We've got you covered with our selection of the best garden shears to help you tame that neglected greenery. Feel like your rusty old garden shears simply don't cut it anymore? No gardener's tool kit is complete without a trusty set of shears, ready for pruning and making room for new beautiful blooms. Trimming and cutting aren't just great for aesthetics or space-saving, plant health and growth are reliant on a bit of pruning.
Garden shears offer precise trimming, enabling clean cuts for healthier plants. Their ergonomic design reduces hand strain, with a soft-grip for comfort during prolonged use. They allow for intricate shaping and maintenance of bushes, shrubs and hedges.
Best garden shears at a glance:
• Best shears for reliability: Fiskars Solid Hedge Shear HS21 – View on Amazon UK
• Editor's pick: Spear and Jackson Razorsharp Telescopic Hedge Shears – View on Amazon UK
• Best shears for long tasks: Davaon Pro Heavy-Duty Gardening Shears – View on Amazon UK
In conjunction with garden shears, you might use tools such as pruning loppers for thicker branches, hand pruners for smaller branches and hedge trimmers for larger hedges. Additionally, you might opt for a power tool, such as a garden multi-tool, for bigger ground maintenance jobs. Remember, always wear gardening gloves and goggles for protection.
Say hello to clean cuts and healthier hedges with a great new set of garden shears. Examples of bushes commonly trimmed with garden shears include boxwood, privet, and yew. These bushes benefit from regular pruning to maintain shape and promote healthy growth. For more guidance, scroll to the FAQs below.
Best garden shears
Best shears for reliability
Description
If reliable trimming is what you're after, then these solid hedge shears are perfect. Carefully engineered for easy pruning, Fiskars Solid Hedge Shears keep hedges and bountiful bushes in shape. Comfortable, non-slip handles ensure a sturdy grip. These quality shears offer dependable trimming for bushes and hedges, with durable hardened steel blades for long-lasting performance. An optional Diamond file is sold separately in the maintenance kit. Fiskars offers a variety of gardening tools to meet your needs.
Customer review: "I have been using these shears since they arrived, and they make all my cutting and trimming so easy. I've actually been using them to deadhead border plants to save bending and it's so much easier."
Pros
- Hardened steel blades
- Soft-touch handle for a sturdy and comfortable grip
- Long-lasting durability
Cons
- Not suitable for grass
Editor's pick
Description
Lightweight aluminium telescopic handles with shock absorber grips, these Spear & Jackson Razorsharp Telescopic Hedge Shears have won gold awards for their greatness. The Spear & Jackson Razorsharp Garden Cutting range offers Pro, Advance, Advantage, Steel and Active variants, catering to hobbyists and professionals with loppers, secateurs, shears and more. The ergonomic designs and quality manufacturing guarantee easy, enjoyable gardening with precise and powerful performance.
Customer review: "Really sharp, strong feeling shears, the telescopic section runs smoothly and feels secure once locked in place. We have a lot of Beech hedging which needs to be kept under control."
Pros
- Soft feel grips
- Easy to use twist and lock telescopic mechanism
- Shock absorber
Cons
- A little heavy
Best shears for long tasks
Description
Prune your garden with comfort and ease with these precision Davaon Pro Heavy-Duty Gardening Shears. The gearing mechanism allows you to achieve more with less force, making this pair ideal for prolonged tasks. Effortlessly trim hedges, shrubs and plants with the razor-sharp SK5 carbon steel blades, ensuring smooth and uniform cuts. The gearing mechanism reduces effort, ideal for prolonged pruning tasks. Lightweight at 820g, these clippers prevent discomfort, crafted with high-quality materials for lasting use. Also, the ergonomic handles ensure a comfortable, secure grip.
Customer review: "They arrived on time, nicely packaged, all in all I think these are the best shears I've ever had. Not too heavy, very sharp and efficient. I used them for over two hours and they still cut through the box hedging and I didn't even get shoulder ache, due to them being lighter than other models I've had in the past. Highly recommend."
Pros
- Precision cutting
- Lightweight
- Durable and ergonomic
Cons
- Some customers find handles too short
Best set of garden cutting tools
www.argos.co.uk
Description
Everything you need to cut and prune in one very handy set! Great without compromising on quality, this Spear & Jackson Razorsharp 3 Piece Cutting Set is an amazing bargain for brilliantly sharp and strong blades. It includes hedge shears, secateurs and a telescopic lopper with chrome-plated rust-resistant blades. This handy set is backed by a 10-year guarantee.
Customer review: "Bought these when they were on offer and so far, I can honestly say I'm glad I bought them. From the quality feel of these, I suspect they'll last a good few years of average use. Easy to use and super sharp. Used to prune a large hedge, apple trees and other shrubs. Cut through the branches with ease including some which were the max size for the jaws."
Pros
- Includes anvil loppers, shears and secateurs
- Good value
- Sharp and sturdy
Cons
- Heavy tools
Best for durability
Description
The perfect tool for trimming and shaping your shrubs, these durable and precision-cutting Flora Guard 23-inch Heavy Duty Garden Hedge Shears are exquisitely designed and simple to use. This hedge trimmer is perfect for shaping shrubs and topiary plants. Its sharp, hardened SK5 carbon steel blade ensures precise cutting by securely gripping the plant. Coated with Ilaflon, it's durable, rust-resistant and anti-bacterial. Also, the rubberised handles offer comfort and a secure grip.
Customer review: "Excellent hedge shears and just what I had been looking for. Very sharp with a good clean cut and, above all, lightweight and easy to handle (I am only 4'10" with advanced Osteoporosis!) Very prompt delivery too would thoroughly recommend it!"
Pros
- Shock guard
- Comfortable grip
- Durable and sharp
Cons
- Best for thinner hedges
Best professional garden shears
www.ebay.co.uk
Description
The Stihl PH 10 Wooden Hedge Trimmer is designed to tackle a wide range of hedge and shrub types, from soft to extremely tough. With a cutting diameter up to 30mm, this handy tool can make short work of thicker branches. Featuring specially coated serrated cutters with sap grooves, it's corrosion-resistant and highly effective. The beech wood handle ensures a comfortable grip; while the impact absorber reduces strain on your joints, making your work more comfortable.
Pros
- Corrosion-resistant
- Beechwood handle
- 30mm cutting diameter
Cons
- No product-specific customer reviews
Best lightweight garden shears
www.easylife.co.uk
Description
These EasyLife Lightweight Hedge Shears are super quality and praised by customers. They are perfect for trimming hedges, shrubs and trees – with an extra-long reach that is well-balanced and comfortable to handle. These shears can cut stems up to 1.3cm thick. They measure 67cm in length and weigh just 788g.
Customer review: "Lovely and sharp. The extra length is very helpful."
Pros
- Extra long
- Lightweight
Cons
- Not designed for heavy-duty work
Best heavy-duty garden shears
Description
With Japanese SK5 steel blades, these shears guarantee precision cutting and long-lasting performance. Kimura® Pro Heavy Duty Garden Shears are suitable for shaping and clearing hedges and shrubs with minimal effort. Ergonomically designed, these shears provide up to 3x more power on every cut, reducing strain on hands and arms during gardening tasks. Also, they come with a lifetime guarantee.
Customer review: "I was recommended these shears by one of my friends who said they were used by gardeners across Japan. I used to them to cut back two 20 foot hedges that span the length of my garden and by the end they had not lost any sharpness. The handles are also very comfortable in my hands and light too which helps for longer jobs."
Pros
- Amazon's Choice
- Can cut stems up to 25mm thick
- Tough steel and riveted handles
Cons
- Take care as the blade is extremely sharp
FAQs
What to consider when buying garden shears
Use
First and foremost, you need to consider what you'll be using your new garden shears for. Some common uses for shears include:
• Cutting branches and stems
• Shaping and trimming hedge plants
• Cutting up garden waste for easier disposal
• Trimming flowers and plants for display and arrangements
• Trimming and edging lawns
Once you know what you need them for, you'll be able to determine what you need from building your shears.
The blade
Depending on what needs pruning in your garden, you'll need to look for a blade that's the right length and shape for the job. Long, flat blades are great for cutting hedges with speed, whilst a shorter curved blade is better for cutting with precision. If the latter is what you need, you'd be better off buying some garden secateurs.
You'll also need your blade to be strong enough to hack through those rogue branches and stems. Carbon steel blades are a great quality material to look for in your shears - it's robust, will retain its sharpness, and provide a smooth cut.
The handle
To be able to control the cutting shears with ease, you'll need the handles to be the appropriate length. Much like with the blade, shears with longer handles are ideal for trimming hedges and lawns for reach, whilst shorter handles give more control.
Other things you may want to consider are a lightweight handle that's easy to manoeuvre, reducing fatigue or arm ache, an angled handle optimised for hedge work, and ergonomic handles with non-slip, comfortable grips.
Features
In order to deliver power and precision in one, many garden shears come with added features to make the task lightwork and enjoyable. Such features can include geared or telescopic mechanisms, rust resistance, shock absorption, and safety locks.
Shears vs. secateurs
Secateurs are commonly used for small tasks, like trimming plants and thin branches, whereas shears take on the bigger jobs.
Garden shears are like the secateurs' big brother, used for trimming hedges and cutting those hard-to-reach branches. It helps that shears are commonly long-handled and telescopic, making them great for reaching higher trees.
Rusty and blunt blades be gone and get ready to meet your shiny new replacements. Check out our top picks of the best garden shears ready to help you get your greenery back in shape.
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Eleanor Weaver is the Deputy Homes & Garden Product Editor for Modern Gardens, specialising in outdoor furniture, décor, and tools. She's always looking out for inspiration online for stylish and affordable designs, and enjoys spending time in nature.