The best garden forks in 2024
Lift plants, turn soil and get your beds and borders ready with our reviews of garden forks.
You can’t even begin to garden without the proper preparation of your soil. Well-maintained, aerated soil is necessary for your plants to be as strong and as healthy as possible. However, this is often quite a daunting task, requiring soil to be rejuvenated through loosening and turning over. Forks make this easy - they’re one of the simplest but most effective tools in the garden. Not only are they great for cultivating and getting areas of soil ready for planting & sowing, they’re also designed to easily lift and transplant plants.
There are several different types of forks, and most people’s go-to is a digging fork. However, these forks can be unwieldy, and ill suited to smaller areas of the garden like borders. They can also be a little too clumsy for more delicate tasks like transplanting plants and harvesting from raised beds.
Border forks offer an easy alternative. A little smaller and narrower than digging forks, they're great for getting into tight spots without compromising on strength or efficiency. They offer a finesse that makes them great for weeding, or lifting clumps of perennials from cramped borders. Their lightness also helps if you have mobility issues, or if you lack strength and stamina. A good border fork turns all of the above from a backbreaker into a breeze. It should be indispensable; a lifetime companion in the garden.
For more help when preparing soil, take a look at our guide to the best garden spades or hand trowels.
Garden fork - Buyers' Guide Video
For information and help choosing the garden fork, see our Buyer’s Guide video:
Best garden forks to buy at a glance
- Best border fork for general use 2024: Greenman stainless steel border fork
- Best value border fork: Spear and Jackson Select Stainless Steel Border Fork
- Best border fork for strength: Burgon and Ball RHS Border Fork
- Best border fork for every day use: Wilkinson Sword Stainless Steel Border Fork
- Best garden fork for raised beds and borders: Sophie Conran for Burgon and Ball Fork
- Best garden fork for cultivating: Roamwild Multi Digger
We tested different border forks, using them in the garden in a range of sites and ground to help you find the right one for your garden. Each fork has a detailed list of pros and cons for clarity and has been rated according to handling, tines, strength and value for money. Every fork in our round up below has scored a minimum of three out of five stars, so you can buy with confidence.
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In every review we award outstanding products our coveted Best Buy award. To see these and the others we recommend, browse our pick of the best garden forks, below.
The best garden forks in 2024
Greenman stainless steel border fork
RRP: £39.95
More like this
Our rating: 4.5 out of 5
Available from Sarah Raven, Greenman Garden Tools and Amazon
Pro:
- Well balanced and comfortable to use
- Pointed tines cut through ground well
- Quality construction
- Generous 20 year warranty
Cons
- Wooden handle has slightly roughly finished
With its long overall length and slightly heavier weight, this is a good buy for the keen gardener. The 1.6kg weight means the fork does some of the hard work for you, sliding cleanly into the soil with mirror polished stainless steel tines that have a high carbon content so they’re strong and the soil doesn’t stick to them. The tines are also more pointed than other forks on test, which makes for a comparatively effortless digging experience as they penetrate the soil easily, even on stonier ground. The sustainable ash handle is also longer than the others on test, making it comfortable for the taller person to use, but also suitable for those of average height. The handle, which is fastened with 3 rivets fits firmly into the head and with a lipped socket, so it’s both tough and long-lasting, spreading the stress over a potentially weak joint. This fork feels sturdily and thoughtfully made and, with a 20 year warranty, offers the buyer a quality long term investment. We’ve awarded it a BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine Best Buy for general use.
Spear and Jackson Select stainless steel border fork
RRP: £29.99
Our rating: 4.5 out of 5
Available from Tooled-Up
Pros
- Angled ergonomic design
- Comfortable handle with grips
- Strong tines
- Robust and long lasting
Cons
- Polypropylene shaft bad for the environment
This is robust but comfortable to use, with effective ergonomic grips on its shaft and handle. The handle is a YD shape and angled so that you’re always pushing into soil directly above the points of the tines. At 18cm, it’s also wide, which makes it easy to use with two hands to generate extra force on tough soils. The polypropylene shaft is strong and the socket is double riveted for extra strength. It transplants well - the tines hold clumps of soil together for root balls but soil doesn’t stick. It has a 10 year warranty and for its strength, ease of use, and price, we awarded it a BBC Gardeners' World Magazine Best Buy value.
Best Buy review video - the Spear and Jackson Select stainless steel border fork
Alex David explains why the Spear and Jackson Select stainless steel border fork was awarded BBC Gardeners' World Magazine Best Buy status.
RHS Burgon and Ball stainless steel border fork
RRP: £42.99
Our rating: 4.3 out of 5
Available from Waitrose Garden and Burgon and Ball
Pros
- Very strong
- Lightweight
- Sustainable ash shaft
- Well-spaced, effective tines
- Lifetime warranty
Cons
- Finishing a little poor
Awarded a BBC Gardeners' World Magazine Best Buy for performance, this sturdy border fork is endorsed by the RHS, and it’s not hard to see why. It’s rated for strains up to 90kg but despite its strength, it’s very light, at just 1.64 kg. The tines are strong, and well spaced. It easily goes through both compacted and wet soil. However, this stainless steel fork felt a little unfinished - there are some scratch marks around the rivets in the handle, and the handle itself is a little rough. It comes with a plastic cover to help keep the fork clean and rust free in storage and has a lifetime warranty.
Wilkinson Sword stainless steel border fork
RRP: £34.99
Our rating: 4.3 out of 5
Available from Amazon, Pennels Garden Centres, Charlies and Downtown Stores
Pros
- Great results
- Good finish
- Strong
- Fantastic value
Cons
- A little basic
- Struggles with finer soils
For an unfussy stainless steel border fork, look no further. This traditional garden border fork has no ergonomics, but is still comfortable to hold, with a smooth ash handle. Its performance is good - some dirt sticks, but it pushes into the soil with little resistance, and picks up a fair amount. It’s good at breaking lumps, too, but struggles a little with finer soil and compost. More important is its price - this is a good fork at a very reasonable price and we awarded it a BBC Gardeners' World Magazine Best Buy for every day use.
Sophie Conran digging fork
RRP: £43.99
Our rating: 4 out of 5
Available from Sophie Conran and Amazon
Pros
- Very small - great for tight spots
- T -shaped handle easy to use with two hands
- Breaks up soil easily
Cons
- Poor finishing
- Short tines mean it's tricky to get leverage
We liked this fork from Burgon and Ball’s Sophie Conran range - it’s a true garden border fork with small tines and is great for manoeuvring in small spaces. Its FSC-certified ash shaft and T-shaped handle are comfortable and easy to use with two hands and the mirrored steel tines stop soil from sticking. It strikes in very well with little resistance, even in clay but they are short - just 19cm - which makes it a little difficult to get leverage when turning over and transplanting. we awarded it a BBC Gardeners' World Magazine Best Buy for raised beds and borders.
Roamwild Multi-Digger
RRP: £44.99
Our rating: 4 out of 5
Available from Roamwild
Pros
- Amazing at breaking up soil
- Comfortable handle that can be used in a variety of ways
- Angled handle
- Incredibly strong
Cons
- Poor at turning soil and transplanting
- Heavy
This futuristic border fork is a real innovation. Rather than the traditional four tines, this model combines the middle two into an arrow shape reinforced by two soil chopping blades. It has a multi-grip handle, with a second handle through the middle for using a variety of different grips. This strength - and the fine point of the arrow-shaped tines - means this border fork simply cannot be beaten for lump breaking and digging into soil. It went through compacted clay like it wasn’t even there. However, the arrow-shaped tines that make it so strong leave a big gap either side through which all soils on test fell through. This makes it poor for turning over soil, and transplanting, but if you need to break up soil or cultivate a new garden or veg plot, this is great and we awarded it a BBC Gardeners' World Magazine Best Buy for cultivating.
The best of the rest
Although some models didn't quite achieve a BBC Gardeners' World Magazine Best Buy award, they still have various features that make them worth recommending. Browse our pick of the best of the rest on test.
Pedigree border fork
RRP: £50.40
Our rating: 3.8 out of 5
Available from Marshalls Garden
Pros
- Great results in all tests
- Incredibly effective tines
Cons
- Poor finishing
- Badly balanced
We were very impressed with this fork’s performance. The stainless steel tines are good - they slide into soil effortlessly, but aren’t slippery, holding large forkfuls of soil for easy turning over and transplanting. On some tests there was a little clodding at the top where the tines meet, but not badly. It’s fairly strong, with a double riveted socket and single riveted head with metal guards. However, it lost marks for its finish. Parts of the fork aren’t properly sanded and splinter a little, and it’s balanced too much towards the tines.
Ames carbon steel border fork
RRP: £29.99
Our rating: 3 out of 5
Available from Ames
Pros
- Comfortable handle
- Curved tines good for turning soil and lifting plants
- Good value
Cons
- Workmanlike look and feel
- Rubber grip has tacky texture
- Short shaft
- Lacks strength and balance
This is a good basic border fork that’s enhanced by a comfortable, ergonomic D-shaped handle with a rubber handgrip that makes it easy to grip, even in wet weather, albeit with a slightly tacky texture if your hands are bare. The FSC certified ash handle is double rivetted at the socket for strength but the fork is a little shorter than others on test with an overall length of 96cm. The carbon steel tines are lacquered for optimal rust resistance, and the steel is tempered to withstand bending and deforming. The tines also have a more pronounced curve than others on test which is good for scooping and turning over soil, but less useful for accurate manoeuvring between plant. Guaranteed for 15 years, this is a good value option for occasional gardeners and allotmenteers
Ames stainless steel border fork
RRP: £39.99
Our rating: 3 out of 5
Available from Ames
Pros
- Classic looks and highly polished head
- Feels lightweight
- Sturdy
Cons
- Uncomfortable jarring through tines on stonier soil
- Less value than others in test
This is a classic border fork with a slightly lighter weight, polished good looks and a classic YD-shaped handle. The shaft and handle are double riveted and made from FSC certified ash wood and feature a branded dart which adds to the fork’s sturdiness. Soil slips nicely off the tempered stainless steel tines and head, especially as the tines are set slightly wider apart than on other models on test. However, some jarring and ringing through the tines was noticed when working on stonier ground which is felt uncomfortably in both the hand and the back. It feels well made, although not as well as some in our test and comes with a 15 year warranty.
How to choose a garden fork
Types of garden forks and their uses
There are two main types of garden forks that are commonly used:
- Digging forks
Larger than border forks, what this tool lacks in finesse, it makes up for in brute strength. It's ideal for breaking fresh ground and turning over a lot of soil.
- Border forks
These are smaller, lighter versions of digging forks, designed to be used in tighter spaces, like borders – hence the name. Good for cultivating small patches of soil and transplanting small plants, or harvesting root vegetables from raised beds, but they’re also great for gardeners who would struggle using a larger digging fork for a prolonged length of time. Taller gardeners may find them a little short to use but border forks with ergonomic handles may help with this.
What are they made from?
Fork handles come in a variety of styles to suit different users’ preferences. The most common is a Y or YD shape, which is great for applying effort and digging with strength, but can be uncomfortable if you prefer to use both hands. Also common is the T-shape, which is good for using with two hands, but can feel odd if you’re not used to this style.
Shafts, the part between the handle and the socket, are traditionally made of ash, a strong, durable, but lightweight wood. Most forks on the market are still made this way but other materials with similar properties to ash, such as polypropylene or fibreglass, are also used.
Perhaps the most crucial part is the head and the tines - the prongs that will dig into the soil. These are almost always steel; either carbon steel, which is durable and strong but prone to rust, and stainless steel, which is less prone to rust but is a little weaker. Some of the best forks have a mirrored finish on their tines, which ensures soil doesn’t stick.
How we tested garden forks
We tested a range of border forks with different features including telescopic handles and ratchet mechanisms. Our experts put the loppers through their paces on various woody branches and stems to test their overall performance. Each pair was assessed according to the following criteria with equal marks attributed to each:
- Handling: Looked at comfort and weight, how it feels in the hand and any ergonomics and how well it transplants and cultivates etc, and ease of use.
- Tines: Focussed on the eir material, rust resistance, whether there were treads and whether mud stuck or clogged
- Strength: assessed the length of the shaft and socket, materials, is the handle continuous or riveted,quality of the welds and whether it felt durable and long lasting
- Value: Considered the price versus the quality and design, performance and length of warranty.
For more information on our testing process, take a look at how we review.
This review was last updated in July 2024. We apologise if anything has changed in price or availability.
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