A lawn sweeper resembles a simple light-framed push mower with catcher, but rather than reel blades, the axle spins brushes contained in a housing. As you push the lawn sweeper over the lawn, the brushes rotate and "comb through" the grass, throwing back clippings, leaves, twigs, small stones and other debris into the catcher. The catcher can then be emptied onto a compost pile or into the trash.

Lawn sweepers are a quiet, pollution-free, ecologically friendly alternative to leaf blowers or raking. Blowers have been outlawed in some cities due to the noise they produce while raking even a relatively small lawn takes considerable time and appreciable work. But pushing a lawn sweeper along can even be enjoyable and only takes as long as it takes to walk the lawn. This makes sweepers especially ideal for yards with small maple trees, oaks, birch or other deciduous leaf-shedders.

Lawn sweepers are so lightweight almost anyone can use one, and removal of debris helps to keep mower blades sharp. Because sweepers brush up the turf as they go they also leave the grass standing tall, perfect for mowing to a nice even height. Lawn sweepers can even be used to clean driveways or walkways after a light snow.

Aside from the push-style lawn sweeper there are also tow models that can attach to the back of lawn tractors or riding mowers. These trail behind picking up grass clippings or other debris, making them ideal for commercial landscaping or for very large lawns. The width of these sweepers is greater than the push style and the bags are also larger, made of canvas, heavy nylon or even steel mesh. The catchers also feature small rollers to keep the bag from dragging along the ground, and the brushes are normally height-adjustable.

To ensure the longevity of a lawn sweeper it is recommended they be kept clean and dry. Prices for push-style sweepers start at about $175 (USD) while inexpensive tow-models commonly start at $250.

For larger yards with one or more mature deciduous trees a lawn vacuum may be desired. These feature a motor that sucks up leaves, and a mulcher. Lawn vacuums require a little more energy to push due to the weight of the engine and they are more expensive; lawn vacuums are better suited for heavy duty jobs and they have flexible hose attachments that can be used to clean leaves from flower beds and hard-to-get places. These machines also come in commercial tow-varieties.