Articles by David Dritsas

Technology

The 9 Best Snow Shovels For Easing the Burden of Clearing Snow

Heaps of snow covering your sidewalks look lovely at first, but then quickly necessitate one of the least favorite of wintertime chores. It’s important to have a snow shovel that helps you to clear walking paths and your driveway without straining your back or leaving you breathless in the cold. And while no magic tool will make clearing your driveway nearly effortless, aside from upgrading to a powered snow blower or electric shovel, the best snow shovels go a long way towards making the process a bit easier. To find the best shovels for clearing snow and ice from driveways, we interviewed several experts in the field, including snow removal professionals, ergonomists, and landscapers. There are a number of factors to consider before you make your decision, and we’ve put together a wide array of options so there’s no doubt you’ll be able to find an option that works for you. Best Snow ShovelsBest Overall: True Temper 18-inch Ergonomic Mountain Mover Snow ShovelBest Value: Emsco Group Bigfoot 18-inch Combination Snow ShovelBest Lightweight: Garant Yukon 18-inch Ergonomic Snow ShovelBest For Heavy-Duty Jobs: The Snow DominatorBest For Back Pain: Ergieshovel 48-inch Steel Shaft Impact-Resistant Snow Shovel How We SelectedWe formed our list of the best snow shovels based on recommendations from a small panel of experts, including snow removal specialists and an ergonomics consultant:JP Sanieski is the vice president of operations at East End Group, a snow removal and commercial maintenance firm in the Long Island, New York area. He’s worked in the snow removal industry for more than 20 years, including blowing, shoveling, and operating commercial equipment.Martin Tirado is the CEO of the Snow Ice Management Association, a trade association that focuses on training and establishing best practices for the snow removal industry. He has worked in organizational management for over 25 years.Marnie Downey is a certified professional ergonomist with ERGO Inc., a Canada-based ergonomics consulting and training firm. She is a Certified Canadian Professional Ergonomist with over 28 years of ergonomics consulting and training expertise.In addition, we combed reviews from product testers, average users, and message boards for professionals like Snowblower Forum, to find the right shovels for all kinds of scenarios. We also relied on my firsthand experience with several of these products, informed by the insight offered by the experts. Full ReviewsThe True Temper 18-inch Mountain Mover checks many of the boxes that our experts recommend for clearing snow. Its ergonomic design features a curved shaft and solid handle, so it’s great for scooping and pushing without straining your back. The 18-inch blade will pick up a manageable amount of snow and excels at all snow removal tasks. It’s made from lightweight plastic, which is durable enough to stand multiple seasons of clearing an average walk and driveway. It may not last so long if you plan to shovel every driveway on your block, but the mountain mover should easily help you dig out through a few winters.While you can find many cheap snow shovels, our experts say spending at least $20 to $30 reduces the risk of picking out a lemon. If you’re looking to spend as little as possible on a shovel that can clear your porch or driveway, you should consider the Emsco Bigfoot. Its combination blade works well for scooping and pushing, and it has earned great reviews from consumers.Its handle lacks the ergonomic curve that might save your back some strain, and the materials may not be as robust as what you’d find with our other picks, but it’s a good basic option that will work fine for light-to-medium snowfall. The Garant Yukon 18-inch ergonomic snow shovel has a lot in common with our top pick, but there are enough differences for it to earn its own recommendation. At merely 3 pounds, it’s lighter than most similarly sized shovels. The deep shovel head allows you to pick up a lot of snow with each heave. This is both a positive and a negative, as you can quickly tire yourself if you routinely lift more than you can handle. On the plus side, its curved ergonomic handle will help you handle the weight a little better. If you avoid overdoing it, though, the Garant Yukon can make the process of shoveling a bit easier.Sanieski recommends this shovel for professionals, as it’s particularly good at scooping and throwing a large volume in a short period of time. That snow-moving power comes at a cost: The snow dominator is heavier than most of our picks, making the process a little more taxing, and it lacks an ergonomic handle that will spare your back. That could spell trouble for folks who overestimate their fitness and underestimate the job. But if you’re going door to door or maintaining a large property or apartment building courtyard, the Snow Dominator will help you move snow faster.If you have back pain or tend to strain it when you shovel, you may want to consider a dual-handled shovel that allows you to pick up snow without bending over. The Ergieshovel, as an example, features a second handle that extends from roughly halfway down the shaft, allowing you to grab the shovel from a standing position, which reduces the chance that you’ll lift with your back.“I recommend shovels that are easy to grip and reduce bending,” says Downey, our ergonomics expert. “If a shovel has a bent [ergonomic] handle, you should make sure it’s not in an awkward location for you. Most importantly, you should make sure you aren’t lifting too much snow at a time.”The shovel feels durable and well-made, though it’s heavier than most. Its polycarbonate blade has a slimmer-than-average curve, so you won’t be able to pack as much snow into each scoop. That may not be a bad thing, though: You should take a slower, steadier shoveling pace if you’re worried about your back. That said, we recommend hiring a snow removal crew if you experience back pain regularly or have any other injuries.A serious snow pusher for serious people, this Garant Nordic 24-inch steel wedge is perfect for those who prefer to shove the snow away rather than lifting and piling it up. Its durable aluminum blade is great for dealing with those pesky clumps of ice that tend to gather when the temperature hovers around freezing, and its steel handle maximizes durability. While it’s somewhat heavier than other snow pushers in its price range, its metal blade makes it better at breaking up ice and moving large volumes in a short amount of time, making it our choice for the best snow pusher on the market. Give it a shot this winter.Just keep in mind that push shovels, in general, have limitations—they can only plow lightweight layers of snow, and aren’t made to cut through the icy, hardened crust of a frozen snowbank. Realistically, this makes it a secondary tool that you’ll use in tandem with a combination shovel, rather than a replacement for one. However, this push shovel in particular is more effective than most at cutting through ice, so it may be enough by itself depending on your snow-clearing needs.This lightweight snow shovel from AstroAI is handy in a pinch. The shaft, handle, and blade of the shovel all attach and disassemble easily, making it simple to transport—it even comes with a carrier bag that you can stick in your car’s trunk. The shaft extends from 33.6- to 44.5 inches, which makes it suitable for a variety of body types and capabilities. It also has the D-grip handle that our experts recommended, too. Though it’s not as good at pushing snow as a dedicated shovel, this is a portable device designed for small jobs and emergencies, and it does that job admirably. The price point is also quite reasonable. If you go to a random city block somewhere in the Midwest where snow removal is a regular part of life, you’re likely to see someone toting this metal Snow Joe combination shovel. Having tried it myself (Wright), I was impressed by its performance. The front edge of its aluminum blade is particularly good at cracking and scraping the dangerous icy slush you really want to get off your driveway, and its curved handle helps offset its weight. It’s a large, heavy-duty shovel that’s not necessarily practical for everyone, but if you know what you’re doing and you want to get the job done faster, the Snow Joe is a great combination snow shovel. It’s particularly useful if you have a lot of ground to cover.In addition to buying a new, more ergonomic snow shovel, accessories like the BackEZ ergonomic handle can make it a little easier for you to wield your snow shovel. The BackEZ is a secondary grip handle, similar to one you’d find on the end of a snow shovel: It clamps to the shaft of any shovel and allows you to lift heavy snow without relying as much on your back. (You can also attach it to a rake, or any tool with a long handle.) It encourages better form, helping you avoid twisting and bending, which Downey says can lead to back strain over time.Keep in mind that, while sparing your back, lifting from the front handle may cause you to rely on your shoulders and arms more. That can lead to other injuries if you aren’t careful. Remember: No matter how you grip your snow shovel, you should always lift with your legs.What To ConsiderFAQ