Best Avalanche Shovels of 2024

Have you ever wondered what you would do if a friend was swept away in an avalanche in the backcountry? Or how you could even prevent such a frightening, yet not uncommon, occurrence to begin with? Like with beacons and ski helmets, every backcountry skier should have a sturdy, reliable avalanche shovel. Beyond avalanche rescue missions, an avalanche shovel can be used as a preventative tool, allowing you to check the stability of the snow for avalanche danger and avoid catastrophe before it hits. But how do you know what the best avalanche shovel is for you?

Here, at The Adventure Junkies, we want to help you limit your choices when selecting the best avalanche shovel. We’ll discuss the main features that you should consider, explain why those features are important, and review a variety of avalanche shovels to help you find the best one for you.

For more of our top snow sports gear recommendations, check out these popular articles:

Avalanche Beacons | Avalanche Probes

Reviews - The Best Avalanche Shovels

Black Diamond Evac

Specs

• Best For: Overall
• Material: Aluminum
• Grip: D-grip
• Shaft: Telescoping
• Blade Shape: Large and Flat

BEST FOR AVALANCHE RESCUE, SNOW PITS, BACKCOUNTRY JUMPS

PROS: Converts to hoe, lightweight, collapses small, good construction

CONS: Gets stuck extending to full length occasionally, doesn’t fit in all ski backpacks

View at Evo

View at Moosejaw

Backcountry Access Bomber B-2

Specs

• Best For: Budget
• Material: Aluminum
• Grip: T-grip
• Shaft: Telescoping
• Blade Shape: Large and Flat

BEST FOR AVALANCHE RESCUE, SNOW PITS, BACKCOUNTRY JUMPS, SNOW SHELTERS

PROS: Lightweight, slotted holds for rescue sled, fits in most ski backpacks, durable, easy to breakdown

CONS: Ice can get stuck in the locking mechanism

View at Backcountry

Black Diamond Deploy 7

Specs

• Best For: Rescue/Snow Pit Combo
• Material: Aluminum
• Grip: D/T- hyrbrid grip
• Shaft: Telescoping
• Blade Shape: Large and Curved

BEST FOR AVALANCHE RESCUE, SNOW PITS, BACKCOUNTRY JUMPS, SNOW SHELTERS

PROS: Quick assembly, fits in most ski backpacks

CONS: Handle too short for some skiers, slightly heavy

View at REI

Voile Telepro

Specs

• Best For: Budget
• Material: Aluminum
• Grip: D-grip
• Shaft: Telescoping
• Blade Shape: Mid-size and Flat

BEST FOR AVALANCHE RESCUE, SNOW PIT

PROS: Lightweight, slotted holds for rescue sled

CONS: None could be found

View at Amazon

G3 AviTech

Specs

• Best For: Rescue/Snow Pit Combo
• Material: Aluminum
• Grip: T-grip but with D-grip attachment
• Shaft: Telescoping
• Blade Shape: Large and Flat

BEST FOR AVALANCHE RESCUE, SNOW PITS, SNOW SHELTERS

PROS: Quick assembly, lightweight, slotted for rescue sled

CONS: None could be found

View at Backcountry

HOW TO CHOOSE THE BEST AVALANCHE SHOVELS

MATERIAL

The material of shovel is one of the best ways to narrow down your options when selecting the best avalanche shovel for you. If the shovel is made of inferior materials, it will break and become useless during a rescue mission. Most avalanche shovels are made of one of three types of materials: aluminum, plastic, or steel.

ALUMINUM

Aluminum is—hands down—the best material for an avalanche shovel. It allows the user to engage in the chopping action that is essential for rescuing a victim of an avalanche. It is stronger and will last longer than plastic. It is also lighter weight than steel and is often fabricated from the same material that it used for bike frames and airplanes.

PLASTIC

In most cases, plastic avalanche shovels are not recommended. Plastic avalanche shovels have the tendency to break in extreme cold and when the blade hits debris while digging. The only benefit to carrying a plastic avalanche shovel is that it may be very lightweight, but in an emergency it will not be a good selection.

STEEL

Steel shovels are extremely durable, but they are also extremely heavy. Most backcountry skiers prefer the lighter weight of heat-treated alloys over the heavier weight of a steel shovel.

BLADE SIZE

Blade size is a key component to selecting the best avalanche shovel for you. Many backcountry skiers prefer a larger blade, so they can move more snow. The downside to that is that—in an emergency—the person shoveling may get tired faster. The alternative is a smaller blade that is easier to handle. While a smaller blade will let you shovel snow for a longer period of time without experiencing fatigue, it is also less efficient at chopping away at dense snowpack and removes less snow than a larger blade.

It is also important that the blade’s size does not prevent you from storing your avalanche shovel inside your ski backpack. If it is attached to the outside of the pack, it will get torn off during an avalanche, making it useless.

BLADE SHAPE

The blade shape is a matter of preference. There are two main shapes—flat or curved—with benefits to each. Either shape of blade can also be serrated. A serrated blade will cut through cement-like snow, ice, and avalanche debris better.

FLAT BLADE

A flat blade is best for digging snow pits. Backcountry skiers dig snow pits to check the stability of the snowpack, letting them know the likelihood of an avalanche. The ability to take such precautions is as important as a good ski helmet. The cleaner and smoother the wall, the easier it is to see how stable it is.

CURVED BLADE

A curved blade is best for avalanche rescue since it will remove more snow with each scoop than a flat blade.

SHAFT

The shaft of an avalanche shovel can be extendable or telescoping, allowing for greater leverage, or it can be a fixed length. A longer shaft will give more leverage, while a shorter shaft will give greater maneuverability.

GRIP

There are three types of grips on the handle of an avalanche shovel: T-grip, L-grip, and D-grip. The T-grip is very effective and also most common type of avalanche shovel grip. The L-grip is the lightest and most compact type of avalanche shovel grip. The D-grip is the most ergonomic shovel handle grip. It is the easiest to hold when wearing mittens, but it also takes up the most space in your ski backpack because it is bulkier and heavier than the other grips.