The UK's bestGarden Vacuums2022 Review

The Bosch Universal Garden Tidy Leaf Blower & Garden Vacuum is a powerful piece of kit that lives up to the Bosch name. It did everything I asked of it, didn’t jam or get hot, and cleared the garden without a hitch.

Ease of Assembly – 4.5/5

On opening the box I was initially horrified – there are a lot of parts to fit together! Fortunately, the instructions are good and the parts are such high quality that assembly wasn’t actually a problem at all.

The instructions are diagram based and I loved the Batman-style speech bubbles to let you know which part to ‘click!’ into place. There’s also a friendly little section about checking for any ‘little animals’ in the work area. Nice one Bosch – a sweet, eco-friendly reminder.

The main issue is the blow and vacuum functions are separate pieces. You have to decide whether to blow or vacuum, then fit the correct end piece.

The suction tube is enormous. It’s a good double the size of other models I’m testing, but it is lightweight and of good quality. This was the only garden vacuum I didn’t have to slam on the floor to fit the tubes inside one another.

Swapping from suction to blow function is simple. There’s a capped screw to unwind, remove the tube, add the new piece and tighten the screw. No tools are required.

It took a good 50 turns to get the blower head off, then another 50 to screw on the vacuum head. Don’t give up! It takes time to release.

Design – 4.5/5

The Bosch garden vacuum is designed so that the separate blow and vacuum functions are not compromised.

It has excellent blowing power and when I swapped the heads over its vacuum power was also excellent. The other garden vacuums I tested did not have the finesse provided by doing each function separately.

The extra-large suction tube means blockages would be easier to clear. I didn’t actually have any blockages though, which attests to the excellent design.

Its good design means you get something that works really well in either format rather than compromising on OK suction and OK blowing with a ‘both-at-the-same-time model’.

This enables the Bosch to have less power and therefore much less noise.

Bosch has paid attention to its ergonomics. The handle is perfectly positioned for easy manoeuvring and the power dial is reachable without stopping the job in hand.

The shoulder strap is adjustable to fit short or tall folk and the machine is lightweight enough that I barely needed to use the wheels.

In fact, I took them off when I swapped from blow to vac and won’t bother putting them back on.

On the downside, the Bosch is heavier than the other models, probably due to the metal fan mulcher. The vacuum mode is heaviest at 4.7 kgs. It’s not unmanageable and the shoulder strap takes most of the strain.

Just something to beware of if you need a very lightweight model.

Performance – 5/5

Top performance for this machine without question. It sucked up piles of leaves in a flash, whereas other models did them one at a time.

I felt and heard larger twigs hit the internal metal mulching fan but it didn’t jam.

I pushed my luck and sucked up a whole sheet of newspaper to see what would happen. It struggled for a few seconds but the page was shredded without incident. I wouldn’t recommend doing this though.

The blower head is much thinner than the vacuum and it’s small enough to get between plants and under furniture. The thin head concentrates its blow power to get damp, sticky wet leaves from deck and patio stones. It’s a nice touch.

When emptied out, the leaves and paper pieces were around 2-3 cms and great as mulch on the flower borders. The quick-release collection bag has ‘moisture-repellent Dirt Deflectors’ that kept the bag dry and clean.

After using it, I dropped it from hip height and nothing broke or scuffed.

Power – 4/5

Only 1800 watts so it is considerably less powerful than other models, but it works better due to its ‘do-one-thing properly-at-time’ design.

It’s very quiet. Not as quiet as The Handy on its lowest setting, but for its size I was amazed at the quietness.

It wasn’t until after I’d used it that I found out it’s marketed with a ‘Pro Silence’ feature. I can say this does work and it’s nothing like roaring council-issued leaf blowers.

The lower power setting is for use over gravel and it managed to suck up and blow away the leaves on my 10-20mm beach pebbles without the disaster I was braced for.

Ease of Use – 4/5

Its main body handle and the adjustable directional handle are placed so that it’s easy to move around. I was able to easily suck up leaves from the garden table and hedge tops even though the suction tube is large.

I really like the quick-release zip-up collection bag. It’s a nice touch that makes emptying the mulched leaves into the veggie bed a simple, no-mess affair.

I was concerned that its large vacuum tube would make it unwieldy but this is not the case and it’s very easy to move about.

Safety – 4/5

The motor will only start if the vacuum tube and collection bag is on in vacuum mode, or the nozzle and safety cover in on in blow mode.

The shoulder strap is adjustable and padded and it was comfortable, especially after 20 or so minutes of work. The Bosch is well built and feels safe in use.

However, the power is switched on using the power adjustment knob. I did not have this completely turned off, so when I plugged it in the machine started up. I’d prefer a separate on/off switch.

Value for Money – 4.5/5

It’s the priciest of my reviews but it’s the best by far. If you can cope with swapping out the blow and vacuum functions it’s a top buy with plenty of power but enough finesse to make light work of an autumn garden.

It’s pricey but it does an excellent job if you’re happy to swap over the vacuum/blow tubes.

The Handy Blow Vac is a garden vacuum, blower, and mulcher in one. It’s a good price and has all the extras like wheels and variable power. I tested it on leaves, twigs and newspaper then dropped it on the patio. It’s a good bargain buy.

Ease of Assembly – 3.5/5

The Handy is pretty easy to assemble. Out of the box it looks like a pain, but it’s just a case of fitting the two tubes together with a screw and then the tubes onto the main body.

It’s all very simple, in fact, the wheels just slip over the end like a collar and the collection bag clicks into very obvious connectors. The instruction book is clear and I had no problems figuring out what went where.

On the downside, it was hard to fit the tubes together because one slips inside the other and it’s hard to push them because the plastic is sharp.

In the end, I got them partway, then banged them together on the floor before adding the safety screws to finish the job.

Design – 3.5/5

The Handy blow vacuum looks professional and when it’s pieced together looks like a study piece of machinery.

The adjustable ergonomic handle is in exactly the right place and its 45-litre collection bag is sufficiently large enough to collect a lot of leaves. I managed a wheelbarrow full, but the bag was bursting.

A big plus point is the pointed nozzle tip which is smaller than some of the other vacuums I’m testing. The small nozzle made it easy to get between plants without damaging their foliage. My newly planted euonymus hedge lived to see another day.

As a little extra The Handy comes with a free hanger to store the machine off the ground. It’s sturdy enough for the weight of the blower – which is barely anything.

Performance – 4/5

Excellent performance, I can’t fault The Handy. It sucked up leaves and twigs efficiently and blew them with enough force that the damp ones were shifted from the patio.

When the 45-litre collection bag was full the engine slowed down. This is a great plus that means you don’t overwork the machine.

The Handy has an internal mulcher that shreds the leaves as they’re sucked up. It works very well, shredding down leaves to perfect compost bin size without any blockages or mishaps along the way.

I ripped up a sheet of newspaper to see what would happen, The Handy took it in its stride and hoovered up all the 10cm x 10cm bits shredding them down to 2-3 cms in size.

The engine felt a little hot after half an hour but it cooled down after a ten-minute break, just as the instructions described.

After use, I dropped it from hip height. It didn’t break, but the plastic scuffed a fair amount.

Power – 4/5

It has 3000 watts which is enough to blow damp leaves into a neat pile and suck up the dry ones.

I was impressed by the full power of this machine especially because it’s the quietest of the blow vacs. It’s no louder than a modern hairdryer even when the power is high. This is a real plus point if you have neighbours or a wildlife-friendly garden

On its lowest setting, it doesn’t do much other than make a noise.

The lower setting is for use above gravel and pebbles, but it didn’t suck up or blow away any leaves above my gravel on anything lower than half the power.

Ease of Use – 5/5

The Handy is well balanced and I was able to lift and point it without any strain.

The handle is positioned so I didn’t overstretch and the shoulder strap is strong enough to take most of the weight, but it could do with being a little longer. This leaves your hands free to manoeuvre the tip into difficult places such as under a bench.

Switching between blow and vacuum is simple. Push a lever to swap and adjust its power with a wheel. It’s user-friendly and obvious what does what so there’s no stress involved.

The support wheels work well, but I was able to hold The Handy off the ground for a full half-hour without getting tired. It’s light enough to manage without the wheels, but I can see they’d be useful for folk with trouble lifting.

Safety – 4.5/5

The trigger automatically turns off when you let go which is good because it keeps things safe if you trip over the long 10-metre power lead. They’ve anticipated this by adding 3 x cable tidies to keep your working area clear – a very nice touch.

I like the immediate engine back off when the collection bag is full too, it is easy to drift off when you’re vacuuming because it’s a very zen activity.

After I’d tested the functions, I lifted the machine and dropped it onto my patio. It scuffed the plastic but nothing broke.

Value for Money – 4/5

This is a good value for money and one of the best garden vacuums for those on a budget.

It’s powerful enough on full whack for garden work. I live near a wood and my garden is full of leaves. It managed to clear a good half of these before the machine (and me) needed a break.

The price point is half that of the Bosch and to be honest, I like not having to change the blow and vacuum heads over.

Overall, it sounds an odd thing to say but this is the most respectful of the blowers. It’s quiet and the nozzle is thin enough to leave plants unscathed. I’d like to see maybe a little more power and running time but overall this is a good bargain buy.

A good mid-range price but you have to let it cool down after 20-30 minutes.

The Hyundai 3-in-1 electric leaf blower is a little different in design to the other vacuums I’ve tested. It’s a ‘sit-up-and-beg’ model like a home hoover.

The design is different but it still has 3000 watts. I wasn’t keen on the upright design, but it suits gardeners that can’t swing a blower from their shoulder.

Ease of Assembly – 5/5

No assembly is required for this leaf blower vacuum. All I had to do was attach the 45-litre collection bag and the padded shoulder strap. It’s always good when something comes ready to go out of the box, therefore it’s one of the best garden vacuums for those who hate assembling products!

Design – 4/5

The Hyundai has a 12-metre power cable, 45-litre bag and a telescopic chute with 9 working heights. It starts at 70 cms and goes up to 100 cms. I’m 5’7” and I needed all the 100 cms to work comfortably. The height adjustment is great for storage.

It has ergonomic handles to manoeuvre it about and the upright design is more user friendly than the shoulder swinging large blowers if you struggle to move comfortably.

Performance – 3/5

Not great. I’d be exaggerating to say it took 5 minutes to suck up one slightly damp leaf, but it wasn’t far off.

Dry leaves disappeared faster, but honestly, who has totally dry leaves in the UK? Mine are always soggy, especially the ones at the bottom.

You have to put the vacuum right over a leaf and wait for it to disappear. It took a very long time to clean a pile of leaves and I wouldn’t want to do that again.

The blower function is more powerful, but without the ability to swing it around the leaves just blow away in a straight line – you can’t round them up sheepdog style. I think the best way to use this would be to blow the leaves against a corner wall.

It did a good job of shredding leaves and newspaper into roughly 2 cm squares which is perfect for composting or mulching. When I sucked up a small stone it made a horrific noise but continued to work.

I knocked it over afterwards and nothing broke, so it’s sturdy enough for rough garden use.

Power – 4/5

3000 watts is more than enough to clear a patio, deck, or garden border A dial speed controller on the side simply rolls up and down to manage the power, so it’s easy to control. I used its low power to suction above beach pebbles and there were no mishaps.

Ease of Use – 3/5

It’s easy to start and switch off with a trigger squeeze button in the handle. The vacuum to blower function switch is simple, and the bag is quickly emptied ready to go again. However, it isn’t easy to use.

I had to bend over and position the vacuum vertically above each leaf for it to work which was a frustrating waste of time.

However, I can see it’s a better design for people who can’t manage to swing a 1.2 metre machine around on their shoulder and it’s certainly easier than raking, brushing and bending down to pick up armfuls of leaves.

Safety – 4.5/5

It won’t start without the collection bag in place and turns off when you release the trigger. It’s a safe machine with its long 12-metre power lead that cuts down on the need for an extension cable.

I think because you aren’t swinging it around this is a safer model against accidents such as blowing a load of sharp gravel into the cold frame (why are you looking at me and The Handy?)

Value for Money – 4/5

If you can’t manage a garden vacuum that swings on your shoulder this is the next best thing and it’s certainly worth the money to avoid getting on your hands and knees.

Personally, I prefer the Bosch or The Handy but this Hyundai model has a place for sure. I’m giving it to my mother who has rheumatoid arthritis and I know it’ll suit her down to the ground.

The Von Haus model is a 3000-watt garden vacuum with an integral mulcher and leaf blower. Von Haus is a good brand and it performed all the various functions well despite having no power adjustment.

Ease of Assembly – 4/5

The picture-based instructions are simple and designed for the most confused of folk (like me) to put the blower together without fuss.

The two tubes have a very stiff connection and need a good deal of banging or someone with strong hands to force them together. The screws and clip-on shoulder strap plus bag were fairly simple to fit.

No complaints, other than the stiffness.

Design – 4/5

This garden vacuum is well designed. It’s lightweight and simple to fit up with only two tubes, a set of wheels, a bag, and a shoulder strap to fit on the main engine.

I like the little flashes of orange. They’re bright and cheerful and give the blower a little more interest than others. The bright orange function switch is easy to see and well-positioned for quick swap overs.

It has sturdy wheels and a tough shoulder strap to take the strain, so there’s no effort involved at all. Overall, it’s compact and lightweight, perfectly designed for small to medium gardens with trees.

Performance – 3.5/5

I got a decent enough performance from this garden vacuum.

It had enough power to effectively round up wet leaves and make a pile that I could then vacuum. The blower tube is thin at the tip to concentrate power and get between your plants or furniture without inflicting hurricane damage.

Collected leaves and ripped newspaper were shredded to 2 cm pieces in no time which is a good size for mulching and composting. The 35-litre collection bag sucked up debris for about 15 minutes before it was full.

Emptying the zip-up bag was quick and easy straight into a raised bed. It’s smaller than other collection bags I’m testing but was big enough for 15 minutes of leaf vacuuming.

All good so far. However, this was the only one that blocked. I think it was because the suction tube is fairly small and a large, damp maple leaf got trapped in the fan. I had to turn off the machine and remove the tubes to shake it free.

After use I dropped it from hip height and although it scuffed nothing broke.

Power – 3.5/5

At 3000 watts it’s just as powerful as comparative brands. It’s more than enough to tidy up an average-sized garden.

There’s no power adjustment which is a shame because I couldn’t vacuum over my pebbles on a low setting. It’s all or nothing with the Von Haus.

Ease of Use – 4/5

It’s easy to switch between blow and vacuum modes with its flip switch and a squeeze trigger in the handle activates its motor.

At only 3.5 kgs this garden vacuum is easy to manoeuvre. I didn’t feel tired because the flexible shoulder strap took its weight and left my arms free to direct the tip.

My only gripe is that the adjustable shoulder strap slips out of position.

Safety – 4/5

The Von Haus garden vacuum has a thermal cut-out switch The thermal cut out will activate and shut down the appliance should it overheat. It then needs 60 minutes before use.

When you let go of the activation trigger the machine stops. This is a great safety feature, but do be careful when picking up the machine in case you accidentally squeeze the handle before you’re ready to go.

It has two cable clearance hooks to keep your working area clear. A small but essential safety feature in my opinion.

Value for Money – 3.5/5

This is another good value for money machine.

Letting go of the fact it blocked for a moment, its blower is powerful and its suction is strong enough to lift a large pile of leaves.

It’s a well-priced machine that will do a good job of clearing up an average-sized garden – but maybe choose another if you have large span leaves and want to adjust the power. It’s a mid-price machine that does what it says it will and no more. It doesn’t like large wet leaves.

The Terratek is a lightweight 3-in-1 blower, vacuum, and mulcher that clears up your fallen leaves with a minimum of fuss. There’s no power adjustment but it’s easy to use and lightweight. On the downside, the plastic tubing broke when I dropped it.

Ease of Assembly – 3/5

The instructions have poor directions, so I floundered for a while. Once I’d figured it out the tubes fitted with only a small amount of bashing and the three screws were good quality.

It was a frustrating start. The instructions could be better.

Design – 3.5/5

The Terratek is well designed and one of the best garden vacuums for those who need a lightweight model. It’s only 3 kgs in weight even though the machine is 1.2 metres in length.

It’s well balanced and ergonomic enough to use for extended periods of time. I used the vacuum function for 20 minutes before it got too hot and my arms weren’t sore at all.

This is good design from Terratek and I’m impressed with its user-friendly ergonomics at the price point. However, when I dropped it from hip height, the plastic tubing cracked.

If you buy this, use the shoulder strap at all times.

Performance – 3/5

The performance is good. It did what I needed, which was to vacuum up fallen leaves after blowing them into a pile.

However, it took some time, overheated and the motor is louder than other models. It’s not so loud that you’d need ear defenders like council issued blowers, but the neighbours won’t be impressed at 7am.

The 35-litre bag is a fairly decent size, but it’s smaller than others I’ve tested and the zip is a pain, it kept getting caught on the bag material the way a coat zip sometimes snags. It caused a fight and some language.

Power – 3.5/5

It has 3000 watts so it’s comparable with other models I’ve tested. It has plenty enough power to blow damp leaves off a deck and the vacuum does a slow but steady job of suctioning them up.

With patience, you can cover a decent-sized patio, but the machine may overheat before you finish. It needs a good ten minutes to cool off and although the thermal trip switch wasn’t activated I felt like the machine was too hot to continue.

There’s no power adjustment, so it’s all the power or no power. This makes it unsuitable for suctioning above gravel or pebbles.

Ease of Use – 4/5

It’s easy to switch between the vacuum and blower with its bright orange flip switch, and a squeeze trigger starts the engine. Let go of the trigger and it automatically stops so it’s very simple to use.

It’s well balanced on the shoulder strap and easy to swing around rounding up leaves. It’s a shame the zip-up bag lets it down because there’s nothing else to complain about in terms of use.

Safety – 4/5

The Terratek has a thermal cut-out safety feature, good ergonomics, and a trigger release handle that makes it safe to use.

There’s always the 10-metre cable to trip over, but this is true of all the garden vacuums I’m testing. Terratek has included two cable tidy hooks on the handle and the body to help prevent a tumble.

Value for Money – 3.5/5

It’s half the price of a Bosch and about the same as The Handy and Von Haus but I’d say it’s a little inferior given it got hot and the plastic tubing broke. Plus there’s no power adjustment which is a pity.

It’s a perfectly good choice if you have patience and don’t mind a bit of excess noise. If it’s in the sale, snap it up and use the shoulder strap.