Lawn (or leaf) rakes are generally used to gather up fallen leaves, although they may also be used to remove thatch and dead moss. The rake head is made up of a fan of flat, flexible tines that are usually bent at their tips. The tines are typically metal, although bamboo, plastic or even rubber versions are also available.

Note that lawn rakes, with their long, flexible tines are quite unlike the rigid, short-toothed style of the garden rake , and they are both designed to carry out quite different jobs. Whereas the flexible lawn rake is excellent for gathering light debris and raking up leaves, the garden rake is used for loosening and levelling soil.