Maybe you don’t spend too much time thinking about rakes — maybe you even think they’re a “seen one, seem them all” type of tool — but the fact is, there are many different types of rakes, and they are specialized in design. One rake may be perfect for collecting fallen leaves but terrible for preparing a garden bed, or vice versa. There are rakes designed expressly for removing lawn thatch, rakes for clearing debris from under hedges, and more.
To give the humble and surprisingly varied rake its due, and to help you pick out the best rake for various applications, we reached out to experts in the gardening and lawn care industries. Sara Bendrick, a Team STIHL national spokesperson and licensed landscape contractor, always has several different types of rakes on hand for tasks like yard cleanup, collecting light debris like fallen leaves, and for working in tight spaces between shrubs.
Beyond the type of rake you need, you also want to be mindful of how heavy it is. Frank Rossi, chief science officer with Sunday, says, “Weight matters when it comes to rakes. You need a good balance of durable and wide but not too big and bulky that your arms get tired out too quickly.” For reference, the heaviest rake on our list weighs more than four pounds, while the lightest (not counting the hand rake) weighs just 1.3 pounds.
So, the best rake for one person may be too large (or too small) for another; consider your size and strength as you shop. And consider your comfort, too. Rossi adds, “A must-have property of a good rake is a good grip so you enjoy yourself using it.” We also factored that in. All of the rakes below are thick enough for a good grasp or have handles featuring added grips.
Best overall rake
If you’re looking for one rake for myriad jobs, this is a fine choice. That’s because it can ably collect fallen leaves, level and clear garden beds, and even remove thatch (that layer of debris at the base of your lawn). The adjustable tines of this rake can offer a swath as wide as 23 inches or, with the tines positioned closer together and secured more firmly, the rake can be used in smaller spots around your property.
Bendrick in particular appreciates that this rake “fans out and has flexibility,” as it lets you work both on your wide-open lawn and in tighter spaces, such as under bushes or up against the house. This is a fine choice for the home gardener who wants to acquire as few implements as possible.
Best (less-expensive) overall rake
This 17-inch-wide rake is narrower than standard models (which tend to be closer to 24 inches wide). This and its tine angle make it more obviously a garden rake, but it can also be used as a leaf rake, so it’s a suitable hybrid that can serve in either capacity. The stiff tines will do a decent job leveling the soil of a garden or planted bed, but will also catch plenty of leaves and, being plastic, not metal, they won’t rip up too much grass, per Rossi. “Hard plastic tends to be better for raking leaves,” he says.
The segmented handle is connected with plastic connectors that can be used as grips, and when not needed for a chunk of time, you can disassemble this rake and tuck it away to save storage space.
Best leaf rake
Rossi extols “the durability and width,” of this Bully Tools rake, which he uses around his own home. It has a fiberglass handle that’s tough yet lightweight; at just 3.3 pounds, it’s not too heavy for users of almost any size or age, yet the 50-inch-long handle still offers plenty of leverage for moving larger piles of leaves or for handling wet leaves.
The broad 30-inch span of this rake’s durable polyethylene plastic tines lets you clear leaves (or cut grass or other lighter debris) fast. And this is a rake that’s in it for the long game: It’s backed by a limited lifetime warranty — a rarity for rakes.
Best thatch rake
Thatch is that thick, stubborn layer of debris — dead grass, leaves, and old weeds — that builds up around the base of your lawn; it forms between the soil and the exposed blades of grass. A thin layer is actually good for the grass, helping keep in moisture and protect it from excessive heat, but too much will block the lawn from the air, irrigation, and nutrients it needs. Thus, periodic dethatching is necessary.
Thatch rakes have short tines consisting of sturdy, curved blades that are designed to dig into your lawn and pull it up, like this True Temper model recommended by Craig Elsworthy, founder of lawn-care company Lawnbright. It has a 15-inch-wide head sporting those blade-like tines specifically designed for removing thatch that are thin and sharp enough to leave the lawn unharmed. At four pounds, it’s a sturdy enough rake for the tough job of de-thatching, yet it’s not so heavy that it will tire you out, which is important, as Elsworthy calls de-thatching “a serious workout.” The cushioned grip on the hardwood handle helps prevent cramping and blisters, another plus.
Best shrub rake
Raking around and under shrubs is seriously annoying unless you use a rake like this narrow, nine-inch-wide one that can be used with precision and control among flowers, hedges, tree trunks, and, of course, shrubs. Rossi recommends the metal Groundskeeper rake because “it’s flexible and not so stiff it’s likely to break,” he says.
The long, spring-loaded tines easily catch debris in tight spots and bring it out for collection, while the 55-inch-handle gives you plenty of reach and leverage. The tines also release collected debris easily: Just flip the rake over and slide it across the ground with tines facing upward, and any leaves, twigs, and brambles will easily slip out.
Best garden rake
Often called a “bow rake” due to the curved arms that attach the tines to the handle, the garden rake is a must-have for anyone tending to a garden or to planter beds. The short, pointed, and rugged metal tines of a garden rake are critical for “their ability to grab sticks, rocks, and clumps of dirt,” as you clear out and level a garden or bed for planting, Bendrick says.
And once the bed is relatively clear of unwanted materials, this durable and affordable rake is great for working the land itself. “It’s helpful to flip over the rake and use the level side for smoothing out dirt or bark mulch,” says Elsworthy. These rakes can also be used on sand, making them great for people who live in arid areas and opt for climate-friendly landscaping. The Miya Heavy Duty Bow Rake’s stainless-steel handle can be assembled in different lengths — between 40 and 60 inches — for ideal user experience, and the handle’s nonslip grips ensure efficient, comfortable raking.
Best hand rake
“I love a mini garden rake with a miniature flexible fan of tines,” says Bendrick, who calls hand rakes ideal for “access to tight spaces” like raised planter beds or flowerpots. A hand rake can also be essential for working around fragile plants, like orchids, tomato plants, and many types of flowering annuals. This ergonomically designed hand rake from Fiskars weighs just half a pound, but its seven stainless-steel tines are tough enough for use in rough, rocky soil, so it can complement your larger garden rake as you prep beds for planting.
Small in size but big in handiness, this affordable hand rake is a great addition to any gardener’s kit. And if your garden is limited to planter boxes on a porch or balcony, this mini-rake may be the only rake you need. Having used it in my own food garden, which is in a raised bed, I can attest to the comfort of the grip and the resilience of the tines.
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