BBC Gardeners World Magazine https://www.gardenersworld.com/tag/pruning Thu, 19 Mar 2026 16:47:10 GMT en hourly 1 Cut your buddleia back now, or it could turn to a twiggy mess https://www.gardenersworld.com/news/cut-your-buddleia-back-now-or-it-could-turn-to-a-twiggy-mess/ Thu, 19 Mar 2026 16:47:10 GMT https://www.gardenersworld.com/news/cut-your-buddleia-back-now-or-it-could-turn-to-a-twiggy-mess/ Follow our expert advice on pruning buddlejas, in this step-by-step guide. Pruning Buddleja davidii is essential if you want to keep it looking its best. If you don't prune your buddleia it can become tatty and overgrown, developing a twiggy tangle of bare stems, with the flowers appearing way above head height.

When to prune buddleia

Hard prune your buddleia in early spring. The most vigorous varieties will still grow to 3m tall and 2m across by summer, while the smaller forms, such as ‘Nanho Blue’, can be kept to less than 1.5m in height and spread. Alternatively, by pruning later in spring, you can ensure your buddleia flowers later in summer, to coincide with the emergence of the summer butterflies like the peacock and small tortoiseshell. Pruning as late as May can delay flowering until August, providing nectar when there's little else available.

Bear in mind that Buddleja alternifolia and Buddleja globosa bloom on stems made in the previous season, so cutting back in spring would remove the flower buds. Neither should be hard pruned – instead, cut out a selection of the oldest branches in midsummer.

Where to buy buddleia online

How to prune buddleia

You will need:

Step 1

Trimming back the top growth. Jason Ingram

First, trim back the top growth to around half its height, using secateurs. This makes it easier to see what you’re doing as you progress, and gives you better access to the base of the plant.

Step 2

Cutting through woody stems. Jason Ingram

Cut through the thick woody stems, around 30cm above the ground, using a pair of loppers or a pruning saw. Where possible, prune just above a bud or growing shoot. If you’d like the plant to grow taller than 3m (for example, if it’s at the back of a border), leave the stems up to 60cm long.

Step 3

Removing dead stems. Jason Ingram

Remove any dead stubs and branches using the pruning saw or loppers. Cut these back flush with the main trunk to minimise the chance of dieback. Also thin out any crossing branches to prevent rubbing, and remove any thin twiggy growth sprouting from the base. Don’t worry that you’re being too brutal, as buddleja is so vigorous that it will quickly re-grow.

Step 4

Removing main branches

Aim to produce a short, strong framework of five to six main branches. It doesn’t matter if you can’t see many green shoots, as buddleja will produce new growth from underneath the bark. Fork lightly around the base to relieve any compaction you’ve caused by walking on the soil, and apply a mulch to the soil surface to retain moisture and suppress weeds.

Frequently asked questions

How do you prune an overgrown buddleia? An overgrown buddleia can be pruned in the same way. Remove top growth first, so you can see what you're doing, and then use a pruning saw and loppers to prune back to a framework 30-60cm above ground level. It's very hard to kill a buddleia so don't worry about hard pruning such a large shrub. Do you deadhead buddleia?  Yes, deadheading buddleia can prolong its flowering season, providing more garden interest as well as more nectar for pollinators.

]]> 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/ Tue, 17 Mar 2026 14:42:36 GMT https://www.gardenersworld.com/reviews/tools/pruning/best-loppers/ Tackle tough pruning jobs with our pick of the top performing bypass and anvil loppers on test

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

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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

Latest Prices

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

]]> The 11 best secateurs in 2026, as tested by our experts – bypass, anvil and ratchet types https://www.gardenersworld.com/reviews/tools/pruning/best-secateurs/ Mon, 02 Mar 2026 16:19:15 GMT https://www.gardenersworld.com/reviews/tools/pruning/best-secateurs/ Looking for new secateurs? Browse our pick of the best bypass, ratchet and anvil secateurs, as tested by our reviews experts.

Jump to our 2 top-rated garden secateurs

Secateurs are an indispensable tool, essential for tidying up around the garden. While tools like hedge trimmers and other cordless garden tools are ideal for taking on heavy-duty tasks, secateurs are a simple, hand-held tool used for keeping on top of pruning, dead-heading, cutting back perennials and harvesting fruit, veg and flowers. And, for a vital tool like a pair of secateurs, we know how important it is to find a model that's comfortable and easy to use.

Secateur names can seem a bit baffling, but there are only three types to choose from – bypass, anvil and ratchet – each type designed for a particular job:

Bypass secateurs have two blades that cut like a pair of scissors, with a sharpened blade crossing over a thicker metal platform. They're pointed to help them get in amongst stems and branches and are ideal for cutting stems between 10 and 15mm thick. They're suitable for greener growth and should cut cleanly, so it’s important to keep them sharp. (For more information, read our guide on how to sharpen secateurs.)

Anvil secateurs have one blade that cuts like a knife, with the blade pushing through a stem or branch onto a lower block, in a similar manner to a knife on a chopping board. They're useful for cutting through thicker, woodier stems and dead wood.

Ratchet secateurs have either anvil or bypass blades and feature ratchet springs and mechanisms to ease effort and cut through a stem in a series of stages. This type of tool can make tougher cuts gradually as you repeatedly squeeze and release the handles to get through the growth, and they are particularly useful for gardeners who lack strength.

But if you're not sure which type will suit you, don't worry. We've tested a wide range of secateurs, to find out which ones really are the best for which jobs. So check out our reviews below to get the rundown of the best secateurs to buy in 2026.

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Our best garden secateurs to buy at a glance

Our 2 top-rated garden secateurs

Also recommended: under £30

Also recommended: £30+

Comparison table: best secateurs

Our expertise

We tested the different types of secateurs, using them in the garden on a range of different plants and at different times of year, to help you find the right pair 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 secateurs 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 pair in our round-up below has scored a minimum of 3.5 out of 5 stars, so you can buy with confidence.

Jump to our best secateurs:

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Our 2 top-rated garden secateurs

1: Okatsune 103 Bypass Secateurs

Our best all-round secateurs (bypass)

RRP: £49.84

Our rating: 4.8/5

Available from: Amazon (£56.95) and B&Q (£56.95)

Okatsune 103 Secateurs - BBC Gardeners' World Magazine

Reasons to buy:

Reasons to avoid:

These simple secateurs have few parts or gimmicks, yet their strong, Japanese steel blades cut cleanly and effortlessly. They're ideal for all pruning tasks, including heavy-duty jobs, cutting consistently well and are well-made, sharp, easy to use, and feel long-lasting. Their red and white handles make them hard to lose in the garden, both day and night.

Although the safety catch, which is at the end of the handle, takes some getting used to, I found it a breeze once mastered. These secateurs are suitable for all gardeners, as they come in three sizes to suit small, medium or large hands. They are at the higher end of the price scale of the various secateurs I tested, but I'd say they're excellent value for money given their good quality and performance. They also have a two-year warranty. Kay Maguire

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Read the full Okatsune 103 review

2: Kent and Stowe Eversharp All Purpose Lite Secateurs

Our best secateurs for ease of use (bypass)

RRP: £34.99

Our rating: 4.8/5

Available from: Amazon (£19.98), B&Q (£35) and Marshalls Garden (£29.99)

BBC Gardeners' World Magazine review Kent and Stowe Eversharp All Purpose Lite secateurs

Reasons to buy:

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These aluminium-framed secateurs are packed with valuable features. They're suitable for both right- and left-handed gardeners, and those with smaller hands, thanks to the easy switch on the top that adjusts from 1-2.4cm. They have a 2.4cm cutting capacity, although this feels like more, and despite their slightly chunky appearance, they're light and comfortable with marked rubber handles for extra grip. The safety catch, which is placed by your thumb, is easy to open and close with one hand. The hardened carbon steel blade has a plasma coating, and it feels strong and sharp, easily cutting through green and older wood on shrubs and roses.

Unfortunately, these secateurs' grey and black appearance makes them hard to spot if dropped in the garden or amongst prunings. They have a handy hole for hanging them up after use, and although the blade will rust slightly if not cared for, if these secateurs are looked after well, they should last you years. They come with a 10-year warranty. Kay Maguire

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Also recommended: under £30

Burgon and Ball Left-Handed Bypass

Our best left-handed secateurs (bypass)

RRP: £23.99

Our rating: 4.5/5

Available from: Amazon (£21.58) and On Buy (£36.81)

2048-1365-gw-secateurs-Burgon-and-Ball-Left-Handed-Bypass-Secateurs-2ded46b_NEW

Reasons to buy:

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These reverse-design secateurs are ideal for left-handed gardeners and work really well. They have a high-carbon steel blade, which feels strong and cuts well. The 2.5cm cutting diameter means they can easily tackle most pruning jobs, and have a large safety catch that engages smoothly and easily.

Their ergonomic handles have bright orange plastic grips, so there should be no need to go hunting through piles of prunings for these. They’re easy to sharpen and look after and should last a long time. There are replacement blades and springs available, making these Burgon and Ball secateurs a more sustainable choice. And, given the 10-year warranty, I think they're excellent value for money. Kay Maguire

Read the full Burgon and Ball Left Handed Bypass review

Latest Prices

Darlac Compound Action Pruner

Our best secateurs for smaller hands (bypass)

RRP: £21.95

Our rating: 4.3/5

Available from: B&Q (£19.53), ManoMano (£18.50) and On Buy (25.57)

Our best secateurs for smaller hands (bypass): Darlac Compound Action Pruners

Reasons to buy:

Reasons to avoid:

These bypass secateurs have a central lever action, which makes them very easy on the hands when cutting, just like a ratchet secateur. The handles have a soft grip for comfort, and they're surprisingly light – half the weight of some of the other secateurs tested. I found them comfortable to use, and they cut well. The safety catch is on the top of the handle and is easy to switch on or off with a flick of the thumb. A great tool for those with less strength or smaller hands. The lifetime guarantee makes them excellent value for money too. Kay Maguire

Read the full Darlac Compound Action Pruner review

Latest Deals

Ames ratchet anvil pruner

Our best compact and lightweight secateurs (ratchet)

RRP: £21.99

Our rating: 4.3/5

Available from: Amazon (£17.99)

Best Buy ratchet secateurs for compact and lightweight 2025: Ames ratchet pruner

Reasons to buy:

Reasons to avoid:

Ames ratchet anvil pruner on test

These little secateurs are lightweight, pocket-sized and yet capable of cutting above their weight. The blade is SK5 carbon steel, which is resistant to wear and highly durable. Comfortable in the hand, despite their small size, with the four-stage ratchet, these secateurs cut through 1.8cm dead wood relatively easily, leaving a clean cut. Although the catch is a little awkward to use, the compact form factor was much valued in use. I liked the hole in the handle that makes it possible to attach a lanyard to the secateurs. They also have an impressive 15-year warranty. Jane Moore

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Also recommended: £30+

Darlac DP1030A Expert

Our best secateurs for large stems (bypass)

RRP: £33.95

Our rating: 4.5/5

Available from: B&Q (£25.99) and ManoMano (25.99)

Our best secateurs for large stems (bypass): Darlac DP1030A Expert

Reasons to buy:

Reasons to avoid:

These robust secateurs have a comfortable grip, and I found them nice to hold. They're good for cutting stems up to 2cm in diameter. The central safety catch is easy to engage with the thumb and can also be used to reduce the blade aperture (opening width) for light work, which is useful. There is a handy wire-cutting notch on the blade, and the red handles make them easy to find if lost in the garden. As secateurs in the mid-price range, they come with an impressive lifetime warranty, and there are replacement parts available too. Kay Maguire

Read the full Darlac Expert Bypass DP1030A review

Latest Prices

Kent and Stowe Eversharp Bypass Secateurs

Our best secateurs for comfort (bypass)

RRP: £34.99

Our rating: 4.5/5

Available from: Crocus (£39.99)

Our best secateurs for comfort (bypass): Kent and Stowe Eversharp Bypass Secateurs

Reasons to buy:

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These secateurs have an aluminium frame with a sustainably sourced FSC-certified ash insert. This smooth wood is comfortable to hold and offers an excellent grip, even without gardening gloves. They're suitable for both right- and left-handed gardeners, and although the secateurs are lightweight at just 330g, they still feel robust and hard-wearing. When pruning, they cut through almost every material on test with little resistance. Live, green wood was easy to prune, and even hard, dried wood was easy to snip. This is thanks to a carbon steel blade covered in a plasma coating, which Kent and Stowe claim makes these harder than any other blade.

The cutting width can be adjusted with a simple catch, from 1cm to 2.5cm, so these secateurs can tackle thicker branches as well as more delicate stems, and the safety catch, which is placed by your thumb, is easy to open and close with one hand. They also have a handy hole for hanging them up in a shed or greenhouse after use and a notch on the blade for cutting twine and garden wire. With a fantastic 10-year warranty, these secateurs should last you a long time. However, we found that the grey blade and light brown handles are tricky to spot if you drop them in a border or lose them amongst prunings. Kay Maguire

Read the full Kent and Stowe Eversharp Bypass Secateurs review

Latest Prices

Felco Model 8

Our best secateurs for maintenance (bypass)

RRP: £65

Our rating: 4.5/5

Available from: Amazon (£62.65) and On Buy (£62.65)

Our best secateurs for maintenance (bypass): Felco Model 8

Reasons to buy:

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These classic secateurs from the world-renowned Swiss brand Felco felt sturdy, and they cut well in a variety of different jobs. They're also easy to maintain and come with the Felco lifetime guarantee. The secateurs feel chunky but light, and the ergonomic handle protects the wrist and hand, making longer pruning jobs less tiring. The red non-slip handle is useful, making them easy to see if lost in the garden. The blade also has a handy wire-cutting notch.

Felco come in at the higher end of the price scale compared to many of the other products I tested, but this reflects the high-quality materials they use, such as the precision-cut steel blades. Ideal for right-handed gardeners with medium to large hands, these secateurs are well-designed and will last you for life. Kay Maguire

Read the full Felco 8 Bypass Secateurs review

Latest Prices

Felco Model 32

Our best all-round secateurs (anvil)

RRP: £59

Our rating: 4.5/5

Available from: Amazon (£66) and On Buy (£64.61)

Felco Model 32 anvil secateurs BBC Gardeners' World Magazine

Reasons to buy:

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These high-quality anvil secateurs are strong and robust, with a hardened steel blade that cuts cleanly and effortlessly through thick, woody growth. With a wide cutting width, they feel sturdy in use and, although there's no comfort padding on the grip, these cut so smoothly that I felt no strain on my hand or wrist.

The safety catch positioned on the front of the secateurs can only be reached when they are held in the right hand. I found it stiff to move, and I needed to loosen it so it didn't require both my hands to open and close. All parts are replaceable, and they come with a lifetime warranty, making these secateurs good value for money. Kay Maguire

Read the full Felco Model 32 Pruning Shears review

Latest Prices

Niwaki GR Pro

Our best premium secateurs (bypass)

RRP: £90 (right-handed)

Our rating: 4.5/5

Available from: Niwaki (£84)

Our best premium secateurs (bypass): Niwaki GR Pro

Reasons to buy:

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These robust secateurs from Niwaki feature a hand-forged carbon-steel blade that cuts stems cleanly and smoothly. The safety catch sits at the end of the handles. I found it chunky, but easy to engage once I got used to it. They felt well-balanced and comfortable to use, and cut stems cleanly. They have bright yellow handles, making them easy to spot in the garden.

A replacement spring is included in your purchase, and they come in a choice of sizes, including small, regular and large and for both left- and right-handed gardeners. These are secateurs built to last, and I think they're good value for money. A holster is also available to buy, and they come with a two-year warranty. Kay Maguire

Read the full Niwaki GR Pro review

Latest Deals

Stihl PG25 Anvil

Our best secateurs for strength (anvil)

RRP: £37

Our rating: 4.3/5

Available from: Amazon (£53) and Mowers Online (£39.02)

Our best secateurs for strength (anvil): Stihl PG25 Anvil

Reasons to buy:

Reasons to avoid:

These sturdy, compact secateurs cut woodier stems with ease. The carbon steel blade has a non-stick coating and can be easily sharpened or replaced, and their orange handles make them easy to find amongst prunings in the garden. They are among the more expensive anvil secateurs, but they are a robust tool that makes light work of pruning jobs. They come with a two-year warranty. Kay Maguire

Read the full Stihl PG25 Anvil Secateurs review

Latest Prices

Best of the rest

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

Wolf Garten Anvil Comfort Plus

RRP: £25.99

Our rating: 4.3/5

Available from: Amazon (£18.99) and B&Q (£28.99)

Wolf Garten Anvil Comfort Plus

Reasons to buy:

Reasons to avoid:

The secateurs are small and compact and feature a non-stick blade which cuts cleanly. There is an integrated spring closing between plastic handles, which do have a rubber grip, but only on the upper side. We found the safety catch was easy to reach; however, it was quite stiff to operate. Overall, the tool performed well, but it felt quite flimsy compared to more sturdy models. Kay Maguire

Latest Prices

Jardin de France Ratchet Secateur

RRP: £40.00

Our rating: 4.3/5

Available from: Jardin de France (£34.95)

Jardin de France Ratchet Secateur

Reasons to buy:

Reasons to avoid:

These ratchet secateurs feature a coated carbon-steel blade that cuts well through growth. The handles are aluminium and topped with a rubber grip for added comfort. The tool is suitable for left- and right-hand use, and both the blade and spring are replaceable. We found the safety catch could be fiddly, and the three-gear ratchet did occasionally slip. There is a one-year warranty included, and we thought the secateurs were great value for money overall. Kay Maguire

Darlac Super Classic Ratchet

RRP: £21.99

Our rating: 4.3/5

Available from: Amazon (£14.99), D.T. Brown (£21.95) and Mr Fothergills (£21.95)

Latest Deals Darlac Super Classic Ratchet Secateurs

Reasons to buy:

Reasons to avoid:

These Darlac ratchet secateurs come with an impressive 25-year warranty. The coated SK5 steel blade cuts smoothly, although the action took longer than other models tested. The tool has a wide cutting width, which is useful on larger stems. However, the handles were also quite large, which made them trickier to handle. Replaceable parts are available. Kay Maguire

Latest Deals

Bulldog Ratchet Pruning Secateurs

RRP: £21.99

Our rating: 4.1/5

Available from: Amazon (£14.28), B&Q (£16.60) and Tooled Up (£13.95)

Bulldog ratchet pruning secateurs

Reasons to buy:

Reasons to avoid:

Bulldog ratchet pruning secateurs in use. Image: Jane Moore

These secateurs feel strongly made and robust, and are generally heavy and solid in the hand. The four-ratchet mechanism cuts through 2cm of dead wood easily and cleanly, and the coating on the steel blade protects against corrosion. The soft-grip handle is nicely ridged, offering an excellent grip, and the little oiler pad set into the handle is a nice touch and proved handy when testing. Despite a shorter warranty than some other secateurs on test, these feel like a sturdy and strongly made pair of secateurs. Jane Moore

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Spear & Jackson Razorsharp PRO Heavy Duty

RRP: £25.99

Our rating: 4/5

Available from: Amazon (£24), B&Q (£28.94) and On Buy (£31.10)

Latest Deals Spear & Jackson Razorsharp PRO Heavy Duty Bypass

Reasons to buy:

Reasons to avoid:

These classic secateurs feel sturdy, capable and long-lasting. They have rubber shock absorbers on the handles to make cutting larger stems comfortable, but the central safety catch often caught halfway through a cut, which was frustrating. Cutting width also needed to be adjusted for different-sized stems. The plastic-coated handles are bright red, so they are easy to spot if mislaid. Replacement blades and springs are available, and they have a 10-year guarantee. Kay Maguire

Read the full Spear & Jackson Razorsharp PRO Heavy Duty Bypass Secateur review

Latest Prices

Wolf Garten RS5000 Professional Anvil

RRP: £59.99

Our rating: 4/5

Available from: Amazon (£41.03), B&Q (£49.99) and Tooled Up (£44.95)

Latest Deals Wolf Garten RS5000 Professional Anvil

Reasons to buy:

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With an integral spring, these large anvil secateurs are comfortable to use. The blade feels sharp and is angled, making accessing difficult cuts much easier. Plastic grips on the aluminium handles make holding them softer and less cold. However, the wrist cord just gets in the way, and larger cuts were a struggle. They're more expensive than some, but they have great features, the blades and springs are replaceable, and they have a long guarantee. Kay Maguire

Read the full Wolf Garten RS5000 Professional Anvil Secateurs review

Latest Prices

Spear & Jackson Kew Gardens Collection Razorsharp Ratchet Anvil Secateurs

RRP: £32.49

Our rating: 3.9/5

Available from: Amazon (£19.99), B&Q (£23,18) and Tooled Up (£27.95)

Spear & Jackson Kew Gardens Collection Razorsharp ratchet anvil secateurs

Reasons to buy:

Reasons to avoid:

Spear & Jackson Kew Gardens Collection Razorsharp ratchet anvil secateurs in use. Image: Jane Moore

Well-made and robust with a cast aluminium body, these secateurs offer a cutting width of 2cm, with a ratchet action in four stages. On hard, dead wood, the secateurs cut cleanly and well, although they opened too widely to offer leverage for smaller hands. The blade is coated with PTFE, a non-stick coating that gives a cleaner, smoother cut while also protecting the blade from rust. A finger guard offers protection, while the catch can be closed with one hand and is easily opened by a gentle squeeze action. With a 10-year guarantee, this is a good buy for any keen gardener who deals with a lot of woody winter pruning. Jane Moore

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Burgon & Ball Ratchet Pruner

RRP: £24.99

Our rating: 3.5/5

Available from:  Burgon & Ball (£24.99)

Burgon & Ball ratchet pruner

Reasons to buy:

Reasons to avoid:

Burgon & Ball ratchet pruner in use. Image: Jane Moore

With a wide cutting width of 2.5cm, these secateurs feature a three-stage ratchet and a high-carbon steel blade, offering 2.5 times more cutting power. The handle is nicely moulded with finger protection, although it feels like it is made for larger hands, with the opening width wider than some hands can deal with, reducing the leverage and grip necessary to cut larger branches. The catch is easy to open one-handed, but more difficult to close in this fashion. With a 10-year warranty, these are a good buy for a gardener with larger hands. Jane Moore

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Our expert testers trial hundreds of garden tools to work out which will do the job well and offer the best value, comfort and quality. If you're pruning larger branches, take a look at our reviews of the best electric secateurs, best loppers, best pruning saws and the best mini chainsaws and best wood-splitting axes.  For help clearing up, see our test of the best wheelbarrows or the best garden shredders.

Choosing the right type of secateurs

Watch Alan Titchmarsh's guide to choosing the right type of secateurs. He helps you identify the difference between bypass, anvil and ratchet secateurs and explains which gardening tasks each type of secateurs is best suited to.

Why do you need to clean secateurs?

Once you’ve bought your secateurs, it’s important to look after them so they last as long as possible.

See our video, where Alan Titchmarsh shows you how to clean your secateurs for help

How we tested secateurs

The secateurs were tested around the garden on perennials, trees and shrubs and at different times of the year. They were 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 May 2026. We apologise if anything has changed in price or availability.

]]> Winter pruning hacks for bigger harvests and healthier trees https://www.gardenersworld.com/news/winter-pruning-hacks-for-bigger-harvests-and-healthier-trees/ Thu, 26 Feb 2026 18:35:43 GMT https://www.gardenersworld.com/news/winter-pruning-hacks-for-bigger-harvests-and-healthier-trees/ Discover why it's important to prune many plants over winter and follow our handy tips for success. Winter's a great time to get out in the garden to prune dormant plants. In doing so, you can control their size, improve their shape and increase their productivity, resulting in better fruit and more flowers.

Pruning some plants at the wrong time can cause sap to bleed from the wounds. When the sap is rising in spring, certain plants like fig trees, birches and grapes can bleed profusely. This loss of sap, especially if prolonged, can weaken the plant and in extreme cases may cause death. Instead, prune these plants in winter when they’re fully dormant, so the cuts don’t bleed excessively.

Make the right cuts, with our quick tips for winter pruning dormant plants.

Use a pruning saw for thick branches

Use a pruning saw on thick branches to make the cut as clean as possible. Using the wrong tool could give a ragged cut that's more susceptible to disease or dieback. Make the cut just beyond the branch’s collar, rather than cutting flush with the main stem, as this would leave a larger wound.

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Ensure wounds heal well

If you prune in winter, the wounds should heal without bleeding, as plants are dormant. Winter pruning also gives them less of a shock than being chopped in full flower. To ensure rapid healing, leave clean, smooth wounds, and don’t apply sealant. They should calloused over before growth begins in spring.

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Tidying up acers

Acers shouldn’t need drastic winter pruning. Just remove any dead, diseased or crossing branches, and any that spoil the shape of the tree. If you notice a dead stem when the tree is in leaf, mark it with a piece of ribbon so you can prune it out in winter, as it can be hard to spot dead stems when all of them are leafless.

97213]]> Stop killing your clematis: The winter pruning rule most gardeners get wrong https://www.gardenersworld.com/news/stop-killing-your-clematis-the-winter-pruning-rule-most-gardeners-get-wrong/ Wed, 18 Feb 2026 16:27:52 GMT https://www.gardenersworld.com/news/stop-killing-your-clematis-the-winter-pruning-rule-most-gardeners-get-wrong/ Follow our step by step guide to winter-pruning Group 3 clematis. Pruning clematis is not the difficult task some people imagine it to be. Group 3 clematis, which flower in late summer, require regular pruning. This is because the flowers grow on the current year's growth. If you don''t prune, you'll end up with a tangled mess of old and new growth, with flowers appearing only on some of the plant. Pruning is carried out in late winter, just as buds are starting to emerge – watch our video above or follow the step-by-step below to see how to prune clematis in winter.

Pruning Group 3 includes the Clematis viticella hybrids and Clematis texensis, as well as the lovely variety 'Bill MacKenzie'. Clematis that flower in spring or early summer are classified in Groups 1 and 2.

Winter-pruning clematis simply involves cutting back all stems to 30cm above ground. Growth can be quite rapid once the soil starts to warm and day temperatures rise, so keep on top of tying in new shoots.

You will need:

The right tool is essential for this task - for more information read our guide to tools for pruning. If you're looking to update your kit, our experts have been busy testing the best secateurs, so you can buy with confidence.

In a hurry? Here are the best buys from this test:

Follow our guide to winter-pruning clematis, below.

You Will Need

Step 1

How to winter-prune clematis - untangling growth

Untangle the mass of last year's growth from its support, cutting through any strings and removing ties that have been used for training. Lay the top growth on the ground.

Step 2

How to winter-prune clematis - removing clematis stems

Roughly chop off the top growth, initially leaving the stems around 50cm long. Take care not to damage any developing buds or shoots. Cut up the prunings for compost.

Step 3

How to winter-prune clematis - pruning above a pair of buds

With the bulk of the growth out of the way, use the tips of your secateurs to cut back to a second or third node or pair of buds above ground level. Cut 3-5mm above the buds or node.

Group 3 clematis to grow

]]> Don’t let the rain stop you: 9 winter pruning tasks to do now https://www.gardenersworld.com/news/9-winter-pruning-tasks-to-do-now/ Wed, 11 Feb 2026 16:59:42 GMT https://www.gardenersworld.com/news/9-winter-pruning-tasks-to-do-now/ We explain why you should prune in winter and which trees and shrubs to tackle. Pruning is done for a variety of reasons – to promote bigger harvests, get newly-planted trees and shrubs off to a good start, thin crowded stems, train cordons, fans and espaliers, encourage flowering, shape plants, remove diseased wood and promote vigour.

With a few exceptions, all of these jobs can be done in winter, when bare stems make the job of shaping shrubs and spotting diseased growth much easier.

Loppers, pruning saws and secateurs

Whether it's a pair of long-handled loppers, pruning saw or secateurs, using the right tool is essential for this task. For more information read our guide to tools for pruning, and if you're looking to update your kit, our experts have been busy testing the best pruning saws, the best secateurs and the best anvil loppers, so you can buy with confidence.

In a hurry? Here are some of the best buys from these tests:

Related content:

We explain why you need to prune in winter and share tips on the best techniques, below.

Bigger harvests

Bigger harvests

Having established a framework, the object of pruning is to persuade the plants to maximise fruiting. This differs with various types of fruiting plant. With apples, you prune to promote fruiting spurs, with pears you open up the trees to ripen the wood.

On blackcurrants you remove old wood, while gooseberries, redcurrants and whitecurrants should have their stems shortened by a quarter and any sideshoots back to one to three buds.

Autumn-fruiting raspberries should have all stems cut back to the ground, then feed and mulch in spring. On summer-fruiting raspberries, cut out the canes that have already produced fruit, to leave the new canes that have been produced that year.

Establishing plants

Establishing plants

When shrubs or trees are newly planted, it's important to encourage the formation of a good root system. New shrubs should be cut back to a few buds so that the plant can devote its energy to putting down roots in the first season. New fruit bushes should be thinned to just three branches. Newly planted trees should be pruned to reduce the 'sail' effect of top growth, preventing wind-rock.

Thinning out

Thinning stems

On plants where growth is constantly renewed from ground level, the weak, spindly shoots should be removed, as well as some of the oldest stems. With plants such as hazel, the oldest shoots should be thinned out to prevent overcrowding. Simply remove large branches from older shrubs.

Training fruit trees

Training fruit trees

Having established the main framework by tying in major branches to the support, side shoots should be reduced to two or three buds to make short spurs. Much of the work should be done in August and September, but it can be continued into winter. Discover three ways to train a fruit tree.

Promoting summer blooms

Pruning a buddleia with long-handled secateurs

Shrubs that flower after midsummer can produce flowers on new growth. They can be manipulated to ensure the flowers grow at the desired height. Branches can either be cut back hard or thinned into a nice shape. Large shrubs such as buddleia should be pruned hard to stop growth getting out of control, while smaller shrubs such as hardy fuchsias should be cut back to promote larger blooms.

Shaping up

Shaping shrubs

Winter is the ideal time to assess and modify the shape and structure of almost any deciduous shrub whose canopy has become lopsided or whose branches are overcrowded in the centre.

Remove any stems that rub against each other, and aim to create an open-centred canopy that allows air to circulate freely. Use secateurs to cut stems that are up to 1cm in diameter, loppers on stems that are 1-2cm in diameter and a pruning saw on anything larger. Smaller stems can be cut flush with the branch from which they are being removed; those over 5cm in diameter should be left with a small knuckle – about 1cm of stem base – to aid wound healing.

Promoting health

Promoting health

Diseased branches should be pruned out to maintain the health of many trees and shrubs, removing any dead, dying or diseased branches. Apples and pears should be pruned to remove branches infected with canker, magnolias should have dead stems removed to control verticillium wilt. Don't prune plums and related species during winter – it can lead to the spread of silver-leaf disease.

The stems of Japanese maples often turn pale grey and strawy-brown when wind-damaged. Snip these out as soon as you see them, along with any stems that have been 'ring-barked' by disease lower down – you'll see a pale grey patch of stem rather than a deep purple-brown bark on coloured-leaved types, and the foliage above will lack vigour.

Aiding vigour

Aiding vigour

Pruning in this way removes weaker stems to promote stronger growth of existing stems, or removes existing stems altogether to encourage fresh, new growth.

Plants grown for their colourful winter stems, such as dogwood, Cornus alba, and white willow, Salix alba, should be cut back hard or 'stooled' in late winter or early spring, to around 15cm above ground level. Other shrubs should have the thinnest, spindliest growth removed. Only start hard pruning these plants a year or so after planting, to allow their roots to get down into rich, moist soil.

Alternatively, just prune out half the stems, removing the oldest and leaving the youngest for the winter spectacle.

Rejuvenate a tired shrub

Philadelphus 'Minnesota Snowflake'

It's a good idea to assess all your shrubs in winter, looking out for general tiredness and lack of vigour. This can often be attributed to hunger, in which case feeding and manuring in spring will help, but it may also be down to the age of the stems.

Shrubs like weigela and philadelphus benefit from having some of the older stems removed each year to encourage new, more productive ones to grow up. You can also do this pruning in late spring and early summer, after flowering.

Use loppers to cut back these old stems either to ground level or back to a point at which growth is emerging. Doing this annually will markedly improve the vigour of more mature shrubs.

]]> The 6 best pruning saws to buy in 2026 – as tested by our reviews experts in real gardens https://www.gardenersworld.com/reviews/tools/pruning/best-pruning-saws/ Wed, 11 Feb 2026 10:11:33 GMT https://www.gardenersworld.com/reviews/tools/pruning/best-pruning-saws/ For larger pruning jobs browse our pick of the best pruning saws. From folding and fixed saws to curved and straight blades these saws will help you prune with ease.

Jump to our top-rated pruning saws

Secateurs and loppers are handy pruning tools, but for thicker branches, a pruning saw is the tool for the job. The last resort before you need a chainsaw, a pruning saw has a toothed blade capable of cutting branches 5cm thick and above, and many different shapes and sizes are available, from compact folding saws that fit in the pocket to long, straight, fixed blades that need a holster to keep them safe.

All have a high-carbon steel blade, and many have been designed to cut a particular type or thickness of wood. As a rule of thumb, the longer the blade, the thicker the wood it can cut, but the strength of the blade, the sharpness of the teeth and how long they stay sharp, as well as grip and comfort, will all affect how easily and well a saw will cut.

Our best pruning saws to buy at a glance

Our 6 top-rated garden loppers

Our expertise

We reviewed a range of the most popular pruning saws, putting them through their paces on woody branches and stems to bring you a list of the best pruning saws. Each saw has a detailed list of pros and cons for clarity and has been rated according to ease of handling, cutting ability, maintenance and value for money.  From 2026, you’ll only see newly awarded Best Buy badges on pruning saws 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. Each pruning saw has scored a minimum of 3.5 out of 5 stars, so you can buy with confidence.

Jump to the best pruning saws:

Jump to pruning saws advice:

Our 6 top-rated pruning saws

Stiga Folding Pruning Saw

Our best folding saw for performance (2025)

RRP: £19.99

Our rating: 5 out of 5

Available from: Stiga (£19.99)

Best Buy folding pruning saw for performance: Stiga folding pruning saw

Reasons to buy:

Reasons to avoid:

From the outset, this saw feels sturdy and well-balanced in the hand, despite its 25cm high-carbon steel blade. The curved blade has triple-ground teeth and is made of 65Mn steel, which is tougher than other knife steels and has a similar hardness due to its high manganese content.

The handle has a defined grip area, which encourages you to hold it in the correct place for optimal cutting, while the bright yellow would make it easy to spot amongst debris. The blade folds neatly into the 32cm handle, locking securely in position whether closed or open. The handle also features a hole in the end, ready for a handy lanyard.

Stiga folding pruning saw on test. Image: Jane Moore

The Teflon-coated blade cuts cleanly and with little friction, making light and easy work of both live and dead wood. Although the longer length could prove challenging to manoeuvre in some situations, the saw is slender and proved easy to use when pruning a dense shrub. With a five-year warranty, no plastic packaging and a quality finish, this pruning saw is a good choice for the keen gardener with plenty of regular woody pruning to do. Jane Moore

ARS CAM24 PRO Pruning Saw

Our best fixed straight saw

RRP: £48.86

Our rating: 5 out of 5

Available from: Amazon (£42.90), B&Q (£49.99) and Tooled up (£39.95)

Best Buy fixed straight saw: ARS CAM 24 PRO pruning saw

Reasons to buy:

This light, comfortable pruning saw easily cuts even thick, dense wood. The high-carbon steel blade is chrome-plated for durability and impulse-hardened teeth, so they stay sharp longer. It cuts on the pull stroke, and the handle has a rubber grip and is hooked to stop the hand slipping, even when applying pressure. Best for cutting wood at the user's level. All parts are replaceable, it comes with a handy holster and has a lifetime warranty. Kay Maguire

Read the full ARS CAM 24 PRO review

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ARS PM-21 Folding Pruning Saw

Our best folding saw

RRP: £38.95

Our rating: 5 out of 5

Available from: Amazon (£39.55), B&Q (39.95) and Tooled-Up (£31.95)

Best Buy folding saw: ARS PM21 pruning saw review

Reasons to buy:

This light, simple saw has a chrome-plated carbon-steel blade and impulse-hardened teeth, which will stay sharper longer. It’s made from aluminium and has a shaped rubber grip handle that fits comfortably in the hand as you work. This tool is light, comfortable, and easy to use, cutting effortlessly through even thick, dense wood. Every single part is replaceable and it comes with a lifetime warranty. Kay Maguire

Read the full ARS PM-21 Folding Saw review and watch our Best Buy video to see why the ARS PM-21 Folding Pruning Saw was awarded BBC Gardeners' World Magazine Best Buy status.

View Green Video on the source website

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Silky Gomboy Curve Professional Folding Saw

Our best folding saw for high use

RRP:£47.39

Our rating: 4.8 out of 5

Available from: Suffolk Mowers (£50.28) and Garden Machines (£45.45)

Best Buy folding saw for high use: Silky Gomboy Curve Professional pruning saw

Reasons to buy:

Reasons to avoid:

This Silky saw is very well made and crafted from excellent-quality materials. Although expensive, it's well worth the price for frequent use. The long, slightly curved blade makes pruning disproportionately easier than with a shorter saw, and it gives good reach, allowing you to get into dense shrubs and awkward spots. The materials are durable, with the teeth set into the blade for a smooth cut with minimal resistance, and the blade folds and secures to the handle easily.

The handle is shaped for a comfortable grip and features a micro-textured rubber coating that ensures a secure grip even when wet. It’s also sufficiently long to use two-handed if a bit more oomph is needed, or when one arm starts to tire. The handle has an 'eye' on the end for hanging and easy storage, and the saw also comes with a plastic case that can be buckled to a belt. Its bright yellow colour makes it easy to spot when you put the saw down to clear prunings, but it is also rather large and could get in the way. Replacement blades are available, but they’re pricey at £29.94. Kay Maguire

Read the full Silky Gomboy Curve Professional Pruning Saw review

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Felco 640 Pruning Saw

Our best fixed curved saw

RRP: £60.00

Our rating: 4.8 out of 5

Available from: Amazon (£65.99)

Best Buy fixed curved saw: Felco 640 pruning saw review

Reasons to buy:

Reasons to avoid:

This high-quality pruning saw won a BBC Gardeners' World Magazine Best Buy award for Best fixed curved saw, and it is a joy to use. The high-carbon steel blade is chrome-plated to help prevent corrosion and features impulse-hardened teeth, cutting cleanly and precisely. The curved handle is hooked with a rubber grip, and it feels comfortable and well-balanced in the hand.

With a holster and belt hook for easy carrying, it also has a Velcro strap which wraps comfortably around the leg for added security. Capable of tackling even the toughest wood, this saw is a great investment if you have lots of trees and shrubs to look after. It comes with a lifetime warranty, and replacement parts and a repair service are available. Kay Maguire

Read the full Felco 640 Pruning Saw review

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Stihl PR16 Handycut Folding Saw

Our best compact pruning saw

RRP: £32

Our rating: 4.8 out of 5

Available from: Amazon (£32.49)

Best Buy compact saw: Stihl PR16 Handycut pruning saw review

Reasons to buy:

Reasons to avoid:

This light, comfortable pruning saw has a chrome-plated Japanese steel blade with a cutting width of 65mm. It's surprisingly sharp and strong, with no clogging or sticking, and it folds in and out of the handle with a plastic button. The shaped handle has well-placed rubber grips that cushion the hand, and our only complaint is the safety catch's stiffness, which loosens with time. The saw is compact, neat and ideal for sticking in a pocket when you go out into the garden. It comes with a two-year warranty. Kay Maguire

Read the full Stihl PR16 Handycut Pruning Saw 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:

Ames Folding Pruning Saw

RRP: £19

Our rating: 4.8 out of 5

Available from: Bradshaws (14.95) and Cambridge Home and Garden (£15)

Ames folding pruning saw

Reasons to buy:

Reasons to avoid:

With its curved non-slip handle and thumb pad, the Ames folding pruning saw is comfortable in the hand and in use. It features a nylon-fibre handle with a good tactile grip and a handy hole for a lanyard, along with an SK5 carbon-steel blade. The 21cm blade is PTFE-coated for smooth cutting, rust resistance, and lasting sharpness, and it cuts through both live and dead wood with little effort.

Ames folding pruning saw on test. Image: Jane Moore

The blade folds nicely into the 26cm handle and can be securely locked in either the open or closed position for safe handling and storage. With a 15-year warranty, this is a good option for the keen gardener needing a mid-sized pruning saw with a long warranty. Jane Moore

Darlac Sabre Tooth Folding Saw

RRP: £21.99

Our rating: 4.3 out of 5

Available from: B&Q (£20.99) and Mano Mano (£19.99)

Darlac sabre tooth folding saw review BBC Gardeners' World magazine

Reasons to buy:

Reasons to avoid:

The straight blade on this folding saw is made from carbon steel with a rust-resistant chrome coating and is strong, sturdy and sharp with a 90mm cutting width. The soft rubber grip handle is comfortable and hooked to prevent your hand slipping, and the blade folds in and out, locking in place both ways for safety.

However, you do need to make sure you guide the blade into the handle when closing, otherwise it tends to catch on the handle and, over time, will scuff the rubber. Replacement blades are available at an additional cost. This pruning saw is ideal if you only have a few trees and shrubs, and would prefer to replace the blade rather than buy a new pruning saw. This tool comes with a lifetime warranty. Kay Maguire

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Wilkinson Sword Turbo Folding Saw

RRP: £24.99

Our rating: 4.3 out of 5

Available from: Mano Mano (£24.99), On Buy (£24.99) and Tooled Up (£21.95)

Wilkinson Sword Turbo folding saw review BBC Gardeners' World magazine

Reasons to buy:

REasons to avoid:

This compact folding saw has a curved blade made from Japanese steel and triple-ground teeth that cut cleanly on the pull stroke. The comfortable handle has a soft rubber grip covering, and it's hooked to stop the hand slipping in use. A gripped, plastic safety catch on the top of the handle locks the blade both open and closed.

However, the blade catches on the handle as it closes, scuffing the rubber, so make sure you guide it into the handle when locking it in place. A handy size for slipping into your pocket, this saw comes with a 10-year warranty. Kay Maguire

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Spear & Jackson Razorsharp Large Folding Pruning Saw

RRP: £32.49

Our rating: 4.3 out of 5

Available from: Amazon (£25.99) and Tooled Up (£27.94)

Spear and Jackson Razorsharp folding pruning saw review BBC Gardeners' World magazine

Reasons to buy:

Reasons to avoid:

This is one of the largest pruning saws in the group we tested, measuring 60cm, but it feels sturdy to use. It’s comfortable, thanks to a soft grip handle that's curved to prevent your hand from slipping in use. The safety button is easy to use: it unlocks the blade to open or close it, and it also locks in the halfway position to prevent fingers from accidentally catching on the blade.

The straight blade is made from SK5 carbon steel and chrome-plated for lasting sharpness, rust resistance, and durability. It also has precision-ground teeth for a smooth, clean cut, which comfortably tackle branches up to 90mm wide. In the top price range of the group we tested, it comes with just a 10-year warranty, compared to many others that offer a lifetime warranty. However, it’s a sturdy saw that cuts well, has good safety features and is ideal for cutting living, green wood. Kay Maguire 

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Corona Max RazorTOOTH 35.5cm Pruning Saw

RRP: £40.99

Our rating: 4.3 out of 5

Available from: Burgon & Ball (£40.99)

Corona Max Razor TOOTH pruning saw review BBC Gardeners' World magazine

Reasons to buy:

Reasons to avoid:

A fixed pruning saw with a long, curved SK5 carbon steel blade, chrome-plated and impulse-hardened, this saw cuts even thick, dense wood cleanly and smoothly. The shaped, ergonomic handle has rubber grips for the fingers and thumb, is curved to prevent the hand slipping when cutting, and it feels comfortable and light in use.

Although the saw comes in a cardboard case, it doesn't include a holster or cover for the blade, which could be an issue when carrying it and storing it. Ideal for medium and larger branches, this saw is available in a variety of sizes and comes with a lifetime warranty. Kay Maguire

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Niwaki GR210 Folding Saw

RRP: £39.00

Our rating: 4.3 out of 5

Available from: Niwaki (£40)

Latest Deals Niwaki GR210 pruning saw review BBC Gardeners' World magazine

Reasons to buy:

Reasons to avoid:

Packaged in a neat cardboard box and cotton bag, this simple pruning saw has a straight, narrow blade made from SK4 carbon steel.  It has been impulse hardened to ensure the teeth stay sharp for longer and a maximum cutting width of 70mm. It cuts well, tackling dense wood smoothly, and the saw feels light and well-balanced in use. The handle has a chunky, ribbed rubber grip, which testers found became a bit uncomfortable after time and a safety button on the top allows the blade to fold in and out of the handle.

When the blade is open, it locks in place, but not when it's closed; in our test, the blade was quite loose when closed inside the handle and prone to falling out easily, which felt quite dangerous. Fortunately, this was rectified by tightening the large screw on the handle. It's a great-looking piece of kit that's easy to use. Plus, replacement blades and a leather holster are available. It comes with a two-year warranty. Kay Maguire

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Felco 621 Pruning Saw

RRP: £59.99

Our rating: 4.3 out of 5

Available from: Amazon (£55.98) and On Buy (£53.99)

Felco 621 pruning saw review BBC Gardeners' World magazine

Reasons to buy:

Reasons to avoid:

This well-balanced saw has a fixed, straight blade made from high-carbon steel with a chrome plating to prevent corrosion and a cutting width of 80mm. The teeth have been impulse-hardened to help them stay sharper longer, and they cut smoothly and easily.

The hooked handle helps keep the hand in place when cutting and features a rubber grip to prevent slipping, but compared to other saws we tested, it felt less comfortable to use. It includes a holster and belt hook for safe carrying, replacement parts, and a repair service, and it comes with a lifetime warranty. Kay Maguire

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Silky Pocketboy

RRP: £39.95

Our rating: 4 out of 5

Available from: Amazon (£39.99) and B&Q (39.95)

Silky Pocketboy pruning saw BBC Gardeners World magazine review

Reasons to buy:

Reasons to avoid:

This compact folding saw has a straight blade made from Japanese steel, chrome-plated to resist rust and for easy cleaning, and teeth that are impulse-hardened for harder, longer wear. It's designed to cut on the pull stroke. The comfortable handle features a micro-textured rubber grip and is shaped to be held securely. It folds into the rubber handle simply and easily with a press-down metal fastener and has two cutting positions, though it came loose from its fastener several times during use.

This saw is small and easy to slip into your pocket, so keep it close to your hand when needed. The handle has an 'eye' on the end for hanging it up in the shed, and it also comes with a plastic case that can be hooked onto a belt. It's good for light pruning, but it's expensive for its size and usage. A limited lifetime warranty covers errors in materials or construction, but not wear and tear from use. Kay Maguire

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B&Q Magnusson 330mm Pruning Saw

RRP: £18

Our rating: 4 out of 5

Available from: B&Q (£20)

B & Q Magnusson pruning saw review BBC Gardeners' World magazine

Reasons to buy:

Reasons to avoid:

With a fixed straight blade made from SK5 carbon steel, this super-safe saw has a rubber grip handle with a hand guard that protects the fingers. It cuts smoothly and feels light and comfortable to use, but the blade guard is just a simple slip-on cover in transparent plastic that could be easily lost. However, it's great value and has a handy hanging hook so you can store this rather large saw safely out of the way. Kay Maguire

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Spear & Jackson Razorsharp Small Folding Pruning Saw

RRP: £17.99

Our rating: 3.8 out of 5

Available from: Amazon (13.07) and Tooled Up (£14.95)

Spear & Jackson Razorsharp small folding pruning saw

Reasons to buy:

Reasons to avoid:

A mid-sized option, this pruning saw features an 18cm carbon steel blade that folds into a 25cm handle. With a nicely curved, ‘pistol-grip’ handle, ribbed grip, and moulded thumb pad, it feels very comfortable and secure in the hand. The handle also features a hole for fitting a lanyard. The blade locks safely in both the open and closed positions.

Spear & Jackson Razorsharp small folding pruning saw on test. Image: Jane Moore

When pruning, it is comfortable to use and a good size for most tasks, although some effort is required, and the cut action is not as smooth as one would hope. With a generous 10-year guarantee and a keen price, this pruning saw would suit the budget-conscious gardener. Jane Moore

Kent & Stowe Turbo Folding Saw

RRP: £14.99

Our rating: 3.5 out of 5

Available from: B&Q (£10.79), Marshalls (£9.99) and Tooled Up (£12.95)

Kent & Stowe Turbo folding saw

Reasons to buy:

Reasons to avoid:

This pocket-sized pruning saw, with its tough 14cm carbon steel blade and ridged rubber grip handle, is both comfortable and nicely balanced, despite its small size. When folded, the saw is only 18cm long, and the locking mechanism secures the blade when folded or in use. The handle has a moulded hole, which is ideal for a lanyard and for hanging the saw in the shed.

Kent & Stowe Turbo folding saw on test. Image Jane Moore

The blade features triple-ground teeth, and the good grip on the handle makes it efficient at cutting through green or wood up to 5cm in diameter, although it's better suited to smaller branches. It has a five-year warranty, and the compact size makes it a great choice for those with smaller hands or a smaller garden. Jane Moore

If you're pruning smaller branches, take a look at our reviews of the best secateurs, best electric secateurs and the best loppers and for help clearing up see our test of the best shredders, best wood-splitting axes and best wheelbarrows.

Pruning saw features explained

Blade: Typically high-carbon steel and curved or straight, fixed or folding. Many have a chrome or anti-rust plating. Most are hardened, so teeth stay sharp for longer.
Teeth: Usually triple-ground, making them sharp and effective. A saw usually cuts on the pull, or occasionally the push, or even both. The pull stroke needs the least effort.
Hanging hole: Handy for storing your saw safely when not in use.
Hook: A useful design feature, this hooked area at the end of the handle prevents your hand from slipping off the saw as you cut.
Safety catch: Most folding saws have a push-button lock that should be easily reached by the thumb. The blade should lock into place for use, but many also lock closed into the handle for safety. Some also lock halfway down.

How to choose a pruning saw

Before you buy, think about the following:

How to use a pruning saw safely

Saws are extremely sharp, so always wear sturdy gloves. If pruning above head height, wear safety glasses and avoid standing on ladders to prune; you need to be stable and comfortably positioned to cut safely. Always choose the right blade for the job - a curved blade is best when cutting above your head.

How we tested pruning saws

We tested a range of folding and fixed saws with both curved and straight blades, putting them through their paces on the types of woody branches and stems that need pruning year-round. 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 July 2026. We apologise if anything has changed in price or availability.

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

Jump to our 6 top-rated garden shredders

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

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

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

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

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

Best garden shredders under £200

Best garden shredders £200+

Best garden shredders £500+

Comparison table: best garden shredders

Our expertise

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

Jump to the best garden shredders:

Jump to garden shredder advice:

Our 6 top-rated garden shredders

1: Hyundai electric garden shredder

Our best budget garden shredder

RRP: £139.99

Our rating: 4.5/5

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

undefined Best Buy budget shredder: Hyundai electric garden shredder

Reasons to buy

Reasons to avoid

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

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

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2: Ryobi RSH2545B corded 2500W impact shredder

Our best value for money garden shredder

RRP: £179

Our rating: 4.5/5

Available from: B&Q (£179)

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

Reasons to buy

Reasons to avoid

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

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

Latest Deals

3: Webb WEESS electric silent shredder with box

Our best quiet garden shredder

RRP: £219.99

Our rating: 4.5/5

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

undefined Best Buy rotary shredder: Webb electric silent shredder

Reasons to buy

Reasons to avoid

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

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

Latest Deals

4: Bosch AXT Rapid 2200 shredder

Our best lightweight garden shredder

RRP: £297.89

Our rating: 4.5/5

Available from: Just Lawnmowers (£259)

undefined Best Buy for performance: Bosch AXT Rapid 2200 shredder

Reasons to buy

Reasons to avoid

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

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

Latest Deals

5: Makita UD2500 electric shredder

Our best powerful garden shredder for tough jobs

RRP: £287.95

Our rating: 4.5/5

Available from: Tooled Up (£287.95)

Makita_Electric_Shredder_UD2500

Reasons to buy

Reasons to avoid

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

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

Makita_Electric_Shredder_UD2500

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

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

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6: Husqvarna GS 340is battery shredder

Our best cordless garden shredder

RRP: £529 (bare tool)

Our rating: 4.5/5

Available from: Husqvarna (£529)

Husqvarna GS 340is Battery Shredder

Reasons to buy

Reasons to avoid

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

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

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

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

Best of the rest

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

Einhell electric knife shredder

RRP: £125.95

Our rating: 4.3/5

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

undefined Best of the rest: Einhell electric knife shredder

Reasons to buy

Reasons to avoid

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

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

Latest Deals

Ryobi RY36SHX40-0 36V Max Power cordless garden shredder

RRP: £499.99 (tool only)

Our rating: 4/5

Available from: Ryobi (£499.99 tool only)

Ryobi RY36SHX40-0 36V Max Power cordless garden shredder

Reasons to buy

Reasons to avoid

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

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

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

Ryobi RY36SHX40-0 36V Max Power cordless garden shredder

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

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

Einhell REDAXXO 36/25 Cordless Knife Shredder

RRP: £226.95 (with batteries and charger)

Our rating: 4/5

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

undefined Einhell REDAXXO 36/25 Cordless Knife Shredder

Reasons to buy

Reasons to avoid

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

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

Einhell REDAXXO 36/25 Cordless Knife Shredder out on test

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

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

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Our expert testers trial hundreds of garden tools to work out which will do the job well and offer the best value, comfort and quality. We’ve tested essentials like the best garden spades and best hoes as well as more specific kit like the best hedge trimmers, the best splitting axes, the best pressure washers and the best strimmers.

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

How to choose a garden shredder

Think about the following before you choose:

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

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

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

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

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

Shredding with care

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

How we tested garden shredders

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

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

Meet our testing panel

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

]]> The best garden shears in 2026 - tested by our experts https://www.gardenersworld.com/reviews/tools/pruning/best-garden-shears/ Thu, 22 Jan 2026 20:01:14 GMT https://www.gardenersworld.com/reviews/tools/pruning/best-garden-shears/ Find your perfect pair of garden shears with our expert tests. A good pair of garden shears can make garden tasks quick and easy to tackle. They’re essential for the proper care of hedges, shrubs, and lawns, helping to keep them neat and in tip-top condition. Unlike secateurs, which are designed for pruning single branches, garden shears can tackle several branches or blades of grass at once. There are a couple of different types:

Edging shears - these specialised lawn tools are long-handled with an angled blade for trimming the edges of lawns next to paving, decking and flowerbeds. Specific lawn shears are also available and are similar to edging shears, but have a flat, horizontal blade for trimming awkward areas of grass, such as tufts around trees or next to fences and walls. Check out our buyers' guide video to find the best edging shears for your garden:

View Green Video on the source website

Hedge shears - Like big garden scissors, these are ideal for pruning and shaping hedges and trees, or cutting down garden waste for compost. They're available with standard or telescopic handles that extend, for safely reaching the tops of tall trees, shrubs, and bushes without using ladders.

Best garden shears at a glance:

Our expertise

We reviewed a range of edging and hedge shears, putting them through their paces on different shaped lawns and on hedges of different ages and species. Each pair of shears has a detailed list of pros and cons for clarity and has been rated according to blade and handles, comfort, performance and value for money.  From 2026, you’ll only see newly awarded Best Buy badges on pairs of shears 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. Each pair of shears has scored a minimum of 4 out of 5 stars, so you can buy with confidence.

Jump to:

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

Best hedge shears

Darlac Lightweight Shear 8 Inches

RRP: £39.95

Our rating: 4.75 out of 5

Available from Fothergills

Best Buy lightweight shears: Darlac Lightweight Shears

Best Buy lightweight shears: Darlac Lightweight ShearsPros

Cons

Awarded a BBC Gardeners' World Magazine Best Buy for the best lightweight shears, these hedge shears give an excellent cut, slicing cleanly through the branches of every hedge on test. They’re remarkably light; at just 820g, they weigh less than a bag of sugar. This weight makes them very nimble for precise trimming, but also a joy to use when cutting large hedges and shrubs. They’re made even more comfortable by their effective shock absorbers. They come with a lifetime warranty.

Best Buy review video - the Darlac lightweight shears

In this in-depth video review, Alex David explains why the Darlac lightweight shears were awarded BBC Gardeners' World Magazine Best Buy status. 

View Green Video on the source website

Buy the Darlac Lightweight Shears from B&Q, Fothergills and Mano Mano

Latest Deals

Bulldog Premier Wavy Blade Hedge Shears

RRP: £27.43

Our rating: 4.5 out of 5

Available from Tooled Up

Best Buy for ease of use: Bulldog Premier Wavy Blade Hedge Shears

Pros

Cons

They might be small, but these hedge shears pack a punch, slicing through every hedge in our test with ease and we awarded them a BBC Gardeners' World Magazine Best Buy for ease of use. Their wavy blades are fantastic for gripping branches and leaves without chewing them up and their size makes them great for gardeners who are tight on storage space, plus they have a cover for hanging up and protecting them from rust. However, the shock absorbers don’t work very well, and the plastic handles feel a little cheap. The rubber grips on these handles are just 13cm long, so they may be uncomfortable if you have larger hands.

Buy the Bulldog Premier Wavy Blade Hedge Shears from Amazon, B&Q and Tooled Up

Latest Deals

Best edging shears

Darlac DP812 Lawn Edging Shears

RRP: £42.95

Our rating: 5 out of 5

Available from On Buy

Latest Prices Best Buy lightweight edging shears: Darlac DP812 Lawn Edging Shearse

Pros

Cons

A BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine Best Buy award winner for the best lightweight edging shears, these lawn edging shears have adjustable handles, which adjust from 66cm to 108cm, so you can use them with a straight back, whatever your height and soft grips make them comfortable to handle too. These edging shears feature strong, wavy-edged blades that cut well, and, at 29cm in length, are quick and efficient to get the job done. They also come with a lifetime warranty.

Best Buy review video - the Darlac DP812 Lawn Edging Shears

In this in-depth video review, Cinead McTernan explains why the Darlac DP812 lawn edging shears were awarded BBC Gardeners' World Magazine Best Buy status. 

View Green Video on the source website

Read the full Darlac DP812 lawn edging shears review

Buy the Darlac DP812 Lawn Edging Shears from B&Q, D.T.Brown and On Buy

Latest Prices

Bulldog Edging Shears

RRP: £39.36

Our rating: 4.75 out of 5

Available from Tooled Up

Latest Prices Best Buy for performance: Bulldog Edging Shears

Pros

Cons

Awarded a BBC Gardeners' World Magazine Best Buy for performance, these edging shears have high-carbon steel blades with an epoxy coating for extra protection against rusting. The handles have rubber grips, but although they aren't ergonomic, they’re extremely well-balanced and always hang parallel to the edge. They’re also lightweight and comfortable to hold.

These shears performed well during the test, cutting through the grass cleanly every time. The full length of the blade is sharp and effective, and they’re thin enough to sit neatly between the lawn and paving stones. However, they feel a little cheap, and no replacement blades are available. The mechanism to open the blades is also a little stiff.

Buy the Bulldog Edging Shears from B&Q, Mano Mano and Tooled Up

Latest Prices

Burgon and Ball RHS Endorsed Edging Shears

RRP: £48.99

Our rating: 4.5 out of 5

Available from Amazon

Latest Prices Best Buy for comfort: Burgon and Ball RHS Endorsed Edging Shears

Pros

Cons

These are lightweight but sturdy edging shears, with one coated carbon-steel blade and one stainless steel blade, for the best of both kinds of steel - rust resistance and strength. They’re well-balanced and have ergonomic handles, which are very comfortable and don’t rub, and we awarded them a BBC Gardeners' World Magazine Best Buy for comfort. It’s easy to get these shears into position, and they easily slice through grass. They’re a good height, but shorter gardeners might find them a little long.

However, they have no hook to hang them up with, and although they’re well-balanced, the blade doesn’t always hang parallel to the edge. Replacement blades aren't available for these, and the shears don’t fully open for sharpening.

Buy the Burgon and Ball RHS Endorsed Edging Shears from Amazon

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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:

Kent and Stowe General Purpose Hedge Shears 8 Inches

RRP: £19.99

Our rating: 4 out of 5

Available from B&Q

Kent and Stowe General Purpose Hedge Shears 8” - BBC Gardeners' World Magazine

Pros

Cons

On test, we found this pair great for snipping through leaves and thinner stems. They’re light and well-balanced, and their handles give great grip without rubbing. However, they struggle with woodier material, and the shock absorbers don’t soften the cut as well as they could.

Buy the Kent and Stowe General Purpose Hedge Shears 8” from B&Q

Latest Prices

Burgon and Ball RHS Endorsed Hedge Shears

RRP: £37.99

Our rating: 4 out of 5

Available from Amazon

Latest Prices Burgon and Ball RHS Endorsed Hedge Shears

Pros

Cons:

For cutting a lot of tough hedging, try these shears from Burgon and Ball. The wavy blades are chromed and coated for longevity, and they grip material well, but their most important feature is a compound mechanism - a lever that assists with generating extra force, which means they slice easily through branches. However, they shears aren’t ideal for more delicate tasks like trimming conifers, and the compound action also means that they don’t have shock absorbers, which is a little uncomfortable. We love the ten-year warranty.

Buy the Burgon and Ball RHS Endorsed Hedge Shears from Amazon

Latest Prices

For more help with pruning, take a look at our expert reviews of the best secateurs, the best loppers, best mini chainsaws, electric secateurs and the best hedge trimmers. And for help clearing up see our tests of the best wheelbarrows, the best shredders and the best wood-splitting axes.

How to choose garden shears

Before you buy, consider the following features-

Blades - These are almost always steel; either carbon steel, which is durable and strong but prone to rust, or stainless steel, which is highly resistant to rust but is a little weaker. Sometimes carbon blades are powder-coated to protect the steel from rust. Almost always, shears arrive with a thin coating of oil to both further protect the blades and lubricate the hinge.

Handles - These can be simple and plain, ergonomically designed or include grips for comfort, and are usually made from steel, aluminium, wood or composite plastic. Steel is long-lasting but heavy, wood helps to absorb shock but needs maintenance and care, while composite handles can't be recycled.

Weight - The lighter the shears, the better. These tools get hours of use, so it’s best to steer clear of heavy types, which will be tiring for your hands, wrists and arms.

Bumpers - Generating the power to cut through tough hedging like leylandii, yew, and hawthorn can put a lot of force on your hands. Good bumpers or shock absorbers will soften the impact and ensure a comfortable cut. This is especially helpful for gardeners with mobility or strength issues with their hands.

Length - The longer the blades, the more efficiently they will perform the job, the shorter the shears, the more nimble. If you need to tackle a lot of hedging, go for long shears; for small, neater work, go for smaller shears.

What are wavy hedge shears?

Some hedge shears have wavy blades rather than straight blades. This is to help them grip the plant stems and stop them slipping when being cut, and is useful for more open, larger-leaved hedging. However, wavy blades can be tricky to sharpen, and because they’re a little more expensive to manufacture, can be pricier than more traditional straight-blade shears.

How to sharpen garden shears

Sharp shears are safer and work more efficiently than blunt ones, so it's worth looking after them and sharpening the blades regularly. Although some hedging and edging shears may come with their own specialist sharpening tool, most should come apart easily for sharpening, simply by removing the central nut and bolt with a spanner. Once the two blades are separated, follow our simple tips for easy sharpening :

How we tested garden shears

We tested a range of both edging and hedge shears, just as a gardener would use them, on grass between lawns, paving stones and borders and on a variety of species hedges. They were assessed according to the following criteria, with equal marks attributed 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 January 2026. We apologise if anything has changed in price or availability.

]]> Five steps to better borders https://www.gardenersworld.com/how-to/maintain-the-garden/five-steps-to-better-borders/ https://www.gardenersworld.com/how-to/maintain-the-garden/five-steps-to-better-borders/ Are your borders looking tired? Follow our five steps to rejuvenate them. October is the perfect time to deal with borders that you’ve been disappointed with during the growing season. This job can be a bit daunting, but with a little planning, it’s easy to breathe life back into your borders to give your garden year-round interest. In the video above, Arit Anderson shows how to assess your borders in autumn, how to improve the colour flow and add extra sparkle, to ensure your borders are revived ready for next year.

An autumn sort-out is perfect if your borders are looking tired and unbalanced, if there are shrubs that aren’t flowering, or perennials that have become congested. It's also the perfect opportunity to assess what you already have growing, and see if you can add a few new plants to create further interest. Don’t know where to start? Just follow these five simple steps.

1. Make a plan

Make a plan

When planning a border, the first thing to do is get your idea down on paper. Come up with a word to describe how you want your border to feel – ‘hot’, ‘bold’, ‘romantic’ – it’s to keep you focused on the final look. Measure the area, noting down all existing plants and marking the ones you want to leave in their present position. If you plan to alter the border’s shape or size, now's a good time to draw up any changes. Check where the sun rises and sets, as this will help you ensure sun-loving plants get the sun they need and shady spots are filled with plants that will thrive there.

Designing a border is all about layers. The tallest layer is for any tall trees you have space for – in a small garden you may need to skip this. The second layer is for smaller trees. Next comes shrubs, followed by perennials, and low-growing plants such as ground cover and small bulbs. Ensuring you have interest across all these layers will give you a great checklist when planning your space. When you go to the garden centre, always try to have a clear idea beforehand of what you're trying to add to the border.

2. Prune your shrubs

Pruning shrub rose

Pruning is an easy way to bring an overgrown shrubby border back to its former glory. Firstly, remove any dead, damaged and diseased stems, as well as crossing stems rubbing against each other. Next, stand back and look at the shrub to work out how you can make it more balanced. Look for a healthy side shoot that you can cut back to an outward-facing bud. You want to encourage new stems to grow outwards, rather than into the middle.

Most deciduous shrubs, such as dogwood, smoke bush and spiraea, respond well to hard pruning in winter. Remove the lower branches of large shrubs and trees to reveal the main stems. This will transform a bulky shrub into a real feature, and let in more light and air. For a total rejuvenation, cut back all stems to 20-30cm from the ground, then give the plant a feed and mulch in spring. If you want to move a shrub, bear in mind that it may not survive the move. Relocate evergreens in October or late March, early April, and deciduous shrubs from November to March. Remember to keep them well watered.

3. Rejuvenate your perennials

Japanese anemones

Perennials can become congested over time, with all the vibrant, flowering growth on the outside of the clump and little going on in the middle. Other perennials can become thug-like and take over borders, killing less-vigorous plants. The best way to solve these problems is to dig them up and divide them. Done every few years, this will rejuvenate tired perennials and stop others spreading too much.

Divide summer-flowering plants in autumn or spring, while spring-flowering plants should be divided in summer to give them time to establish before the following year. Dig them up with a spade, taking care to keep as much of the roots attached as possible. Then push two garden forks, back to back, into the centre of the plant and use them as levers to tease the rootball apart – you could also cut through the middle with a knife or spade. When you replant your new bits of plant, make sure you keep them well watered. Divide rootballs by hand, or use two forks back to back if they're congested.

4. Remove weeds

Bindweed roots on a garden fork

In mature borders, weeds can hide among perennials and take hold before you realise. Annual weeds, like chickweed  or hairy bittercress, are easy to remove by hand or by lightly hoeing, so get them before they set seed. Perennial weeds take more time and effort. The key is to remove all of the roots, which is sometimes easier said than done. Hoeing or digging up when they first appear will keep on top of them, and many perennial weeds can be gradually weakened and removed over time.

5. Treat yourself to new plants

How to grow astrantias - planting out astrantias

Before you head to the nursery, make a list of the plants you already have, then assess your border. See how much space there is to fill and what your border is missing – perhaps it needs more colour, late-season interest or height? Don’t just splurge on lots of plants that will all flower at the same time, leaving you with nothing the rest of the year.

If you have lots of space to fill and a tight budget, try growing perennials from seed, or buy plants that you can divide immediately into two or three pieces, or that you can take cuttings from. Also sow annuals to fill in gaps while you build up your stocks. Early October is a great time to sow hardy annuals, such as poppies, cornflowers and pot marigolds for flowers next summer. Prepare the soil by adding compost and water well to help new plants to establish.

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