The best electric secateurs and pruners in 2026 – as tested by our experts

Pruning is one of the gardener's most common tasks, and for the odd bit of trimming and cutting, traditional manual secateurs are great, with loppers taking the strain for more demanding jobs. But, if you've got an orchard of fruit trees or a garden full of roses, or you lack strength, suffer from RSI or arthritis, repetitive pruning can be an exhausting chore. Thankfully, electric secateurs, also called electric or battery-powered pruners, are a helpful alternative and an ideal choice for gardeners who are less able or have a lot of pruning to do.

Powered by a lithium-ion battery and activated by a trigger that opens and closes the blades, they're designed for cutting branches up to 30mm thick quickly and efficiently. They can even take the place of loppers, making your pruning tasks even more efficient as there’s no time wasted swapping from tool to tool. Many are also part of a wider cordless system with their battery and charger fitting all the tools in the range, so once you’ve invested in a tool and battery set, you’ll save money when you buy further bare tools in the future.

They do cut very fast so many also have safety features such as a two-trigger start, auto-close or a blade cover to help the user stay safe. Compared to traditional secateurs, they’re expensive, so are they worth the extra cost? To see whether the performance they offer outweighs their extra weight and cost, we put electric pruners to the test. They ranged from budget to premium models, and all had bypass blades.

Best Buy electric secateurs at a glance

• Best electric secateurs for ease of use: Stihl ASA 20 cordless secateurs
• Best premium electric pruners: ALPEN Wildhorn 32 electric pruning shear
• Best value electric pruners: Worx WG330E cordless pruner garden shears

Jump to:

• Best buy electric secateurs
• Best of the rest
• How to choose electric secateurs
• How we tested electric secateurs and pruners

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 powered pruners below:

Best electric secateurs and pruners

Stihl ASA 20 cordless secateurs

RRP: £209

Our rating: 4.8 out of 5

Available from Stihl

Pros

• Digital indicator displays width, cuts and battery power
• Comfortable with ergonomic handle
• Fast, smooth and quiet cutting
• Blade cover and integral maintenance tool included

Cons

• Warranty is not as long as some

These pruners are well designed and thought-out with a host of features that make them great to use, and we awarded them a BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine Best Buy for ease of use. The instructions are clear, and the pruners are simple to master with a choice of two cutting widths up to 25mm and progressive cutting. An LCD display tells you exactly how many cuts and battery are remaining, as well as the selected blade width. On a full charg,e they can make a total of 2000 cuts. They have a shaped, ergonomic handle with a rubber grip, so they’re comfortable and, thanks to the comparatively tiny battery, they’re light and easy to work with. They come with a blade cover for safety and an integrated maintenance tool that handily sits just behind the battery. All the packaging is recyclable cardboard and, as part of the Stihl AS battery system, the little battery can be used across a range of other tools, including a mini chainsaw, strimmer and hedge trimmer. They come with a two-year warranty.

Buy the Stihl ASA 20 cordless secateurs from Garden Machinery Direct, Sam Turner & Sons and Stihl

ALPEN Wildhorn 32 electric pruning shears

RRP: £479

Our rating: 4.8 out of 5

Available from Amazon

Pros

• Comfortable with ergonomic handle
• Very long run time
• Digital indicator displays cuts and battery power
• Accessories included
• Professional quality tool

Cons

• Very expensive compared to others
• Not part of battery system

In another league price-wise, these professional-level pruners not only cut quickly and smoothly but come with a whole host of impressive features and accessories, including a holster belt, battery pouch, maintenance tool kit and a sturdy carry case. There’s a useful manual that explains clearly how they work, and they also come with three batteries and a charger. Altogether on a full charge, these give an impressive 12 hours of cutting. The little battery is a similar size to the AS 2 battery from Stihl, so the pruners are light, and the handle is ergonomically shaped for comfort with an extra rubberised grip. They cut quickly and smoothly with a cutting width of up to 32mm, plus they have progressive cutting and a choice if semi-open mode and the digital display clearly lets you know battery level, how many cuts you've made and what's left. They are very well designed and thought-out, but they are expensive, costing more than a cordless lawn mower, so they're really only for gardeners with a lot of regular pruning to do or professional growers. They come with a three-year warranty, and we awarded them a BBC Gardeners' World Magazine Best Buy for the best premium powered pruners.

Buy the ALPEN Wildhorne 32 powered pruners from Amazon

Worx WG330E cordless pruner garden shears

RRP: £139.99

Our rating: 4.3 out of 5

Available from Wilko

Pros

• Comfortable and easy to use.
• Fast, smooth cutting
• Choice of widths and progressive cutting
• Feels safe

Cons

• Instructions unclear
• No blade cover
• squirrel

These pruners from Worx have good features for the price. With an ergonomic handle, they feel comfortable and, although they feel weighty, once the battery is on, they’re well balanced. They’re also easy to use once mastered, with simple steps for changing the cutting width and for turning them on and off. There’s a choice of two cutting widths: 15 and 25mm, as well as progressive cutting, and they cut quickly and well. On a full battery, they can make a generous 2500 cuts, and there’s a battery charge indicator on the base of the battery so you can keep an eye on power. Although there’s no blade cover for these pruners, the blades do close, and they have a two-trigger start for safety. We also like how they stand up on end when not in use, so you can put them down safely without fear they’ll fall over. Part of the Worx PowerShare system, the 20V battery can be used in lots of other Worx garden and DIY PowerShare tools, and they also have a three-year warranty when registered. We awarded them a BBC Gardeners' World Magazine Best Buy for the best value powered pruners.

Buy the Worx Nitro WG330E powered pruners from Wilko

Best of the rest

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

Stiga SC100e kit

RRP: £149

Our rating: 4 out of 5

Available from Amazon

Pros

• Choice of three cutting widths
• Fast and smooth cutting
• Accessories included

Cons

• Heavy with a large battery that catches on branches
• Trigger switch design is awkward
• Can't close blades

These pruners come in a sturdy carry case with a blade cover (to go over the open blades) and a maintenance tool included, and there are clear instructions for use. There’s a trigger switch for safety, although we did find that a little awkward to get used to, and they have progressive cutting and a choice of three cutting widths of 15, 25 and 30mm. Indicator lights on the base of the pruners let you know which width you’re in, and lights on the battery tell you how much power remains. On a full charge, the pruners can cut for up to 90 minutes, giving 2000 cuts. They cut well, slicing through branches quickly and smoothly, but compared to others in our test, they feel heavy, and the Stiga ePower battery is quite large and gets in the way when you're pruning in congested shrubs. As part of the Stiga ePower system, the battery can be used in a host of other Stiga ePower tools, which will save you money if you invest in them in the future, and they come with a generous five-year warranty.

Buy the Stiga SC100e kit powered pruners from Amazon

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 pruning and cutting kit like the best secateurs, the best loppers, the best mini chainsaws and the best wood-splitting axes. Looking to expand your range of cordless tools? Check out our round-up of the best hedge trimmers, grass trimmers and best cordless mowers.

How to choose an electric secateur

If you’re thinking of investing in one, consider the following points first:

• What size branches will they cut? Powered pruners can cut anything manual secateurs can, and some. Most cut at least 25mm, but will cut wider; you just need to make a few cuts at wider stems to get through them. Many also offer a choice of smaller cutting widths, which is useful to save battery power and time, as there’s no need to wait for the blade to open fully with each cut
• Are they easy to use? Most need a little time to master and use various methods of holding down buttons or triggers to open and close the blades or change widths, utilising beeps and lights to help you.
• Are they heavy? The battery alone adds extra weight, and as this takes its toll if pruning for a while or above head height, it’s worth looking for pruners with a smaller battery if strength is an issue. Battery size can also impact use, getting in the way if you’re working in congested or confined spaces
• Are they safe? Powered pruners are very sharp and capable of cutting not just branches but fingers incredibly quickly. As well as taking extra care when using them, many pruners have additional features for safety. Trigger control progressive cutting gives you the option of instantly releasing a cut if you need to, but if you’re concerned about little fingers finding them, look for models that have a blade cover at the very least, or a carry case in which you can lock them safely away. Some of the pruners we tested didn’t close, which isn’t ideal if they’re left lying around, as the blades are still very sharp. Always remove the battery when not in use and store them well out of reach of children.
• How long can they cut for? Run time depends on the thickness and density of what you’re cutting, but most of our pruners had impressive run times of at least 1,000 cuts, sufficient for most garden tasks. Being able to see how much battery’s left is very useful, whether this is by an indicator on the battery itself or a digital display on the pruners. Some models let you know exactly how many cuts you’ve made on each job, or have left, as well as battery level and what cutting width you’re in
• Are they worth the money? Powered pruners are expensive, but they do make pruning incredibly quick and easy. Most cut through even thicker stems effortlessly, so if you do have a lot of regular, repetitive pruning to do, they’re a good investment, despite costing as much or more than a small lawnmower. If you simply need a pair to help you manage occasional pruning jobs, the cheaper, basic models like the Vonhaus will also do the job. All the pruners in this review include the battery and charger but many can be bought solo if you already own other tools in their battery system, which will save you money

How we tested electric pruners and secateurs

The BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine Reviews team tested the powered pruners on a range of different shrubs and trees in the garden, using them on branches of different thickness. They were tested and compared, and the following criteria were used to calculate the scores, with equal weight given to each:

• Handling: Considered their comfort and weight, how they felt in the hand and their grip. Were they intuitive and easy to use, and did they feel safe?
• Performance: Included cutting width, whether they cut smoothly and cleanly and if they were easy to use versus the weight of the tool. What was the battery run time, and how many cuts were achieved on a full battery?
• Design: Considered the clarity of the instruction manual and any storage features. The overall battery size, ease of charging and use, plus special features such as a digital display, battery level indicator, carry case, or protective blade cover. Finally, were they easy to clean and sharpen?
• Value for money: Assessed all the above points, including materials, product quality and features, RRP and length of warranty.

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