Easier Than A Tarp: The Alternative From Home Depot That's Better For Collecting Fallen Leaves

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Fall is a beautiful season, but it also comes with a lot of work. For the most part, leaves only fall in large amounts for a few months of the year. Because of this, it doesn't often make sense to buy an expensive tool to help gather them all up, even if it's a neat hands-free solution to clear leaves. But other methods like trying to use a tarp and scooping are cumbersome and frustrating, as they leave you with a heavy pile. Thankfully, Leaf Easy designed the Leaf Scoop to make your fall clean-up just a little easier, and it costs under $10 at Home Depot.

The product is large enough to hold a big pile of leaves, measuring 48 by 45 inches when flat and 21 by 45 inches folded. It's similar to corrugated cardboard, but it is made from a durable plastic. You just scoop leaves up onto the device and dump them into a landscaping bag or compost. It's similar to a tarp, but with firm sides for better and easier movement. You can still use your powerful tools that make cleaning up fallen leaves a breeze, but this helps the final step of disposing of the mess a little easier. "I don't know how I've managed to go this long without one of these, but am thinking about ordering another one already for 'just-in-case' my current one doesn't make it through next year," said a five-star review on Home Depot's website.

This tool is lightweight, making it easy to use and lug around. Unfortunately, this also means it's rather flimsy. A few customers mentioned it broke pretty quickly, or that it barely lasted the fall season. "I had higher expectations, but for $15 I probably shouldn't have as this one is nothing more than a sheet of plastic cardboard," said a three-star review on Home Depot's website. "This leaf scoop is an excellent idea and works well, but should have an option for a much sturdier version that lasts longer than a single yard cleanup."

While it's frustrating that the product needs a little extra gentleness, you can keep it working for longer this way. It may feel more productive to scoop up a large amount of leaves at once, sometimes you'll have heavier items in there. The extra weight may be too much for this tool. 

Rain can make leaves heavier, so you may want to let piles dry before trying to pick them up. You can scoop up smaller batches over the season as well, which provides the best results when clearing the leaves from your lawn. Another problem is that many people confuse the tool with a similar one. Some scoopers are made to stick into a trash bag and then you scoop them directly in, but this one does not work the same way. It should be placed on the ground and poured out later.