If you think that there is one single tool you're going to need throughout the entire winter, guess again. There are plenty of different ones that serve other purposes, so let's take a look at what those tools are and what they can do for you, exactly. So, what do you do when you're snowed in, the car won't start, you're at risk of ice dams, or the driveway is too slippery? It would be best if you had the right tools, so take a look at the list we've put together to prepare you for some serious snow action this winter.

Snow Removal Tool #1: Snowblowers

Snowblowers are the easiest and most powerful way to get rid of the snow in your yard or driveway. Think of snowblowers as the lawnmowers of the winter season. They are lightweight and electric tools that suck in snow and scatter it farther away. Snowblowers come with handles that make it easy to push and handle them with ease. In other words, they are the automatic and improved version of a snow shovel, which, as you know, requires some effort on your behalf for snow removal.

Our Favorite Snowblower

WHY WE LIKE IT: Snow Joe is a manufacturer that makes one of the best and most cost-effective snow blowers you've seen, and the SJ623E is one of those. It is an electric snow blower that doesn't require gas to power it up and uses a 15-amp motor that's more powerful than you might think. With it, the blower can remove up to 720 pounds of snow per minute. It is the right tool for cleaning snow out of medium and large yards and driveways. Not only that, it comes with a four-blade steel auger that can cut 18 x 10 inches in a single pass.

WHO SHOULD BUY IT: Anyone who lives in a region that gets regular light-to-moderate snowfall and is tired of shoveling all winter long.

Snow Removal Tool #2: Snow Shovels

You want to have a snow shovel around the house if you live in a colder climate. They are inexpensive, are made with a variety of different materials, and they are everyone's go-to solution for lifting, digging, or merely moving snow out of the way. There are many types of snow shovels on the market. Our favorite snow shovels are best for clearing walkways and drives, and we think you'll find them all useful and durable. But if you need a shovel for your automobile, we have a new favorite to add to the list.

Our Favorite Car Snow Shovel

      Pros:

    • "Extendable handle.
    • "Compact and easy to store.
    • "Easy to hold.
      Cons:

    • "Handle is pretty short. "

WHY WE LIKE IT: It comes with a handle that can expand up to 37 inches in length so that you can remove the snow around the tires. When not in use, collapse the handle and throw it in the trunk of your car because it is a really compact product.

When assembled, this shovel measures 30" x 9.5" x 5" and comes with a D-shaped handle that should make it pretty easy for you to hold it. The shovel head is 9.5 inches wide, which makes for a pretty decent amount of snow scooping (unless you have to deal with heavy snowfall and you're on a strict schedule time-wise).

WHO SHOULD BUY IT: Those who drive a car to work or school and live in areas with regular snowfall.

Snow Removal Tool #3: Ice Scrapers

These are precisely what they sound like: little tools designed to scrape ice off of different kinds of surfaces. They are crucial for those who own cars because even after you remove snow from the vehicle in the morning, you are very likely to find a thin layer of ice that will completely block your view. These scrapers are solid enough not to bend when you apply pressure for ice scraping purposes, yet they aren't rough enough to scratch a glossy surface in the process. Small and lightweight, they are an essential part of your snow removal arsenal.

Our Favorite Ice Scraper

Kriszon Ice Scraper

    This ice scraper is perfect for those of you who want to remove thin layers of ice off the windshield, windows, or headlights of your car. It also works for eliminating fresh snow.

      Pros:

    • "Multiple package options.
    • "Easy to store.
    • "Good for ice and snow removal.
      Cons:

    • "Not efficient for thick ice layers. "

WHY WE LIKE IT: Sometimes, all you need is a cheap and efficient ice scraper for your car, and this looks like the right tool for the job. It is a product with a funnel-like design (which can also be used for different car-related purposes, like pouring windshield washing solution into the designated tank). You can move it in circles to remove more snow and ice from your car at once, which is an improvement over the traditional flat ice scraper that can only remove ice from one angle at a time.

It's made from a material that won't scratch glass. The scraper is available in a pack of two, three, or four products and many different colors, such as black, red, blue, or green. You can't purchase this product individually.

WHO SHOULD BUY IT: We think everyone should have an ice scraper on hand, no matter the climate. These tools are invaluable but inexpensive, take up little space, require almost no skill to use, and can be real lifesavers whether you get nightly ice coverage or just have a cold day every year or two.

Snow Removal Tool #4: Snow Pushers

These are kind of like a combination between a shovel and a brush, except what they do is push the snow away from a surface (imagine scraping the icing off a cupcake by using a pastry knife). While efficient, snow pushers can put a lot of strain on your back because they are made with one large scoop that can push large quantities of now farther away, but it does require putting some effort into the process. If you're dealing with a layer of snow thicker than 6 inches, you might want to consider buying a snow pusher with wheels.

Our Favorite Wheeled Snow Pusher

Snowcaster 30SNC

    A wheeled snow pusher, great for clearing lighter snow very quickly.

      Pros:

    • Great for lighter snow
    • Wide blade means fewer passes
    • Durable
      Cons:

    • Don't even try it with deep or heavy snow
    • More expensive than a traditional shovel"

WHY WE LIKE IT: This is an excellent option for seniors or people who want quick cleaning of light snow. Truly, yes, it's more efficient for up to an inch or two of snow depth. You get 30" of width on each pass, and there's zero lifting required. Snowcaster also has an alternative 70SNC model that has a 36" width and is bi-directional.

WHO SHOULD BUY IT: Anyone who has trouble lifting snow or regularly needs to clear light snow quickly. If my granddad were still with us, I'd buy him this one.

Snow Removal Tool #5: Snow Brushes

Snow cleaners for cars are multipurpose tools aimed at removing snow and ice from your vehicle's surface. They are usually 2-in-1 or 3-in-1 types of devices that come with brushes, squeegees, and ice scrapers located at both ends of the tool. These snow cleaners are generally lightweight and compact, but their usefulness mustn't be underestimated. Some even come with telescopic handles so that you can reach all parts of the car roof (this is especially useful if you own an SUV or a larger truck).

Our Favorite Snow Brush with Squeegee

WHY WE LIKE IT:  This little tool is designed for scraping snow off your car, and it comes with all the construction options needed to offer you comfort when you use it. The brush works really in removing fresh snow off the windshield or other parts of the car, while the squeegee is useful for more thorough cleaning.

The brush is designed with a telescoping handle so that you can remove snow and ice from the car without having to reach out of your comfort zone. The handle is aluminum, which makes it more resistant to extreme temperatures. The ice scraper is a quality ABS material. The foam grip makes it very easy to hold and maneuver your scraper and brush even when temperatures are ruthless.

WHO SHOULD BUY IT: This is another tool we think is appropriate for people in every climate. Whether you need it every day or only a few times per year, it's worth the cost and great to have on hand.

Snow Removal Tool #6: Roof Rakes

Roof rakes are essential if you own a house and get any kind of snowfall in most years. It happens very often for large quantities of snow on the roof to lead to the formation of ice dams, which are a danger to the structure of your roof and house. Roof rakes are designed to help you take the snow off the roof while making sure that you are not in any danger (in the past, removing snow off the roof usually meant that you had to climb on top of a ladder, which is something you surely want to avoid).

Our Favorite Roof Rake

      Pros:

    • "No damage to roof shingles.
    • "Easy to assemble.
    • "Safe way to remove roof snow.
      Cons:

    • "A tad overpriced. "

WHY WE LIKE IT: Roof rakes are the kind of products that you never knew you needed until you test their power for yourself. Removing snow from your roof is important because the weight can lead to structural roof damage and creates a favorable environment for ice dam formation, both of which you want to avoid. This Avalanche Original 500 rake is one of the best snow removal tools designed for roofs.

It is effortless to put it together and weighs a little less than 10 pounds, so it shouldn't be all that difficult to maneuver it. It comes with wheels that prevent the rake from scraping the shingles and damaging them, but there's also a slide made of nonstick material that efficiently collects snow.

WHO SHOULD BUY IT: People in regions with regular snowfall and sustained cold temperatures. Roof damage costs way more than any roof rake ever could, so it's worth the investment to make sure your house stays intact through repeat freeze-thaw cycles and over the decades as winter chips away at your roof's integrity.

Bottom Line

now cleaning from a car in the north of Sweden

Having the right snow removal tools in your arsenal can avoid a lot of frustration and help you save precious time every time you step out of the house and into the snowy environment. Depending on how much it snows in your area, whether or not you own a car, or what size your yard is, some snow removal tools are better than others, so make sure you first identify your needs before investing in any of them. These are our top choice for these six categories of snow removal tools:

Our Favorite Snowblower: SNOW JOE SJ623E ELECTRIC SINGLE STAGE SNOW THROWER

Our Favorite Car Snow Shovel: HOPKINS 17211 SUBZERO AUTO EMERGENCY SNOW SHOVEL

Our Favorite Ice Scraper: KRISZON ICE SCRAPER

Our Favorite Snow Pusher: SNOWCASTER 30SNC

Our Favorite Snow Brush: DRIVAID CAR SNOW BRUSH WITH SQUEEGEE

Our Favorite Roof Rake: AVALANCHE! ORIGINAL 500 SNOW REMOVAL SYSTEM