Leaf Blower Buying Guide for Beginners: Three 20V Kits With Battery and Charger in the Box

What a first leaf blower should be

A first leaf blower is bought for the patio, the walk and a small lawn, and the mistake is to buy for the one big pile in November instead of the fifty small jobs between. For those jobs the right blower is a 20V handheld under 4 pounds with the battery and charger in the box, two speeds or a boost button, and enough air to move dry leaves off grass. The three here are kits from Black+Decker and Worx, two brands whose 20V batteries also run drills, trimmers and lights, and they split by how much air they move: 320 CFM for a lawn, and 100 to 120 MPH sweepers for hard surfaces.

This guide is built from the published specifications of each product and from recurring owner feedback. We have not run these products ourselves.

How the three compare

Black+Decker BCBL700D1: the one that clears a lawn

CFM is the number that moves leaves, and the BCBL700D1 has the most here by a wide margin: an axial fan pushes up to 320 CFM at up to 90 MPH, more than three times the volume of the LSW321, enough to roll dry leaves across a small lawn and off a deck in one pass. It weighs 3.8 pounds, has two speeds so the low setting can clean a flower bed without blasting the mulch out, and a built-in scraper on the tube loosens the wet leaves stuck to the step. The kit includes the blower, a 20V MAX battery, a charger and the blow tube, and Black+Decker says the battery holds its charge for up to 18 months, so the blower that sits all summer is ready in October. The 90 MPH top speed is modest; soaked leaves on pavement take a second pass.

Worx WG545.1: the 3.5-pound sweeper with nozzles

Worx calls the WG545.1 a compact sweeper and lists what it is for: patios, garages, workshops, decks, sidewalks and small outdoor areas, after mowing, trimming or a garage project. It pushes up to 120 MPH of focused air, weighs 3.5 pounds with the 2.0 Ah PowerShare battery fitted, and the kit adds a set of nozzles for corners, workbenches and the gap under the grill; the title says seven pieces and the listing says nine, so expect a bag of attachments. Worx is clear that it is light-duty and not for heavy seasonal piles. No CFM figure is published. The battery and charger are in the box and the pack runs other Worx 20V tools.

Black+Decker LSW321: one button and a boost

The LSW321 is the simplest blower here: hold the trigger, and when the debris does not move, press PowerBoost. It makes up to 130 MPH and 100 CFM, weighs 3.7 pounds and is quiet by Black+Decker’s description. The box holds the sweeper, an LBXR2020 20V MAX extended runtime battery, a charger and the blow tube. Black+Decker names driveways, sidewalks, decks and garages, and 100 CFM is the reason: it lifts grass clippings off concrete and dust out of a garage and does not have the volume to clear a lawn. For a beginner on a small lot with no grass to blow, it is enough.

Using a small blower well

Blow with the wind, not against it, and work from the house outward so the pile ends up at the curb or the bed. Hold the tube low and sweep side to side; a blower aimed straight down scatters. Use the low speed near mulch, gravel and open windows. Clear leaves when they are dry; wet leaves need volume no 20V handheld has. Charge the battery the night before and store it indoors, and clip the tube back on before putting it away so it is not lost by spring.

Which one should you buy

Buy the Black+Decker BCBL700D1 for the only kit here with the air to clear a small lawn as well as the patio. Buy the Worx WG545.1 for the lightest sweeper with nozzles for the garage and tight corners. Buy the Black+Decker LSW321 for the simplest blower with a boost button for driveways and decks.