The best garden rakes in 2025
Looking for the best garden rake for your lawn and tidy up? See who came out on top in our garden rake reviews.
A rake is a core tool in a gardeners shed, and there are a number of different types, useful for a range of jobs, including scarifying the lawn, raking leaves or prepping your soil. Depending on the size of your garden and the range of tasks you take on, you might find you need one or all of the following:
Leaf rake. Rather than leaf blowing, which can be a noisy and messy job, using a leaf rake is a quieter and more environmentally friendly option. Leaf rakes have a broad, fan-shaped head and are made from metal, rubber or plastic, with tines that curve down to help them grab leaves.
Lawn rake. If your lawn has developed bare patches or moss, it's probably time to scarify it. Scarifying a lawn is the process of removing thatch - dead clippings, moss and other debris that collects on the soil surface at the base of the grass. This can inhibit grass growth by preventing water and nutrients reaching the roots, and encourage moss to form. A lawn rake, spring-tined rake or springbok is similar to a leaf rake but with thin pointed metal tines to drag out the debris. It might look unsightly at first, but your lawn will look lush and green in no time.
Soil rake. Specifically designed to create just the right soil surface for sowing seeds, these have a flattened head and fixed tines that bite into the soil and break up clods to create the fine tilth needed for successful germination. The traditional design features a flat head secured to a wooden shaft by a socket, but variations include tubular steel or aluminium shafts with a grip for your hands, and bow-head rakes, which have a more open construction suitable for spreading gravel.
We've reviewed a selection of different types of rakes below, so there's sure to be to suit you in our comprehensive list.
Our expert testers trial hundreds of garden tools to find out which will do the job well and offer the best value, comfort and quality. If you're looking for more kit for your garden tidy up see our reviews of the best garden gloves, the best leaf blowers and the best cordless mowers.
Best garden rakes to buy at a glance
- Best mid-range soil rake: Greenman stainless steel soil rake
- Best budget soil rake: Wilkinson Sword carbon steel rake
- Best lifetime buy soil rake: Sneeboer narrow tine rake
- Best plastic garden rake: Spear and Jackson Neverbend plastic leaf rake with tubular steel shaft
- Best metal garden rake: Greenman Ash stainless steel lawn rake
- Best leaf rake for sustainability : Town and Country extra large leaf rake
Jump to:
- Best buy garden rakes
- The best of the rest
- How to use a soil rake
- How to use a lawn and leaf rake
- How to choose a garden rake
- How we tested garden rakes
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 rakes below:
The best garden rakes in 2025
Best soil rakes
Greenman stainless steel soil rake
RRP: £34.95
Our rating: 4.8 out of 5
Available from Ebay
Pros:
- Well made, from quality materials
- Balanced and easy on the back
- Comfortable handle sits nicely in the hand
- Creates an excellent tilth and drills, and tamps soil down well
Cons:
- Heavy to use
Given a BBC Gardeners' World Magazine Best Buy for the best mid-range soil rake, this traditional style rake is made from high-quality materials and beautifully designed. It has a comfortable Ash wood handle with a tapered waist and rounded end, that sits comfortably in the hand and, despite the 14 stainless steel tines and heavy overall weight, feels nicely balanced and doesn't put strain on the back. It rakes well, easily creating a fine tilth for seed sowing and the flat head tamps down soil well. For performance and quality it stands out and was a favourite with our team of testers. It has a 10 year warranty.
Available from Threaplands
Wilkinson Sword carbon steel rake
RRP: £24.99
Our rating: 4.5 out of 5
Available from Amazon
Pros:
- Functional, unfussy design
- Robust and pleasant to use
- Sturdy handle
- Good value
Cons:
- Tall users found it too small
This rake is nicely balanced and comfortable to use with a good length handle that's easy on the back, although some taller users found it to be a little short. It's well made with sturdy fixings and the 12-tine coated carbon steel head has a no frills, design and a rust-resistant finish. It's one of the cheapest soil rakes in our test, but it feels robust and long lasting and great value for gardeners on a budget. It comes with a 10 year warranty and we awarded it a BBC Gardeners' World Magazine Best Buy award for the best budget soil rake.
Sneeboer narrow tine soil rake
RRP: £96.95
Our rating: 4.5 out of 5
Available from Burford Garden Co.
Pros:
- Well made, quality materials
- Long, comfortable handle
- Small head good for access between rows
- Creates a fine tilth
Cons
- Heavy
- Expensive
This stainless steel narrow tine soil rake was awarded a BBC Gardeners' World Magazine Best Buy for a lifetime buy. Beautifully designed and hand crafted from quality materials it has a long ash handle that has a knob on the end for extra grip. It fits well in the hand although it is quite heavy. The narrow head of the rake fits well between rows in the vegetable garden and plants in borders, and the close tines produce an excellent tilth. Although it is expensive, costg considerably more than some in our test, it is an excellent tool with a 50 year warranty on teh head and one on the handle and a must for kitchen gardeners.
Available from Burford Garden Co.
Best leaf and lawn rakes
Spear and Jackson Neverbend plastic leaf rake with tubular steel shaft
RRP: £43.99
Our rating: 4.8 out of 5
Pros
- Sturdy and strong but flexible
- Very light
- Effective tensioning bar on the head
- Good length warranty
Cons
- Handle grip could be longer
Awarded a BBC Gardeners' World Magazine Best Buy for the best plastic rake, this lawn rake has a 56cm wide sturdy head that hits the ground firmly but with flexibility. The 150cm handle is a good length that doesn't put strain on the back and the rubber grip stops the hand slipping, although our testers thought it would be helpful if it extended further down the handle, for both hands. It's wide tines grab leaves well and the flat head has a useful solid area that's helpful for picking up leaves and grass clippings. The steel shaft has an epoxy coating to prevent rust and it feels light and comfortable to use. It's well made and an ideal rake for ridding the lawn, even borders, of leaves in the autumn and collecting grass clippings through the summer. It comes with a 15 year warranty.
Greenman Ash Stainless Steel Lawn rake
RRP: £45.95
Our rating: 4.8 out of 5
Available from Amazon
Pros
- Solid and well made
- Well balanced
- Excellent for scarifying
- Tine design stops times spreading
Cons
- Heavy
- Chunky handle
Given a BBC Gardeners' World Magazine Best Buy for the best metal rake this well made lawn rake is solid and strong with a rust resistant stainless steel head and an ash handle. It's a heavier rake at 1.16kg, with a thick, chunky handle that's 160cm long and ideal for taller gardeners, allowing them to work without putting strain on the back but it may not be comfortable for smaller gardeners. However, it feels well balanced and comfortable and rakes really well. The angled tines tackle moss and thatch in the lawn with ease but also handle themselves well in borders to drag out leaves, thanks to the spreader bar across the head that ensures a constant pressure. It comes with a ten year warranty.
Buy the Greenman Ash Stainless Steel lawn rake from Amazon
Town and Country extra large leaf rake
RRP: £12.99
Our rating:4.8 out of 5
extra large leaf rake
Pros
Cons
Lightweight and
This great value and well thought out rake is made from recycled and recyclable plastic with a wooden handle and makes raking leaves off the lawn a pleasure. The long handle is ideal for bad backs and the curved tines are ideal for dragging out leaves and wide enough that leaves don't get caught. The head also slots on and off the handle, which means it takes up less room in storage and makes scooping up leaves for the compost heap easily. The head's also 60cm wide and grabs more leaves than some, helping you tackle a large area quickly. It comes with just a one year warranty and was awarded a BBC Gardeners' World Magazine Best Buy for flexibility.
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.
Soil rakes
Wilkinson Sword stainless steel soil rake
RRP: £34.99
Our rating: 4.3 out of 5
Available from My Tool Shed
Pros:
- Quality construction and materials
- Comfortable to use
- Performs well
Cons:
- Heavier weight
This rake features a classic design, and is well made with a quality finish. It has a stainless-steel head and a weatherproofed ash handle and feels well balanced during use, although it is a little heavy. It performs well with no clogging and has a 10 year warranty.
Wolf Garten multi-change soil and close toothed rake
RRP: £24.99/£19.99 for head, £17.99 for handle
Our rating: 4 out of 5
Available from Amazon
Pros:
- Easy to change heads
- Close-toothed rake head produces fine tilth
- Lightweight handle with long grip
Cons:
- More expensive than buying a single rake
- Need both heads for best finish
Part of the Wolf garten multi tool range we tested both a soil rake head and a close toothed raker head plus a handle. The former rakes soil well and the close-toothed head enables you to produce a fine tilth. The lightweight handle has a long grip, that's helpful for saving your back and the combination of the three works efficiently and well. You do need to buy each part separately, which does make this more expensive than other high performers. It comes with a lengthy 35 year warranty.
Burgon & Ball RHS endorsed ground rake
RRP: £37.99
Our rating: 4 out of 5
Available from Amazon
Pros:
- Quality construction
- Well balanced and comfy
- Head held with sturdy rivets
- Rakes well
Cons:
- Not efficient for tamping the soil down after sowing
- Not ideal for seed drills
This rake features a stainless steel bow head and an FSC hardwood handle. It's a good length, ideal for reducing strain on the back, and is well made. It rakes smoothly and well however it's not efficient when it comes to tamping down the soil after sowing or for creating seed drills. It features a hanging loop for easy storage and has a lifetime warranty.
Available from Amazon
Kent & Stowe Garden Life stainless steel soil rake
RRP: £29.99
Our rating: 3.8 out of 5
Available from Marshalls Garden and B&Q
Pros:
- Super-lightweight
- Well balanced
- Compact yet sturdy
Cons:
- Handle is too short
- Hole in handle irritates hand
This option is much lighter than Kent & Stowe's standard soil rake, at 960g, and is well balanced and feels comfortable in the hand. It also rakes well. It features 12 stainless steel tines and anFSC ash wood handle, which is short and slenderand the whole tool feels robust and compact. It's best for small gardens and young or less strong gardeners and comes with a 15 year warranty.
Available from Marshalls Garden and B&Q
Draper stainless steel soft grip soil rake
RRP: £19.99
Our rating: 3.3 out of 5
Available from Amazon
Pros:
- Strong construction
- Slender handle for smaller hands
Cons:
- Short and rough grip
- No hole for hanging loop
- Grey colour vanishes into the background
This stainless steel rake features a slender tubular steel handle, thta's ideal for smaller hands and a steel head with 12 tines. The soft rubber grip is short and feels quite rough on bare hands but it's well made and sturdy. The ines are prone to clogging during use and the handle can be tricky to spot in grass if dropped. It comes with a generous lifetime warranty.
Kent & Stowe stainless steel soil rake
RRP: £36.99
Our rating: 3 out of 5
Available from B&Q
Pros:
- Sturdy construction
- Comfy tapered handle
Cons:
- Not well balanced
- Poor finish to seedbed
This classically designed rake features a long, FSC ash wood handle, and a stainless steel head with 14 tines. It feels robust and well made, but is not as well balanced as some rakes in our test and gives a relatively poor performance for the price. For easy storage, there's a hole to attach a hanging cord and it has a warranty of 15 years.
Corona Max heavy duty rake
RRP: £52.49
Our rating: 3 out of 5
Available from Burgon & Ball
Pros:
- Robust construction
- Long, comfortable grip
- Bright colour stands out
Cons:
- Heavy and cumbersome
- Not balanced
- Not good for seed drills or tamping soil
- Expensive
This heavy duty rake features 14 thick tines and a carbon steel head. It has a lightweight aluminium handle which is oval-shaped for extra strength. Overall the rake is heavy at 1570g. It's best on rough and stony soil and comes with a lifetime warranty.
Available from Burgon & Ball
Plastic rakes
Corona BigLOAD junior rake
RRP: £32.99
Our rating: 4 out of 5
Available from Burgon and Ball
Pros
- Very light
- Large and long, so ideal for taller users
- Rakes quickly and easily
- Well designed with a strengthend handle and tensioning bar
Cons
- Too big for use in borders
- Handle grip could be longer
- Plastic coating on handle quickly split
- Storage could be an issue due to size
The largest rake in our test this leaf rake has an extra wide plastic head and an aluminium handle with a plastic coating and a vinyl grip to help you hold the rake firmly and the handle extends into the head giving extra stability and strength. It's very light to use and its broad head means it rakes across the lawn quickly and effectively but it's too big for working in borders. The overall length of 197cm id ideal for protecting the back and for taller gardeners but may be awkward for those smaller gardeners and those working in restricted spaces. It feels well made and we liked its size and strength, although unfortunately in our test the plastic coating quickly split and cracked which made it uncomfortable and sharp in the hand. However, it does come with a ten year warranty.
Buy the Corona BigLOAD junior rake from Burgon and Ball
How to use a soil rake
To use a soil rake effectively, follow our tips below:
- When preparing a bed for sowing, use the tines to break up the top layer of soil, removing any lumps or small stones
- You'll create what is known as the tilth, the top layer of soil which is ideal for seed sowing, giving them room to establish a root system in the freshly raked soil
- You can use the edge of the rake to create a seed drill, ideal for controlling the depth you want to sow your seeds
- Use the back of the rake to even out the soil surface .
How to use a lawn and leaf rake
To rake efficiently and look after your back follow our tips below:
- Don't overreach and use small strokes, raking in sections to make lots of small piles rather than one huge one.
- Raking onto a tarp makes collecting as you go easier and leaves can then be poured into bags or a wheel barrow so they don't keep blowing away.
- Rake when leaves are dry rather than wet as they're less heavy to carry
- To remove thatch from a lawn rake vigorously in more than one direction to get as much thatch out as you can
- Add your collected leaves and thatch to the compost or make leaf mulch by storing leaves in bags pierced.
How to choose a garden rake
Having the right rake that suits you and your needs will help make spring soil preparation or the autumn tidy up easy and pleasurable. Think about the following aspects before you choose:
Is it comfortable and the right fit? Rakes come in different lengths and weights, and it’s important to pick one that suits you. The more rakes you can try for size, the better. A rake should feel good in your hand so make sure the handle is comfortable, smooth and thick enough for a good grip. It’s also important to find a rake that feels well balanced, while also being neither too heavy and tiring to use nor too light to grab the soil, thatch or leaves without you pushing down hard. Choose a longer handle and a heavier weight if you’re tall and strong, or a lighter one if that suits you better. Weigh up the rake in your hands to see if it feels balanced, and if the handle is long enough for your reach.
Which materials do you prefer? A stainless steel head is rust resistant and usually more expensive, while carbon steel is stronger but cheaper, and often coated to preserve it against rust. Traditional handles are made from wood, which often balances the rake head nicely, and makes for a sturdy, warm-to-the-touch grip. Metal handles offer a strong alternative but can be cold to the touch, and slippery when wet.
Where are you working? Think about how much you’ll use this rake, and what your soil conditions are like. If you have a plot with less than ideal soil, then something sturdy and strong will fit the bill, but a keen vegetable gardener with well worked beds might want something with more tines that are closer together to create a fine tilth quickly. Narrower heads are good for working between rows and in smaller spaces.
How we tested garden rakes
The BBC Gardeners' World Magazine reviews team tested a range of different soil, lawn and leaf rakes, using them to rake a range of soils to a fine tilth, remove leaves from borders and lawns and to scarify and remove thatch from the lawn. The following criteria were used to calculate the scores, with equal weight given to each:
- Design: Observed the materials the rake is made from, any special features, how it was packaged and storage features.
- Comfort: Evaluated the weight of the tool, the length of the handle and its balance, any grip and how it feels in use.
- Performance: Tested how well it rakes, whether leaves got stuck on the tines, and whether it’s easy to pick up leaves and thatch.
- Value for money: Considered all of above, plus whether it feels well-made and built to last, the length of warranty and if its design is worth its price.
For more information on our testing process see How we Review
This review was last updated in April 2025. We apologise if anything has changed in price or availability.
