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Sam Wasson is a content writer specializing in gutters, roofing and pest control. He has more than five years of experience in content production, writing and critical research. Sam creates accurate and informative content through thorough analysis, firsthand testing and industry experience. Sam’s content and data have been featured and referenced in various online publications.
Micro-mesh is the most effective type of gutter guard based on our testing.
Stainless steel and aluminum are more durable and effective than vinyl, unplasticized polyvinyl chloride (uPVC) and foam.
We rated LeafFilter as the best professionally installed gutter guard.
The right guard will protect your gutters from debris and resulting clogs and water damage. There are many different types to choose from, and not all are created equal. Some brands are made from low-quality materials and will break down after a few years, while others may not be a fit for your gutter needs.
Clogged gutters can lead to water damage under roof shingles, around your foundation and on your lawn. Without gutter guards, you should clean your gutters twice a year or more to prevent clogs. Gutter guards, also called gutter covers or helmets, keep debris out while allowing water to pass through, which reduces clogs and cleaning frequency.
Micro-mesh guards made of high-quality stainless steel are the most effective at blocking large and small debris and promoting water flow, but the right guard for you depends on the debris type surrounding your home, your local climate and your budget.
We’ve created this comprehensive guide to help you identify the best guard type for your home. We’ll examine the different types of gutter guards you can buy, including do-it-yourself (DIY) and professionally installed brands. We tested both DIY and professional gutter guards to share firsthand insights on how each type performs — from screen to micro-mesh.
Between independent manufacturers and professional installation companies, there are six main types of gutter guards on the market: screen, mesh, micro-mesh, reverse-curve, brush and foam. Some of these gutter guards look similar at a glance, but performance and quality vary.
Screen
Mesh
Micro-mesh
Reverse-curve
Brush
Foam
Screen guards resemble a flat sheet perforated with holes. They’re typically made of metal or plastic. They slide on top of your gutters and are held in place by clips or screws. We like these guards’ ease of installation, secure connection and reliable filtration. We don’t like that these guards often overflow in heavy rain and can’t keep out smaller debris, such as pine needles.
Most professional brands offer micro-mesh guards. Amerimax and A-M Gutter Guard offer reliable DIY screen guards. Screen gutter guards are commonly sold in home improvement stores such as Lowe’s and Home Depot.
Screen guards may be a good fit for your home if you live in an area with high winds and deciduous trees. While they won’t stop pine needles from entering your gutters, they can block oak, spruce and other common tree leaves. Plastic screen guards are less expensive, but metal variants are longer-lasting and more durable.
We tested screen guards and found that the connectors created a much more secure hold than other DIY brands. These guards kept out the majority of debris; only smaller materials such as shingle grit, pine needles and seedpods penetrated the gutters. The screen guards had some water passage issues and overflowed when exposed to heavy rainfall.
Mesh guards are woven metal or plastic filters that sit on top of your gutters. Many mesh guards have curved lips that allow them to wedge into K-style gutters, making them easy and quick to install. Like screen guards, mesh guards block most large debris, such as leaves, twigs and pine cones.
We like these guards’ ease of installation and ability to handle massive amounts of water. However, we don’t like their sharp edges and lack of pine needle protection. Amerimax and Spectra Metals offer easy-to-install mesh gutter guards and can be found at major home improvement stores.
You may want to invest in these guards if you live in an area with heavy rainfall, as long as you don’t have pine trees surrounding your home. With enough water flow, small debris, such as shingle grit, will wash through your system, but pine needles can build up over time.
During testing, we found that mesh guards were the best option for heavy downpours. The sizable holes in the mesh screen allowed water to flow into the gutters unhindered. However, small debris bypassed the guard — even more so than screen guards. We also noted that the edges of mesh guards can be sharp, so thick work gloves are a must for DIY installations.
Micro-mesh guards are functionally mesh guards with much finer screens. These guards are the most effective and can block even the smallest debris. High-end micro-mesh screens can filter materials while allowing water to pass through with little resistance. We like these guards’ filtration and overall performance, but they typically come with a high price tag.
Popular professionally installed brands that offer micro-mesh gutter guards include LeafFilter and HomeCraft. There are some DIY micro-mesh guards that you can install yourself, such as Raptor.
Most homeowners can benefit from micro-mesh guards. When testing DIY and professional micro-mesh guards, we found that their fine screens handle pine needles better than any other guard type. The tight mesh blocked even small debris while allowing water to pass through.
Micro-mesh guards have wide applications since they’re suited to the majority of climates and can block most debris types. The main downside is that they tend to freeze over in the winter and can create ice dams. If you live in a region with harsh winters, we recommend installing heating elements or ensuring your attic has proper ventilation.
Also called gutter helmets, reverse-curve gutter guards resemble large caps that sit atop your gutter system. They use the scientific principles of liquid adhesion and surface tension to push materials off to the ground.
This design allows these guards to self-clean, making them one of the lowest maintenance options. We’re not fans of DIY versions of these guards because they’re difficult to install and performed poorly during our testing process.
LeafGuard is the most popular professionally installed brand of surface-tension gutter guards, and Amerimax offers a plastic DIY option.
These guards could work well for your home if you live in a moderately rainy region. Too little rain and they won’t self-clean, but too much rain and they will overflow. Reverse-curve gutter guards keep most debris, even pine needles, out of your gutters. The quality of the design and materials makes a big difference for these guards, though — more so than for other types.
When we tested a brand of DIY reverse-curve guards, we found that the holes along the guard were too small to allow water through, rendering them all but useless. When installing this type of guard, the roof’s pitch must align correctly with the guards for the liquid adhesion process to work. We recommend avoiding DIY installations and having a professional install these guards to avoid similar issues.
Brush guards are inserts that resemble large pipe cleaners with a central metal cord and bristles. The bristles catch and trap debris to prevent it from collecting inside the gutter while allowing water to pass through.
We like how easy these guards are to install and how well they keep out leaves. However, they clog easily and don’t block debris smaller than normal tree leaves. GutterBrush is one of the most commonly available brands of brush guards and can be found on Amazon.
These guards are best for you if you want an easy, low-cost installation. They can slide right into your gutter system, making them the easiest to install. They’re an economical option with a low price tag compared to other gutter guard types.
You’ll need to clean brush guards more often due to how they function. During testing, we discovered that materials can get stuck inside the bristles, requiring you to remove sections of the guard to clean it fully.
Foam guards are large blocks that fit snugly inside your gutter system. Their sponge-like material allows water to pass through while preventing materials from getting inside your gutter system. These guards are inexpensive but have the shortest life span. When exposed to ultraviolet rays, the material breaks down over time, and you’ll need to replace them every few years.
We like how well these guards keep out debris. During testing, we were impressed that only shingle grit got past them. However, we don’t like how quickly these guards break down and their poor self-cleaning. Since these guards lack an incline and allow water to pass through, debris will pile up on top and necessitate more frequent cleaning.
These guards could work well for you if you’re looking for a temporary solution or if you need guards for only a small part of your gutter system. They’re easy to install and inexpensive, and they come in small sections, which makes them ideal for spot treatment. However, if you require a guard for your entire gutter system, you’ll need to buy large lengths that must be replaced every few years. You’ll be better off with any other guard in this case.
Avoid foam guards if your gutters have hidden hangers, which are interior mechanisms used to mount hanging gutters. When testing GutterStuff, a popular brand of foam guard, we noted that internal hangers blocked the guard from fitting into the gutter. We had to force the guard down and past these hangers, which made it snag or push on the gutter sections. Choose a DIY brush guard or professional installation to avoid issues with your hidden hangers.
Gutter guard material affects its longevity and durability. Some gutter guard types come in only one material; brush and foam guards are typically made of plastic and foam, respectively. All other guard types may be made of plastic, aluminum or stainless steel. Below is a graphic that shows the most popular gutter guard types purchased by the respondents of our October 2023 gutter guards survey.
Plastic gutter guards are more common for DIY brands, but some professional companies may use uPVC or vinyl. Plastic guards are cheaper, typically costing a fraction of the price of metal guards. The downside is that they’re much less durable, don’t last as long and perform less effectively than metal.
The biggest performance issue with plastic is that mesh screens and drainage openings are less precise. When we tested plastic guards, both micro-mesh and reverse-curve guards failed to filter water effectively and often overflowed.
Aluminum guards offer a practical middle ground between plastic and stainless steel. This material is more durable, longer-lasting and better-performing than plastic, but less durable and effective than steel.
The unique upside to aluminum is that it's corrosion-resistant and lightweight. Gutters made from this material last much longer than plastic variants but cost much less than a stainless steel guard.
Stainless steel is considered the best material for gutter guards. Top gutter guard brands use high-quality steel, such as marine-grade stainless steel. Also called surgical-grade stainless steel, marine-grade steel is an alloy of molybdenum, nickel and chromium that is resistant to erosion, particularly saltwater erosion.
Stainless steel gutter guards last longer, resist more wear and tear, and perform better than most other materials. Because the metal is much stronger, manufacturers can make their mesh screens finer to catch more debris while promoting water flow.
We reviewed DIY and professionally installed gutter guard brands to provide recommendations on the best gutter guards. We assessed the quality of a gutter guard brand based on gutter guard design and material, pricing, communication, services, installation, warranty and customer reviews. We scored each of these critical factors against our objective rating and review standards to award a total possible rating of 5 stars. Below, we outline our top-rated professional gutter guard installers.
LeafFilter is one of the most popular gutter guard companies on the market. It offers a 275-micron stainless steel micro-mesh gutter guard set in an aluminum frame. LeafFilter consistently earns high customer ratings across independent review sites such as Better Business Bureau (BBB) and Trustpilot.
After testing its gutter guard, reading more than 100 customer reviews and surveying its customers, we awarded LeafFilter a score of 4.7 out of 5 stars — higher than any other gutter guard we reviewed.
LeafFilter supplied us with a floor model of its gutter guard system, allowing us to test its product firsthand. We found that LeafFilter gutter guards perform as advertised by keeping out shingle grit, leaves, pine needles and seedpods and allowing water to flow through. We were impressed with how easy LeafFilter guards were to clean. Most debris slid off when water was applied, and any remaining materials were easy to remove with a light brushing.
LeafGuard uses a reverse-curve gutter guard set in a sturdy, one-piece system. Its guards are made of aluminum coated with scratch-resistant paint. It offers a lifetime, transferable warranty and a no-clog guarantee. Across review sites, customers praise the professionalism of its representatives and the performance of its products.
We like LeafGuard’s lifetime warranty and product. Its reverse-curve design self-cleans effectively, making it one of the most maintenance-free guards available. We gave LeafGuard a score of 4.1 out of 5 stars. Like all reverse-curve guards, it may overflow during heavy downpours, so it's best suited for you if you live in a region with moderate rainfall.
HomeCraft provides a 304 marine-grade stainless steel guard set in an aluminum frame. The screen has diamond-shaped indentations and a raised pitch that repels debris and self-cleans efficiently. In addition to its guard, HomeCraft offers a range of additional services, such as gutter installation, cleaning and downspout replacement. It operates in 12 states.
HomeCraft earned 4.5 out of 5 stars for its host of services and impressive guard performance. HomeCraft is best suited for your home if you live within its service area and have many deciduous trees surrounding it.
Gutter Guards America offers a stainless-steel micro-mesh screen with a ridged, S-shaped design that facilitates water flow and debris filtration. It has a galvanized steel louvered frame with a solid aluminum base. While Gutter Guards America has few reviews on its BBB profile, its Trustpilot scores are impressive, with 76% of customers rating it 4.5 out of 5 stars.
We awarded Gutter Guards America a rating of 4.6 out of 5 stars. We were impressed with the quality of its guard and its wide selection of additional services, including gutter repair and cleaning.
All American Gutter Protection installs a stainless steel micro-mesh guard set in an aluminum frame with support substructures. The guard is designed to block small particles such as shingle grit and withstand impacts from larger debris. This company has a smaller presence across review platforms, with one review on Trustpilot and nearly 70 reviews on the BBB at the time of writing. We were impressed that All American actively responds to reviews and complaints on the BBB.
All American earned 4.2 out of 5 stars. We like its guards’ built-in pitch and smooth design, which promotes easy cleaning. We also appreciate the customer service of its technicians and salespeople. According to a survey we ran in October 2023, only five customers out of nearly 230 respondents were dissatisfied with their All American representatives.
We built a scale model of a roof and gutter system to test gutter guards. We purchased major types of DIY gutter guards and installed them on the model. After each guard was installed, we conducted a series of tests to determine its effectiveness.
We applied 3 gallons of water multiple times at varying speeds to the shingles above the gutter guard. This process simulated rainfall at different intensities to assess each guard's ability to promote efficient water passage.
We placed debris — including pine needles, shingle grit, deciduous tree leaves, seedpods, twigs and acorns — directly on the roof model and guards. We then repeated the water passage test before checking the inside of the gutter and beneath the downspout. We noted which materials passed through the guard into the gutter system and which were pushed to the ground.
After washing away debris during the filtration test, we inspected the guard and noted any remaining debris. We applied more water to see if it was easily dislodged. If the material didn't dislodge, we used a rag, a brush or gloved hands to remove the remaining debris and noted how difficult the guard was to clean.
This test varied but generally involved a full inspection. During this inspection, we checked the material quality, guard design and flexibility or rigidity. We applied a stress test by either directly applying pressure or dropping various items on the guard. We noted signs of damage, such as dents, chips, cracks or detachments.
To connect consumers with the right gutter protection solutions, we research and rate both professional gutter guard providers and do-it-yourself (DIY) products. Our aim is to provide thorough yet digestible information you need before investing in gutter guards.
We synthesize this information into review standards that focus on key aspects of the gutter guard buying experience and score each company out of 100. This score translates to the 5-star rating you see in our reviews. Professional providers and DIY products require slightly different analysis, which you can read more about in our full methodology.
BBB and Trustpilot ratings are accurate as of December 2023.
Editorial note: The name “Homefront” refers to the alliance between USA TODAY and Home Solutions that publishes review, comparison, and informational articles designed to help USA TODAY readers make smarter purchasing and investment decisions about their home. Under the alliance, Homefront provides and publishes research and articles about home service and home improvement topics.
Homefront has an affiliate disclosure policy. The opinions, analyses, reviews or recommendations expressed in this article are those of the Homefront editorial staff alone (see About Homefront). Homefront adheres to strict editorial integrity standards. The information is believed to be accurate as of the publish date, but always check the provider’s website for the most current information.
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