Quick verdict
An 18-inch snow shovel with a second, spring-assisted handle mounted partway down the shaft, so the lower hand lifts with leverage instead of with the back. At 3.5 pounds it suits anyone who shovels walks and a one-car driveway and finishes the job with a sore lower back. The caveat is that the blade is a standard 18 inches, so it moves snow no faster than a plain shovel; it only moves it more comfortably.
Strengths
- Spring-assisted second handle adds leverage to every lift
- Light at a stated 3.5 pounds
- D-ring grip sized for a gloved hand
- Impact-resistant 18-inch blade
- Assist handle encourages a straighter back
Weaknesses
- Blade material and shaft length are not stated in the listing
- The assist handle gets in the way when pushing rather than lifting
- An 18-inch blade is slow on a wide driveway
- The pivoting handle is one more joint to loosen over the years
The overall YardToolLab Score is out of 100. Section scores are out of 10.
The back that aches after the walk is clear
Most snow shovel injuries come from the same motion: bend, load the blade, straighten up with the weight out in front of the body. The Snow Joe Shovelution attacks that motion directly. It is an 18-inch shovel with a second, spring-assisted handle fixed partway down the shaft, so the lower hand lifts with a lever instead of the spine doing the work. At a stated 3.5 pounds it is light enough for an older shoveler or anyone whose doctor has mentioned their back, and it is aimed at walks, steps and a short driveway rather than a long one.
This review is based on the maker’s published specifications and on recurring owner feedback. We have not run this product ourselves.
What you get
The listing gives an 18-inch impact-resistant blade, a D-ring top grip, the spring-assisted assist handle and a weight of 3.5 pounds, in red. It does not state the blade material, the shaft material or the overall length, and it does not mention a metal wear strip on the blade edge. Snow Joe shovels of this pattern are typically polypropylene blades on an aluminum or steel shaft, which is consistent with the weight, but take that as a reading of the class rather than a published spec. Assembly is minimal on shovels of this type; the assist handle is the only moving part.
How the assist handle works
The second handle mounts to the shaft roughly a third of the way up from the blade and pivots on a spring. In use, the top hand holds the D-ring and the lower hand holds the assist handle. When you lift, the assist handle acts as a fulcrum against the shaft, so the lower arm does the lifting with mechanical advantage and the upper hand steers. The result, which owners describe consistently, is that you stand more upright through the lift and the load lands on the arms and legs rather than the lower back. The spring returns the handle to its rest position so it is ready for the next scoop. It is a simple idea and it is the entire reason to buy this shovel over a plain 18-inch one.
Blade and capacity
Eighteen inches is the standard width for a lifting shovel and the right size for this design: a wider blade would defeat the point by loading the lever with more snow than the arm wants to lift. Expect to clear a one-car driveway and the front walk in the time a plain 18-inch shovel would take, because the blade moves the same volume per scoop. What changes is how you feel afterwards. For a two-car driveway or a long sidewalk, the Shovelution is better paired with a wide pusher for the open stretches and used for the lifting at the edges and the pile at the foot of the driveway.
Build and weight
At 3.5 pounds this is among the lighter shovels in its size, which matters more on a shovel you lift hundreds of times than it does on a pusher. The blade is described as impact-resistant, which in practice means it flexes rather than cracks when it hits a frozen ridge or a sidewalk joint. The D-ring grip fits a gloved hand. The one part that earns scrutiny over time is the assist handle pivot; a recurring owner note across spring-assist shovels is that the joint can loosen after a few seasons, so check its fasteners each fall. Without a stated metal edge, scraping on rough concrete will slowly round the blade lip.
Living with it
Hang it on the garage wall by the D-ring so the blade is not resting on its edge all summer. Knock snow off before bringing it inside so meltwater does not sit in the pivot. A light coat of silicone spray on the blade keeps wet snow from sticking, which is worth doing because a loaded blade is exactly what the assist handle is trying to make easier. The Snow Joe warranty applies to this shovel; the term is on the product page rather than in this listing.
Alternatives to Consider
The True Temper 18-inch Mountain Mover with its bent ergonomic shaft is the usual rival for a bad back, trading the second handle for a curve in the shaft. The Back-Saver ergonomic snow shovel takes a similar bent-handle approach with a larger grip. If lifting is the problem rather than the budget, the Snow Joe 24V cordless snow shovel throws the snow for you on walks and decks.
Verdict
Buy the Snow Joe Shovelution if you lift more than you push, your back complains after a storm, and your clearing area is walks, steps and a short driveway. Skip it if you mostly push snow across a wide flat driveway, where the assist handle is in the way and a 30-inch pusher does the job faster.
Full specifications
Snow Joe Shovelution SJ-SHLV01-RED 18-Inch Snow Shovel with Spring-Assisted Assist Handle, 3.5 lb FAQs
The second handle is fixed to the shaft about a third of the way up from the blade and is sprung. Your lower hand holds it, so the lift happens with the arm and the handle acting as a lever against the shaft, instead of by bending forward and straightening the back under load.
Yes, but the assist handle sits where you would normally slide the lower hand for pushing, so most owners use it as a lifting shovel and keep a plain pusher for clearing a long flat run.
The listing calls it impact-resistant and does not name the material. Snow Joe shovel blades of this style are typically polypropylene, which is light and does not rust but can wear at the edge on rough concrete.
It is not an ice chopper. It will scrape a loose crust, but hard ice calls for an ice scraper or a bag of melt. Treat the "ice removal" wording as scraping, not chipping.
