2024’s Best Drain Snakes for Clogged Showers, Bathtubs, and Sinks
Hello, my friend, hello again; today we come together to talk about 2024’s Best Drain Snakes for Clogged Showers, Bathtubs, and Sinks and hope the blog can help you.
Banish blockages in sinks, tubs, showers, and more with the right drain snake for the task.
Clogs happen, whether from potato peels down the kitchen sink, loose hair swirling through the tub drain, or the little plastic plane your toddler dropped in the toilet. When water isn’t draining as quickly as it should—or, worse, isn’t draining at all—DIY-savvy folks reach for a drain snake.
Also called a plumbing snake or drain auger, this handy tool is simply a long, thick, flexible wire that “snakes” into drains and pipes to chew through clogs quickly and efficiently. Since these blockage busters come in different types and sizes for various uses, we interviewed Danny Pen, an experienced plumber and president of New Era Plumbing & HVAC, to get his expert opinion on choosing the right one.
Based on Danny’s expert insights and our independent research, we selected the Ridgid Power Spin+ With Autofeed Drain Cleaning Snake as our top pick for its ease of use and effective clearing capabilities. Still, another option might be a better fit for your level of DIY experience, existing tool set, and the severity of the clog. Read on for our full list of recommendations as well as tips on what to look for when choosing the best drain snakes for all your plumbing needs.
- BEST OVERALL: Ridgid Power Spin+ With Autofeed Drain Cleaning Snake
↓ Jump to Review - BEST BANG FOR THE BUCK: Liboyixi Drain Clog Remover Tool
↓ Jump to Review - BEST FOR TOILET CLOGS: Ridgid K-6P Toilet Auger
↓ Jump to Review - BEST FOR HAIR CLOGS: FlexiSnake Drain Weasel Hair Clog Kit
↓ Jump to Review - BEST EXTRA-LONG: Vevor Drain Cleaner Machine Electric Auger
↓ Jump to Review - BEST ELECTRIC: Populo 20V MAX Lithium-Ion Cordless Drain Auger Kit
↓ Jump to Review - BEST PROFESSIONAL: Cobra Tools Cable Drain Pipe Auger
↓ Jump to Review - BEST DIY: Ryobi 18V One+ Cordless Drain Auger
↓ Jump to Review - BEST KIT: Breezz Drain Auger Clog Remover With Drill Adapter
↓ Jump to Review
Our Top Picks
Collected here are top drain augers and plumbing snakes that meet our team’s and our expert’s criteria. We suggest you choose from these products to find the best snake for drain issues in your home.
Best Overall
Ridgid Power Spin+ With Autofeed Drain Cleaning Snake
Product Specs
- Type: Manual
- Cable length: 25 feet
- Material: Metal cable with plastic handle
What We Like
- Self-feeding cable prevents contact with any mess
- Can be used with a drill for more power
- Durable bulb auger effectively grabs and clears gunk
What We Don’t Like
- Hand crank can be tiring for those who don’t own a drill
The Ridgid Power Spin+ auger for drain cleaning is a solid option for eliminating common clogs throughout the house. Its manual crank sends the 25-foot cable twisting and turning into pipes while the screw-shaped bulb auger chews through semisolid obstructions and catches and retrieves hair, paper, and other fibrous gunk.
This manual drain cleaning snake features an easy-to-use pull trigger and turn handle, and users can also attach it to a power drill (not included) to dislodge serious blockages. To prevent your hands from getting dirty in what’s an inherently dirty job, the Ridgid Power Spin + self-feeds the cable down the drain as you turn the crank.
Get the Ridgid Power Spin+ drain cleaner at Amazon, The Home Depot, Ferguson, or Grainger.
Best Bang for the Buck
Liboyixi Drain Clog Remover Tool
Product Specs
- Type: Manual
- Cable length: 39 inches, 24 inches, and 19.6 inches
- Material: 3 metal snakes, 3 plastic snakes
What We Like
- Multiple included sizes tackle a range of issues
- Affordable and quick fix for common blockages
- Simple and easy to use with no power tools required
What We Don’t Like
- Plastic snakes are less durable and may not last
Different types of drain problems require specialized snakes, and this clog remover kit comes with six separate tools to address a variety of issues. It can tackle all kinds of common problems, from clearing pesky hair clogs to retrieving small items, such as jewelry accidentally dropped down the drain.
The kit includes three 19.6-inch ABS-plastic sink snakes with toothed heads for removing hair clogs from sink and shower drains. The two 24-inch retrieval tools have four-claw heads with plunger mechanisms that open and close the claw to grab dropped items. And for tougher, deeper obstacles, there’s a 39-inch steel drain plumber snake that can handle clogs within about 3 feet of a drain.
Get the Liboyixi drain snake at Amazon.
Best for Toilet Clogs
Ridgid K-6P Toilet Auger
Product Specs
- Type: Manual
- Cable length: 6 feet
- Material: Steel
What We Like
- Durable steel cable suitable for heavy-duty use
- Adjustable length easily reaches most problems
- Works with a drill for clearing stubborn clogs
What We Don’t Like
- May be too much tool for occasional homeowner use
This 6-foot toilet auger is specially designed for use in toilets. It features a vinyl protective sheath over its metal cable to prevent damage to the toilet bowl. Simply position the tube inside the toilet so the rubber foot rests at the bowl’s outlet, then crank the cable down.
The kink-resistant, super-flexible cable reaches blockages, and the bulbous coiled head easily breaks through soft clogs while catching and retrieving solids like wadded-up toilet paper, flushed toys, and dropped jewelry. This Rigid toilet snake auger is easy to use manually, but users can also attach it to a drill to clear stubborn clogs.
Get the Ridgid toilet auger drain snake at Amazon, The Home Depot, Ace Hardware, or Target.
Best for Hair Clogs
FlexiSnake Drain Weasel Hair Clog Kit
Product Specs
- Type: Manual
- Cable length: 18 inches
- Material: Plastic
What We Like
- Multipack options offer a better value
- Bristled ends effectively clear clogs
- Small enough to fit most drains without removing their covers
What We Don’t Like
- May not be long enough to reach all problems
- Plastic construction is less durable than metal
Hair is among the most common causes of slow-draining bathroom sinks and shower or tub drains, and the FlexiSnake Drain Weasel is specifically designed to tackle exactly such problems. The kit comes with a single handle and two to five replacement heads, depending on the pack purchased. The easy-attach disposable heads allow users to toss away the snake segment once the clog is removed—no need to touch or store a dirty, gunky tool.
To use the Drain Weasel, simply attach the quick-connect handle to a head and send the flexible 18-inch snake down the drain. Then crank the handle to allow the bristly micro-hook tip to grab clumps of hair, film, and grime. Since the Drain Weasel is incredibly thin, many clogs can be cleared without removing your drain’s cover.
Get the FlexiSnake drain snake at Amazon (5-pack), Lowe’s, Ace Hardware, The Home Depot, Walmart, or Target (5-pack).
Best Extra-Long
Vevor Drain Cleaner Machine Electric Auger
Product Specs
- Type: Electric
- Cable length: 75 feet
- Material: Metal
What We Like
- Comes with multiple cutters for different blockages
- Extra-long cable reaches most drain issues
- No manual cranking required
What We Don’t Like
- More expensive than one-off options
This 75-foot drain auger is a great all-around tool that can reach deep into a drain system to clear most clogs, eliminating the need to call a professional plumber. The electric auger sits in a heavy steel frame and is activated with a simple foot pump, which lets users concentrate on locating the clog while feeding the drain and sewer snake with their foot.
In addition to being incredibly long, this snake’s cable is kink-resistant and compatible with most main drains and sewer lines. This machine also comes with four cutting heads: a C-cutter, a boring bulb cutter, a spade cutter, and an arrow cutter. These specialized heads are handy for breaking up a variety of clogs, and they’re also easy to store on the machine’s handy tool hook.
Get the Vevor drain snake at Lowe’s, The Home Depot, Walmart, or Vevor.
Best Electric
Populo 20V MAX Lithium-Ion Cordless Drain Auger Kit
Product Specs
- Type: Battery-powered
- Cable length: 25 feet
- Material: Metal
What We Like
- Includes gloves, a power charger, and a carry bag
- Lightweight, compact, and easy to use
- Cordless for safe and convenient use
What We Don’t Like
- Unspecified runtime may not be enough for bigger jobs
The Populo cordless electric drain auger makes powering through recurring and difficult clogs easy. This battery-operated drain snake uses a 25-foot reinforced flexible steel cable to move through clogged drains ranging from ¾ inch to 2 inches in diameter in sinks, toilets, and shower drains.
The complete Populo electric drain auger kit includes a battery, charger, storage bag, and gloves. The machine itself has an LED light to illuminate dark spaces and features a variable-speed trigger that controls how quickly the snake feeds into the drain. It also has a reverse-feeding mechanism that pulls the cable back once the boring bulb cutter breaks up or ensnares the clog.
Get the Populo drain snake at Amazon, Walmart, or Populo.
Best Professional
Cobra Tools Cable Drain Pipe Auger
Product Specs
- Type: Manual
- Cable length: 50 feet
- Material: Steel
What We Like
- 50-foot cable is suitable for most clogs
- Steel construction should last several years
- Corkscrew end is ideal for clearing away debris
What We Don’t Like
- No self-feeding chamber means hands will get dirty