This Is The Worst Quality Battery Leaf Blower, According To Consumer Reports

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It's always good to know which products are worth considering when you're planning to buy a new tool or gadget, but it's even better to know which ones to steer clear of. That's what inspired us to look through Consumer Reports' compilation of the worst products of 2025, and in the leaf blower section, the Black+Decker 40V MAX Cordless Leaf Blower ranked last out of 64 battery handheld blowers tested. Now, that's not particularly surprising, considering Black+Decker already sits on the lower end of our ranking of every major leaf blower brand.

But why is this particular model (LSW40C), priced at $114.84 on Amazon and Home Depot, not a CR favorite? Well, the short answer is power, or rather, the lack of it. CR's lab tests gave the cordless leaf blower the lowest possible score for both sweeping and power, which are arguably the two most important things a leaf blower needs to do well. Sweeping measures how quickly the blower can move a pile of leaves, and power measures the force behind the airflow.

Scoring so low in both categories tells you everything you need to know about what happens when you actually point this thing at your yard. According to CR, the blower is very slow, with little power to move leaves and other debris. It struggles to loosen embedded material like leaf particles from grass, and with only one speed setting, you have no way to adjust for tighter or more delicate areas.

Now, CR's report says one thing. But if you go on Amazon, the reviews suggest something that leans more positive. For context, it currently holds a 4-star rating from over 4,700 reviews, and more than half of those are from satisfied customers. To be fair, the Black+Decker LSW40C isn't a complete disaster in every category. CR's testing actually turned up a few bright spots, and depending on what you need a leaf blower for, they might just be enough for you. The question is whether they're enough to justify the purchase.

One of the things it has going for it is how easy it is to handle. CR gave it a perfect score for handling and ease of use, which covers everything from maneuvering the blower to using the controls and changing modes. At just 4 lbs., it's light enough to use for extended periods without your arm giving out. If you've ever wrestled with a heavy gas blower for an hour, you'll appreciate that.

It's also quiet — an above average score for noise at ear level, which means you can operate it without hearing protection, and a perfect score for noise at 50 feet, meaning your neighbors won't have much to complain about. Run time came in with good scores as well. The problem is that while you're quietly and comfortably holding it, it's not moving many leaves. As one Amazon reviewer put it, "you will be disappointed if you are trying to clear a yard full of leaves."

The biggest pro of buying budget-friendly tools is that they usually have a simple, user-friendly design. In this case, if you have a patio, a porch, or a balcony that's relatively small with a smooth surface, and your main priority is something light, quiet, and easy to pick up and put down, the LSW40C won't frustrate you the same way it would someone trying to clear a large lawn. You could even get some decent results on the stairs or deck, and there are other creative but practical uses for your leaf blower worth exploring.

For someone with noise sensitivity, this might work just fine for you. Although, if you take some time to read through the Amazon reviews, you'll find that most people who are satisfied with their purchase use this for light work: quickly sweeping the garage floor, removing dry snow that's less than an inch deep from the driveway. It's unlikely, however, that you'd get the same results if your driveway isn't smooth. As one Amazon reviewer confirmed, the leaf blower was "underpowered for our porous asphalt driveway."

Some buyers say it helps to think of this device as more of a sweeper than a blower. But even then, it won't replace your broom for all use cases. In line with CR's scores, other independent tests found that it could barely move sand sitting just 4.5 feet away. Meanwhile, when we went looking for who makes the best leaf blower, we found electric models with better performance. Of course, you might have to spend a little more on some of these alternatives, but at least they'll come in handy in your yard or lawn in the fall.