BBC Gardeners World Magazine https://www.gardenersworld.com/reviews/tools/power-tools Wed, 01 Jul 2026 13:51:48 GMT en hourly 1 9 best leaf blowers in 2026 – as tested by our expert reviewers https://www.gardenersworld.com/reviews/tools/power-tools/best-leaf-blowers-vacuums/ Wed, 20 May 2026 16:44:09 GMT https://www.gardenersworld.com/reviews/tools/power-tools/best-leaf-blowers-vacuums/ Time to tackle the leaves in your garden? Browse our pick of the best leaf blowers and leaf blower vacuums, from budget to premium models.

Jump to our 5 top-rated cordless leaf blowers

Jump to our top-rated leaf blower vacuum

These days we're all a lot more relaxed about fallen leaves in autumn, but I still find there lots of times when they need shifting – when they're on the grass (too many there, sitting for too long will damage the lawn), when they're on the patio (slipping is never fun) and when they're making it dangerous for the delivery drivers coming to the front door (no one really wants to get sued).

So, a leaf blower or leaf blower vacuum can be a great purchase, and these days they don't even have to cost that much. But get the wrong one, and you'll regret it. And that's why my colleagues and I at GardenersWorld.com have tested literal shedloads of the things. And the result is this page, crammed full of leaf blowers and leaf blower vacuums that we think are worthy of your hard-earned cash.

If you're lumbered with lots of leaves, check out our test of the best gardening gloves to collect them in comfort, and why not learn how to make leaf mould – a super compost and soil conditioner – as well as how to make your own leaf mould bin. 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 hedge trimmers, the best garden shredders, the best pressure washers and the best trimmers.

Oliver Parsons, GardenersWorld.com

Our best leaf blowers and leaf blower vacuums to buy at a glance

Our 5 top-rated cordless leaf blowers

Our top-rated leaf blower vacuum

Also recommended: cordless leaf blowers

Comparison table: best leaf blowers and leaf blower vacs

Our expertise

We've tested a range of cordless and corded leaf blowers and leaf blower vacs to help you find the right one for your garden. We cleared lawns and borders and paths and patios, blowing and vacuuming both wet and dry leaves. Each one has a detailed list of pros and cons for clarity and has been rated according to ease of use, handling, performance and value for money.  In every review category, we award the outstanding products our coveted Best Buy award. From 2026, you’ll only see newly awarded Best Buy badges on leaf blowers and leaf blower vacs that score 4.5 out of 5 or higher. Anything rated 3.5 or above will still feature in our ‘Best of the rest’ list. 

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Our 5 top-rated cordless leaf blowers

1: Worx WG543E LeafJet

Our best leaf blower for value

RRP:£149.99 (kit)

Our rating: 5/5

Available from: Amazon (£79.99 - bare tool)

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Reasons to buy:

I found this light, powerful leaf blower easy to use and ready to go right out of the box. The 20V battery takes just 60 minutes to charge and delivers 23 minutes of runtime. It also has a handy battery level indicator so you can check how much time you have left while you work.

The blower offers the choice of two nozzle lengths, which are easily adjusted by flicking a button and sliding the nozzle up and down the tube, and two speeds for gentle or more powerful blowing – it coped brilliantly, blasting damp leaves off paths in our test. It has a hard-wearing, brushless motor, and for its power and features, I think it’s excellent value. Plus, it comes with a two-year warranty.

It's ideal for medium to small gardens, and the LeafJet is also part of the Worx 20-V Power Share cordless battery system, which means you can use the battery in other Worx tools, saving you money if you invest in the future. Kay Maguire

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2: Husqvarna Aspire B8X-P4A

Our best leaf blower for ease of use, £200+

RRP:£209 (kit)

Our rating: 4.8/5

Available from: Amazon (£198)

BBC Gardeners' World Magazine review Husqvarna Aspire B8X-P4A leaf blower

Reasons to buy:

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The Aspire leaf blower is very easy to put together – I had no problems attaching the nozzle with this blower; it simply clipped in with the push of a button and breaks down just as easily for storage. Plus, it comes with its own storage hanging hook.

It only has one nozzle, but this is a good size for blasting away on large areas like lawns. It also works reasonably well when you need more focus in beds and borders or when blowing leaves into piles, although it wasn’t the best at this in my test. It has a clearly visible battery charge indicator on the handle and offers three speeds, also controlled via buttons on the handle. However, there’s no indication which speed you’re in at the time, and I also found I had to stop blowing to change speed.

Thanks to the weather at the time of testing, I know that the blower handled primarily wet leaves very well, and although it didn’t blow them into as neat piles as some, it cleared paths, beds and lawns well. It feels powerful yet controlled, and it is ideal for quickly clearing large areas. The blower is quiet, has a comfortable, easy-grip handle, and feels well-balanced. Although this is a heavy blower once the battery is loaded, it’s not the heaviest I tested.

The 18V battery took the longest to charge in our test, at well over an hour, but it lasted the longest too, blowing wet leaves on full power for over 12 minutes. The battery is also part of the Power For All Alliance, which means it’s compatible with other 18V tools in the Flymo, Gardena, and Bosch tool ranges, as well as the Husqvarna Aspire range, saving you money if you invest in them in the future. The Aspire blower comes with a two-year warranty. Kay Maguire

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3: Makita DUB186Z 18V cordless leaf blower

Our best leaf blower for performance, under £100

RRP: £84.99 (bare tool)

Our rating: 4.8/5

Available from: Amazon (£52.99) and Tool Station (£86.98)

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I found this cordless leaf blower light, compact and easy to use. It has one of the narrowest nozzles in the range I tested, which meant it delivered a powerful but focused blast of air that tackled wet and dry fallen leaves very effectively, particularly on paths and in awkward corners. Generating an impressive air speed of 68m/s, I also like the three speed settings – low, medium and high – they allowed me to increase and decrease the power according to need. This gave me plenty of control to manage wet and dry leaves, and I found it even shifted compacted debris in between paving and compressed wet leaves that had been trodden into the pavement.

While you must hold the pressure trigger to operate, it’s in an accessible position so it doesn't feel tiring, even with smaller hands. The soft-grip handle, together with the position of the battery, which slots in at the base, helps balance the leaf blower in a downward direction, making it comfortable to use for longer periods of time. It has a run time of up to 80 minutes (on the low setting – 12 minutes on high) and a relatively short charge time of 45 minutes, so you can use this in larger gardens with lots of leaves to clear. It’s part of the Makita LXT 18V cordless tool system, so the 5Ah battery and charger are compatible across the range, and it comes with a three-year warranty. Kay Maguire

Read the full Makita DUB186Z leaf blower vacuum review

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4: Einhell GP-LB36/210 Li Turbo blower

Our best leaf blower for features

RRP: £128.95 (bare tool)

Our rating: 4.8/5

Available from: OnBuy (£128.95) and Tooled Up (£117.95)

Latest Prices Our best leaf blower for features: Einhell GP-LB36/210 Li Turbo leaf blower

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This well-thought-out blower is packed with features. It has a whopping six speeds to choose from, plus a Turbo boost, so I found it easy to adjust the power of the blast according to what and where I was blowing. The tough nozzle has a metal end for scraping debris, the blower can't shift on its own, and it adjusts with a twist to three different lengths, so no matter your height, you can get the nozzle to the perfect length to suit you. Powered by two 18V batteries, which take just 60 minutes to charge, the blower has a run time of 92 minutes on the lowest setting. However, the batteries and charger are not included with the blower and do need to be bought as a kit separately, but once bought, they can be used with any of the tools in the Einhell Power X-Change system, saving money if you invest in these in the future.

The blower is well-balanced and felt comfortable when I used it, but it also comes with a carry strap, so if you’re blowing for a while, this will help balance the load. The nozzle and tube break down for storage, and there’s a handy hanging hook to keep the blowers stored up and out of the way. It has a brushless motor and comes with a two-year warranty. Kay Maguire

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5: Stihl BGA 30 Cordless Blower

Our best lightweight leaf blower

RRP: £99 (bare tool)

Our rating: 4.8/5

Available from: Just Lawnmowers (£144)

Best Buy lightweight leaf blower 2025: Stihl BGA 30 cordless blower

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New last year, the Stihl BGA 30 cordless blower is an excellent addition to their small garden tool line-up. It’s an undeniably handsome little blower that works on their reliable AS compact battery platform. It comes bundled with a pair of miniature-sized 2.0Ah batteries, and you'll need them too, because the run time on full power is just eight minutes at maximum power. However, what I think makes this one of the best small leaf blowers is the variable speed trigger. You can easily control the blowing force to clear stubborn stuff and save battery when you want to.

The air speed maxes out at 43m/s, and even on full power, it only produces 73dB, which is very quiet for a blower. On low speed, the volume is even lower, just in case you need to do some discreet garden clearance. At this low blowing speed, you can extend the useful working time to around 25 minutes.

Stihl BGA 30 cordless blower on test. Harry Duncton

There’s a comfortable moulded rubber grip that's just about big enough for large hands in gardening gloves, and it features a slick battery charge level indicator built into the top, showing the remaining charge in three green bars. Weighing 1.5kg without the tiny, lightweight batteries, the blower doesn’t feel heavy thanks to clever ergonomics and a finely tuned balance between the battery and the nozzle end. An excellent handle design makes it easy to manoeuvre around, and the slightly flattened nozzle tip helps direct the air horizontally while remaining accurate.

Although this blower is at the pricier end of the market for lightweight leaf blowers, its handling, two batteries, and ability to be used across Stihl’s AS range of tools make it worth the money. Harry Duncton

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Our top-rated leaf blower vacuum

1: Bosch UniversalGardenTidy 3000

Our best blower vac all-rounder

RRP: £108.99

Our rating: 4.5/5

Available from: Argos (£63) and Currys (£75)

BBC Gardeners' World Magazine review Bosch UniversalGardenTidy 3000

Reasons to buy:

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I found this leaf blower vacuum ideal for clearing up large areas of leaves quickly. The blower is powerful, if a little heavy for me, and great at blasting leaves, with a narrow nozzle that helps you funnel and direct them into piles and out of tight corners. The vacuum mode has good suction with a well-shaped nozzle and a large collection bag. Initial assembly was simple, with clear instructions, and all that was required was to attach the handle and build the vacuum nozzle, which comes in three parts. For blowing, the nozzle simply slots into place and, when you need to swap into vacuum mode, no tools are required.

However, the vacuum tube is large and once built, I found it difficult to break down, so it took up a reasonable amount of room in storage. It blows and sucks at variable speeds via a dial that sits under the handle, and this dial is also the on/off switch. This does mean you have to scroll around the dial to turn the blower off, which is not fast if you’re on the highest setting, and so from a safety point of view, this could be a problem. It also requires the use of two hands.

It has a 10m-long cable and is reasonably noisy but not jarringly so, but it's heavy, and in vacuum mode feels quite unbalanced, especially once the bag starts filling up. There’s a padded shoulder strap, which helps take some of the strain, but it's in the wrong place to completely take the weight. However, I'd say it's a powerful, well-made machine that performs well and is great for the general clearing of gardens. It’s also great value and comes with a three-year warranty. Kay Maguire

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Also recommended: cordless leaf blowers

Bosch Advanced 36V - 750 blower

Our best leaf blower for performance, £100+

RRP: £142 (bare tool)

Our rating: 4.5/5

Available from: Robert Dyas (£134.99) and Tooled Up (£114.95)

BBC Gardeners' World Magazine review Bosch Advanced 36V-750

Reasons to buy:

Reasons to avoid:

This leaf blower is simple to put together. I just twisted and clicked in the tube, and I was ready to go. It’s therefore equally easy to store, as the tube comes off quickly, and it takes up little room on a shelf. There’s only one wide nozzle, but this is very effective at both the powerful blasting of wet leaves and more focused blowing in borders and into piles. I felt in control when using this blower and was able to direct leaves wherever I wanted them to go. It has a variable speed control, delivering 100 to 200km/h, and it’s easily adjusted with a dial on the handle. I found it simple to scroll up or down as I worked. It has a comfortable handle and is well-balanced, but it does feel heavy, noticeably so compared to others in the test, and I felt it would really benefit from a shoulder strap if using it for a prolonged period.

However, the battery run time is quite short on full power. Despite having a run time on a low setting of 35 minutes, on full power, the battery only lasted seven minutes, compared to 12 minutes with the Husqvarna Aspire, so it was the shortest in my tests. It does charge quickly, though, taking just 65 minutes to get up and running again. The 36V battery has a charge level indicator on the end that helped me see how much charge was left, and it's compatible with all 36V tools in the Bosch cordless range.

This leaf blower is ideal for fast clearing of lawns with lots of leaves. It has a long-lasting brushless motor and feels sturdy and well-made. The Bosch Advanced blower comes in cardboard packaging with just a little plastic wrapping and comes with a generous three-year warranty. Kay Maguire

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Yard Force LG G18 40V blower

Our best leaf blower for ease of use, under £100

RRP: £129.99 (bare tool)

Our rating: 4.5 out of 5

Available from: Amazon (£89.95)

Our best leaf blower for ease of use: Yard Force LB G18 leaf blower

Reasons to buy:

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This powerful blower comes with a large 40V battery and charger. It takes just 60 minutes to charge, and the battery has a 30-minute run time, making it ideal for medium-sized gardens. It also has a battery level indicator so you can check how much charge you have on the battery as you work. I found the blower balanced, comfortable and well-thought-out with the choice of three speeds, plus a Boost button to give an extra powerful blast when I needed it. A cruise control button allows me to set the speed without having to constantly hold the trigger down, making it easy to use this blower for longer periods of time. It has a brushless motor, and it also comes with an extra flat-end nozzle for concentrated power.

However, it's quite large and doesn’t compact down, so it will take up room in storage, and I also found it comparatively loud, although it’s still nothing like the volume you would get with a petrol blower. Part of the Yard Force GR40 battery system, it comes with a two-year warranty. Kay Maguire

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Vonhaus G-series cordless leaf blower

Our best budget leaf blower

RRP: £46.99 (kit)

Our rating: 4.5 out of 5

Available from: Vonhaus (£44.99)

Best budget leaf blower: Vonhaus G Series cordless leaf blower

Reasons to buy:

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This simple, compact leaf blower packs a punch. Despite weighing just 1.7 kg, I found it very powerful, and it made short work of both wet and dry leaves on paving, shrub beds, and gravel, though it struggled a little with both wet and dry leaves on grass. Thanks to its lightweight construction and narrow nozzle, it’s easy to manoeuvre around the garden and put leaves exactly where you want them. This blower is ideal for nipping around a small patio, terrace or front drive.

It’s a reasonable price, and great value as its G-Series battery is also compatible with the Vonhaus hedge trimmer, pole trimmer, and grass trimmer. However, although the grip on the handle is soft, the handle vibrates a lot in use, which gets uncomfortable. Its 12-minute runtime is also short, but it takes just an hour to charge. Kay Maguire

Best Buy review video - the Vonhaus G-series cordless leaf blower

View Green Video on the source website

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Best of the rest

Although some models didn’t quite achieve a BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine Best Buy award, they still have great features that make them worth recommending. Browse our pick of the best of the rest.

Ryobi 18V ONE+ cordless brushless axial blower

RRP: £82.99

Our rating: 4.5/5

Available from: B&Q (£99)

Ryobi 18V ONE+ Cordless Brushless Compact Blower

Reasons to buy:

Reasons to avoid:

The drill-style handle on this blower is familiar from many other Ryobi tools, and I found that helpful. It’s comfortable to use one-handed and is probably the most ergonomically shaped blower handle I’ve tested yet. I found it easy to set up, and it weighs just 1.5 kg with the battery installed. This blower comes with a pair of different nozzle tips. There’s a standard round nozzle with a flexible tip for accurate aiming and a wide nozzle that looks like a vacuum cleaner head, helping to sweep a wider path in front of the blower. You can also adjust the shaft length by clicking two separate pieces into place.

Ryobi 18V ONE+ Cordless Brushless Compact Blower out on test. Harry Duncton

Ryobi’s cordless blower uses a brushless motor to achieve impressive blowing power. The air speed is controlled by the variable speed trigger, so you can choose the power you want. The trigger can be locked on, but only at full speed, which is quite noisy. This bundle comes with a 2.5 Ah battery that can be used in more than 200 other Ryobi tools. The 2.5 Ah battery is on the small side if you want to blow leaves for more than a few minutes at a time, but larger Ryobi batteries are available. This blower is covered by a three-year warranty. Harry Duncton

WORX WG583E Cordless Blower Vac Mulcher

RRP: £299.99

Our rating: 4.3/5

Available from: Amazon (£179.99) and Homebase (£299.99)

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Reasons to buy:

Reasons to avoid:

The WORX WG583E cordless blower and vacuum is a dual-purpose machine that makes short work of garden clean-up. And rather than lugging around separate tools, you only need to swap the nozzles to convert it from blow to suck. It’s a mighty 40V tool that uses a pair of WORX’s 20V batteries to run. There are handles on both the top and bottom of the tool: one way up it’s a blower, the other way up it’s a garden vacuum with a 36L fabric collection bag attached to the rear.

When in blower mode, it’s quite a slick-looking garden tool. The nozzle tapers to a flattened point at the end that gives plenty of leaf-blowing focus. In vacuum mode, it’s a little more cumbersome with a big bag slung over your shoulder. It doesn’t feel too heavy, though, at just under 5kg with both batteries installed. The blower is a powerful piece of kit that does a great job of blowing leaves around, and the vacuum made short work of the constant drift of camellia flowers that stick to the patio slabs in my garden. You can even select between two blower speeds to help conserve battery power. And you’ll need to because I only managed 15 minutes of vacuuming before the batteries died.

Attached to the impeller fan inside the brushless motor is a pair of sharp steel blades that mulch everything before it reaches the collection bag. It helps to effectively reduce the bulk of debris on its way in. The only drawback was that damp material clogged up the chamber containing the blades. I found myself clearing out the little section quite often. All the nozzles and collection bags snap into place easily, but undoing the nozzle sections is a pain. They’re a tight fit, and there’s nothing much to hold on to when you need to take them apart. And to keep the vacuum nozzle close to the ground at the optimum height, there’s a set of plastic wheels that attach to the bottom. This is a clever 3-in-1 blower that does a great job but isn’t perfect. It certainly saves room in the shed, though.

WORX WG583E

Blower/vacuum stats: In blower mode, this tool produces just under 90m/s air speed. There are two speed settings, plus an eco mode, to make the most of the brushless motor. In vacuum mode, it produces plenty of suction. It picked up leaves, twigs, and debris without leaving anything behind on the grass. And it’s rated with a 12:1 mulching ratio. That means, in real terms, that it should reduce 12 bags of garden waste down to one. It helps to pack out the 35L collection bag and make what you’ve vacuumed into fine mulch for composting.

It comes with a pair of WORX’s large capacity 4.0AH batteries as well, which is an excellent addition. These Powershare batteries are compatible with dozens of other useful garden tools; they have a charge level indicator on them for quick reference. When you need to recharge, WORX have handily supplied a dual charger as well. It takes around two hours to fully top off both 4.0Ah batteries, which is to be expected. Overall, this is a powerful and versatile tool. It works effectively as both a blower and a vacuum, with plenty of uses around the garden to blow leaves around or turn them into mulch. The only downside is that you only get 15 minutes of work before the batteries need to be recharged. Harry Duncton

LawnMaster MX 24V cordless axial blower

RRP: £59.99 with battery and charger

Our rating: 4.3/5

Available from: B&Q (£59.99) and Amazon (£49.99)

LawnMaster MX 24V cordless axial blower

Reasons to buy:

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I found this lightweight and affordable leaf blower from LawnMaster an uncomplicated and straightforward tool to use. Weighing in at a shade over 1.5 kg, it’s easy to use one-handed for long periods. The ergonomic handle features a comfortable rubberised grip on the underside, and the power is easy to reach. The position of the battery underneath the handle is well thought out because it didn’t rub against my hand during use, and the large handle size is ideal for larger hands, even when wearing thick gardening gloves.

Although it only has one speed, it’s fine for blowing dry leaves around. And when the leaves are wet or stuck to paving slabs, the integrated hanging hook on the tip doubles up as a handy scraper. The removable nozzle thins down at the end to help direct a narrow jet of air, although the air flow rate was a little lower than expected.

LawnMaster MX 24V cordless axial blower out on test. Harry Duncton

This blower comes with a 2.0Ah battery that will give you around 15 minutes of work and a charger that will take around three hours for a full charge. Even if this basic blower doesn’t feature a variable speed trigger or the fastest charging time, for the very low price, I'd say it’s a capable tool for blowing leaves, sawdust, and other light bits around the garden. This blower comes with a two-year warranty. Harry Duncton

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BLACK+DECKER 18V cordless axial blower

RRP: £79.99 with battery and charger

Our rating: 4/5

Available from: Tooled Up (£84.95)

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Reasons to buy:

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This comfortable and well-balanced 18-volt blower weighs just 2.1 kg, even with the battery installed, so it made it easier for me to point around with just one hand. A leaf-scraping tip on the bottom of the nozzle helped me tackle wet leaves stuck on the paving slabs, and the wide-diameter removable nozzle tip is handy for directing the air where you need it. There are two different speeds to choose from: eco mode or boost mode. There’s enough air speed on eco mode to deal with small piles of leaves and sawdust, so we left it on that setting mostly to conserve some battery life. Boost mode produces a prodigious amount of blowing power, but drains the battery in around 8 minutes.

Although the handle doesn’t feature grippy, rubberised sections, it’s spacious enough to accommodate large hands, even in thick gardening gloves. The speed setting switch is easy to operate with gloves on, too. The only problem I encountered was that the battery slots in right at the base of the handle, and rubbed against my wrist while I was using the blower, especially when a larger capacity battery was in use. This version comes bundled with a 2.0 Ah battery that promises around 16 minutes of run time on low speed, and a charger that takes two hours to fully recharge. That run time is enough to tackle a small garden, but a larger capacity battery would be more appropriate. If you already have a compatible, larger-capacity battery, it would be best to buy this blower tool-only, saving you a bit of cash and helping you achieve a longer run-time. This blower comes with a two-year warranty. Harry Duncton

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Flymo powervac 3000

RRP: £89.99

Our rating: 4/5

Available from: Robert Dyas (£93.99)

Flymo Powervac 3000

Reasons to buy:

Reasons to avoid:

This large blower vac is reasonably easy to assemble, and no tools are required, but I found the instruction diagrams very small, so it took a little time. Once I'd put the suction tube together, it was almost impossible to break down again, which made the Powervac bulky for storage. To change modes, you also need to take it apart, so it’s simpler than the Bosch GardenTidy. It’s heavy as both a blower and a vac, and I thought the handle design was a little over-fussy and doesn’t help with the balance of the machine, especially in vac mode. It has a carry strap to help lighten the load, but this feels like it's in the wrong place. Thankfully, the collection bag is smaller than some, which makes it easier to use.

It has a variable speed dial on the handle, although I didn’t notice too much difference between these; the blower is powerful and great for blasting leaves across large lawns. Unfortunately, the vac is far less efficient with a nozzle shape that's too wide to suck up leaves well. However, once it’s got the leaves, the shredding power of the Powervac is excellent, with a ratio of 16:1 that reduces a bag full of leaves down to a tiny pile. The Powervac has a 10m cable, feels well-made, is built to last, and comes with a two-year warranty. It's good value for money for blowing and clearing leaves in a small garden, but the vacuum’s performance doesn't match the blower's. Kay Maguire

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Webb ECO WEV20ABB4 cordless axial blower

RRP: £79.99 with battery and charger

Our rating: 3.75/5

Available from: Mowers Online (£79.99)

Webb ECO WEV20ABB4 Cordless Axial Blower. Harry Duncton

Reasons to buy:

Reasons to avoid:

Webb’s answer to the lightweight garden blower is a robust and happily affordable piece of kit. The tool's three-piece design allows for compact storage while offering two different nozzle lengths, although it lacks a leaf scraper on the tip that I found so useful on other models. Weighing in at 2.9 kg, it’s not the lightest by a long way, but much of the heft is taken up by the large capacity battery. You could swap it out for one of Webb’s smaller batteries, but it’s worth the extra bit of weight for a longer run time. Supplied with a generous 4.0 Ah battery with a handy battery charge indicator on it, it can run for 20 minutes. That’s plenty of run time for a medium-sized garden or driveway, and it’s a good thing, too, because recharging the battery is a bit slow at 160 minutes.

They haven’t skimped on the handle; the rubberised grip is huge and has plenty of space for the biggest hands in thick gardening gloves. The only thing that gets in the way is the position of the battery, which sticks up above the base of the handle and can dig into the wrist at certain angles. It’s a well-balanced blower, especially with the nozzle at its full length. It’s easy enough to point around the garden, and the wide-diameter tip replaces pinpoint accuracy with a wider air stream for blowing leaves around. It’s just a shame that you can’t vary the blower speed because it’s loud at 96 dB during operation. This blower comes with a three-year warranty. Harry Duncton

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Flymo 18V Easiclear

RRP: £109

Our rating: 3.5/5

Available from: Amazon (£130)

BBC Gardeners' World Magazine review Flymo EasiClear 100 leaf blower

Reasons to buy:

Reasons to avoid:

The quiet 18V Easiclear 100 is available as a bare tool or as a kit with an 18V 2.5Ah battery and charger. These are both part of the Power for All Alliance, so if you already have other Bosch, Flymo, Gardena or Husqvarna cordless tools or plan to, investing in these will save you money. The blower comes with one nozzle tube, which I found reasonably easy to put together, but once built, it was hard to take apart for storage. It’s a good length and width and has a ridged end which helps lift stubborn material. This is particularly handy as this isn't a very powerful blower. It offers variable speed, adjusted by a dial on the handle, but the lowest setting is very weak.

The 18V battery has a 13-23 minute run time, depending on speed, and it takes 154 minutes to charge. Unlike the other leaf blowers in my recent tests, the Easiclear has a battery charge display on the handle, which is very useful. This simple blower comes with a two-year warranty and is best for gentle blowing in small gardens. Kay Maguire

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Other best of the rest cordless lawn mowers, tested before 2023

What's the difference between a leaf blower and a leaf blower vacuum?

Quite simply, a leaf blower will lift wet and dry leaves from paths, grass, borders and pavements. The wind speed it generates blows leaves into a pile, which you can either leave as a habitat for wildlife, or collect and put on the compost, in your green waste recycling, or store in bags to make leaf mould.

A leaf blower vacuum not only lifts wet and dry leaves, but sucks them up too, passing them through a blade, which cuts and mulches them and then deposits them into the bag that attaches to the machine. You can dispose of them the same way, but they have the added advantage of being shredded, so they decompose more quickly when added to the compost or used to make leaf mould. However, leaf blower vacuums can get blocked up, may need more maintenance, and also tend to be expensive, but they are more efficient when it comes to keeping your garden leaf-free.

Before you decide which of these you need, think about how many leaves you have to collect - if you can manage blowing leaves and debris into a pile to gather up by hand, then a blower will do the job and is a cheaper option. However, for larger gardens with more trees and shrubs, being able to suck up leaves will save time, especially if you go for models with a mulching option.

How to choose the best leaf blower and leaf blower vacuum

There are three types of leaf blowers and leaf blower vacuums available, each with its own pros and cons:

Cordless leaf blowers and leaf blower vacuums: There are lots of pros with this type of blower – in addition to being lightweight, quiet and environmentally friendly, they don’t need messy petrol or a restricting power cable. However, they can be more expensive if you’re buying batteries and chargers as extras to the cost of the tool, and you’ll need to check the run time if you have a larger garden.

Electric leaf blowers and leaf blower vacuums: Often at the budget end, these are low maintenance and, like cordless types, also lightweight. However, the power supply cable can be limiting as well as potentially hazardous.

Petrol leaf blowers and leaf blower vacuums: These deliver plenty of power and, just like cordless types, can be used anywhere, but their environmental impact is a consideration, as is the hassle of buying and storing petrol. They’re often heavy and noisy and will need more in the way of maintenance, too.

Think about the following features before you buy:

Buyer's Guide to budget leaf blowers - video

Buyer's Guide to leaf blower vacs - video

Many thanks to Sue Fisher and Rosie Yeomans for their help in making these videos. Thanks also to Sparsholt College for their generous assistance.

Are leaf blowers bad for wildlife?

Leaf blowers and vacuums can accidentally suck up or blast away insect pollinators, and their noise can disturb and distress small animals like birds or bats. It’s best not to use leaf blowers indiscriminately, and to consider wildlife and neighbours. Leaves on lawns and paths are easily raked or swept out of the way, but other tasks, like clearing leaves from gravel paths or from well-stocked beds and borders, require the power and precision of a good leaf blower. Always check for wildlife before starting work.

How to use your collected leaves

If you’d like to make leaf mould with your leaves, you’ll need a bin separate from your compost. Leaf mould is created when leaves are broken down by fungi, rather than the bacteria that decompose the ingredients in your compost bin. By piling leaves up separately, in a leaf mould bag, bin or cage, you’ll create the perfect material for mulching and potting.

Different leaves break down more quickly than others, but all deciduous trees will make good leaf mould. Small, thin leaves, such as birch, will break down quickly, but larger leaves, like chestnut, might need shredding first. Evergreen leaves and conifer needles will take much longer and should be chopped before they are added. Avoid adding evergreens in large quantities.

For more help, see our guide to creating a leaf mould bin.

How we tested leaf blowers and leaf blower vacuums

The BBC Gardeners' World Magazine reviews team tested different leaf blowers and leaf vacuums across a range of garden situations – removing leaves from lawns, in borders and on gravel paths and paving, in both dry and wet weather. Before we started, we checked for any wildlife in the leaf matter and were cautious around plants to avoid disturbing insects and other creatures. The following criteria were used to calculate the scores, with equal weight given to each:

Meet our testing panel

Oliver Parsons, Strategic Projects Editor
Oliver is a gardener and magazine journalist of 20 years’ experience. He trained as a professional horticulturalist at RHS Garden Hyde Hall in Chelmsford and has also worked for Gardening Which?, as a freelance gardener and with the gardening team at Down House in Kent. He is now Strategic Projects Editor at BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine and GardenersWorld.com, heading up our reviews desk, Apple News output and weekly newsletter.

Kay Maguire, Magazines Editor
Kay trained at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew and has been writing and making films about gardening ever since. She has written for websites and magazines, including The Garden and Amateur Gardening, was Horticultural Editor on BBC Gardeners' World Magazine for five years, and has also written several books on a range of gardening topics from growing house plants to making the most of a small space. After several years as Reviews Editor, building up our reviews section into a leading resource for UK gardeners, she has now become Magazines Editor for BBC Gardeners' World Magazine, responsible for all print output.

Harry Duncton, Freelance Powered Tools Tester
Harry has a wealth of experience, from being a language teacher to a tree surgeon, and has built this into a career writing about all things DIY and gardening. A passionate believer in self-reliance, his aim is to inspire others to give it a go themselves and not worry about making a few mistakes along the way. A regular contributor to popular DIY blogs and a recent addition to the BBC Gardeners' World Magazine team, he loves tracking down the best new tools and writing about them.

Sue Fisher, Freelance Garden Writer
Sue’s extensive horticultural career spans over 40 years, starting with a decade in the garden centre and nursery industry before developing into an accomplished gardening writer, designer and speaker. Sue writes regularly for BBC Gardeners' World Magazine, GardenersWorld.com and Garden Answers magazine. She has written 10 books on subjects including container gardening, plants for small gardens and designing with colour, and she has co-authored other books with some of the biggest names in gardening.

Emma Crawforth, Horticulture Editor
Emma holds the Kew Diploma in Horticulture and has been working in horticulture for 18 years, including roles in public gardens, a plant nursery supplying plants for the RHS Chelsea Flower Show and a training college for young horticulturists. She looks after an ornamental, fruit and veg garden at home and regularly undertakes trips to see plants growing in their natural habitats. She is the author of the Kew Publications book, Things to Do with Plants.

Jane Moore, Freelance Garden Writer
In a horticultural career spanning 30 years, Jane has been a head gardener at a Benedictine Abbey, a writer for national gardening magazines and newspapers, a researcher on BBC gardening programmes and a TV presenter on BBC Gardeners’ World. Among her many accolades are a Chelsea Flower Show medal, several awards from the Garden Media Guild and her books are published worldwide. She has spent 30 years working as a hands-on head gardener, using tools on a daily basis.

This review was last updated in May 2026. We apologise if anything has changed in price or availability.

]]> The best 10 hedge trimmers to buy in 2026 – tested by our reviews experts in real-world conditions https://www.gardenersworld.com/reviews/tools/power-tools/best-hedge-trimmers/ Wed, 20 May 2026 16:26:06 GMT https://www.gardenersworld.com/reviews/tools/power-tools/best-hedge-trimmers/ Our experts pick the best garden hedge trimmers to keep your green boundaries in shape

Jump to our 4 top-rated cordless hedge trimmers

Jump to our 2 top-rated petrol hedge trimmers

If you have a hedge of any size, a powered hedge trimmer is a must-have step up from a good old pair of hand shears. The best of them will soon become an indispensable part of your garden armoury, but the wrong one for your needs will be frustrating. If it's too heavy, too weak or too uncomfortable to use, you'll dread doing the job, and your hedge will likely get out of control.

To find out what to look for when choosing a hedge trimmer, watch the video above. So that's why my colleagues and I – and especially my predecessor on the BBC Gardeners' World Magazine reviews desk, Kay Maguire – have created this selection of the best hedge trimmers available to buy right now, all tested by our experts. 

Oliver Parsons, GardenersWorld.com

Before cutting your hedge, it’s important to avoid the main breeding season for garden birds, between March and August. Always check for nests before trimming, even outside these months, as it’s an offence under law to intentionally damage or destroy active bird nests.

Our best hedge trimmers to buy at a glance

Our 4 top-rated cordless hedge trimmers

Our 2 top-rated petrol hedge trimmers

Also recommended

Comparison table: best hedge trimmers

Our expertise

Each hedge trimmer has a detailed list of pros and cons for clarity and has been rated according to set-up and storage, handling, performance and value for money. Every Best Buy hedge trimmer in our round-up below has scored a minimum of 4.5 out of 5 stars, so you can buy with confidence. From 2026, you’ll only see newly awarded Best Buy badges on hedge trimmers that score 4.5 out of 5 or higher. Anything rated 3.5 or above will still feature in our ‘Best of the rest’ list. To see these and the others we recommend, browse our pick of the best hedge trimmers below:

Jump to best hedge trimmers:

Jump to hedge trimmer advice:

Our 4 top-rated cordless hedge trimmers

1: VonHaus 20V Max G-Series cordless hedge trimmer

Our best budget cordless hedge trimmer

RRP: £59.99 (kit)

Our rating: 4.8/5

Available from: Amazon (£49.99) and VonHaus (£49.99)

Our best budget cordless hedge trimmer: Vonhaus G-series Cordless Hedge Trimmer

Reasons to buy:

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This is an excellent price for a hedge trimmer that I found very easy to use. It’s well balanced and light, with little vibration as it cuts through all but the thickest branches. I was also impressed by its 50-minute runtime, which is one of the longest on the test. Not only does it offer great performance at a reasonable price, but its battery is compatible with other Vonhaus G-Series tools, saving you money if you buy any of these in the future. Its only drawback is that the hand guard is a little small. Kay Maguire

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2: Flymo 18V EasiCut 450 cordless hedge trimmer

Our best hedge trimmer for small gardens

RRP: £149.99 (kit)

Our rating: 4.8/5

Available from: Wickes (£87)

Best Buy for smaller trimmer jobs: Flymo 18V EasiCut 450

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I was pleased to see that this compact hedge trimmer came almost ready to use, and all its packaging is recyclable. Everything is wrapped in either cardboard or brown paper, which I love. Unlike others in our test, it needs the handle to be attached with a screwdriver, but this is very easy and takes just a couple of minutes. With a 45cm cutting length, the hedge trimmer is easy to use with a comfortable wrap-around handle and a two-stage start for safety. There’s also a hand guard to protect the hand as you work. At 2.2kg, it feels light and well-balanced, and it’s easy to use and manoeuvre around a hedge.

A blade tip protector prevents damage when cutting close to walls or the ground, and this trimmer cut cleanly through the privet hedge, brambles and yew that I was trimming. It’s powered by an 18V battery and has a good runtime of around 55 minutes, and the battery charge is clearly visible on the trimmer as you work, so it's easy to see if you're nearly running out. However, the battery takes just over two hours to charge, so you'll have to wait if you've still got trimming to finish.

Overall, this is a simple, light, and high-performing hedge trimmer, just the thing for everyday cutting and trimming in smaller gardens. I think it's good value for money, particularly as Flymo 18V batteries are also part of the Power4All Alliance, which means they can be shared across all the Flymo, Bosch and Gardena cordless tools in the Alliance and will save you money if you invest in further tools in the future. It also comes with a two-year warranty. Kay Maguire

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3: Ryobi ONE+ OHT1845 cordless hedge trimmer

Our best lightweight cordless hedge trimmer

RRP: £100.99 (bare tool)

Our rating: 4.8/5

Available from: Amazon (£79.69) and OneBuy (£103.01)

Our best lightweight cordless hedge trimmer: Ryobi ONE+ OHT1845 hedge trimmer

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For its compact size, I felt this hedge trimmer offers surprisingly impressive performance and trims a variety of materials well. The blade guard is sturdy and feels built to last, though I found the battery power indicator difficult to read. The tool is lighter than previous Ryobi models and is ideal for sculpting hedges and shrubs. The battery and charger cost extra but can be used with other tools in the Ryobi ONE+ System, making it a long-term money-saver. Kay Maguire

Read the full Ryobi ONE+ OHT1845 hedge trimmer review

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4: Stihl HSA 50 cordless hedge trimmer

Our best cordless hedge trimmer for large gardens

RRP: £239 (kit)

Our rating: 4.8/5

Available from: Just Lawnmowers (£219)

Best Buy mid-priced cordless hedge trimmer: Stihl HSA 50 cordless hedge trimmer

Reasons to buy:

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With a top-loading battery and improved balance, this hedge trimmer has a 50cm blade and a cutting capacity of 16mm.  I found it comfortable to hold, and the updated design of the front trigger handle made it easier for me to use at different angles. With a run time of around 50 minutes, it copes well with even mature, woody growth and is pleasantly quiet, with good safety features, including a neutral locking position and a tip protector over the blade. The blade guard also feels sturdy and built to last. It takes 80 minutes to charge and comes with a two-year warranty. The battery and charger are compatible with other Stihl tools in the AK system. Kay Maguire

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Our 2 top-rated petrol hedge trimmers

1: Webb HC600 petrol hedge trimmer

Our best mid-priced petrol hedge trimmer

RRP: £159.99

Our rating: 4.8/5

Available from Mowers Online (£174.99)

Our best mid-priced petrol hedge trimmer: Webb HC600 hedge trimmer

Reasons to buy:

Reasons to avoid:

An impressively easy-to-start model with a five-position rotating handle, this mid-priced petrol hedge trimmer is versatile, suiting most hedge sizes and shapes, while the wide tooth spacing makes it tough on wider, mature stems. The tool is heavy, but it felt well-balanced to hold, and it cut powerfully through hedges. A well-placed tip guard protects the blade against walls and fences. It's good value and comes with a two-year warranty. Kay Maguire

Read the full Webb HC600 hedge trimmer review

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2: Husqvarna 122HD60 petrol hedge trimmer

Our best premium petrol hedge trimmer

RRP: £349

Our rating: 4.8/5

Available from: Amazon (£285) and Husqvarna (£349)

Our best premium petrol hedge trimmer: Husqvarna 122HD60 hedge trimmer

Reasons to buy:

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This petrol hedge trimmer is compact and felt light, but still delivers a powerful and efficient cut. The rotating handle makes awkward angles easier, and the anti-vibration system means it’s comfortable to manoeuvre. The tool is quiet, so there’s minimal disruption for your neighbours, and I found it best for high hedging and large shrubs. It comes with a two-year warranty. Kay Maguire

Read the full Husqvarna 122HD60 hedge trimmer review

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Also recommended: hedge trimmers

Stihl HSA 30 cordless hedge trimmer

Our best lightweight cordless hedge trimmer with integrated battery

RRP: £149 (kit)

Our rating: 4.5/5

Available from: Stihl (£109)

Best Buy for ease of use 2024: Stihl HSA30 cordless hedge trimmer

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No assembly is needed with this easy-to-use hedge trimmer from Stihl, which is always a bonus. It comes with clear instructions and is ready to go straight out of the box. The battery takes just 70 minutes to charge to full power and has a good 50-minute runtime, plus there’s a clear battery level indicator on the side of the trimmer, though you need to stop trimming to push the indicator on to see how much charge you have left. It has a three-stage start for safety with buttons on the handle and grip, and the trimmer feels well-balanced in use. Thanks to the small AS 2 battery, it also feels very light, weighing just 2.4kg.

The 45cm blade has a cutting capacity of 8mm and a tip protector on the end so you don’t damage it on walls or fences as you trim, and it cuts fresher growth on box, privet and laurel easily and smoothly. I did find it struggled with thicker, woodier stems, but it's not designed for tougher trimming jobs. It's easy to manoeuvre and shape with this trimmer, so it's ideal for the tight trimming of smaller shrubs and the annual trimming of your hedges. It comes with a blade cover for storage, and there’s also a hanging eyelet on the handle of the trimmer so you can hang it up out of the way in the garage or shed after use. It comes with a two-year warranty, and the battery and charger can also be used in any other AS machine in the Stihl range, saving you money if you already own these or if you plan to invest in the future. Kay Maguire

Einhell GE-CH 1846 Li cordless hedge trimmer

Our best cordless hedge trimmer for long run times

RRP: £113.95 (kit)

Our rating: 4.5 /5

Available from: Power Tools Direct (£64.13) and Tooled Up (£67.95)

Our best cordless hedge trimmer for long run times: Einhell GE-CH 1846 Li cordless hedge trimmer

Reasons to buy:

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This efficient cordless trimmer has a steel blade with a cutting length of 46cm and a 15mm cutting capacity. I particularly liked the tip protection and hanging hole on the end, and I felt it cut well. The 18V 2.0Ah battery charges in just 40 minutes and delivers an impressive 80 minutes of runtime. The charge is visible while you work, and both the battery and fast charger are compatible with a wide range of Einhell Power X-Change tools. It comes with a two-year warranty. Kay Maguire

Read the full Einhell GE-CH 1846 Li cordless hedge trimmer kit review

Stiga SHT 100e cordless hedge trimmer

Our best cordless hedge trimmer for ease of use

RRP: £99 (kit)

Our rating: 4.5/5

Available from: Amazon (£99) and B&Q (£99)

Our best cordless hedge trimmer for ease of use: Stiga SHT 100e cordless hedge trimmer

Reasons to buy:

Reasons to avoid:

This versatile trimmer has a hardened steel blade with a cutting length of 55cm and a cutting capacity of 18mm. I think it's a great value trimmer with generous features, including a hanging hole for easy storage, a visible battery charge indicator while you work, and a comfortable, soft-grip handle that rotates 180° for easy cutting. As it's part of the Stiga 100 battery tool range, you’ll save money if you buy additional tools in the future. The 20V 2.0Ah battery has a charge time of 70 minutes and a runtime of 40 minutes. It comes with a two-year warranty. Kay Maguire

Read the full Stiga SHT 100e cordless hedge trimmer kit review

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Greenworks G40HT61K2 cordless hedge trimmer

Our best mid-price cordless hedge trimmer for woodier growth

RRP: £99.99 (bare tool)

Our rating: 4.5/5

Available from: Amazon (£109.44)

Our best cordless hedge trimmer for efficiency: Greenworks G40HT61K2 cordless hedge trimmer

Reasons to buy:

Reasons to avoid:

I found this fast and efficient machine lightweight and easy to use, particularly overhead or at shoulder height. The jam function prevents the blade from clogging, while 20mm tooth spacing allows it to cut through woodier growth. The handle rotates to three positions for easy handling, though the hand guard feels a little thin. Both the battery and charger can be used with other tools in the Greenworks G40V cordless range if you decide to expand your kit. Kay Maguire

Read the full Greenworks G40HT61K2 hedge trimmer review

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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.

Mitox 600DX petrol hedge trimmer

RRP: £169

Our rating: 4.5/5

Available from: Just Lawnmowers (£149) and Mowers Online (£149)

Mitox 600DX petrol hedge trimmer

Reasons to buy:

Reasons to avoid:

The Mitox 600DX is a heavier petrol-powered trimmer. Despite its weight, I thought it was well-balanced and liked the handy rotating handle and anti-vibration system, which makes handling comfortable. The trimmer was harder to start than other models we tested, and the plastic hand guard felt quite flimsy, although it does come with a generous five-year warranty. The long blade is great for tall hedges and offers an almost professional cut. Kay Maguire

Read the full Mitox 600DX hedge trimmer review

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Webb Eco WEV20HTB2 50cm cordless hedge trimmer

RRP: £99.99

Our rating: 4.5/5

Available from: Amazon (£89.99), Robert Dyas (£89.99) and Tooled Up (£89.95)

View Gallery on the source website

Reasons to buy:

Reasons to avoid:

A lightweight and affordable hedge trimmer from Webb Eco, this machine proved ideal for smaller garden hedges. I didn't need to assemble anything before getting to work, and as the tool weighs just 3.4kg, it wasn't too hard on the hands and back. The 50cm blade can tackle a range of leaves and even thin branches without struggling. It comes with a 2.0 Ah battery and charger that promises up to 48 minutes of work on a single charge.

Although the D-shaped front handle is a bit small, this hedge trimmer is still easy to handle. This, and the general ease of use, are thanks to an excellent balance between the blade and the battery end. The machine’s 16mm cut capacity is quite small, and it’s a bit loud during use, but otherwise, this is a capable and lightweight hedge trimmer that's a pleasure to use. Like all Webb products, this hedge trimmer is covered by a three-year warranty. Harry Duncton

Worx WG261E.1 cordless hedge trimmer

RRP: £129.99

Our rating: 4.5/5

Available from: Amazon (£109.98)

Worx WG261E.1 cordless hedge trimmer

Reasons to buy:

Reasons to avoid:

The hand-guard needs to be attached to this trimmer, which I found a bit of a faff. But a generous handle meant it was comfortable to use, and it has a 45cm long blade with a 16mm cutting capacity and tip protection. It takes a relatively long time to charge - 230 minutes - and although the run time of just 20 minutes is very short, it comes with two batteries, so if you’re organised and keep the second battery charged, you can get 40 minutes of continuous use. The batteries and charger are part of the Worx PowerShare system, so you'll save money if you invest in further tools. It’s worth noting that it doesn’t have a battery level indicator, which I found unhelpful. It comes with a three-year warranty. Kay Maguire

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Husqvarna Aspire™ H50-P4A battery hedge trimmer

RRP: £219

Our rating: 4.3/5

Available from: Amazon (£192) and Husqvarna (£219)

Husqvarna Aspire™ H50-P4A battery hedge trimmer

Reasons to buy:

Reasons to avoid:

This quiet 18-volt battery-powered hedge trimmer is powerful enough to chop through woody branches up to 23mm in diameter, and I felt it left an excellent finish on hedges and trees. The handles are hard, but comfortable, and the overall length of less than a metre meant I could use it in tight spaces. With the 4.0Ah battery attached, it can work for up to 80 minutes on a single 95-minute charge, which is perfect for gardens with large privet hedges. I found packing the hedge clippers away easy, too, thanks to the integrated storage hook that can attach to a rail system. Both the battery and charger are compatible not only across the Husqvarna Aspire range but with the Power For All Alliance of cordless tools, which includes Flymo, Gardena and Bosch and will save you money if you invest in any of those tools in the future. It comes with a two-year warranty. Kay Maguire

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Mountfield MHT 20 Li cordless hedge trimmer

RRP: £99

Our rating: 4.3/5

Available from: Amazon (£95.53) and Just Lawnmowers (£89)

Mountfield MHT 20 Li cordless hedge trimmer

Reasons to buy:

Reasons to avoid:

Part of the Mountfield Freedom 100 cordless range, this cordless hedge trimmer has a hardened steel, laser-cut blade with a cutting length of 55cm and a cutting capacity of 18mm. It has tip protection and a hanging hole at the end of the blade. The 20V 2Ah battery takes 70 minutes to charge to full power, has a runtime of 40 minutes, and shows the charge level at the touch of a button while you work. The trimmer is light and easy to use, and it cuts most wood smoothly. Compared to other trimmers in my tests (particularly the Stiga, which shares its battery system), I felt it lacked features for the price. Kay Maguire

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VonHaus 40V cordless hedge trimmer

RRP: £89.99

Our rating: 4.1/5

Available from: Amazon (£74.99)

View Gallery on the source website

Reasons to buy:

Reasons to avoid:

Vonhaus have added to their growing collection of garden power tools with this upgraded 40-volt battery hedge trimmer. I was impressed by its 51cm blade and 22 mm cut width. It made short work of leaves, stems, and reasonably sized branches, and is comfortable to hold thanks to a rubberised grip and a large rear trigger. The large front D-shaped handle is big enough for large hands wearing gloves, too, which is always useful. Something I liked about this trimmer is the rotating handle, engaged by pressing a large orange button on the top of the rear handle. By adjusting the blade angle, you can neatly cut vertical or horizontal hedges without having to hold the trimmer awkwardly. And when it’s running, it only makes 92dB of noise.

The large-size 40-volt battery powers the trimmer for up to 60 minutes and can be fully recharged in the same amount of time. And although it provides plenty of cutting power, the balance is slightly biased towards the battery end. It’s not uncomfortable to use, seeing as it only weighs 3.7kg, but it’s still noticeable. Overall, you get a powerful hedge trimmer for under £100, covered by a two-year warranty. Harry Duncton

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WORX Nitro 40V Cordless Hedge Trimmer WG286E

RRP: £239.99

Our Rating: 4/5

Available from: Amazon (£179.99)

WORX wg286e hedge trimmer

Reasons to buy:

Reasons to avoid:

Setting up the WORX WG286E isn’t taxing, but you do need to do up six screws to attach the D handle and safety guard. I found it quite comfortable to use as it features a rubberised back handle, a big trigger and a large front handle. The enormous 61cm bar makes this an ideal hedge trimmer for ornamental box hedges, and its huge 27mm-cut capacity means it chops through branches as well. Weighing 3kg with the batteries in place, it’s not the lightest, but it feels well-balanced and was easy enough to sculpt rounded shapes in a few shrubs.

It takes its power from a pair of 20V, 2.0Ah batteries, making this a 40V monster. It’s seriously powerful, and I got around 50 minutes of trimming time from a single charge. You can see how much is left via the bright charge level indicator on top of the handle, and the power this hedge trimmer produces is impressive. It happily chews its way through leaves, twigs and even quite sizeable branches. During testing, it sliced through just about everything that fit into its jaws and left clean cuts behind. The laser-cut teeth are nicely shaped to allow even thick branches in.

WORX Nitro 40V Cordless Hedge Trimmer_IRL

I really like how easy it is to change the angle of the trimmer head as well. Inside the trigger guard is a bright orange catch. When you pull it, you can rotate the handle to four positions for cutting horizontally, vertically and halfway in between. Although it’s a bit on the heavy side, this solidly built hedge trimmer is ideal for getting through lots of hedge, and even quite thick branches, quickly. Using it to cut close to the body was fine, but the weight was noticeable when working on higher branches.

It feels like this hedge trimmer has been designed to take the place of a powerful petrol trimmer. It’s certainly easier to maintain than a petrol version, but it might be a bit heavy and cumbersome for some gardeners. What makes this hedge trimmer good value for money, considering its high initial price, is that you get two large-capacity batteries included. WORX make dozens of useful tools for the home and garden, so having extra batteries is always a good idea. Harry Duncton

EGO HT2000E 56V cordless hedge trimmer

RRP: £299

Our rating: 4/5

Available from: Mowers Online (£299)

EGO HT2000E 56 Volt Cordless Hedge Trimmer

Reasons to buy:

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Everything about this hedge trimmer seemed big to me. It’s a chunky machine with a big battery and impressive cut capacity. Each gap between the teeth on the 51cm blade is 25mm wide and 20mm deep, meaning it can happily chew through decent-sized branches without slowing down. The front and rear handles are big enough for large hands wearing gloves, and the safety switch is easy to operate at most angles.

Running on EGO’s hefty 56-volt battery system, the trimmer delivers tons of power, and I was impressed by its long runtime of up to 75 minutes. However, there’s more weight at the back of the machine, which makes the tool feel somewhat unbalanced, so it’s not the most comfortable to use with your arms extended. On the plus side, there’s not much vibration, so it’s fine for close-up work, and it comes with a high-quality hard-plastic blade cover and a hole in the top for hanging it on the shed wall. The price tag is on the high side, but you can use the battery with more than 50 tools in the range. The tool is covered by a five-year warranty, while the battery is covered for three years. Harry Duncton

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Gardena EasyCut Li 14.4, 40cm cordless hedge trimmer

RRP: £123.99

Our rating: 4/5

Available from: Amazon (£123.99)

BBC Gardeners' World Magazine hedge trimmer review Gardena EasyCut Li 14.4, 40cm cordless hedge trimmer

Reasons to buy:

Reasons to avoid:

I like the fact that this compact hedge trimmer requires no assembly and has an integrated battery, so you simply plug the whole trimmer in to charge it. However, this does mean that, unlike most other cordless trimmers, there’s no interchangeable battery you can swap among tools. I also found it a little tricky to get the charging cable in. The trimmer has a three-stage start on the grip and a shaped handle for safety, but it is a little awkward to hold, especially if you’re manoeuvring between shrubs.

However, it’s well-balanced and weighs just 1.9kg, making it efficient and easy to use for regular light trimming. It cut all newer growth easily and well in my test, and the battery lasts around 60 minutes on a full charge. There’s no charge level indicator on the trimmer, so it’s tricky to know how much power you have left while you’re working. The 40cm-long blade has a 16mm cutting width and a tip protector to prevent damage when trimming close to the ground or a wall, and the trimmer comes with a three-year warranty. Harry Duncton

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Bosch EasyHedgeCut 18-45 cordless hedge trimmer

RRP: £99.99

Our rating: 4/5

Available from: Amazon (£80) and Currys (£80)

Bosch EasyHedgeCut 18-45 cordless hedge trimmer

Reasons to buy:

Reasons to avoid:

This trimmer has a 45cm blade and comes with an 18-volt 2Ah battery. While it has an above-average run time of 50 minutes, the charge time can take around 124 minutes, which is among the longest of the models we tested. We also found the handle design awkward and uncomfortable to grip. However, it’s part of the Bosch Power For All 18V Alliance system, which powers around 40 Bosch home, garden and household tools, so this may be something to bear in mind. We liked that it features blade sensors to prevent snagging and a decent cutting capacity of 15mm. It comes with a two-year warranty. Kay Maguire

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Kärcher HGE 18-45 cordless hedge trimmer

RRP: £99.99 (bare tool)

Our rating: 4/5

Available from: Amazon (£148.98 kit) and Kärcher (£59.99 bare tool)

Kärcher HGE 18-45 cordless hedge trimmer

Reasons to buy:

Reasons to avoid:

I loved the performance of this trimmer from Kärcher. Unlike other trimmers on test, this model has an LCD battery display that shows exactly how long you have left to cut. I was also impressed with the value of this model, because its battery is compatible with 16 other Kärcher tools, including mowers, grass trimmers, and chainsaws. However, it’s quite heavy, and I found that the skin of my fingers could easily catch between the ‘dead man’ switch and the handle. Though I love the helpful battery screen, its 35-minute runtime is below average. Kay Maguire

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LawnMaster MX 24V cordless hedge trimmer

RRP: £69.99

Our rating: 3.9/5

Available from: Amazon (£69.99) and Robert Dyas (£69.99)

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Reasons to buy:

Reasons to avoid:

I found the LawnMaster MX 24V an affordable but capable hedge trimmer, delivering a surprising amount of power for a light piece of kit. Decked out in bright orange, it’s not going to get lost easily in the garden. It has a pleasant, soft-grip back handle, and it’s nicely balanced from front to back. You get a 52cm blade with a rather small 15mm gap between each tooth, which means you’re limited to smaller branches. It’s all powered by a 2.0Ah battery weighing less than 500g, helping the entire setup to come in at under 3kg in weight. An impressive feat, meaning almost anyone could use it without putting too much strain on the arms and back. It will run for about 40 minutes on a single charge.

The front handle is the only thing that lets this trimmer down a little. Rather than a D-shaped handle that you can hold at any angle, this one is more like a ball grip with safety switches you engage with the palm of your hand. It still works, but a more traditional grip is easier to work with. For a budget-friendly hedge trimmer, it’s good to see it come with a hard plastic blade cover rather than a flimsy sleeve that’s hard to put back on. Overall, it’s an impressive little tool for not a lot of money, and it’s covered by a two-year warranty. Harry Duncton

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How we test the best hedge trimmers

When we test hedge trimmers, we use them across various hedges with different stem thicknesses.

Then, we score each model against these four criteria, with equal marks attributed to each one:

For more on our testing process across all the different gardening product categories, see How we review

What are the different types of hedge trimmer?

There are three types of hedge trimmer available, each with its own pros and cons:

How to use a hedge trimmer safely

Check the weather forecast
It can be dangerous to cut your hedges in the rain, especially when using an electric trimmer. So make sure the hedge is dry, and no rain is forecast while you’ll be working.

Check your equipment
It’s always worth giving your tool a once-over to check that it’s in working order and has not been damaged.

Wear the right clothes and shoes
Ensure your clothes offer you enough protection while cutting your hedge, and avoid loose-fitting clothes that might snag on branches as you work. Wear sturdy, non-slip shoes so that you feel steady on your feet. You might also like to wear goggles and gloves.

Remove dead leaves and debris
Old, dead leaves or debris in your hedge could jam the hedge trimmer, so make sure you check the hedge before you start.

Check that the area is safe
It’s worth just checking your surroundings before you start. Make sure there are no children or pets running around. If you’re using a corded trimmer, make sure the cable isn’t creating a trip hazard for yourself or others.

Why you can trust BBC Gardeners' World Magazine reviews

As trained gardeners and seasoned users of all sorts of garden tools, the testing team at BBC Gardeners' World Magazine have reviewed scores of hedge trimmers over the years, using our trusted testing matrix to make sure we're giving balanced, fair judgments. We test hedge trimmers in varied, real-world conditions, cutting a variety of hedge plants with different characteristics. Because we're real-world gardeners with lots of experience, we know what to look out for and the sorts of things that will make all the difference once you're using a particular hedge trimmer regularly.

We give each hedge trimmer an at-a-glance list of pros and cons for clarity, and a rating out of five. We also don't share product reviews with manufacturers or retailers before they're published, and we don't accept payment in exchange for positive reviews either. Oliver Parsons, gardenersworld.com

Meet our testing panel

Oliver Parsons, Strategic Projects Editor
Oliver is a gardener and magazine journalist of 20 years’ experience. He trained as a professional horticulturalist at RHS Garden Hyde Hall in Chelmsford and has also worked for Gardening Which?, as a freelance gardener and with the gardening team at Down House in Kent. He is now Strategic Projects Editor at BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine and GardenersWorld.com, heading up our reviews desk, Apple News output and weekly newsletter.

Kay Maguire, Magazines Editor
Kay trained at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew and has been writing and making films about gardening ever since. She has written for websites and magazines, including The Garden and Amateur Gardening, was Horticultural Editor on BBC Gardeners' World Magazine for five years, and has also written several books on a range of gardening topics from growing house plants to making the most of a small space. After several years as Reviews Editor, building up our reviews section into a leading resource for UK gardeners, she has now become Magazines Editor for BBC Gardeners' World Magazine, responsible for all print output.

Harry Duncton, Freelance Powered Tools Tester
Harry has a wealth of experience, from being a language teacher to a tree surgeon, and has built this into a career writing about all things DIY and gardening. A passionate believer in self-reliance, his aim is to inspire others to give it a go themselves and not worry about making a few mistakes along the way. A regular contributor to popular DIY blogs and a recent addition to the BBC Gardeners' World Magazine team, he loves tracking down the best new tools and writing about them.

Sue Fisher, Freelance Garden Writer
Sue’s extensive horticultural career spans over 40 years, starting with a decade in the garden centre and nursery industry before developing into an accomplished gardening writer, designer and speaker. Sue writes regularly for BBC Gardeners' World Magazine, GardenersWorld.com and Garden Answers magazine. She has written 10 books on subjects including container gardening, plants for small gardens and designing with colour, and she has co-authored other books with some of the biggest names in gardening.

Emma Crawforth, Horticulture Editor
Emma holds the Kew Diploma in Horticulture and has been working in horticulture for 18 years, including roles in public gardens, a plant nursery supplying plants for the RHS Chelsea Flower Show and a training college for young horticulturists. She looks after an ornamental, fruit and veg garden at home and regularly undertakes trips to see plants growing in their natural habitats. She is the author of the Kew Publications book, Things to Do with Plants.

Jane Moore, Freelance Garden Writer
In a horticultural career spanning 30 years, Jane has been a head gardener at a Benedictine Abbey, a writer for national gardening magazines and newspapers, a researcher on BBC gardening programmes and a TV presenter on BBC Gardeners’ World. Among her many accolades are a Chelsea Flower Show medal, several awards from the Garden Media Guild and her books are published worldwide. She has spent 30 years working as a hands-on head gardener, using tools on a daily basis.

This review was last updated in February 2026. We apologise if anything has changed in price or availability.

]]> 7 best pressure washers in 2026 – as actually tested by our experts https://www.gardenersworld.com/reviews/tools/power-tools/pressure-washers-buyers-guide/ Wed, 11 Feb 2026 11:28:42 GMT https://www.gardenersworld.com/reviews/tools/power-tools/pressure-washers-buyers-guide/ Clean dirt from the patio, car and garden furniture with our tried and tested pressure washers and pressure cleaners.

Jump to our 3 top-rated pressure washers

Jump to our 2 top-rated pressure cleaners

I know it's the done thing these days to let it all hang out and go for the natural look in your garden – but for me, there are certain aspects of the 'neat-and-tidy' approach that still really work – a nice clean patio, deck or path is not only pleasing, it helps the plants around it in borders and pots to really pop and look their best.

Enter the pressure washer – your best pal when it comes to cleaning up the patio and other parts of your plot, especially after a grimy, wet winter. But how do you get the right one for your needs? Relax – I am here to help.

My colleagues and I on the GW Reviews Team have been busy testing, testing, and testing literal shedloads of pressure washers and pressure cleaners over the years, and this page is where we've collated our absolute favourites across a number of price points and specifications.

What's more, we've been keeping abreast of things and have also been testing the new wave of cordless pressure washers and pressure cleaners – the coming thing in this product category, and we're betting the only type anyone will want in two or three years' time. AND, we've put together a buyer’s guide filled with advice on key features to look out for, the different sizes available, and suggestions on which models are best for cleaning a car and a patio. Oliver Parsons

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Our best pressure washers and cleaners to buy at a glance

Our 3 top-rated pressure washers

Our 2 top-rated cordless pressure cleaners

Also recommended: pressure washers

Comparison table: best pressure washers and pressure cleaners

Our expertise

We tested a range of pressure washers and cordless pressure cleaners, using them for different jobs in the garden to help you find the right one for your needs. Each pressure washer has a detailed list of pros and cons for clarity and has been rated according to ease of use, handling, performance, and value for money. From 2026, you’ll only see newly awarded Best Buy badges on pressure washers and cleaners that score 4.5 out of 5 or higher. Anything rated 3.5 or above will still feature in our ‘Best of the rest’ list.

Jump to the best pressure washers and cleaners:

Jump to pressure washer advice:

Our 3 top-rated pressure washers

1: Bosch Universal Aquatak 135

Our best all-round pressure washer

RRP: £184

Our rating: 4.8/5

Available from: Amazon (£135) and Tooled Up (£163.95)

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Reasons to buy:

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Some simple assembly of the Bosch Universal Aquatak 135 Pressure Washer is needed, but it doesn't take long as the parts just need to be clicked into place. I found the washer strong and robust, with no vibrations in use and a fairly quiet engine. The single lance and nozzle means you don't need to undo and replace the pencil, jet and fan nozzles every time you change job, which saves time. Just twist and click when you need a change of spray, and each one delivers powerful cleaning.

There's a long hose reach of 7m and, in my opinion, it's the ideal washer for bigger gardens. The sturdy wheels and two handles made it easy to move around the garden as I cleaned. I was pleased to see the upright handle folded down for easy storage. It's a well thought out washer with great cleaning power and it has a two-year warranty. Additional accessories such as a wash brush or patio cleaner can be bought, although they are a little expensive. Kay Maguire

Read the full Bosch Universal Aquatak 135 Pressure Washer review

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2: Nilfisk Core 140

Our best compact pressure washer

RRP: £185.99

Our rating: 4.8/5

Available from: Toolstation (£213.98) and Amazon (£186)

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This is a fast, efficient pressure washer, which tackled my patio, decking, furniture and car with ease. I found the assembly straightforward, though I did need a screwdriver to attach the handles and some of the accessory holders. Once it's up and running, the nozzles simply click into place. A 6m flexible hose and long lance make it easier to get into nooks and crannies, and the trigger gun mechanism that activates the stop/start feature is comfortable to grip and doesn’t vibrate.

Three different power levels, combined with two nozzles, provide plenty of variation to suit delicate tasks as well as those tougher jobs. It combines impressive manoeuvrability and sturdiness, and doesn’t topple over during use, even if you have the hose at full stretch. It also tidies away easily with an internal reel storage system. Small and compact, this pressure washer has great storage features, while the sturdy wheels and handle make it conveniently portable. Kay Maguire

Read the full Nilfisk Core 140 Pressure Washer review

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3: Stihl RE110 Plus

Our best pressure washer for tough cleaning jobs

RRP: £329

Our rating: 4.8/5

Available from: MowersUK (£270)

Best Buy for storage: Stihl RE110 P

Reasons to buy:

Reasons to avoid:

Getting this pressure washer set up was so easy. All it took was attaching the crank handle to the hose reel and slotting the cable, lance and nozzles into place, and it’s a very well-designed piece of kit. Both the 7m hose and the 5m cable are good lengths, and this pressure washer has a sturdy handle and large wheels that help make moving it around the garden and into place easy. At 20kg, it is heavy, though, so getting it up and down steps might be an issue for some. It has very well-designed onboard storage, with a wind-up reel for keeping the hose stored away, a compartment for the cable and nozzles, and the handle is telescopic, so it takes up less room in the shed.

It comes with a detergent bottle and two nozzles – a rotary jet nozzle and an adjustable fan jet – and the lance has a soft-grip handle, so I found it comfortable during prolonged use. Even at the highest setting, when the lance pushed against my hand, it didn’t vibrate like some models. Performance-wise, this is a very reliable machine. With an operating pressure of 110 bar, it tackled all my outdoor cleaning jobs well and blasted away the stubborn stains on our patio with relative ease. This is a well-thought-out and consistently performing machine. Accessories for cleaning the car and patio are available to buy for this pressure washer, and it comes with a three-year warranty. Kay Maguire

Our 2 top-rated cordless pressure cleaners

1: Worx 20V Powershare Hydroshot WG620E

Our best lightweight cordless pressure cleaner

RRP: £139.99

Our rating: 4.8/5

Available from: Argos (£130) and Very (£140)

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Reasons to buy:

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I'd say this cordless pressure cleaner from WORX is a super option if you don’t have an outside tap for a garden hose or would find a portable pressure cleaner useful. It has an impressive ability to self-prime, meaning it can draw water from a bucket, pool or river rather than requiring a mains supply – it has a water inlet filter on the end of the hose to prevent debris from clogging up the system. It comes with a multi-spray nozzle, which features five settings - 0°, 25°, 40°, shower and mist, an extension lance, as well as a 6m hose.

Lightweight, weighing just 1.7kg, it operates at 22 Bar pressure, which delivers a 120-litres-per-hour flow rate. It uses a 20V 2AH MAX lithium-ion battery, and I like the fact that there’s a battery level indicator to show how much charge is left. While it doesn’t come with the range of accessories that the WORX WG629E.1 and the Yard Force Aquajet do, it’s part of the WORX Powershare family, which means the battery can be used across the other power tools in this range. It comes with a two-year warranty. Kay Maguire

Read the full Worx Pressure Cleaner WG620E review

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2: Ryobi RY18PWX41A-140

Our best cordless pressure cleaner for tough cleaning jobs

RRP: £179.99

Our rating: 4.5/5

Available from: Ryobi (£179.99)

Ryobi RY18PWX41A-140 Cordless Brushless Power Washer

Reasons to buy:

Reasons to avoid:

If you’re looking for a pressure cleaner that provides plenty of power while staying completely off grid, the Ryobi RY18PWX41A is an excellent choice. As I’ve come to expect from Ryobi tools, the grip shape is well designed with an ergonomic handle and plenty of rubberised sections to hang on to. The rubberised section in front of the grip makes two-handed operation comfortable. And that’s a good thing, because weighing in at 2.65 kg with the long lance and battery in place, this is the heaviest cordless pressure cleaner I’ve tested so far. It’s a rather chunky piece of kit, mainly thanks to the rather large waterproof battery enclosure on the bottom of the tool.

It’s pleasant to see a nice little range of accessories included in the box. There’s a handy adapter designed for two-litre bottles- allowing for proper off-grid washing, a siphon hose with filter for taking water from a bucket, and even a little net bag to keep everything together. The only thing I don’t like is that most pressure cleaners share “push and twist” accessories, whereas Ryobi have their own system. It’s worth bearing in mind if you want to buy aftermarket lances or brushes.

Ryobi RY18PWX41A-140 Cordless Brushless Power Washer out on test

The spray nozzle only includes three modes, but one of them is a rotating “turbo” nozzle that is ideal for stubborn dirt and grime. The other two are a happy-medium 15° nozzle and a rinse nozzle tip for cleaning up at the end. Bundled with a 4.0 Ah battery and charger, it takes roughly two hours to recharge it fully. That’s important to know, because you only get just over 20 minutes of power washing at full power.

Another thing that I like about this pressure cleaner is that you can select from three different power levels. Controlled by a little button on the back of the tool, it means you can dial in the right pressure for the job and get the most out of each battery. A capable and versatile pressure cleaner, this chunky beast of a tool is a pleasure to use, even if it’s a little bit on the heavy side. Harry Duncton

Also recommended: pressure washers

AVA Go P40 Large Bundle

Our best budget pressure washer

RRP: £149.90

Our rating: 4.5/5

Available from: Amazon (£164.90), Robert Dyas (£149.99) and Wickes (£149)

Our best budget pressure washer: AVA Go P40 large bundle

Reasons to buy:

Reasons to avoid:

This pressure washer has no wheels, but it's nice and compact, and I found it light enough to pick up and carry around the garden with me. It has a strong, steel-reinforced hose and comes with a detergent bottle and two nozzles – 'turbo' and 'vario'. It also has a telescopic ‘zoom’ lance for reaching into corners and higher spots, although this did get stuck a few times in use in my test. It was also sometimes tricky to get the nozzles on and off, which I found frustrating, but when both these things were working well, this was a great little pressure washer.

With an operating pressure of 120 bar, it cleans powerfully and well, tackling grubby patios and cars with ease, and I couldn't feel any vibrations in my hand as I worked. Once you’ve finished cleaning, there’s a dedicated space to store both the hose and cable and the nozzles and lance, even on a machine as small as this. It's also very good value and comes with a 10-year warranty. Kay Maguire

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Black & Decker BEPW2000

Our best lightweight pressure washer

RRP: £169.99

Our rating: 4.5/5

Available from: Amazon (£157.99) and Tooled Up (£155.95)

Best Buy compact pressure washer: Black and Decker BEPW2000

Reasons to buy:

Reasons to avoid:

This neat little model cleans surprisingly powerfully and efficiently. Pleasingly, it was almost ready to use straight out of the box – it just needs the hose, cable and lance attaching, and it requires no extra tools. I found the telescopic handle made it easy to tuck away in storage, and at just over 8kg, it’s light and easy to move around, though the handle did slip down occasionally when I was using it. It has a 6m hose and comes with two nozzles – a rotating turbo nozzle and an adjustable fan nozzle – and a detergent bottle.

There’s only one power level, but you can adjust the spray with the nozzles, and with 150 bar pressure, it cleaned my patio, garden furniture and caravan well. Tackling a stained patio took a little longer than some of the others in the test, but it's definitely powerful enough to get the job done. There’s also space on board for storage of the cable and nozzles once you’re finished. The only issue I had with this pressure washer is that after a while, I felt the vibrations quite strongly in my hand. Otherwise, this washer is easy to use and store, small, light and quiet and comes with a two-year warranty. Kay Maguire

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The best of the rest pressure washers and pressure cleaners

Although some models didn't quite achieve a BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine Best Buy award, they still have great features that make them worth recommending. Browse our pick of the best of the rest on test.

WORX Nitro Hydroshot WG633E Portable Power Cleaner

RRP: £199.99 (including 4.0 Ah battery and charger)

Our rating: 4/5

Available from: Amazon (£179.95) and Homebase (£199.00)

WORX Nitro Hydroshot WG633E Portable Power Cleaner

Reasons to buy:

Reasons to avoid:

Building on previous Hydroshot innovations, WORX have increased power and made the new Hydroshot even more powerful and versatile. The onboard brushless motor can produce 56 bar of pressure, which I think is extremely impressive for a handheld device like this.

One of the downsides that leapt out while I was testing this pressure cleaner was its weight. While it's not all that bad at 2.3kg, it was not made any easier to deal with by a complete lack of other handles on the chassis. This made it a bit tiring to use. However, this pressure cleaner makes up for this minor comfort setback with impressive amounts of power at the nozzle end.

It feels like a solid and well-made tool, with a large orange rubberised grip and a large plastic trigger. The trigger guard is a bit on the small side if you have large hands like mine, though. The battery is housed in a clever waterproof compartment that should stop any dust or water ingress

Attaching the long lance to the motor end is a simple push and twist fit, like the other cleaners on this page, but WORX have included a quality brass fitting on the end, which is nice to see. At the nozzle end, there are five different spray patterns available: 0°, 15°, 25°, and 40°, as well as a sprinkler mode for rinsing.

WORX Nitro Hydroshot WG633E on test

The Hydroshot features an “eco” mode that drops the pressure to save batteries, but I didn’t find it very useful except for rinsing or watering plants. Compared with the impressive pressure on full power, it seems a bit weak.

I really liked that there were a fair few accessories included with the pressure cleaner. There’s a handy adapter that screws onto a standard two-litre drinks bottle, for example, meaning that you can keep this in the back of your car for cleaning muddy equipment. Or you can use the hose attachment with its filtered pickup sock and take water from just about anywhere. There’s no bag for keeping the accessories together, though.

The only drawback of this high-powered pressure cleaner is that it drains batteries quite quickly on full power. I managed a little under 25 minutes of cleaning with the included 4.0 Ah battery. It’s fine for smaller jobs, but the two-hour recharge time means you want to get the most out of each charge. Harry Duncton

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Stihl RCA 20 Cordless Pressure Cleaner

RRP: £204 (with 2 x AS batteries and charger) , £154 (tool only)

Our rating: 3.8/5

Available from: Just Lawnmowers (£194.00)

Stihl RCA 20 Pressure Washer

Reasons to buy:

Reasons to avoid:

I was impressed by the brilliant design and incredible flexibility of the Stihl RCA 20, which allows you to pressure clean “off grid” without access to mains power or even a water source. Although it’s not powerful enough for patio cleaning, its real value lies in its lightweight, portable design. Powered by the small, lightweight AS battery system, this pressure cleaner is easy to hold thanks to its large, rubberised handle. Above the handle is a battery charge level indicator, and in front is a hose connector with an inline filter

With the battery attached and the long spray lance in place, it still only weighs 1.7kg. This lightweight quality makes it ideal for almost anyone to use comfortably. One drawback of the lightweight AS battery is that it’s small. In fact, it is tiny. With just over 2.0Ah to play with, you’ll need to have spare batteries to make up for the 15-minute runtime. It’s a good thing that the RCA 20 set comes with two batteries to get you started.

I was able to extend the runtime from the basic 15 minutes with “eco” mode – this was pretty handy, but probably won't be much good when you're trying to tackle stubborn dirt. Full power runs at 22 bars, which isn’t huge, but it’s enough to clean off garden furniture or a muddy bicycle without making too much noise.

Stihl RCA 20 Pressure Washer on test

The spray nozzle has four modes: a fan-jet shape for cleaning, a rotary “turbo” for stubborn dirt, a narrow jet for maximum pressure, and a 'pouring' mode that’s perfect for watering plants or rinsing soap off a car. I really liked that this kit comes with a quality canvas-style bag to keep all the accessories together. The accessories include a length of hose with a two-step filter on the end, as well as a clip to keep it in a bucket or other container. There’s also a soap bottle for applying detergent and a soft 20-litre water bowser for proper off-grid cleaning capabilities.

OK, this isn’t the most powerful cordless pressure cleaner available, but on my test, it really conveyed a strong feeling of quality, which is nice when you're parting with £200. It also comes with well-thought-out accessories that make it useful for a wide range of garden tasks. Harry Duncton

Makita DHW180 Cordless Pressure Cleaner LXT

RRP: £141.60 (bare tool)

Our rating: 3.8/5

Available from: Tooled Up (£109.95) and Amazon (£109.99).

Makita DHW180 Cordless Pressure Washer LXT

Makita DHW180 Cordless Pressure Cleaner LXT

Reasons to buy:

Reasons to avoid:

Makita know a thing or two about making the best cordless power tools. The DHW180 might not come with all the accessories, but it did a great job for me, blasting grubby garden furniture and cleaning up mucky brickwork. Ergonomically, it was brilliant to use: the huge trigger is very easy to grip, and the rubberised grip is comfortable to hold. I also like the rubberised front grip for two-handed use, which makes this cleaner comfortable to use over longer periods.

In front of the trigger section is a standard UK push-fit hose connector that contains a handy inline filter. A useful safety addition is the waterproof enclosure that keeps the battery away from both dust and water ingress.

Makita DHW180 Cordless Pressure Washer LXT being tested

I found it a really easy-to-use, well-designed tool, which is a good thing because it’s pretty heavy in the hand, weighing just over 2.4kg with the long lance and a 5.0Ah battery in place. However, with the large-capacity battery in place, it will run for half an hour on high and over an hour on low-flow mode.

You can choose from a whopping five different spray patterns built into the nozzle on this pressure cleaner. Although it doesn’t include a rotating nozzle, you get 0°, 15°, 25°, and 40° nozzles as well as a “shower” nozzle for rinsing garden furniture. It even comes with a clever cleaning pin to keep the jets free of debris.

It’s a shame this pressure cleaner doesn’t come with a case; it only includes a pickup hose with a filter sock and a bucket clip. Other accessories are available, such as a bottle attachment and a soap dispenser, but they’re not included here. However, it’s a powerful, versatile, and good-value pressure cleaner that works off-grid when you need it. Harry Duncton

Makita HW111 Pressure Washer

RRP: £200

Our rating: 4/5

Available from: Amazon (£199) and Tool Den (£209.36)

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Reasons to buy:

Reasons to avoid:

The Makita HW111 is compact, stable and has wheels to help make manoeuvring easy despite its weight. I think it's a good option for cars, fences and driveways. The pressure washer is relatively simple but cleans well, and it's supplied with a choice of sprays, an integrated hose reel and a foam sprayer. Kay Maguire

VonHaus Pressure Washer 2200W

RRP: £139.99

Our rating: 3.8/5

Available from: The Range (£139.99), Robert Dyas (£139.99) and Debenhams (£149.99)

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Reasons to buy:

Reasons to avoid:

Setup and ease of use: Preparing the VonHaus pressure washer for its first cleaning job is simple. There’s barely any setup required; it’s a simple task of connecting the hose to the cleaning wand, and on off I went. First impressions were good because it’s a lightweight pressure washer. Compared to my old one weighing 30kg, the 10.5kg Vonhaus pressure washer was welcome. Easy to carry around by the big top handle or using the wheels, it’s fine pulling up steps or over low walls.

My initial concerns about this tool were in the vast amount of plastics throughout. Some parts of this pressure washer, especially in the hose reel, feel like they should be sturdier for this garden tool to last. Although it saves on weight, some bits of the pressure washer feel flimsy. For the price, you get a modest selection of accessories to clean everything from delicate car paintwork to stubborn mould and stains on brickwork. It comes with a pair of nozzles and a brush attachment for scrubbing as well as pressure cleaning.

Another bonus is the 8m hose. Reinforced to avoid kinks, it feels sturdy and helps to reach wherever you need it to go. The downside of this is that it makes it a bit harder to reel in. The other accessory is a small detergent bottle that attaches to the rear of the body. You can fill it up with the soap of your choice and it feeds into the water stream, perfect for cleaning a dirty car or mossy garden furniture. Running at 2,200 Watts, it’s powerful enough to create 165 bar, or 2,000 PSI, which is impressive for an entry-level pressure washer. Something that isn’t quite as impressive is the relatively short power cable. Supplied with just 5m, I needed to get the extension cord out.

Vonhaus_pressure_washer_IRL

Performance: To help reach the far corners of the driveway or garden, the pressure washer comes with a generous 8m hose. Reeling it in and out in is a bit of a chore, however. The hose reel on top of the unit has a plastic handle that feels a bit flimsy, so winding the entire length of the hose is a challenge. I needed to help it along by winding the hose reel with my other hand. This is also where the pressure washer’s light weight works against it. Where my old heavy washer could stand up while I pulled the hose out, this one has a habit of falling over.

Now for the best bit, in my opinion. I’ve tested plenty of pressure washers in the past, and most of them come with an array of tips to create different spray patterns and pressures. VonHaus have done away with the need for several tips with their clever adjustable nozzle. The nozzle has an adjustable tip that starts with a wide spray pattern and relatively low pressure down to a 0° fine jet that makes the most of the 2,000 PSI available. All I needed to do was twist the tip until it fitted the job. It was remarkably simple and much better than switching tips between jobs.

The brush nozzle performed similarly to other brushes I’ve used before. The bristles are tough enough to remove dried on dirt and detritus, but not too stiff to scratch the paint on a car, for instance. And when used together with the detergent bottle it made short work of my conservatory’s sadly neglected roof. In conclusion, this is a budget-friendly pressure washer that has plenty of power for deep cleaning patios or scrubbing the dirt off a car. There’s plenty of hose to play with and the adjustable nozzle tip is a clever design, but the build quality leaves a little to be desired. For the money though, it’s a handy bit of garden kit. Harry Duncton

Our experts have also tested the best leaf blowers and leaf vacuums, which come into their own when you're tidying up the garden, as will the best strimmers and the best hedge trimmers. And if you need to update your watering kit, check out our tests of the best garden hoses and best garden hose spray guns.

For more cordless garden tools, read our best cordless mowers and best robotic mowers guides, or take a look at the best cordless drills and best multi-tools.

Buying a pressure cleaner - video

View Green Video on the source website

Many thanks to Rosie Yeomans and Sparsholt College for their help in making this video.

How to choose the best pressure washer or cleaner

Good cleaning performance is essential, but there are several factors to consider before buying your pressure washer or cleaner.

What's the difference between a pressure washer and a pressure cleaner?

The main difference between the two is that pressure cleaners are portable, so they don’t need to be attached to the mains water supply. Instead, they're self-priming and draw water via a suction hose from any source, including a bucket, pool or even a river. However, most pressure cleaners also feature a hose adapter, which can be connected to the mains tap, offering the best of both worlds. They’re also cordless and powered by lithium-ion batteries, so you will be limited by their run time, but the batteries are usually part of a wider range of power tools within the brand’s range, which can save you money.

As with pressure washers, pressure cleaners also come with multi-spray nozzles. Depending on the model, they can be bought with a range of accessories, like a foldable bucket, brush and soap bottle, or these can be purchased separately. Pressure cleaners offer a moderate flow rate, around 120L per hour, with 22 bars of pressure from 20V power.

An annotated image demonstrating the difference between pressure washers and pressure cleaners

Types of pressure washer

Budget pressure washers

A basic, lower-powered machine is best for smaller garden tasks such as cleaning gardening equipment and washing down bikes. If you’re planning to tackle a lot of built-up grime on rough surfaces, this isn’t the machine for you.

For a lower-powered, budget model, you’ll be looking at a lower flow rate plus:

Mid-range pressure washers

These pressure washers are ideal for most households. Machines in this range should be able to cope with cleaning paving, garden furniture, and cars.

For a medium-powered model, you’ll be looking at a reasonable flow rate plus:

Top-of-the-range and semi-professional pressure washers

If you’ve got a large commercial area to clean or some seriously built-up grime, you’ll need a high-powered pressure washer. These pressure washers should be able to clean large areas of paving and vehicles, such as 4x4s and caravans.

For a top-of-the-range machine, you’ll want a high flow rate plus:

What's the best pressure washer for a patio?

To clean a paved patio, you’ll need at least a mid-range, medium-power pressure washer, though a lower-pressure machine is better suited to block paving or wooden decking. The three pressure cleaners we tested will also cope well with this type of task; just bear in mind their battery run time. To make cleaning larger areas easier, look for a long hose that's kinder on your back and opt for a washer with specific patio-cleaning attachment tools. Similar to an indoor floor cleaner, the brush head and rotating jets diffuse the pressure across the surface to clean flat surfaces evenly, rather than concentrating the water in a single stream at a time, as a hose would.

What's the best pressure washer for cars?

For a standard car, a mid-range pressure washer should do the job. 4x4s that see a lot of heavy-duty use, caravans or commercial vehicles may need a higher-end model. All the pressure cleaners we tested are designed to clean cars, camper vans, and bikes when you’re out and about. You will need to keep the runtime in mind and possibly charge more for larger vehicles.
Specific car-cleaning attachments are also available, including angled tools for reaching beneath the car and brushes for softly cleaning the bodywork.

What to wear when pressure washing

Before you begin pressure washing in the garden, consider what you’re wearing. You might be surprised at how much water and muck can get thrown up whilst using these tools. Wear wellies and waterproof trousers to stop your clothes and feet getting soaked. Goggles are essential to protect your eyes from the dirt and grit that may be blown up in the spray, and you might also like to wear ear defenders when using noisier models, or if you’re working for a long period of time. For more clothing inspiration whilst you’re gardening, take a look at our selection of the best clothes for gardeners.

How we tested pressure washers and pressure cleaners

We tested a range of pressure washers and pressure cleaners, putting them through their paces on a range of surfaces. They were assessed according to the following criteria, with equal marks attributed to each:

For more information on our testing process, see How we review

Meet our testing panel

Oliver Parsons, Strategic Projects Editor
Oliver is a gardener and magazine journalist of 20 years’ experience. He trained as a professional horticulturalist at RHS Garden Hyde Hall in Chelmsford and has also worked for Gardening Which?, as a freelance gardener and with the gardening team at Down House in Kent. He is now Strategic Projects Editor at BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine and GardenersWorld.com, heading up our reviews desk, Apple News output and weekly newsletter.

Kay Maguire, Magazines Editor
Kay trained at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew and has been writing and making films about gardening ever since. She has written for websites and magazines, including The Garden and Amateur Gardening, was Horticultural Editor on BBC Gardeners' World Magazine for five years, and has also written several books on a range of gardening topics from growing house plants to making the most of a small space. After several years as Reviews Editor, building up our reviews section into a leading resource for UK gardeners, she has now become Magazines Editor for BBC Gardeners' World Magazine, responsible for all print output.

Harry Duncton, Freelance Powered Tools Tester
Harry has a wealth of experience, from being a language teacher to a tree surgeon, and has built this into a career writing about all things DIY and gardening. A passionate believer in self-reliance, his aim is to inspire others to give it a go themselves and not worry about making a few mistakes along the way. A regular contributor to popular DIY blogs and a recent addition to the BBC Gardeners' World Magazine team, he loves tracking down the best new tools and writing about them.

Sue Fisher, Freelance Garden Writer
Sue’s extensive horticultural career spans over 40 years, starting with a decade in the garden centre and nursery industry before developing into an accomplished gardening writer, designer and speaker. Sue writes regularly for BBC Gardeners' World Magazine, GardenersWorld.com and Garden Answers magazine. She has written 10 books on subjects including container gardening, plants for small gardens and designing with colour, and she has co-authored other books with some of the biggest names in gardening.

Emma Crawforth, Horticulture Editor
Emma holds the Kew Diploma in Horticulture and has been working in horticulture for 18 years, including roles in public gardens, a plant nursery supplying plants for the RHS Chelsea Flower Show and a training college for young horticulturists. She looks after an ornamental, fruit and veg garden at home and regularly undertakes trips to see plants growing in their natural habitats. She is the author of the Kew Publications book, Things to Do with Plants.

Jane Moore, Freelance Garden Writer
In a horticultural career spanning 30 years, Jane has been a head gardener at a Benedictine Abbey, a writer for national gardening magazines and newspapers, a researcher on BBC gardening programmes and a TV presenter on BBC Gardeners’ World. Among her many accolades are a Chelsea Flower Show medal, several awards from the Garden Media Guild and her books are published worldwide. She has spent 30 years working as a hands-on head gardener, using tools on a daily basis.

This review was last updated in March 2026. We apologise if anything has changed in price or availability.

]]> The best garden shredders in 2026 – as tested by our reviews experts https://www.gardenersworld.com/reviews/tools/power-tools/the-best-shredders/ Thu, 29 Jan 2026 16:22:35 GMT https://www.gardenersworld.com/reviews/tools/power-tools/the-best-shredders/ Make the most of garden shrub, hedge and tree prunings by turning them into mulch or compost with a garden shredder. See our pick of the best electric and cordless garden shredders on test.

Jump to our 6 top-rated garden shredders

Hands up if you have a compost heap that never rots down? Or if your garden bin from the council is always overflowing? Or if you just hate paying good money for wood-based mulches that you could be getting for free? If this is you, you need a garden shredder – it's the only quick way to get those woody or semi-woody prunings from your garden or allotment reduced down to a nice load of chippings that will rot down fast – and it's also the easy way to get a pretty much limitless supply of free mulch for your paths, too.

But there are lots of choices out there, and lots of ways to get this purchase disastrously wrong, so my colleagues and I from the Gardeners' World Reviews desk are here to help. We've tested loads of them, and shredded tons of material, to find out which ones really are the best, whether you're after something cheap, something powerful, something quiet or even (future-shock) something cordless.

Then, we've taken all that testing and compressed it into this one neat package: our rundown of the best garden shredders to buy in 2026. We've got powerful, heavy and reasonably quiet roller shredders – these pull branches in and crush them, and are best for big shredding jobs, especially where there's lots of tough woody material to get through. We've got more lightweight (but more noisy) impact shredders, too – these are better suited to soft, green growth of the kind you might be clearing away from herbaceous borders at the end of the season.

And finally – this is the latest – we've also got cordless garden shredders. While cordless power has taken over the world in every other gardening tool category, it's taken a while to land in the garden shredders category. As avid allotmenteers, we're extremely excited about this, as a shredder that works hundreds of metres from a power source can really unlock your composting game on the allotment, where rich, fertile soil is more or less a must if you want results. See below and choose a shredder that's really going to work for you. Oliver Parsons

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Our 6 top-rated garden shredders to buy at a glance

Best garden shredders under £200

Best garden shredders £200+

Best garden shredders £500+

Comparison table: best garden shredders

Our expertise

We tested a range of electric corded garden shredders, using them with different prunings, including both woody branches and fresher growth, to help you find the right one for your garden. Each has a detailed list of pros and cons for clarity and has been rated according to assembly and storage, ease of use, performance and value for money. From 2026, you’ll only see newly awarded Best Buy badges on shredders that score 4.5 out of 5 or higher. Anything rated 3.5 or above will still feature in our ‘Best of the rest’ list.

Jump to the best garden shredders:

Jump to garden shredder advice:

Our 6 top-rated garden shredders

1: Hyundai electric garden shredder

Our best budget garden shredder

RRP: £139.99

Our rating: 4.5/5

Available from: Amazon (£139.99) and OnBuy (£199.99)

undefined Best Buy budget shredder: Hyundai electric garden shredder

Reasons to buy

Reasons to avoid

A BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine Best Buy award winner for best budget shredder, this easy-to-use impact shredder comes with all the assembly tools you need, and just the stand and wheels need attaching, and it’s ready to go. At 10.3kg, it’s light, and large wheels and a handle make it easy to move around the garden and in and out of the shed. It has a long, 10m orange cable that's easy to see and comes with a good-sized collection bag that attaches to two hooks on the side to catch the shreddings as they fall.

A flat plunger helps you push down waste into the funnel easily, but it pulls in material strongly and smoothly. Best of all, it shreds quickly and finely, making great mulch. It's quite noisy and not as sturdy as some of the rotary models, but for the price, the ease of use and quality of the shreddings, we think it's a great value shredder. Kay Maguire

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2: Ryobi RSH2545B corded 2500W impact shredder

Our best value for money garden shredder

RRP: £179

Our rating: 4.5/5

Available from: B&Q (£179)

undefined Best Buy for features: Ryobi RSH2545B corded 2500W impact shredder

Reasons to buy

Reasons to avoid

This well-thought-out impact shredder is easy to set up, and unlike most of the other impact shredders in our test, it features a 40L collection box that slots under the funnel, helping to make the shredder sturdy and stable. A safety mechanism ensures that the shredder only works if the box is in place, and although the box feels sturdy, if it breaks, it will need to be replaced, or the shredder won't work.

Despite its size, the shredder is light to move around, and it has a 6m orange cable, which is easy to see but shorter than some in our test. The round plunger is useful for pushing material into the funnel, and it has a safety flap to protect fingers and a reset button in case of jams. It pulls material in well and shreds quickly and efficiently, down to a fine mulch. Kay Maguire

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3: Webb WEESS electric silent shredder with box

Our best quiet garden shredder

RRP: £219.99

Our rating: 4.5/5

Available from: Currys (£209), Tooled Up (£219.95) and Wickes (£220)

undefined Best Buy rotary shredder: Webb electric silent shredder

Reasons to buy

Reasons to avoid

Like most rotary shredders, this needs more assembly than an impact shredder, but it's not complicated to put together, and once assembled, it's sturdy and stable. It's heavy, though, at 27kg, and is not the easiest to move around, and it would be difficult to lift if you needed to get it up and down steps. But, it breaks down well for storage, with the funnel slotting upside down into the collection box, and if storage space is limited, it would fit easily into a corner or under a shelf. The plastic collection box has a large capacity of 55L and a safety mechanism so that the shredder will only work when this is engaged - if the box breaks, it will need to be replaced or the shredder won't work.

This shredder is quiet in operation with a strong pull on material in the funnel, and it shreds prunings down to compostable material easily, dropping them into the box below. It has a reverse button if material gets stuck, a safety switch, a round plunger for pushing material into the funnel and a long 10m orange cable that's easy to see. Kay Maguire

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4: Bosch AXT Rapid 2200 shredder

Our best lightweight garden shredder

RRP: £297.89

Our rating: 4.5/5

Available from: Just Lawnmowers (£259)

undefined Best Buy for performance: Bosch AXT Rapid 2200 shredder

Reasons to buy

Reasons to avoid

This impact shredder is well-designed and a joy to use. It's easy to assemble, just the legs need attaching, and at 12kg, it's light and easy to move around the garden and in and out of the shed. It has a large funnel and comes with a wide, sturdy plunger that was our favourite on test and which helps to push material into the shredder easily. It copes with all prunings fast, grabbing and drawing them into the funnel quickly and smoothly and shreds them into a fine mulch.

However, no collection bag is provided, and the bright red cable is easy to see but only 4m long, so you may need an extension lead with this, depending on where in the garden you're shredding. It's also a little tricky to access the blades, as the dial was stiff to turn and reach. Kay Maguire

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5: Makita UD2500 electric shredder

Our best powerful garden shredder for tough jobs

RRP: £287.95

Our rating: 4.5/5

Available from: Tooled Up (£287.95)

Makita_Electric_Shredder_UD2500

Reasons to buy

Reasons to avoid

If you want unlimited shredding power, then Makita’s UD2500 shredder is an ideal choice. Although it’s not a battery-powered tool, the 10-metre power cable makes it handy almost anywhere in the garden, and it’s a lot more affordable too. I really liked that the assembly with this machine was minimal – just a matter of putting the wheels on, really. But what I didn’t like was that I had to put the shredder on its back to do so – and with this machine weighing 27kg, that was not easy. You also need to bend a cotter pin to keep the wheels in place, so make sure you have a pair of pliers to hand.

That 27kg weight comes into play when you’re using this shredder, too, making it hard to move around, so bear that in mind if you need to drag it up or down any steps. I found that the big handles on top kept things balanced, though, so it’s not too hard to move around on the flat. A “crusher” style shredder, this tool uses a steel cylinder with six curved blades to shred garden waste up to 45mm in diameter. However, it happily dealt with anything that I could fit into the hopper.

Makita_Electric_Shredder_UD2500

The rigid plastic collection box stays in place with a safety catch and can hold a massive 67 litres of garden waste. It makes a big difference when shredding down lots of garden waste. A final thought: the lack of a push stick seems a bit odd on an otherwise excellent machine – would it really have pushed the price up that much? Fortunately, the ‘feeding in’ process with this machine is not too tricky. And should anything become stuck, you can reverse the motor by pressing one of two big yellow buttons below the hopper.

Although it doesn’t fold down for storage, it’s a very solid machine that is more than capable for garden use. It’s a great choice if you have lots of woody stuff to get through, value not having to unload the box too much, and don’t mind the 27kg weight. Harry Duncton

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6: Husqvarna GS 340is battery shredder

Our best cordless garden shredder

RRP: £529 (bare tool)

Our rating: 4.5/5

Available from: Husqvarna (£529)

Husqvarna GS 340is Battery Shredder

Reasons to buy

Reasons to avoid

If you want to tackle woody garden waste away from easy access to power – such as in a big garden or at the allotment – Husqvarna’s cordless garden shredder, which runs on Husqvarna’s powerful BLi-X 36 Volt battery system, is an ideal choice. But one of the best things about this shredder is when it’s not in use; I found folding the motor down into the collection box ridiculously satisfying, not least because it means this big shredder takes up little space in the shed. I also loved that there was dedicated storage on board for the push-stick and maintenance hex key. On the downside, this machine is quite heavy at more than 24kg with the battery installed, so I found moving it up and down steps a real chore.

One of the best features of the Husqvarna GS 340is Battery Shredder is how easily it packs down into a neat, compact package. Image: Harry Duncton

A slow-turning “crusher” shredder, the GS 340is uses a chunky steel cylinder with seven sharp, curved blades inside. It makes short work of woody branches up to 40mm in diameter but will tackle just about anything you can fit into the opening slot. An added safety feature is the chunky plastic key that lives inside the battery compartment. If you’re worried about curious little hands playing with the shredder, it’s an effective way to stop unauthorised usage.

Getting at the cutting blade to clear blockages is easy enough, requiring the removal of four long bolts. But you shouldn’t have to do it very often, thanks to the automatic reverse that engages if the motor starts to struggle. I found this made life a lot easier, taking out one of the most annoying aspects of using a shredder. I managed to shred a range of branches and twigs for just under an hour before the battery needed to be swapped out. The only let down of this shredder is the comparatively small 45-litre collection box. Otherwise, it’s an excellent addition to the garden. Harry Duncton

Best of the rest

Although these models didn’t quite achieve a BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine Best Buy award, they still had great features that made them worth recommending.

Einhell electric knife shredder

RRP: £125.95

Our rating: 4.3/5

Available from: OnBuy (£199.99),Robert Dyas (£109.99) and Tooled Up (£99.95)

undefined Best of the rest: Einhell electric knife shredder

Reasons to buy

Reasons to avoid

This impact shredder just needs the stand and wheels attached, and it’s ready to go. At 9.9kg it’s light, and has large wheels and a handle so it’s easy to move around the garden and in and out of the shed. The black cable is short, at just 3m long, and it comes with a small collection bag that attaches to hooks on the side to help it catch the shreddings as they fall. The flat plunger helps you push down waste into the funnel and can be hung on a simple hook on the handle when it's not in use, a nifty feature which should prevent the plunger from getting misplaced.

There's a safety flap to protect fingers, and the steel blade shreds well, producing fine shreddings. It's comparatively quiet, but it can feel quite flimsy and wobbly when loading, so it must be firmly set up on flat ground. There's also no external reset button on this shredder, but it does have an internal stop button if jams occur. Kay Maguire

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Ryobi RY36SHX40-0 36V Max Power cordless garden shredder

RRP: £499.99 (tool only)

Our rating: 4/5

Available from: Ryobi (£499.99 tool only)

Ryobi RY36SHX40-0 36V Max Power cordless garden shredder

Reasons to buy

Reasons to avoid

Using the new 36V Max Power battery system, the RY36SHX40-0 is the cordless version of Ryobi’s popular crusher shredder. In use, I was delighted to find that this machine was not (at a mere 20kg with battery in place) too heavy when dragging up steps or over obstacles. The big handle on the top helped, too, making it easier to steer the machine around when moving around – and it doubles up as a holder for the plastic push-stick, too.

Putting the shredder together for its first use isn’t difficult, but the design choice to use big, silver butterfly bolts is a bit odd.  They look a bit out of place on an otherwise slick machine. There are a few more bits to bolt together than other shredders before you can put it to work, but it’s not hard work if you know your way around basic tools.

Designed as a “crusher” shredder that can tackle branches up to 40mm in diameter, the RY36SHX40-0 boasts a brushless motor to spin its six-bladed cylinder. Powering the blade is a chunky 36V Max Power battery that you need to buy separately.

Ryobi RY36SHX40-0 36V Max Power cordless garden shredder

A feature that I like about this shredder is the two speeds you can choose for dealing with garden waste. Low speed is sufficient for most jobs and should save battery power if you have a lot of material to get through. Another nice thing is that even at full speed, it’s not too noisy at around 90dB. And if the motor senses a blockage, it will auto-reverse to spit out anything it can’t handle.

The 55-litre rigid plastic collection box works fine. And if you shake the box periodically, this stops the material from piling up under the outfeed and stopping the shredder. I managed just under an hour of shredding before the big 36V 5.0 Ah battery gave up. It’s exactly what you should expect for a large capacity battery like this. Overall, it’s a capable battery-powered shredder that will happily chew up dry branches. Harry Duncton

Einhell REDAXXO 36/25 Cordless Knife Shredder

RRP: £226.95 (with batteries and charger)

Our rating: 4/5

Available from: Amazon (£176.99 bare tool), Amazon (£267.93 with 2x batteries and charger) and My Tool Shed (£271.95)

undefined Einhell REDAXXO 36/25 Cordless Knife Shredder

Reasons to buy

Reasons to avoid

The first thing I noticed when I started feeding material into this neat shredder was how happy it was with the soft, mushy green stuff that lots of garden shredders choke on. And a look at the spec list makes it clear why: the three blades spin at 3,00rpm, so it’s perfect for this type of job, whereas the slower-moving ‘crusher’ types are more oriented to woody materials like twigs, long, thin branches. Those blades are double-sided, too, so you can switch them around when the blades become dull.

And because it’s cordless, you can use it wherever it’s needed. That is a massive plus and opens the product up for endless usefulness, especially for those with allotments or long gardens. Weighing in at just over 10 kg, this shredder is easy to move around the garden, up steps and over obstacles.

Einhell REDAXXO 36/25 Cordless Knife Shredder out on test

Out of the box, I did have to navigate the assembly of the chassis and wheels, but this was a simple process that didn’t take much mechanical knowledge. What makes the REDAXXO more useful is Einhell’s decision to use a 55-litre debris-collecting bag rather than a rigid plastic box. I really like being able to mulch directly onto soil or into a large container like a ton bag. The drawback of a shredder with a rigid plastic collection box is that it needs to be in place for the motor to run. So, for big shredding jobs you’re not stuck emptying a bin every 20 minutes.

Running on a pair of 18V batteries, this shredder is great if you already have other Einhell tools. Compared with the cumbersome 36V batteries found on other cordless shredders, this setup is more versatile, as you can swap them out for an Einhell drill or saw if you want. But bear in mind that fast shredders like this one are noisy, around 100dB. That’s a lot of noise, and I’m pretty sure my neighbours were a lot happier when I’d finished. Harry Duncton

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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 hedge trimmers, the best splitting axes, the best pressure washers and the best strimmers.

To help you in pruning season, see our tests of the best secateurs, best mini chainsaws, best pruning saws and the best loppers. And to stay safe while you work, check out our test of the best gardening gloves.

How to choose a garden shredder

Think about the following before you choose:

Impact or roller shredder?
Most electric shredders are designed to handle branches around 40mm thick. If you have lighter, fresher branches and twigs to chip, an impact shredder will chop these up easily and quickly. Woodier growth is better suited to a rotary shredder, which can crush most waste apart from wet, sappy material, which will get stuck. They’re also fast, so if you often have piles of prunings, etc, one of these would be a good choice.

What do you want to do with the shreddings?
In our test, some shredders were particularly good at finely chipping while others were better suited to breaking down fresher waste, so think about whether you want a fine mulch to use on your borders or are content with condensing garden waste and speeding up the composting process.
A collection box or bag makes it easier to move and use your shreddings, and the bigger the better. A rigid box may be easier to use, but note that these shredders have a safety mechanism that stops them from working if the box is not in place. If the box breaks, it will need to be replaced, or the shredder won't work.

How often will you use your shredder?
If the shredder is in and out of the shed regularly, you’ll need one that’s easy to manoeuvre. Look for large wheels and comfortable handles, and if weight is an issue, opt for an impact shredder, which will be much lighter to lift and move.
If you’re planning on shredding away from the house at the end of the garden, check the length of the electric cable or factor in the need for an extension cord.
If storage space is limited, assess which type of shredder will better suit the room you have – most impact shredders are tall and thin, while roller models can be broken down to the size of the collection box and should fit in a cupboard or under a shelf.

Is it safe?
Impact shredders should have a safety flap within the funnel to protect fingers from the blades, but stability is also important. Check that the shredder has firm feet so that it remains stable in use. A motor protection lock is also essential if the blades ja,m and a reset button will help ensure you only start the machine when it’s ready to go again. It's also worth investing in some basic safety equipment before you start shredding, such as gloves, goggles and ear defenders.

Is it easy to look after and repair?
The blades on cheaper impact shredders can blunt quickly, so make sure you can access them easily – most funnels swing open with the twist of a dial, and all the machines in our test had reversible blades, so they last twice as long before they need replacing. Check how easy it is to get new blades before you buy. Rotary shredders need the gap between the roller and the plate adjusted regularly, so ensure this is easy to do, or your machine won't shred well.

Shredding with care

How to use your shreddings  Shredded plant material is much quicker to compost. Simply mix it through your heap, and it will soon break down to make nutrient-rich organic fertiliser for your beds and borders. Shreddings make a valuable mulch for your borders that will help keep down weeds and hold in moisture. Worms will eventually incorporate it into the soil and improve its structure. Add it in spring, when weeds are yet to germinate and herbaceous plants are still dormant, or during the autumn as plants are dying back.  Shredded bark is a great alternative for gravel on paths through borders and on the veg plot and allotment. Use a generous amount and tamp it down firmly, so your path is well defined and less susceptible to weeds. If you can't use or compost your shredded waste, add it to your garden bin, where it will take up a lot less room than unshredded material.

How we tested garden shredders

The BBC Gardeners' World Magazine reviews team tested different electric shredders for the same amount of time and with the same range of material, including woody branches and fresher growth, and both straight and messier, branched stems. The shedders were assembled, and the following criteria were used to calculate the scores, with equal weight given to each:

For more information on our testing process, see How we review

Meet our testing panel

Oliver Parsons, Strategic Projects Editor
Oliver is a gardener and magazine journalist of 20 years’ experience. He trained as a professional horticulturalist at RHS Garden Hyde Hall in Chelmsford and has also worked for Gardening Which?, as a freelance gardener and with the gardening team at Down House in Kent. He is now Strategic Projects Editor at BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine and GardenersWorld.com, heading up our reviews desk, Apple News output and weekly newsletter.

Kay Maguire, Magazines Editor
Kay trained at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew and has been writing and making films about gardening ever since. She has written for websites and magazines, including The Garden and Amateur Gardening, was Horticultural Editor on BBC Gardeners' World Magazine for five years, and has also written several books on a range of gardening topics from growing house plants to making the most of a small space. After several years as Reviews Editor, building up our reviews section into a leading resource for UK gardeners, she has now become Magazines Editor for BBC Gardeners' World Magazine, responsible for all print output.

Harry Duncton, Freelance Powered Tools Tester
Harry has a wealth of experience, from being a language teacher to a tree surgeon, and has built this into a career writing about all things DIY and gardening. A passionate believer in self-reliance, his aim is to inspire others to give it a go themselves and not worry about making a few mistakes along the way. A regular contributor to popular DIY blogs and a recent addition to the BBC Gardeners' World Magazine team, he loves tracking down the best new tools and writing about them.

Sue Fisher, Freelance Garden Writer
Sue’s extensive horticultural career spans over 40 years, starting with a decade in the garden centre and nursery industry before developing into an accomplished gardening writer, designer and speaker. Sue writes regularly for BBC Gardeners' World Magazine, GardenersWorld.com and Garden Answers magazine. She has written 10 books on subjects including container gardening, plants for small gardens and designing with colour, and she has co-authored other books with some of the biggest names in gardening.

Emma Crawforth, Horticulture Editor
Emma holds the Kew Diploma in Horticulture and has been working in horticulture for 18 years, including roles in public gardens, a plant nursery supplying plants for the RHS Chelsea Flower Show and a training college for young horticulturists. She looks after an ornamental, fruit and veg garden at home and regularly undertakes trips to see plants growing in their natural habitats. She is the author of the Kew Publications book, Things to Do with Plants.

Jane Moore, Freelance Garden Writer
In a horticultural career spanning 30 years, Jane has been a head gardener at a Benedictine Abbey, a writer for national gardening magazines and newspapers, a researcher on BBC gardening programmes and a TV presenter on BBC Gardeners’ World. Among her many accolades are a Chelsea Flower Show medal, several awards from the Garden Media Guild and her books are published worldwide. She has spent 30 years working as a hands-on head gardener, using tools on a daily basis.

This review was last updated in February 2026. We apologise if anything has changed in price or availability.

]]> The best cordless tool systems in 2025 https://www.gardenersworld.com/reviews/tools/power-tools/best-cordless-garden-tools/ Mon, 04 Aug 2025 08:30:08 GMT https://www.gardenersworld.com/reviews/tools/power-tools/best-cordless-garden-tools/ Looking for a cordless gardening tool system? Read our comprehensive guide then browse our pick of the very best, from budget to premium models. When it comes to mowing the lawn, cutting hedges or collecting up leaves, we’ve traditionally relied on petrol and corded garden tools to tackle these tasks. However, the development of cordless gardening tools is proving to be a game-changer. An easy and  environmentally-friendly alternative to petrol and corded power tools, most now use lithium-ion batteries, which can be shared across a range of power tools from the same brand, including DIY tools. Some are also interchangeable across multiple brands.

Cordless tools are light, quiet and efficient, and as they don't need fuel or an outdoor power source, there are no trailing cables or emissions to worry about. Lithium-ion batteries charge very quickly, hold their charge and don't degrade in storage, which is crucial for gardening tools that aren't used on a daily basis. If you're looking to buy more than one tool, you can also use the same battery across a brand's range of power tools, helping you save money. Plus, cordless tools don't need as much maintenance as their petrol counterparts, saving you even more time and money.

Take a look at our round up of the best cordless tool systems below.

If you have a specific gardening task in mind, we have plenty of advice on the best cordless tools for the jobs. Looking to keep your lawn in shape? Check out our guide to the best cordless lawn mowers. If you're after a leaf blower, take a look at our leaf blowers on test, and if you're planning some DIY in the garden, why not get yourself a cordless drill.

Best cordless tool systems in 2025

Einhell Power X-Change

Price: from £39.95 for bare tool

Available from B&Q and Wickes

einhell

Einhell have a great selection of gardening and DIY tools, powered by 18V batteries that can be used on their own, or for devices that work at 36V, two 18V batteries can be used together. Batteries are available in 2.0Ah, 4.0Ah or 8Ah. Single, double and fast chargers are available.

Einhell's Power X-Change tool range includes:

Worx PowerShare

Price: from £99 for bare tool

Available from B&Q and Amazon

worx

Worx have a large range of outdoor, gardening and home improvement tools powered by 20V batteries that can be used on their own or in combination depending on the tool. Batteries are available in 2.0Ah, 4.0Ah, 5.0Ah and 8.0Ah, and there are a range of quick charging and fast chargers to choose from.

The PowerShare outdoor tool range includes:

Stiga ePower

Price: from £99 for bare tool

Available from B&Q and Just Lawn Mowers

stiga

Stiga have a number of sizes in their ePower cordless garden tools ranges, based on either their 20V ePower or 48V ePower batteries. Products in the 3 series can also be charged via a wall-mounted charging dock, enabling you to store and charge your tools without taking the batteries out.
The batteries are available in 2Ah, 4Ah, 5Ah and 7.5Ah and their smart batteries are able to identity which tool they're connected to, and adjust the energy levels to preserve the battery lifespan. Standard and fast chargers are available

Stiga’s cordless tools include:

Stihl AS, AK and AI systems

Price: from £84 for bare tool

Available from Screwfix

stihl

Stihl have three cordless tool ranges: AS System tools, recommended for bigger gardening challenges, AK System tools, for medium to large gardens and AI Line tools recommended for small gardens. Their lithium-ion batteries have a long life, with battery systems expected to last as long as ten years (with ten charging cycles each month).

Tools in the AS System range include:

These tools are powered by an AS 2 battery, and charged with an AL 1 charger.

Tools in the AK system include: 

The tools in this range are powered by one of three interchangeable AK batteries, the AK 10, Ak 20 or AK 30. They are all the same size, so are interchangeable. Note that for some tools, eg leaf blowers you should use the higher capacity batteries to get the full amount of power.

Tools in the AI system include:

All the tools in this range come with a built-in battery, with a port on the tool itself to charge them. You do not need a separate battery or charger with these tools.

Bosch Power for All

Price: bare tool from £63

Available from B&Q and MyToolShed

bosch

Bosch’s Power For All cordless tool range includes a range of tools for gardening jobs, plus tools for DIY projects in the home and garden. The Power for All batteries can also be used with other brands including Gardena, Flymo and Husqvarna and come in 18V and 36V.

Tools that use the 18V Power For All system include:

Tools in this range are ideal for most regular gardening needs. Batteries are available in 2.5Ah and 4.0Ah.

Tools that use the 36V Power For All system include:

Tools in this range are best suited to tougher gardening jobs. Batteries are available in 2.0Ah and 4.0Ah.

Ryobi One+ and MaxPower Systems

Price: from £61.99 for bare tool

Available from B&Q and Amazon

ryobi

The One+ system from Ryobi allows you to use the same 18V batteries with over 200 gardening and household DIY tools. Ryobi's One+ System batteries are compatible with One+ tools that date back 25 years, so you can easily upgrade old tools with new batteries. They are powered by a 18V battery, available in 2.0Ah, 2.5Ah, 4.0Ah, 5.0Ah, 6.0Ah, 8.0Ah and 12.0Ah
The MaxPower system uses 36V batteries, with enough power for tough jobs such as tree felling and lawn mowing, but with the comfort of a lightweight battery that you can also use for handheld tasks like trimming the grass. The 36V batteries are available in 2.0Ah, 4.0Ah, 5.0Ah, 8.0Ah and 12.0Ah.

The Ryobi cordless One+ System tools include:

MaxPower system tools include:

Greenworks

Price: from £54.99 for bare tool

Available from B&Q and Amazon

greenworks

Greenworks have a range of cordless garden tools, powered by either 24V or 40V batteries, which are interchangeable with tools of the same voltage levels. 24V batteries are available in 2.0Ah or 4.0Ah, and 40V batteries are available in 2.0Ah, 2.2Ah, 5.0Ah or 8.0Ah.

The Greenworks cordless tool 24V range includes:

The Greenworks cordless tool 40V range includes:

Flymo Power For All

Price: bare tool from £73.24

Available from B&Q and Amazon

flymo

Flymo are part of the Power For All Alliance which means their 18V batteries can be used on tools from other brands including Bosch, Gardena and Husqvarna. The 18V battery is available in 2.0Ah, 2.5Ah and 4.0Ah. You can use a combination of 18V batteries to power Flymo's 36V tools.

Tools in the range include:

Gardena 18V Power For All

Price: bare tool from £54.99

Available from Amazon

gardena

Gardena are also part of the Power For All Alliance, meaning you can use the 18V batteries not just with Gardena cordless tools, but also with Flymo, Bosch and Husqvarna. Batteries are available in 2.5Ah or 4.0Ah.

Tools in Gardena's Power For All range include:

Husqvarna BLi-X 36V system and Aspire 18V Power For All system

Price: bare tool from £119.99

Available from Husqvarna

husqvarna

Husqvarna offer two battery systems, the BLi-X 36V battery system which is ideal for more demanding garden tasks, suitable for professionals and homeowners with large gardens to work on, and the Aspire™ 18V Power For All system, ideal if you have less storage space and a smaller garden. Batteries in the 18V system are also part of the Power For All Alliance, so you can use them across tools from Flymo, Bosch and Gardena.
18V batteries are available in 2.5Ah, 4.0Ah and 6.0Ah, whilst 36V batteries are available in 2.0Ah, 4.0Ah, 5.0Ah, 6.0Ah, 7.5Ah, 9.0Ah and 31.1Ah.

Tools in the Aspire™ 18V Power For All include:

Tools in the BLi-X 36V range include:

Webb Eco 20V Cordless Battery Range

Price: from £39.99

Available from B&Q and Webb

webb

Webb's Eco 20V Cordless Battery Range features a range of garden tools all powered by the same 20V battery, giving their tools the power of petrol-powered equipment without the noise, maintenance or emissions. The batteries are available in 2Ah and 4Ah.

Tools in the range include:

How to choose a cordless tool system

Think about your garden and what sort of tools you’ll need to tackle different jobs and choose your range accordingly.

What do the terms voltage (V), amp-hour (Ah) and brushless motors mean?

Once you’ve chosen which type of cordless power tool you’re looking for, it’s time to think about power. Most brands offer a range of cordless garden tools, which vary when it comes to the power they offer, from entry level needs to a higher spec that is designed to be used in large gardens, and by professionals.

Three factors determine the power of your cordless power tool:

Lithium-ion batteries explained

The most common batteries used in cordless tools are lithium-ion. Technology behind lithium-ion batteries has dramatically improved in recent years, because they’re the same batteries used to power electric cars and energy storage. Significant investments have been made to develop the battery’s efficiency and performance and you can now expect the same power from cordless tools as you would get with corded and petrol alternatives.
Despite being relatively small, they can cope with being charged time and time again whether fully or half used, so there's no need to worry about charging them at the right time and in the right way, plus they hold their charge for months, even if only partially charged.

How sustainable are Lithium-ion powered cordless tools?

In the long term, lithium extraction may have a detrimental impact on the environment, (according to earth.org, Lithium is extracted through “water-mining”, which requires an enormous amount of water throughout the process and toxic chemicals are needed to process lithium, leading to frequent water contamination and shortage in lithium-producing countries). Ultimately, if lithium could be recycled, this would help manage the demands and make it a more sustainable option. In the meantime, they are a much better alternative to fossil fuels and signify a move towards sustainable development.

How do I dispose of lithium-ion batteries?

Although these rechargeable batteries come with a healthy lifespan of several years, ultimately when they need replacing they must be recycled. Some manufacturers will have the batteries back and recycle them, otherwise find your local recycling depot that will accept them.

This Product Guide was last updated in March 2025 and we apologise if anything has changed in price or availability. 

]]> The best electric screwdrivers in 2025 https://www.gardenersworld.com/reviews/tools/diy-kit/the-best-electric-screwdrivers/ Wed, 19 Mar 2025 16:35:32 GMT https://www.gardenersworld.com/reviews/tools/diy-kit/the-best-electric-screwdrivers/ Trying to decide what electric screwdriver to buy? We’ve brought together the very best available right now, from budget models to the very best precision electric screwdrivers on the market Whether you're building raised beds, putting up garden lighting or popping up a pergola, the most basic hand tool you'll need is a screwdriver. Used to drive in or take out screws of all sizes and with different shaped heads on them, it's an essential companion when performing tasks indoors or around the garden.

The only thing better than a conventional screwdriver is an electric one and if you’ve ever had to drive in a lot of screws by hand, you’ll understand why an electric screwdriver is such an essential tool. Instead of screwing or unscrewing by hand power alone, you simply pull the trigger and it uses its motor to drive the screw instead, taking all the hard work out of garden projects like making a wooden planter, or putting up a trellis. They are especially useful for gardeners with mobility issues. Lightweight and highly portable, the electric screwdriver won’t replace a full size drill, but it’s one of the best labour saving devices you can keep in your toolbox, garden shed, or garage.

Whatever you’re planning to do in your garden, keep safe and wear safety glasses when you’re using an electric screwdriver.

An electric screwdriver is the perfect companion to a drill, saving you constantly changing drill bits and allowing you to simply go from a drill to screwdriver when you want to drill holes as well as drive in screws. For help choosing a cordless drill take a look at our review of the best cordless drills, and our guide to the best drill bits. For manual screwdrivers, we can recommend our article on the best screwdriver sets. For more hand DIY tools, take a look at our guide to the best multi-tools.

If you're looking for garden DIY inspiration, consider our 10 garden DIY projects for the weekend, or our guide on how to build a bat box. For other tool reviews, check out our  reviews of the best hammers, best pressure washers, and the best grass strimmers.

The best electric screwdrivers to buy at a glance

Our expertise

We tested tested a range of electric screwdrivers with each used to drive a variety of screws into different materials to see how they fared. Each has a detailed list of pros and cons for clarity and has been rated according to assembly and storage, ease of use, performance, and value for money. Every electric screwdriver in our round up has scored a minimum of 3.5 out of five stars, so you can buy with confidence.

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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 electric screwdrivers below:

 Best Buy electric screwdrivers

Bosch IXO 7 cordless screwdriver

RRP: £65

Our rating: 4.5/5

Available from B&Q, Tooled-Up, Currys

2048-1365-gw-Best-electric-screwdrivers-Bosch-IXO-7-Cordless-Screwdriver

Pros:

Cons:

Awarded a BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine Best Buy for a small electric screwdriver, the IXO is on its 7th generation, and boasts a huge amount of power with a high capacity battery, all in a modest and lightweight package. The shape of the handle is ergonomically designed and features plenty of grippy textured sections. The large trigger is easy to control, and you can’t easily knock the direction selector during use, which was an issue on previous IXO drivers. It packs a huge amount of power in, with 5.5 Nm of turning force, or torque, and with a whopping micro USB charged 2.0 Ah battery it will drive up to 190 screws on a single charge at 235 rpm – plus a helpful charge level indicator lets you know how much life you have left .The 360° ring light on the front does a good job of illuminating the work area, and this version even comes with a pair of accessories- a right angle and off-set adapter for working in tight areas. It comes in a small plastic case that contains a modest but quality selection of screwdriver bits.

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WORX WX255 4 volt SD slide driver with screw holder

RRP: £44.99

Our rating: 4.5/5

2048-1365-gw-Best-electric-screwdrivers-WORX-WX255-4-Volt-SD-Slide-Driver-with-Screw-Holder

Pros:

Cons:

The WORX WX255 is an impressive and versatile electric screwdriver. It’s lightweight at just 500 g, boasts a comfy rubberised grip, and the internal battery is charged by micro USB. It has earned itself the BBC Gardeners' World Magazine Best Buy award for best one handed electric screwdriver, because of the way you can easily change bits. The top of the tool slides back to reveal a six round magazine filled with different screwdriver bits and this can be completely removed, allowing you to fit your own selection of standard screwdriver bits, which is rather handy. The best feature on this electric screwdriver though, is the screw holder. It’s an ingenious accessory that grips the screw for you and is ideal for anyone with mobility issues or for driving screws one handed above your head. It's only rated to 3 Nm of torque, but that’s enough for putting together flat pack furniture or building your own hedgehog house. The only thing it lacks is an adjustable handle for working in tight spaces.

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Bosch pushdrive cordless screwdriver

RRP: £62

Our rating: 4.5/5

Available from Amazon and Bosch

2048-1365-gw-Best-electric-screwdrivers-Bosch-PushDrive-Cordless-Screwdriver

Pros:

Cons:

Bosch have created a clever electric screwdriver that you’ll know how to use, purely on instinct. It has a surprising amount of power and is simple to handle thanks to their “Push&Go” technology - there’s no trigger to pull on this screwdriver, the motor engages when it senses pressure on the tip of the screwdriver, and this earnt it a BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine Best Buy award for a precision electric screwdriver. There’s plenty of grippy rubber that runs the length of the tool, and even a cover that keeps dust and dirt from getting into the micro USB charging port. You can select from six different torque settings from 2.5 – 5 Nm for working on hard or soft materials, and the single speed motor runs at a reasonable 360 rpm. When the direction selector is in the locked position, it performs just like a conventional screwdriver, which is useful for delicate jobs, or when you’ve forgotten to charge the battery. It comes in a plastic case that holds 32 decent quality bits, including Torx and hex bits. The only downside is that you need to hold on tight when it’s set to a high torque setting. It can twist your wrist if you’re not paying attention.

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BLACK + DECKER 3.6V rapid driver screwdriver

RRP: £30

Our rating: 4.5/5

Available from Toolstation and B&Q

2048-1365-gw-Best-electric-screwdrivers-BLACK-+-DECKER-3.6V-Rapid-Driver-Screwdriver

Pros:

Cons:

The Rapid Driver Screwdriver is a deceptively powerful tool that packs a punch inside its miniature frame. Putting out a class leading 5.5 Nm of torque, this little screwdriver doesn’t hesitate to drive home long screws. The direction selector sits on the top of the tool and is operated with the thumb, so you can’t accidentally change direction halfway through the job. The hard case is a welcome feature that keeps the driver safe between tasks, holds the ten included bits securely, and even gives you extra space for odds and ends. Something we really like though is the recess in the case that allows you to charge the driver up via micro USB even when the lid is shut. It’s a thoughtful inclusion that makes a lot of sense. We’ve awarded it the BBC Gardeners' World Magazine Best Buy award for a powerful electric screwdriver.

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Draper storm force 4V multi-function screwdriver and cutting tool

RRP: £39.85

Our rating: 4.3/5

Available from Robert Dyas and B&Q

2048-1365-gw-Best-electric-screwdrivers-Draper-Storm-Force

Pros:

Cons:

We’ve awarded this clever little tool the BBC Gardeners' World Magazine Best Buy award for excellent accessories because it comes with four different detachable heads for different jobs. You get a right-angle head, an eccentric head for screwing adjacent to walls or corners, a torque head that means you can screw into delicate materials, and a unique cutting device that’s perfect for card and other thin sheet materials. It can make 4 Nm of torque, and it all comes neatly packed in a hard case that holds 27 different screwdriver bits. It’s charged via USB, and there’s a charge level indicator on the top. The handle is well shaped and there’s plenty of rubber on there for grip, and although the handle doesn’t adjust, one of the four attachments will get you into (and out of) most tight spots.

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The best of the rest

Although some models didn't quite achieve a BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine Best Buy award, they still have great features that make them worth recommending. Browse our pick of the best of the rest on test.

Makita DF001DW in-line cordless screwdriver

RRP: £57.99

Our rating: 4.3/5

Available from Screwfix and Amazon

_2048-1365-gw-best-electric-screwdrivers-Makita-DF001DW

Pros:

Cons:

Makita make a huge range of professional level tools, but this little screwdriver is more suitable for light work. It’s a 3.6 Volt screwdriver that produces an impressive 6 Nm of torque. The adjustable handle makes it nearly 30 cm long in in-line mode, which is good for getting into awkward spots, but in “gun mode” the handle and trigger are a bit cumbersome. There’s no torque selector, but you still have good control thanks to the large handle. You charge the internal 1.5 Ah battery via micro-USB, it comes in a quality plastic case with a thoughtful selection of quality bits, but the single LED work light is a bit dim.

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Mac Allister MSD36-Li cordless screwdriver

RRP: £20

Our rating: 3.5/5

Available from B&Q and Trade Point

_2048-1365-gw-best-electric-screwdrivers-Mac-Allister-MSD36

Pros:

Cons:

The MSD36-Li is a low cost 3.6 Volt powered electric screwdriver that comes with a surprising number of features. The battery has a 1.3 Ah capacity, and it can make up to 5 Nm of torque. By pressing a button on the top of the tool, you can turn the handle from a gun shape to an inline electric screwdriver that can fit into narrow spaces. The handle is comfortable and big enough for someone with large hands, there’s a charge level indicator, and you can employ a seriously bright four-LED work light on one end. You don’t get a case though, and only a few screwdriver bits to play with.

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Titan TTS870DRS li-ion cordless screwdriver

RRP: £17.99

Our rating: 3.5/5

Available from Screwfix

_2048-1365-gw-best-electric-screwdrivers-Titan-Li-ion-Cordless-Screwdriver

Pros:

Cons:

The Titan brand of tools is familiar to anyone who uses Screwfix for their home and garden projects, and their adjustable handle electric screwdriver is budget friendly piece of kit. Boasting a maximum 5 Nm of torque and making 200 rpm, the onboard 1.3 Ah battery charges in an hour. It’s comfortable enough to hold on to and the bits are held in mechanically rather than with a magnet. You can adjust the handle from inline to gun shape with the press of a button, and the torque selector ring means you can control how much power the screwdriver will apply to a screw before it cuts out. You get a single LED work light on the front and even a dazzling four-LED work light on the other end. It’s a basic model that doesn’t come in a case, but for the price it’s a very useful tool to have around.

Draper 3.6V cordless li-ion screwdriver kit

RRP: £34.50

Our rating: 3.5/5

Available from Amazon and Toolstation

_2048-1365-gw-best-electric-screwdrivers-Draper-3.6V-Cordless-Li-ion-Screwdriver

Pros:

Cons:

Supplied with a dazzling array of 55 different screwdriver bits, this handy budget electric screwdriver from Draper is like a whole toolbox in a single package. Sporting a reasonably comfy grip shape and adjustable handle, you can convert it from a gun shape to an inline screwdriver by pressing a button for getting into tight corners. There’s a clear plastic case to keep everything together and a single LED to light the way. It’s just a shame that instead of the widely used micro USB charging cable, it comes with a sluggish non-standard charger that you really don’t want to lose.

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How to use an electric screwdriver?

Instead of carrying around a toolbox full of different screwdrivers, one of the best things about an electric screwdriver is the exchangeable bits. Held in place with a magnet or locking sleeve, you can choose from an enormous range of screwdriver bits to fit every type of screw or bolt. And changing screwdriver bits is as simple as pulling it out from the bit holder and putting in another one.

Follow these simple steps to get the most from an electric screwdriver:

  1. Make sure your batteries are fully charged before you start, so you get enough power from your electric screwdriver.
  2. Choose the right bit for the job. There are a huge number of different fixings out there, and picking the right one will make the job much easier. Test out a few different ones until you find the right fit.
  3. Inspect the screwdriver bit, looking for any damage or excessive wear. A broken or worn bit will not engage with or could even damage a screw or other fixing. If it looks bad, pop in a new one.
  4. Fix the bit into the screwdriver bit holder and select the right torque setting (if you have one) for the job. If you’re screwing into a soft surface, use a lower setting.
  5. Select forward or reverse on the rotation switch. Remember, right is tight, and left is loose.
  6. Push the screwdriver bit firmly into the head of the screw and pull the trigger. Keep even and direct pressure on the screw to stop it slipping out or damaging the screw head.

Is an electric screwdriver the same as a drill?

They might look similar, but an electric screwdriver and a drill are not the same thing. The main difference is power. A drill needs a lot of power to make holes in materials like wood or metal, so they come with a powerful motor and a heavy battery, which is why they’re a lot bigger and weigh more than an electric screwdriver.
Drills can spin much faster as well. A typical combi drill can reach speeds of up to 2,000 rpm, while an electric screwdriver might only need to produce 200 rpm. Because they don’t need to produce lots of torque or speed, electric screwdrivers can be much smaller, lighter weight, and much easier to use.

What are electric screwdrivers good for?

An electric screwdriver is a good replacement for a manual one, especially if you have mobility issues, saving you time and effort. It performs the physical action of driving a screw in or out, leaving you free to concentrate on keeping the tool steady.
And, as you simply change the bits in the end of an electric screwdriver, you can easily carry around the equivalent of a whole toolbox full of manual screwdrivers. A small electric screwdriver won’t replace a heavy duty combi drill for driving home huge decking screws or concrete anchors, but it’s an ideal companion for anyone who does home or garden DIY.

How powerful should an electric screwdriver be?

The most powerful electric screwdriver on our list is rated at 5.5 Nm of torque. That’s enough to drive a screw into a piece of soft timber, especially if you have drilled a pilot hole first. It’s powerful enough to put together flat pack garden furniture and much faster than using a manual screwdriver as well.

What’s a torque selector?

A torque selector allows you to control the turning power, or torque, on your electric screwdriver, or drill. Usually numbered and controlled by a selector ring just behind the bit holder, the higher the number the more power the screwdriver will put into the screw. If you’re working with delicate surfaces or you don’t want to over tighten a screw, you select a lower number, but if you want to drive a large diameter screw into a piece of wood, you’ll need to choose a higher number.

How we tested electric screwdrivers

The BBC Gardeners' World Magazine reviews team tested a range of electric screwdrivers with each used to drive a variety of screws into different materials to see how they fared. They were assessed according to the following criteria with equal marks attributed to each:

For more information on our testing process, see How we review

Projects for your electric screwdriver

Once you’ve got an electric screwdriver, you’ll be itching to get started on some DIY projects to try out your new tool. Here are a few projects that can be completed in a day or a weekend.

If you’re after some more storage for your tools, or a space to do tasks like potting on, you might like to install a shed. Your electric screwdriver will be invaluable for this task.

You could also use your screwdriver to make your own cold frame, ideal for hardening off young seedlings in spring. And why not use your new tool to make a bug box, and give nature a helping hand.

This Review was last updated in March 2025. We apologise if the price or availability of the reviewed products have changed.

]]> The best cordless drills in 2025 https://www.gardenersworld.com/reviews/tools/diy-kit/best-cordless-drills/ Wed, 19 Mar 2025 14:15:46 GMT https://www.gardenersworld.com/reviews/tools/diy-kit/best-cordless-drills/ On the lookout for a new cordless drill? We’ve reviewed a range of drill drivers and combination hammer drills to help you find the right one for your gardening DIY needs When you’re doing jobs for yourself around your home and garden you’ll need some basic tools and safety equipment, and one of the most useful is the drill. Probably the most fundamental power tool in the DIYers arsenal, whether you’re making a wooden planter, putting up a garden trellis or hanging a floral basket, a drill will never be far away.

A drill is an essential tool for creating holes in materials like wood, metal, or brick, to accommodate screws and other types of fittings. There are two main types of drill - drill drivers and hammer drills, also known as combination or combi drills.

A drill driver creates holes and then on a different setting drives fittings into them. Essentially, you can drill into anything with a drill driver, except for brick or stone, which needs a hammering action.

A drill with a hammer action can make holes in particularly hard materials like masonry and simply put, when the drill spins the drill bit around, a hammer mechanism inside hits the bit to help break through hard surfaces. They perform a combination of drilling, screwing, and hammering actions, hence the name combination or combi drill, but note the names hammer and combi drills are interchangeable.

To help you choose the right cordless drill for your needs, we put a range of cordless drill driver and combi drills to the test.

If you want to get stuck into some spring projects, check out our guide on the best drill bits, best screwdriver sets, best multi tools and how to choose the best cordless tools, then put them to good work with our guide to making a wooden planter.
If you’re looking for more cordless tools see our reviews of the best electric screwdrivers, best cordless lawn mowers, best leaf blowers and hedge trimmers.

Best Buy cordless drills at a glance

Our expertise We tested a range of cordless drills, using them to drill holes and drive in screws into different materials, to help you find the right one for your garden DIY needs. Each has a detailed list of pros and cons for clarity and has been rated according to assembly and storage, ease of use, performance, and value for money. Every drill in our round up has scored a minimum of 3.5 out of five stars, so you can buy with confidence.

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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 cordless drills below:

Best cordless drills in 2025

 

Makita DHP482JX14 50th Anniversary 18V Combi Drill Kit

RRP: £200

Our rating: 4.5/5

Available from Tooled-Up and Amazon

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Pros

Cons

Japanese tool firm Makita have created a well-balanced and incredibly comfortable combi drill kit that produces a serious amount of power where it’s needed. The ergonomics are brilliant and thanks to an expanse of grippy black TPE material on the handle, we found it comfortable when drilling holes and driving even long screws, even if the plastic-sleeved chuck is more liable to getting scuffed. The drill puts out a massive 62 Nm of torque, and the variable speed trigger can spin the drill up to 1,900 rpm, although it uses a brushed motor which isn’t overly efficient. Packed with user-favourite features like the belt hanger hook and powerful dual LED work light, it’s an extremely handy piece of kit to own. It could be out of the price range of a casual weekend DIYer, but you do get an awful lot for your money. The two 5.0 Ah batteries alone make this kit worth buying. We awarded this a BBC Gardeners' World Magazine Best Buy for the best professional cordless combi drill.

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Mac Allister Solo MDD18-Li-2 Brushed Cordless Drill Driver

RRP: £65

Our rating: 4.3/5

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Pros

Cons

In-house brand for DIY giants B&Q, the Mac Allister is a familiar sight to UK DIYers. The MDD-18 drill driver is nice and light, and the basic grip shape is surprisingly comfortable to hold on to. The maximum drill speed of 1,500 rpm isn’t class leading, but it’s enough for most jobs. The brightly coloured charge level indicator is a nice touch as well, with a traffic light system to tell you when the batteries are low and it comes in a soft case with handy elastic holders to keep everything stowed safely. The only thing that lets the drill down is the small chuck size- at just 10 mm wide you’re limited to smaller drill bits. We awarded this a BBC Gardeners' World Magazine Best Buy for the best budget cordless drill.

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DeWalt DCD795D2-GB 18V XR Brushless Hammer Drill Driver

RRP: £159.99

Our rating: 4.3/5

Available from Amazon and Wickes

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Pros:

Cons:

Celebrating 100 years of service in 2023, US tool manufacturers DeWalt are well known in the drill market and the DCD795 is an incredibly well-balanced and comfortable drill to use. We awarded it a BBC Gardeners' World Magazine Best Buy for the best cordless hammer drill for comfort. There’s plenty of metal used in its construction, which makes it feel like a premium, professional grade tool and the ergonomic grip shape fits perfectly in the hand, making for easy drilling and driving, even for long periods. The capable brushless motor produces an impressive 60 Nm of torque and a maximum drilling speed of 2,000 rpm. The work light is powerful enough to illuminate dark corners and stays on for 20 seconds after letting go of the trigger, even though it’s stuck down at the bottom of the grip. You get a pair of batteries, a belt hanging hook, stackable TSTAK hard case, and DeWalt’s handy magnetic bit holder. It’s quite expensive, but it’s a lot of drill for the money.

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WORX WX370 20 Volt Cordless Impact Drill

RRP: £99.99

Our rating: 4.3/5

Available from Amazon and Worx

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Pros:

Cons:

The first impression of the WORX WX370 is that it feels like a solid and well-balanced piece of kit. The grip shape, although basic, is comfortable and means that the 50 Nm put out by the brushed motor is easy to hang on to. And with up to 1,600 rpm in 2nd gear, it’s fast enough for most drilling jobs around the home and garden. It also comes with a pair of 2.0 Ah batteries and a hard plastic carry case to keep things organised. You get the all-important belt hanging hook, and to get you started, WORX have included a generous 30-piece toolkit. It comes in a canvas tool roll and contains a decent selection of screw and nut driver bits as well as masonry, metal and wood drill bits. This isn’t the most powerful drill that WORX produce, but this comprehensive set is a great cordless drill kit. We awarded this a BBC Gardeners' World Magazine Best Buy for the best cordless combi drill with accessories.

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Ryobi R18DD3 Cordless Drill Driver Starter Kit

RRP: £144.99

Our rating: 4.3/5

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Pros:

Cons:

This handy drill driver comes from Japanese firm Ryobi. Something that Ryobi do well is the universal nature of their batteries. You can use the same one to run over 100 different tools, but they’re big, which makes this drill a bit bulky but it is incredibly comfortable thanks to rubberised moulding and the ergonomic handle design. The brushless motor delivers a high drilling speed of 1,800 rpm, and with 50 Nm of torque, there’s enough power as well. There’s a handy holder for a double ended screwdriver bit on the bottom of the grip, but the work light is stuck down there too, and it doesn’t stay on once you let go of the trigger. Ryobi do include a pair of vital safety glasses with the kit though, which is a nice touch. We awarded this a BBC Gardeners' World Magazine Best Buy for the best drill driver.

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The best of the rest

Although some models didn’t quite achieve a BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine Best Buy award, they still have great features that make them worth recommending. Browse our pick of the best of the rest on test.

Einhell TE-CD 18/2 Li-I +22 Cordless Impact Drill

RRP: £99.95

Our rating: 4.3/5

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Cons:

The German brand Einhell have been making tools since 1964, and their Power X-Change technology means that a single 18 V battery will work in more than 200 different products. The TE-CD is a good cordless hammer drills for DIYers, thanks to its comfortable grip shape and rugged build quality. The brushed motor creates a reasonable 44 Nm of torque and can spin drill bits up to 1,250 rpm and it comes with a single 2.5 Ah battery with a charge level indicator on it. A bright LED work light sits down at the bottom of the grip and the hard plastic case that the drill comes in is a handy extra as well. Rather than moulded plastic inside, it’s filled with soft foam so you can add your own accessories and drill bits to suit your needs. To get you started, there’s a practical accessory kit with user-friendly colour coded screwdriver bits included.

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Hyundai HY2176 Cordless Impact Drill Driver

RRP: £89.99

Our rating: 4/5

Available from Toolden

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Pros:

Cons:

South Korean industrial heavyweights Hyundai are well known in the UK for their cars, but their 20 V Max cordless impact drill is a powerful drill for the money. Great for DIYers on a budget, you get the all-important hammer mode for drilling into brick or stone, and even a small accessory kit to get you started. There’s plenty of rubber on the ergonomic grip, but it’s on the small side if you have large hands. The drill puts out an impressive 50 Nm of torque and spins up to 1,700 rpm in second gear. The bright work light might be stuck down on the bottom of the handle, but it stays on for five seconds after you let go of the trigger.

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Bosch Universal Impact 18V-60 Cordless Combi Drill

RRP: £81 (without battery)

Our rating: 3.8/5

Available from Tooled-Up, B&Q and Currys

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Pros:

Cons:

The UniversalImpact 18V-60 comes from Bosch’s “green” line of DIY level tools and this light but capable brushless combi drill feels like a neat package. It has a compact design, and the controls are easy to work out. There’s grippy black rubber on the handle, but it’s only on the back side for some reason, so it slips around in the hand a bit too much, especially when starting a new hole. As for specs, this drill can spin up to 1,900 rpm and produces an impressive 60 Nm of torque. The single LED work light is bright enough, but as it’s placed way down on the bottom of the drill it can’t light up small nooks and crannies. The light does stay on for a few seconds after releasing the trigger though, which is always useful.

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JCB Drill Driver JCB-18DD-2XB-A

RRP: £94.99

Our rating: 3.8/5

Buy now from JBC Tools and Amazon

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Pros:

Cons:

The 21-18DD is a capable drill driver that delivers a decent level of functionality without breaking the bank. It boasts a comfortable and grippy overmolded handle, rugged stylings, and is reasonably well balanced, if a little heavy. The brushed motor can spin up to 1,600 rpm and you get a reasonable level of torque at 45 Nm. The small accessory kit includes a selection of drill and driver bits to get you going as well. The LED work light is in the right place at the top of the handle, but it only runs when you pull the trigger.

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How to choose a cordless drill

There are lots of tools out there to choose from, and it’s easy to get blinded by all the facts, figures, and marketing speak that manufacturer’s like to add to their tools. The best cordless drill for you depends on what you’re going to do with it.
If you’re a professional contractor, you’ll need the biggest batteries, a rugged drill to cope with the abuse and accidents that happen on site, and you’ll need huge amounts of power to drill big holes and drive in long screws all day long.
But, if you’re a casual DIYer that needs a basic drill to put together a raised bed, make a compost bay or put up hanging basket brackets, save your money, and get something that’s capable enough for the job without breaking the bank. The highest drilling speeds and impressive accessories are great, but they come at a cost.

Are cordless drills powerful enough?

Whether you’re simply drilling a few narrow holes to put up a trellis or pushing your drill to the limit with a wide hole saw bit, for example to make the entry hole for a bird box, the best cordless drills can now match or even outdo their corded counterparts in terms of power and rpm. As battery technology has improved, the difference between corded and cordless power tools has disappeared. The only disadvantage of cordless power tools is that batteries will inevitably run down and require a recharge. Over time and with use, Lithium Ion batteries will also degrade and need to be replaced, but with light use they’re fine for many years.

Are cordless drills better than corded ones?

If you ever work away from the power grid or want to fix something at the bottom of the garden without dragging your extension cord all the way down there, it’s worth buying a cordless drill. However, if you only ever use a drill at a workbench with power, then even the best cordless drill might be a bit pointless. Cordless drills and their batteries are often more expensive than corded versions, but the price of a modern cordless drill is within the reach of most DIYers. One of the great benefits of a cordless drill is that you’re not tethered to a plug in the wall. Not having to deal with trailing cables is probably worth the extra money in most cases anyway.

The obvious advantage of a corded drill over a cordless one is that they never run out of battery power, but if you buy a kit that includes more than one battery you can change them immediately and carry on working while the other charges up.
If you do a lot of work outdoors and away from a plug socket, a cordless drill is a good choice as long as you have ways to recharge the batteries. And if you choose a brand that produces a wide range of power tools and gardening equipment, you can share the batteries between them.

Do cordless drills only come as a kit?

If you want to get to work straight away, you can buy a starter kit. It usually includes the drill, a battery or two, and a charger, but sometimes they come with a case and even some drill bits and accessories to get you started.
However, there's also the option to buy tools “bare”, or without batteries and a charger. Most power tool brands sell a wide range of other cordless power tools for DIY and gardening, so if you’ve already got batteries and a charger from a brand, buying their drill is an ideal solution to save some money - just remember you can’t mix batteries between different cordless systems or brands. It’s also worth researching what tools a brands sells before you buy to see what you could save money on in the future, if you plan to buy further cordless DIY or gardening tools.

It’s always a good thing to check if you can buy batteries separately, having more than one battery will ensure you’re not stuck waiting for it to charge up before getting back to work.

Do I need a drill driver or a hammer drill?

Unless you want to make holes in masonry, brick, or stone, you will not need a hammer setting on your drill. The hammer action is designed to break through hard materials and is not used when drilling into wood, plastic, or metal.

What’s the difference between an 18V drill and a 20V drill? The short answer is… nothing. All 18 Volt batteries can be charged to a maximum of 20 Volts, which is why you sometimes see the term “20 Volt Max” used. Whether they say they’re 18 or 20 Volts, you get the same amount of power output. It’s simply a marketing term used to sell batteries.

What do the terms Voltage and Amperage mean?

The term Voltage means “electromotive force”. It is the potential energy held within the battery that you can call on to make a drill work. Amperage is also known as “current” and is used to measure the flow rate of electricity. The higher the current, the more energy can flow at once.

Ah, or “Ampere hours” are used to display the size and potential energy of a battery. In simple terms, the higher the number, the more power you can call on when you need it. An Amp Hour doesn’t mean that your drill will last for that many hours though, it depends on what you use it for.

Is battery run time important?

Yes. There’s nothing more frustrating than getting half way through a job and running out of power. Making sure your batteries are charged up before working is important, and some drills have features to help you keep an eye on the charge level. The best cordless drills have charge level indicators on them to see how much you have left with the press of a button.

How long will cordless drill batteries last after a full charge?

There are a lot of variables that alter the answer to this question. The capacity of a drill battery is measured in Amp hours, or Ah, and the more Ah you have, the longer the battery will last. With a large battery on board, like a 5.0 Ah one, a cordless drill will make holes or drive screws all day long. And if you have more than one battery, you won’t suffer any downtime for charging either. Other factors that will affect the battery’s useful runtime is how hard you push the tool, the temperature of the batteries, and their age. For example, an old battery will not work well, particularly if it’s cold, and especially if you’re trying to drill large diameter holes in steel.

What is torque?

Usually measured in Newton meters, or “Nm”, torque is the force that a drill generates when turning a drill bit. The higher the Nm, the more force a drill has. A drill with a higher Nm rating will be able to drill wide holes or drive in long screws more easily than a drill with a lower Nm rating.

What size chuck is best?

The chuck is the part at the front of a drill that accepts drill or driver bits. Most drills come with a 13 mm chuck, but there are also 10 mm ones available. Even though most DIYers won’t use bits above 10 mm for most jobs, it’s good to have the extra capacity when it’s needed. The chuck size is often a reflection of a drill’s power. A drill with a lower torque rating will have a smaller 10 mm chuck size so that you can’t put a huge drill bit in it and overload the motor.

Why does my drill have two gears?

Most modern combi drills will have a gear selector on the top, usually with two settings. This is sometimes known as the speed controller. Like the gears on a car, the first setting is for low speed with high torque, and the second setting is for higher speed but with less torque. Low speed is ideal for screws, while high speed is usually best for drilling holes.

Are accessories necessary?

LED work lights, belt hanging hooks, hard cases, magnetic bit holders, and tool rolls filled with drill bits are all nice things to have, but they’re not necessary. You can still drill holes and drive screws without any added extras. However, being able to hang a drill on your belt while you climb a ladder and lighting up a dingy corner can make a job easier and safer to complete.

How we tested cordless drills

We tested a range of cordless drill drivers and combi drills with each used to drill a series of holes and drive a series of screws to see how they fared. They were assessed according to the following criteria with equal marks attributed to each:

 For more information on our testing process, see How we review

Projects for your cordless drill

Once you’ve got a cordless drill, you’ll be itching to get started on some DIY projects to try out your new tool. Here are a few projects that can be completed in a day or a weekend.

If you’re after some new planting areas, you might like to try creating a wooden planter, perfect for veg or ornamental plants.

You could also use your drill to make your own cold frame, ideal for hardening off young seedlings in spring.

And why not use your drill to create a welcoming nesting habitat for birds, by creating a wooden bird box.

 This Review was last updated in March 2025. We apologise if the price or availability of the reviewed products have changed.

]]> Ryobi ONE+ HP 18V Whisper series cordless leaf blower review https://www.gardenersworld.com/reviews/tools/power-tools/ryobi-one-cordless-leaf-blower-review/ Fri, 17 Dec 2021 10:43:56 GMT https://www.gardenersworld.com/reviews/tools/power-tools/ryobi-one-cordless-leaf-blower-review/ A basic leaf blower with helpful battery level indicator Latest Deals

What’s the Ryobi ONE+ HP 18V Whisper series cordless leaf blower like?

The Ryobi ONE+ HP 18V Whisper series cordless leaf blower weighs 3.2kg, so feels sturdy and robust, although it is one of the heaviest models we tested. The 4Ah lithium-ion 18V battery slots in at the back of the body, which affected the balance and made it feel heftier to use – we preferred the battery position on the Makita DUB186Z, which is underneath the handle. It also has a wide tube, which is easy-to-attach but means the 49m/s air flow isn’t as focused as it would be with a thinner nozzle. There aren’t any speed settings either, simply squeeze the trigger to vary the speed, and we found our fingers began to tire after using it for a while. That said, it easily blows wet and dry leaves off grass, gravel and patio slabs, but isn’t as effective when it comes to shifting compacted leaf matter and debris that gather in corners and awkward spaces. We did, however, think the plastic notch at the base of the nozzle opening was a helpful feature. It has a run time of 15 to 20 minutes, which means it can clear up to 800m2, but takes 160 minutes to charge. We love that it features a battery light indicator as it helps you gauge how much time you have left to finish the job. Despite being part of Ryobi’s Whisper series, with 93.5dB, we didn’t feel it was noticeably quieter than the other leaf blowers we tested.

Who’s the Ryobi ONE+ HP 18V Whisper series cordless leaf blower most useful for?

As with the WORX WG457E and the Kärcher LBL2 cordless leaf blowers, this is probably the best option if you have other Ryobi ONE+ tools, so you can save the cost of the battery and charger. Otherwise, it’s a good, basic model that given its run time is ideal for smaller gardens and the detachable nozzle is useful if storage is an issue.

Is the Ryobi ONE+ HP 18V Whisper series cordless leaf blower good value for money?

We think this is relatively good value for money. Light on features, it does have that useful battery light indicator, is compatible with over 150 tools in the Ryobi ONE+ System, and comes with a three-year warranty.

Lumbered with lots of leaves? Check out our test of the best gardening gloves to collect them in comfort, and while you’re at it, why not learn how to make leaf mould – a super compost and soil conditioner – as well as how to make your own leaf mould bin.

For more cordless garden tools, read our best cordless lawn mowers, best hedge trimmers and best pressure washers guides.

This review was last updated in December 2021. Unfortunately, prices change and things go out of stock so we apologise if anything has changed.

]]> Worx WG547E 20V Turbine Cordless Leaf Blower review https://www.gardenersworld.com/reviews/worx-wg547e-cordless-leaf-blower-review/ Fri, 17 Dec 2021 10:22:35 GMT https://www.gardenersworld.com/reviews/worx-wg547e-cordless-leaf-blower-review/ An efficient, but basic, cordless leaf blower Latest Deals

What’s the WORX WG547E 20V turbine cordless leaf blower like?

This cordless leaf blower weighs the same as the Makita DUB186Z, but as it isn’t as compact, feels marginally more cumbersome to use around the garden – the position of the battery, which is at the end of the body balances it in such a way it seems to add to the overall heft. The wide nozzle means it’s harder to reach into smaller spaces or awkward corners, too, but it does corral leaves as you would hope. The 2AH 20V battery delivers adequate power to cope with dry and wet leaves – ranging from 24-33m/sec air speed, which is like the Stiga SAB 100AE, although that model is considerably cheaper. It has two speeds, but the lowest setting generates a moderate airflow useful for a general tidy up, while the higher speed provides enough power to shift stubborn, compacted wet leaves. Surprisingly for WORX tools, it doesn’t have a soft-grip handle, in fact there is a seam in the plastic on the underside of the grip, which we found uncomfortable after using the blower for a while. The nozzle can be removed from the body, but once you’ve done that, its two sections can’t be separated for more efficient storage, which is frustrating as the nozzle is double the length of the body.

Who’s the WORX WG547E 20V turbine cordless leaf blower most useful for?

This is ideal for those with a medium or large garden, thanks to the fast charge which means you don't have to wait long before you can use it again. If you already own WORX PowerShare cordless tools, it makes sense to add this to your collection and save the cost of buying a battery and charger.

Is the WORX WG547E 20V turbine cordless leaf blower good value for money?

This is a good, basic model, but as it’s in the mid price range of the blowers we tested, we felt it could have a few more features – a battery level light, a soft grip handle and the nozzle separating into the two sections it initially comes in would all be helpful. On the other hand, it’s part of the WORX PowerShare range, which includes over 140 tools, it has a three year warranty, a fast charge and a decent run time.
However, in the end we felt that if you don’t already own WORX PowerShare tools, this might not represent the best value for money in comparison to other blowers we tested.

Lumbered with lots of leaves? Check out our test of the best gardening gloves to collect them in comfort, and while you’re at it, why not learn how to make leaf mould – a super compost and soil conditioner – as well as how to make your own leaf mould bin.

For more cordless garden tools, read our best cordless lawn mowers, best hedge trimmers and best pressure washers guides.

This review was last updated in December 2021. Unfortunately, prices change and things go out of stock so we apologise if anything has changed.

]]> Bosch Universal Aquatak 135 pressure washer review https://www.gardenersworld.com/reviews/tools/power-tools/bosch-universal-aquatak-135-pressure-washer-review/ Mon, 08 Nov 2021 14:39:08 GMT https://www.gardenersworld.com/reviews/tools/power-tools/bosch-universal-aquatak-135-pressure-washer-review/ A well designed pressure washer that's great for all round use. Buy other Bosch pressure washers on Amazon

What are the main features of the Bosch Universal Aquatak 135 pressure washer?

This powerful pressure washer has a 1900w engine, a water flow rate of 410 litres per hour and it delivers 135 Bar of pressure. It comes with a useful seven metres of hose, the longest in our test and has sturdy wheels and two handles, including one on the front, which make it easy to lift and move it around. It’s not heavy but it feels sturdy and it's stable in use, thanks to the feet at the front of the washer which keep it standing firmly on the ground. The upright handle folds down over the body of the washer, clicking neatly into place so it takes up less room in the shed or garage and there’s also on-board storage for the cable, lance and foam sprayer so you can keep everything together in one place.
The Aquatak 135 has just one nozzle, but this has three, easy to adjust sprays - pencil, jet and fan plus it comes with a detergent foam sprayer. Other accessories, such as a wash brush and patio cleaner are also available to buy, as is a self-priming kit, so you can use this washer with water fed from a water butt or tank, not just a tap.

What’s the Bosch Universal Aquatak 135 pressure washer like to use?

Some simple assembly of the Aquatak 135 is needed, but the instructions are clearly displayed on the box and parts just click into place. The washer feels strong and robust but it’s still comfortable to use with no vibrations and a comparatively quiet engine. The single lance and nozzle is a refreshing alternative to undoing and replacing nozzles every time you change job. When you need a change of spray you just twist and click and each one delivers powerful, effective cleaning.
This is a well thought out piece of kit; the long cable gives you that extra bit of reach if you need it and the carry handle on the front makes it really easy to lift this up steps or onto a shelf.

What situations is the Bosch Universal Aquatak 135 pressure washer most suitable for?

This is a great all-round pressure washer, ideal for most cleaning jobs, from washing the car, tackling decking and garden furniture and removing stubborn dirt from paths. The long hose reach makes it ideal  for use in larger gardens.

Is the Bosch Universal Aquatak 135 pressure washer good value for money?

Well thought out with great cleaning power this washer is good value and has a two-year warranty. Extra accessories are available to buy although they’re expensive when added to the cost of the machine.

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Looking for some tips about cleaning your garden? Watch these video guides to find out the best way to clean decking, while Monty Don shows you how to clean a greenhouse.

View Green Video on the source website View Green Video on the source website

Our experts have tested some great kit to give you a helping hand if you're tidying the garden, too. Our round up of the best pressure washers and best leaf blowers and leaf vacuums might be of use, and if you need a garden hose, check out our reviews of the best garden hoses and best garden hose spray guns. For the ultimate eco-friendly option, why not install a water butt to use with your portable pressure cleaner?

For more cordless garden tools, read our best hedge trimmers, best cordless mowers and best robotic mowers guides.

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