The 5 Best Snow Roof Rakes of 2023

Best Overall

Garelick 89421 21-Foot Aluminum Snow Roof Rake

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The Garelick 89421 21-Foot Aluminum Snow Roof Rake should reach the top of most single-story houses and many two-story houses. And weighing under 6 pounds, this lightweight device, with its 24-inch-wide aluminum blade, is sturdy yet easy to manage. Like most snow rakes, this product is designed to pull the snow down from ground level instead of pushing it off from a higher position on the roof. 

What caught our eye with this product is the rollers, which keep the blade above the roof’s surface, protecting shingles from being damaged by being scraped. Unlike other rakes, the blade never touches the roof’s surface. The rollers also make it easy to advance the blade up the roof. And when you’re done using the rake, you can quickly disassemble it into three pieces to store until you need it next.

We have noted that this rake may not remove all the snow from solar panels.

Price at time of publish: $100

_{Weight: 5.75 pounds | Handle length: 21 feet | Blade width: 24 inches | Blade material: Aluminum}

Best Budget

Snow Joe RJ204M 21' Twist-n-Lock Telescoping Snow Shovel Roof Rake

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This roof rake weighs under 5 pounds, making it one of the lightest rakes we’ve seen. The blade’s poly material is designed to not scratch your shingles. (You also can purchase this snow roof rake with an aluminum blade for about $5 more.) And unlike other rakes that rely on multiple interlocking pieces, this rake has a single telescoping pole that quickly locks into place at exactly the length you want, from 6 to 21 feet. 

We have noted some issues with the design, particularly with the support straps disengaging, and with some parts misaligning. We also note that, like all snow-moving tools, this product works better on light, powdery snow than on heavy, wet snow.

Price at time of publish: $50

_{Weight: 4.8 pounds | Handle length: 6-21 feet | Blade width: 25 inches | Blade material: Poly}

Best for Shingles

Extreme Max 5600.3207 Shingle-Saver 21' Roof Snow Rake with 24" Blade

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This Extreme Max roof rake is similar to the Garelick, with rollers to protect your shingles, a stated 21-foot reach, and 24-inch-wide aluminum blade. It also disassembles into three 5-foot-long pieces, with easy snap-button technology, so it can be stored in a small space.

We found some significant differences from the Garelick, which may account for the price difference. First, the Extreme Max’s aluminum pole may feel flimsy to some, and we have noted it can bend or break if you try to pull heavy, wet snow from off your roof.

Second, aluminum has a tendency to react harshly to cold. So we recommend storing this snow roof rake indoors when not in use to keep the lock nut fasteners from freezing up; this would make it difficult or impossible to disassemble the rake. Also, note that a metal pole needs to be kept far away from power lines!

Still, we recommend this product for homeowners who wish to haul snow off their roofs while keeping blades off their shingles.

Price at time of publish: $59

_{Weight: 5.75 pounds | Handle length: 21-foot | Blade width: 24-inch | Blade material: Aluminum}

Best for Metal Roofs

Avalanche! Original 750 Roof Rake with Slide Material

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Metal roofs aren’t a cure for ice dams; they form because water melts on unheated surfaces and re-freezes when it hits other unheated surfaces such as overhangs. So a snow roof rake may be needed for structures with metal roofs. The Avalanche! Original 750 with Slide Material has 3-inch wheels, snaps together, and is easy to assemble, with no tools required. The manufacturer also claims this product is appropriate for other types of roofs, such as cedar shake and tile, as well as metal. However, we don’t recommend this product for other than single-story structures.

This rake functions differently than some other roof rakes. Instead of pulling snow down, you push the pole, with its cedar blade, up your roof, and the snow slides down the other side. The design can work because typically, structures with metal roofs such as sheds, are lower and built with less steep roofs than most houses. The manufacturer claims that the rake can remove up to a ton of snow a minute.

We note that the wheels can keep the blade nearly an inch above the roof, so it leaves some snow up there. For that reason, we don’t recommend it to clear snow off solar panels, despite the manufacturer’s claim.

Price at time of publish: $135

_{Weight: 9.79 pounds | Handle length: 16-foot | Width: 17-inch}