Brome Squirrel Buster Legacy & Standard Squirrel-Proof Bird Feeders w/4 Metal Perches, 2.6 & 1.3-Pound Seed Capacity

Why it's worth it

The Squirrel Buster's shroud slides down under a squirrel's weight and covers the seed ports — no motors, no batteries, nothing to break. It takes mixed seed or sunflower, comes apart in seconds for washing, and Brome will service it free for life.

This is the feeder that actually solves the squirrel problem. The mechanism is a spring and a metal shroud. When something heavy grabs the perch, the shroud drops and seals the ports. Brome's specs say the spring can be tuned to close between 30 and 130 grams — enough to lock out an Eastern Gray Squirrel at 400 to 600 grams while a cardinal at 45 grams or a blue jay at 90 grams still eats. Wirecutter's multi-year testing found the Squirrel Buster line consistently kept squirrels out without turning away songbirds.

Cage-style squirrel-proof feeders solve the same problem in a cruder way, and they cost you birds. Wirecutter noted that cages sometimes shut out blue jays and red-bellied woodpeckers along with the squirrels. The Squirrel Buster works by weight instead of by geometry, so a big native bird gets in and a rodent doesn't. If you want to see the full range of birds in your neighborhood, that distinction matters more than it sounds.

From our review of 7 bird feeders for beginners, by Genevieve Dubois, Home & Living Expert

What we like

• +This is the feeder that actually solves the squirrel problem
• +Cage-style squirrel-proof feeders solve the same problem in a cruder way, and they cost you birds
• +Cleaning is where most beginners quietly give up, and this feeder makes it easy
• +Every part a squirrel can reach is chew-proof, which is why these last

What to know

• –It needs room. Brome specifies 18 inches of clearance on all sides, because a squirrel that can reach the feeder from a branch…
• –The seed capacity is modest — 1.3 pounds on the Standard, 2.6 on the Legacy