The best garden shredders in 2026 – as tested by our reviews experts

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

Best Buy garden shredders at a glance

• Best budget garden shredder: Hyundai Electric Garden Shredder – RRP: £139.99
• Best value for money garden shredder: Ryobi RSH2545B Corded 2500W Impact Shredder – RRP: £179
• Best quiet garden shredder: Webb Electric Silent Shredder – RRP: £249.99
• Best powerful garden shredder for tough jobs: Makita UD2500 Electric Shredder – RRP: £262
• Best lightweight garden shredder: Bosch AXT Rapid 2200 Shredder – RRP: £289
• Best cordless garden shredder: Husqvarna GS 340is Battery Shredder – RRP: £529 (tool only)

Jump to the best garden shredders:

• Best garden shredders
• The best of the rest

Jump to garden shredder advice and info:

• How to choose a garden shredder
• Shredding with care
• How to use your shreddings
• How we tested garden shredders

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 shredders below:

Best garden shredders

Best cordless garden shredder: Husqvarna GS 340is battery shredder

RRP: £529 (tool only)

Our rating: 4.5/5

Available from: Husqvarna

Reasons to buy

• Lots of clever space-saving features to make it easy to store
• Not too noisy at 86 dB
• Auto-reverse function is handy for fixing jams quickly
• Onboard safety key

Reasons to avoid

• 24kg weight makes it heavy and cumbersome to move
• Small 45-litre collection box, so lots of emptying is needed when tackling big jobs

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 24 kg with the battery installed, so I found moving it up and down steps a real chore.

• Buy the Webb electric silent shredder from Husqvarna and World of Power

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 letdown of this shredder is the comparatively small 45-litre collection box. Otherwise, it’s an excellent addition to the garden. Harry Duncton

• Buy the Husqvarna GS 340is battery shredder from Husqvarna and World of Power

Best powerful garden shredder for tough jobs: Makita UD2500 electric shredder

RRP: £262

Our rating: 4.5/5

Available from: Amazon (£239.00) and Tooled Up (£287.95)

Reasons to buy

• Huge 67-litre collection box
• Long 10-metre power cable, so you can use it almost anywhere in a smallish garden

Reasons to avoid

• No push stick – seems a silly shortcut that would otherwise be helpful for users
• Doesn’t fold for storage, so it will take up lots of vertical space in the shed

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.

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

• Buy the Makita UD2500 electric shredder from Amazon (£239.00) and Tooled Up (£287.95)

Best budget garden shredder: Hyundai electric garden shredder

RRP: £139.99

Our rating: 4.5/5

Available from: Amazon

Reasons to buy

• Simple assembly
• Light and easy to move
• Shreds finely and quickly

Reasons to avoid

• Noisy

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

• Buy the Hyundai electric garden shredder Amazon and OnBuy

Best value for money garden shredder: Ryobi RSH2545B corded 2500W impact shredder

RRP: £179.00

Our rating: 4.5/5

Available from: B&Q

Reasons to buy

• Easy assembly
• Shreds efficiently and well
• Solid collection box
• Good length, bright cable

Reasons to avoid

• Round plunger is less effective than a flat one
• Takes up room in storage

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

• Buy the Ryobi RSH2545B corded 2500W impact shredder from B&Q

Best lightweight garden shredder: Bosch AXT Rapid 2200 shredder

RRP: £289

Our rating: 4.5/5

Available from: Just Lawnmowers

Reasons to buy

• Easy to assemble, move and store
• Fast, efficient shredding
• Pulls material in strongly
• Flat, wide plunger

Reasons to avoid

• No collection bag
• Blade is hard to access

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

• Buy the Bosch AXT Rapid 2200 shredder from Currys, Just Lawnmowers and Robert Dyas

Best quiet garden shredder: Webb WEESS electric silent shredder with box

RRP: £249.99

Our rating: 4.5/5

Available from: Currys

Reasons to buy

• Pulls material in well
• Quiet in operation
• Large collection box and long cable
• Easy to store

Reasons to avoid

• Heavy to move

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

• Buy the Webb electric silent shredder from Currys, Tooled Up and Wickes

The best of the rest

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

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)

Reasons to buy

• Folding legs are a neat touch, saving space when in storage
• Lightweight compared to other crusher shredders
• Low-speed mode is handy for saving battery life when shredding lighter material

Reasons to avoid

• A serious investment at this price
• No safety key

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.

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

• Buy the Ryobi RY36SHX40-0 36V Max Power cordless garden shredder from Ryobi (£499.99 tool only)

Einhell REDAXXO 36/25 Cordless Knife Shredder

RRP: £226.95 (with batteries and charger)

Our rating: 4/5

Reasons to buy

• Can be run without a collection vessel attached, so you can shred straight onto the soil or any container you like
• Very lightweight – perfect for carting around a big garden or taking to the allotment

Reasons to avoid

• Not really made for thicker branches
• Noisy, so not great for quiet Sunday mornings

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.

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

• Buy the Einhell electric knife shredder from Amazon (£176.99 bare tool), Amazon (£267.93 with 2x batteries and charger) and My Tool Shed (£271.95)

Einhell electric knife shredder

RRP: £125.95

Our rating: 4.3/5

Available from: Tooled Up

Reasons to buy

• Simple assembly
• Easy to move
• Shreds finely
• Comparatively quiet

Reasons to avoid

• No reset switch
• Unstable when loading

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

• Buy the Einhell electric knife shredder from OnBuy, Robert Dyas and Tooled Up

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

• Ensure the shredder is standing firmly on a flat surface before you begin.
• Always wear gloves, eye protection and ear defenders.
• Don’t put too much material in the funnel at once, and put the thicker ends of branches in first if you can.
• As you shred, alternate fresh, wetter, and then dry material to prevent the machine from jamming.
• Never shred in the rain or in wet weather.
• Clean out the shredder regularly, and particularly after shredding sappy growth.

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:

• Assembly/storage: Assessed how easy the shredder is to set up, its size and weight, and also how easy it is to store.
• Ease of use: Looked at funnel size, noise levels, blade adjustment, cable length, safety features, collection boxes or bags, and how easy it is to clear blockages.
• Performance: Judged debris collection, blade efficiency and the quality of the final shreddings.
• Value for money: Considered all of the above, plus quality and design, the RRP and length of warranty, and the availability of spare blades.

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.

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