Overworking yourself while shoveling snow is dangerous. It’s easy to ignore signs of fatigue in the cold, putting you at risk for a back injury or even a heart attack. According the American Heart Association, shoveling snow can increase the risk of a cardiac event.

For small homes with shorter walkways and fewer steps, an electric snow shovel puts the snow-moving power of a snowblower in a lighter “shovel-like” form factor. (Honestly, they look more like small rototillers to me.) They can launch the snow on your walk up to 25 feet through the air so you don’t have to bend or lift as you dig out after a storm.

An electric snow shovel may offer a viable alternative to a snowblower for small homes, but they also work well as supplemental tools for clearing out outdoor stairs, walkways, patios, decks, and anywhere else a snowblower may not be able to reach. If that sounds like it could help you out of a blizzard-induced jam this winter, we can steer you toward the best electric snow shovels, and pick out the right one for your home.