A leaf rake is a great tool to help you clean around the leaves in your garden, back and front yard. It makes cleaning easier and faster with its ergonomic design and long handle. If you do not have enough budget to buy those expensive shredders or chipper, then this hand tool is a perfect choice.
Despite the simplicity of this tool, some innovations have been made to make it more interesting and functional. Some leaf rakes have telescopic handles that can be extended to have a longer reach. Other added features include holes for hanging and storage, tine forms that prevent clogging of leaves, and adjustable tines as well.
Here, we are going to show you an easy and complete guide to choose the right leaf rake that meets your requirements. We also included a comparison chart and an in-depth product review for the top 10 best leaf rake for 2020.
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Best Leaf Rake (January 2022) – Top 10 Picks & Reviews
| MODEL | PRICE | OVERALL |
| Gardenite GT-1048 | check price | |
| Corona RK 62060 | check price | |
| Bully Tools 92309 | check price | |
| Midwest Rake 86036 | check price | |
| Tabor Tools J16A | check price | |
| The Ames 1881600 | check price | |
| Bond 2060 | check price | |
| Fiskars 96605935J | check price | |
| GardenAll 47117T | check price | |
| Jardineer GT-1048 | check price |
Best Leaf Rake Buyer Guide
Choosing the right-hand tool means understanding its essential features and factors you need to consider upon buying. Here are the common features and factors you need to consider.
1. Grip Handle
This is least considered among all factors because people think it is not that important. A soft grip handle is completely important to avoid hand fatigue particularly if you will be cleaning a huge area.
2. Length of Rake Handle
The length of its handle matters in terms of convenience for cleaning. A longer handle will avoid stressing your back too much compared to shorter ones. Some leaf rakes in the market have telescopic handles where you can minimize and extend its length whenever needed.
3. Gap Between Tines
The spaces in between tines matter in terms of the volume of leaves captured. A smaller gap is better in catching leaves and avoids clogging but it has a higher tendency to uproot plants. In contrast, a wider gap will be slightly hard because smaller leaves will just pass through in every stroke.
4. Rake Head Width
There are three sizes in the market: wide (28”-32”), medium (24”-27”), and narrow (7”-15”). Among the three sizes, we recommend the medium width because it strikes a balance between stress in raking the leaves and the total cleaning time.
5. The material of Rake Handle
The choice for this one totally depends on you as the user. If you will be cleaning larger leaves and bigger volumes, we recommend a durable material such as steel as it can withstand high stress before breaking. Other materials used for rake handles include hard plastics and wood.
Top 10 Best Leaf Rake reviews 2022
1. Adjustable Garden Leaf Rake
FEATURES
- Handle: 63”, fixed
- Rake Head Width: adjustable, 7”-22”
- Handle Material: steel coated with zinc
- Weight: 2.13 lbs
| pros | cons |
| • Smooth adjustment action | • Just a suggestion is a larger diameter for handle and added spine for the rake head |
| • Sturdy construction | ? |
| • Lightweight and great length | ? |
Best for Overall
In terms of overall features and performance, this leaf rake made quite a standout. Majority of all its parts and construction are steel except for the slide mechanism. There is enhanced corrosion resistance with its zinc coating. We love the smooth action of its sliding mechanism and the locking function has great stability. It allows you to freely adjust the rake head to accommodate various debris sizes upon cleaning.
Some improvements to address include a larger diameter for the handle and an additional spine to make a wider rake head.
2. Corona RK 62060 Leaf Rake
FEATURES
- Handle: 54”
- Rake Head Width: 8”
- Handle Material: aluminum
- Weight: 11.2 oz
| pros | cons |
| • Effective tine shape for moving the debris | • Non-adjustable rake head and handle |
| • Aluminum-made handle | ? |
| • Anti-slip grip | ? |
| • Lightweight | ? |
Best for Bi-Curved Tines
The great edge of this leaf rake is its bi-curved bow tines where it helps you effectively pull various sizes of debris by distributing even force in every time. The tines are stiff and efficient in moving leaves, twigs, limbs, and dirt on the ground. We also love the aluminum material of the handle. This makes it lightweight and sturdy. The grip at the end is coated with plastic to prevent slippage. Its rake head has a finely painted spring steel.
However, handle and rake head is not adjustable.
3. Bully Tools 92309 Leaf Rake
FEATURES
- Handle: 58”
- Rake Head Width: 16”
- Handle Material: fiberglass
- Weight: 3.1 lbs
| pros | cons |
| • Sturdy handle and overall construction | • Handles is shorter for taller users |
| • Anti-slip grip handle | ? |
| • Effective raking and pulling | ? |
Best for Fiberglass Handle
We admire its handle for its strength and durability. It is made of 14 gauge steel which is reinforced with fiberglass material. Pretty strong and could last for a long time. The rake head’s weight plus the force you exert gives an easy dig on the leaves, twigs, and dirt on the ground. If you have some vegetation in your garden, then be careful with this because it has a lot of weight which can pull out your plant. The connection between the rake head and handle seems tough for heavy duty raking. Moreover, the handle does not smell like a new tire.
Else, the length of the handle is shorter for taller users like 6 feet tall.
4. Midwest Leaf Rake 86036
FEATURES
- Handle: 11 ft
- Rake Head Width: 36”
- Handle Material: aluminum
- Weight: 6.7 lbs
| pros | cons |
| • Effective for skimming floating debris | • Takes practice to master skimming through floating debris |
| • Durable construction and handle | ? |
| • Rope and removable float | ? |
Best for also Skimming Floating Debris
This rake is pretty amazing for it acts like an amphibian. It can clean on land and water efficiently. You can strongly link that to its removable float and rope. If you plan to have an environmental way of removing reed grass in your pond, then this tool is your best shot. You can use electrical tape to cover the knots you made from tying the rope. It will take some time until you can effectively use it to remove floating debris on the water. If you let the rake head sink, then you can take out the roots as well.
The only trouble is: Handle and rake head are not adjustable.
5. Tabor Tools J16A Leaf Rake
FEATURES
- Handle: 32” – 63”
- Rake Head Width: 8” – 23”
- Handle Material: aluminum
- Weight: 2 lbs
| pros | cons |
| • Telescopic handle | • Exert little more force because it’s lightweight |
| • Adjustable rake head | ? |
| • Durable material | ? |
Best for Telescopic Handle
For versatility in terms of length handle, this leaf rake made a strong statement. You can easily do raking using one-hand for it’s lightweight and handle length can be adjusted. Moreover, the width of its rake head can also be adjusted depending on the area that you will be cleaning. The locking functions of the handle length and rake head works as expected. There’s no issue with slipping.
Note: You need to exert little more force to dig deeper into the dirt or leaves.
6. The Ames Leaf Rake
FEATURES
- Handle: 48”
- Rake Head Width: 14”
- Handle Material: wood
- Weight: 13.5 lbs
| pros | cons |
| • Wooden handle | • The handle could have slightly longer |
| • Efficient pulling | ? |
| • Very affordable standard quality rake | ? |
Best Budget
If you want a standard quality leaf rake that is completely budget-friendly, then this one is your best bet. The wooden handle provides a good and comfortable grip for the user. The spacing in between tines is enough to pull small to medium leaves, twigs, and limbs. The rake head is made from durable steel alloy and it has enough weight to have a decent dig on the dirt.
7. Bond 2060 Adjustable Leaf Rake
FEATURES
- Handle: 5’
- Rake Head Width: 7”-22”
- Handle Material: steel alloy
- Weight: 2 lbs
| pros | cons |
| • Adjustable rake head | • Sliding mechanism sometimes becomes faulty |
| • Very easy to store | ? |
| • Solid material and lightweight | ? |
Best for Space Saving
This leaf rake has a solid handle and rake head but its highlight feature is its adjustable rake head which can collapse up to 7-inch. This width is pretty easy to store in tight areas already. It will not hurt your hand for it is lightweight and coating makes it more corrosive resistant. The function of adjusting its rake head allows you to pull small to medium debris on the ground.
Sometimes the sliding mechanism experiences technical difficulty
8. Fiskars Leaf Rake
FEATURES
- Handle: 67”
- Rake Head Width: 24”
- Handle Material: aluminum
- Weight: 5.9 oz
| pros | cons |
| • Convenient to use | • No adjustable function but works as expected |
| • Reduces risk for lower back stress with its long handle and wider rake head | ? |
In terms of work convenience, this rake greatly keeps up. It has a wide rake head and a long handle to reduce lower back stress. The weight of the rake head and the force you exert can make an effective dig into the dirt. Pulling with its long handle is very convenient.
Overall, no adjustable function but works well.
9. GardenAll Leaf Rake
FEATURES
- Handle: 48”
- Rake Head Width: 7”
- Handle Material: steel alloy
- Weight: 1.75 lbs
| pros | cons |
| • Solid leaf rake and sidewalk scraper | • No critical issues so far |
| • Good handle length | ? |
| • Durable material | ? |
By paying an extra dollar you get 2 functions: leaf rake and scraper. This has a solid construction and connection between the head and the handle seems tough. Aside from being a leaf raker, it can also be a sidewalk scraper to remove mud in your patio.
10. Jardineer Leaf Rake
FEATURES
- Handle: 32”-63”
- Rake Head Width: 7”-23”
- Handle Material: aluminum
- Weight: 1.54 lbs
| pros | cons |
| • Smooth adjustment for its telescopic handle and rake head width | • None so far |
| • Lightweight and convenient to use | ? |
| • Ergonomic design | ? |
Best for Smooth Adjustments
This leaf rake is suitable for light-duty raking only. The best we love about this is its smooth adjustments for its telescopic handle and rake head width. The locking function of its adjustments works as expected and no issues of slipping or lose locking. It is lightweight and very comfortable to use.
