite shovels available:

The Suncast SC3250 is the best snow shovel we've tested.
Credit: Reviewed / Jackson Ruckar

The Suncast SC3250 is the best snow shovel we've tested.

Best Overall
Suncast SC3250 18-inch Snow Shovel/Pusher Combo
  • Blade width: 18 inches
  • Blade material: Polyethylene
  • Weight: 4 pounds
  • Overall length: 52 inches

This Suncast shovel is the perfect blend of versatility and comfort. Through two snowstorms, I was able to dig, scrape, plow, and throw snow with minimal effort. The ergonomic shaft allowed me to pick up a full shovelful without having to bend over, saving back and leg strain.

This shovel’s ergonomic design allows it to plow surprisingly well. Rather than having to push down at an angle like with a straight-handled shovel, I was able to push horizontal to the ground.

The shovel’s poly blade and metal wear strip cleared down to the asphalt, and during testing, the Suncast removed ice and left-behind snow with only one or two extra scrapes.

For all its positives, this Suncast’s design made it tough to throw snow behind me. Still, after testing was done, this is the shovel I use to rid my deck and walkways of snow.

Pros

  • Ergonomic handle

  • Plowing is easy and smooth

  • Able to maneuver around and under objects

Cons

  • Handle limits throwing directions

  • Small scoop

$56.35 from Walmart
Snow shovel on an Orange background.
Credit: Reviewed / Ames

The True Temper Mountain Mover offers a great blend of value and performance.

Best Value
True Temper 1627200 18-Inch Mountain Mover
  • Blade width: 18
  • Blade material: Polyethylene
  • Weight: 3.2 pounds
  • Overall length: 51 inches

The True Temper Mountain Mover is a straightforward, no-frills shovel that will clear snow at a low cost. While you may not want to move mountains of snow with the Mountain Mover, you’ll be able to clear a small- to medium-size driveway.

Straight-handled shovels are great for getting snow out of tight places, and the Mountain Mover is a fantastic option if your primary task is digging out a car, or clearing off a deck and stairs. This shovel also is a good option if you’re looking to supplement a larger, plow-style shovel.

Straight-handled shovels are harder to use for long periods of time, and the Mountain Mover was no exception. It was a challenge to keep good form, so my back started to ache after a short time. Also, while it can plow and scrape, it’s not great at either task.

Still, the True Temper Mountain Mover is simple to use and gets the job done. You’ll be hard-pressed to find a better option at a lower cost.

Pros

  • Affordable price

  • Easy to use

Cons

  • Backaches can occur after long sessions

  • Not great for plowing or scraping

Buy now at Amazon

$26.60 from Walmart

Other Snow Shovels We Tested

Product image of Ames True Temper 1613400 Aluminum Combo Snow Shovel
Ames True Temper 1613400 Aluminum Combo Snow Shovel
  • Blade width: 20 inches
  • Blade material: Aluminum
  • Weight: 5.5 pounds
  • Overall length: 53.3 inches

This solid all-around shovel from Ames True Temper moves a lot of snow and has an ergonomic design to help you maintain good form. The aluminum scoop is durable and scrapes well against the ground, clearing away ice and snow.

Two issues with this shovel kept it from the top spot. First, the shallow ergonomic curve of the handle meant that the True Temper functioned much more like a straight shovel. I had to bend my knees and/or back much deeper to pick up a full load. Second, the True Temper wasn’t great at plowing because of the handle. I had to push at more of a downward angle, and that meant that I got stuck more.

While the True Temper wasn’t quite comfortable enough to earn the top spot, I would recommend this aluminum snow shovel over any straight-handled shovel. It’s very versatile and will last a long time.

Pros

  • Big scoop size

  • Sturdy metal wear strip

  • Affordable

Cons

  • Heavy

  • Shovel could corrode over time

$39.61 from Home Depot

$51.64 from Walmart
Product image of Snow Joe SJ-SHLV01 Shovelution
Snow Joe SJ-SHLV01 Shovelution
  • Blade width: 18 inches
  • Blade material: Polyethylene
  • Weight: 3.7 pounds
  • Overall length: 50 inches

The Snow Joe Shovelution is a good all-purpose shovel for heavy, slushy snow or light, fluffy powder. It easily breaks down for storage, making it great for an apartment closet or the trunk of a car.

The design appears well thought out. The shovel is light and has a sturdy poly blade with aluminum wear edge. It also has a second handle on its own mounting bracket that makes it easy to lift heavy shovelfuls. There’s even a loop of cloth to keep the whole assembly tamed during storage.

The second handle makes it easy for you to lift the shovel when it’s heavy with snow, but it does wobble. That doesn’t interfere with the shoveling so much that it takes extra energy and attention. However, using the extra handle can be confusing at first because you’re not quite sure how to flip the snow off the blade.

Pros

  • Stows away easily in small spaces

  • Dual handle design minimizes back pain

  • Sturdy and durable

Cons

  • Unusual design takes some getting used to

  • Not for all types of snow

$23.79 from Amazon

$27.72 from Home Depot

$23.99 from Best Buy

$27.72 from Walmart
Product image of JM Enterprises Snowplow 50530, 30-inch
JM Enterprises Snowplow 50530, 30-inch
  • Blade width: 30 inches
  • Blade material: Polyethylene
  • Weight: 5.09 pounds
  • Overall length: 56 inches

When it comes to pure plow shovels, this one is fine. It has a wide blade, but it’s not so big that you can’t push a full load of snow with it. It’s a bit hard to control with only one handle, and it twists and turns as you’re pushing.

There are also no sides, so a great deal of the snow simply falls away, requiring quite a few passes to get the same path clear. But, for a plow shovel, it’s light and maneuverable, so you can move in and around objects that some others can’t.

Pros

  • Plows a full load easily

  • Maneuverable

Cons

  • Handle difficult to control

  • Snow falls off shovel

Buy now at Amazon

$124.52 from Walmart
Product image of True Temper SnoBoss 1625300 26-inch Shovel
True Temper SnoBoss 1625300 26-inch Shovel
  • Blade width: 26 inches
  • Blade material: Polyethylene
  • Weight: 5.8 pounds
  • Overall length: 56 inches

The SnoBoss has an innovative design that helps with its versatility. However, the SnoBoss is first and foremost a plow shovel. Its large mouth, high sidewalls, and double handle mean that you can use it to push a lot of snow along the ground.

Unlike the other plow shovels we tested, this shovel has a second handle closer to the scoop so that when you’ve pushed the snow to the edge of the driveway, you have a way to lift it into the snowbank.

That said, there are a few drawbacks in the design that really limit the versatility. While yes, you can pick up the shovel and toss the snow, the large scoop means that you’re probably trying to lift a LOT of snow, and it is very easy to overdo it.

In 12 inches of snow, it was a challenge to use—I had to take half-shovel fulls, at which point it would have been easier just to have a smaller shovel. The SnoBoss is also too large to manage in small areas like stairs and decks.

If you’re specifically looking for a plow-style shovel, the versatility offered by this one makes it a real contender. But if you don’t have a specific reason for wanting a plow-style, this probably isn’t a great option for most homeowners.

Pros

  • Plows well

  • Has a second handle to pick up snow

Cons

  • Too large for some areas

  • Very heavy when full

$54.89 from Home Depot

$67.61 from Walmart
Product image of Suncast SC1350 18-inch Snow Pusher
Suncast SC1350 18-inch Snow Pusher
  • Blade width: 18 inches
  • Blade material: Polyethylene
  • Weight: 2.94 pounds
  • Overall length: 51 inches

This shovel from Suncast is well-built, affordable, and functional. It will do the job just fine, but at the end of a shoveling session, your back and legs will hurt a bit, as with other straight-handled shovels on this list.

The Suncast would be a great compliment to a plow-style shovel because it is best suited to getting to small areas like decks, walkways, and stairs.

Pros

  • Easy to use

  • Maneuverable

  • Price

Cons

  • Hard on back and knees

  • Not great at plowing

Buy now at Amazon

$54.06 from Walmart
Product image of Bully Tools 22-inch 92814 Combination Snow Shovel
Bully Tools 22-inch 92814 Combination Snow Shovel
  • Blade width: 22 inches
  • Blade material: Polyethylene
  • Weight: 3.6 pounds
  • Overall length: 56 inches

This compact shovel is handy and light. It’s got a blade of thick, durable plastic and a fiberglass handle. It does just as well as the metal-edge shovels when the snow isn’t wet, icy, or heavy.

The “boxed” design of the blade helps make tidy rows if you’re using it as a plow, and its lightweight lets you move a lot in winter with less fatigue.

A pair of bolts secure the shaft to the blade, and the oversized D-shaped handle is pinned through with a big rivet. You likely have to work a little harder in certain conditions with an all-composite blade, but it should last a very long time. Its slightly shorter overall length makes it easy to maneuver, too.

Pros

  • Compact and lightweight

  • Durable blade

Cons

  • All-composite blade not ideal for icy conditions

$40.41 from Home Depot

$40.41 from Walmart
Product image of Ames True Temper 18-inch 1603400 Mountain Mover
Ames True Temper 18-inch 1603400 Mountain Mover
  • Blade width: 18 inches
  • Blade material: Polyethylene
  • Weight: 3 pounds
  • Overall length: 54 inches

Ames True Temper Mountain Mover is pretty standard, the type of shovel you will see at a lot of retailers. It will definitely work to move the snow, but it won’t make you feel any better about it.

While solidly built, it’s not as solid as our top scorers. The top handle is attached with a single small screw that is likely to put up with only so much abuse. The rest of the shovel is made from materials that appear durable. The ergonomic shaft is a sturdy steel tube, and the plastic parts are thick.

The scoop mounting ensures that it’s not going anywhere, but it does allow for some wobbling while you’re shoveling. The wear edge is made of metal and is attached by rivets.

The design of the scoop is better at picking up shovelfuls than it is at any kind of plowing action. The shovel can hold a good amount of snow, and it’s not that heavy on its own.

Pros

  • Durable blade

  • Ergonomic steel tube shaft

Cons

  • Top handle with single screw may not last long

  • Could be better at plowing snow

$38.97 from Home Depot

$51.88 from Walmart
Product image of Garant EPSS24 24-inch Poly Sleigh Shovel
Garant EPSS24 24-inch Poly Sleigh Shovel
  • Blade width: 24 inches
  • Blade material: Polyethylene
  • Weight: 10.4 pounds
  • Overall length: 58.4 inches

The Garant Poly Sleigh Shovel is built like an excavator bucket. It can move and hold a lot of snow. Too much snow, in fact.

When shoveling through a 3-inch storm, I could move the snow side to side on my driveway. When I tried in a 12-inch storm, I barely made it halfway across before the shovel was too full to realistically move. It’s also difficult to use on a deck.

Unless you have a very specific use case, there are better shovels out there.

Pros

  • Moves a lot of snow

  • Durable

Cons

  • Cannot lift snow

  • Large scoop gets too full

Buy now at Amazon

$73.34 from Home Depot

$93.64 from Walmart
Product image of Bully Tools 24-inch 92817 Steel Snow Pusher
Bully Tools 24-inch 92817 Steel Snow Pusher
  • Blade width: 24 inches
  • Blade material: Steel
  • Weight: 4.69
  • Overall length: 58 inches

During testing, the Bully Tools Steel Snow Pusher got stuck on everything—tiny pieces of ice, very small rocks, cracks and divots in the driveway, even the snow.

This shovel’s only saving grace is that when it wasn’t stuck on something, it moved a decent amount of snow. Steer clear.

Pros

  • Moves a lot of snow

Cons

  • Gets stuck easily

  • Snow falls out of scoop easily

  • Can’t lift snow

Buy now at Amazon

$54.27 from Home Depot

$54.27 from Walmart
Product image of True Temper 1641000 18-inch Aluminum Snow Shovel
True Temper 1641000 18-inch Aluminum Snow Shovel
  • Blade width: 18 inches
  • Blade material: Aluminum
  • Weight: 3.22 pounds
  • Overall length: 51.25 inches

This shovel arrived with a bent blade, which did not inspire confidence in this shovel’s durability, nor did the way I was able to bend the aluminum back into shape with my hands.

Durability wasn’t the only issue with this shovel. It was just hard to use, even for a straight-handled shovel.

The blade is almost completely flat, so if your scoop is off-balance, it tips a little bit, and that was enough for the snow to fall off the metal. When I did manage to pick up a full scoop, half of it usually fell off when I went to throw it.

Pros

  • None that we could find

Cons

  • Not durable

  • Not well-balanced

  • Snow slides off shovel while throwing

$25.83 from Home Depot

$34.20 from Walmart

How We Tested Snow Shovels

The Testers

Jean Levasseur is a property manager and has been shoveling since he was 12, so he has a good sense of what’s important when it comes to the best snow shovels. He also doesn’t have the greatest back for shoveling, so he’s picky when it comes to “comfort” in a shovel.

Levasseur recently retested and added new products to this list, working off the previous tests and notes from Dan Roth, who has also written about everything from the best cordless drills to the best windshield wipers.

The Tests

Testing snow shovels
Credit: Reviewed / Dan Roth

The best way to test a snow shovel is to shovel some snow.

Both testers put the shovels to work around their homes, starting with well-worn suburban asphalt driveways with cracks and imperfections. They also tested shoveling off deck stairs and into a larger drift to get a sense of how easy it was to use each shovel at varying heights.

Due to the unpredictability of winter and the timing of our testers’ availability, about half of our shovels were tested before the first snowfall and half were tested after it snowed. We designed two different test scenarios because of this, working hard to make sure that we gathered the same kind of relevant data.

Snowstorm Tests

Shovels were tested after two snowstorms: The first was about 3 to 4 inches of wet, heavy snow and the second was more than a foot of light, powdery snow. This gave us a good idea of how each shovel functioned in different snow conditions.

Testing was relatively straightforward. Shovels were used on a driveway to see how they cleared snow. Also, shovels were tested to see how they dug down through the ice and slush on the driveway to determine which could get to bare asphalt and which left a slippery mess. Additionally, shovels were used on walkways, decking, and front and back stairs to see how maneuverable each was.

Pre-Snow Tests

During the initial round of testing, we simulated light, powdery snow by using fine pine shavings normally used for livestock bedding. Its weight and consistency are similar to the kind of snow you get when temperatures are in the 20s or below. Wetter, heavier snow was simulated with a yard of wet mulch. Additionally, we simulated wet, heavy snow conditions by going to an ice rink where Zambonis are emptied, which helped inform our impressions and expectations.

How to Choose the Best Snow Shovel for You

Ergonomic shafts help the shovel work with your body.
Credit: Reviewed / Jackson Ruckar

Ergonomic shafts help the shovel work with your body.

The idea of a snow shovel is simple, but start shopping for one, and the choices pile up. Here’s what to look for to optimize your snow removal:

Blade material: The age-old question, at least for the last 50 years, has been plastic or metal? Plastic is lighter. Depending on the type of plastic, it’s also just as heavy-duty as metal, and not prone to rusting or denting. Plus, it’s significantly cheaper to make a shovel out of plastic.

Wear edge material: The business end of the shovel, the wear edge, is where it comes in contact with the ground, which helps you get through ice. Metal will hold up better than plastic overall, and steel is the best option. Aluminum is more malleable, so it will deform more readily.

Blade design: Some shovels are like an ice cream scoop—a good tool meant for picking the material up. Others are like miniature versions of the plows that clear your street.

The two different designs have overlapping talents. If you have a large area of flat pavement to clear, a plow-type shovel is going to be very efficient. It’s almost like mowing the lawn—start at one end, walk the shovel all the way over to the other. Snow piles up in front of the blade and gets pushed along.

Details of how the snow shovel is constructed matter to its quality
Credit: Reviewed / Dan Roth

The head, the joints, handle, and blade are all failure points on a snow shovel.

On the other hand, the best type of shovel for stairs, tight areas, and undulating pavement is your typical scoop-type snow shovel. These are more versatile, allowing you to deal with clearing any area of any kind of snow.

The plow shovels become a workout if the snow is wet and heavy. They are also incapable of actually lifting the snow, so if you need to move the snow up onto a pile to get it out of the way, these are not going to be a realistic option. If you like the idea of a plow-style shovel, just know that you will also need a traditional scoop-and-throw shovel to supplement.

Ergonomic handle: Because the bend in the ergonomic grip handles looks less than graceful, they’re not the most widely-loved shovels. On the other hand, the idea actually works. An ergonomic handle is designed to reduce back strain.

Shoveling with a more upright posture keeps the strain off your back muscles and makes your biceps and shoulders do most of the work. These shovels are a little bit more of a hassle to store because of the shape.

Construction details: How well put together is the shovel? Remember, snow can be heavy, and you can wind up moving tons of it just cleaning up after a single storm. Tiny hardware and thin-wall tubing limit how long a shovel will stand up to use, and how well they’ll accept repairs.

Consider the spot where the handle connects to the blade—it needs to be strong so you can pick up a heavy shovelful of snow and confidently put it where it needs to go, instead of wobbling or flexing around.

Meet the testers

Dan Roth

Dan Roth

Contributor

@boston_auto

Dan Roth is an editor, writer, and automotive journalist.

See all of Dan Roth's reviews
Jean Levasseur

Jean Levasseur

Contributor

Jean Levasseur became a professional writer over a decade-long career in marketing, public relations, and technical writing. After leaving that career to stay home to care for his twin boys, Jean has continued to write in a variety of freelance roles, as well as teaching academic writing at a local university. When he's not reviewing tools or chasing toddlers around the house, he's also an avid fiction writer and a growing woodworker.

See all of Jean Levasseur's reviews

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