Winter: it’s a season that brings with it some pretty polarizing emotions. On one hand, it’s a magical time of year filled with family bonding and holiday cheer. But on the other, it’s a bitterly cold four months filled with cruddy weather and—everyone’s least favorite activity—shoveling snow. Talk about some high highs and low lows!

If you live in a particularly cold and precipitous climate, then you know that this wintertime chore isn’t just exhausting, it can also be really rough on the back. You see, traditional shovels are typically heavy, inflexible, and super cumbersome—which is why we were so excited to discover that someone has found a way to improve the archaic design.

Nootols, a Connecticut-based company, managed to do just that with its innovative Snow Wolf, a super-sturdy shovel with an attached wheel for easy pushing. Sure, it may look a bit strange (no lie: at first glance, we thought it was some sort of Medieval torture device), but once you get a load of what it does, you’ll quickly stop snickering.

The company’s website states that the Snow Wolf was made with both ergonomics and precision in mind. Because the shoveling device comes equipped with a retractable lever, you are able to use your own body weight to leverage that heavy snow.

The wheel, of course, is there to speed up the shoveling process and make it so that it’s completely impossible to bend over, which could mean less strain on your vulnerable lower back area.

So, how does it match up with a snowy driveway? The company claims that the Snow Wolf clears away snow three times faster than traditional shoveling. We would be skeptical, but the proof is in the pudding—it seems to work really well!

Prep your body before you shovel

Even though superior shovels like the Snow Wolf can lessen your risk of injury, it still doesn’t mean that you should start plowing without prepping first.

According to an article published by the Harvard Medical School, shoveling snow won’t just trigger back pain, it can actually cause something much scarier, a heart attack. In fact, emergency rooms in particularly snowy climates are known to overstaff during storms because such a high number of cardiac patients are usually admitted.

So, how can you keep safe while shoveling? Harvard Health advises warming up your muscles with some stretches prior to going out. While you are performing the task, take frequent breaks, stay as hydrated as possible, and shovel only light loads of snow at a time. Sounds reasonable to us!

Now that you know how to best protect yourself, let’s finally take a peep at what the Snow Wolf does best—shovel. To see this ergonomic wintertime tool in action for yourself, be sure to watch the video below!

We would love to hear your thoughts on the Snow Wolf. Do you own one of these shovels? If so, are you happy with it? Do you have a shoveling hack of your own that you would like to share?