8 Best Leaf Rakes for Fall 2024

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We love the fall season, but as soon as the leaves start to change, we also find our yards covered in branches, leaves, and other seasonal debris. Fall yard work is typically the bane of almost every homeowner’s existence, whether you own 100 square feet or 100 acres. While removing leaves from your yard ultimately comes down to personal taste (in fact, many landscape pros recommend keeping them around to “feed” next year’s growth), most homeowners prefer to do at least one or two solid cleanups each fall. And, short of hiring a landscaping crew, nothing will make the process go faster than having the best leaf rakes on hand.

Having a reliable rake for leaves and yard debris can speed up your cleanup process and save your back, with a lightweight, comfortable handle, and sturdy tines that can tackle anything from leaves and branches to pine cones. To help take the guesswork out of your next trip to the hardware store, we’re rounding up the best leaf rakes for fall, just in time for the dreaded shed. Even your giant oak tree is no match for these all-stars!

Is a Metal or Plastic Rake Better for Leaves?

Choosing between a metal or plastic rake is a common conundrum, and the winner depends on the type of lawnwork you’re tackling. Plastic rakes—that is, a rake that boasts a plastic ferrule (the rake head) and tines—tend to be better suited to smaller cleanup tasks and lawns. The plastic material is often lightweight, which is great for lugging around your yard, but also means it’s less likely to hold its own against tougher debris. On the flip side, metal rakes are known to be more durable and flexible, which can help them easily work around other obstacles in your lawn, like a nearby shrub or ground-level roots.

Is It Better to Rake Leaves Wet or Dry?

When deciding when to clean up your lawn for the fall, try to pick a dry day (in a recent string of dry days, for that matter). The reason: Wet leaves can clump together, making the harder to clean up, as well as heavier. They’ll also be more likely to stick to the tines of your rake, necessitating a lot of bending to remove clumps from your rake, which will ultimately slow down your efforts.

How Do Professionals Rake Leaves?

To rake leaves like a pro, it’s important to start with the right equipment. For many experts, that means more than one rake, tailored specifically to the type of landscape they’re working on. Beyond that, make sure to rake leaves when they’re dry and make an effort to work with Mother Nature to make your life easier (like raking downhill or in the same direction the breeze is already blowing). To save time—and avoid doing numerous runs with a wheelbarrow—experts also like to rake all their lawn debris onto a tarp, which can then be dragged to a dump site at the back of the lawn or bundled up neatly to bag up for disposal.