Seven of the best garden hand trowels

Our expert testers trial hundreds of garden tools to work out which will do the job well and offer the best value, comfort and quality.

We’ve tested essentials like the best garden spades and best hoes as well as more specific kit like the best spray guns and best secateurs.

In this article, we review the best garden hand trowels for different needs and clearly list the pros and cons of each one. Each gardening trowel has been assessed thoroughly by our gardening experts and has been awarded a clear star rating out of 5. Only tools scoring at least 4 out of 5 stars have made it onto our recommended list.

If you’re looking for ideas on other types of gardening kit to make your work a little more comfortable, have a look at our pick of some of the best garden kneelers and best gardening shoes.

Seven best garden hand trowels

Find out how our top-rated hand trowels fared in our expert testing below:

Our rating: 4.8 out of 5

• Buy now on Amazon (£19.94)

Pros:

• Two blade edges for easy cutting through roots, soil, and compost bags
• Hammer end on handle for stakes
• Measuring gauge for seed and bulb depth
• Comfortable handle
• Very strong and sturdy

Cons:

• Relatively expensive

This exceptional trowel is built to last and offers great versatility alongside a stellar performance at ordinary trowelling tasks. It has sharpened and serrated edges for cutting through roots and compost bags, a depth gauge for accurate planting and even a hammer for stakes and small posts. Made from breathable ash, it sits well in the hand, and cuts through even compacted, dry soil. We found that after use there was little soil left on the blade. Despite its size, the hammer is effective at hammering in stakes.

Our rating: 4.5 out of 5

Pros:

• Comfortable
• Great for most jobs
• Strong and long lasting
• Excellent quality and value

Cons:

• Hanging hole rubs

This tempered carbon-steel head has been hand-crafted and has bevelled edges and a sharp, pointed tip. Ours testers loved the workmanship on this model and awarded it a Best Buy for quality and value. It’s sturdy too and effectively cuts through all types of soil, plus it comes with a lifetime warranty.

Our rating: 4.5 out of 5

Pros:

• Light, comfortable, strong and sturdy
• Digs, weeds and plants effortlessly
• Excellent quality

Cons:

• Best for light use
• Small

Another hand crafted, carbon-steel tool, our experts awarded the Niwaki model Best Buy status as the best premium performing trowel. All garden jobs, including digging, weeding and planting are virtually effortless for this Japanese tool and the Beech wood handle is comfortable to hold when working. It comes with a two year guarantee.

Our rating: 4.5 out of 5

Pros:

• Great for scooping, digging and weeding
• Comfortable
• Light and well balanced
• Well-made and long lasting

Cons:

• Best for lighter soil

Our expert testers judged the Wilkinson Sword stainless steel trowel as the best garden hand trowel for all round use, awarding it Best Buy status. The narrow ash handle is comfortable to use and it’s weatherproofed to keep it in good shape. The traditional head of the trowel is well scooped and sharp to help it cut efficiently through the soil but it’s also useful for potting on and planting. It comes with  a 10 year warranty.

Our rating: 4.3 out of 5

Pros:

• Light and comfortable
• Built to last
• Long warranty

Cons:

• Cumbersome for some jobs
• Not for small hands

This is a light and comfortable gardening trowel to use but one that still feels strong and works well for planting. The corrosion-resistant steel head is long and large and great for planting but it could be awkward to use during tasks like weeding, particularly for smaller hands. It’s guaranteed for 25 years.

Our rating: 4.3 out of 5

Pros:

• Rust resistant and strong
• Excellent quality
• Comfortable

Cons:

• Poor leverage
• Expensive

Our expert testers thought this stainless steel trowel worked best on lighter soils. It’s comfortable to use and well balanced, but doesn’t have as good leverage as others in the test. However, the ash handle is comfortable, made from FSC certified wood and comes with a warranty of one year. The head has a warranty of 10 years.

Our rating: 4.3 out of 5

Pros:

• Good leverage
• Simple but sturdy
• Long warranty

Cons:

• Stumpy handle, best for smaller hands
• Feels heavy

This gardening trowel by Spear and Jackson has good leverage and works well for both digging and planting. The carbon-steel head feels sturdy while the FSC certified ash handle is weatherproofed for enhanced durability, but it is quite short and therefore best for smaller hands. It’s guaranteed for 15 years.