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With autumn well under way, fallen leaves can quickly pile up on your lawns, patios and flowerbeds. This week, it's crunch time for a pair of cordless leaf blowers, as our experts see which models can help tidy your garden without hours of sweeping and raking.

One model blew us away with its ability to clear leaves, despite costing less than £100, but a pricier rival failed to impress.

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At a glance: Mac Allister MBV18-Li-2 18V 2.0Ah Blower vs Bosch Universal Leaf Blower 18V-130

Mac Allister MBV18-Li-2 18V 2.0Ah Blower (74%, Best Buy, Great Value)

• We like: Comfortable to use, easy speed control, effective at everyday clearing jobs
• Watch out for: Short battery life, noticeable vibration

If you're looking for a cordless leaf blower to tackle the autumn clear-up, this affordable Mac Allister is well worth considering. At around £85, it's one of the cheaper models we've tested, and we gave it our Best Buy and Great Value recommendations.

Our testers found it particularly effective at clearing leaves from lawns, patios and flowerbeds. It's not the most powerful machine around, but that's not necessarily a bad thing when you're trying to direct leaves into a neat pile rather than send them flying across the garden.

This model is comfortable to handle and feels light in use, although we did notice some vibration. The main limitation is its lack of power when dealing with heavier leaf litter, so it's better suited to smaller, everyday jobs than a major garden clear-out. Battery life is another compromise – we managed just 11 minutes 30 seconds from a full charge.

Even so, if you're mainly tackling smaller jobs, this Best Buy has plenty going for it.

For Which? members only: see our Mac Allister MBV18-Li-2 18V 2.0Ah Blower review

Bosch Universal Leaf Blower 18V-130 (49%)

• We like: Lightweight, longer battery life than the Mac Allister
• Watch out for: Disappointing clearing performance

Bosch is a familiar name in garden power tools, but our tests show choosing a well-known brand doesn't always guarantee impressive results.

In fact, this Bosch leaf blower earned only two stars out of five for clearing ability, compared with four stars for the Mac Allister, a significant difference.

The Bosch does have a couple of advantages. At 1.5kg, it's considerably lighter than the Mac Allister, and its battery lasted 20 minutes in our tests, giving you nearly twice as long to work before you need to recharge.

However, the extra runtime is less appealing given its disappointing clearing performance. We think you'd be better off spending your money on the Mac Allister.

For Which? members only: see our Bosch Universal Leaf Blower 18V-130 review

Our expert says

'The most powerful leaf blower isn't necessarily the best one for your garden. Too much force can make leaves difficult to control, while an underpowered model might struggle to shift damp leaves or heavier debris. Getting that balance right is what matters most.

'In our tests, we put leaf blowers to work on different surfaces, including lawns, patios and flower borders. We check how quickly they clear fallen leaves, whether they can shift wet leaves stuck to hard surfaces, and how easily they remove debris around plants without causing damage.

'We also assess how comfortable each model is to handle, how easy the controls are to use and how long cordless batteries last. For more details, see our guide to the best leaf blowers.'

Manca Virant, Which? leaf blowers expert

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