How to Choose the Right Snow Shovel

Snow shovels emerge as the most convenient and cost-effective solution for ensuring the safety and accessibility of walkways, driveways, sidewalks, and parking spaces. If left untouched and repeatedly driven over, snow can harden and compact, raising the ground level. This poses a safety concern, particularly when parking a tall vehicle in a garage with a limited door height. In such cases, the accumulation of snow could elevate the vehicle to a point where it risks colliding with the garage door’s edge.

Snow that has hardened and compacted becomes more challenging to remove, requiring cutting and cracking into smaller pieces. This emphasizes the importance of promptly clearing snow after it falls for more effective removal.

In this blog, we will explore the various characteristics of shovels and the benefits they offer. Many aspects contribute to a shovel’s performance, including the blade shape, blade material, handle shape, handle material, and how these components significantly enhance the efficiency of snow removal.

The choice of shovel directly impacts your snow shoveling experience, presenting two options: an easy, painless, and efficient process, or a challenging, potentially causing back and muscle injuries, and time-consuming endeavor.

Issues

Common issues, due to bad selection of snow shovels are back pain, back injuries, and muscle strain. Additionally, factors like a heavy shovel, poor grip, incorrect handle size, awkward usability, and brittle materials can exacerbate these problems or lead to other physical issues.

Solutions

To address these issues, we advise to invest time in selecting the right shovel. Avoid opting for the cheapest or the first one you come across. Given that you’ll be using the shovel as long as there is snow on the ground, it’s advisable to choose one that enhances your overall convenience. Here are our recommended tips:

 

1. 1. Your budget. While not a universal rule, the price often reflects the quality of a shovel. Opt for a high-quality shovel instead of a cheaper and more fragile alternative. Look for a shovel that offers long-term reliability.
   2. Your Physical Strength. Select a shovel that aligns with your strength. If you find it challenging to lift heavy loads, avoid choosing a shovel with a large blade that can accumulate more snow than you can comfortably handle. Struggling with an oversized and heavy shovel can hinder efficiency. While in the store, simulate shoveling motions and consider the material of the shovel. Individuals with less strength may find a plastic shovel more suitable, whereas those with greater strength may benefit from a metal shovel.
   3. Your Grip. Can you comfortably hold the shovel with a thick winter glove on, or do your fingers feel cramped? Choosing a shovel with a grip that accommodates the size of your gloved hand ensures a more comfortable shoveling experience, preventing potential hand pain, cramping, or blistering caused by an overly small grip.
   4. Consider Your Height. Opting for a shovel that is too short may result in back pain and strain from repetitive lifting. On the other hand, a shovel that is too tall can be challenging to maneuver and provide leverage with an overly long handle. Various handle types offer different levels of leverage. Below, we outline the various handle types to assist you in making an informed choice.

Parts of Snow Shovels

Beyond the aforementioned tips, there are additional specific details to consider when choosing the right shovel. These are outlined below.

• Blade Material

Plastic snow shovel blades offer convenience due to their lightweight nature, making them easy to carry for quick snow cleanup. Available in various sizes, even the larger blades remain light. The plastic material prevents snow from sticking, allowing for easy lifting and tossing without the need to shake off the snow. However, plastic is not as durable as metal and may break in extremely cold conditions. It is susceptible to chipping or bending when used on rough terrain with screws, rocks, gravel, or bumps. Additionally, plastic blades cannot chip through ice.

Metal shovels provide heavy-duty durability, allowing them to handle heavier loads and chip ice on the ground. They are resilient on rough and bumpy surfaces. However, their downside lies in their weight, which can lead to back strain. When choosing a metal-bladed shovel, consider your strength, as larger blades are heavier.

• Blade Shape

Flat blades are optimal for dealing with harder snow, excelling at cutting through packed snow. This type is most effectively used by inserting into the snow, lifting, and tossing.

Round/Scoop blades are highly convenient for pushing snow along an entire driveway. Holding them at a slight angle facilitates easy pushing to one side. While they can be used for scooping and tossing, they are particularly efficient for moving loose snow.

• Handle Material

Metal handles excel at lifting heavy snow loads without becoming excessively weighty. Depending on the metal type, some handles may bend under significant pressure. Rust can be an issue if the metal handles are not dried between uses, but they are affordable.

Plastic handles, being lightweight, are convenient, but they are best stored indoors to prevent brittleness caused by temperature and environmental factors. With proper storage, they can last for many years.

Wooden handles are widely used for good reason – they are strong, lightweight, and have a long lifespan. When they wear out, they are easily replaceable. However, wooden handles require minor maintenance to ensure the grip and shovel blade are securely fastened, as wood can expand and contract with temperature changes. It’s important to note that wood handles are not waterproof.

Fiberglass handles are considered the best and most durable. Although slightly heavier, they boast the longest lifespan among handle materials. They do not rust, bend, or undergo changes with weather conditions, and they are exceptionally difficult to break.

• Handle Type

Straight handles are the most prevalent type, featuring a straight design that varies in height and attaches to the shovel.

Push Bar handles are exclusive to sleigh shovels, which stand independently and are easy to use. With a large scoop and a flat bottom that sits on the ground, the person pushes on the wide push bar to gather snow while walking upright. Ideal for individuals with back issues, this type of shovel is primarily used for pushing snow and not lifting.

Ergonomic/Bent handles have a strategically placed bend to eliminate the need to bend over while shoveling, reducing back strain. However, lifting heavy loads becomes more challenging. The ergonomic shape is beneficial for individuals with back issues, making the trade-off worthwhile.

Foldable handles serve the sole purpose of making the shovel compact and easily stored for emergencies or in bags. The handle folds in half towards the blade, reducing its size by half.

Dual handles are straight but have a branch in the middle where a second handle and grip are located. This design enables the person shoveling to use two hands for lifting a scoop of snow, increasing leverage and making shoveling easier.

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