The best garden shears
Find your perfect pair of garden shears with our expert tests.
A good pair of garden shears can make garden tasks quick and easy to tackle. They’re essential for the proper care of hedges, shrubs, and lawns, helping to keep them neat and in tip-top condition. Unlike secateurs, which are designed for pruning single branches, garden shears can tackle several branches or blades of grass at once. There are a couple of different types -
Edging shears - these specialised lawn tools are long-handled with an angled blade for trimming the edges of lawns next to paving, decking and flowerbeds. Specific lawn shears are also available and are similar to edging shears, but have a flat, horizontal blade for trimming awkward areas of grass, such as tufts around trees or next to fences and walls.
Hedge shears - Like big garden scissors, these are ideal for pruning and shaping hedges and trees, or cutting down garden waste for compost. They're available with standard or telescopic handles that extend, for safely reaching the tops of tall trees, shrubs, and bushes without using ladders.
For more help with pruning, take a look at our expert reviews of the best secateurs, the best loppers, best mini chainsaws, electric secateurs and the best hedge trimmers. And for help clearing up see our tests of the best wheelbarrows, the best shredders and the best wood-splitting axes.
Hedge shears buyers' guide - video
Follow our tips to find the best hedge shears for your garden
Edging shears buyers' guide - video
Follow our tips to find the best edging shears for your garden
Best garden shears at a glance:
- Best lightweight hedge shears: Darlac Lightweight Shears
- Best hedge shears for ease of use: Bulldog Premier Wavy Blade Shears
- Best lightweight edging shears: Darlac DP812 Lawn Edging Shears
- Best edging shears for performance: Bulldog Edging Shears
- Best edging shears for comfort: Burgon and Ball RHS Endorsed Edging Shears
Our expertise
We reviewed a range of edging and hedge shears, putting them through their paces on different shaped lawns and on hedges of different ages and species. Each pair of shears has a detailed list of pros and cons for clarity and has been rated according to blade and handles, comfort, performance and value for money. Each pair of shears has scored a minimum of four out of five stars, so you can buy with confidence.
Jump to:
- Best hedge shears
- Best edging shears
- The best of the rest
- How to choose garden shears?
- What are wavy hedge shears?
- How to sharpen your shears
- How we tested garden shears
In every review we award the outstanding products our coveted Best Buy award. To see these and the others we recommend, browse our pick of the best garden shears below:
Best hedge shears
Darlac Lightweight Shear 8"
RRP: £22.99
Our rating: 4.75 out of 5
- Buy now from Cheltenham Garden Machinery, Mr Fothergill's
Pros:
- Excellent performance
- Lightweight
- Lifetime Warranty
Cons:
- No blade cover provided
Awarded a BBC Gardeners' World Magazine Best Buy for the best lightweight shears, these hedge shears give an excellent cut, slicing cleanly through the branches of every hedge on test. They’re remarkably light; at just 820g, they weigh less than a bag of sugar. This weight makes them very nimble for precise trimming, but also a joy to use when cutting large hedges and shrubs. They’re made even more comfortable by their effective shock absorbers. They come with a lifetime warranty.
Best Buy review video - the Darlac lightweight shears
In this in-depth video review Alex David explains why the Darlac lightweight shears were awarded BBC Gardeners' World Magazine Best Buy status.
Bulldog Premier Wavy Blade Hedge Shears
RRP: £27.42
Our rating: 4.5 out of 5
- Buy now from Toolstation and Amazon
Pros:
- Clean cut through all hedges
- Great value
- Compact
- Come with blade cover and hook to hang
Cons:
- Ineffective shock absorbers
- May be small for bigger hands
- Plastic handles feel a little cheap
They might be small, but these hedge shears pack a punch, slicing through every hedge in our test with ease and we awarded them a BBC Gardeners' World Magazine Best Buy for ease of use.Their wavy blades are fantastic for gripping branches and leaves without chewing them up and their size makes them great for gardeners who are tight on storage space, plus they have a cover for hanging up and protecting them from rust. However, the shock absorbers don’t work very well, and the plastic handles feel a little cheap. The rubber grips on these handles are just 13cm long, so they may be uncomfortable if you have larger hands.
Best edging shears
Darlac DP812 Lawn Edging Shears
RRP: £42.95
Our rating: 5 out of 5
Pros:
- Adjustable handles
- Lightweight
- Wavy blades for a sharper cut
- Good length blades
Cons:
- Plastic flip locks on handles
A BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine Best Buy award winner for the best lightweight edging shears, these lawn edging shears have adjustable handles, which adjust from 66cm to 108cm, so you can use them with a straight back whatever your height and soft grips make them comfortable to handle too. These edging shears feature strong, wavy-edged blades that cut well, and, at 29cm in length, are quick and efficient to get the job done. They also come with a lifetime warranty.
Read the full Darlac DP812 lawn edging shears review
Best Buy review video - the Darlac DP812 lawn edging shears
In this in-depth video review Cinead McTernan explains why the Darlac DP812 lawn edging shears were awarded BBC Gardeners' World Magazine Best Buy status.
Bulldog Edging Shears
RRP: £39.36
Our rating: 4.75 out of 5
Pros:
- Great performance
- Lightweight
- Very well-balanced
Cons:
- No ergonomics
- Feel a little cheap
Awarded a BBC Gardeners' World Magazine Best Buy for performance, these edging shears have high-carbon steel blades with an epoxy coating for extra protection against rusting. The handles have rubber grips, but although they aren't ergonomic they’re extremely well-balanced and always hang parallel to the edge. They’re also lightweight and comfortable to hold. These shears performed well during the test, cutting through the grass cleanly every time. The full length of the blade is sharp and effective, and they’re thin enough to sit neatly between the lawn and paving stones. However, they feel a little cheap, and no replacement blades are available. The mechanism to open the blades is also a little stiff.
Burgon and Ball RHS Endorsed Edging Shears
RRP: £48.99
Our rating: 4.5 out of 5
Pros:
- Great performance
- Comfortable handles
- Two kinds of steel blades - best of both kinds
Cons:
- Doesn’t always hang parallel to grass
- A little long
These are lightweight but sturdy edging shears, with one coated carbon-steel blade and one stainless steel blade, for the best of both kinds of steel - rust resistance and strength. They’re well-balanced, and have ergonomic handles, which are very comfortable and don’t rub and we awarded them a BBC Gardeners' World Magazine Best Buy for comfort. It’s easy to get these shears into position, and they easily slice through grass. They’re a good height, but shorter gardeners might find them a little long. However, they have no hook to hang them up with, and although they’re well-balanced, the blade doesn’t always hang parallel to the edge. Replacement blades aren't available for these and the shears don’t fully open for sharpening.
Best of the rest
Although some models didn’t quite achieve a BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine Best Buy award, they still have features that make them worth recommending. Browse our pick of the best of the rest on test:
Kent and Stowe General Purpose Hedge Shears 8”
RRP: £19.99
Our rating: 4 out of 5
Pros:
- Great price
- Clean cut on both leaves and smaller stems
- Light
- Well-balanced
Cons:
- Struggles with woody material
- Ineffective shock absorbers
On test, we found this pair great for snipping through leaves and thinner stems. They’re light and well-balanced, and their handles give great grip without rubbing. However, they struggle with woodier material, and the shock absorbers don’t soften the cut as well as they could.
Burgon and Ball RHS Endorsed Hedge Shears
RRP: £37.99
Our rating: 4 out of 5
Pros:
- Powerful Compound action
- Effective Wavy blade
- Good warranty
Cons:
- A little clumsy for close work
- No shock absorbers
For cutting a lot of tough hedging, try these shears from Burgon and Ball. The wavy blades are chromed and coated for longevity, and they grip material well but their most important feature is a compound mechanism - a lever that assists with generating extra force, which means they slice easily through branches. However, they shears aren’t ideal for more delicate tasks like trimming conifers and the compound action also means that they don’t have shock absorbers, which is a little uncomfortable. We love the ten-year warranty.
Homebase Lawn Edging Shears
RRP: £20.00
Our rating: 4 out of 5
Pros:
- Tough and durable
- Sharp blades
- Soft grip on handles
Cons:
- Heavy to hold and use
- Handles are long at 97cm
- Blades are short at 24cm
These basic edging shears are made from steel, so they're heavier than the aluminium ones we tested and as the handles aren’t adjustable and 97cm long, it’s worth checking they will be comfortable to use. They feature heat treated carbon steel blades, which makes them tough and durable, however, at 24cm, their cutting blade is relatively short so it will take longer to edge lawns with these than with the others. They come with a two-year warranty.
How to choose garden shears
Before you buy consider the following features-
Blades - These are almost always steel; either carbon steel, which is durable and strong but prone to rust, or stainless steel, which is highly resistant to rust but is a little weaker. Sometimes carbon blades are powder coated to protect the steel from rust. Almost always, shears arrive with a thin coating of oil to both further protect the blades and lubricate the hinge.
Handles - These can be simple and plain, ergonomically designed or include grips for comfort, and are usually made from steel, aluminium, wood or composite plastic. Steel is long lasting but heavy, wood helps to absorb shock but needs maintenance and care, while composite handles can't be recycled.
Weight - The lighter the shears, the better. These tools get hours of use, so it’s best to steer clear of heavy types, which will be tiring for your hands, wrists and arms.
Bumpers - Generating the power to cut through tough hedging like leylandii, yew, and hawthorn can put a lot of force on your hands. Good bumpers or shock absorbers will soften the impact and ensure a comfortable cut. This is especially helpful for gardeners with mobility or strength issues with their hands.
Length - The longer the blades, the more efficiently they will perform the job, the shorter the shears, the more nimble. If you need to tackle a lot of hedging, go for long shears; for small, neater work, go for smaller shears.
What are wavy hedge shears?
Some hedge shears have wavy blades rather than straight blades. This is to help them grip the plant stems and stop them slipping when being cut and is useful for more open, larger leaved hedging. However, wavy blades can be tricky to sharpen, and because they’re a little more expensive to manufacture, can be pricier than more traditional straight-blade shears.
How to sharpen garden shears
Sharp shears are safer and work more efficiently than blunt ones so it's worth looking after them and sharpening the blades regularly. Although some hedging and edging shears may come with their own specialist sharpening tool, most should come apart easily for sharpening, simply by removing the central nut and bolt with a spanner. Once the two blades are separated follow our simple tips for easy sharpening :
- Clean each blade on both sides with a piece of wire wool.
- Using a sharpening stone or steel, follow the bevel of the blade, running the stone evenly along the edge a few times. Do the same on the back, holding the stone flat against the blade and run it across the edge. Do this with both blades.
- Oil the blades, rubbing it into teh metal with a cloth.
- Reassemble the shears by pushing the bolt back through the two blades and screwing on the nut with your spanner. Take care not to over tighten.
How we tested garden shears
We tested a range of both edging and hedge shears, just as a gardener would use them, on grass between lawns, paving stones and borders and on a variety of species hedges. They were assessed according to the following criteria with equal marks attributed to each:
- Blades and handle. Looked at materials and length, grip features, efficiency, and strength and sharpness of blade, any hardening and protective features and whether replacements parts or a repair service are available.
- Comfort. Focused on comfort, weight, balance, any ergonomic features andd how easy they are to use for prolonged periods of time.
- Performance. Assessed smoothness and precision of cut and how easy they are to sharpen and maintain.
- Value for money. Considered all of the above plus any special features, RRP and warranty.
This review was last updated in August 2024. We apologise if anything has changed in price or availability.
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