After Testing 31 Snow Shovels, Here Are The Best We Recommend

Best Overall

True Temper Mountain Mover Shovel

View on Amazon $52 at Walmart $52 at Walmart

The best snow shovel is one that feels comfortable in your hands, lifts snow effortlessly, and protects the surface beneath it. During our testing, the True Temper Mountain Mover Shovel checked all these boxes. While there are plenty of snow shovels designed with curved handles to prevent bending over as much, we especially like the True Temper’s 37.7-inch-long steel handle, which helped us stay upright longer. 

We used the shovel to clean up our three-car driveways, and it did a great job of removing the snow in a single pass. We found that the D-shape handle is spacious enough to hold even with gloves, and the handle's ridges helped keep a good grip on the shovel.

One of our favorite features is the nylon strip that lines the edge of the blade to prevent it from cracking and chipping over time. Since we also used the shovel to clean our wooden deck, we didn't have to worry about causing any damage to the surface.

While the shovel's 18-inch blade is great for most snow-cleaning needs, if you have an oversized driveway, we recommend looking for a snow shovel with a larger blade, like our best for pushing snow picks, to save you even more time. Although this shovel's design is relatively simple, we think it's a great option for anyone searching for a reliable yet sturdy shovel to get through the winter weather.

_{Type: Manual | Material: Poly and metal | Blade Width: 18 inches | Dimensions: 55 x 18 inches | Weight: 3 pounds}

Best Budget

Suncast Combo Snow Shovel

$37 at Amazon View on Home Depot

Although this Suncast shovel comes at a budget-friendly price, it certainly doesn’t compromise its performance. We put the shovel to the test, cleaning up a cement walkway and porch after a snowstorm of three inches blanketed Michigan. Like our best overall pick, we only had to go over the area once to clean up the light fluffy snow.

While this snow shovel doesn’t come with a lot of bells and whistles, we found that the handle had a great grip, which prevented our gloves from sliding during use. The blade's steel wear strip also made removing a thin layer of ice a breeze.

One of the biggest drawbacks we encountered with this shovel was its comfort level; we found ourselves wishing for a curved handle to alleviate some of our back and shoulder fatigue. Because of this, we primarily recommend using this shovel to tackle smaller areas or lighter snowfalls. However, its durable construction and value—roughly half the price of our overall best pick—still make this a great option to consider.

_{Type: Manual | Material: Steel | Blade Width: 18 inches | Dimensions: 51 x 18 inches | Weight: 3.4 pounds}

Best Pusher

Garant Nordic Steel Blade Snow Pusher

$88 at Amazon $46 at Walmart

A wide snow shovel can make a world of difference between spending hours shoveling in the cold or staying warm inside after a quick 20-minute job, especially when you have a large driveway to clear. We were particularly impressed by the Garant Steel Blade Snow Pusher, which maneuvers easily but is heavy-duty enough to clear a path in one sweep.

We used this shovel in various snowy weather and were continually impressed by its durability and consistency. In addition to easily clearing pavement, this shovel also cleared a pathway and a wooden deck.

Although the wooden handle was initially a concern for us, we found that it has a great stain coating on it to prevent rotting—phew. We only had trouble using this shovel on stairs—especially narrow stairs—which were not easy to clear, given the shovel blade's weight. It actually chipped off pieces of the wooden stairs we were trying to clear, which speaks to the blade's strength.

We recommend having a shovel with a plastic blade for any steps you may need to clear. Overall, we were very pleased with this shovel's width and blade weight.

_{Type: Pusher | Material: Steel and wood | Blade Width: 24 inches | Dimensions: 54 x 24 inches | Weight: 7 pounds}

Best Ergonomic

Snow Joe Strain-Reducing Snow Shovel

$47 at Amazon $26 at Walmart $32 at Home Depot

The Snow Joe 18-inch Strain-Reducing Snow Shovel stands out thanks to its unique design with a secondary, spring-assist handle. When you apply pressure to the extra handle, it's designed to shift the stress of lifting snow to your hands and legs instead of your back. While we found that this shovel's 18-inch handle is slightly too short for taller users, we did enjoy the secondary handle, which made the snow shoveling process less tiring.

We enjoyed the impact-resistant aluminum blade, which helped cut underneath the snow to collect, lift, and deposit easily. We discovered during testing that this particular shovel is adept at lifting both hard-packed slush and light, fluffy powder.

We were also impressed by the sharp blade effectively removing snow almost to the pavement. However, as with most conventional snow shovels, this model isn't effective against thick ice. Nevertheless, we still appreciate this shovel's unique design and think it's a great option for the average household's driveway and surrounding paths.

This shovel's 18-inch blade width can easily clear a sidewalk but will require several passes on a wider driveway. If you prefer not to bend over or want to shovel a larger area quickly, we recommend the manufacturer's 20-inch model instead.

_{Type: Manual | Material: Poly | Blade Width: 18 inches | Dimensions: 50 x 18 x 3.9 inches | Weight: 3.1 pounds}

Best Portable

BirdRock Folding Emergency Snow Shovel

$40 at Amazon $43 at Walmart

A collapsible snow shovel can be a convenient tool if you leave your office building to find your car snowed in. The Birdrock Home 34-inch Folding Emergency Snow Shovel can collapse to fit nearly in the trunk of a car or under a car seat. We especially loved that the shovel has two locking positions to make it either 28 or 34 inches long for various needs while shoveling around your car.

Having this shovel in the trunk offered us peace of mind during unpredictable winter weather. The metal blade effortlessly pulled and scooped the wet snow from under our car tires. While we didn't have a chance to test its effectiveness against ice, we think the metal blade should stand up well and help break chunks of ice around a car.

We don't think this shovel would become damaged during use (it felt very sturdy with the handle locked into place), but we expect that the red paint may chip or scrape over time. Although this shovel is slightly more expensive than we think is necessary, it is a great tool to keep in your car for emergency needs.

_{Type: Compact | Material: Rubber and aluminum | Blade Width: 9 inches | Dimensions: 34 x 9 x 2 inches | Weight: 2 pounds}

Best for Heavy Snowfall

True Temper Poly Blade SnoBoss Snow Shovel

$63 at Walmart $63 at Home Depot $56 at Newegg.com

If you need a shovel that can scoop, move, and throw heavy chunks of snow for you, look no further than the True Temper Poly Blade SnoBoss Snow Shovel. Perhaps the most unique shovel we tested, this pick resembles not only the appearance of a hand truck but is designed for pushing and pulling heavier loads.

With a 26-inch blade, the True Temper SnoBoss, which is two inches wider than our best pusher option, the Garant Nordic Steel Blade Snow Pusher, effortlessly cleaned up a 12-foot walkway in a single sweep. At almost 6 pounds, this shovel is the heaviest option on our list, but this adds to its durability and effectiveness in heavy snow.

Since the shovel is heavier, we really appreciated the dual handles that are available towards the bottom of the shovel. The handles can also serve as footrests to help you scoop heavier mounds. Although we didn't get the chance to test the shovel against ice, we think the steel wear strip could easily slice through thick ice.

_{Type: Manual | Material: Poly and steel | Blade Width: 26 inches | Dimensions: 55.8 x 26 inches | Weight: 5.8 pounds}

Best for Breaking Through Ice

True Temper Aluminum Combo Blade Snow Shovel

$47 at Walmart $44 at Home Depot $50 at Tractor Supply Co.

The True Temper 20-inch Aluminum Combo Blade Snow Shovel is an essential snow-clearing tool for homeowners who experience the aftermath of snow plows at the bottom of their driveways and walkways.

This shovel's aluminum blade was great at breaking up huge chunks of compacted snow, and it was also helpful for eliminating stubborn patches of thick ice slush. In combination with a good ice melt, your driveway will be slip-free in no time.

We found it comfortable to push this shovel, but it's not as effective as traditional pusher shovels with wide blades. The curved handle also provides added support for back fatigue, and the D-shape grip is oversized, so you can comfortably hold it while wearing thick winter gloves.

Although you may find the aluminum blade flimsy at times if overloaded with too much heavy snow, we think this shovel is sure to last you several seasons, plus it's relatively affordable.

_{Type: Combo | Material: Aluminum, poly, and steel | Blade Width: 20 inches | Dimensions: 53.3 x 20.1 x 6.78 inches | Weight: 5.5 pounds}