When your car is dirty, you know what to do. Go to the carwash and get it cleaned up, right? Wrong! If you want the best carwash for both your car and the paint, you will do it yourself. But what do you do when you’ve finished washing the car? Some of you will reach for a chamois cloth and wipe it down. Though this might be the best way to dry your car, if you missed some dirt, you’ll scratch the paint while you dry. You might find yourself considering an alternative, and we’d suggest a leaf blower. In this article we will examine the best leaf blower for car drying.
What’s The Best Way To Dry Your Car Off?
We will also get into why you ought to consider this method for drying off your car after a hand wash. The traditional methods of drying off the car consist of either chamois cloths or old towels. There’s a reason however that nearly every car wash out there relies on compressed air. These establishments use this to get the lion’s share of drying done because it’s easy.
Best Leaf Blower For Car Drying: Sun Joe Electric Blower
- [BEST USE]: Sweeping patios, driveways, decks and garages
- [MAX AIR SPEED]: 215 mph
- [NO LOAD SPEED]: 12,000 – 15,000 rpm
Which Type Is The Best Leaf Blower For Car Drying?
In the past we have reviewed leaf blowers, and our favorite by far is the Ryobi 110 Cordless. However, when considering the best leaf blower for car drying, you first want to think about any other purpose you might have for a leaf blower. Do you want to use it to clear snow? Do you want to use it to clear leaves? Once you know the answer to these questions, it should help you determine whether a gas powered leaf blower, plug in electric leaf blower, or battery powered leaf blower are best for you.
Gas Leaf Blower
Choosing a gas powered leaf blower means you have a lot of leaves to clear and don’t want to put up with changing batteries. Maybe you run a lawn care company and don’t have the patience to swap batteries, and worry about keeping them charged. For most of us however, the battery powered leaf blower is ideal in its simplicity. You don’t need to worry about small engine repair and maintenance. Neither will you need to worry about fuel storage or tangling an extension cord. You simply need to charge your batteries and get the job done.
Also, it’s important to keep in mind local regulations related to gas powered leaf blowers. It may come as a surprise, but the list of communities restricting gas powered leaf blowers’ use is growing every year.
Electric Leaf Blower
The corded electric leaf blower is yet another perfect choice for some. If you are buying a leaf blower for the sole purpose of drying off your car and nothing else, a plug in electric leaf blower may be ideal. First you will want to confirm you have an outlet near where you will be washing your car. You will need to keep an extension cord handy for use with the leaf blower. If you have these items checked off and want to spend the least amount of money as possible on a leaf blower, plug in electric is for you. Here are our favorite leaf blowers comparison table.

Does It Matter Which Leaf Blower You Use For Car Drying?
Ultimately, the best leaf blower for car drying depends on your needs beyond drying off your car. However, the major reason we point you toward the Ryobi 110 is the CFM rating. This cordless leaf blower has a CFM rating which used to only be seen with gas powered leaf blowers.
It is true that the more powerful a leaf blower gets the more electricity it will require, and thus the faster the battery is used up. However, it’s not like you’re running a commercial car wash. You’ll have no problem drying off a few cars before you need to switch out the battery. There’s no cord to worry about and the unit itself is far lighter than a gas powered leaf blower.
Obviously if you are looking for the lightest leaf blower out there, a plug in electric is your ideal choice. At 4.4 pounds, the Sun Joe SBJ601E is just about the lightest leaf blower out there. It puts out 240 CFM which is still a good air volume to move for a leaf blower under $50. When you compare that to the Ryobi 110 at 7.9 pounds, The Sun Joe is nearly half the weight.
If you are considering a gas powered leaf blower, the Husqvarna 952711925 is one of the lightest at 9.4 pounds. Keep in mind this weight does not include the weight of gasoline. But you get the picture. For around ten pounds, you can get a gas powered leaf blower that puts out 470 CFM of power.
Best Leaf Blower For Car Drying
Whichever leaf blower you choose to use, the best leaf blower for car drying is the leaf blower you have. Once you’ve made the switch to using a leaf blower to dry off your car, you’ll likely not go back. Not only is the leaf blower great for drying the car, but before you wash the car you can use it to blow out the leaves stuck in the wipers and pine needles on the roof. The leaf blower comes in handy more than you might expect.