The 7 Best Lawn Aerators of 2024

Best Overall

Agri-Fab 40-Inch Tow-Behind Plug Aerator

$270 At Amazon $280 At Home Depot $270 At Walmart

You'll need a riding mower or lawn tractor to pull this tow-behind plug aerator, but once you've connected the universal hitch, you can head out to easily and effectively improve the health of your lawn. The aerator is 40 inches wide, so you can work your way across even fairly large lawns in the same time it would take to mow.

We especially appreciate the heavy-duty construction of this aerator; it has a steel deck and welded drawbar, so it can stand up to regular use without cracking or bending. Plus, it has 10-inch flat-free tires that roll smoothly without worries about pops or blow-outs, even across uneven terrain. A transport handle lets you easily raise or lower the blades, so you can lift them up when crossing the driveway or other non-turf surfaces and then lower them into position when it's time to get down to business.

While just about every lawn benefits from occasional aeration, this aerator is especially good for turf that's exposed to considerable foot traffic, compacted clay soils, or lawns in drought-stricken areas where soil tends to become very hard. The one downside to this lawn care tool is that it's fairly hard to assemble. We recommend watching the company's YouTube video on assembly procedure rather than relying only on the included written instructions.

And of course, what we like most about this aerator is its efficient, effective performance. It has six rotating disks, each with four attached coring blades, for a total of 24 galvanized blades that punch into the soil and remove 3/4-inch diameter plugs, thus reducing soil compaction and allowing turf roots better access to water, nutrients, and oxygen.

Depending on how much weight you place in the large weight tray—it can hold up to 140 pounds—the blades can penetrate as deeply as 3 inches into the turf for the best aeration performance. Like all plug aerators, your lawn will be dotted with cored plugs of soil after you finish, but they will soon break down and restore nutrients to your grass.

_{Type: Plug | Spike Length: 3 inches | Width: 40 inches | Weight Capacity: 140 pounds}

Best Budget

Gardzen Plug Aerator

$21 At Amazon View On Gardzenonline.com

If your lawn isn't too large and you don't want to spend a lot of money on an aerator, then we recommend this reasonably priced manual aerator from Gardzen. The sturdy tool is made of steel and has padded handles, although we recommend that you wear good work gloves as well for additional comfort and protection from blisters.

It's 36 inches long overall, which is a good height for the average user but might be too short for you if you are tall. The length of the tine portion that actually penetrates the turf is only 1.5 inches, so it's best to use this on grass that isn't too tall and soil that isn't excessively compacted.

The process of aerating with this manual tool is not too difficult, although it is time intensive and can be tiring. Just position the aerator's tines straight down to the soil, step forward with all of your weight onto the foot plate so the two tines dig down into the soil, and then remove your foot and lift the aerator up out of the ground. Repeat across your lawn, making holes every few inches.

You'll see two cores of dirt pop up out of the tines; leave them on your grass to decompose or sweep them up if you are concerned about their appearance. You'll definitely want to water the lawn the day before using this tool if it hasn't rained, but don't use it on soaked soil; too dry and you won't be able to penetrate the soil easily, but too wet and the aerator tends to clog.

_{Type: Plug | Spike Length: 1.5 inches | Width: 11.4 inches | Weight Capacity: Not specified}

Best Push

Suchtale 18-Inch Push Spike Aerator

$80 At Amazon

If you want to benefits of a tow-behind aerator but don't have a lawn tractor or riding mower, and you are prepared to get a good physical workout, then we recommend the Suchtale push aerator. It's easiest to use this aerator on moist—not soaked—ground, and you'll have fewer issues with mud clotting around the blades. Because of this, you'll definitely want to water your lawn the day before, though, unless it has rained.

Before heading out to aerate the grass, be sure to clear away any rocks, excessive fallen leaves, pine cones, or other debris that could catch in the aerator spikes. The aerator is 18 inches wide and has five star-shaped blades, each with 10 sharp tips, for a total of 50 spikes that can penetrate up to 2 inches into the soil. Place up to 35 pounds of bricks onto the 16-inch weight platform to help the aerator dig in deep. When not actually aerating with the tool, it's easy to transport thanks to its two plastic wheels.

From the ground to the handle, the aerator measures 44.5 inches, so it's a good size for most users. It's a bit tricky to assemble, but once you have it put together, it's not complicated to use and it doesn't take up a lot of storage space in your garage or shed.

_{Type: Spike | Spike Length: 2 inches | Width: 18 inches | Weight Capacity: 35 pounds}

Best Manual Spike

Walensee Manual Spike Lawn Aerator

$32 At Amazon $32 At Walmart

If your lawn isn't excessively compacted and the soil is fairly loamy or sandy, not heavy clay, then a spike aerator can improve drainage and airflow to your turf's roots. While this spike aerator from Walensee might not be the best choice for a large lawn, it's a good option for small stretches of grass or for areas on a large lawn that a tow-behind aerator can't easily access.

As with all manual aerators, you should expect to get a bit of a workout and spend a good portion of your afternoon using the tool. The grass should be wet but not soaked before getting started—if the soil is too wet, you may find that the aerator pulls out chunks of soil and grass rather than making clean holes.

The aerator is iron with a comfortably padded handle and a full length of 34.6 inches. What's unique about this aerator is that rather than having just two spikes, it has 15 sharp spikes arranged across the bottom of the rectangular footplate.

To use the tool, you simply position it flat on the grass, and then step forward with all of your weight onto the foot plate to drive the spikes into the ground. Then step back and lift the aerator up and out of the soil, reposition it a few inches away, and repeat. While we do wish the spikes were longer—they are only 2.3 inches long—this is still an effective way to aerate a small lawn that could use a little extra care.

_{Type: Spike | Spike Length: 2.3 inches | Width: 9.2 inches | Weight Capacity: Not specified}

Best Manual Plug

Yard Butler Lawn Coring Aerator

$49 At Amazon $51 At Home Depot $55 At Ace Hardware

Like our manual spike option, the Walensee Lawn Aerator Spike, the Yard Butler is best for fairly small lawns. It's also great for lawns that aren't excessively compacted, don't have a lot of stones or other debris, and are freshly watered but not too wet.

What we especially like about this lawn care tool is that, unlike many other manual plug aerators that only produce small soil plugs, this one can create plugs up to 3.5 inches in length and 1/2 inch in diameter, which is optimal for turf health. Of course, to achieve the longest plugs, you'll need to step forward with all of your weight onto the tool's foot plate—if you are much lighter than average, though, you might not be able to as effectively drive the tines into the soil.

The tool is made of steel with cushioned hand grips, although you'll be more comfortable wearing work gloves for additional hand protection. It's 37 inches tall, so it is a good length for most users. When using it, you should aim to space your holes a few inches apart for the best results, although that can admittedly make the process rather time-consuming.

Also, if your soil is too wet, then you may find that the aerator clogs, requiring you to stop and push out the dirt plugs by hand or with a stick. Still, for those who don't mind getting a bit of a workout and don't have large lawns, this is a great way to improve grass health and, ultimately, turf appearance.

_{Type: Plug | Spike Length: 4 inches | Width: 8.75 inches | Weight Capacity: Not specified}

Best Tow-Behind Spike

Brinly-Hardy 40-Inch Tow-Behind Spike Aerator

$235 At Amazon $199 At Home Depot $164 At Lowe's

You can tow this spike aerator behind just about any riding mower, lawn tractor, or even an ATV, thanks to its universal hitch. The sturdy steel aerator is 40 inches wide, so you can tackle even a large lawn in no more time than it would take for regular mowing. The aerator has 11 8-inch galvanized steel "stars," each with 12 sharp 2-inch tips for a total of 132 spikes.

Each star rotates independently, even while the mower is turning, so you get uniform aeration across the turf. For maximum soil penetration, place up to 150 pounds of bricks or paving edgers on the weight tray, which has a lip to keep the bricks from slipping out of place on turns.

There's a lever that's easily reached from the seat of your riding mower for lifting the blades up while transporting the aerator across driveways or other non-turf areas. Once you reach the grass, simply pull the lever again to lower the blades into place.

While spike aeration is not quite as effective as plug aeration on heavily compacted soils, it is an excellent way to prepare your lawn for fertilizing or winter over-seeding, and it is adequate for aerating soil that isn't heavy clay or excessively compacted. Be aware that the spikes are extremely sharp, so take care while assembling the aerator, and be sure to keep pets and children away from the tool while it's in use or stored. And we do wish that the wheels were rubber, not plastic.

_{Type: Spike | Spike Length: 2 inches | Width: 40 inches | Weight Capacity: 150 pounds}

Best Shoes

DenForste Lawn Aerator Shoes

$25 At Amazon

Go for a walk and improve the quality of your lawn with these strap-on aerating shoes. However, it's important that you not use them on grass that's too wet, or on soil that has a lot of clay, as otherwise you risk compacting the ground even further. But for a small lawn that's growing in loamy or sandy soil, this can be a good option.

These aerators have Velcro straps so you can adjust them securely right over your regular shoes, and they fit women's shoe sizes 6 to 10/men's shoe sizes 6 to 9. The base of the aerator shoes is made of heavy-duty plastic and aluminum alloy, so they are strong and sturdy.

Each shoe has 13 sharp spikes measuring 1.8 inches in length. Once you have strapped the aerator shoes tightly to your regular shoes, you simply start walking across your lawn, trying to space your steps as evenly as possible. With each step, your body weight drives the spikes down into the ground, creating small holes that help improve soil aeration and water penetration.

Do your best to lift your feet straight up and down, rather than dragging them forward, to avoid ripping up chunks of grass or clumping mud on the spikes. And remember that the more you weigh, the easier it will be to drive the spikes into the soil. Still, be prepared for a workout and tired legs by the time you finish caring for your lawn.

Price at time of publish: $25

_{Type: Spike | Spike Length: 1.8 inches | Width: 5 inches | Weight Capacity: Not specified}