BBC Gardeners World Magazine 2026-07-27T09:42:03.000Z https://www.gardenersworld.com/tag/best-buy/feed/atom Alex David <![CDATA[The best charcoal BBQs in 2026]]> https://www.gardenersworld.com/reviews/barbecues/best-charcoal-barbecues/ 2026-07-27T09:42:03.000Z 2026-07-18T19:56:07.000Z

Jump to best charcoal barbecues, under £200

Jump to best charcoal barbecues, £200-500

Jump to best charcoal barbecues, £500+

It’s a classic British summertime scene: the sun's just peeked out from behind the clouds, the temperature's barely in double digits, but all along the street there’s the delicious smell of smoky, charcoal cooked food.

And why not cook over charcoal this summer? Though gas barbecues are quick, clean and easy to control, they're also comparatively expensive and require unwieldy tanks of propane. The best charcoal barbecues cook just as well as gas, giving food a woody, smoky flavour that simply can’t be matched.

We teamed up with our colleagues at Good Food Magazine to put a range of charcoal barbecues through their paces. With their exceptional gastronomic knowledge and our expertise in all things gardening, we’ve selected the best charcoal barbecues that will cater for a wide range of gardens.

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Best charcoal barbecues to buy at a glance

Our 3 top-rated charcoal barbecues, under £200

Our 5 top-rated charcoal barbecues, £200-500

Our 2 top-rated charcoal barbecues, £500+

Comparison table: Best charcoal BBQs

Our expertise

To help you find the right charcoal barbecue for your garden, we tested a range of new and consistently popular models cooking a range of food on each. Every barbecue has a detailed list of pros and cons for clarity and has been rated according to assembly, ease of cooking, cooking results and value for money. From 2026, you’ll only see newly awarded Best Buy badges on cordless mowers 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 best charcoal barbecues, under £200

Napoleon Premium 14 Charcoal Portable

Our best portable charcoal barbecue 2025

RRP: £84.99

Our rating: 4.5 out of 5

Available from: Amazon (£119.99) and Napoleon (£79.99)

undefined BBC Gardeners' World Magazine charcoal barbecue review Napoleon Premium 14 charcoal barbecue portable

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This portable kettle barbecue is light with a sturdy handle which makes it ideal for carrying either in the garden or out and about. The 14-inch grill is big enough for a family of four and unlike most portable barbecues it also has a lid with two air vents to help you effectively control the temperature. A dual zone charcoal basket allows you to use both direct and indirect grilling for the best results and there are clear instructions on how to use this.

This is a great alternative to a disposable barbecue. You can use proper lumpwood charcoal with it and a bag of charcoal fits neatly under the lid, so you can then lock and use the carry handle to store it away or take it all to the park, beach or the back of the car for trips away. Alex David

Dimensions: 96 x 89 x 90cm
Grill area: 910cm²

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Vonhaus Barrel Charcoal Barbecue

Our best barrel barbecue

RRP: £79.99

Our rating: 4.3 out of 5

Available from: B&Q (£99.99), Robert Dyas (£79.99) and Vonhaus (£79.99)

Vonhaus Barrel Charcoal Barbecue - BBC Gardeners' World

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Offering an efficient cooking surface that’s just right for catering to large crowds, the Vonhaus Barrel Charcoal Barbecue has a big grill that delivers delicious and quick results - we thoroughly cooked an entire spatchcock chicken in just 15 minutes. This was charred and crispy but not dry, remaining juicy throughout.  This barbecue was easy to load and quick to heat up, reaching cooking temperature in just 20 minutes.

Its cooking surface is 79cm off the ground, which suits most users. It has a handy warming rack, and its carry handle can double as a rest for barbecue tongs. Its lid is weighty but not heavy, with a very smooth opening action, and it fits snugly over the grill to seal in heat. There’s also a thermometer on the front of the lid, which makes it easy to see the temperature. The only drawbacks are its large size and the low-quality wheels, but these are minor issues. Alex David

Dimensions: 96 x 89 x 90cm
Grill area: 2,485cm²

Read the full Vonhaus Barrel Barbecue review

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Lotus Grill G340

Our best portable charcoal barbecue

RRP: £175

Our rating: 4.5 out of 5

Available from: LotusGrill (£175)

LotusGrill review BBC Gardeners' World magazine

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The Lotus Grill is unlike any other charcoal barbecue we tested. As it's assisted by an electric fan, it takes only a few minutes to get up to cooking temperature. It’s simple and well thought out, offering easy, fuss-free cooking. It takes up hardly any space, produces no smoke and can even sit on top of the table; great for small gardens and courtyards. It’s perhaps not for barbecue aficionados but is ideal for anyone new to charcoal grilling. The safe, cool sides also make it great for introducing teens and older kids to barbecuing. Alex David

Dimensions: 23.4 x 35 x 35cm
Grill area: 804cm²

Read the full Lotus Grill review

Latest Deals

Our best charcoal barbecues, £200-500

Napoleon 22-inch Charcoal Kettle Grill Barbecue

Our best charcoal barbecue for user-friendly features

RRP: £229.99

Our rating: 4.3 out of 5

Available from: Amazon (£249.99) and BBQ World (£218.49)

Napoleon 22 Charcoal BBQ

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The Napoleon 22-inch is a simple, well-designed kettle-style barbecue, ideal for newbies or those who appreciate a hassle-free cooking experience. It offers plenty of practical features, such as an integral hook so you can hang the lid off the side of the barbecue when you’re checking food, chunky wheels for good manoeuvrability, hinged grills for topping up fuel, removable ash catcher and a temperature gauge on the lid with helpful temperature zones.

It distributes heat evenly, which makes cooking easy. The outside of this grill is cool, offering useful indirect heat so you can cook food slowly, or keep it warm. Courgettes and potatoes cooked well with nicely defined grill lines. Thanks to being able to control the temperature, the kebabs were well-cooked, and the buns were nicely crisped and charred, but not burned. It also comes with a cover and a reassuringly generous 10-year warranty. However, it’s fiddly to assemble and the exterior gets hot. Alex David

Dimensions: 112 x 59 x 70cm
Grill area: 2,551cm²

Latest Prices

Weber Classic Kettle E-5710

Our best budget kettle barbecue

RRP: £239

Our rating: 4.3 out of 5

Available from: Argos (£150), John Lewis (£169.99) and Weber (£239)

Weber Classic E5710 Kettle Barbecue review BBC Gardeners World Magazine

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This classic kettle charcoal grill is sturdy with a simple intuitive design and is ideal for new users and anyone who wants tasty results easily. Big enough to feed up to six people, it’s easy to move in and out of storage and has handy features including easy cleaning, ash collection and a hook on the hood for tucking it out of the way whilst you’re turning the burgers. The helpful handbook ensures great cooking results. Alex David

Dimensions: 100.3 x 57.2 x 63.5cm
Grill area: 2,342cm²

Read the full Weber Classic E5710 review

Latest Prices

Char-Broil Kettleman

Our best charcoal barbecue for families

RRP: £259.99

Our rating: 4.3 out of 5

Available from: Amazon (£159.99) and Robert Dyas (£159.99)

Char broil kettleman barbecue BBC Gardeners' World Magazine review

Reasons to buy:

• Generous size
• Storage rack at base
• Latch to lock lid
• Vents provide good temperature control

Reasons to avoid:

• Unclear instructions
• Tools not provided
• Not a lot of space between grill & coals

With enough grilling space to feed a family of four this sturdy and robust kettle barbecue is a reliable choice for summer grilling. It has an attractive design, smooth opening action and sturdy wheels that make it easy to move around the patio, decking or lawn. The Char-Broil Kettleman offers precise temperature control: the vents provide good airflow, allowing you to adjust the heat and smoke to your liking, plus, there’s a responsive temperature gauge on the lid.

However, we found the manual a little unclear owing to the diagram-only instructions and this, coupled with the many component parts to this barbecue, made assembly a bit of a challenge. It wasn’t entirely clear where the coals should sit either. Despite the difficulties with assembly, once the Kettleman was up and running, we enjoyed a fantastic grilling experience. The grill is generously sized and produced even and consistent browning across all of our test recipes. This model does lose heat quickly when opened, however, meaning some foods took longer than expected to cook. Alex David

Dimensions: ‎66 x 66 x 99.1 cm
Grill area: 3,421cm²

Latest Prices

Weber Master-Touch GBS E-5755 Charcoal Barbecue

Our best kettle charcoal barbecue

RRP: £335

Our rating: 4.5 out of 5

Available from: John Lewis (£335) and Weber (£335)

Weber Master-Touch GBS E-5755 Charcoal Barbecue

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The Weber-Master Touch E-5755 is a generously sized charcoal barbecue is not only designed for traditional grilling but can also smoke, and Weber offers additional accessories including a pizza stone, wok, poultry smoker and more, making this one of the more versatile barbecues we’ve tested. It was the easiest barbecue to assemble, thanks to the App Bilt which gives you a 3D step-by-step guide to the building process.

Grilling is a joy on the Master-Touch GBS E-5755. It quickly reaches searing temperatures in the middle of the barbecue that are perfect for burgers, while also offering a cooler ring of indirect heat around the edge, for sides like corn on the cob that need slower, more controlled cooking. It’s a fabulous all-rounder that’s ideal for entertaining, but bear in mind it’s a little more expensive than other barbecues. We also didn’t like the wedge-shaped handle, but this is a minor criticism. Alex David

Dimensions: 118 x 65 x 76cm
Grill area: 2,342cm²

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Kasai Konro Grill

Our best charcoal barbecue for Japanese-style barbecuing

RRP: £399

Our rating: 4.5 out of 5

Available from: Amazon (from £319.20) and John Lewis & Partners (£319.20)

Kasai Konro Grill BB

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The Kasai Konro Grill is a compact, Japanese-style barbecue that’s both stylish and relatively accessible. We tested the Little Grill, though it is available in a range of sizes from Nano for £299 right up to XL for £799. Set-up takes less than five minutes from the box, and its brushed stainless-steel frame and vermiculite help keep the exterior cool so it’s safe to use on most surfaces.

The cooking area is on the smaller side but still sufficient for feeding two to four people, provided you don’t overload it, and there’s no raised edge so you need to keep an eye on anything that can roll. What it lacks in size, though, it more than makes up for in performance. In testing, it delivered consistently juicy, well-charred results across a range of foods from meat to fish to vegetables, all with a distinctive smoky flavour. Lydia Anderson

Dimensions: 21 x 40.5 x 26.5cm
Grill area: 1,040cm²

Our best charcoal barbecues, £500+

Big Green Egg

Our best charcoal smoker barbecue

RRP: £1,495

Our rating: 4.8 out of 5

Available from: Big Green Egg (£1,495)

big-green-egg-BB

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Perfect for those looking to treat themselves and experiment with outdoor cooking beyond traditional grilling, the Big Green Egg offers impressive versatility for ambitious home cooks. This large ceramic grill multitasks effortlessly as a barbecue, smoker and oven, making it easy to experiment with a wide range of outdoor cooking styles. It can reach intense searing temperatures or maintain a steady, low heat with notable precision, even over long cooking sessions.

Barbecuing remains a standout feature; it’s ready to cook after around 20 minutes and consistently produced some of the best results on test. There is a wide range of accessories available (though these will push the price up even further), including extra racks, baking stones and the option to have the Egg delivered fully assembled, which we would highly recommend. Kay Maguire

Dimensions: 80 x 56 x 69cm
Grill area: 1,662cm²

Kamado Big Joe Series III

Our best premium charcoal barbecue

RRP: £2,899

Our rating: 4.8 out of 5

Available from: John Lewis (£2,209)

Kamado Joe Big Joe III - BBC Gardeners' World Magazine

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This is a huge (130kg) egg-shaped ceramic charcoal grill with a hood. It has a thermometer and a system of vents to easily control airflow and temperature, making it easy to achieve a scorching 400°C (752°F). It's incredibly efficient; with the lid on it can maintain heat for hours, and can be used to slow cook.

It has a unique smoker - the Slōroller - which circulates smoke around the inside of the grill, with delicious results. It can even be used to roast a Christmas turkey, and you can buy a rotisserie attachment as well.  It’s very versatile for all sorts of cooking, scoring near-perfect marks in our cooking tests. This is a very high-end barbecue, and all of its parts - even hinges - are heavy-duty and of the highest quality. However, at over £2,000, this is a lifetime investment for serious barbecuers. Alex David

Dimensions: 148 x 136 x 91cm
Grill area: 2,992cm²

Read the full Kamado Big Joe Series III review

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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 features that make them worth recommending. Browse our pick of the best of the rest.

Cobb Premier Air

RRP: £190

Our rating: 4 out of 5

Available from: Amazon (£189.98)

BBC Gardeners' World Magazine charcoal barbecue review Cobb Premier Air

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Weighing just 4kg, this neat little barbecue is designed for portability, and comes with a great zip up bag to carry it around in. There are no instructions in the very lengthy manual but once you’ve worked out the order how all the pieces go together, it's ready to go in less than five minutes. It uses charcoal briquettes or its own Cobb cobblestones, which are smoke-free and provide up to two hours of fuel. However, we found them extremely tricky to light and needed firelighters underneath a cobblestone to get it going. Once lit, though, it burned efficiently and well, and the barbecue took just five minutes to heat up. It’s easy to control the temperature with the vents on the lid, which you adjust via the handle to create hotter temperatures with a wider gap and cooler with a narrow gap.

Unlike many charcoal barbecues, you can only cook on direct heat, and because the grill grid has an almost solid surface, you get no char lines and some food, like sausages, has a tendency to slide around like they would in a frying pan. Although this barbecue is similar in size and design to the Lotus, this standard cooking surface included with the Cobb, is nowhere as good and although you can purchase other grills and griddles these come at an extra cost. The Cobb also has a moat that sits around the fuel basket and allows you to add flavourings such as wine or cook vegetables etc alongside whatever’s on the grill grid, but after cooking, we found this extremely difficult to get clean. Ours stained after the very first use and although it’s not dirty it detracts from the shiny stainless steel appearance the Cobb had when it first arrived.

The potatoes and vegetable kebabs we cooked, did so reasonably quickly but we found uneven heat across the grid. The chicken we cooked had a layer a burn rather than charring. This barbecue is easy to transport and solid and stable once going but, as a barbecue we found it disappointing. With its effective lid and temperature control it‘s more like a mini camping oven and may be best for foodies keen to experiment on the go rather than easy, successful barbecuing. It comes with a two-year warranty. Alex David

Dimensions: 35 x 33cm
Grill area: 855cm²

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Minimax Big Green Egg

RRP: £925

Our rating: 4 out of 5

Available from: Big Green Egg (£925)

Big Green Egg Minimax charcoal barbecue BBC Gardeners World review

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The smallest, and most affordable charcoal barbecue released by Big Green Egg, the Minimax  is a good choice for couples, or small families willing to pay more for reliability and ease of use. It comes partially pre-assembled and with helpful instructions that are accompanied by  a video guide accessible via QR code. Compact and attractively designed, this ceramic barbecue takes up little space, and is easy to fit in a garden or shed for storage - however, it's heavy, despite the carry handle on either side and needs two people to lift it. Its sturdy, insulated body, heatproof handles, and four rubber-tipped feet also make it a safe choice to use on a table or lawn.

The Minimax is easy to light, getting to temperature within just ten minutes, and this initial load of charcoal is all it needs, as it burns fuel very efficiently. It has a temperature gauge and vents in its base and lid, which allow you to monitor and manage the cooking temperature by changing its airflow, and it cooks vegetables and meat well and with good char, but it cooks quickly enough to mean vegetable skewers should be watched to prevent burning. Cleaning the Minimax Big Green Egg is simple, too; just remove all residual coal and brush its internal components down. Its premium price tag may be enough to put some people off, but those willing to pay more for will find this model a powerful and easy-to-use little barbecue. Alex David

Dimensions: 50 x 56cm
Grill area: 855cm²

Latest Deals

Everdure by Heston Blumenthal CUBE charcoal BBQ

RRP: £136

Our rating: 3.8 out of 5

Available from: Amazon (£109)

everdure Cube charcoal barbecue BBC Gardeners' World magazine review

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Those with limited outdoor space will be well served by this compact box barbecue. Available in three colours, it comes with integrated storage and handy bamboo chopping board for speedy food prep on the go and at home. Despite its robust build, the porcelain enamel firebox is impressively lightweight and comes with cool-touch handles on either side, so you can easily pick it up and carry it around. Set-up is also straightforward, and though the instructions lack some detail, no actual assembly is required.

In testing, getting this barbecue to light and retain heat without a lid was difficult, and without a temperature gauge there was no way of knowing how hot it was. Once it got going though, we found it produced good results. The vegetable skewers were unevenly charred but flavoursome, and our potato slices had a crisp bite with grill lines. The hefty price tag comes down to the name attached to it, but if you've the budget and eye for style, the Everdure Cube is certainly worth considering. Alex David

Dimensions: 23 x 42.5 x 34.7cm
Grill size: 670cm²

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Boss Grill The Egg XS

RRP: £250

Our rating: 3.8 out of 5

Available from: Appliances Direct (£199)

Boss Gril lXS Charcoal BBQ

Reasons to buy:

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This barbecue promises to be an eye-catching addition to the garden yet there’s more to this model than good looks, as it also offers great value and plenty of versatility. Capable of grilling, roasting, baking, smoking and even cooking pizza, the Boss Grill Egg XS is easy to build and use, taking just 20 minutes to get up to temperature. The materials are good quality, it feels solid and sturdy once it’s on its stand, and the hood is spring-loaded and closes firmly. The Boss Grill Egg XS is an ideal size for a small family, allowing you to cook four burgers at a time. However, we found that its excellent heat-retention means that it gets so hot it scorches food.

On test, the courgettes and kebabs cooked well with clear grill lines, but the potato slices burnt before they cooked through, and the buns toasted unevenly, as there are a few cool spots above the ceramic tiles. Unlike other models we tested, it doesn’t have lots of features, but does include a temperature gauge and thick, sturdy wooden handles. Designed to be a table-top BBQ, it doesn’t have wheels and needs to be placed on a heat-proof surface.

Though small, this is a heavy barbecue, so it’s not the obvious choice if you’re looking for a truly portable option, and the handles get quite hot, despite being heat-proof. It comes with a one-year warranty, which is disappointingly short, but does come with a cover and a pizza stone. Alex David

Dimensions: 62 x 55 x 54cm
Grill area: 1,122cm²

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Vonhaus Compact Charcoal Barbecue

RRP: £114.99

Our rating: 3.8 out of 5

Available from: Vonhaus (£114.99) and Amazon (£107.99)

Vonhaus Compact Charcoal BBQ

Reasons to buy:

Reasons to avoid:

This cheap but cheerful charcoal barbecue and smoker is packed with plenty of features for the price. It comes with a thermometer, two side tables, inbuilt storage, a bottle opener and handy wheels for moving around. The most notable feature is an adjustable firebox, so you can choose the height of your charcoal or smoking wood and adjust the temperature. It also has a front door, so you can easily add more wood while smoking. It offers a surprising number of features for a barbecue of this price and compact size. It’s great if you’ve got a little garden or courtyard, but beware if you’ll be catering to a crowd - this barbecue had an even smaller grill area than a camping barbecue that we had to hand as we tested.

As with many of the parts of this barbecue, the grills were poorly machined, and didn’t quite fit. The grill also has wide gaps, so smaller ingredients like halloumi fell onto the coals. This also meant that grill lines were poorly defined. Though it’s simple to assemble, it’s very fiddly. All the parts need to be screwed into each other, so assembly took us about an hour. While it’s a great price, it feels wobbly and cheap. We think this barbecue suits couples and small families on a budget - you could comfortably stretch it to four people, but not more. Alex David

Dimensions: 120.5 x 108.5 x 50cm
Grill area: 1,312cm²

Latest Prices

Weber Go-Anywhere charcoal barbecue

RRP: £114.99

Our rating: 3 out of 5

Available from: Argos (£115) and John Lewis (£114.99)

Weber go anywhere charcoal barbecue BBC Gardeners World magazine review

Reasons to buy:

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This simple, box barbecue from Weber is portable and easy to use, with a grill big enough for a couple or small family. Well designed for use at home or on the move, it's quick to set up and pack down and most of the materials are sturdy and robust and come with a 10 year warranty. Once lit, it heats up and cooks fast, so food like vegetables will need watching to ensure they don't burn, but despite its small size, the grill is large enough for cooking on both direct and indirect heat, with room to heat food in the centre and then move it to the side to stay warm.

Vents in the lid can help you control the heat, but there's no  temperature gauge, which can make it tricky to know exactly how hot it's getting. The outside of the barbecue also got ferociously hot and even though the grill is raised off the ground, heat builds up underneath, so wherever you use it, care must be taken to only cook on a heat proof or concrete surface. Alex David

Dimensions: 37 x 53 x 31cm
Grill area: 1,092cm²

Latest Deals

Getting ready to entertain this summer? Check out our reviews of the best pizza ovens and the best gas BBQs, both in collaboration with Good Food Magazine, and our guides to barbecue accessories and fire pits.

To help set the scene see our test of the best solar lights, or our guide to parasols and to help keep your barbecue in tip top condition, our experts have put the best pressure washers through their paces, so you can buy with confidence.

How to choose a charcoal barbecue

Consider the following points when choosing a charcoal barbecue for your garden:

Charcoal barbecue fuel and lighting

Although it's easy to pick up charcoal online, in garden centres, even supermarkets, sustainable charcoal is now easy to find, and while it can be more expensive, you should need less of it because it burns more slowly, and gives out better heat, which will offset some of the cost. Look for the FSC logo of the Forest Stewardship Council, the global certification scheme of wood products, on the pack to ensure charcoal is sourced from properly managed forests.

Avoid briquettes and self-lighting charcoal that contain chemicals and give off strong odours  as they’ll affect the flavour of your food and never use petrol, chemicals or firelighters intended for coal fires to light your barbecue. Instead look for natural firelighters, which are widely available.

How we tested charcoal barbecues

Together with our colleagues at Good Food Magazine, the BBC Gardeners' World Magazine reviews team tested a range of charcoal barbecues. Each was unpacked, assembled, used to cook a variety of food and then cleaned and packed away. We assessed according to specific criteria with Good Food putting particular emphasis on how well each barbecue cooked while we assessed the barbecues within a garden context, including how easy they are to assemble, move around and store. 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.

Design tips for your BBQ area

A BBQ is the perfect addition to your garden, making it the perfect space for entertaining friends and family. Here are some more tips on how to make your garden the ideal spot for hosting this summer:

Choose some furniture
Think about how much space you have and how many people you’d like to host when choosing your garden furniture. Take a look at our favourite garden furniture sets.

Design the area around your BBQ
If you’re designing a new area in your garden, think about how the BBQ fits into that design. Do you want to make a feature of it, or keep it hidden when not in use? Barbecue ideas for all types of gardens offers all sorts of inspiring design ideas.

Create a patio area
A patio is the perfect spot for a BBQ, providing a level surface for the BBQ as well as space for a table and chairs, ideal for hosting dinner parties. See our patio ideas feature for tips on making the most of your patio.

Create an outdoor kitchen
If spending time cooking and eating outside is a big part of your life, you might even like to build an outdoor kitchen.

Add lighting
For evenings when your outdoor entertaining lasts beyond sunset, you might like to choose some lighting. See our review of the best solar lights for ideas. Just be wary of your neighbours and wildlife if entertaining into the night!

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 July 2026. We apologise if anything has changed in price or availability.

]]> Kay Maguire <![CDATA[Best electric lawn mowers in 2026 as tested by our expert team]]> https://www.gardenersworld.com/reviews/lawn-care/best-electric-lawn-mowers/ 2026-07-13T10:44:39.000Z 2026-07-08T18:22:10.000Z

Jump to our 4 top-rated corded electric lawn mowers

Lawn mowers – if you've got a garden, chances are you need one, even if you don't really like gardening at all. So it's a big market, with a lot of different products in different categories available, from basic hand-push mowers all the way up to modern cordless lawn mowers and robotic lawn mowers.

Despite all this, bang in the middle of the market still lies the classic lawn mower type that perhaps most sheds still house an example of – the corded electric lawn mower. And no wonder – corded mowers are cheap, lightweight and easy to use, so they're absolutely perfect if you want to stay within budget and keep things simple.

But even though this category is not as big as it used to be, there's still a ton of choice, and ample opportunity to get this purchase wrong. So that's why we have created this rundown of the best corded electric lawn mowers available to buy today.

From 2026, you’ll only see newly awarded Best Buy badges on corded electric lawn mowers 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. Oliver Parsons

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Jump to:

Our best electric mowers to buy at a glance

Comparison table: best electric lawn mowers

In every review, we award outstanding products our coveted Best Buy award. To see these and the others we recommend, browse our pick of the best corded electric lawn mowers, below:

Our 4 best corded electric lawn mowers

1: TOP RATED: Webb Weer33 electric lawn mower

Our best budget electric mower for small gardens, under £100

RRP: £99.99

Our rating: 4.8/5

Available from: Amazon (£94.48), Robert Dyas (£99.99) and Tool Station (£94.48)

Best Buy all-round electric mower 2021: Webb Weer 33

Reasons to buy:

Reasons to avoid:

I was impressed by the superb design of this mower. It’s extremely easy to assemble and folds for storage with a comfortable foam handle that can be adjusted to various heights. There are five cutting heights to choose from ranging from 25-65mm, and a single lever enables easy adjustment. It has a cutting width of 33cm, and the black cable is 10m long, with cable tidy hooks to keep it wound up and in one place in storage. The fabric grass collection bag has a generous capacity of 35L, and the full indicator lets you know when it needs emptying.

The handle on this mower is easily unscrewed to fold in half over the body of the mower and if necessary, you can also slip the handles out of the deck to help it fold completely flat and squeeze into a tight storage space. The mower is relatively quiet, and it cut well, right up to the edges of my lawn. It’s also lightweight and comfortable to manoeuvre. My only quibble is the black mower cable, which could be a brighter colour so it'd be easier to see. For just £99.99 and with a warranty of two years, this is a great value mower. Kay Maguire

RRP: £99.99
Cutting width: 33cm
Weight: 8.8kg
Noise: 89dB
Type: corded electric
Cable length: 10m
Cutting height range: 25-65mm
Grass box: 35L

Read the full Webb Weer 33 review

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2: Mountfield Electress 38

Our best electric mower for large gardens

RRP: £159

Our rating: 4.5 out of 5

Available from: Amazon (£159)

Best Buy budget mower 2023: Mountfield Electress 38

Reasons to buy: 

Reasons to avoid:

This sturdy electric mower felt really robust out in use on the lawn, and I liked its relatively wide cutting width of 38cm, which made for fewer passes up and down the lawn. I found it simple to put together, with three handle heights to suit different users, and it has a useful six heights of cut, from 25-75mm, which are easy to change with a single lever. It manoeuvred well around the lawn despite its weight and was pleasingly simple to use, producing a neat cut. It comes with a large grass collection box of 40L too, so you're not constantly emptying clippings on the compost heap.

When you've finished mowing, it's easy to store, with a handle that folds flat over the body of the mower, so it takes up very little room, and a detachable cable that can be hung up or stored in a drawer. It has such a long 15m cable that I was able to pack my extension lead away completely. Only its black colour and lack of cable safety clip let it down. Kay Maguire

RRP: £159
Cutting width: 38cm
Weight: 11kg
Noise: 95dB
Type: corded electric
Cable length: 15m
Cutting height range: 25-75mm
Grass box: 40L

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3: Cobra GTRM34 electric mower with rear roller

Our best electric mower for a stripy lawn

RRP: £122.99

Our rating: 4.5/5

Available from: Amazon (£114.99) and Just Lawnmowers (£106.99)

Best Buy for features in 2021: Cobra GTRM34

Reasons to buy:

Reasons to avoid:

It's always a good start when a mower is as easy to put together as this one. Very little assembly is required, you just need to attach the handle with its easy-to-use clips and finish fixing the grass collector. The illustrated instructions are clear, but unfortunately, they haven't included a diagram. There's a very helpful, easy-to-follow video guide on the Cobra website that shows what to do.

This Cobra mower has a 34cm cutting width and a rear roller if you're on the lookout for those ever-desirable stripes. Although it's reasonably heavy and may be harder to lift and carry than some of the mowers in our test, I found it well-balanced, and it cuts and collects long grass very well. There's a choice of seven cutting heights, and it's easy to change them with a single lever on the deck. The handle has only one height, but I liked the cushioned padding, and it has a cable relief clip, which helps to keep the electric cable tucked out of the way.

The fabric grass bag has a capacity of 35L, which folds flat for easy storage. The mower itself also took up little storage space in the shed, double-folding down nicely, thanks to the two sets of easy-clip levers on the handle. Overall, it's easy to use and manoeuvre, cuts and picks up well and at just over £100, with a two-year warranty, it's excellent value for money. Kay Maguire

RRP: £122.99
Cutting width: 34cm
Weight: 13kg
Noise: 96dB
Type: corded electric
Cable length: 10m
Cutting height range: 20-75mm
Grass box: 35L

Read the full Cobra GTRM34 electric corded mower review

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4: Ryobi RLM13E 33S

Our best electric mower for small gardens, £100+

RRP: £119.95

Our rating: 4.5/5

Available from: OnBuy (£119.95) and B&Q (£119.95)

Best Buy for cable safety 2021: Ryobi RLM13E-33S

Reasons to buy:

Reasons to avoid:

The Ryobi corded electric mower has a 1300W engine, a cutting width of 33cm and a 10m long, orange cable. I found it simple to assemble, with clear instructions and no extra tools needed. Its handle folds for storage, the blade can be adjusted to a choice of heights, and, best of all, it was light to use. There are five cutting heights to choose from, ranging from 20-60mm, and these are easy to change with a simple lever. The foam handle feels comfortable, and a double drive lever gives you the choice of mowing with both hands or just one. The height of cut is simple to adjust, it cuts cleanly and well, and the grass combs on the deck allow it to cut right to the edge, so there’s no need to go back and tidy up the edges with a grass trimmer after mowing.

A mulching plug is supplied so you can shred the clippings and leave them on the lawn where they will break down, feeding the grass as they do. Otherwise, the fabric grass bag has a collecting capacity of 35L as well as a full indicator that flaps up when the bag is ready to empty. But I was most impressed by the convenient, effective cable relief clip, which keeps the cable tucked out of the way while you mow. At 9kg, this mower is easy and smooth to turn and manoeuvre around furniture and borders in the lawn. It comes with a three-year warranty, and we think it’s great value for money. Kay Maguire

RRP: £119.95
Cutting width: 33cm
Weight: 9.9kg
Noise: 89dB
Type: corded electric
Cable length: 8m
Cutting height range: 20-60mm
Grass box: 35L

Read the full Ryobi RLM13E 33S review

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The best of the rest

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

Stihl RME 235 electric lawn mower

RRP: £179

Our rating: 4/5

Available from: Amazon (£196) and Just Lawnmowers (£159)

Latest Prices Stihl RME235 - BBC Gardeners' World Magazine

Reasons to buy:

Reasons to avoid:

If you're after a solid, no-frills mower, this Stihl electric lawn mower does the basics very well. It takes 205 minutes to fully charge – one of the slowest charge times on test, but cuts approximately 250 square metres on a single charge. I found its design well thought-out with an adjustable, folding handle for storage and a handy cable relief clip. It features a cutting width of 46cm, which is one of the widest on test. It has five cutting heights from 25-65mm, and they're simple to change with a single lever. The grass box opens right up for easy emptying, and there's an indicator that lets you know when it's full.

This mower is intended to deal with larger lawns quickly rather than cutting smaller, more intricately shaped gardens. I loved the eco-mode that slows the blades down automatically when it’s tackling short grass, and speeds them up to cut longer lawns. The cut is clean, and the grass is sucked up into the grass box, leaving the lawn clear of cuttings – one of the great advantages of buying a rotary mower. It felt sturdy and moved smoothly across my grass, but I found the drive lever a bit uncomfortable and stiff. It also took me the longest to assemble out of all the mowers I tested. Kay Maguire

RRP: £179
Cutting width: 33cm
Weight: 13kg
Noise: 93dB
Type: corded electric
Cable length: 17m
Cutting height range: 25-65mm
Grass box: 30L

Latest Prices

Einhell GC-EM 1600/37 electric lawn mower

RRP: £136.95

Our rating: 4/5

Available from: Argos (£130) and Homebase (£99)

2048-1365Einhell_GC_EM_BOTR

Reasons to buy:

Reasons to avoid:

Forget having to check batteries, annoyingly slow chargers and high prices for lawn mowers. There’s still a strong use case for good old-corded mowers, and the Einhell GC-EM 1600/37 is an excellent example of how to do, most of it, right. While most garden power tools are now cord-free, some gardeners don’t want to navigate the hundreds of different batteries and their various chargers. This mower is a true plug and go machine. If you’ve got a plug socket nearby, you’re up and running in seconds.

As the name suggests, this mower takes its power from a 1,600W motor and cuts a handy 37cm wide swathe. Connecting the mower to the mains is a 10m bright red power cable. It’s quite a lot bigger than other more compact battery mowers I’ve tested before, with three handle heights to choose from and a big chunky handle section. At the handle end there’s a wide metal trigger that’s operable with either hand, as well as a big red safety switch on top to keep things safe. There’s no sign of a safety key like you’d find on a cordless battery powered mower, but it does include a clever cable strain relief hook. This should stop pulling on the base of the cable to avoid damaging the connection.

2048-1365Einhell_GC_EM_IRL_2

Choosing from a neat 20mm cut height in five steps up to an almost meadow-like 60mm is simple. The rather car-like height “shifter” handle is sprung, making choosing a height nice and easy. And weighing a shade under 11kg, carrying it around with the big handle on top isn’t too taxing. Setting this corded lawnmower up for its first cut did take me a little while though. Unlike a lot of budget friendly machines, I needed to install the wheels as well as the handle. The wheels are held in place by stiff hairpins that took quite a lot of force to get in place, then covered over by plastic hubcaps. Then I had to attach the bottom and tops sections of the handle to the chassis, and the carry handle to grass collection box. Again, it wasn’t difficult but might put off some users. It took me around 15 minutes to put the whole package together.

The 38L grass collection box is a semi-rigid one. These are my favourite because they fold down flat when not in use yet still manage to pack the grass in before needing to be emptied. 38L isn’t much, but when you’re tethered to a 10m cable, you can’t mow huge gardens anyway. Bear in mind that’s there’s no mulching plug, so you need to collect all the grass trimmings. Measuring 136cm in length, this is a surprisingly large piece of garden kit. Even though it comes in a small-ish package, I felt like I had to peer down at the front wheels because they seemed quite far away. On my first test cut, it was obviously quicker to get started as I didn’t need to charge up any batteries. But I soon found out my small back garden is big enough to run out of 10m power cable. It wasn’t a big deal. I simply dug out a 10m extension cable and got back to work. However, you’ll need to factor in this inconvenience if the far end of your lawn is any more than 10m from a power point. Happily, the motor didn’t struggle, even when I pushed it into long, thick grass and weeds. It didn’t even slow down, unlike some battery-powered mowers that bog down too easily.

Storing this mower away is easy enough. The handle folds down neatly, but it lacks dedicated cord storage. I would have expected to see a hook or cleat somewhere on the handle to coil the cable round. Instead, I coiled the cable and tied it with some garden twine. Not exactly elegant but it works. Also, this mower doesn’t stand up on its end, so takes up more floor space than necessary. Overall, I can’t find anything particularly wrong with the Einhell GC-EM. It cuts the lawn well and doesn’t get bogged down thanks to its constant supply of power. If you hate charging up batteries and have a small enough garden, this is a sensible investment. Harry Duncton

RRP: £136.95
Cutting width: 37cm
Weight: 10.75kg
Noise: 96dB
Type: corded electric
Cable length: 10m
Cutting height range: 20-60mm
Grass box: 38L

How to choose an electric lawn mower

Not all budget electric mowers are basic machines. Consider the following points to help you choose the right electric mower for you:

Budget Mowers Buyer's Guide - video

Follow our tips on choosing a budget mower to find the right one for your garden.

How we test the best lawn mowers

When we test lawn mowers, we follow the whole process from start to finish without any shortcuts. We unpack the mower from the box, put it together following the instructions (sometimes these are clear as mud, sometimes not!), and then get started, cutting grass over a wide area.

We mow over rough grass, smoother grass, slopes and bumps – whatever is in our way – just as you would with your own mower. And after that, we also take notes on how easy the mower is to fold down and put away, because if a mower is annoying in that regard, you'll always hate using it.

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

Why you can trust BBC Gardeners' World Magazine reviews

As trained gardeners and seasoned users of all sorts of garden tools, Kay Maguire, I, and the rest of the team at BBC Gardeners' World Magazine have reviewed shedloads of lawn mowers literally over the years, using our trusted testing matrix to make sure we're giving balanced, fair judgments.

We test lawn mowers in varied, real-world conditions, cutting the sort of grass most of us actually have in our gardens. 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 mower week in and week out.

We give each mower 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.

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.

]]> Harry Duncton <![CDATA[9 best leaf blowers in 2026 – as tested by our expert reviewers]]> https://www.gardenersworld.com/reviews/tools/power-tools/best-leaf-blowers-vacuums/ 2026-07-01T13:51:48.000Z 2026-05-20T16:44:09.000Z

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. 

Jump to the best leaf blowers:

Jump to leaf blower advice:

View Affiliate Playlist on the source website

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)

Worx_WG543E_LeafJet_GW (1)

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:

Reasons to avoid:

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

Latest Deals

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)

Makita_DUB186Z_18V_cordless_leaf_blower_GW

Reasons to buy:

Reasons to avoid:

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

Latest Deals

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

Reasons to buy:

Reasons to avoid:

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

Latest Prices

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

Reasons to buy:

Reasons to avoid:

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:

Reasons to avoid:

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:

Reasons to avoid:

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:

Reasons to avoid:

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)

Worx_WG583E_leaf_blower_vac_BOTR

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:

Reasons to avoid:

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:

Reasons to avoid:

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.

]]> Harry Duncton <![CDATA[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/ 2026-08-26T11:38:47.000Z 2026-05-20T16:26:06.000Z

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:

Reasons to avoid:

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

Reasons to buy:

Reasons to avoid:

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

Reasons to buy:

Reasons to avoid:

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:

Reasons to avoid:

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:

Reasons to avoid:

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

Reasons to buy:

Reasons to avoid:

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:

Reasons to avoid:

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:

Reasons to avoid:

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)

undefined View Gallery on the source website

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.

]]> Harry Duncton <![CDATA[The best lawn scarifiers to buy in 2026, as tested by our reviews experts]]> https://www.gardenersworld.com/reviews/lawn-care/the-best-lawn-scarifiers-from-manual-to-mechanical-machines-2/ 2026-05-20T16:16:04.000Z 2026-05-20T16:15:30.000Z

Jump to our top-rated scarifiers

A soft, springy lawn might seem ideal when it comes to lounging around on hot, summer days or walking barefoot in the cool morning dew, but it’s also a sign that your lawn needs a bit of attention. A build-up of moss and lawn thatch in the grass is often the cause of this spongy feeling, which not only makes turf look patchy, but prevents water, nutrients and air from reaching the grass's root system. The result can be an unhealthy lawn, which has lost its vigour and struggles to withstand year-round wear and tear. However, all is not lost as the problem is easily tackled by a process called scarification, which means getting rid of the unwanted moss and thatch. This job is carried out in spring or autumn, and can be done manually with a rake or mechanically with a powered machine.

Our best lawn scarifiers to buy at a glance

Comparison table: best lawn scarifiers

View Affiliate Playlist on the source website

Jump to the best lawn scarifier:

Jump to lawn scarifier advice:

Our expertise

We reviewed a range of both manual and powered scarifiers, putting them through their paces to bring you a list of the best. Each review 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. Each scarifier has scored a minimum of 3.5 out of 5 stars, so you can buy with confidence. From 2026, you’ll only see newly awarded Best Buy badges on scarifiers 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.

Our top-rated lawn scarifiers

1: Darlac DP888 Lawn Scarifier

Our best wheeled manual scarifier

RRP: £44.99

Our rating: 4.8/5

Available from: Amazon (£37.90), Crocus (£44.99) and Mr Fothergills (£44.95)

Our best wheeled manual scarifier: Darlac DP888

Reasons to buy:

Reasons to avoid:

Awarded a BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine Best Buy for wheeled manual performance, the Darlac DP888 Scarifier is an excellent choice if you’re up for scarifying your lawn by hand. Its adjustable handle is a great feature, extending from 97cm to 1.5m, and made from high-quality steel treated with anti-corrosion protection, so it’s lightweight but durable, and feels sturdy to use. The head is 32cm wide and features 11 sharp blades, which you can push into the turf at varying depths by raising or lowering the angle of the handle. It also has two wheels to help it move smoothly along the lawn. It comes with a 35-year guarantee. Kay Maguire

Read the full Darlac DP888 Scarifier review

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2: Greenman R1710 Scarifying Rake

Our best traditional lawn scarifying rake

RRP: £44.95

Our rating: 4.5/5

Available from: Amazon (£44.95) and Greenman (£44.95)

_Greenman R1710 Scarifying Rake

Reasons to buy:

Reasons to avoid:

A traditional style manual gardening tool, the Greenman scarifying rake features a handsome ash handle and stainless steel head. It oozes quality from tip to tip, is nicely balanced, and is comfortable to use, if a touch heavy. Although this scarifying rake looks traditional, it has a trick up its sleeve. It has pivoting tines that make the job of removing dead matter and aerating the soil that much easier. The reasonably sharp tines cut into the soil to help aerate the top few centimetres, which should stimulate more grass growth and prepare for over-seeding.

Like other scarifying rakes, I used a push-and-pull motion to dethatch my lawn after the winter. The idea is to remove moss and dead grass that builds up over the colder months. The hinge needed a touch of lubricating oil to stop it from squeaking out of the case, but otherwise it was ready to go. Measuring 155cm in length, it’s fine for taller gardeners, and weighing just over 1.4kg, it didn’t feel too heavy. However, it has more weight to it than a similar rake with an aluminium or carbon fibre shaft.

The ash handle sits in an 11cm socket that’s riveted into place. It feels sturdy and unlikely to break at this point any time soon. There’s no getting around the physical effort it takes to scarify a thick and mossy lawn with a manual tool, but the Greenman scarifying rake made it as easy as possible. It has an impressive 10-year warranty. Harry Duncton

3: WORX 36cm Scarifier and Aerator WG855E.9

Our best cordless scarifier and aerator

RRP: £229.99

Our rating: 4.5/5

Available from: Amazon (229.99)

Worx_WG855E _scarifier

Reasons to buy:

Reasons to avoid:

If you want to improve the quality of your lawn without the back-breaking effort of doing it manually, the WORX 2-in-1 scarifier and aerator is a powerful and premium-priced machine that does the hard work for you.

Setting up: It feels like a quality piece of kit, with a sturdy handle and large front wheels that trundle happily across the grass. Setting up the scarifier was easy, just like a lawnmower. I attached the two handle sections, popped in two batteries, set the depth and got to work.

Because this is a two-in-one scarifier and aerator, it comes with a pair of removable “cartridges”. The scarifier cartridge uses hooked metal tines to remove thatch and moss from the grass, and the aerator cartridge has stainless steel blades to cut into the soil to allow air, water and nutrients to circulate. Changing the cartridges over is simple and tool-free. A butterfly bolt underneath releases the cartridge at one end, and it just pops out. It makes cleaning an easy task, too.

WORX 36cm Scarifier and Aerator WG855E

Scarifier/aerator stats: The WG855E.9 runs on two 20V batteries, making 40V of power. The version I tested came as “tool only”, so I used a pair of large capacity 4.0Ah batteries from another WORX machine on test. The cutting width is 36cm – plenty for a small to medium-sized garden. It weighs just over 10kg without batteries, which makes it easy to carry around. It runs at four different heights, controlled by a lever on the base of the machine. '+1' runs just above the surface, '0' at -3 mm, '-1' at -6 mm, and '-2' at -9 mm. I was impressed by how easily the scarifier brought up moss from the lawn, and just how much came out of it. The 40L collection box filled up in under a minute of scarifying, though, so I needed to dump it out regularly. A larger collection box would make things much easier.

Aerating the lawn was another task that the WG855E handled well. The 40V motor made light work of cutting into the turf and left clean furrows even at the lowest depth setting. Due to the amount of work that the machine must do, the batteries don’t last too long. I managed around 15 minutes of scarifying and around 10 when aerating from the 4.0Ah batteries on board. It’s fine for smaller spaces, but unless you have plenty of spare batteries, it will take a while to get a large garden both scarified and aerated. Overall, this is a robust scarifier and aerator combo that effortlessly improves the lawn. It’s ideal for smaller spaces, but if you have plenty of spare batteries, it will happily deal with larger ones. Harry Duncton

Best of the rest

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

Wolf Garten Multi-Change Roller Moss Removal Rake

RRP: £69.99

Our rating: 4.8/5

Available from: B&Q (£46.99) and Amazon (£30.93)

2048-1365-gw-WolfGarten_Scarifier

Reasons to buy:

Reasons to avoid:

Part of the Wolf Garten Multi-Change tool system, this manual scarifier is made from high-quality plastic and rust-proof aluminium, so it’s lightweight and easy to use. The blades are made from hardened steel, so they’ll stay sharp over their lifetime, and the head is 30cm wide. It’s a really effective tool with a smooth action, but it's best suited to small gardens because it doesn’t have a soft-grip handle, which can make it uncomfortable to use after a while, especially given that it's hard work to remove moss and thatch in this way. It comes with a 35-year warranty. Kay Maguire

Read the full Wolf Garten Multi-Change Roller Moss Removal Rake review

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Vonhaus 1800W 2-in-1 scarifier

RRP: £149.99

Our rating: 4.3/5

Available from: Amazon (£149.99), B&Q (149.99) and Vonhaus (£149.99)

2048-1364-gw-Vonhaus 1800W 2-in-1_Aerator_and_Scarifier(1)

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The Vonhaus 2-in-1 scarifier is a sturdy machine with a robust but lightweight plastic body, and it weighs 16.1kg. Powered with a 1800W motor, it’s a little noisy at 104dB, but it removes moss, thatch and other organic lawn debris very efficiently. It has two interchangeable drums to switch between aerating and scarifying modes and has a working width of 38cm. It has folding handles for easy storage, a dual start system for safety, and a built-in thermal cutout if it overheats. There are five depth settings, ranging from -12mm, -9mm, -3mm and +6mm, although we found the lowest setting made the lawn look quite ravaged.

At 60cm wide, it's one of the largest machines we tested, but it's still easy to manoeuvre and comes with a 10m cable. The generously-sized 55L collection bag is moderately efficient, but misses some debris as there is a gap between the box and the blades. It has a two-year warranty. Kay Maguire

Review the full Vonhaus 2-in-1 Electric Scarifier review

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Cobra S3840V Cordless Lawn Scarifier

RRP: £360.99

Our score: 4/5

Available from: Sims Garden Machinery (£329)

2048-1364-gw-scarifiers-Cobra S3840V-Cordless-Lawn-Scarifier-&-Aerator

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The Cobra S3840V Cordless Lawn Scarifier is big, and the wheels are a little stiff, but it handles well and, at 92dB, it’s relatively quiet too. The 40V 5Ah battery charges quickly in just 90 minutes and offers 40 minutes of use. It's easy to use, with a comfortable, soft handle, and we love being able to see the charge indicator through the transparent window. The aerating blades slit well, neatly cutting through the soil and getting most of the moss and thatch.

However, the spring tine scarifying drum lifts moss and thatch, but catches a lot of living grass, no matter which of the five heights from -10mm to +5mm you choose. The instructions are also poor, so it took a while to get this tool working. At 38cm wide, it covers a large area, but its size makes this scarifier very bulky and difficult to store. Kay Maguire

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VonHaus 2-in-1 Cordless Scarifier & Aerator

RRP: £249.99

Our rating: 3.8/5

Available from: Amazon (£219.99), B&Q (£249.99) and Robert Dyas (£249.99)

Vonhaus scarifier

Reasons to buy:

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If you want to improve the quality of your lawn without the back-breaking effort of doing it manually, the VonHaus 2-in-1 Cordless Scarifier and Aerator is a capable and competitively priced machine that does the hard work for you.

Set up: Setting it up for first use is pretty straightforward. The handle comes in two pieces, and the scarifier cartridge is held in place with a small hex bolt. The manual leaves a little bit to the imagination, but it didn't take long to get the tool on the lawn. It feels well-made, except for the flimsy collection bag flap, which fell off on the first use. The handle comes with a comfortable soft grip and a large operating lever. The big wheels on the front and back help it to glide across the grass, and pulling it up and over obstacles is easy too.

Because this is a two-in-one scarifier and aerator, it comes with a pair of removable cartridges. The scarifier cartridge uses metal tines to remove thatch and moss from the grass, and the aerator cartridge has steel blades to cut into the soil to allow air, water, and nutrients to circulate. Changing the cartridges requires a hex key rather than the tool-free butterfly bolt you get on some rivals, which slows things down a little when you want to switch between tasks.

Vonhaus_scarifier_IRL_1

Scarifier/aerator stats: The VonHaus runs on two 20V batteries for a combined 40V output, and comes supplied with both batteries and a dual charger. So, unlike some cordless tools, there's nothing extra to buy. The working width is 38cm, suitable for small to medium gardens, and it has five depth settings ranging from -12 mm to +6 mm, which is a wider range than many competitors in this price bracket. The 45L collection box is a decent size, though in practice it fills up quickly when there's a good amount of thatch to shift.

VonHaus quotes a no-load runtime of 25 minutes from a full charge. Under real working conditions – pushing through grass and pulling up thatch – expect something closer to 15 minutes of scarifying before you need a break or a recharge. The dual charger brings both batteries back to full in about 2 hours.

Out on the lawn, the VonHaus impressed. It pulled up a satisfying amount of moss and dead grass with ease, gliding smoothly across the surface and handling well throughout. The five depth settings give you real flexibility – useful for a gentle early-season pass or a more aggressive renovation later in the year. The aerator did a clean job too, leaving neat, even slits in the turf rather than the rough tears you can get from cheaper machines. The collection box filling up quickly is probably the biggest frustration in practice. When the lawn has a good amount of thatch in it, you'll be stopping to empty it more often than you'd like.

Overall, this is a solid cordless scarifier and aerator that performs well on small to medium lawns. The lack of tool-free cartridge changes and the flimsy bag flap let it down slightly on the fit-and-finish front, and battery life under load is modest, so if you have a large garden, you'll want spare batteries to hand. But, for a straightforward seasonal lawn refresh, it gets the job done without fuss. Harry Duncton

Need to show your lawn some TLC? Take a look at our round-up of the best lawn aerators and expert tips on how to improve your lawn in 12 weeks. Looking for the best lawn mowers? Read our guides to the best cordless lawn mowers, the best robotic lawn mowers and the best electric lawn mowers. If you have a small lawn, our round-up of the best hand push mowers may prove helpful, and why not keep edges looking neat with our pick of the best lawn edging.

What is a lawn scarifier, and what does it do?

A scarifier is essentially a comb for your lawn – strong tines, on either a manual spring-tine rake or a rotating drum, pull through the grass, removing moss and organic debris, also known as lawn thatch. Scarifying is worth doing at least once a year – twice if you’re having to deal with a lot of moss, and the best scarifiers have different settings so you can adjust their height to avoid tearing up your lawn. However, depending on the extent of the moss invasion and debris, you may have to put up with seeing a bit of soil where larger clumps have been removed. If this is the case, simply sow some lawn seed in any areas of the lawn you’re concerned about.

Types of lawn scarifiers: ways to scarify your lawn

There are four types of scarifiers, including manual and powered versions, and each has its own pros and cons. Some brands refer to their powered range as lawn rakers, which simply means a powered lawn rake with a plastic cylinder, lined with metal tines. 2-in-1 powered scarifiers, on the other hand, feature two interchangeable drums: one with scarifying tines to rake through the grass and remove thatch as well as organic debris, while the other has metal blades, which cut into the turf, creating shallow slits to aerate the soil surface. This helps air and water to move through this top layer of the soil and is also helpful if you’re feeding or sowing seed into your lawn.

However, if your lawn is struggling due to compaction or you have heavy clay soil, your lawn will benefit from deeper aeration, which is the process of opening up the soil by spiking it with long metal tines.

Which type of powered machine is best?

When it comes to choosing whether you go for an electric, cordless or petrol scarifier, consider the pros and cons associated with each type:

How to choose the best lawn scarifier

Once you’ve worked out which type of lawn scarifier will suit your needs, there are several key features to look out for:

How we tested lawn scarifiers

To see how well lawn scarifiers perform, the BBC Gardeners' World Magazine Reviews team tested a range of models across a range of garden situations – removing moss, lawn thatch and other organic debris. Before we started, we checked for any wildlife in the grass and organic debris on the lawn surface. The lawn scarifiers were compared, 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

Lawn care tips

Scarifying your lawn is one of many jobs you can do to keep your lawn looking at its best. But what else can you do to keep your lawn in tip-top condition?

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 any information has changed since then.

]]> Harry Duncton <![CDATA[The best grass trimmers in 2026 - as tested by our experts]]> https://www.gardenersworld.com/reviews/lawn-care/best-grass-trimmers/ 2026-05-20T11:41:05.000Z 2026-05-20T11:42:09.000Z

Jump to best grass trimmers

Grass trimmers are a great tool for tidying up straggly grass, as well as cutting areas a lawn mower can’t reach, such as path and flowerbed edges and around the base of trees. They can also help clear overgrowth if you’re starting a new garden, and trim vegetation on steep slopes.

If you've not used a grass trimmer before, it can be hard to know what type to buy. So we've been busy testing a range of models –  both corded and battery-powered – to give you the lowdown on our favourite grass trimmers. Before you buy, take a look at our buyer's guide below. It gives you advice on how to choose a grass trimmer, what key features to look out for, and which products are our top picks for 2026.

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Kate’s wildlife care

Our wildlife editor, Kate Bradbury, has some advice on using a grass trimmer responsibly. “Always​ check before you trim. Use a broom or rake to sweep the grass before you start, taking care to look out for small critters like frogs and slow worms, but also larger animals like hedgehogs. Hedgehogs frequently sleep in long grass during the day and can suffer terribly from trimmer injuries, so it pays to check before you trim.”

Kate Bradbury

Grass trimmers - Buyer's Guide

The best grass trimmers to buy at a glance

Comparison table: best grass trimmers

Our expertise Getting the best grass trimmer means ensuring it has the right features, weight and price for you. We've tested a range of cordless and corded grass trimmers, putting them through their paces across arange of grass and terrains, to help you find the right one for your garden. Each grass trimmer has a detailed list of pros and cons for clarity and has been rated according to assembly and storage, handling, performance and value for money. From 2026, you’ll only see newly awarded Best Buy badges on grass 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. 

Jump to best grass trimmers:

Jump to grass trimmer advice:

Best Buy grass trimmers

Stihl FSA 30 Grass Trimmer

Our best lightweight grass trimmer

RRP: £149 (kit)

Our rating: 4.8/5

Available from: Just Lawnmowers (£139)

Best Buy for those that lack strength: Stihl FSA

Reasons to buy:

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This little grass trimmer is powered by the tiny Stihl AS battery, which charges in 70 minutes and has a run time of 19 minutes. It’s very easy to set up and use – just the handle and spacer bar need screwing on, and it has an adjustable handle and a telescopic shaft, so it’s simple to ensure this trimmer is comfortable to use for all users. The head can also be adjusted to four different angles, plus it rotates 90 degrees for trimming edges, although unlike other trimmers, it doesn’t have a lever to enable this with ease. This is a blade trimmer, so it cuts with two plastic polycut blades that are easy to click into place, but you can also use a line cartridge or feed cut length of line into the trimmer if you wish instead. Six spare blades are included with the trimmer and are stored neatly on the trimmer for when you need them.

Thanks to the small battery, this trimmer is really light, and although it doesn’t have the power that bigger, more substantial grass trimmers do, it performs surprisingly well. We think it’s ideal for trimming around trees and boundaries, and along the edges of beds and borders in small gardens. Once you’re finished trimming, it has an eyelet in the handle for hanging the trimmer up for storage.
The battery is interchangeable with other Stihl AS tools, including a hedge trimmer, powered pruners and a mini chainsaw, and it comes with a two-year warranty. Kay Maguire

Powerbase 550W Electric Grass Trimmer

Our best budget grass trimmer

RRP: £59

Our rating: 4.5/5

Available from: Homebase (49.99), The Range (49.99) and Wilko (£49.99)

undefined Best Buy budget grass trimmer: Powerbase 550W Electric Grass Trimmer

Reasons to buy:

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This corded trimmer won a BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine Best Buy for the best budget grass trimmer. A double line trimmer, it gives a fantastic cut, and thanks to its generous 30cm cutting width, tackles the job quickly and efficiently. It’s particularly good when edging due to wheels that help take the strain, so you can achieve a precise cut. The soft-grip loop handles on its telescopic shaft are comfortable, and there’s a helpful loop for tucking the cable away when you’re moving around. It has an automatic feed, and we love that there’s a storage compartment on the shaft for the spare spool, so it’s close at hand when it needs replacing.

However, gardeners with limited mobility should note that this grass trimmer weighs 3.1kg, which is over a kilo more than the lightest machine on test, the Gtech GT50, and it doesn’t come with a strap to help take the weight. The black power cable is only 10m, so you’ll need an extension cord if you plan to trim further from a power source, and it’s tricky to see it in the grass. It also requires some heft to move between the trimming and edging modes as the mechanism is stiff. That said, it’s good value, gives a great cut, and comes with a generous three-year warranty. Kay Maguire

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Stiga GT 500e Cordless Grass Trimmer

Our best grass trimmer for performance

RRP: £219 (kit)

Our rating: 4.5/5

Available from: Just Lawnmowers (£189)

Best Buy for performance: Stiga GT 500e Battery Lawn Trimmer

Reasons to buy:

Reasons to avoid:

Awarded a BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine Best Buy for performance, this trimmer has a generous 30cm cutting width, and the durable nylon double line automatic feed keeps working, so you don’t have to bump the line out. The head is easy to rotate for use as an edge trimmer, and the wheels help to support the weight of the body, ensuring it cuts at a consistent height. However, as it doesn’t come with a support strap, it’s eventually tiring to use.

It’s powered by a large 2Ah 48V lithium-ion battery, which, along with the charger, is sold separately, making this significantly more expensive than other models in the test. That said, after a fast 50-minute charge, it runs for 20 minutes, cutting powerfully and efficiently. It copes well with large patches of long grass, as well as hard-to-reach areas, and cuts lawn edges cleanly. Light indicators on the battery let you know how much time you have left to finish the job, the telescopic shaft separates into two for easy storage, and it comes with a two-year warranty. Kay Maguire

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Gtech Grass Trimmer GT50

Our best grass trimmer for ease of use

RRP: £149.99 (kit)

Our rating: 4.5/5

Available from: Amazon (£90.49), Gtech (£79.99) and Homebase (£149.99)

Best Buy for ease of use: Gtech Grass Trimmer GT50

Reasons to buy:

Reasons to avoid:

Awarded a BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine Best Buy for ease of use, the Gtech grass trimmer GT50 is a well-designed tool. It includes a safety switch, an ergonomic harness, an adjustable loop handle, a swivel head to change from trimmer to edger, and easy-to-fit plastic blades. Weighing just 1.8kg, it’s the lightest in the group we tested, but has a relatively narrow 23cm cutting width, so it takes longer to cover ground than the Worx, with its generous 33cm head. On test it tackled long grass and thin woody weeds on uneven terrain, as well as leaving lawn edges looking neat.

However, you’ll need to plan ahead for trimming sessions as the 18V lithium-ion battery takes a lengthy four hours to charge to give 30 minutes of power, though there are helpful indicator lights on the battery to keep track of how much time you have left. As it includes a battery and charger, it’s comparatively cheaper than some other cordless trimmers, but the battery is only compatible with two other Gtech cordless tools, the HT50 hedge trimmer and SLM50 lawn mower , which doesn’t represent the best value for money. Other cordless systems have more battery-sharing tools available. It comes with a two-year warranty. Kay Maguire

Latest Deals

Husqvarna Aspire T28-P4A

Our best grass trimmer for large areas

RRP: £199.99 (kit)

Our rating: 4.3/5

Available from: Husqvarna (£199.99)

Best Buy for large areas: Husqvarna Aspire T28-P4A

Reasons to buy:

Reasons to avoid:

This is a lightweight and powerful cordless grass trimmer with a telescopic shaft. Even with the large 4.0Ah battery installed, it weighs just 3kg. It comes in all cardboard packaging, and it’s easy to assemble too - a couple of screws attach the blade guard, and you’re ready to go. The battery charge time is a respectable 60 minutes and the run time a generous 50 minutes, which is almost the longest in our test. An auto-feed double line trimmer, it cuts beautifully through even thick grass, and with minimal vibration transmitted through to your hands. You can brace the end of the trimmer against your elbow on a rubberised section as well, which makes it particularly comfortable, even without a shoulder strap.

The loop handle is comfy enough to hold on to, but it’s a bit small, so you get less leverage for angled cutting. It comes with a handy storage hook that can be directly screwed into a shed wall or hung on the Husqvarna’s Storage Rail system, which is a great way to get it up off the floor and save some space. 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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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.

Erbauer Brushless Cordless Grass Trimmer EGT18-Li - KIT

Price: £179.99

Our rating: 4/5

Available from: Screwfix (£119.99)

Erbauer brushless cordless grass trimmer EG18-Li-KIT

Reasons to buy:

Reasons to avoid:

Lightweight, capable and built for big gardens, the Erbauer EGT18 is a useful piece of kit. It didn’t take long to get up and running, and there are just a few screws to attach the shaft and blade guard. Supplied with a big 5.0Ah battery and a wide cutting capacity of 30cm, this double string auto-feed trimmer is well-suited to large patches of grass or awkward garden areas. You can comfortably trim a garden on a single charge, and you can charge it back to full within an hour as well, which is very efficient.

The large loop handle is comfortable and gives you extra leverage in tight corners, but it’s not designed for edging work. There’s a fair bit of vibration during use, and you’ll definitely need ear protection as it’s rather loud at 96dB. You can fold the shaft in half for storage, but you need to undo a bolt and not lose it in between jobs. It comes with a two-year warranty. Kay Maguire

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VonHaus F-Series Cordless Grass Trimmer

RRP: £34.99

Our rating: 4/5

Available from: B&Q (£39.99), Robert Dyas (£39.99) and Tesco (£39.99)

Vonhaus F-Series Cordless Grass Trimmer - BBC Gardeners' World Magazine

Reasons to buy:

Reasons to avoid:

Despite its narrow 21cm cutting width, this grass trimmer gives a good cut. The plastic blades tackle grass and slightly woody material well, and the 30-minute run time is one of the longest in our test. We like the storage feature under the handle for the included spare plastic blades, which are bright pink and easy to spot if they snap off into the grass. However, while it's efficient, this machine is the loudest on the test at 98dB, and the handles are uncomfortable too. It also takes an hour and a half to charge, which, though less than the four hours of the Gtech model, is much longer than the 45 minutes of the Makita DUR181RT and Mac Allister 18V LI 18V 280mm.

The 12V, 2.0Ah F-Series lithium-ion battery is compatible with just three other VonHaus tools - a hedge trimmer, garden saw, and handheld hedge and grass trimmer - which can save you money if you buy these in the future, but is limited compared to other cordless systems, such as the dozens of compatible tools in the Worx PowerShare cordless system. Crucially, this trimmer also has no edging function, so if you’re after neat lawn edges, you should look elsewhere. Because it’s just 12V, the battery is less powerful than others on test, but if you need to tidy up a small garden on a budget, it will do the job well, and comes with a two-year warranty. Kay Maguire

Latest Deals

VonHaus 36 Volt Cordless 2-in-1 Grass Trimmer & Brush Cutter

RRP: £124.99

Our rating: 3.5/5

Available from: Argos (£130), B&Q (£124.99) and Tesco (124.99)

VonHaus 36 Volt Cordless 2-in-1 Grass Trimmer & Brush Cutter

Reasons to buy:

Reasons to avoid:

VonHaus have doubled up with this battery powered 2-in-1 brush cutter and grass trimmer. By switching over cutting heads, you can tackle heavy brush or delicate grass trimming, but it’s a bit of a fiddle.

Set up: Setup involved a little more guesswork than necessary. Unfortunately, the manual doesn’t go into much detail when it came to attaching the brush cutting or string trimming heads. It comes supplied with a couple of different washers to keep the heads on, but it wasn’t made obvious which one was which. Attaching the handles was a simple enough process, made easier by the inclusion of a small tool kit in the box. You get a T-handle spanner with a crosshead screwdriver on the end and a hex key that does up or undoes all the bolts on the brush cutter.

Brush cutting: I attached the three-bladed metal brush cutting attachment first, to clear some thick clumps of grass and woody vegetation from my new allotment site. The motor has a soft-start feature, which takes some of the shock from using it, but once it was up to speed the noise levels were high. It's supplied with a pair of 18V, 2.0Ah batteries, which slot in on both sides of the rear motor to help with balance. They have charge level indicators on them, and recharging is made easy thanks to a dual-port fast charger. You can top off both in just 60 minutes, which is just right in my opinion. I managed around 25 minutes of brush cutting before the batteries ran out of charge.

Something I liked was the shoulder strap on this cordless brush cutter. Adjusted properly, it took the trimmer’s 6kg weight off the hands and onto the shoulders. The quick release mechanism is a vital safety feature that’s always good to see too. The other thing this brush cutter lacks, however, is a variable speed trigger. It would be nice if you could moderate the speed to save battery life and keep noise levels down when necessary. But for the money, you get a capable cordless brush cutting tool.

At top speed, I felt vibration through the dual handles after using it for more than ten minutes at a time. After tightening down every bolt on the brush cutter, the vibrations reduced, but it was still a little uncomfortable to use for extended periods of time. And make sure you have enough space for storage. As comfortable as the “bike handle” style grip is, it takes up more space than a standard handle grass trimmer.

Vonhaus-GRASS-trimmer_IRL

Grass trimming: Then I swapped out the cutting head for the string trimmer. Featuring a spool of light duty 1.6mm wire and a bump feed mechanism, it was just right for bashing back the overgrown grass on the allotment borders. There was negligible vibration in this mode. The metal brush cutting attachment cuts a 25.5cm swathe, while the grass trimming attachment cuts a 34cm swathe.  Overall, this is a decent and budget-friendly option if you want plenty of cordless brush and grass cutting power. It could do with a better manual, and lacks a bit of refinement, but it gets the job done without breaking the bank. Harry Duncton

What's a grass trimmer used for?

Trimmers cut the long grass and weeds that a mower can’t reach. They’re great for cutting in tricky places, such as around the base of a tree, the corner of a lawn, or on steep slopes. Depending on their power and their blade material, they can also tackle woodier growth like ivy, brambles, and stinging nettles. Many grass trimmers can also be used to tidy up along the edges of a lawn by adjusting the angle of the cutting head.

For more lawn tool reviews, check out our reviews of the best lawn mowers, particularly our tests of the best cordless lawn mowers. For more cutting, trimming, or pruning help, see our reviews of the best garden shears, the best hedge trimmers, the best secateurs and the best loppers.

What are the different types of grass trimmer?

Can I use a trimmer to mow the lawn or trim hedges?

Hypothetically, you could use a trimmer to cut a lawn, but it would take a long time. Trimmers are much less efficient at this task than lawn mowers, and it’s more difficult to get an even cut. Trimmers aren’t designed to trim hedges, as their woody growth is too thick to be cut with plastic blades or nylon cord, and it would be very dangerous. Instead, use a hedge trimmer, or for more precise work, shears, a pruning saw, or pair of secateurs.

What are the key features to look out for?

Before you buy, think about the following :

How we tested grass trimmers

We tested a range of grass trimmers, putting them through their paces on lawn edges, sloped areas and big and small gardens. 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 May 2026. We apologise if anything has changed in price or availability.

]]> Alex David <![CDATA[The best compost bins in 2026, as tested and reviewed by our team of experts]]> https://www.gardenersworld.com/reviews/which-type-of-compost-bin-is-best/ 2026-09-30T12:54:20.000Z 2026-05-13T10:17:13.000Z

Jump to best compost bins

Compost is nature's gift to your garden, a rich blend of nutrients that not only nourishes your plants but serves as an ideal fertiliser, organic mulch, and soil improver. Making your own compost is a rewarding and sustainable practice that allows you to recycle garden and kitchen waste to provide your plants with the essential elements they need. Simply put your garden waste and some kitchen waste into a compost bin, and it will break down over a year or so to reveal fresh, home-made compost. If you're looking for a compost bin for your garden, they come in a range of shapes, sizes, and prices.

Whether you have a large country garden or a small outdoor space in the city, there are compost bins to suit all tastes and requirements. To help you choose between the hundreds available on the market, we've tested several to provide a broad range of compost bins to inspire your next purchase. We've also got some useful information regarding the different materials that compost bins can be made of, how to choose the best compost bin and what to put in your compost bin.

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Best compost bins to buy at a glance:

Our 3 top-rated compost bins

Also recommended: compost bins

Our expertise

We tested a range of different types of compost bins, using them in the garden for a year to follow the composting process and help you find the right one for your garden. Each bin has a detailed list of pros and cons for clarity and has been rated according to design, ease of use, compost quality and value for money. From 2026, you’ll only see newly awarded Best Buy badges on compost bins 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 best compost bins:

Jump to compost bin advice:

The 3 top-rated compost bins in 2026

1: Maze 180 litre compost tumbler

Our best compost tumbler

RRP: £99

Our rating: 4.5/5

Available from: Amazon (£185.99) and B&Q (£185.99)

Our best compost tumbler

Reasons to buy:

Reasons to avoid:

Featuring a three-year warranty, this is a well-made and thoughtfully designed compost tumbler featuring two chambers for a rotation of compost making, large opening doors for easy filling and emptying, and a geared turning mechanism. The sturdy handle and gearing marks the Maze tumbler out from the rest, as they make turning the tumbler incredibly easy, even when full. I liked the fact that this gearing also locks the tumbler in position, making it very easy to position the chamber for emptying and likewise filling, and the ground clearance is good at 35cm to the base.

Maze tumbler from Wiggly Wigglers_IRL_1

It’s tall at 109cm which makes it easy to fill and empty, but a slight drawback for me is that the height combined with the bright green trim make it stand out rather too much in the garden. The UV protected barrel holds 180 litres of material and is sturdily made from 90% recycled plastic, with a powder-coated zinc frame that features extra leg bracing, giving it increased stability. Although it took an hour to assemble, I loved the fact that the step-by-step instructions were clear, with the different parts well labelled and actual size pictures of the relevant screws. Jane Moore

2: Green Johanna 330 Litre Food & Garden Waste Compost Bin

Our best compost bin for versatility

RRP: £144.99

Our rating: 4.5/5

Available from: Amazon (£134.99), B&Q (£144.99) and The Range (£139.99)

Best Buy most versatile compost bin: Green Johanna 330 litre hot composter

Reasons to buy:

Reasons to avoid:

The Green Johanna 330-litre Hot Composter is well designed, has a good capacity and works effectively for all types of food and garden waste.  The bin is very easy to use. You tip the waste in and don't need to pre-mix, although stirring it from time to time helps add more air and speeds the composting process. Finished compost can be harvested from two wide hatches at the base of the bin, on opposite sides, so it’s easy to shovel it all out.

In a very small garden, it would be possible to have this as the sole composting bin. The Green Johanna is solidly made from 100 per cent recycled plastic and comes with a three-year warranty. Alex David

Read the full Green Johanna 330 Litre Hot Composter review

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3: Suttons Modular Wooden Compost Bin

Our best large compost bin

RRP: £199.99

Our rating: 4.5/5

Available from: Amazon (£169.99) and  Suttons (£199.99)

Best Buy large compost bin: Suttons modular wooden compost bin

Reasons to buy:

Reasons to avoid:

This traditional wooden compost bin has a huge 573 litre capacity. Made from sustainably sourced Scandinavian softwood, the planks easily slot into upright grooves on the corner posts, and the bin can be accessed from every side. Thanks to its plastic cover, it produces the highest internal temperature of any of the wooden bins on test, guaranteeing fantastic compost. However, you should note that this cover lets in a little rain. Alex David

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Read the full Suttons Modular Wooden Compost Bin review

Also recommended: compost bins

Blackwall 220 Litre Green Compost Converter

Our best budget compost bin

RRP: £42.99

Our rating: 4.3/5

Available from: B&Q (£59.99), The Range (£49.99) and Robert Dyas (£55.99)

Best Buy budget model: Blackwall Green compost converter

Reasons to buy:

Reasons to avoid:

The Blackwall Compost Converter consists of a one-piece cone-shaped body made of recycled plastic, with a snug-fitting removable lid and a single hatch. It's very quick to set up - just stand it on the soil, and you're good to go. It's a great option for those who want a simple and affordable compost bin. However, because of its thin sides, it was one of the slowest composters on test, so if you want results quickly, you may want one of the other models featured here. Alex David

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Read the full Blackwall Compost Converter review

HOTBIN 200 litre Composter

Our best compost bin for speed

RRP: £255

Our rating: 4.3/5

Available from: Crocus (£279.99), Thompson & Morgan (£254.99) and Dobies (£245.99)

Best Buy fastest to compost: Hotbin Mk 2 composter

Reasons to buy:

Reasons to avoid:

If you want quick compost, look no further than the Hotbin Mk. 2 Composter. A good option for small spaces, it has a built-in carbon filter to absorb smells, a temperature gauge on the lid and a tank in the base to collect the liquid produced during composting. That said, all waste needs mixing before going into this composter, and it can be a little tricky to access the compost. Alex David

Read the full HOTBIN 200 litre composter review

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The best of the rest

Although some models didn't quite achieve a Best Buy award, they still have various features that make them worth recommending. Browse our pick of the best of the rest.

Outsunny 160L Compost Tumbler

RRP: £59

Our rating: 4 out of 5

Available from: Robert Dyas (£54.99)

Outsunny 160l compost tumbler

Reasons to buy:

Reasons to avoid:

A nicely made, reasonably priced compost tumbler that’s compact, yet holds up to 160L of compost material in two separate chambers. Having two chambers is invaluable in a smaller garden like mine as you can just fill one at a time, creating a cycle of making compost rather than just filling and emptying, then starting again. At 92cm tall, with 32cm to the base, it’s a good height above the ground, which I liked as it makes it easy to fill and to tumble, as well as allowing room for a receptacle for emptying. The chamber doors are completely removeable for ease of access, although they are rather small which I initially viewed as something of a drawback.

Image: Jane Moore

At only 22.5cm long by 13.5cm wide, I had to chop all my garden waste up quite a bit to get it in, but that tends to lead to much better compost, so perhaps it’s a plus that gets you into good habits. It took 50 minutes for two to assemble. It’s straightforward, although there are a lot of parts and screws. A screwdriver is provided, but you need a spanner too. With an array of colours to choose from, it’s a good choice for the smaller garden and has a one-year warranty.

Hozelock EasyMix 2-in-1 composter

RRP: £134.99

Our rating: 4/5

Available from: Amazon (£110.40) and Wickes (£129)

Hozelock EasyMix 2-in-1 composter

Reasons to buy:

Reasons to avoid:

This compost bin is a ‘tumbler’ type, designed to enable the frequent turning and mixing of waste material, and produces compost much faster than a traditional compost bin due to the high level of aeration. It’s smart and well-made, from 90 per cent recycled plastic, and its vermin-proof design enables the composting of both food and garden waste. Thanks to its compact size of 60 x 50 x 65cm, it’s also easy to site almost anywhere. Both adding and emptying waste is straightforward, as the hatch is large and opens and locks smoothly with a chunky knob. There are also plenty of grip points to rotate the drum with relative ease, although once the tumbler is around two-thirds full, this becomes quite hard to do due to the weight. One of its best features is that when the compost is ready, you simply roll the drum off the base to a convenient emptying place in the garden. The nutrient-rich liquid that drains during the composting process is also collected in a tank, which clips onto a garden hose, allowing this useful plant tonic to be easily dispensed when watering.

However, while this bin is clearly solidly made and the product of a carefully thought-out design, there are drawbacks. The cost is high in comparison to the amount of waste it can process and the subsequent amount of compost produced. Another is that it needs ‘tending’ to tumble the waste: not in itself an arduous task, but to produce compost rapidly, this does need regular attention, ideally daily. The air vents do allow small flies to enter, and during warm weather, these fly out in clouds when the hatch is first opened, so opening it and standing back for a minute is advisable. Any garden waste, such as stems and woody material, isn’t suitable to use in this compost bin if the aim is to produce compost in a period of weeks. However, the chief drawback is that this can’t be the only composting solution because the waste needs to be left for a period of a month or so without adding fresh material. This, therefore, necessitates either having two of these composters or an alternative composting solution. It comes with a three-year warranty. Alex David

Latest Deals

Lacewing Easy-Load Wooden Compost Bin

RRP: £84.99

Our rating: 4/5

Available from: Amazon (£62.98), Primrose (£54.99) and The Range (£62.99)

Lacewing easy load wooden compost bin

Reasons to buy:

Reasons to avoid:

The simple construction of this wooden compost bin allows for a whopping 718 litres of volume. It's made from slats to allow air circulation around the compost, and the front ones are removable, making filling up the bin much easier and allowing lots of room to get at the compost when it’s ready. However, I found that these wide gaps meant that it composts relatively slowly. Made from pressure-treated pine, the slats have a smooth, planed finish and are guaranteed against rot for 15 years. Alex David

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Harrod Horticultural Slot and Slide Wooden Compost Bin

RRP: £199

Our rating: 4/5

Available from: Harrod Horticultural (£210)

Harrod Horticulture slot and slide wooden compost bin

Reasons to buy:

Reasons to avoid:

Producing some of the best and fastest compost on test, this composter is for serious gardeners. It's designed to be modular, so you can add multiple units for extra capacity, and it's very sturdy as it's made of sustainably sourced wood with aluminium fittings. The planks slide out smoothly, so it's easy to add waste and remove compost. However, the lid isn't included, and this composter needs a lot of assembly with power tools, so if DIY isn't your bag, you may want to look elsewhere. Alex David

Garantia 400 Litre Thermo-King Composter

RRP: £94.99

Our rating: 3.8/5

Available from: Crocus (£94.99), Homebase (£87) and Robert Dyas (£86.99)

Garantia 400 litre Thermo King composter

Reasons to buy:

Reasons to avoid:

This plastic compost bin has a great 400-litre capacity. On test, its foamed plastic walls and carefully designed ventilation system helped it handle this volume quickly, producing excellent compost. It's made from 100% recycled materials and includes a wide two-part hinged hatch for easy filling. However, it's a little tricky to assemble. Alex David

Latest Deals

Thermo Compost Bin Komp 420

RRP: £208.88

Our rating: 3.8/5

Available from: Amazon (£183.82)

Thermo Komp 420 compost bin

Reasons to buy:

Reasons to avoid:

With a robust, sectional design and made from thick recycled plastic, this bin is easy to access thanks to a wide hinged lid. Insulated and vented sides help it compost quickly, and it's available in a range of sizes, from 250L to 700L (pictured). However, we found that it's fiddly to assemble without help, and it comes at a relatively high price. Alex David

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Aerobin 200L Composter

RRP: £199.99

Our rating: 3.8/5

Available from: Amazon (£199.95) and Water Butts Direct (£199.99)

Aerobin 200L composter

Reasons to buy:

Reasons to avoid:

I liked this high-tech compost bin, which, thanks to its internal ‘lung’ to circulate air and a rigid recycled plastic outer shell, produces compost quickly. It's easy to access, but the bin needs a regular supply of ready-mixed waste to maintain temperature, as well as a drainage hose, which isn't supplied. The leachate tank is also tricky to access. Alex David

Latest Deals

Forest Garden Beehive Composter 250L

RRP: £189.99

Our rating: 3.5/5

Available from: Amazon (£160.99), B&Q (£154.99) and Robert Dyas (£198.99)

Forest Garden Beehive composter 250L

Reasons to buy:

Reasons to avoid:

This attractive wooden, beehive-style compost bin makes a stylish feature in the garden. Made from FSC pressure-treated softwood, it arrives flat-packed, and took our tester a lengthy two hours to slot together and build. It has a hinged lid and a hatch at the base for accessing the compost, and tools, including a drill and screwdriver, are needed to attach both of these. The bin holds 250 litres of compost, although this is more accurately 230 litres when you allow for a gap at the top for air circulation. It’s easy to add material, as long as you’re strong enough to lift the lid with one hand. I fashioned my own prop to hold the heavy lid up while I worked, and it’s a shame that, given the price, one isn’t included with the bin, as it makes a massive difference to ease of use. It’s also awkward to harvest compost from the hatch as material needs to be regularly turned, and so you end up turning and using the compost at the top.

The quality of compost was as you would expect with a cold composting system of this size, and it took 18 months before I had a good crumbly mix. The bin is well aerated, and the secure lid prevents compost from getting soggy from the rain. The bin is also open at the bottom, so it’s ideal for placing directly on the soil, but this does mean that rodents can burrow up into the compost. The bin feels very durable once built, and it comes with a 15-year anti-rot warranty, which, as the wood is in direct contact with the damp ground, is reassuring. The build quality and looks of this bin are its best features, but it’s not for gardeners who lack strength or don’t want to spend time putting it together. Alex David

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Also tested: compost bins

Draper 180 litre compost tumbler

RRP: £123.90 (ex VAT)

Our rating: 3.3/5

Available from: Homebase (£141) and Robert Dyas (£104.99)

Draper Compost Tumbler 07212

Reasons to buy:

Reasons to avoid:

This 180L compost tumbler is easy to assemble and, with its wide opening hatch door, easy and quick to fill. Standing at 81cm tall, its upright style makes it a good compact choice for smaller gardens. However, that upright position did make it difficult to turn when full – it required quite some effort. This tumbler also needs to be positioned on a flat surface as there was only 10cm ground clearance when I turned the barrel to mix material.

Draper Compost Tumbler. Image: Jane Moore

The chamber is easy to empty by simply tipping the barrel into position, locking it in situ, and unloading the compost onto the ground, but the single chamber limited me to making one batch of compost at a time. There are some plastic prongs inside the chamber that aid with mixing and aerating the material, but these worried me as they could become hidden within the compost material and then cause injury. This tumbler has a sturdy polypropylene barrel and stand, with an unspecified metal handle and central pivot, and a one-year warranty. Jane Moore

If you're new to composting or would like more practical tips and information, see our guides on how to make compost and how to make a composting trench. We also have a handy trouble-shooting video on common problems with composting. For tested tools to help with the process, check out our guides to the best spades, electric garden shredders, border forks, gloves, wheelbarrows and best cordless mowers.

What materials are compost bins made of?

Compost bins come in a variety of shapes and sizes, and are made using different materials:

You can also make your own compost bin using wooden pallets or corrugated iron. Enclosing the sides will retain heat, which speeds up the rotting process – the larger the pile, the more heat. The ideal minimum size is 1m x 1m and, if possible, make more than one, so it's easier to turn the compost. For more help, take a look at our advice on how to build a compost bin and our guides to the best multi-tools, best cordless drills and best hammers, should you attempt to build your own.

How to choose the best compost bin

When choosing a compost bin, consider the size of your plot, the design of your garden and the amount of compost you'd like to produce.

What to put in a compost bin

Most garden material is compostable, including grass clippings, annual weeds, leaves of perennial ones (not roots, they’ll keep growing) and soft prunings. This ‘green’ material, as it’s often called, would become airless and soggy on its own, so for effective composting, mix with around the same amount by volume of ‘browns’ like chopped-up woody stems, brown cardboard and non-shiny paper. Raw vegetable scraps, teabags, coffee grounds and cut flowers can go in any type of bin, but cooked food, meat and fish must only go in an enclosed vermin-proof design.

Trouble shooting

Balance is key when adding materials to the compost bin, but if your heap doesn’t look quite right, follow these tips:

How we tested compost bins

The bins were assembled and sited according to instructions, and then tested over several months. They were given the required type of waste, and similar bins were given the same mix of waste at the same time. They were assessed throughout the testing period, using the following criteria, with equal marks attributed to each:

For more information on our testing process, take a look at 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 roundup was last updated in May 2026. We apologise if anything has changed in price or availability.

]]> Harry Duncton <![CDATA[The 12 best cordless lawn mowers in 2026 – as tested and rated by our reviews experts]]> https://www.gardenersworld.com/reviews/lawn-care/best-cordless-lawn-mowers/ 2026-07-14T15:09:07.000Z 2026-05-08T14:09:09.000Z

Jump to best mowers under £300

Jump to best mowers £300-500

Jump to best mowers £500+

Cordless mowers, once derided as weak, low-performance novelties, can do it all these days – some covering many hundreds of square metres in one charge, with plenty of power for when things get tough. Best of all, prices have really come within reach of the everyday gardener. Even my allotment association, once cynical about cordless mowers, has invested in two shiny models for hire… and the old petrol mowers have become the temperamental, tricky-to-start, high-maintenance poor relations.

But picking the right cordless mower for you can be tricky. That's why my colleagues and I at gardenersworld.com have pulled together this big list of the models available to buy in 2026 that we think really deserve a good look. We've tested them all thoroughly, and in strict accordance with our renowned testing matrix against these four critical factors: set up and storage; handling; mowing; and value for money.

Ryobi cordless mower on test. Image: Harry Duncton

Interested in other types of mower? Don't worry, we've also done thorough reviews of the best lawn mowers in general, the best robotic lawn mowers, the best electric lawn mowers and the best push mowers. We've loved testing these mowers, and we really do want to help you make the right choice for your needs – so read on, and happy shopping. Oliver Parsons

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Best cordless mowers to buy at a glance

Our 3 top-rated mowers, under £300

Our 4 top-rated mowers, £300-500

Also recommended, under £500

Our 2 top-rated mowers, £500+

Comparison table: best cordless mowers

Our expertise We reviewed the most popular cordless mowers on the market, putting them through their paces to bring you a list of the best. Each model has a detailed list of pros and cons for clarity and has been rated according to set up and storage; handling; mowing; and value for money. From 2026, you’ll only see newly awarded Best Buy badges on cordless mowers 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.

Ryobi cordless mower on test. Image: Harry Duncton

Jump to best mowers: 

Jump to mower-buying advice: 

Our best cordless mowers, under £300

Ryobi RLM18X33B50C

Our best lightweight cordless mower, under £300

RRP: £220

Our rating: 4.8

Available from: Ryobi (£219) and B&Q (£219)

Ryobi RLM18X33B50C

Reasons to buy

Reasons to avoid

This little mower assembles in just five minutes. Weighing just over 8.5kg with the battery in place, it’s extremely light and portable, making it great for just about anyone to use. The handle boasts a superbly comfortable soft grip and dual triggers for left and right-handed gardeners. You can set three different handle heights for different-sized users, too.

Ryobi RLM18X33B50C

The 33cm cut width makes this an ideal mower for small lawns. And the 25-65mm cutting height adjustment, although a bit fiddly to change, means you can mow to a precise height during the growing season.

You can use the included 18V, 5.0Ah battery in more than 200 different tools in the Ryobi range. I mowed for just over 30 minutes before it ran out of power, which is plenty of time for a small or even medium-sized garden. The 35L grass box will need emptying a lot on a larger lawn, though – but then, this is a small mower, so that goes with the territory. It includes a mulching plug, a “full” indicator on the grass box, and a safety key. Harry Duncton

RRP: £220
Cutting width: 33cm
Weight: 8.5kg
Type: push cordless
Charge time: 120 mins
Mowing area: 225 sq. metres
Cutting height range: 25-65mm
Grass box: 35L with fill indicator
Warranty: 3 years

Webb Electric Cylinder Mower WEV2012RB4

Our best cordless cylinder lawn mower

RRP: £249.99

Our rating: 4.8

Available from: Webb (£249.99) and Mower Magic (£250)

Webb Cordless Cylinder WEV2012RB4_BB

Reasons to buy:

Reasons to avoid:

The thing about this mower is that it’s a precision instrument compared with a standard rotary lawnmower. If your goal is to create a precision cut, ultra-short lawn with crisp stripes, but you don’t want to mess around with an expensive petrol mower, this is marvellous mower. And it’s affordable, too.

Setup and ease of use: Rather than a basic rotary mower, this little cylinder mower takes a fair bit of work to get it ready for its first cut. It comes in a surprisingly small box, meaning that more assembly is required compared to other mowers. The handle comes in several pieces that need to be bolted together, and the manual isn’t quite as user friendly as some others I’ve tested out. It took around 20 minutes to attach the handle, adjust the angle and wrestle the little grass collection box into place. But before the first cut can begin, the cylinder needs to be levelled and adjusted. It’s not difficult, but takes a fair bit of crouching down. Each side of the cylinder can be moved up and down in tiny 0.5mm increments with little handles, and the cut height in a similar manner.

Mower statistics: It’s not designed for cutting down overgrown grass like a rotary mower. The way the blades work are more like scissors, with each curved blade on the cutting cylinder passing close to a fixed bed knife. Because this is a roller mower, don’t expect it to tackle grass longer than a few centimetres. Unlike a rotary mower that sucks grass up into the blades, this does the opposite. If the grass on your lawn is long, you’ll need to cut it down first before this mower creates the best results. The cut height can be adjusted between 13–23mm, and the dual rollers in front and behind the cylinder are designed to create crisp, clean stripes in the lawn. It’s powered by a 20V, 4.0Ah battery that should run for up to 60 minutes, an impressive amount of mowing for any type of lawn mower.

The constant cylinder speed that comes from the electric motor is what makes this little cylinder mower better than a manual version. Where manual mowers rely on your walking speed to adjust the cutting speed, this one runs at a stable pace however fast or slow you go. The small grass collection bag sits on the front of the mower and can hold up to 18L. It might be the only weak link on this mower because the material feels quite thin.

Webb cylinder IRL 1

Top features: The handle has eight height positions to choose from, so it’s suitable for almost anyone to use, and the handles are easy to hang on to. Because of its short length and good balance, it’s easy to manoeuvre around the garden as well. Something I really like about this mower is its clever mix of traditional and contemporary technology. It looks and feels like a classic cylinder mower, but it’s powered by a highly modern battery system. Forget smelly petrol, this mower is powered by Webb’s new battery that comes with a special feature.

It’s charged via USB-C, which makes it incredibly handy. Rather than using a proprietary system that fills up valuable space, you could charge the battery up wherever you like. In the car, beside the bed, or even using a power bank. And what’s even better is that it comes with a 65W fast charger with three ports on it. A standard USB-A, a USB-C1, and a USB -C2. As a bonus, you can super-fast charge your phone with the included USB-C to USB-C cable. Overall, this is a fantastic cylinder mower for the price. The rollers flatten the grass without adding too much weight, it can cut grass really short, and the battery gives plenty of power and working time. An excellent garden tool from Webb. Harry Duncton

RRP: £249.99
Cutting width: 30cm
Weight: 12.5kg
Type: electric cylinder mower
Charge time: 80 mins (1 battery), 160 mins (2 batteries)
Run time: 60 mins
Cutting height range: 13-23mm
Grass box: 18L
Warranty: 3 years (machine), 2 years (battery)

Einhell RASARRO 36/34

Our best cordless lawn mower for ease of use, under £300

RRP: £283.95

Our rating: 4.8

Available from: Amazon (£308.95) and Toolstation (£299.99)

Einhell RASARRO 36/34

Reasons to buy

Reasons to avoid

Sporting a sturdy folding handle with three heights, ambidextrous controls, and a comfortable soft grip, the RASARRO arrives fully assembled straight from the box.

Einhell RASARRO 36/34

This mower's 34cm cut width is narrow enough to get into tight spots, but it can still mow a small lawn quickly enough. And with a cutting height from 25-65mm in five precisely labelled heights, you can be as accurate as you like. The 30L grass box has a “full” indicator on it, too. This mower comes with a pair of 18V, 3.0Ah batteries that provide 30 minutes of mowing time. The versatile batteries work in hundreds of other Einhell tools, which is always a bonus. Weighing in at a little over 12kg, it’s not the lightest mower, but it makes up for it by being sturdily made from solid materials. Harry Duncton

RRP: £283.95
Cutting width: 34cm
Weight: 12kg
Type: push cordless
Charge time: 60 mins
Run time: 30 mins
Cutting height range: 25-65mm
Grass box: 30L with fill indicator
Warranty: 3 years

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Our best cordless mowers, £300-500

Husqvarna Aspire LC34-P4A

Our best lightweight cordless mower, £300-500

RRP: £349

Our rating: 4.9

Available from: Husqvarna (£349)

Best Buy for ease of use 2023: Husqvarna Aspire LC34P4A

Reasons to buy:

Reasons to avoid:

This lightweight 34cm mower is part of the new Husqvarna Aspire cordless range, which includes a hedge trimmer, pruner and leaf blower, and it's powered by an 18V POWER FOR ALL ALLIANCE battery and charger. It's useful that these are interchangeable with tools in other leading brands such as Flymo, Gardena and Bosch, so if you also invest in tools in these ranges, you’ll only need to buy the bare tool and won’t have different batteries and chargers taking up space in the shed. Also, the two-year warranty on this mower is a good sign that the investment will last.

I found this mower great for small gardens for several reasons: the mower comes ready to go; there’s no assembly needed or handles to attach, and it folds down to a compact size when you’re finished, with a telescopic handle that folds completely flat over the body of the mower. It can then be stood up against a wall or hung up, and it even comes with a handy hook. The 30L grass bag also flattens down to take up very little room and can be hung on the mower. I liked the fact that the Aspire is so light, with a carry handle so that lifting it up steps or into other areas is easy, and it has an adjustable handle to suit different heights.

It’s comfortable and easy to manoeuvre around the garden and has just four cutting heights to choose from, ranging from 25-65mm, and they were easy to change with a single lever on the body of the mower. It cuts grass quietly and smoothly and has an automatic boost that increases blade speed when you’re mowing in tougher, longer areas, which works well. You can hear it kick in when you push the mower into longer grass, and unlike other cordless mowers that can cut out, it just carries on cutting the grass.

I also really liked being able to see the battery charge level while mowing, so I could gauge how much power there was left, and when the battery needed charging. Kay Maguire

RRP: £349
Cutting width: 34cm
Weight: 11.8kg
Type: push cordless
Charge time: 95 mins
Run time/Mow area: 500 sq. metres
Cutting height range: 25-65mm
Grass box: 30L
Warranty: 2 years

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COBRA MX4340VX

Our best push mower for larger gardens, £300-500

RRP: £329.99

Our rating: 4.8

Available from: Just Lawnmowers (£299.99) and Lawn and Power (£329.99)

Our best push mower for larger gardens, £300-500 – COBRA MX4340VX

Reasons to buy:

Reasons to avoid:

Ideal for larger lawns, this COBRA boasts a 43cm cut width and 25-75mm height adjustment in five steps. Assembly took just a few minutes, and no tools were necessary. Compared with some of the lightweight mowers I have tested, this one is substantial at 14.5kg and feels built to last.

COBRA MX4340VX

Its 40V, 4.0Ah battery provides the power. There are three adjustable handle heights for different-sized gardeners, and although you can’t adjust the handle length, this mower makes up for it with a very comfortable, grippy handle.

This feels like a more premium mower than some of the competition. There’s a mulching plug, a huge 50L grass box with fill indicator, and a sprung height adjustment control. And although there’s no safety key, the handle folds down neatly for storage. Harry Duncton

RRP: £329.99
Cutting width: 43cm
Weight: 14.5kg
Type: push cordless
Charge time: 85 mins
Run time: 45 mins
Cutting height range: 25-75mm
Grass box: 50L with fill indicator
Warranty: 2 years

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Webb WEV20X2LM47SPB4X

Our best self-propelled cordless mower for easy charging, £300-500

RRP: £399.99

Our rating: 4.5

Available from: Homebase (£419.99) and B&Q (£399.99)

Webb 47 CM cordless mower WEV20X2LM47SPB4X_BB

Reasons to buy:

Reasons to avoid:

A hugely powerful yet easy to handle lawnmower that’s perfect for medium to large size lawns. You’ll love the powered rear wheels and the versatile USB-C batteries, but you’ll need to buy two more to get the full runtime from this big mower.

Setup and ease of use: A substantial mower like the Webb WEV20X2LM47SPB4X luckily came fully assembled. I found the best way to get it out of the huge box was to cut one end off and roll it out. And that was about it. I charged the batteries, plugged them in and got on with mowing. First off, the build quality feels solid and it doesn’t rattle or bend anywhere. The large wheels help it glide over uneven terrain and the brushless motor provides enough power to mow through thick, wet grass.

I found this mower to be well balanced and blessed with a very comfy foam-like grip. The secret weapon behind this mower’s smooth action is the adjustable self-propelled drive system though. The rear wheels are powered to help take the effort out of pushing the mower around, from slow up to a fast walking pace. It means you can match the motor speed to your natural mowing pace, although the batteries drain quickly at full speed.

To maximise battery life, the power assist can be turned off. It makes pushing a little harder, but it’s not a chore. You might even just want to use the powered wheels to help mowing up slopes or on uneven ground. There are three ways to mow with this hefty machine. Firstly, there’s the large capacity 65L grass collection box. Or for leaving the cuttings on the lawn, a mulching plug can be installed. And lastly, a side discharge chute can be attached to the side of the cutting deck. This allows for faster mowing and less clogging in long, wet grass.

Webb 47 CM cordless mower IRL 2

Mower stats: The substantial 40V output this mower uses comes from a pair of 20V batteries. Supplied with a pair of 4.0Ah batteries that work in series, they provide plenty of power for both the blade and the rear wheels. The only downside I can see with this mower is the relatively short runtime. With the two batteries installed I managed around 20 minutes of mowing with the drive engaged at low speed. That’s not enough for a large lawn, especially if you want to go faster. The battery life extends to 30 minutes without assist, but it’s too heavy to push around manually all the time.

However, if you look inside the battery compartment there’s space for four batteries. By adding two more, it solves any runtime issues. By fully loading up the battery compartment, this mower can run for long enough to tackle large gardens with the powered wheels engaged. You can select from 30-75mm cutting height in seven steps. The sprung handle on the side of the cutting deck makes changing heights simple. It’s a good range to work long grass down over time to a manageable height. Any shorter and the wide deck could get caught on mounds or undulations.

Top features: I like the little control panel found on the top of the handle. You can see the charge level on all four battery slots at a glance, control the speed with the drive lever, and emergency stop the mower with the red power button. One of the best new features from Webb’s X-Series is how you charge the batteries. Forget proprietary chargers, Webb have embraced USB-C charging. So versatile that you’ve probably got several at home already, it’s a simple solution but a gamechanger for powered garden tools.

And when you’re not recharging the 4.0Ah batteries with the included 65W three-port plug, you can super-fast charge your phone instead. And because they’re USB-C they work in both directions: each battery works like a portable power bank, perfect for charging your devices at the bottom of the garden. This might be a big and heavy mower, but it stores away as small as possible. When you’re finished mowing, it stands up on its end and takes up barely any space at all. The quick release levers on the handle lock it into place at two different working heights, or flat for storage. Harry Duncton

RRP: £399.99
Cutting width: 47cm
Weight: 25.5kg
Type: electric self-propelled mower
Charge time: 80 mins (1 battery), 160 mins (2 batteries)
Run time/Mow area: 30 mins
Cutting height range: 30-75mm
Grass box: 65L
Warranty: 3 years (machine), 2 years (battery)

Worx Nitro WG749E 40V 46cm

Our best self-propelled cordless mower under £500

RRP: £449.99

Our rating: 4.8

Available from: Amazon(£604.24)

Best Buy value self-propelled mower: Worx Nitro WG749E

Reasons to buy:

Reasons to avoid:

This easy-to-use mower needs no assembly and has a quick-release, collapsible handle, so it’s very simple to store, even in a packed shed. One thing that really helped when I was testing this machine is that it stands up vertically, with the handle folded over and the front wheels in the air – that meant it only took up about a third of the usual floor space in storage.

The Nitro requires two 20V, 4Ah PowerShare batteries, which give a 40-minute run time, and it was a relief that the battery power level is clearly visible while you mow – it's such an important thing when you're tackling a large area of grass. The batteries and the charger are also interchangeable with all other Worx PowerShare tools. It offers seven cutting heights, 20-80mm, which are easy to adjust with a simple lever. It also has a cutting width of 46cm, making it ideal for medium-sized lawns.

I liked the mower's simple speed control, plus it adjusts its cutting power according to grass length and conditions, which helps save on battery. It has a safety key and a 55L collection bag, so there's plenty of room for the cuttings, but there's also a mulching option, so you can choose to let the cuttings fall back on the lawn to feed the grass rather than worry about emptying the bag. Considering the wealth of features this mower offers, this is a great-value option. It also has a three-year warranty, plus two more years if registered. Kay Maguire

RRP: £449.99
Cutting width: 46cm
Weight: 28.7kg
Type: self-propelled cordless
Charge time: 120 mins
Run time/Mow area: 40 mins
Cutting height range: 20-80mm
Grass box: 55L
Warranty: 5 years

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Also recommended, under £500

Greenworks GDG24LM33

Our best budget cordless mower for small gardens

RRP: £199.99 (with 2Ah battery)

Our rating: 4.5

Available from: Amazon (£117.99) and Greenworks (£129.99)

Best Buy budget cordless mower 2023: Greenworks-GDG24LM33

Reasons to buy:

Reasons to avoid:

I found this sturdy, great-value cordless mower easy to put together, well thought out, and simple to use – superbly suited to small gardens. Thanks to a padded handle, it's comfortable to push, although this could feel a little short for taller people, and it's light and easy to manoeuvre around trees and lawn edges.

There are five cutting heights to choose from, adjusted with the simple lift of a lever, and you can collect clippings in the 30L fabric grass bag or insert the mulching plug and leave them on the lawn to break down and feed the grass. It mowed well, helped in part by the specification of a long-lasting brushless motor, but it didn't like mowing very long grass. The battery cut out on me occasionally, but the decent runtime of 46 minutes made up for that a bit, and it charged in just two hours.

Plus, as part of the Greenworks 24V family, both the battery and charger are interchangeable with all the other tools in the range, saving you money if you invest in more Greenworks tools in the future. Kay Maguire

RRP: £199.99
Cutting width: 33cm
Weight: 9.5kg
Type: push cordless
Charge time: 120 mins
Run time/Mow area: 280 sq. metres
Cutting height range: 25-70mm
Grass box: 30L
Warranty: 3 years

Latest Prices

Stihl RMA 235

Our best push mower for a quality cut

RRP: £184 (bare tool)

Our rating: 4.5

Available from: Just Lawnmowers (£174) and Stihl (£184)

Stihl RMA 235 (2)

Reasons to buy:

Reasons to avoid:

The RMA 235 is a robust and well-engineered lawnmower. Weighing in at 13kg with the battery in place, it’s not the lightest 33cm mower, but that weight adds to the feel of quality. With its compact size and 25-60 mm cutting height in five steps, it’s ideal for small to medium-sized lawns. The handle lacks a comfortable grip, but the excellent ergonomics make it well-balanced and easy to manoeuvre.

Our best push mower for a quality cut: Stihl RMA 235

Although it doesn’t include some features like a safety key or a height-adjustable handle, it makes up for it on the lawn. The motor is powerful, and the cut quality is excellent. The curved blade underneath leaves a pleasantly clean cut. There’s no mulching plug, but it works well with the flap down anyway. And there’s a “full” indicator on the 30L rigid plastic grass box.

The RMA 235 doesn’t come with the recommended AK20 battery, which runs at 36V, 4.0Ah, but buying one separately with the charger comes to just under £360. It ran for almost 25 minutes on a single charge, which is plenty for a small lawn. Harry Duncton

RRP: £184 (bare tool)
Cutting width: 33cm
Weight: 13kg
Type: push cordless
Charge time: 150-180 mins
Mow area: 300 sq. metres
Cutting height range: 25-60mm
Grass box: 30L with fill indicator
Warranty: 5 years

LawnMaster CLMF4841E

Our best push mower for stripes

RRP: £329.99

Our rating: 4.5

Available from: LawnMaster/Cleva (£329.99) and Amazon (£329.99)

Our best push mower for stripes, under £300 – LawnMaster CLMF4841E

Reasons to buy:

Reasons to avoid:

The LawnMaster CLMF4841E is a lot of mower for the money. The 42cm cut width makes it suitable for larger lawns. The height and length adjustable handle with a soft grip make it ideal for gardeners of all shapes and sizes.

The LawnMaster CLMF4841E

Weighing in at 14kg, it’s not the lightest, but the extra weight helps the onboard roller to create stripes in the lawn. Supplied with a pair of 24V batteries and a matching pair of chargers, it will run for 25 minutes, and the safety key keeps it safe when not in use. This mower is a little unusual at this price point for having selectable power settings. Choosing from 1-3 or on auto, you can opt to save battery or crank up the rpm and tackle long, thick grass if you want. The battery charge level indicator on the handle is also useful, as is the “full” indicator on the 42L grass box. And it even stands up on its end to save space in the shed. Harry Duncton

RRP: £329.99
Cutting width: 41cm
Weight: 14kg
Type: push cordless
Charge time: 60 mins
Run time: 25 mins
Cutting height range: 22-72mm
Grass box: 42L with fill indicator
Warranty: 2 years

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Best Buy cordless lawn mowers tested before 2023, under £500

Our best cordless mowers, £500+

Ego LM1702E-SP 42cm self-propelled mower (kit)

Our best user-friendly self-propelled cordless mower

RRP: £619

Our rating: 4.5

Available from: Just Lawnmowers (£559) and Mowers Online (£559)

Best Buy self-propelled mower for smaller lawns: Ego LM1702E-SP

Reasons to buy:

Reasons to avoid:

This well-thought-through mower requires no assembly out of the box, so I was able to get mowing almost as soon as it arrived. It has a quick-release, telescopic handle, which offers a bespoke handle height and also makes it very easy to fold down and store.

Once folded, it can also be stood up vertically, so it took up even less space in my storage area. It offers a wide choice of cutting heights, 20-80mm, and the wider-than-average 42cm cutting width makes it ideal for mid-sized gardens. It runs on a 56V battery, which can mow 300 sq. metres on a single charge, and is compatible with other Ego Power+ tools. The battery level is also clearly visible whilst you mow.

There's a handy safety key that can be stored away from the mower to ensure only the user can operate it. It's easy to operate and handle, with easy speed control, a 55L grass bag, and even headlights. It comes with a five-year warranty. Kay Maguire

RRP: £619
Cutting width: 42cm
Weight: 24kg
Type: self-propelled cordless
Charge time: 80 mins
Run time/Mow area: 30 mins
Cutting height range: 25-80mm
Grass box: 55L
Warranty: 5 years (tool), 3 years (battery)

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Stihl RMA 448 RV rear roller cordless mower

Our best self-propelled cordless lawn mower for stripes

RRP: £829

Our rating: 4.5

Available from: Just Lawnmowers (£759) and Lakeland Power Tools (£797.99)

Best Buy self-propelled mower for larger lawns: Stihl RMA 448 RV rear roller cordless mower

Reasons to buy:

Reasons to avoid:

This distinctive mower is ready to use straight out of the box; only the grass box needs assembly, and this was pretty tricky. The unusual one-sided mono handle makes it easy to access the grass box, which makes a big difference when you are tackling a large lawn and emptying the clippings often. The handle also adjusts in height very easily, and it can be folded flat over the mower, making it easier to store. When I folded the mower up, I was able to stand it vertically with its front wheels in the air, so it saved a lot of space – always a good feature.

It lacks a safety key but has other good features, including speed control and a mulching option that's as simple as a flick of a switch. It has a cutting width of 46cm and offers a wide range of five cutting heights, from 15-60mm, so you can get a neat, tight clip. This is particularly useful as this mower also has a rear roller to create beautiful stripes on the lawn. It requires a 36V, 5Ah battery, which gives you enough power to mow a lawn up to 340 sq. metres on a single charge, plus there's space for a spare battery, if you have one. It's also compatible with all Stihl AK cordless tools, saving you money if you invest in the future. It comes with a two-year warranty. Kay Maguire

RRP: £829
Cutting width: 46cm
Weight: 30kg
Type: self-propelled cordless
Charge time: 150 mins
Run time/Mow area: 340 sq. metres
Cutting height range: 15-60mm
Grass box: 52L
Warranty: 5 years

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Best Buy cordless lawn mowers tested before 2023, £500+

The 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.

Stiga Collector 140e

RRP: £269

Our rating: 4.3

Available from: ManoMano (£239) and Just Lawnmowers (£239)

STIGA Collector 140e Kit

Reasons to buy:

Reasons to avoid:

A mower with a proud Italian bloodline, the STIGA Collector 140e Kit looks good and mows well too. Similar in design to the Mountfield Electress, it adds a couple of welcome extras like a comfortable grip and better fittings for the folding handle. It has a 38cm cut width and generous cutting height of 25-75 mm in five steps. The car-gearstick style cut height adjustment is handsome, and the soft grip handle and two handle height settings makes it comfortable to push around the lawn. It weighs a little over 11kg and the handle folds down for storage.

The power comes from two 20V, 4.0Ah batteries that provide around 25 minutes of runtime, more than enough time to fill the 40L grass collection box.  It’s about the right size grass box for a mower of this width. And it comes with a handy dual charger to juice up both batteries at once. This mower doesn’t boast a “full” indicator on the grass box or a mulching plug, but I found the motor is powerful enough to plough through long, damp grass without slowing down. It’s a solid little mower that comes with an impressive five-year warranty. Harry Duncton

RRP: £269
Cutting width: 38cm
Weight: 11kg
Type: push cordless
Charge time: 140 mins
Run time/Mow area: 25 mins
Cutting height range: 25-75mm
Grass box: 40L
Warranty: 5 years

Husqvarna LC 142iS self-propelled cordless lawn mower with battery and charger

RRP: £699

Our rating: 4.3

Available from: Husqvarna (£699)

Husqvarna LC 142iS

Reasons to buy:

Reasons to avoid:

This mower requires assembly on arrival, and I didn't find the instructions very clear. It's powered by a 36V Husqvarna system battery, which provides enough power to mow an area of 500 sq. metres. It has a 42cm cutting width and offers a range of seven heights of cut, from 25-75mm, which are simple to adjust. Overall, I found this mower easy to use, and it felt smooth and efficient when cutting; however, I'd have liked a speed control option as it feels a little slow, particularly on slopes. It comes with a two-year warranty. Kay Maguire

RRP: £699
Cutting width: 42cm
Weight: 22.5kg
Type: self-propelled cordless
Run time/Mow area: 100 mins
Cutting height range: 25-75mm
Grass box: 50L
Warranty: 2 years

Flymo EasiStore 340R KIT 2.0

RRP: £299 (kit)

Our rating: 4.3

Available from: Amazon (£216.60), Currys (£264) and Tooled-Up (£281.95)

2048x1365Flymo EasiStore 340R KIT 2_BOTR

Reasons to buy:

Reasons to avoid:

Setup and ease of use: Setting this cordless lawn mower up wasn’t too much of a chore. I did need to assemble the handle and its various bolts and levers, but it was the grass collection box that took the most time. The rigid box snaps together with various little tabs but getting them all to line up at once was a bit of a pain. However, once set up, this mower showed itself to be a highly capable machine with plenty of neat tricks up its sleeve. Starting with the big, comfy handle, it has safety levers on both sides for left or right-handed gardeners. In the middle of the handle is a little LED readout that displays the current charge level as well as a power button. You’ll need to keep an eye on the charge level too, as this version of the mower comes bundled with relatively small capacity batteries.

Mower stats: The 340R has a 34cm cut width which makes it well suited to small to medium size gardens. It’s a bit small for wide expanses of grass but means it can get into tight corners easily. The 35L grass box on the back is quite small, but features a handy full indicator that’s easy to see, unlike the dark one on the bigger UltraMow version. I found it nice and easy to manoeuvre, weighing just over 11kg with the batteries in place. Changing the cutting height from 20-60mm in five steps is easy with a little handle down by the front wheels. And inside the battery enclosure is a safety key for keeping it out of harm’s way. The only thing missing is a mulching plug.

I was really impressed by the power this little cordless lawnmower has. I mowed through plenty of long grass in my test garden and the blades didn’t bog down or stall. And if you like your lawn stripes, this is a pleasing little mower to play with. It’s not too noisy either, running at just under 90dB. I managed about 25 minutes of mowing before the batteries ran down. You get a pair of 18V, 2Ah batteries that work together to produce 36V of working power. Something I love about Flymo is that they have joined the impressive sounding POWER FOR ALL ALLIANCE. This means that you can use the same batteries in a range of brands, including Bosch and Husqvarna. So rather than splashing out on expensive kits, you can buy the tool only.

2048x1365Flymo EasiStore 340R KIT 2_IRL

Top features: It lives up to its EasiStore name rather well. It stands up on its end for storage, something I think is essential for all good mowers. And it solves the problem of where to store the grass box as well. There’s a hook on the underside of the handle that neatly stores the grass box. Locking the handle into forward position means you can wheel it around like a wheeled suitcase as well, which is preferable to picking it up every time you want to move it.

Now for the thing that I didn’t enjoy so much. The brilliant batteries are slowed down by low-speed chargers. These tiny little trickle chargers don’t take up much space, but you’ll be waiting 90 minutes for them to reach 100%. Not ideal if you have more than 150 sq. metres to mow per gardening session. But overall, this is a brilliant little lightweight and easy to store mower. The dual batteries are powerful; they work in a whole range of other tools and it’s not too loud during use. My only criticism is that it comes with annoyingly slow chargers. Harry Duncton

RRP: £299 (kit)
Cutting width: 34cm
Weight: 11.32kg
Type: push cordless
Charge time: 90 mins
Run time: 25 mins
Cutting height range: 20-60mm
Grass box: 35L
Warranty: 2 years (can extend to 3 years)

Stiga Collector 48 S AE self-propelled cordless lawn mower kit

RRP: £445

Our rating: 4.3

Available from: Just Lawnmowers (£399)

Stiga Collector 48 S AE Kit

Reasons to buy:

Reasons to avoid:

This mower was really simple to assemble, apart from the large 60L grass box, which needed a screwdriver and was fiddly. It has an impressively long-lasting steel deck, a cutting width of 46cm, and six cutting heights, from 22-65mm. It runs on a 48V battery, which is part of the Stiga ePower 48V System, and can cut 400 sq. metres in one charge.

Unfortunately, it takes a lengthy 220 minutes to charge. But I liked the fact that there's space on the mower for a spare battery if you have one, which is handy when you're stuck down the end of a long lawn with a flat battery in the main slot. It has an anti-scalping feature to help prevent lawn damage, but no speed control, so I found it a little slow. It comes with a generous five-year warranty. Kay Maguire

RRP: £445
Cutting width: 46cm
Weight: 25kg
Type: self-propelled cordless
Charge time: 220 mins
Run time/Mow area: 550 sq. metres
Cutting height range: 22-65mm
Grass box: 60L
Warranty: 5 years

Vonhaus 40V

RRP: £179.99

Our rating: 4

Available from: Argos (£180), B&Q (£179.99) and Robert Dyas (£189.99)

VonHaus_40V_

Reasons to buy:

Reasons to avoid:

A decent little mower for the money, this one is a good choice for small lawns. The 30L grass box fills up quickly, so the “full” indicator is an always useful, as is the mulching plug, which I almost always use. The handle folds down neatly, and although it doesn’t have a soft grip handle, it’s comfortable enough for most mowing sessions.

You can change both the handle height and length to five different settings, but it doesn’t get quite high enough if you’re on the tall side. The cut width is a smaller-lawn-happy 33cm, and the power comes from a single 40V, 4.0Ah battery that provides 25 minutes of work. Changing the cutting height from 25-65mm is achieved with a chunky handle.

Vonhaus 40V on test in a real garden. Image: Harry Duncton

I appreciated the light weight of just over 11kg; it makes it easy to store and move around the garden. On the downside, this extremely cheap mower lacks the premium feel of some others. It was easy to manoeuvre this mower around the lawn, but the motor bogged down when pushing into longer, damp grass. For regular maintenance mowing it would be ideal, though. Harry Duncton

Cutting width: 33cm
Weight: 11.5kg
Type: push cordless
Charge time: 60 mins
Run time/Mow area: 25 mins
Cutting height range: 25–65mm
Grass box: 30L with fill indicator
Warranty: 2 years

Mountfield Electress 38Li

RRP: £269

Our rating: 4

Available from: Amazon (£214.97) and Tesco (£179)

Mountfield_Electress_38Li_Kit

Reasons to buy:

Reasons to avoid:

This handsome little mower looks great with a curved body and racing-car inspired cut height adjustment handle. It feels premium and well balanced; however, it lacks a grip on the folding handle. The handle folds down for storage, but it’s held together by annoying butterfly bolts that don’t want to stay on. Fuelled by a pair of 20V, 4.0Ah batteries, there’s plenty of power when pushing through long grass. And when it comes to recharging, the dual charger handles both batteries at once.

2048_1365_Mountfield_Electress_38Li

The 38cm cut width makes it ideal for smaller lawns while the 25-75mm cutting heights in six steps mean you can dial in a precise lawn height. Weighing a little over 11kg, it’s light enough to carry around, but doesn’t stand up for storage. It ran for almost 25 minutes of mowing before needing a recharge, while the semi-rigid grass collection box picks up 40 litres at a time. There’s no “full” indicator or a mulching plug included, but it performs well on the grass, and I found the quality of cut to be clean and tidy. Harry Duncton

RRP: £269
Cutting width: 38cm
Weight: 11kg
Type: push cordless
Charge time: 140 mins
Run time/Mow area: 25 mins
Cutting height range: 25–75mm
Grass box: 40L
Warranty: 5 years

Greenworks 24V+24V 46cm SP self-propelled cordless lawn mower

RRP: £479.99

Our rating: 4

Available from: Amazon (£409.99) and On Buy (£479.99)

Greenworks 24V+24V lawn mower

Reasons to buy:

Reasons to avoid:

This mower took me a while to put together and is not as easy as some to store, as in order to fold the handle flat, you need to unscrew it almost completely. It also felt heavy and lacked a carry handle, making it difficult to get up steps or in and out of the shed. It has a cutting width of 46cm and offers seven cutting heights, from 25-80mm, which are easy to change, and a 55L collection bag. There's also the option to mulch the clippings or choose side discharge, which I found useful.

It requires two Greenworks 24V system batteries, which give enough power to cover an area of 480 sq. metres. It has a speed control, and, although it's slow, it felt comfortable to handle and was quiet to use. It's definitely good value for the features, and comes with a three-year warranty. Kay Maguire

RRP: £479.99
Cutting width: 46cm
Weight: 27.5kg
Type: self-propelled cordless
Charge time: 53 mins
Run time/Mow area: 480 sq. metres
Cutting height range: 25-80mm
Grass box: 55L
Warranty: 3 years

VonHaus 18V Mini Cordless Lawn Mower

RRP: £134.99

Our rating: 4

Available from: Amazon (£124.99) and Vonhaus (£129.99)

Vonhaus_mini_mower-BOTR

Reasons to buy

Reasons to avoid

If you’re short of storage space and you don’t have acres of lawn to mow, VonHaus have come up with a small but mighty solution. Lightweight and easy to handle, it’s ideal for gardeners with mobility issues.

Setup and ease of use: I was happy to find that the VonHaus mini cordless lawn mower comes almost ready to go, straight from the box. Apart from screwing on the handle and charging the batteries, there’s no assembly at all. This mower is radically different to most rotary mowers. Although over miniature mowers exist, this one feels like a proper mower, just shrunk down in size. What feels different is how you handle it. It’s more like using a hoover than a traditional mower.

There are a pair of large wheels on the front that take the weight, and two smaller wheels hidden underneath that control the cutting height. Because of the large front wheels, it can’t mow quite up to the edge of a wall or fence, but it gets close enough. To help reduce size, there’s no grass collection box to contend with. This is a mulching mower that leaves the grass cuttings behind on the lawn. And if you mow often enough, you don’t need to worry about collecting anyway. Although lightweight and manoeuvrable, I didn’t find it very comfortable to use. The handle has an automatic cut off feature when it’s raised to the upright position which kept turning it off when in tight spaces. This might be because I’m over six feet tall, so for slightly smaller gardeners it shouldn’t cause the same issue.

Vonhaus-mini-mower_IRL

Mower stats: This pint sized cordless mower is small but surprisingly mighty. It runs on VonHaus’s 18V battery system and is supplied with a 4.0Ah battery. It provides plenty of mowing power and up to 30 minutes of working time. Seeing as this mower is designed for small spaces, that’s more than enough run time. And you’ll want to make sure you mow everything in one go because it takes two hours to fully recharge the battery. It’s a bit on the slow side compared with other mower brands.

The cut width of 21cm isn’t going to mow a football pitch, but it’s ideal for tight corners and in-between bushes and shrubs. There are even three cutting heights to choose from between 25, 35 and 48mm. As you might expect, this mini mower doesn’t weigh too much either. At just a little under 5kg, it’s in reach of most gardeners and is easy to carry up steps or over low walls. But even though it’s light it still makes plenty of power. The little blade whips around at 6,000rpm and doesn’t stop too easily, even in longer grass.

Top features: The most obvious bonus of a mini mower is its size. If you have limited storage space or can’t cope with a big, heavy mower for your small lawn, this is an ideal solution. If, for example, your lawn is up several steps or you have an awkward patch of grass that’s hard to get to, this little mower will fill in the gaps for you. I like that even though this mower is tiny, it has a large and comfortable handle to hold on to. It makes it ideal for gardeners with limited mobility and allows for full control with just one hand.

The tiny little mowing blade underneath has two cutting edges. Compared with other micro mowers that rely on a single blade, this one should offer higher efficiency of cut. And the quality of cut is good too. Each blade cuts neatly through grass leaves without tearing. Another feature that will keep your neighbours happy is the lack of harsh noise this mower makes. Rated at 86dB, it’s not too loud and shouldn’t disturb them too much. And something this mower has that others lack is a safety key. Stowed away in the battery compartment, it won’t work unless the key is installed. This should keep small hands and curious children out of trouble. Harry Duncton

RRP: £134.99
Cutting width: 21cm
Weight: 4.9kg
Type: push cordless
Charge time: 120 mins
Run time/Mow area: 30 mins
Cutting height range: 25, 35 and 48mm
Grass box: mulching mower
Warranty: 2 years

WORX WG745E 40 Volt Lawn Mower

RRP: £359.99 (kit)

Our rating: 4

Available from: Amazon (£359.99) and B&Q (£359.99)

Worx WG745E NITRO cordless lawn mower

Reasons to buy:

Reasons to avoid:

A big and powerful dual battery mower, the WORX WG745E is a solid replacement for a petrol mower. It’s built to last, but lacks a few features; however, it just about lives up to its hefty price tag.

Setup and ease of use: Getting the WG745E ready for its first cut isn’t a huge chore. All I needed to do was attach the handle, charge the batteries and get to work. I particularly like the comfy, foam-like handle. It’s easy to grip onto and helps to reduce any vibrations sent up from the motor. Happily, the brushless motor on board doesn’t produce much vibration anyway. This mower is designed to make short work of larger lawns. It’s quite well balanced between the handle and motor end, but its wide cut width and long length make it hard to get into tight corners and between shrubs. The batteries live inside an enclosure that keeps them free of dirt and grass clippings, but it lacks a safety key. Designed to keep curious fingers away from a powerful tool like this, it’s a shame that it hasn’t been included.

The batteries both have charge level indicators on them, and down near the battery compartment is another one to test the overall charge level. It’s not visible all the time, but much easier than taking both out to check how much juice is left. When it comes to storing the mower away, it just about stands on its end. The problem is that it uses the nice soft grip handle as a support, which will probably get damaged over time.

Mower stats: This brushless lawn mower has an impressive range of cutting heights from 25–80mm in six stages. The 41cm cut width makes it ideal for medium to large gardens, but you do lose a bit of manoeuvrability. Weighing 15.3kg with both batteries installed, it’s not the lightest mower I’ve tested, so carrying it up steps or over obstacles could be an issue for some gardeners. Something that does work in its favour, though, is the height-adjustable handle. By loosening the lower handle, you can choose between three working heights to suit gardeners of different sizes.

There are two ways to deal with grass clippings left behind. The first is via the 50L grass collection bag. It has a rigid top and fabric underneath and comes with a handy grass box full indicator flap as well. The collection box folds flat for storage. Secondly, if you want to drop the cuttings back into the lawn, it comes with a mulching plug that replaces the bag. I was impressed with how long this mower cuts for before needing a charge. It can mow for up to 45 minutes on a single charge, provided the grass isn’t damp or too long. That’s plenty of time to mow up to 600 sq. metres.

Another bonus is the dual-battery charger included with the pair of 20V, 4.0Ah batteries. It means you can charge them both at the same time, but be prepared for some downtime, as a full charge takes 2 hours. And bear in mind that to make this mower run, it needs both batteries installed to make the 40V working power.

WORX_WG745E_40_Volt_Lawnmower_IRL

Top features: A real positive feature of this lawn mower is the wide range of cut heights available. Easy to change with the big sprung handle, you can drop the height of your grass gradually to avoid shocking it. The highest setting of 80mm is generous, while the lowest setting of 25mm will leave the lawn looking neat and tidy. WORX has put a lot of thought into making the WG745E as energy-efficient as possible. To counter the heavy weight, the brushless motor squeezes every bit of power out of the included batteries.

Coupled with a variable speed motor that detects grass resistance, the mower changes blade speed to avoid using too much battery power. When pushing through damp or thick grass, the mower speeds up, but not for too long. And because this mower comes with a pair of large-capacity 4.0Ah batteries, you can add them to your collection. WORX make a vast range of DIY and garden tools that all work on the same battery platform, so this is a good investment for someone starting or building a WORX tool collection. Harry Duncton

RRP: £359.99 (kit)
Cutting width: 41cm
Weight: 15.3kg
Type: self-propelled cordless
Charge time: 120 mins
Run time/Mow area: 45 mins
Cutting height range: 25-80 mm
Grass box: 50L
Warranty: 5 years

Greenworks MO48L422‑01

RRP: £294.99

Our rating: 4

Available from: B&Q (£289.99) and Tooled-Up (£289.95)

Greenworks MO48L422-01

Reasons to buy:

Reasons to avoid:

This is a mighty mower that sits well on medium-sized lawns but might not be ideal for a tiny garden. The generous 41cm cut width means you can mow in fewer passes, but it’s not the most manoeuvrable of mowers on our list. One of my favourite things about this mower is on the handle, with its ambidextrous controls.

Greenworks MO48L422-01 on test. Image: Harry Duncton

Set-up took less than 10 minutes as half of the handle is already attached, and it comes with almost all the features you’d want on a mower like this. There’s a mulching plug and a “full” indicator on top of the 40L grass box. The only thing missing is a safety key inside the battery compartment. Inside the compartment, the mower is powered by a pair of beefy 24V, 4.0Ah batteries. The power is impressive and I managed to mow for around 40 minutes before needing to recharge.

Changing the cut heights is made easy as the deck is spring- loaded. Pressing the green button on top of the deck unlocks the deck where you can choose from 30-80mm in six steps. Harry Duncton

RRP: £294.99
Cutting width: 41cm
Weight: 15.5kg
Type: push cordless
Charge time: 120 mins
Run time/Mow area: 40 mins
Cutting height range: 30–80mm
Grass box: 40L with fill indicator
Warranty: 3 years (mower), 2 years (battery)

Flymo 36V UltraMow Duo 460

RRP: £449.99 (kit)

Our rating: 3.8

Available from: from Amazon (£297.80), Currys (£409) and Wickes (£450)

2048x1365Flymo UltraMow Duo 460_BOTR

Reasons to buy:

Reasons to avoid:

Setup and ease of use: Setting up for the first mow was simple. All I needed was a Philips screwdriver to connect the handle to the telescopic shaft. This infinitely adjustable handle also makes it comfortable for users of all heights.

Mower stats: A sleek, black lawnmower that looks muscular and aerodynamic, Flymo have gone for a futuristic finish in their flagship mower, the 36V UltraMow Duo 460. Cutting a 46cm swathe, it’s just right for medium gardens up to 375 sq. metres with a pair of 2.5Ah batteries included. You can change the cut height setting from 25-65mm in five steps with a little button on top of the mower body. And the grass collection box holds 50L of clippings. There’s a handy full level indicator on top of it, but because it’s a black flap on a black background, it’s not the easiest to see.

The rear wheels are huge – measuring 25cm in diameter. However, the front wheels are tiny. Pushing the mower through long grass was a bit of a chore and a few sticks and leaves got stuck in the plastic surrounding the mini front wheels. Another thing that doesn’t quite add up is the size of the batteries included with this mower. A big, capable 36V mower is necessarily power hungry, especially when it needs to spin two separate blades.

So, I’m not sure if this version supplied with small 2.5Ah batteries is such a good idea. I was only able to mow for around 20 minutes before needing to recharge. Luckily, I had a pair of big 4Ah batteries to hand and managed a good 40 minutes of mowing with those on board. I recommend splashing out on the other kit with a pair of 4Ah batteries for maximum mowing capabilities. The batteries live inside a compartment on the chassis with a flap to cover them. They slide in with a clunk, next to the big grey safety key that disables the mower when not in use. It’s good to see a fast charger included, but only one is included. It means that once the 20 minutes of mowing is up, you’ll be charging for two hours before getting back out onto the lawn.

I don’t want to detract from the brilliance of the POWER FOR ALL ALLIANCE though. Flymo have teamed up with the likes of Bosch and Husqvarna to share battery technology. It means that the same battery in this mower can be used in hundreds of other tools. Buying into this is a clever investment for all sorts of gardeners.

2048x1365Flymo UltraMow Duo 460_IRL_1

Top features: This a cordless lawnmower with a big benefit hidden underneath its chassis. Instead of a single rotary blade, it uses a pair of smaller blades. These smaller blades reach almost to the very edge of the lawnmower, meaning less grass is left behind at the base of fences and walls. It also promises to create a strong vacuum under the blades, pulling grass up for an even cut, a bit like a barber’s comb. The smaller blades rotate more quickly, providing a finer mulch than a single rotary blade can.

The angular handle gives you plenty of different ways to hold this mower, and the charge level indicator shows battery the battery life left. Oddly, it doesn’t stay on during mowing and only shines for a few seconds after starting up the mower. To check, I needed to stop and start the mower again. There’s a little boost button on the handle to help when the grass gets thick. It increases the rpm for a few seconds to ensure no grass is left uncut. A useful feature if you’re blessed with patches of stubborn weeds and thick grasses.

Something that Flymo have done right across their range of cordless lawn mowers is folding down for storage. The handle locks into place, which is great for pulling the mower around like a wheeled suitcase. Weighing just over 16kg, it’s useful when pulling up steps or out of the shed. And, because it stands up on its end, it takes up minimal floor space. When it was time to empty out the collection bag, the opening is a bit too narrow. Grass became easily clogged in this section and the extra “tongue” at the entrance is only held on by plastic clips. This fell off a couple of times when emptying the bag, so I’m not sure if I’d keep it for long.

Overall, this is a powerful and innovative cordless lawnmower from Flymo. It had enough torque to push through thick grass and weeds, especially with the turbo button engaged. The tiny front wheels struggled a bit on uneven grass though and the pair of 2.5Ah batteries just didn’t power it for long enough. If you upgrade to the kit with a pair of 4Ah batteries, this is a handy mower, but it really should be at this price. Harry Duncton

RRP: £449.99 (kit)
Cutting width: 46cm
Weight: 16.7kg
Type: push cordless
Charge time: 60 mins (per battery in rapid charger)
Mowing area: 375 sq. metres
Cutting height range: 25-65mm
Grass box: 50L
Warranty: 2 years (can extend to 3 years)

Flymo 36V EasiHover 300

RRP: £299.99 (kit)

Our rating: 3.5

Available from: Argos (£300), Currys (£299) and Wickes (£300)

2048x1365Flymo 36V EasiHover 300_BOTR

Reasons to buy:

Reasons to avoid:

A radically different but still familiar type of lawnmower, the Flymo EasiHover 300 is a capable, lightweight and easy to use garden power tool. It’s the first cordless collector hover mower they’ve produced. It works well in some areas, but struggles in others.

Setup and ease of use: Before mowing, I needed to attach the handle to the chassis. It was easy enough but bear in mind you need a Philips head screwdriver to complete the job. The handle is comfortable, features an ambidextrous safety trigger, and telescopes in and out. It makes it ideal for gardeners of any height.

Changing the cutting height is nowhere near as easy as a standard wheeled mower. Rather than simply moving a handle, you need to remove the blade assemble and add spacers to the underside of the mower. It comes with a special wrench tool, but it’s not a job I’d like to do often. It’s fine if you only ever cut to one height anyway.

2048x1365Flymo 36V EasiHover 300_IRL

Mower stats: I was really impressed by how light the mower is. Weighing just under 10kg with both batteries in place is quite a feat. Compared with a wheeled version, it’s remarkably easy to pick up and carry around. And what makes it even easier is the inclusion of a little roller underneath. Hover mowers have one distinct advantage over their wheeled rivals. Once switched on, the curtain of air underneath makes pulling and pushing effortless. Flymo recommend not strafing side to side as it interferes with grass collection, but it still works if you need to get into a tight spot.

It’s an ideal cordless mower for anyone with mobility issues, and the hover action even works on slopes. It’s a clever alternative to a self-propelled lawnmower with a 20L grass collection basket that pops out of the mower chassis. It doesn’t quite cut to the edges as the hover skirt is wider than on wheeled mowers. One drawback of the hover action, in my test garden at least, is the dust that flies out all over the place. If you have nice soil that retains moisture it’s not a problem, but the fine dusty topsoil on my test lawn went everywhere.

Powered by a pair of big 4Ah batteries, the EasiHover 300 is a power-hungry piece of kit. It needs these mighty batteries to keep it off the ground during mowing. I managed around 15 minutes of mowing before the batteries were completely drained. It will cut up to 100 sq. metres, which isn’t a particularly large lawn, but the real problem starts with recharging. You get two high capacity 4Ah batteries, which is great, but they’re supplied with annoyingly slow trickle chargers. They can take up the three hours to recharge, which is not great. Faster chargers are available, but you’d need to buy them separately.

Top features: On the plus side, there’s a huge advantage of choosing this mower. The POWER FOR ALL ALLIANCE means that the included 18V batteries work in tools from Bosch, Gardena, Husqvarna and more. It’s a great thing knowing that you can buy into a massive range of tools with just one battery type. And when it’s time to stow the EasiHover 300 away, Flymo have thankfully designed this mower so that it stands up on its end. It makes storage a lot easier, and you can lock the handle in place for pulling it around, a bit like a wheeled suitcase. Harry Duncton

RRP: £299.99 (kit)
Cutting width: 30cm
Weight: 9.7kg
Type: hover cordless
Charge time: 120 mins
Run time: 15 mins
Cutting height range: 10-30mm
Grass box: 20L (vacuum-powered collection)
Warranty: 2 years (can extend to 3 years)

Other best of the rest cordless lawn mowers, tested before 2025

What are the benefits of a cordless lawn mower?

There are a variety of benefits to buying a cordless lawn mower in comparison to the more traditional petrol or electric models, including:

How to choose the best cordless lawn mower

Testing the fold on a lawn mower. Kay Maguire; Imagine

Your budget and the size of your lawn will be pivotal in deciding which brand and model of cordless lawn mower best suits your needs. Think about the following points before you buy:

How long will the batteries last?

Changing the battery on a cordless lawn mower. Kay Maguire; Imagine

How long the battery lasts on a single charge depends on the model, the terrain and mowing conditions on the day and some mowers have an eco or power saving mode to help extend the battery life. A battery can take anywhere from 45 minutes to over two hours to charge, although lithium-ion batteries can be used when partly charged if you're in a rush. Always check the charge time, too, as these can also vary widely. Many brands have fast chargers, which are usually available separately but can cut the waiting time down considerably and are useful if you need to get back to the job quickly.

Lithium-ion batteries typically last between three and five years (or 500 charges) before they need replacing. Always check with the manufacturer if they will take back their batteries for recycling rather than putting them into landfill.

How does the weather affect your lawn’s growth rate?

Different weather conditions will speed, slow, or even stop grass growth, and therefore, how often you need to mow. Find out how it works here:

Hot, dry weather
During hot and dry spells, in which the daytime temperature is consistently at 25°C or above, grass growth tends to slow down significantly. The lack of moisture and high temperatures dry out the soil, making it difficult for grass to absorb the water it needs. Lawns may turn brown and become dormant, conserving energy until conditions improve. Don’t worry, though. The roots will still be perfectly healthy and will put on strong growth as soon as the rain comes back and temperatures decline. Mowing is required less often during these periods; you may find that this period of time extends to several weeks.

Warm, wet weather
When the weather is warm and wet, with daytime temperatures around 18 to 24°C, grass can grow very quickly. Warm temperatures combined with regular rainfall create ideal conditions for rapid growth. Lawns often need to be mown more frequently, sometimes as often as twice a week, to keep them looking neat and healthy. Don’t try to cut more off each time with infrequent mowing – this will stress the machine and your lawn, and lead to clumpier, patchier growth.

Dry, cold weather
In dry, cold conditions, with daytime temperatures lower than 8 °C, grass growth slows dramatically. Low temperatures put grass into a state of dormancy, and the lack of rain means the soil is often too dry to support new growth. Lawns will require little to no mowing during these periods.

Wet, cold weather
Wet, cold weather also slows grass growth. While the soil remains moist, low temperatures prevent the grass from actively growing. The ground may become waterlogged, making mowing difficult and risking damage to the lawn and your mower. If you do need to mow during a period such as this, wait until a dry afternoon when the grass is dry enough to be cut and collected without clogging up the mower.

Top tips for mowing your lawn

Checking the cutting deck on a lawn mower

  1. Mow when it’s dry. If you mow when the ground is sodden it can lead to compaction, the mower will smear and rut the soil and wet grass clippings will clump and smother your lawn
  2. Remove any obstacles. Make sure furniture is moved off the lawn to make it easier to mow, and check for any items in the lawn that could damage the blades
  3. Adjust the cutting height of your mower and aim to only reduce the lawn height one-third every time you mow
  4. Start around the edge so you can clearly see how much lawn needs mowing. Then mow up and down in straight lines, overlapping slightly, to achieve a neat finish
  5. Empty the clippings bag regularly so material doesn’t build up around the mower blades. You can compost them or deposit them in small piles around the garden, such as at the back of borders, to help earthworms. To compost your grass clippings, see our review of the best compost bins
  6. For a neat finish, re-cut your lawn edges each spring with a half-moon tool and trim overhanging grass after mowing with edging shears. To keep edges looking neat, browse our pick of the best strimmers, garden shears, and lawn edging

If your lawn needs a bit more attention, our experts have tested a range of the best manual and powered aerators and scarifiers. And if you're thinking about somewhere to store your new mower, our comprehensive guide to choosing the best garden shed will be helpful.

Why you can trust Gardeners' World reviews

As trained gardeners and seasoned users of all sorts of garden tools, Kay Maguire, myself, and the rest of the team at BBC Gardeners' World Magazine reviewed literally shedloads of lawn mowers over the years, using our trusted testing matrix to make sure we're giving balanced, fair judgements.

We test lawn mowers in varied, real-world conditions, cutting the sort of grass most of us actually have in our gardens. 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 mower week in and week out. We 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

How we test the best cordless lawn mowers

When we test cordless mowers, we follow the whole process from start to finish without any shortcuts. We unpack the mower from the box, put it together following the instructions (sometimes these are clear as mud, sometimes not!), and then get started, cutting grass over a wide area.

We mow over rough grass, smoother grass, slopes and bumps – whatever is in our way – just as you would with your own mower. And after that, we also take notes on how easy the mower is to fold down and put away, because if a mower is annoying in that regard, you'll always hate using it.

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

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.

]]> Cinead McTernan <![CDATA[The best 9 garden hoses in 2026, as tested and reviewed by our experts]]> https://www.gardenersworld.com/reviews/tools/watering/best-garden-hoses/ 2026-06-08T09:30:49.000Z 2026-05-06T11:20:12.000Z

Jump to our 3 top-rated expandable garden hoses

Jump to our 4 top-rated garden hose reels

Jump to our 2 top-rated bare garden hoses

A hose is an essential bit of kit for a gardener. It makes the daunting task of watering your garden much easier when you don't have to heave a heavy watering can backwards and forwards from the tap.

There are a huge range of garden hoses available to buy:

Hozelock_Wonderhose_30m_IRL

In general, hosepipes are constructed with layers of vinyl, polyurethane and rubber, often reinforced with nylon or metal mesh. Expandable hoses feature a tough, woven fabric outer layer that allows them to expand and contract. On the whole, cheaper hoses have fewer layers, which affects their strength and durability over time. Rubber hoses kink easily and can even get in a tangle, whereas expandable hoses, with their fabric outer layers, are designed to be anti-kink and anti-knot.

And while it's great to have all these options, it can also be overwhelming if you're not sure which type of hose will work best for you. That's why our experts have tested a wide range of hoses and put together a guide on how to choose the best hose. Check out our garden hose guides and product reviews below to help you make the right decision.

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Our best garden hoses to buy at a glance

Our 3 top-rated expandable garden hoses

Our 4 top-rated garden hose reels

Our 2 top-rated bare garden hoses

Comparison table: best garden hoses

Our expertise

The BBC Gardeners' World Magazine team tested a range of hoses, using them through the year in different gardens and situations to see how they fared. Each hose in our review has a detailed list of pros and cons and has been rated according to preparation & storage, handling & performance, quality & features, and value for money. From 2026, you’ll only see newly awarded Best Buy badges on hoses 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. Every hose in our round up below has scored a minimum rating of 3.5/5, so you can buy with confidence.

Jump to best hoses:

Jump to hose advice:

Our 3 top-rated expandable garden hoses

Robert Dyas Extendable 30m hose

Our best expandable garden hose for performance

RRP: £37.99

Our rating: 4.8 out of 5

Available from: Robert Dyas (£27.99)

Robert Dyas Extendable 30m hose

Reasons to buy:

Reasons to avoid:

It's great that this lightweight extendable hose comes with connectors and a seven-dial spray gun, both of which you have to buy separately with many of the other hoses I tested. When I filled the hose with water, it expanded up to 30m, or three times its length, retracting back to its original size in next to no time when the tap was turned off. It's made from hard-wearing materials, with the combination of polyester outer and rubber-like inner tube. The woven fabric also prevents the hose from getting tangled up when you unwind and use it. The only less durable elements are the plastic universal connectors that won’t last as long as brass alternatives.

The spray gun has seven settings, making it extremely versatile. It can tackle anything from gentle watering tasks with the mist spray, to more vigorous jobs that require a single jet of water, such as cleaning outdoor furniture, cars and windows. This hose is the cheapest I tested, and as the spray gun is included, I'd say it represents great value. Although there isn’t a warranty, Robert Dyas will offer an exchange or refund if it develops a fault within a year, as long as you can provide proof of purchase. Cinead McTernan

Read the full review of the Robert Dyas Extendable 30m hose

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Hozelock Superhoze Expandable 30m Hose

Our best expandable garden hose for durability

RRP: £78.99

Our rating: 4.8 out of 5

Available from: OnBuy (£63.99) and Wickes (£52)

Our best expandable garden hose for durability: Hozelock Superhoze 30m expandable hose

Reasons to buy:

Reasons to avoid:

I found this expandable hose easy to use in a small garden. Because it shrinks to a third of its length when empty, it's also convenient to store when not in use, making it good for small gardens, patios and balconies. It comes with two easy-to-attach universal connectors and one nozzle, and it's compatible with Hozelock’s range of hose ends and accessories, which can be bought separately. The hose comes in a range of lengths, including 7.5m, 15m and 40m. I also liked that you can attach two expandable hoses together - though you’ll have to buy a special connector - useful if you have a big garden.

The Superhoze can produce anything from a fine mist spray to a powerful jet of water, giving it real versatility whether you’re watering plants in pots or cleaning the car. It's lightweight and tough, with a five-year warranty. Another good point is that the packaging uses 100% recycled materials and water-based ink, so it can be composted or recycled. Cinead McTernan

Read the full review of the Hozelock Superhoze expandable 30m hose

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Hozelock Wonderhoze 30m

Our best expandable hose for flexibility

RRP: £82.49

Our rating: 4.8 out of 5

Available from: Amazon (£57.99), Ebay (£68.89) and ManoMano (£64.99)

Hozelock_Wonderhoze_(3)_Large

Reasons to buy:

Reasons to avoid:

The Wonderhoze is perfect for those who can’t manage a hose reel or don’t want the clutter and space that a hose reel takes up. This flexible hose is distinctly floppy when not in use, but the fabric shell is like a concertina, and the 12.5mm hose expands in use up to 30m, three times its original length. It’s very handy that it comes out of the box ready to use, with a spray gun with five different settings and a universal, multi-size tap attachment, so you can literally pop it on and get watering. I like the fact that it’s lightweight and incredibly flexible, which, in use, is kind to plants where it brushes up against them.

Hozelock Wonderhose 30m

It’s slightly unwieldy to handle, as it’s so very flexible. When not in use, I wanted to put it away or hang it on a hook; otherwise, it’s left as a messy pile on the floor. It comes with a five-year warranty, and the 30m length is easy and comfortable to use and covers a good portion of my garden. Jane Moore

Buying an expandable hose - video

Follow our guide to choosing the right expandable hose for your garden

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Our 4 top-rated garden hose reels

Claber Kiros Kit 20m

Our best garden hose reel for versatility

RRP: £53.14

Our rating: 4.8 out of 5

Available from: Amazon (£52.90)

Claber Kiros Kit 20m

Reasons to buy:

Reasons to avoid:

This is a very neat, compact and low-key hose reel which comes neatly boxed, complete with spray nozzle and a universal, multi-size tap fitting. The black and silver hose, the Claber Silver Elegant Plus, has a 12.5mm bore, which makes for a good volume of water. It’s very smart, and the subdued colour doesn’t shout in the garden.

Claber_kiros_IRL

While you can fit it to the wall, the brackets look a bit lightweight, and there’s no need, as the reel runs freely when pulling it out, but also winds in nicely without tipping or dragging on the ground. I like the fact that you can attach the handle on either side and that the hose reel works exactly the same each way round. It’s easy to carry, featuring a snap-on grip which is great for wet hands, and has a two-year warranty. Jane Moore

Hozelock Pico Reel

Our best mini hose reel

RRP: £59.99

Our rating: 4.8 out of 5

Available from: Tooled Up (£38.95), OnBuy (£42.24) and Wickes (£35)

Our best mini hose reel: Hozelock Pico hose reel

Reasons to buy:

Reasons to avoid:

I found this tidy hose compact, lightweight and good value. It's useful that the hose comes completely assembled and ready to use: all that's required is to screw on the connector to your tap and clip on the hose. It's as easy as that. You can clip either end to the tap, so the reel can stay by the tap, or you can carry it with you, unwinding/winding the hose as you go. It has the advantage of both ends of the hose clipping upright onto the reel, preventing drips or dribbles when stored.

It's easy to rewind, with a large, comfortable-to-grip, rotating winding knob, and it has handy features such as drip-free storage with a parking port. There’s also an easy-to-use and adjustable spray gun with five spray pattern options. Plus, this hose comes with an impressive five-year warranty. Cinead McTernan

Read the full review of the Hozelock Pico hose reel

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Hozelock Fast Reel

Our best larger hose reel

RRP: £148.99

Our rating: 4.5 out of 5

Available from: ManoMano (£144.99), OnBuy (£143.40) and Tooled Up (£106.95)

Our best larger hose reel: Hozelock Fast Reel

Reasons to buy:

Reasons to avoid:

The Hozelock Fast Reel is supplied with an extra section of feeder hose already cut with connectors attached, so it's pretty much ready to go. You just need to clip the winding handle into place, which I found an easy task. The automatic self-layering feature on this hose made it extremely quick for me to wind and unwind, even though it's a very long hose. The casing fully encloses the hose and feels both sturdy and stable.

Given that 40m of hose is weighty and bulky, it’s best suited to gardens where the hose can be kept in one place for the season. If you have to move it, it does have non-drip storage features, so it can be stored under cover. Like all hoses, it needs draining and storing indoors over winter to avoid frost damage. This was the heaviest and priciest hose I tested, but it does come with a five-year guarantee. Cinead McTernan

Read the full review of the Hozelock Fast Reel

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Hozelock Auto Reel Mobile 35m

Our best portable hose reel

RRP: £247.99

Our rating: 4.5 out of 5

Available from: Amazon (£193) and Wickes (£220)

Best Buy portable garden hose reel: Hozelock Auto reel mobile 35m

Reasons to buy:

Reasons to avoid:

If you’ve ever struggled with a kinking, twisting hose or a reel that’s constantly toppling over, then this is the reel for you. The 35m anti-UV hose is housed within a sturdy portable case that you can wheel around the garden with ease. The handle is adjustable to suit your height and collapses down for storage, and I found it helpful that this product also has a folding kickstand to help it remain stable in use. It can then be tucked away for easy wheeling and storage. The hose was easy to pull out, and there’s a braking mechanism to keep it controlled and to lock it in place once you’ve got as much as you need.

Once I'd finished, I simply tugged the hose out another 25cm, and it automatically rewound into the case. There’s no handle to wind and no tangling. Five metres of feeder hose are included, giving you 35m in total, plus all the connectors you need, including hose-end and water-stop connectors, and threaded tap connectors of 21 and 26mm. There’s also a spray gun with the choice of three sprays: fine rose, jet and cone.

Although this is very easy to wheel around once built, it does weigh 17kg, and I found this noticeable when putting it together. There’s quite a lot to assemble, including attaching the wheels, handle and accessory basket, and this requires a screwdriver and about 30 minutes of your time. Until the wheels are attached, it’s heavy to lift and move around, and it’s all low down on the ground, so it may not be for the less able gardener. This reel is also one of the most expensive I've tested, but it's very well designed, with lots of storage for the feeder hose and accessories, it feels durable and sturdy and is backed up by a five-year warranty (when registered online). If you use a hose on a regular basis, this is ideal. You definitely get what you pay for, and this hose is well worth considering for the sheer ease of use. Cinead McTernan

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Our 2 top-rated bare garden hoses

1: Hozelock Ultimate hose

Our best premium hose

RRP: £51.99

Our rating: 4.8 out of 5

Available from: Amazon (£51.93)

Our best premium hose: Hozelock Ultimate hose

Reasons to buy:

Reasons to avoid:

I found the Hozelock Ultimate very easy to use. It's weatherproof, UV-resistant, and frost-protected, and it can withstand a range of temperatures from -20°C to 40°C. Constructed from five layers, including reinforced material, the Hozelock Ultimate has a smooth inner layer to enhance water flow. I found it lightweight and very flexible, making it easy and comfortable to use.

With five layers, this is an anti-kink and crushproof hose, and I was pleased to find it was flexible enough to uncoil easily. I found recoiling the hose a little harder, but not too frustrating. All in all, this is a strong hose for everyday use, and it comes with a 30-year guarantee. It's also free from phthalates, heavy metals and other harmful toxins, so it's reassuringly safe to use. Cinead McTernan

Read the full review of the Hozelock Ultimate hose

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2: Claber basic spiral hose kit 10m

Our best spiral garden hose

RRP: £32.99

Our rating: 4.5 out of 5

Available from: Amazon (£44.99)

Claber_basic_spiral_hose_kit_10m

Reasons to buy:

Reasons to avoid:

With a wildly different design to most hoses, the Claber spiral kit makes something of a statement in its own right, as a funky addition to the garden as well as a useful bit of kit. To my mind, it’s perfect for smaller gardens, such as courtyards, especially as the spiral hose tucks neatly against the wall held within its low-key bracket, requiring very little storage space.

Claber_spiral_IRL

To keep things compact and small, the 10mm-gauge hose is the smallest I’ve ever used, but it does deliver, and that lack of bulk is ideal for tight spaces. The kit comes complete with a universal, multi-size tap fitting and a spray nozzle. Featuring a 2-year warranty, this kit is a useful and fun item for the small garden. Jane Moore

The best of the rest

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

Hozelock 2-in-1 Hose Reel With 25m Hose

RRP: £58.99

Our rating: 3.8 out of 5

Available from: Amazon (£42.39) and Tool Station (£47.68)

Hozelock 2-in-1 Hose Reel With 25m Hose

Reasons to buy:

Reasons to avoid:

This is a sturdy and versatile hose reel that is easy to assemble and comes complete with a universal tap fitting and a simple spray nozzle so you can start watering straight away. Although it’s described as assembled, it does require some basic assembly before you can get going. The option to wall mount, complete with all the necessary bracket assembly kit, including screws and raw plugs, is a boon for tidy storage. But as a free-standing reel, I found it weighty enough to pull out and rewind the 12.5mm hose without tipping up and also light enough to carry around.

The Hozelock 2-in-1 Hose Reel is sturdy and versatile. Image: Jane Moore

There is a definite front and back to this reel, with the handle only fitting on one side, which may be a problem if you’re tight on space. But the top handle drops down, which makes for easy storage, and it’s a neat, compact reel that comes complete with a quality hose and a five-year guarantee. Jane Moore

Need an attachment for your hose? Discover which of the garden hose spray guns we tested came out on top. If a watering can is all you're after, we've chosen 10 different designs to suit your gardening needs. You may also be interested in our guide to buying the best pressure washer.

How to choose the best garden hose

Think about the following before you choose:

What accessories are available?

While a nozzle or spray gun isn’t essential - using your finger on the tip of the hose to adjust the water flow works well - they are practical. Some hoses come with these accessories included, which often makes them good value for money. However, there are plenty of attachments available to buy separately.

It’s also worth checking if the connectors that come with your hose are ‘universal’, which means they'll fit on any hose or with any accessory - a benefit, if you change the hose but don’t want to have to buy a new spray gun, for example. Connectors are usually made in either plastic or brass, and while there are different grades of plastic, it’s fair to say that the brass connectors will be the most long-lasting.

In general, a textured outer layer will attach more securely to the tap connector than smooth alternatives, and will be less likely to burst off the nozzle or tap connector while it’s in use.

Water-wise gardening

With water conservation becoming more important than ever, check out this fascinating discussion between Arit Anderson and water expert Janet Manning on the BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine podcast.

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Gardening with less water

A few basic techniques will help you save precious water resources while still giving you a beautiful space to enjoy

Target your watering

All plants have different water needs. The best method is to water each plant individually, so you can control exactly the right amount around the roots at the base of the plant, minimising wasted water.

Pick drought-tolerant plants

Plants like perennial herbs, ornamental grasses and many established shrubs need very little extra water in summer. Planted in the ground, they may never need any extra watering after establishment. Selecting plants that don’t wilt in dry spells will lower effort and water use.

Plant spreading ground-cover

Although it’s recommended to use a compost mulch around plants to lock in moisture – and this does work – this may be impractical for an entire garden. In addition to mulching, look to low-growing, mat-forming plants that spread between your larger plants, reducing evaporation and locking in moisture.

Collect water from roofs

Every drop of rainwater you collect counts. To work out how much you could collect, multiply the local average annual rainfall by the total area of your roof. Reusing old washing-up water, called ‘grey water’, helps too.

Let lawns go brown

During summer dry spells, lawns are prone to turning brown and looking dead, but they aren’t. Grass naturally goes dormant to survive dry periods, and although it can look less inviting, it’s perfectly fine for the plants. Lawn grasses will naturally bounce back to their luscious green selves when rain returns.

Make a planted soakaway

In addition to collecting rainwater in a water butt, directly water areas with drain-pipe extensions. Doing so reduces water going into drains and the risk of flooding during heavy rain. Water will slowly filter through the ground naturally instead.

How we tested garden hoses

The BBC Gardeners' World Magazine Reviews team tested a range of different types of garden hose, using them across the spring and summer to water beds and borders, plants in containers and in the greenhouse. The hoses were compared, and the following criteria were used to assess each hose, with equal weight 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 May 2026. We apologise if anything has changed in price or availability.

]]> Jane Moore <![CDATA[The 8 best garden loppers for your garden in 2026 – as tested by our reviews experts]]> https://www.gardenersworld.com/reviews/tools/pruning/best-loppers/ 2026-07-27T11:42:11.000Z 2026-03-17T14:42:36.000Z

Jump to our 2 top-rated garden loppers

When it comes to pruning season, trimming and shaping trees and shrubs with thick, woody growth can feel like a daunting task. While your secateurs and other essential gardening tools may not be up to the task, a strong pair of garden loppers are more than capable of tackling tougher trimming jobs. Used with both hands, their long handles make them ideal for cutting branches up to 50mm thick, depending on the lopper.

Darlac compound bypass loppers out on test with our reviews team. Image: Jane Moore

If you’re pruning dense dead wood, then a pair of loppers with an anvil blade is the tool for you. Cuts are made as the top blade slices through the wood onto the flat anvil base. They can crush stems as they cut, and although bypass blades make cleaner, more precise cuts, anvil blades have greater force. They're ideal for clearing dead branches and making the first cut on thick branches before removing them cleanly with bypass loppers or a saw.

Bypass loppers carry on where your secateurs leave off, giving a lovely, clean cut on living stems that are just that bit too thick for secateurs. They have two blades that pass over one another in a scissor action, giving a precise cut and making them perfect for the finer pruning of shrubs and trees. Both types of loppers are available with telescopic handles that extend for greater reach, and many have an additional cutting mechanism to help you cut thicker wood with less effort, helpful for those with less strength, and for very tough wood.

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Our best garden loppers to buy at a glance

Our 2 top-rated garden loppers

Also recommended, under £40

Also recommended, £40+

Comparison table: Best loppers

Our expertise

We tested the different types of bypass and anvil loppers, using them in the garden on a range of different woody shrubs and trees to help you find the right one for your garden. Each pair has a detailed list of pros and cons for clarity and has been rated according to handling, cutting, maintenance and value for money.  From 2026, you’ll only see newly awarded Best Buy badges on loppers 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 loppers:

Jump to garden lopper advice:

Our 2 top-rated garden loppers

Wolf Garten Telescopic Anvil Loppers

Our best telescopic loppers 2025

RRP: £124.99

Our rating: 4.8/5

Available from: B&Q (£87.99)

Best Buy telescopic loppers: Wolf Garten Telescopic lopper

Reasons to buy:

Reasons to avoid:

The Wolf Garten loppers were our highest-scoring model overall and were awarded a BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine Best Buy for the best telescopic loppers in 2025. They have a non-stick steel blade with a metal anvil. The extending aluminium handles have matching locking holes on each handle to keep them even and a comfortable, non-slip grip. With flat screws, there was no damage to the wood, and the cut was effortless. Replacement blades are available, and the warranty lasts for 10 years. Kay Maguire

Latest Prices

Felco 231 Loppers

Our best heavy-duty loppers for ease of use 2025

RRP: £219.99

Our rating: 4.8/5

Available from: Amazon (£203)

Best heavy-duty lopper for ease of use (2025): Felco 231 Loppers

Reasons to buy:

Reasons to avoid:

The straightforward but quality construction of these loppers makes them a delight to use, cutting through 40mm woody material with ease. They feel powerful and strong in the hand, while the 1.2kg weight is both comfortable and nicely balanced. The strong alloy handles feature bright red grips, which would be easy to spot in debris. The lever action looks deceptively simple but adds substantially to the cutting strength, while the curved anvil head is easy to clean, sharpen and service.

Felco 231 Loppers

With their narrow, uncomplicated design, these loppers are easy to manoeuvre between branches, cutting cleanly and deftly, which is why we awarded this product a BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine Best Buy heavy-duty lopper for ease of use, 2025. With a lifetime warranty on handles and replacement blades readily available from the manufacturer, these are a lifetime purchase for the keen or professional gardener. Jane Moore

Also recommended, under £40

Darlac Compact Compound Anvil Loppers

Our best loppers for ease of use 2025

RRP: £25.99

Our rating: 4.5/5

Available from: Mr Fothergill's (£25.95)

Our best loppers for ease of use 2025: Darlac Compact Compound Anvil Loppers

Reasons to buy:

Reasons to avoid:

Awarded a BBC Gardeners' World Magazine Best Buy for ease of use in 2025, these small, light loppers have a steel blade with a rust-resistant coating and a metal anvil. The oval handles are made from aluminium with a rubber grip for added comfort, and there’s also a compound-action cutting mechanism, which we found provided excellent strength when working. These lightweight loppers have a small cutting width; however, a lifetime warranty is included, and replacement parts are available. Kay Maguire

Latest Deals

Spear & Jackson Razorsharp Advantage Telescopic Ratchet Anvil Loppers

Our best ratchet loppers 2025

RRP: £32

Our rating: 4.5/5

Available from: Amazon (£26.49) and Argos (£32)

Our best ratchet loppers 2025: Spear & Jackson Razorsharp Advantage Telescopic Rachet Loppers

Reasons to buy:

Reasons to avoid:

Our testers were impressed with these Spear and Jackson loppers and awarded them a BBC Gardeners' World Magazine Best Buy for the best ratchet loppers in 2025. The carbon-steel blade and anvil are non-stick and rust-resistant, plus there’s a five-stage ratchet mechanism. The twist-and-slide aluminium handles have a rubber grip and extend 72-104cm. The included warranty is valid for 10 years. Kay Maguire

Latest Prices

Kent & Stowe SureCut All Purpose Extra Power bypass loppers

Our best loppers for value 2025

RRP: £39.99

Our rating: 4.5/5

Available from: Amazon (£29.52), B&Q (£35.89) and Crocus (£39.99)

Best Buy for value 2025: Kent & Stowe SureCut All Purpose Extra Power Bypass Loppers

Reasons to buy:

Reasons to avoid:

This comfortable, versatile pair of loppers cuts cleanly and smoothly, and it's ideal for cutting live, green wood. Made from high-quality carbon steel, the blades are coated for high rust resistance, and chunky rubber bumpers help ensure easy cutting with little effort and no reverberation travelling through your wrists and arms. They have a maximum cutting width of 35mm, which is adequate for most garden tasks, and the shaped handles provide extra comfort.

They’re also telescopic, giving you extra stretch to reach higher branches, but when reduced in length, they’re still easy to manoeuvre through dense stems. Unfortunately, no spare blades are available. Otherwise, these loppers are very competitively priced, come with a five-year warranty, and we’ve awarded them a BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine Best Buy for value in 2025. Kay Maguire

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Also recommended, £40+

Alpen Lopper Weisshorn 280

Our best loppers for ease of use 2024

RRP: £64.99

Our rating: 4.5/5

Available from: Amazon (£64.99)

Best Buy for ease of use 2024: ALPEN Wiesshorn 280 loppers

Reasons to buy:

Reasons to avoid:

These simple, unfussy loppers are light, with Japanese SK5 carbon-steel blades and a cam-assisted mechanism, making them a great choice for gardeners who lack strength. The gearing gives greater cutting power for tougher woods, and they really do make light work of even tough older wood, with shock absorbers also helping to take the strain. We awarded them a BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine Best Buy for ease of use in 2024. A 40mm cutting width makes these perfect for pruning larger stems and branches, and the long handles are useful for reaching up into shrubs.

Although they’re light and easy to manoeuvre, they do make it trickier to work in tight spaces. They’re excellent value for money, the blade is replaceable, and they come with a two-year warranty. Kay Maguire

Fiskars Power Gear X Anvil Loppers LX99

Our best loppers for general use 2025

RRP: £79.99

Our rating: 4.5/5

Available from: Amazon (£86.76) and ManoMano (£65.47)

Our best loppers for general use 2025: Fiskars Power Gear X Anvil Lopper LX99

Reasons to buy:

Reasons to avoid:

A BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine Best Buy for general use in 2025, these garden loppers feature a coated, non-stick steel blade with a curved metal anvil that helps you catch and grip branches as you cut. There’s a geared mechanism, as well as light, narrow aluminium handles with a rubber grip. The loppers cut cleanly with a wide cutting width, and they also have useful hanging holes in the handles. They come with a generous 25-year warranty. Kay Maguire

Latest Prices

Felco 221 70cm straight head loppers

Our best loppers for general use 2025

RRP: £119.99

Our rating: 4.3/5

Available from: Amazon (£116.83)

Best Buy for general use 2025: Felco 221 70cm straight head loppers

Reasons to buy:

Reasons to avoid:

Robust, well-made and thoroughly practical, these loppers from Felco are user-friendly and simple in design. The lightweight aluminium handles are comfortable and well-balanced, with grip handles in ‘Felco red’, and the hardened steel blades have a generous 45mm cutting width. A hooked lower counter blade helps to keep a firm hold of the branch you’re cutting.

The loppers are also easy to maintain and come with the same tool you get with Felco secateurs for disassembly, cleaning and sharpening. They also come with a lifetime warranty and, although they’re the most expensive loppers on test, they’re a lifetime purchase for a serious gardener. We awarded them a BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine Best Buy for general use in 2025. Kay Maguire

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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 various features that make them worth recommending. Browse our pick of the best of the rest.

Wilkinson Sword bypass loppers

RRP: £24.99

Our rating: 4.4 out of 5

Available from: Amazon (£29.99), B&Q (£24.99) and Tooled Up (£24.95)

Wilkinson Sword bypass loppers

Reasons to buy:

Reasons to avoid:

These loppers feel well-made and robust, and at 900g, they have that extra bit of weight I rather like, making them substantial without being cumbersome. I liked the long reach the overall 73cm length afforded me, and the carbon-steel blade with its non-stick coating cut through 30mm woody material cleanly. The long handles with shock-absorbing buffers also offer good leverage, but the drawback of that length is that they sometimes proved awkward to manoeuvre through branches to make the cut I wanted.

Wilkinson Sword bypass loppers out on test with our reviews team. Image: Jane Moore

The large, soft-grip handles give an excellent grip, and the red colouring makes them easy to spot in a pile of debris, which is always useful. With a 10-year warranty and an affordable price, these are sturdy and well-made loppers that would suit many gardeners. Jane Moore

Darlac Heavy Duty Double Compound Action Anvil Loppers

RRP: £39.99

Our rating: 4.3/5

Available from: Crocus (£39.99)

Our best loppers for ease of use 2025: Darlac Compact Compound Anvil Loppers

Reasons to buy:

Reasons to avoid:

A long steel blade with a rust-resistant coating and light, narrow aluminium handles with a rubber grip make these loppers light and easy to use. Guaranteed for life, the tool features a compound-action cutting mechanism and offers great reach. While spare parts are available, the loppers struggled on tougher wood, putting strain on the wrists while working. Kay Maguire

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Wilkinson Sword Ratchet Loppers

RRP: £34.99

Our rating: 4.3/5

Available from: Wilkinson Sword (£34.99)

Wilkinson Sword Ratchet Loppers

Reasons to buy:

Reasons to avoid:

Good for less able gardeners, these loppers feature a long, non-stick blade made from carbon steel with a metal anvil. They have long, narrow aluminium handles with a rubber grip, plus a three-gear ratchet mechanism, although our testers found this did sometimes catch. The warranty on this model is 10 years. Kay Maguire

Corona ComfortGEL DualLink extendable limb and branch loppers

RRP: £49.99

Our rating: 4.1/5

Available from: Amazon (£35.64)

Corona ComfortGEL DualLink extendable limb and branch lopper

Reasons to buy:

Reasons to avoid:

Weighing in at just over 1.8kg, these loppers feel tough, beefy and ready for anything up to their 45mm cutting capacity. They're comfortable to use with telescopic steel handles featuring ‘comfort gel’ grips and an integrated bumper system designed to reduce hand and shoulder fatigue. The power-compounding link feature, DualLINK, works to boost power with less effort, which makes light work of woody material.

Corona ComfortGEL DualLink extendable limb and branch lopper on test. Jane Moore

The high-carbon steel blade is coated with a non-stick finish for ease of cleaning and cutting, but the gearing requires a number of moving parts to keep clean and oiled. Also, the chunky head is difficult to manoeuvre in tight spaces, although the loppers are nicely balanced both in the shorter setting and at the full 94cm reach of the extendable handles. With a lifetime warranty and an affordable price, these loppers are a great buy for the gardener with a lot of regular woody pruning to do. Jane Moore

Darlac Compact Compound bypass loppers

RRP: £25.95

Our rating: 3.8 out of 5

Available from: Amazon (£21.50) and Mr Fothergill’s (£25.95)

Darlac Compact bypass loppers

Reasons to buy:

Reasons to avoid:

The compound action of these loppers, combined with their lightweight construction, makes them a great choice for anyone who struggles with the strength required for pruning larger stems. I like the fact that the compound action looks deceptively simple and uncomplicated, but it does add substantially to the cutting strength, meaning you can tackle green wood up to 30mm in diameter without any problem.

Darlac compound bypass loppers out on test with our reviews team. Image: Jane Moore

With an overall length of 510mm, these are also easy to store, and I found them compact enough to manoeuvre well in between branches. The blades have a rust-resistant coating, and the loppers are easy to clean and sharpen, although due to the gearing, there are more moving parts to maintain. The loppers come with a limited lifetime guarantee, which fully guarantees the product against original defects in material and workmanship for the life of the tool. Jane Moore

Roughneck XT Pro Anvil Loppers

RRP: £70.91

Our rating: 3.6/5

Available from: Amazon (£43.64), B&Q (£43.64) and Power Tools Direct (£44.26)

Roughneck XT Pro Anvil Loppers

Reasons to buy:

Reasons to avoid:

Sturdy and robustly made with a chrome vanadium steel blade, these anvil-action loppers feel nicely weighted and strong enough to tackle any job, especially with the wide 45mm cutting capacity. The air-cushioned grips and overall weight of 1.4kg make them feel workman-like in the hand, and the narrow cutting head makes them easy to manoeuvre amongst branches. They cut most material well, although dense green holly proved something of a challenge.

Roughneck XT Pro Anvil Loppers in use. Jane Moore

The spare construction makes them easy to clean and oil, while the bright yellow handles make these loppers easy to spot in debris. With a lengthy 25-year warranty, these are a good choice for a gardener dealing with rough pruning work, such as brambles. Jane Moore

Bulldog Pro Heavy Duty Tri-Bite Loppers

RRP: £34.98

Our rating: 3.6/5

Available from: Tool Station (£35.98)

Bulldog Pro Heavy Duty Tri-Bite Loppers

Reasons to buy:

Reasons to avoid:

These loppers feel strongly made and robust, and are generally heavy and substantial both in the hand and in use, weighing in at almost 1.6kg. The three-geared mechanism, combined with the non-stick coating on the steel blade, cuts through 40mm woody material easily.

Bulldog Pro Heavy Duty Tri-Bite Loppers on test. Jane Moore

The large, soft-grip handles offer excellent control, especially when using the loppers in awkward spaces. However, the chunkier head makes manoeuvring the loppers more uncomfortable, and the complex gearing makes them more prone to getting caught and more difficult to clean. With a lifetime warranty and an affordable price tag, these loppers feel like a sturdy, well-made tool that would suit many gardeners. Jane Moore

Also tested: garden loppers

Kent & Stowe SureCut All Purpose Bypass Loppers

RRP: £29.99

Our rating: 3.4 out of 5

Available from: Amazon (£25.99) and B&Q (£26.99)

Kent and Stowe Surecut All Purpose Bypass Loppers

Reasons to buy:

Reasons to avoid:

There is a lot to like about these loppers: they’re affordable, have high-quality carbon-steel blades, and are a good weight at 1kg. Add to that the Reflex Energy System, which uses reflex rubber bumpers to absorb impact and deliver a gentle rebound, and these are exactly as described: a good all-purpose choice for many gardeners.

Kent and Stowe Surecut bypass loppers out on test with our reviews team. Image: Jane Moore

In my test, the buffer system worked well, reducing any jarring and making for a more comfortable cut through the green wood of sambucus and hydrangea. The rubber handles make for a good grip and feature a handy hanging loop, while I found that the 70cm reach was ideal for much of my pruning tasks. However, a relatively short warranty period and the dull colouring of these loppers put me off a bit, as I fear I could easily lose them in the debris. Jane Moore

Spear & Jackson Razorsharp 22” Bypass Loppers 4822RSA

RRP: £23.99

Our rating: 3.3 out of 5

Available from: Amazon (£19.49) and B&Q (£23.99)

Spear & Jackson loppers

Reasons to buy:

Reasons to avoid:

This compact pair of loppers feels sturdy and robust, with both hardened carbon-steel blades protected by coatings to reduce rust. I liked their weight in the hand, which, at just under 1kg, makes for a tool that feels capable of tackling many pruning jobs in the garden, including stems up to 32mm in diameter. The built-in shock absorbers work efficiently, absorbing any jarring from cutting harder wood, and the loppers tackled most green woods, such as sambucus and hydrangea, with ease and a good, clean cut.

Spear & Jackson bypass loppers out on test with our reviews team. Image: Jane Moore

A big plus for me was the compact size, only 56cm overall, which means they won’t take up too much space in my over-packed shed. The guarantee is fairly short at only five years, but the loppers are well-made, and the simple, unfussy design will make cleaning and sharpening them a breeze. Jane Moore

If you're pruning larger branches, take a look at our review of the best mini chainsaws, the best wood-splitting axes and the best pruning saws, or for smaller cuts, our roundup of the best secateurs and electric pruners. For help clearing up, see our test of the best shredders, best splitting axes and the best wheelbarrows. We also have guides detailing how to prune fruit trees in winter and pruning mistakes to avoid, as well as information on other tools, such as the best Japanese gardening tools and how to use them.

How to choose the best garden loppers

Loppers are ideal for tougher pruning jobs later in the year, and there's a wide range of choices available. In this guide, we go through some of the different models of loppers and the various features they offer, so you can understand which type might work for you.

What are loppers used for?

Loppers are essentially a pair of large, long-handled secateurs capable of taking on stems that would be too thick for even your very best secateurs. Ideal for the autumn and winter pruning period, loppers are designed to cut branches up to around 50mm thick. The tool features long, even telescopic handles, which are operated with both hands to tackle stubborn growth.

What are bypass loppers?

Bypass loppers have two blades that operate in a scissor action to slice cleanly through stems and wood. They are best for all general pruning of green stems and thicker live branches. They often have a slightly narrower cutting width than anvil loppers, of up to 45mm.

What are anvil loppers?

Anvil loppers feature a single blade closing onto a flat base, operating in a similar way to a knife cutting on a chopping board. There may also be a mechanism in the head of the loppers. This could be a ratchet, compound-action or geared mechanism that helps them cut more powerfully and with less effort from you. A ratchet cuts in multiple steps, while geared and compound action provide more leverage to a single cut. Anvil loppers are the toughest type of garden loppers and particularly suit any jobs which involve clearing a lot of dense, dead wood. Lopper blades are usually made from steel or carbon steel and can have a protective or non-stick coating to increase durability.

What are extendable loppers used for?

There are many long-handled loppers that help you reach further or higher up branches, but some are extendable, with telescopic handles. Being able to adjust and extend loppers means you can increase your leverage and cover more areas of your garden. The adjustable nature of telescopic tree loppers means you can alter the length for your needs, rather than being left with excessively long handles while you complete jobs within easier reach. Many of these long-reach loppers with telescopic handles have an additional cutting mechanism that should help make slicing through tough wood a less strenuous job. There are often other handy features on loppers, extendable or otherwise. These include grips over the handles for added comfort or ‘bumpers’ that soften the impact of each cut by preventing the two handles from banging together.

Top tips for pruning

Once you’ve got the perfect loppers, don’t get too carried away; pruning can make or break a plant. Follow these four tips to keep your plants in top condition:

For more pruning advice, browse our pruning guides

How we tested loppers

We tested a range of bypass and anvil loppers with different features, including telescopic handles and ratchet mechanisms. Our experts put the loppers through their paces on various woody branches and stems to test their overall performance. Each pair was assessed according to the following criteria, with equal marks attributed to each:

For more information on our testing process, take a look at 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

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