The Best Drain Snakes for Clogged Showers, Bathtubs, and Sinks

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Key Points

• Manual snakes handle most household clogs; electric models are worth the extra cost for frequent or stubborn blockages.
• Cable length and head design matter as much as power. Matching the tip to the clog type makes a big difference.
• The Ridgid Power Spin+ stood out for its versatility, ease of use, and strong clog-clearing performance.

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 dislodge clogs quickly and efficiently. Because 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.

We tested five of those drain snakes to identify the top performers (one of which has since gone out of stock), then added four more based on our research and experience with these tools. After clearing all the drains, we chose the Ridgid Power Spin+ Drain Cleaning Snake as our top pick for its long reach, ease of use, and effective clearing capabilities. 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.

1. BEST OVERALL: Ridgid Power Spin+ With Drain Cleaning Snake
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2. BEST BANG FOR THE BUCK: Populo PCA-G2 20V MAX Cordless Drain Auger Kit
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3. BEST FOR HAIR CLOGS: FlexiSnake Drain Weasel Hair Clog Kit
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4. BEST ELECTRIC: Worx Nitro WX891L 25-Foot 20V Cordless Drain Auger
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5. BEST FOR TOILET CLOGS: Ridgid K-6P Hybrid Toilet Auger
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6. BEST KIT: Breezz Drain Auger Clog Remover With Drill Adapter
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7. BEST MANUAL: Husky 15-Foot Manual Drain Snake
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8. ALSO CONSIDER: Populo PPTA-8 8V Electric Toilet Plunger
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Our Top Picks

Collected here are some of the best drain augers and plumbing snakes we know of, all of which meet our team’s criteria. We suggest you choose from these products to find the best snake for drain clogs in your home. 

Best Drain Snakes Comparison

Our Ratings

The Ridgid Power Spin+ auger for drain cleaning is a solid option for eliminating common clogs. 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. 

We tested it both ways: as a manual hand crank, and by attaching a cordless drill to it. As a manual snake, it works well. The crank operates smoothly, is easy to turn, and cuts nicely through clogs. 

Removing the handle to add a drill doesn’t require any tools and takes seconds. While the drill-and-auger combo was more awkward to use than the single-piece cordless units we tested, it was just as effective, burrowing into the drain quickly and without hesitation. 

Our only gripe was that some of the plastic parts felt kind of cheap. But given that this is a tool that will likely see infrequent use, build quality isn’t a huge concern. The Ridgid Power Spin+ costs about half what those single-piece models cost, making it a great choice for anyone with a decent cordless drill.

What our tester says: “Ridgid’s Power Spin+ is easy to operate, affordable, and can be turned into a power drain snake by adding a tool most everyone has in their garage.”—Tony Carrick, Product Reviews tester and writer

Get the Ridgid Power Spin+ drain snake at Amazon, The Home Depot, Ferguson, or Grainger.

Our Ratings

The Populo PCA-G2 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 to 2 inches in diameter in sinks, toilets, and showers.

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. 

Populo’s drain auger was impressive during testing. It fed quickly into a drain, blasting through a particularly stubborn hair clog with ease. It also retracted quickly. Operating was smooth with no jerking or hesitating, and it operated fairly quietly. Although it’s the most affordable cordless model we’ve seen, it has a sturdy, high-quality feel to it. This isn’t a drain auger that’s going to break easily. 

Along with a battery and charger, the Populo also comes with a rugged carrying case and a set of gloves, something we highly recommend wearing after having cleared a few clogs. Given that it includes a battery and charger, it’s an excellent value for less than $100. 

What our tester says: Populo’s cordless drain snake is easy to use and clears clogs with ease, all at what is a very affordable price for an electric model.”—Tony Carrick, Product Reviews tester and writer

Get the Populo drain snake at Amazon or Populo.

Our Ratings

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 drain cleaner tool comes with a single handle and two to five replacement heads, depending on the pack purchased. 

The Drain Weasel is very simple to use. 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 this plastic drain snake is incredibly thin, we didn’t even need to remove the drain plug to work it down into the sink’s trap. In seconds, it had removed a gob of hair from a slow sink drain. 

It was the easiest drain snake for plumbing we tested. The whole process of putting the Weasel’s tip on and clearing the drain took under a minute. The Weasel is only for lighter clogs, and it’s limited to mainly clearing traps by its length, but that’s typically where the majority of clogs are. With a price tag that’s far below the cost of hiring a plumber, it’s no overstatement to say every sink should have a Weasel in the cabinet below. 

Get the FlexiSnake drain snake at Amazon(5-pack), Lowe’s, Ace Hardware, or The Home Depot.

Our Ratings

Worx’s cordless drain cleaner is a very reasonably priced motorized drain snake that performs quite well. It has a rugged feel to it, and it’s easy to operate thanks to its intuitive controls. The process goes like this: you squeeze the trigger to engage the snake, then push the top of the handle forward to feed it down into the pipe, and pull it backward to reel it back in. The Worx drain snake also has a sturdy feel to it that made me wonder if it couldn’t find a home on a professional plumber’s kit for lighter-duty clog clearing. 

We tested it on a shower drain that, while not clogged, had a significant amount of hair and soap scum built up inside. The auger did a great job of gathering and pulling out this mass. Our only gripe is that the hair and material become bound up in the coil end, which required us to untangle the nasty mess with our fingers. Removable tips would be a nice feature. That said, it’s hard to not to like the Worx drain clearer, especially if you already own a few Worx batteries. 

Get the Worx drain snake at Lowe’s, Walmart, or Target. 

More Great Options

Along with the drain snakes we tested, we also highly recommend the products below, which we selected based on extensive research.

This 6-foot 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.

The Breezz clog remover with drill adapter is a complete kit for unclogging sink drains. This versatile kit comes with everything you need to snake a drain, including a 25-foot heavy-duty steel snake, a drain hair remover spring, and a pair of gloves. 

This tool is durable enough for household or professional use, and its built-in steel springs fit neatly inside the drum, enhancing organization and cleanliness during storage. Plus, this clog remover’s high-impact ABS plastic housing is reliable enough for long-term use. While it’s easy to use as a manual model, the included drill adapter enables users to pair it with a drill for increased clog-clearing power.

Get the Breezz drain snake at Amazon.

Husky’s drain snake is an affordably priced tool for removing clogs in sink, shower, and tub drains. It consists of a 15-foot auger that you manually extend into a drain via a hand crank. Easy to use and made from durable, heavy-duty plumber plastic, you can expect it to last for a long time. The tip of the auger is angled, allowing it to snake more easily through traps and other curves in drain lines. There’s also a quick-release cable lock, so you can rotate the cable to work through tougher clogs without having to worry about it slipping back into the drum. We also like the rubberized grip, which makes it easier to hold while you’re snaking a drain. The auger is shorter than other drain snakes we‘ve tested, but it has plenty of length for less severe clogs. 

Get the Husky manual drain snake at The Home Depot.

This power plunger consists of an electric pump that pressurizes the plunger gun. Once placed in the drain, simply pull the trigger to release the pressure, which pushes down into the drain to free the clog. There’s no plunging action and hence no sewage water sloshing onto your bathroom floor. While it’s designed primarily for clearing clogs in toilets, the Populo electric toilet plunger also comes with two attachments that work with clogged shower, sink, and kitchen drains. The kit also comes with a charger, storage bag, set of gloves, and two hair removers.

Get the Populo electric toilet plunger on Amazon.

Jump to Our Top Picks

How We Chose and Tested the Best Drain Snakes

Hiring a professional plumber to deal with a mild blockage or clog can be costly, and a small investment in a drain snake can be a smart way to save money. Since clogs come in all sizes and from various sources, we knew we wanted to provide a range of options when gathering our list of top picks. 

As part of our research, we considered the typical debris that blocks drains and assessed multiple types of drain snakes for unclogging home drainage systems. We evaluated manual and electric drain snakes and investigated the pros and cons of different head designs. We were also careful to include multi-function emergency plumbing tools that work on a variety of drains, as well as machines made for sinks, tubs, or toilets alone.  

We selected five models for hands-on testing, using them to clear existing clogs in our home. (The Vevor 75-Foot Electric Drain Auger we selected as Best Heavy Duty has since gone out of stock.) We also assembled a test model that consisted of a translucent sink trap. We clogged the trap with material, then used each model to snake the drain. While snaking drains, we considered how easily each drain snake cleared drains, how well each one navigated around corners, and how easy each model was to use.

Our Testing Scores

What to Consider When Choosing a Drain Snake

If you’d rather not pay a plumber for drain cleaning services you might be able to complete on your own, it’s important to take time to consider which plumbing snake auger will be best for your needs. Keep the factors below in mind when shopping for the right drain snake for your plumbing issue, whether a slow sink drain or a completely clogged toilet. 

Manual vs. Electric

Most manual drain snakes have a small crank that users turn by hand to advance and retract the cable. This type of snake is good for occasionally unclogging simple blockages in kitchen or bathroom sinks, tubs, or toilets.

According to Danny Pen, longtime plumber and president of New Era Plumbing & HVAC, “Homeowners usually choose a manually operated plumbing snake because it is more affordable and easier to use. In addition, it can handle most small household clogs, so for an inexperienced person, it will be quite sufficient.”

If, however, you’re expecting to use a drain snake on a regular basis or you’re planning on tackling major clogs in gutters or washing machines, you might prefer the extra muscle and reduced hand strain that an electric drain snake offers. These tools advance and retract the auger’s cable at the push of a button to power through stubborn clogs more easily. Since they offer extra oomph, electric plumbing snakes tend to cost more than their manual counterparts. Still, a tool you purchase once but can use repeatedly will likely be more economical than the cost to snake a drain charged by a plumber. 

Material

Drain snakes are made to be water-resistant, but to be useful for the long term, they must also resist the corrosive effects of waste and sink drain cleaners. With this in mind, drain snake manufacturers use high-quality ABS plastic and flexible high-carbon steel. 

A snake made solely of ABS plastic will likely be less expensive than a metal model and probably also shorter in length. Due to their limited reach but great flexibility, ABS plastic snakes are typically used only to remove clogs that are not very deep or difficult to power through. For example, they should be fine as shower drain snakes for banishing clumps of hair from tubs and shower drains.

Standard and heavy-duty drain snakes may use ABS plastic in the handle or drum, but the actual snake will generally be made from flexible high-carbon steel. This heavier, more rigid metal material makes it easier to navigate the snake through the drainage system and push through tough clogs. Metal drain snakes tend to be at least 10 to 25 feet long, and some options are 50 feet or longer.

Cable Length and Thickness

Drain snakes come in a few standard lengths and thicknesses. To tackle common household issues, such as unclogging a drain in a sink, tub, or shower, a 25-foot-long cable between ¼ and 5/16 inch thick should be sufficient. Those living in a multistory home with bathrooms upstairs may be better off with a snake with a 50-foot cable, which can reach clogs in longer pipes.

For a more serious issue in a home’s main water pipes, such as blockages farther down the kitchen sink drain than a typical food clog or problems with washing machine drainage, a tougher drain snake may be called for. These power snakes for drains typically have a thicker cable—often ½ inch in diameter—and extend up to 75 feet to reach deep into plumbing lines.

Head Design

Drain snakes can have different types of heads at their tips, generally called cutting heads and coil or toothed heads. According to plumber Danny Pen, “Many coils come with interchangeable tips like cutting blades for hair clogs or hooks for removing soft debris. And assuming you know what the clog is made up of (for example, in the bathroom, it’s probably hair, and in the kitchen, it’s soft debris and food), picking the right tip will make you more likely to get rid of the clog.” 

• Cutting heads have blades or barbs that are somewhat sharp to chew through solid clogs, such as chunks of food or grease, roots, larger pieces of soap, thick clumps of leaves and mud, and other types of fairly solid substances that might be blocking a pipe. These heads are most often found on large, powerful drain augers used by professionals.
• Coil or toothed heads are usually the best choice for the most common household clogs. These heads have either a coil of thick wire or a toothed head that latches onto obstructions in order to pull items out of the drain. They are the best drain cleaners for hair, retrieving toys or jewelry from toilets or sink drains, tackling wads of paper or a flushed diaper, or scraping out fruit peels or other food clogs that aren’t solidified.

Additional Features

Emerging technology has come to the basic drain snake to enhance ease of use and performance. These features include:

• LED lights, which can help the user navigate through pipes when used with a drain snake camera (see below). LED lights can also be built into the handle to help illuminate the work area.
• Cameras, which are added to the end of the snake so that users can see everything in the drain and diagnose issues visually rather than relying on “feel.” A camera will also help the user know if clogs are completely or just partially cleared.
• Drain cleaning kits that come with a range of tools, cleaning products, and accessories to help get the job done. 

FAQs

Drain snakes are simple tools, but they must be used properly to make drain-clearing an easy task. Keep reading for information about how a drain auger or snake works, which types of snakes are used by professionals, and answers to other common questions.

Q. How does snaking a drain work?

Instead of using a toilet plunger or similar tool to force water and air through the pipes, a drain snake is a physical tool that is fed into the drain. To snake plumbing, the user will rotate the drainage snake against the obstruction to break it up or grab the mass and pull it out. 

Q. What is the best size snake for cleaning a main drain?

Residential lines are typically between 1 and 4 inches in diameter, and main drains tend to be on the higher end of that spectrum. An option like the Vevor 75-Foot Electric Drain Auger, with its 75-foot-long, ½-inch-diameter solid-core cable, is a great choice for these large drains.

Q. Do you turn a drain snake clockwise or counterclockwise?

Turning a drain snake clockwise feeds it into a pipe, whereas turning it counterclockwise after you’ve cleared or grabbed the clog will pull the cable back out.

Q. What kind of snakes do plumbers use?

Typically, professional plumbers have more than one snake. They’ll often use short-toothed drain snakes for removing hair clogs, standard metal drain snakes that can take care of most nearby clogs, and powerful electric drain snakes that can reach 75 feet into pipes to banish clogs buried in the middle of the drain system. 

Q. How do you unclog a drain with a snake?

To snake a drain, insert the snake into the drain and slowly feed it further into the system until it encounters resistance. At this point, rotate the snake against the blockage until you can feed the flexible cable freely through the pipes. 
If the blockage doesn’t break up, try to pull the snake out slowly. It’s likely that solid blockages can be entangled with the snake, allowing the debris to be pulled out of the drain instead of forced down. After removing the snake, run the water full force for a few minutes to confirm that the blockage has been removed or broken up. 

Q. How do you get a snake past the P-trap?

There are a few ways to get past the P-trap in the drainage system. A thin, flexible snake won’t have much difficulty maneuvering around tight corners. If such a snake isn’t firm enough to break up heavy clogs, try a thick snake with a hand crank or mechanical crank function that physically twists the snake so that it can be directed down the correct path. 
If these options fail, consider removing the P-trap to insert the snake beyond this problem spot. Then replace the P-trap once the pipes have been snaked. 

Q. How often should you snake your drain?

It’s recommended to snake the drain at least once a year to help reduce the risk of clogs.

Meet the Tester

Tony Carrick has contributed to BobVila.com since 2020. He writes how-to articles and product reviews in the areas of lawn and garden, home maintenance, home improvement, auto maintenance, housewares, and technology.

Additional research provided by Michelle Ullman and Timothy Dale.

The post The Best Drain Snakes for Clogged Showers, Bathtubs, and Sinks appeared first on Bob Vila.

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