HUSQVARNA 320iB Review
Pros: Runs on the quieter side, can be locked out
Cons: Turbo limited to 10 seconds, speed selection is funky
Manufacturer: HUSQVARNA
Our Verdict
Compare to Similar Products
Our Analysis and Test Results
The HUSQVARNA 320iB finished just behind the Greenworks G-MAX and scored comparably to the WORX Turbine 56V WG591. Both the 320iB and the WORX are substantially more powerful than the G-MAX but also quite a bit more costly.
Performance Comparison
To find out which cordless leaf blower is truly worthy of the title of Best Overall, we started off by comparing and researching an enormous number of currently available blowers, then purchased all the models that we thought had the most promise. We tested all of these out for ourselves in a series of head-to-head challenges grouped into four weighted rating metrics, with the HUSQVARNA's performance in each outlined below.
Power
Comprising half of the HUSQVARNA's overall score, the trio of evaluations that make up our power metric is the most significant of them all. To determine scores, we measured the maximum useful range of this leaf blower, the height at which it could levitate a beach ball, and how easily and effectively the 320iB is at clearing different sorts of debris and rubbish. The HUSQVARNA did alright, earning a 5 out of 10 for its efforts.
The HUSQVARNA has an average useful range, able to blow sand up to about 9' away without moving the blower. However, you do have a slightly larger range of almost 11' when taking into account its 10-second Turbo boost mode but you don't really have that entire range available to you unless you are continually hitting the Turbo button.
The 320iB's performance in the beach ball levitation test put it squarely in the middle of the pack, floating the inflatable ball just shy of 4' — 46" — in a stable configuration.
When it came to clearing sections of our parking lot, the HUSQVARNA is overall quite average. It's a step up above the weakest leaf blowers but not by all that much, struggling to move heavier items like small pebbles or clumps of pine needles. We found the 10-second Turbo Boost to be a bit gimmicky in practice, as we just continually found ourselves hitting the button to clear debris.
Battery
Subsequently, we moved on to rating and comparing the battery system included with the HUSQVARNA, which is accountable for 25% of the total score. To determine points for this metric, we timed how long the battery on its highest continuous operating mode and how long it took to recharge a totally dead battery. The 320iB delivered another mediocre set of results, earning it a 5 out of 10.
While the HUSQVARNA does have a Turbo mode, it isn't continuous, so we didn't take it into account when determining runtime, However, you should expect to get a shorter runtime than what we got if you are frequently engaging the Turbo Boost. This blower includes a 40-volt, four amp hour battery, which lasted for 18 minutes and 50 seconds in our assessment.
When depleted, this battery module took about two hours to completely recharge, which is par for the course for these products.
Ergonomics
Next, we evaluated and compared how comfortable the HUSQVARNA is to hold, how evenly it balances, and its overall weight, as well as the location of the air intake. This cordless blower continued a trend, delivering another thoroughly lackluster set of results in our tests, earning a 5 out of 10.
The HUSQVARNA 320iB weighs a little more than eight pounds, which puts it right in the middle of the group.
We didn't think the 320iB had the best balance of the group, finding that it points a little too steeply at the ground when holding it in a natural position.
The handle felt fairly ergonomic to our judges and it is easy to reach the controls while holding it normally, but we did notice that the bottom part of the grip is a little rectangular and can get uncomfortable after holding it for extended periods of time.
This blower has an air intake on both sides which can start to suck in exceptionally baggy clothing, but we never really had an issue with that in our testing process, as the suction isn't quite as strong on the HUSQVARNA as some other models.
Noise
For the remaining 10% of the total score, we compared and scored the noise levels generated by each cordless leaf blower. The HUSQVARNA 320iB did quite well, receiving a 7 out of 10.
This metric consists of two tests: measuring the sound level for the user and for anyone passing by at a distance of 50' from the blower. Additionally, we also had judges compare the tone of each leaf blower side-by-side, deducting points if they were particularly high-pitched or otherwise exceptionally obnoxious.
The 320iB registered 86.4 dBa for the operator and 83.8 dBa for a bystander, which is on the quieter side for these products. It also only has a slight whine that didn't really stand out as being particularly irritating.
Value
All in all, the HUSQVARNA isn't a great value, costing quite a bit more than other products that performed about the same.
Conclusion
While we didn't overly dislike the 320iB, there were plenty of other blowers that we liked far better, with a handful of them costing significantly less than the HUSQVARNA.
— Austin Palmer, David Wise, and Jenna Ammerman