Everybody loves a manicured lawn with perfectly trimmed grass and a beautiful green landscape all year round. Maybe the setup isn’t so overwhelming for those who can just hire full-time gardeners and landscape artists year-round. For most people, though, the perfect lawn means tedious work, loads of precious water, and expensive tools and fertilizer.
The solution to a beautiful lawn without the fuss? Artificial turf.
Artificial turf can do so many things that ordinary grass cannot, like withstand bad weather conditions and keep its vibrant color despite the absence of a water irrigation system. In fact, according to data from Globe News Wire, the artificial turf market is projected to reach $4.20 billion by 2027.
While maintaining artificial turf doesn’t need sophisticated systems, it does require occasional clean up if you want to keep the fibers intact and vibrant. There are many ways to keep your artificial turf clean, like sweeping or picking up the dirt on your own. However, when there’s too much debris, a good vacuum will be your best option.
An ordinary vacuum is not ideal in this case, so we compiled a guide for you to decide which artificial turf vacuum suits you best.
What To Consider First When Looking for an Artificial Turf Vacuum
Vacuuming outdoors — especially on artificial turf — is a completely different experience from indoor cleaning. Instead of the typical dust and stains, you are most likely going to clean up dirt, sand, twigs, and other large particles that can damage the artificial turf. This is why it is important to make sure you get the right vacuum for it.
Vacuum Features To Look Out For:
- Weight and portability: A great artificial turf vacuum is not too heavy, which is ideal or outdoor use. If the vacuum is on the heavy side, make sure it has wheels, so it is not difficult to lug around.
- Power source: Depending on the size of the yard, an ideal artificial turf vacuum cleaner is one that can be easily relocated. Corded vacuum cleaners are reliable, but they need to be plugged into a power source the whole time. Meanwhile, a cordless vacuum cleaner can be carried far away from the power source, but it needs to be sufficiently charged, so it won’t die halfway into the job.
- Suction power: A good artificial turf vacuum should be strong enough to pick up dirt and debris, but it should not pull out the grass fibers.
- Vacuum noise: The noise the vacuum makes depends on how loud or soft you need it to be. If you have neighbors that you don’t want to disturb, it is a good idea to pick a vacuum that isn’t too loud.
- Collection bag: Make sure the size of the collection bag is big enough for your needs. If you’re cleaning a large yard, a larger collection bag would be ideal, so you don’t have to empty the bag too often. A bagless model is ideal for artificial turfs with infills. This is so infills won’t mix up with the leaves in the dust canister.
- Price and brand: Finally, a good artificial turf vacuum cleaner is one that fits your budget but can still deliver a great job. There may be popular brands in the market right now, but there are cheaper brands that still have good reviews.
Using Vacuums on Artificial Turf That Has Infill
Infills are products in between the artificial grass blades, and they are very important to artificial grass installations for many reasons:
- Infills weigh down the turf and keep it in place, so it’s flat and doesn’t have any wrinkles or ripples.
- They keep the grass from having a matted look by adding balance. This means they keep the grass fibers or blades upright.
- They protect the backing from UV rays and foot traffic damage.
- Infills make sure the artificial turf has proper drainage.
In general, artificial turf infills are necessary to maintain the natural look and feel of the grass. They can come in different forms such as silica sand, crumb rubber, zeolite, and acrylic coated sand.
It’s important to be cautious when using a vacuum for cleaning an artificial turf with infills. Vacuuming artificial turfs with infills may loosen the infills and the grass blades, resulting in a flattened or saggy turf.
Best Artificial Turf Vacuums Available: Pros and Cons
Here are 5 of our top choices for artificial turf vacuums:
1. BLACK+DECKER Leaf Blower/Vacuum Kit, Cordless (LSWV36)
Specifications:
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Power source: Battery powered
Style: Blower/vacuum Kit
Color: Orange
Dimensions: 37 x 8.5 x 20.44 inches
Weight: 6.9 pounds
Speed: 120 miles per hour
Pros:
- Reliable brand
- Long running time
- Cordless and easy to carry around
- Quiet
- Has a soft-grip handle
- Has a mulching feature
Cons:
- Can require more charge for longer jobs
2. BLACK+DECKER Leaf Blower & Leaf Vacuum, 3-in-1, 12-Amp, 250-MPH, 400-CFM (BV6000)
Specifications:
Power source: Corded electric
Style: Blower/vacuum
Color: Black
Dimensions: 15.63 x 20.75 x 9.88 inches
Weight: 8.1 pounds
Speed: 250 miles per hour
Airflow capacity: 400 cubic feet per minute
Pros:
- Reliable brand
- Good for the back; no need to bend down
- Good mulching feature
Cons:
- Quite difficult to carry for shorter people
- Needs to be near the power source
3. LSW70021 Lawn Sweeper
Specifications:
Power source: Manual, corded electric
Style: Lawn sweeper
Color: Black
Dimensions: 44 x 28 x 29.5 inches
Weight: 13 pounds
Speed: 250 miles per hour
Cutting Width: 53.3 centimeters
Pros:
- Adjustable rake height
- Safe for artificial turfs with infills
Cons:
- Not ideal for picking up larger debris like rocks, nuts, and pinecones
- Plastic wheels make it difficult to push, especially through long grass
4. LawnMaster Artificial Turf Vacuum
Specifications:
Power source: Corded electric, battery-powered
Color: Black
Dimensions: 19.09 x 13.58 x 13.11 inches
Speed: 240 miles per hour
Airflow capacity: 380 cubic feet per minute
Pros:
- Powerful motor
- Lightweight
- Maintenance-free (no gas, no oil)
Cons:
- Can be too powerful for artificial turfs (especially with infills)
5. Greenworks 40V (185 MPH / 340 CFM) Brushless Cordless Blower / Vacuum
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Specifications:
Power source: Battery powered
Style: Blower/vacuum
Color: Green
Dimensions: 32.5 x 8.5 x 11 inches
Weight: 5.6 pounds
Noise level: 7 dB
Speed: 185 miles per hour
Airflow capacity: 340 cubic feet per minute
Pros:
- Powerful motor
- Lightweight
- Cordless and easy to carry around
- Ergonomic design
- Good mulching feature
Cons:
- Needs an extra battery for longer jobs
Conclusion
Artificial turf is a practical substitute for the natural lawn. It’s cheaper to take care of and much easier to maintain. However, dirt or debris can still damage the grass fibers. A good artificial turf vacuum is ideal to keep your grass looking new all year round.
