Solar lights are environmentally friendly lighting and with a good set, you can create an ambience that lets you enjoy your garden long after dark. Powered by solar panels, they absorb daylight and convert it to electrical energy, charging your lights so they’re ready to go at night.

Unlike mains-powered lights, solar lights are cheap and easy to install, and because these eco-friendly lights are powered by the sun, they’ll save you money on electricity bills and batteries. With the right lights, you can have effective, automatic garden lighting that won’t break the bank.

Solar lights can be used purely for ambience and decoration, or can have a more practical function such as illuminating a path or providing security lighting. Some of the most popular types include:

• Fairy lights: Think of the lights on a Christmas tree – they have small, dim LEDs, narrowly spaced along a wire, and are ideal for decorative lighting.
• String lights: The bigger, brighter cousin of fairy lights. Also on wire, but the bulbs of string lights are spaced out more widely than fairy lights, and are much brighter, for festival-style illumination.
• Spotlights: These solar lights are used for lighting up a single area or highlighting trees and shrubs. They also double as security lights, as they’re good for dark spots that could use brief bursts of bright light, like the front of sheds when you’re locking or unlocking a door, or alleyways when you’re putting the bins out. If you’re looking for gentle mood lighting, these might not be for you.
• Fence lights: Small up or down lights, these sit on fence posts or can be mounted on walls, for lighting all the way along your boundary.
• Stake lights: These tend to be spiked stakes with bulbs at the top that provide low-level lighting, ideal for guiding the way along a path or softly lighting flowerbeds.
• Solar lanterns: LED bulbs housed in lanterns, designed to be hung up or freestanding on a table or patio.

Solar lights are powered by internal rechargeable batteries, charged through the day by a solar panel. The brighter the day, the more power is stored by the battery and the longer the light will shine. Light is produced by one or more LEDs; at dusk they turn on automatically, until turning off when the sun comes up. Solar energy can be used in the garden to power simple mechanisms like the water pumps in solar water features or – in this case – light bulbs, to make solar lights.

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If you’re updating your social space, find inspiration with our round ups of the best garden furniture, parasols, garden loungers, deck chairs, and hammocks. Planning late-night suppers with friends and family? Check out our reviews of the best charcoal BBQs, gas BBQs, and pizza ovens, all in collaboration with Good Food.

Buying solar lights – video

Best solar lights at a glance:

• Best solar spike and bollard lights: 4lite Antheia LED solar-powered decorative spike light with PIR sensor
• Best solar string lights: Lights4fun 200 Starburst solar USB string lights
• Best value solar light set: Lights4fun Set of three warm white hanging solar lights
• Best solar lights for parties: Madison solar drop bulb lights
• Best hanging solar lantern: Lights4fun wicker effect solar lantern
• Best solar light for patios: Sunna solar flame lantern
• Best solar lantern: Damasque solar lantern
• Best solar light for borders: Firefly garden solar light
• Best solar stake lights: Solar fluted marker light 10 pack
• Best solar spotlight: T-Sun solar spotlight

Jump to:

• Best solar lights in 2024
• Best of the rest solar string lights
• Best of the rest solar stake lights
• Best of the rest solar lanterns
• Caring for wildlife
• How to choose the best solar lights?
• How we tested

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 solar lights below:

Best solar lights in 2025

RRP: £34.99

Our rating: 4.9/5

Available from Robert Dyas.

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Pros

• Motion sensor
• Choice of three lighting modes
• Robust and long lasting for year-round use
• Long warranty

Cons

• Costly if want to line a path or boundary

This stylish spike light is made from sturdy die-cast aluminium in matt black and has a large solar panel on the top. There’s a choice of mounting options, the light can be attached to the ground with the included screws or simply sunk into soil with the sturdy spike and also three different modes. It can be set to switch on only when it detects movement, provide a continuous glow, or fade to a dimmer light until nearby motion is detected when it becomes brighter. The warm white solar LED bulbs are bright enough to light a path, boundary or entranceway and offer up to 12 hours of light in the summer, although there’s an on/off switch to avoid disturbing neighbours or garden wildlife. Ideal by the front door, to light up when you arrive home, a few of these would also look great lining a path, although this could become expensive. Rated IP54 it’s tough enough for year-round use and comes with a four year warranty. Taller bollard spike lights with the same features are also available.

Spike light dimensions: 160mm x 290mm (+200m spike)
Bollard spike dimensions: 160mm x 465mm (+200m spike)

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RRP: £39.99

Our rating: 4.8/5

Available from Next

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Pros

• Good quality with a sturdy clear cable
• Good range of features
• Remote control
• USB charging option

Cons

• Only 2m length
• Expensive for length

Awarded a BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine Best Buy for the best string lights, these sparklers have been well thought out with a good range of features. With a clear cable and 10 clusters of 200 warm white LEDs these pretty string lights will create a twinkle in a tree or along a fence line. IP44 rated they’re ideal for use outside and are rechargeable via the included USB cable as well as by solar. There’s a good length of cable between the panel and the first set of lights and they have an on/off button and a remote control, which can be used to set one of eight different modes, vary the brightness and choose between one of three timer options. The back of the panel also shows battery level and mode. They make an attractive feature, it’s just a shame they’re not a bit longer or available in different lengths. They have a two year warranty

Dimensions: 10cm x 2mm and 2m cable

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RRP: £19.99

Our rating: 4.8/ 5

Available from Lights4fun

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Pros

• Ready to go
• On/off switch
• Robust
• Good value

Cons

• Quite small

This set of three sweet lights is simple to use and brings a soft glow to the garden after sunset. A silver hook on the top of each light makes them easy to hang on branches or string up and loop over a pergola, and a switch on the side ensures you can turn them off at the end of the night. Although they’re entirely plastic they stood up well to the weather in our test and despite the small solar panel on the top of each light they were the first to come on at dusk and lasted well into the morning in summer if not switched off. IP 44 rated, they’re ideal for outdoor use and although there are no extra modes or fancy features, these charming lights are simple to use, look great and come with a two year warranty. We think they’re great value and awarded them a BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine Best Buy for the best value solar light set.

Dimensions: (H) 14.5, 12.5, 11.5 x (D) 10, 8, 8cm

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RRP: £39.99

Our rating: 4.8/5

Available from Amazon

Pros

• Good quality with thick sturdy cable
• Helpful hanging holes
• Choice of three power saving lighting modes
• Two spare bulbs included

Cons

• No replacement bulbs available

A BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine Best Buy winner for the best solar lights for parties, we were immediately impressed by the quality of these large, vintage-style string lights. With 10 glass bulbs strung along a thick UK weatherproof cable and a generous 3W solar panel, they’re good looking and easy to use.

The lights come carefully packaged in cardboard and take around ten minutes to put together. All that’s needed is slotting the stake together and into the solar panel and screwing in the bulbs – just take care to screw the bulbs in well or they will come loose and turn off in windy weather.  The lights have a power button, so you can turn them off before you go to bed to protect wildlife and save energy , and there are also three light settings to choose from. Simply press the button on the back of the panel once for the brightest setting, then again for the first power saving mode and a third time for the dimmest power saving mode. The solar panel is frost resistant and large enough to power the lights through even grey winter days and the lights switch on as soon as the light starts to fade at dusk. They have a runtime of up to eight hours and in our test throughout the summer, they lasted through the night and right up until dawn. They come with two spare bulbs and a one year warranty. Our only niggle with these lights is that you can’t buy replacement bulbs, so they have a finite life, once the bulbs start to go.

Dimensions: 7.25m in total, 45cm between each light, 3.3m from panel to forst bulb. Bulb hangs 19cm from cable

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RRP: £49.99

Our rating: 4.5/5

Available from Lights4fun

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Pros

• Ready to go
• Versatile – can hang up or stand
• On/Off switch
• Long lasting materials

Cons

• Lacks lighting modes
• Expensive

This durable lantern has a large round bulb that emits a soft golden light and is ideal for bringing atmosphere and light late in to the evening. It needs no assembly other than leaving it to charge for the day and even if you don’t want to use it in a sunny spot you can charge it in full sun and simply move it to wherever you need it in the garden. It’s simple to hang up by its handle and looks great hanging by a front door, but you can also set it on the ground or on a tabletop to enjoy its gentle glow. It also has an on/off switch so there’s no need to leave it on all night. IP 44 rated, it’s ideal for outdoor use and the solar panel is a good size, although unlike some in our test it’s not replaceable and there’s also no choice of lighting modes or other features. Although it’s made from black plastic wicker but it won’t rust or stain like metal lanterns and is long lasting and hard wearing. It’s available in a choice of two sizes and comes with a two year warranty. We awarded it a BBC Gardeners’ World Best Buy for the best hanging solar lantern.

Dimensions: 22 x 28cm

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RRP: £149.99

Our rating: 4.5/5

Available from Currys

Pros

• High quality
• Good features
• Weather resistant
• Choice of size and colour

Cons

• Expensive
• Tricky to clean
• Doesn’t give off a lot of light

This large, well built lantern has a contemporary design and makes a striking feature on the patio, deck, or by the front door. We awarded it a BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine Best Buy for the best solar lantern for patios. It only casts a gentle glow, which is not bright enough to eat by but it creates a lovely ambience and would be very atmospheric if you had a few dotted around. It’s sturdily made from metal with a strong handle to carry it around and although it’s reasonably heavy at 3.6k, this helps make it feel substantial and together with the wide base, ensures it remains upright.It has a Roman numeral sundial design around the large solar panel and beneath this is the long bulb that offers a choice of three settings – solid, candle or flame, both of which flicker atmospherically. This can be adjusted by a large switch on the side of the panel and comes on as soon as the light levels drop. It remains on for six hours until automatically switching off and this useful feature ensures the light doesn’t stay on all night if you forget to switch it off, with the on/off switch that’s situated beneath the panel.  The lantern is waterproof and feels durable and long lasting but it is awkward to clean if leaves and dust blows in through the slats and settles on or around the light. Despite its high cost it’s value for money, comes with a 12 month warranty and there’s a choice of two sizes (50.8 cm and 63.5cm) and three colours. The lantern comes in grey, forest green or textured brown.

Dimensions: 51 cm x 29 cm

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RRP: £34.99

Our rating: 4.5/5

Available from Crocus and Amazon

Pros:

• No assembly
• Easy on/off switch
• Great atmospheric effect
• Replacement panel / bulb available
• Stood up well to the weather

Cons:

• Expensive
• Takes up room in storage

Winner of a BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine Best Buy Award for Best solar lantern, this steel globe lantern has an antique bronze finish and an intricate Moroccan-style pattern that creates a beautiful display as the light shines through it. The bulb and batteries sit under the solar panel in the top of the globe and this simple unit is easily lifted out to turn the light on and off. It also doesn’t need any assembly, though you’ll need to charge it in a sunny spot in the off position for 48 hours. After this, turn it on and when the light levels drop it will flick on and provide up to six hours of bright light. Great for a party or around an al fresco dining table the lantern can be stood on the ground or on a table or hung up from its handle. It has no flashing modes and is a reasonable price, towards the higher end of the lights in our test for one light, but it comes with a one-year warranty and the solar panel/bulb/battery unit is replaceable and available from a number of retailers for a small charge, making this elegant solar light a great sustainable investment.

Dimensions: 22cm x 23cm

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RRP: £19.99

Our rating: 4.8/5

Available from Solar Centre

Pros

• Eye catching design
• Easy too use and store
• Simple on/off switch
• Weatherproof

Cons

• Ideally you need more than one
• Flops after a while

This striking light creates eye-catching dots of light that sway in the wind and float above your plants when dotted through borders or along a pathway. It comes in two parts with six bulbs arranged on the end of bendy prongs with the solar panel at the base. It’s very easy to put together, simply slot the light into the long metal stake and switch it on. The switch is conveniently situated on the back of the solar panel and also gives you the option of flashing or continuous light modes and on a full charge the light has six hours of run time and comes on as soon as it’s dusk. The plastic coated prongs are weather proof and light well, even through wintering and although ours started to flop after a few months, this didn’t detract from the effect of them at all. We would love a number of these dotted through borders around the garden and awarded it a BBC Gardeners World Magazine Best Buy award for the best solar light for borders. It’s compact and easy to store and comes with a one year warranty.

Dimensions: 35cm lights + 7cm base + 32cm spike

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RRP: £21.99

Our rating: 4.5/5

Available from Crocus and Waitrose

Pros:

• Simple, stylish design
• Easy-to-use
• Attractive glow
• Great value
• Long lasting

Cons:

• No on/off switch

Winner of a BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine Best Buy Award for Best Stake Lights, these lights are ideal for guiding the way or dotting through beds in the garden. The stylish design has a brushed steel finish, and the fluted plastic gives off a lovely star shaped glow around each light. Assembly is easy and each light just needs charging for 48 hours in a sunny spot before use. After this, turn them on and they’ll light up as soon as the light fades, staying lit for up to six hours. Our one quibble is the absence of an on/off switch to override the automatic setting, so they will stay on late into the night. The pack generously includes ten lights, and comes with a one-year warranty, so overall they’re great value for money.

Dimensions: 36cm x 4.7cm

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RRP: £17.99

Our rating: 4.5/5

Available from Amazon

Pros:

• Excellent weather resistance (IP65)
• Bright
• Easy-to-use
• Adjustable angle of lights and solar panel
• On/off switch
• Multiple colours available

Cons:

• No warranty
• Can be slow to switch on
• Conspicuous solar panel

This Best Buy-winning solar spotlight is remarkably good value. The brightest on test at a whopping 250 lumens, we like the adjustable bulb and solar panel angles, as well as the effective stake for positioning it at the base of trees. The on/off switch is handy, too. You can also take the stake out and screw the light to fence posts or walls if needed. We found that it gave dramatic lighting to trees and shrubs and would make a great light for a shed or alleyway. While the light is very white, these spotlights are also available in a range of other colours if you’d like a softer effect. However, bear in mind this light doesn’t come with a warranty, and can be slow to turn on after dark. Like all solar spotlights, the solar panel is relatively large, so can be hard to hide. A range of different colours are available.

Dimensions: ‎29.01cm x 9.5cm x 34.01cm

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The best of the rest

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

Best solar string and fairy lights

RRP: £34.99 (6.1m)

Our rating: 4.3/5

Available from Robert Dyas and Amazon

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Pros

• On/off switch
• Tough plastic bulbs
• Choice of eight different modes
• Four year warranty

Cons

• Average IP rating
• Cable not as sturdy as some

These string lights have 10 plastic warm white bulbs spread along the cable every 50cm and each has a hook on the top for easy hanging. The solar panel is a good size, although not as large as the Madison solar drop lights, and with a clear on/ off button, charging indicator and mode adjustor, with eight different lighting modes to choose from. There’s a reasonable 1.5 cable length from the solar panel to the first light and they come with both a mounting bracket plus wall plugs and screws, and a ground stake offering the choice of mounting the panel on a wall or fence or on the ground. They’re rated IP44 so are suitable for outdoor use but we found the cable thinner and less sturdy than others in the test. They come with a four year warranty.

Dimensions: 6.1 m (1.5cm + 9 x 50cm + 10cm)

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RRP: £39.99

Our rating: 4.3/5

• Buy now from Lights4fun

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Pros:

• Two-year warranty
• Tough plastic bulbs
• Discrete solar panel
• On/off switch
• Multiple lighting modes
• Three metre lead

Cons:

• Average IP rating
• Dim
• Slow to turn on

These string lights are good quality and although the bulbs look like glass, they’re made of tough plastic and more than capable of holding up to accidental knocks. The solar panel is discrete, and they’re easy to control through an on/off switch and eight lighting modes. There’s also generous three metre lead of cable between the panel and the first light, so there’s a lot of slack to play with when you’re setting these up. However, despite being a white light we found these lights a little dim, especially from a distance. They could also sometimes be slow to turn on, and have a weather resistance rating of IP44.

Dimensions: 7.75m (4.75m of lights, 3m from panel to first light)

Buy 20 Warm White Carnival Solar Festoon Lights from Lights4fun

RRP: £34.99

Our rating: 4/5

Available from Solar Centre

Pros

• Remote control and USB charging option
• Bead lights make them sturdy and easy to wrap
• Long run time
• Power saving mode to save energy

Cons

• Remote control only works close up
• No white light
• Cost

These pretty LED fairy lights have beads strung along the cable which makes them easy to wrap around trees or pergolas to stunning effect. They’re don’t take long to put together, you just need to attach the panel to the stake and there are 50 bulbs dotted along the cable which can be charged by the large solar panel alone or by USB, using a universal USB – C cable. This is best done indoors, which can be tricky depending on where the lights are strung. On full charge the lights have a run time of 10 hours and the charging point and on/off and mode buttons sit behind the panel. However, these lights also come with an intuitive remote control that allows you to change colour and mode rather than bending down and fiddling behind the solar panel. We found it worked best quite close to the lights and didn’t work at a distance, which was a bit frustrating but using the remote is still easier than the mode button on the solar panel. The best feature of these lights is the number of colours and combinations available, with single colours in every shade of the rainbow to choose from and show at the same time. We couldn’t find a simple white light in all that choice but they make a great feature for parties and for Christmas, plus they have a power saving mode that almost doubles their run time in the winter. Our lights however, did need a USB boost once the light levels stated to drop on dull days in the autumn and winter. They’re reasonably pricy for the length of lights but they come with a one year warranty.

Dimensions: 6.8m (5 metres of lights, 1.9 metres from panel to first light)

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RRP: from £12.95

Our rating: 4/5

Available from Sarah Raven

Pros:

• Easy to assemble
• Great for trailing
• On/off switch
• Strong, mellow glow

Cons:

• Functional look
• One year warranty

With 12 metres of cable and 100 lights these are just the thing for trailing through a hedge or shrub and provide an enchanting warm glow. They’re easy to assemble and use, simply slot the spike into the stake and allow the lights to charge for 48 hours in the off position. Once fully charged, they’ll stay lit for up to six hours. They have an on/off button and the choice of steady light as well as flashing modes. The flexible cable means they drape, loop and trail well. Available in different lengths, including 50 (7m) and 200 (24m) lights, there’s two metres between the solar panel and the first light so it’s easy to place in shade while ensuring the panel is still catching the sun. They come with a warranty of a year.

Dimensions: 12m (10m of lights, 2m from panel to first light)

Buy 100 Warm White String Lights from Sarah Raven

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RRP: £39.99

Our rating: 4/5

Available from Solar Centre and Amazon

Pros:

• Solar panel can be mounted on a wall, or staked in the ground
• USB charge indicator light
• On/off switch
• Eight different modes
• No weathering

Cons:

• Comparatively expensive

This string of solar fairy lights has 100 white LEDs along 10 metres of wire, which means they’re ideal for running along fences, or using to decorate eating areas. There’s also two metres of cable between the solar panel and the first LED bulb, so check this provides enough distance if you need to position the panel in the sun and string the lights up in a shady spot. We like that it comes with a stake as well as a wall mount, which gives plenty of flexibility when it comes to setting up your solar panel. If you have a north-facing garden and charging outdoors is an issue, there’s also a USB cable, which provides enough power for 12 consecutive nights on a single indoor charge. While they turn on and off automatically you can also do this manually by using the on/off switch. As with many fairy lights on test, you can choose between a range of different modes, and these lights offer eight options, from a steady glow to various flashing sequences. We also like that they have a power saving mode, which reduces brightness but doubles the runtime during overcast conditions and winter months. Despite all the features, these lights are expensive compared to the other options we tested and come with just a year’s warranty.

Dimensions: 10m (8m of lights, 2m from panel to first light)

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Best solar lanterns

RRP: from £13.75

Our rating: 4.5/5

• Buy now from Glow and B&Q

Pros:

• Easy to set up
• Versatile – hang up or stand on the ground or on a tabletop
• Realistic candle effect

Cons:

• No on/off switch

This pretty lantern needs no assembly other than leaving it to charge for 48 hours in the off position and is a good choice if you don’t have a south-facing garden, because you can leave it in the sunniest spot during the day to charge and then move it to a shady corner to add a warm glow once it’s dusk. While it looks as if it’s made from metal, it’s actually plastic, which means it won’t rust and is light enough to hang in trees and shrubs with thinner branches. However, this will make it less desirable if you’re looking for a sustainable option. In addition to hanging it up, you can also set it on the ground or on a tabletop next to seating or eating areas to enjoy the realistic flicker of the candle-light. It’s worth noting there isn’t an on/off switch to override the automatic setting, so it’ll stay on late into the night.

Dimensions: Small: 25cm x180cm diameter; Large: 36cm x 18cm diameter

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RRP: £29.99

Our rating: 4.5/5

Available from The Solar Centre, Amazon and Glow

Pros:

• Easy to set up
• USB connection for quick charge
• Versatile – comes with a crook to hang, or set on the ground or a table top
• On/off switch
• No sign of rust or weathering

Cons:

• Comparatively pricey

We think this is a super lantern if you like traditional designs. Easy to set up, you simply need to attach the crook to the pole, but it does take three days to initially charge if it’s outside. However, it’s one of the few lanterns on test that comes with a USB cable. This lets you charge the light from a USB plug, which takes just a few hours and is a useful option if you can’t wait for it to be charged by sunlight or want to give it a boost if it’s overcast or wintery. After that, simply press the on/off switch on the base of the lantern for three seconds, and you’re ready to go. We like that this lantern is truly versatile thanks to a crook, pole and spike, which can be pushed into borders or the lawn, as well as a handle so you can hang it from a tree, or stand it on the ground or on a tabletop. It also features a power saving mode, to help increase performance if it hasn’t fully charged, and it has a one-year warranty.

Dimensions: 19.5cm x 12.5cm x 67cm, 84cm height with spike

Buy the TrueFlame USB Solar Crook Lantern from Solar Centre, Amazon, Glow.co.uk

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Best solar stake lights

RRP: £49.99

Our rating: 4.3/5

Available from Lights4fun

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Pros

• Compact, stylish design
• Simple and easy to use
• No signs of weathering

Cons

• No on/off switch
• Cast light down only
• No features or choice of modes
• Comparatively pricey

These neat little lights are a simple way to light up a pathway, the edge of a deck or an entranceway. In mat black stainless steel, they’re sleek and stylish and provide up to six hours of warm white light from dusk in the summer. Light is cast downwards so they are best for signposting rather than lighting up an are and there’s no choice of modes or an on/off switch. With an IP rating of 44 they’re suitable for outdoor use and come with a two year warranty.

Dimensions: (H) 24 x (D) 7.6cm

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RRP: £24.99

Our rating: 4/5

Available from Lights4Fun

Pros:

• Warm but bright light
• Long stake
• Compact
• Plastic so no rust

Cons:

• Fiddly to reach on/off switch
• One light broke just as we finished the test

These lights are perfect for bringing depth to borders and flower beds. They cast warm but bright light with a gorgeous dappled effect thanks to the Moroccan-inspired pattern. We like the long stake, which allows them good clearance amongst most plants in a flowerbed and they’re compact, so they don’t take up too much room. Because they’re plastic, we didn’t see any rusting, weathering, or fading. We also love the two-year warranty. However, it’s fiddly to reach the on/off switch, and the instructions don’t show where to find it either. You have to pop the solar panel off these lights to switch them on, but if you don’t know this you could easily be surprised when they haven’t switched on. We also saw the value of running such a long test, as one of the four lights stopped working just as we were writing up our results.

Dimensions: 40cm x 6.5cm x 6.5cm

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Caring for wildlife

Solar lights are much kinder to wildlife than mains-powered lighting. Often emitting a dimmer glow, they’re less likely to disturb nocturnal animals. So that you don’t disturb bugs and bats, try to angle your lights towards the ground, and opt for dimmer, less harsh lights where possible. Ideally, turn off your solar lights before you go to bed, and ensure some areas of your garden remain in darkness.

How to choose the best solar lights?

For such a small appliance, there can be a lot to consider. While not every manufacturer gives all these specifications, before you choose, look out for:

Solar panel size. As a rule of thumb, the bigger the panel, the brighter the lights, and the longer they’ll stay lit. That said, lots of lights run perfectly well with smaller solar panels, so just check you’re happy with the lighting effect they provide and their run time. For larger solar panels, like those that power solar spotlights, consider if the panel’s going to be visible, as it may be unsightly.

On-off switch. A very useful feature, you can switch off your solar lights at the end of the evening and protect local wildlife and keep your neighbours happy.

Cable length. With string and fairy lights, keep an eye out for how much cable there is between the solar panel and the first bulb. At least a metre of this lead-in is useful, as it means you have more flexibility when placing your solar panel. With enough cable, you can still put your panel in a sunny spot and trail your lights up a trellis a few metres away, even if it’s in the shade.

Brightness. Lumens is a measure of how bright your lights are. Atmospheric mood lights can be as low as 5 or 10  lumens while more practical spotlights are usually 100-200 lumens.

Lighting modes. Dimming, glowing, and twinkling light modes create ambience and enhance social areas of the garden but they’ll also extend your lights’ lifetime and how long they’ll light up on a given night. Some lights also have a power saving mode, which reduces the brightness of the bulbs but doubles the runtime, so your lights turn on for longer during overcast weather and after the shorter hours of daylight in winter.

Motion sensors. Particularly relevant for solar spotlights, motion sensors make lights come on as you approach or when there’s activity nearby. This can extend your lights’ lifetime and as they only light up in short bursts, they’re also less dependent on natural light levels, working  just as well in the winter as the bright summer months.

Weather resistance. The ingress protection (IP) rating indicates how easily dust and water can enter electronics and therefore how weatherproof and water resistant lights are. You may have seen this if you’ve ever shopped for outdoor tech like wildlife cameras or wearable tech like sports headphones. This rating isn’t always given but if you see it, look for solar lights with an IP rating of 44 and above, which means they’ll be weather resistant.

How we tested solar lights

We tested a variety of solar lights, putting them through their paces in a range of urban, suburban and rural gardens across the country. They were subjected to changing weather and hours of daylight for over six months. They were then assessed according to the following criteria with equal marks attributed to each:

• Set Up. Assessed the clarity of instructions, how easy the solar lights were to assemble and set up, how long this took, if any extra tools were needed and how easy the lights were to store over winter.
• Features. Checked cable length, and IP rating and marks were given for on/off switches, multiple lighting modes, as well as any extra features such as power saving modes and USB charging .
• Performance. This focused on the hours needed to charge and the lights’ runtime after a full charge. We looked at how soon after sunset the lights switched on, and checked the lights’ brightness to see if they provided practical or aesthetic lighting. We made sure to check if the lights worked on overcast days, and finally if there was any sign of degradation or rusting.
• Value for Money. Considered all of the above plus any special features, RRP and warranty.

For more information on our testing process see How we Review.

This review was last updated in February 2025. We apologise if anything has changed in price or availability.

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

Need to show your lawn some TLC? Take a look at our round up of the best lawn aerators and expert tips on how to improve your lawn in 12 weeks.

Looking for the best lawn mowers? Read our guides to the best cordless lawn mowers, the best robotic lawn mowers and the best electric lawn mowers. If you have a small lawn, our round-up of the best hand push mowers may prove helpful, and why not keep edges looking neat with our pick of the best lawn edging.

Best lawn scarifiers to buy at a glance

• Best buy for manual performance: Darlac DP888 lawn scarifier
• Best buy for safety: Stihl RLA 240 cordless lawn scarifier

Jump to:

• Best buy lawn scarifiers
• Best of the rest
• What is a lawn scarifier and what does it do?
• Types of lawn scarifiers
• How to choose the best lawn scarifier
• How we tested lawn scarifiers

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

Best buy lawn scarifiers

RRP: £40.99

Our rating: 4.8 out of 5

Available from Amazon

Pros:

• Adjustable handle
• Smooth pulling action
• Easy to control how deep or shallow the blades cut into the turf
• Lightweight
• Good for storage

Cons:

• Hard work and tiring – not suitable for larger gardens
• No safety cover for blade tips
• Less suitable for large gardens

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

Read the full Darlac DP888 Scarifier review

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RRP: £74.99

Our rating: 4.8 out of 5

Available from Wolf Garten and Amazon

Pros:

• Super easy to attach handle
• Smooth pulling action
• Easy to use
• Lightweight
• Good for storage

Cons:

• Hard work and tiring
• No safety cover for blade tips
• Not ideal for large gardens

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

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

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RRP: £119.99

Our rating: 4.3 out of 5

Available from Vonhaus

Pros:

• Easy to manoeuvre
• Lightweight
• Compact
• Folding handles and removable collection box for storage
• Dual start system for safety
• Four depth settings

Cons:

• Tips over when not in use
• Protruding screws base handle
• The collection box doesn’t pick up all the debris

The Vonhaus 1300W Electric Lawn Rake is lightweight, compact and a good step up from a manual scarifier if you have more than a very small patch of lawn to tackle. It features a dual start safety system as well as a thermal cut out that kicks in to prevent it from overheating, folding handles for storage and four depth settings. The scarifying drum is 32cm wide with  steel blades and, depending on how much moss and thatch you’re dealing with, there are four depth settings to choose from: -15mm, -11mm, -7mm and +1mm. Weighing 9kg, it’s noticeably lightweight – in fact it has a tendency to tip backwards when not in use and it’s also noisier than some of the others we tested, reaching 98dB. It comes with a 28L collection box and a 10m cable, which makes it best suited to a small to medium sized garden. It has a two year warranty.

Read the full Vonhaus 1300W Electric Lawn Rake review

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RRP: £149.99

Our rating: 4.3 out of 5

Available from Vonhaus and Amazon

Pros:

• Easy to manoeuvre
• Lightweight
• Folding handles and removable collection box for storage
• Interchangeable drums are easy to remove and install
• Dual start system for safety
• Five depth settings

Cons:

• The collection box doesn’t pick up all the debris
• Noisy – 104dB

The Vonhaus 2-in-1 scarifier is a sturdy machine with a robust but lightweight plastic body, which weighs 16.1kg. Powered with a 1800W motor, it’s a little noisy at 104dB, but removes moss, thatch and other organic lawn debris very efficiently. It has two interchangeable drums to switch between aerating and scarifying modes and has a working width of 38cm. It has folding handles for easy storage, a dual start system for safety, and a built-in thermal cut out if it overheats. There are five depth settings, ranging from -12mm, -9mm, -3mm and +6mm – although we found the lowest setting made the lawn look quite ravaged. At 60cm wide it’s one of the largest machines we tested, but is still easy to manoeuvre and comes with a 10m cable. The generously-sized 55L collection bag is moderately efficient, but misses some debris as there is a gap between the box and the blades. It has a two-year warranty.

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

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RRP: £159

Our rating: 4.3 out of 5

Available from Stiga and Mowers Online

Pros:

• Easy to use
• Lightweight and compact
• Folding handles and removable collection box for storage
• Interchangeable drums easy to remove and install
• Dual start system for safety
• Four depth settings
• Quiet at 91dB

Cons:

• 15m cable isn’t included
• The collection box doesn’t pick up all the debris

The Stiga Essential SV 213E Electric Lawn Scarifier is light, compact and efficient at tackling moss and thatch in the lawn. It comes with two interchangeable drums, one each for scarification and aeration, a dual start safety system and can be adjusted to four depths, ranging from -6mm to +4mm, which is shallower than other models we tested. We found that the 40L collection bag left some debris behind and the 15m cable – the longest in the group we tested – is an additional cost. It’s compact and easy to fold the handles for storage, and comes with a two year warranty.

Read the full Stiga Essential SV 213E Electric Lawn Scarifier review

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RRP: £360.99

Our score: 4 out of 5

Available from Amazon

Pros:

• Comfortable to use
• Very effective
• Quick to charge

Cons: 

• Scalps the lawn
• Very poor instructions

The Cobra S3840V Cordless Lawn Scarifier is big and the wheels are a little stiff, but it handles well and at 92dB, it’s relatively quiet, too. The 40V 5Ah battery charges quickly, in just 90 minutes and offers 40 minutes of  use and it’s easy to use, with a comfortable, soft handle, and we love being able to see the charge indicator through the transparent window. The aerating blades slit well, neatly cutting through the soil and getting most moss and thatch, however, the spring tine scarifying drum lifts moss and thatch, but catches a lot of living grass, no matter which of the 5 heights from -10mm to +5mm you choose. The instructions are also poor, so it took a while to get this tool working. At 38cm wide, it covers a large area, but its size makes this scarifier very bulky and difficult to store. 

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What is a lawn scarifier and what does it do?

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

Types of lawn scarifiers: ways to scarify your lawn

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

However, if your lawn is struggling due to compaction or you have a heavy clay soil, your lawn will benefit from deeper aeration which is the process of opening up the soil by spiking it with long metal tines. See our review of the best lawn aerators for 2021.

• Manual scarifiers. Best for small lawns, or if you just have a few patches of moss to tackle, they’re also handy if you don’t have lots of storage space. A spring-tine rake is one option, as the sharp, hard tines will pull away moss and thatch, but it’s hard work and tiring, even on a small lawn. A manual lawn scarifier is the other alternative, which is similar to a rake, but has stronger blades, rather than tines, and often features wheels, which help to drag it over the lawn. Neither of these options come with a collection box, so once you’ve finished raking the lawn, you’ll have to collect the moss and thatch using a mower with a collection box, or scoop it up by hand and put it on the compost heap or in your green waste bin. Although these scarifiers are very hands-on, they’re a quieter alternative to mechanical machines, will keep you fit and are better for the environment too.
• Powered lawn rakers. These are ideal if you have a small or medium-sized garden. Choose from corded, if you have a nearby power supply, or cordless. They feature a cylinder lined with sprung metal tines that’s capable of combing through the lawn and pulling out moss, thatch, and horizontal grass stalks. They also come with a collection box, so there’s no need to get out the mower or rake to gather up the cuttings.
• Powered scarifiers. Available as either corded, where you’ll need a power supply, or cordless, these have knife blades attached to their cylinders rather than tines, making them effective at removing moss and thatch. Used on the lowest setting, they create slits in the turf, which helps aerate it.
• Powered 2-in-1 aerators and scarifiers. Either corded, where you’ll need a power supply, or cordless, these save buying both types of machine, which is great in terms of money and storage, and feature interchangeable drums with spring tines for scarification and blades for aeration.

How to choose the best lawn scarifier

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

• Manual scarifiers – in addition to strong, good-sized blades, a telescopic handle is a useful feature to make it as comfortable as possible to use – a soft-grip is also a bonus. Some types are designed so you can adjust how deeply the blades rake through the grass and thatch, which is extremely useful.
• Powered lawn rakers and mechanical scarifiers – strong, good-sized blades and a collection box are worth looking for. If storage is an issue check whether the handles collapse down so it takes up less space..
• 2 in 1 combination aerator and scarifiers – Check that it’s easy to remove and install each drum.

How we tested lawn scarifiers

To see how well lawn scarifiers perform, the BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine Reviews team tested a range of models across a range of garden situations – removing moss, lawn thatch and other organic debris. Before we started, we checked for any wildlife in the grass and organic debris on the lawn surface. The lawn scarifiers were compared, and the following criteria used to calculate the scores, with equal weight given to each:

• Set-up & storage: We looked at the assembly needed, ease and clarity of instructions, any storage features and, where relevant, the cable length.
• Handling: We assessed ease of use, weight, noise levels, comfort and safety features.
• Performance: This considered the strength of the blades, as well as how well the spring tines removed moss and thatch in the scarifying mode. For the 2-in-1 machines, we also evaluated how well the blades created slits in the lawn to aerate it.
• Value for money: We reviewed all of the above, plus quality and design, the RRP and the length of warranty.

For more information on our testing process see How we Review.

This review was last updated in February 2025. Unfortunately, prices change and things go out of stock so we apologise if anything has changed.

In the autumn months, it’s glorious to see the leaves turn from green through to golden brown, but once they start to fall and cover our gardens, it’s a different matter.

While those leaves that settle on bare ground in the veg patch and in beds can be left to rot down to act as a mulch, piles of leaves on lawns, borders, paths and patios are best cleared away to prevent them becoming a hotbed for pests and diseases or creating a dangerously slippery surface once the wet weather arrives.

Depending on the size of your garden and amount of leaf fall, a rake or broom could do the job well and keep you fit as you clear. However, for larger spaces and where leaves have collected in awkward corners and around pots or furniture, leaf blowers and leaf blower vacuums make the job quicker and easier.

Leaf blowers and leaf blower vacuums aren’t just for autumn, either, they come into their own at other times of the year, too, making light work of tidying up after pruning or lifting unsightly debris that gathers on paths and in corners. Remember, whatever the season, stay safe and wear protective glasses and ear defenders while using them.

If you’re lumbered with lots of leaves, check out our test of the best gardening gloves to collect them in comfort, and why not learn how to make leaf mould – a super compost and soil conditioner – as well as how to make your own leaf mould bin.

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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 garden shredders, the best pressure washers and the best trimmers.

Leaf Blower Buyers’ Guide – video

Follow our tips on choosing a leaf blower to find the right one for your garden

Best Buy leaf blowers and leaf blower vacuums at a glance:

• Best leaf blower for value (cordless): Worx WG543E LeafJet
• Best leaf blower for ease of use (2024): Husqvarna Aspire B8X-P4A
• Best leaf blower for performance: Makita DUB186Z 18V cordless leaf blower
• Best leaf blower for features: Einhell GP-LB 36/210 Li Turbo blower
• Best leaf blower for performance (2024): Bosch Advanced 36V -750
• Best leaf blower for ease of use: Yard Force LB G18 leaf blower
• Best budget leaf blower: Vonhaus G-series cordless leaf blower
• Best blower vac all rounder: Bosch UniversalGardenTidy 3000
• Best blower vac for ease of use: Ryobi RBV 3000W leaf blower vacuum
• Best small leaf blower vac: Stihl SHE71 leaf blower vacuum

Jump to:

• Best leaf blowers
• Best leaf blower vacs
• The best of the rest
• What’s the difference between a leaf blower and a combination leaf blower vacuum?
• How to choose the best leaf blower
• How to use your collected leaves 
• How we tested leaf blowers

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 leaf blowers and leaf blower vacuums below:

Best leaf blowers in 2024

RRP: £149.99

Our rating: 5/5

• Buy now from Amazon and Screwfix

Pros

• No assembly
• Simple and powerful
• Lightest on test
• Choice of speeds
• Blasts wet leaves
• Part of Worx 20-V Power Share system

This light, powerful leaf blower won a BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine Best Buy award for best value blower and it’s easy to use and ready to go straight from the box.

The 20V battery takes just 60 minutes to charge and has a 23- minute run time plus, it has a handy battery level indicator so you can check how much time you have left while you work.

The blower offers the choice of two nozzle lengths, which are easily adjusted by flicking a button and sliding the nozzle up and down the tube, and two speeds for gentle or more powerful blowing – it coped brilliantly blasting damp leaves off paths and pathing in our test.

It has a hard wearing, brushless motor and for its power and features we think it’s excellent value, plus it comes with a two-year warranty.

It’s ideal for medium to small gardens and the LeafJet is also part of the Worx 20-V Power Share cordless battery system, which means you can use the battery and charge in other Worx tools, saving you money if you invest in the future.

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RRP: £199

Our rating: 4.8/5

• Buy now from Husqvarna

Pros

• Well thought out design
• Easy to use and store
• Comfortable and well balanced
• Clearly visible battery charge on handle
• Choice of speeds

Cons

• Heavy than most blowers in our test
• No speed indicator

Awarded a BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine Best Buy for ease of use, the Aspire leaf blower is very easy to put together – there’s no struggling to attach the nozzle with this blower, it simply clips in with the push of a button and breaks down just as easily for storage. Plus, it comes with its own storage hanging hook.

It only has the one nozzle but this is a good size for blasting away on large areas like lawns. It also works reasonably well when you need more focus in beds and borders or when blowing leaves into piles, although it wasn’t the best at this in our test.

It has a clearly visible battery charge indicator situated in the handle and offers the choice of three speeds, which are also controlled via buttons on the handle. However, there’s no indication which speed you’re in at the time and we also found we had to stop blowing to change speed.

Thanks to the weather at the time of testing, the blower handled primarily wet leaves very well and although it didn’t blow them into as neat piles as some it cleared paths, beds and lawns well. It feels powerful yet controlled and is ideal for clearing large areas quickly. The blower is quiet and has a comfortable easy grip handle and feels well balanced, and although this is a heavy blower once the battery is loaded, it’s not the heaviest in our test.

The 18V battery took the longest to charge in our test at well over an hour, but it lasted the longest too, blowing wet leaves on full power for over 12 minutes. The battery is also part of the Power For All Alliance, which means it’s compatible with other 18V tools in the Flymo, Gardena, and Bosch tool ranges as well as the Husqvarna Aspire range, saving you money if you invest in them in the future. The Aspire blower came in all cardboard packaging and has a two-year warranty.

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RRP: £84.98

Our rating: 4.8/5

• Buy now from Screwfix and Amazon

Pros

• Long narrow nozzle for directional blasts
• Three speed settings
• Fast charge time
• Compact, comfortable and lightweight
• Compatible with over 40 other Makita cordless 18V tools
• Three-year warranty

Cons

• No charge level indicator on battery

A BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine Best Buy award winner for performance, this cordless leaf blower is light, compact and easy to use. It has one of the narrowest nozzles in the range we tested, which means it delivers a powerful but focused blast of air that tackles wet and dry fallen leaves very effectively, particularly on paths and in awkward corners.

Generating an impressive air speed of 68m/s, we also like the three speed settings – low, medium and high – that allow you to increase and decrease the power according to need. This gives you plenty of control to manage wet and dry leaves and we found it even shifted compacted debris in between paving, and compressed wet leaves that had been trodden into the pavement.

While you must hold the pressure trigger to operate, it’s in an accessible position so it doesn’t feel tiring, even with smaller hands. The soft-grip handle, together with the position of the battery, which slots in at the base, helps balance the leaf blower in a downward direction, making it comfortable to use for longer periods of time.

It has a run time of up to 80 minutes (on the low setting – 12 minutes on high) and a relatively short charge time of 45 minutes, so you can use this in larger gardens with lots of leaves to clear. It’s part of the Makita LXT 18V cordless tool system so the 5Ah battery and charger are compatible across the range, and it comes with a three-year warranty.

Read the full Makita DUB186Z leaf blower vacuum review

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RRP: £128.95

Our rating: 4.8/5

• Buy now from Mano Mano, OnBuy, Robert Dyas and Debenhams

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Pros

• Well balanced
• Turbo setting
• Choice of nozzle lengths and speeds
• Long run time
• Wall hook and carry strap
• Part of the Einhell Power X-Change system

Cons

• Battery and charger sold separately

Awarded a BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine Best Buy for features, this well thought out blower is packed with them. It has a whopping six speeds to choose from, plus a Turbo boost, so it’s easy to adjust the power of the blast according to what and where you’re blowing. The tough nozzle has a metal end for scraping debris the blower cant shift on its own and it adjusts with a twist to three different lengths so no matter your height you can get the nozzle to the perfect length to suit you.

Powered by two 18V batteries, which take just 60 minutes to charge, they have a run time of 92 minutes on the lowest setting. However, the batteries and charger are not included with the blower and do need to be bought as a kit separately, but, once bought they can be used with any of the tools in the Einhell Power X-Change system, saving you money if you invest in these in the future.

The blower is well balanced and feels comfortable, but it also comes with a carry strap so if you’re blowing for a while, this will help balance the load. The nozzle and tube breaks down for storage and there’s a handy hanging hook to keep the blowers stored up and out of the way. It has a brushless motor and comes with a two-year warranty.

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RRP: £139 (bare tool)

Our rating: 4.5/5

• Buy now from Amazon, Tooled Up and Very

Pros

• Easy assembly and storage
• Powerful
• Good control of different speeds
• Quiet
• Quick charge time

Cons

• Heavy and lacks shoulder strap
• Short run time on full power

This leaf blower is simple to put together, just twist and click in the tube and you’re ready to go. It’s therefore equally easy to store as the tube comes off quickly and it takes up little room on a shelf. There’s only one wide nozzle but this is very effective at both the powerful blasting of wet leaves and more focussed blowing in borders and into piles. You feel in control when using this blower and can direct leaves to go wherever you want them too.

It has a variable speed control, delivering 100 to 200km/h, that’s easily adjusted with a dial on the handle and is simple to scroll up or down as you work. It has a comfortable handle and is well balanced but it does feel heavy, noticeably so compared to others in the test, and we felt it would really benefit from a shoulder strap if you’re blowing for a prolonged periods.

However, the battery run time is quite short on full power. Despite having a run time on a low setting of 35 minutes, on full power the battery only lasted 7 minutes, compared to 12 minutes with the Husqvarna Aspire, which was the shortest in our test. It does charge quickly though, taking just 65 minutes to get you up and running again. The 36V battery has a charge level indicator on the end to help you see how much charge is left as you work and it’s also compatible with all 36V tools in the Bosch cordless range.

This leaf blower is ideal for the fast clearing of lawns with lots of leaves and we awarded it a BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine Best Buy for performance. It has a long lasting brushless motor and feels sturdy and well-made. The Bosch Advanced blower came in cardboard packaging with just a little plastic wrapping and comes with a generous three-year warranty.

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RRP: £199.99

Our rating: 4.5 out of 5

• Buy now from Amazon and B&Q

Pros

• Two nozzle choice
• Three speeds plus Boost
• Cruise lock lever
• Part of Yard Force GR40 battery system

Cons

• Bulky for storage
• Loud

Winner of a BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine Best Buy award for ease of use this powerful blower comes with a large 40V battery and charger. It takes just 60 minutes to charge and the battery has a 30- minute run time making it ideal for medium size gardens. It also has a battery level indicator so you can check how much charge you have on the battery as you work.

The blower is balanced and comfortable and well thought out with the choice of three speeds, plus a Boost button to give an extra powerful blast when you need it. A cruise control button allows you to set the speed without having to constantly hold the trigger down, making it easy to use this blower for longer periods of time. It has a brushless motor and it also comes with an extra flat end nozzle for concentrated power.

However, this blower is quite large and doesn’t compact down so it will take up room in storage and we also found it comparatively loud, although it’s still nothing like the volume you would get with a petrol blower. Part of the Yard Force GR40 battery system it comes with a two-year warranty.

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RRP: £49.99

Our rating: 4.5 out of 5

• Buy now from Amazon

Pros

• Lightweight
• Powerful
• Cheap
• Compact for storage

Cons

• Handle vibrates
• 12-minute runtime
• Single speed

A BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine Best Buy award winner for best budget cordless blower, this simple, compact leaf blower packs a punch. Despite coming in at just 1.7 kg, it’s very powerful, and made short work of both wet and dry leaves on paving, shrub beds, and gravel, though it struggled a little with dry and wet leaves on grass. Thanks to its lightweight construction and narrow nozzle, it’s easy to manoeuvre around the garden and put leaves exactly where you want them. This blower is ideal for nipping around a small patio, terrace or front drive. It’s a reasonable price, and great value as its G-Series battery is also compatible with the Vonhaus hedge trimmer, pole trimmer, and grass trimmer. However, although the grip on the handle is soft, the handle vibrates a lot in use, which gets uncomfortable. Its 12-minute runtime is also short, but it takes just an hour to charge.

Buy the Vonhaus G-series Cordless Leaf Blower from Vonhaus

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Best Buy review video – the Vonhaus G-series cordless leaf blower

Best leaf blower vacuums in 2025

RRP: £106

Our rating: 4.5/5

• Buy now from Amazon

Pros

• Simple assembly
• Powerful at both sucking and blowing
• Good value for money

Cons.

• Doesn’t break down easily for storage
• No on/off switch
• Heavy, particularly when vacuum bag full

This leaf blower vacuum is ideal for clearing up large areas of leaves quickly. The blower is powerful, if a little heavy, and great at blasting leaves, with a narrow nozzle that helps you funnel and direct them into piles and out of tight corners and the vacuum mode has good suction with a well-shaped nozzle and a large collection bag.

Initial assembly is simple, with clear instructions and all that’s required is attaching the handle and building the vacuum nozzle, which comes in three parts. For blowing, the nozzle simply slots into place and when you need to swap into vacuum mode, no tools are required. However, the vacuum tube is large and once built it’s difficult to break down so it does take up a reasonable amount of room in storage. It blows and sucks at variable speed via a dial that sits under the handle and this dial is also the on/off switch. This does mean you have to scroll round the dial to turn the blower off, which is not fast if you’re in the highest setting and so from a safety point of view this could be a problem. It also requires the use of two hands.

It has a 10m long cable and is reasonably noisy but not jarringly so, but it is heavy, and in vacuum mode feels quite unbalanced, especially once the bag starts filling up. There’s a padded shoulder strap, which helps take some of the strain but is in the wrong place to completely take the weight. However, this is a powerful, well-made machine that performs well and is great for the general clearing of gardens. It’s also great value and comes with a three-year warranty. We gave it a BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine award for the Best all rounder.

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RRP: £174

Our rating: 4.3/5

• Buy now from Stihl

Pros

• Easy assembly
• Good vacuum power
• Robust

Cons

• One power speed
• No shoulder strap

A BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine Best Buy for best small leaf blower vacuum, this mains powered electric model comes with a 10m cable, is easy to put together and surprisingly powerful. Blowing leaves, grass and light hedge clippings, it also vacuums them up and shreds them into a large 45-litre collecting bag. It has extra tubes to attach for each job and you can also buy a flat nozzle for more focussed blowing if you need it. The tubes come apart for storage and you can adjust their length according to your height and the job.

While it doesn’t come with a shoulder strap, the two handles are well positioned and comfortable to use, plus the machine is very light at just 4.1kg. It has a comparatively small engine of 1100 watts but it feels powerful in both modes and it’s quieter than other larger machines we tested.

The Stihl SHE 71 leaf blower vacuum has only one power setting so you need to move further back from whatever you’re blowing to reduce the power or switch aperture on the tube. Quiet, light and simple to use, it’s ideal for gardeners of all abilities, but lacks variable speed settings and is comparatively expensive. It comes with a two-year warranty.

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The best of the rest

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

RRP: £89.99

Our rating: 4/5

• Buy now from Amazon, Very and OnBuy

Pros

• Powerful blower
• Excellent shredding
• Good size collection bag

Cons

• Doesn’t break down easily for storage
• Unbalanced
• Vacuum nozzle too wide
• Awkward handle shape

This large blower vac is reasonably easy to assemble and no tools are required, but the instruction diagrams are very small so it takes a little time. Once the suction tube is put together it’s almost impossible to break down again, which makes the Powervac bulky for storage. To change modes you also need to take it apart so it’s less simpler than the Bosch GardenTidy. It’s heavy as both a blower and a vac and the handle design feels a little over fussy and doesn’t help with the balance of the machine, especially in vac mode. It has a carry strap to help lighten the load but this feels like it’s in the wrong place. Thankfully, the collection bag is smaller than some, which makes it easier to use.

It has a variable speed dial on the handle, although we didn’t notice too much difference between these but the blower is powerful and great for blasting leaves across large lawns. Unfortunately, the vac is far less efficient with a nozzle shape that’s too wide to suck up leaves well. However, once it’s got the leaves the shredding power of the Powervac is excellent, with a ratio of 16: 1 that reduces a bag full of leaves down to a tiny pile.

The Powervac has a 10m cable and feels well made and built to last and comes with a two-year warranty. For blowing and clearing leaves in a small garden it’s good value for money but the vac performance doesn’t match the blower’s.

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RRP: £99

Our rating: 4.3/5

• Buy now from Amazon and B&Q

Pros

• Removable tubes for easy storage
• 30-minute run time at normal speed
• Battery level indicator
• Ideal for long leaf blowing sessions
• Part of the Stiga 100 Series with other compatible cordless tools
• Two-year warranty

Cons

• Large nozzle so air flow isn’t focused
• Only two settings
• Less effective with compacted, wet leaves

Easy to use, this cordless leaf blower operates at two settings and delivers a maximum air flow speed of 32m/s, to cope well with general jobs like blowing wet and dry leaves off the lawn and gravel paths.

However, the tube, which comes in two, easy-to-attach parts, has a significantly wider aperture than the Makita DUB186Z leaf blower we tested, and as a result lacks the focused jet blast to shift more stubborn, compacted leaf matter and debris from corners and awkward spaces.

It weighs the same as the Makita leaf blower but the battery slots in at the back end of the body as opposed to under the handle, which balances it in such a way that it feels heavier to use.

The 20V battery takes 140 minutes to charge and has a run time of 30 minutes on normal speed and 20 minutes on boosted speed, making it ideal for small to medium-sized gardens and we like the charge indicator on the battery that helps you gauge how much time you have left to finish the job.

Unlike many of the other models we tested, you don’t have to hold down a trigger to operate this leaf blower, which makes it more comfortable to use if you’re blowing for a while. It also has a soft-grip handle, although this would benefit from a bit more cushioning. The battery and charger are compatible with other cordless power tools in the Stiga 100 series and it comes with a two-year warranty.

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RRP: £129.99

Our rating: 4.3/5

• Buy now from Ryobi

Pros

• Removable tube for easy storage
• 15-20 minute run time at normal speed
• Battery level indicator
• Compatible with over 150 tools in the Ryobi 18V ONE+ System
• Three-year warranty

Cons

• Heavy
• Squeeze trigger only – no fixed variable speed settings
• Larger nozzle so less effective with compacted, wet leaves

This cordless leaf blower weighs 3.2kg, so feels sturdy and robust, although it is one of the heaviest models we tested. Like the Stiga SAB 100AE, the 4Ah 18V lithium battery slots in at the back end of the body, which we found affects the balance and makes it feel heftier to use – we prefer the battery position on the Makita DUB186Z.

This large leaf blower also has a wide tube, which is easy-to-attach and useful for blowing across lawns and patios but means the 49m/s air flow isn’t as focused as others we tested it easily blows wet and dry leaves off grass, gravel and patio slabs, but isn’t as effective when it comes to shifting compacted leaf matter and debris that gather in corners and awkward spaces.

It has a run time of 15 to 20 minutes, which means it can clear up to 800m2, and takes 160 minutes to charge and we like the battery indicator, which helps you gauge how much time you have left to finish the job. However, despite being part of Ryobi’s Whisper series, we didn’t find it noticeably quieter than the other leaf blowers in our test.

The battery and charger are compatible with over 150 tools in the Ryobi ONE+ System and it comes with a three-year warranty.

Read the full Ryobi ONE+ HP leaf blower review

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RRP: £142.86

Our rating: 4/5

• Buy now from OnBuy

Pros

• 20-minute run time
• Fast one-hour charge
• Nozzle detaches from the main body
• Compatible with other 20V and 40V (2x20V) tools in WORXS’ PowerShare battery system
• Three-year warranty

Cons

• No charge level indicator on battery
• The nozzle can’t be separated for better storage
• Absence of a soft-grip handle

This cordless leaf blower feels a little cumbersome to use around the garden and the wide nozzle means it’s harder to reach into smaller spaces or awkward corners. However, it corrals leaves as you would hope and with a fast one hour charge and a 2o-minute run time, the 2AH 20V battery delivers enough power to cope with both dry and wet leaves. It has two speeds – the lowest setting generates a moderate airflow useful for a general tidy up, while the higher speed provides enough power to shift stubborn, compacted wet leaves. Surprisingly for WORX tools, it doesn’t have a soft-grip handle, in fact there is a seam in the plastic on the underside of the grip, which we found uncomfortable after using the blower for a while. The nozzle can be removed from the body, but the two sections can’t be separated for more efficient storage, which is frustrating as the nozzle is double the length of the body. Part of the WORX PowerShare cordless tools, the battery and charger are compatible with their other tools saving you money if you invest in bare tools in the future.

Read the full WORX WG547E 20V turbine cordless leaf blower review

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RRP: £133.90

Our rating: 3.5/5

• Buy now from Appliances Direct and Amazon

Pros

• Light and easy to use
• Variable speed
• Long battery run time
• Visible battery charge

Cons

• Lacks power and the lowest speed is very weak
• Hard to break down for storage
• Long charge time

The quiet 18v Easiclear 100 is available to buy as a bare tool or as a kit with an 18V 2.5Ah battery and charger. These are both part of the Power for All Alliance so if you already have other Bosch, Flymo, Gardena or Husqvarna cordless tools or plan to, it will save you the money when you invest in these.

The blower comes with one nozzle tube, which is reasonably easy to put together but once built is hard to take apart for storage. It’s a good length and width and has a ridged end which helps lift stubborn material. This is particularly handy as this is not a very powerful blower. It offers variable speed, adjusted by a dial on the handle, but the lowest setting is very weak.

The 18v battery has a 13-23 minute run time depending on speed and it takes a lengthy 154 minutes to charge. Unlike the other leaf blowers in our recent test, the Easiclear has a battery charge display on the handle of the blower which is very useful. This simple blower comes with a two-year warranty and is best for gentle blowing in small gardens.

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RRP: £64.99

Our rating: 3.5/5

• Buy now from Amazon

Pros

• Simple to change between modes
• Light
• Wheels for use on smooth surfaces
• Good value

Cons

• Takes up room in storage
• Long assembly
• Uncomfortable angle of use
• Handle vibrates

You need a screwdriver to put together the Handy and compared to others it’s a long process, taking over 15 minutes, but it comes with clear instructions and once the machine is built it’s done. There’s no need to take things apart to switch modes with the Handy, you simply swap from blower to vacuum with the flick of a switch, although this does mean it takes up a lot room in storage as it doesn’t break down at all. It comes with a hanging hook though, to make this easier.

The Handy is very light and has a carry strap and wheels beneath the tube which help to support it and lighten the weight, however the angle of the tube when using the wheels feels quite awkward and our testers found themselves stooping at times, which was uncomfortable.

It has a 10m cable, a variable speed dial on the handle and a 45L collection bag and the blower is powerful. The narrow tube is great for focussed blowing and for getting leaves out of corners and between plants in beds and borders, but it’s also quite noisy and the handle noticeably vibrates after a while. The narrow tube does mean that the vacuum suction is weak compared to others in the test. However, it shreds well, if at 10:1 its not quite to the same ratio as the Flymo. This is a solid machine with a two-year warranty, which is useful for gardeners who want to switch between blowing and vacuuming with ease.

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RRP: £144.99

Our rating: 3/5

• Buy now from Amazon

Pros

• Very light
• Quick to charge
• Focussed blowing with good power

Cons

• Noisy and shrill
• One speed unless controlled by hand with the trigger
• Trigger uncomfortable after a short time
• Short run time

This Greenworks cordless blower is available as a bare tool or with a 24V 2Ah lithium ion battery and charger, which are interchangeable with any of the Greenworks 24V range of tools. It comes with one nozzle, which like most blower nozzles of this design, is tricky to put together and once built is very hard to break down for storage.

However, it’s an effective tapered shape and provides powerful focussed blowing, ideal for small gardens and for clearing through beds and borders. It’s particularly good at blasting damp leaves stuck to paths and patios. Instructions for use are clear and it’s simple to get blowing. The blower is very light and well balanced and it’s easy to hold and control with one hand – speed is adjusted via the power trigger, although holding this down continually in use does start to feel uncomfortable after a while.

When in use the blower is noisy. With the 2Ah battery, run time is only nine minutes, although you could buy an additional 4Ah Greenworks battery which lasts for 18 minutes. The 2Ah battery takes 45 minutes to recharge which was comparatively fast in our latest test. It comes with a three-year warranty.

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What’s the difference between a leaf blower and a leaf blower vacuum?

Quite simply, a leaf blower will lift wet and dry leaves from paths, grass, borders and pavements. The wind speed it generates blows leaves into a pile, which you can either leave as a habitat for wildlife, or collect and put on the compost, in your green waste recycling, or store in bags to make leaf mould.

A leaf blower vacuum not only lifts wet and dry leaves, but sucks them up too, passing them through a blade, which cuts and mulches them and then deposits them into the bag that attaches to the machine. You can dispose of them the same way but they have the added advantage of being shredded so they decompose more quickly when added to the compost or used to make leaf mould. However, leaf blower vacuums can get blocked-up, may need more maintenance, and also tend to be expensive, but they are more efficient when it comes to keeping your garden leaf-free.

Before you decide which of these you need, think about how many leaves you have to collect – if you can manage blowing leaves and debris into a pile to gather up by hand, then a blower will do the job and is a cheaper option. However, for larger gardens with more trees and shrubs, being able to suck up leaves will save time, especially if you go for models with a mulching option.

How to choose the best leaf blower and leaf blower vacuum

There are three types of leaf blower and leaf blower vacuums available, each with their own pros and cons:

Cordless leaf blowers and leaf blower vacuums: There are lots of pros with this type of blower – in addition to being lightweight, quiet and environmentally friendly, they don’t need messy petrol or a restricting power cable. However, they can be more expensive if you’re buying batteries and chargers as extras to the cost of the tool and you’ll need to check the run time if you have a larger garden.

Electric leaf blowers and leaf blower vacuums: Often at the budget end, these are low maintenance and, like cordless types, also lightweight. However, the power supply cable can be limiting as well as potentially hazardous.

Petrol leaf blowers and leaf blower vacuums: These deliver plenty of power and, just like cordless types, can be used anywhere, but their environmental impact is a consideration, as is the hassle of buying and storing petrol. They’re often heavy and noisy and will need more in the way of maintenance too.

Think about the following features before you buy:

• Variable speed controls – air speed, measured by metres per second or kilometers per hour), and airflow (measured by cubic meters per hour). Dry leaves are light and easy to shift, but wet, compacted leaves and other debris will need more power. Variable speed control is a useful feature as it allows you to change the speed and power depending on where you’re working – you’ll want to be gentle around plants whereas more oomph will help on lawns.
• Nozzle size – in general, the narrower the better, as the air flow is more concentrated, giving more control when it comes to corralling the leaves into a pile.
• Mulching blades – Metal blades are tougher than plastic, as well as more durable, so are the preferable choice.
• Collection bag – While not essential, a waterproof collection bag makes things a lot more comfortable if you’re working in wet weather, as it prevents moisture from soggy leaves dripping through the bag and onto your legs.
• Comfort features – Soft-grip handles and a padded shoulder strap will help make it more comfortable to use the leaf blower or leaf blower vacuum for any length of time.

Buyer’s Guide to budget leaf blowers – video

Buyer’s Guide to leaf blower vacs – video

Many thanks to Sue Fisher and Rosie Yeomans for their help in making these videos. Thanks also to Sparsholt College for their generous assistance.

How to use your collected leaves

If you’d like to make leaf mould with your leaves, you’ll need a bin separate from your compost. Leaf mould is created when leaves are broken down by fungi, rather than the bacteria that decompose the ingredients in your compost bin. By piling leaves up separately, in a leaf mould bag, bin or cage, you’ll create the perfect material for mulching and potting.
Different leaves break down more quickly than others, but all deciduous trees will make good leaf mould. Small, thin leaves such as birch will break down quickly, but larger leaves like chestnut might need shredding first. Evergreen leaves and conifer needles will take much longer and should be chopped before they are added. Avoid adding evergreens in large quantities.

For more help see our guide to creating a leaf mould bin.

How we tested leaf blowers and leaf blower vacuums

The BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine reviews team tested different leaf blowers and leaf vacuums across a range of garden situations – removing leaves from lawns, in borders and on gravel paths and paving, in both dry and wet weather. Before we started, we checked for any wildlife in the leaf matter and were cautious around plants to avoid disturbing insects and other creatures. The following criteria were used to calculate the scores, with equal weight given to each:

• Ease of use: Looked at the assembly needed, ease and clarity of instructions, any storage features and, where relevant, the battery charge time.
• Handling: Assessed ease of use, weight, noise levels, comfort and safety features.
• Performance: Focussed on the power and air flow control, plus run and charge time (where applicable).
• Value for money: Considered all of the above, plus quality and design, the RRP including battery and charger, (where applicable) and the length of warranty.

This review was last updated in February 2025. We apologise if anything has changed in price or availability.

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 strength of blade, sharpness of teeth and how long they stay sharp, as well as grip and comfort will all affect how easily and well a saw will cut.

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.

Best pruning saws at a glance

• Best fixed straight saw: ARS CAM24 PRO pruning saw
• Best folding saw: ARS PM-21 folding pruning saw
• Best folding saw for high use: Silky Gomboy curve professional pruning saw
• Best fixed curved saw: Felco 640 pruning saw
• Best compact saw: Stihl PR16 Handycut folding saw

Jump to:

• Best pruning saws
• Best of the rest pruning saws
• Pruning saw features explained
• How to choose a pruning saw
• How to use a pruning saw safely
• How we tested pruning saws

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 pruning saws below:

Best pruning saws

RRP: £48.86
Our rating: 5 out of 5

Pros

• Very light and comfortable
• Long strong blade
• Cuts smoothly and efficiently
• Handy holster for safety
• Replacement parts available

Awarded a BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine Best Buy for Best fixed straight saw, this light comfortable pruning saw cuts even thick, dense wood with ease. The high carbon steel blade has a chrome plating for durability and impulse hardened teeth so they stay sharp for 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 that’s level with the user it comes with a handy holster. All parts are replaceable and it has a lifetime warranty.

Read the full ARS CAM 24 PRO review

Buy the ARS CAM 24 PRO from Tooled up, Amazon and Sorbus

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RRP: £38.95
Our rating: 5 out of 5

Available from Amazon,  Sorbus and Tooled-Up

Pros

• Very light and comfortable
• Cuts easily and cleanly
• Replacement parts available
• Choice of cutting angles

This light, simple saw was awarded a BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine Best Buy for Best folding saw. With a chrome plated carbon steel blade and impulse hardened teeth, which will stay sharp for longer, it’s made from aluminium and has a shaped, rubber grip handle that fits comfortably in the hand as you work. It’s light and comfortable and really easy to use, cutting effortlessly through even thick, dense wood. Every single part is replaceable and it comes with a lifetime warranty.

Read the full ARS PM-21 folding saw review and watch our Best Buy video to see why the the ARS PM-21 folding saw was awarded BBC Gardeners’ World Best Buy status.

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RRP:£47.39

Our rating: 4.8/5

Available from Amazon, Silky Fox and Crocus

Pros

• Cuts smoothly and very easily
• Excellent quality, durable materials
• Comfortable grip, low-vibration handle
• Replacement blade available
• Long curved blade gives good access and reach

Cons

• Expensive

Awarded a BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine Best Buy for the best folding saw for high use, this Silky saw is very well made with excellent quality materials, and although expensive, is well worth it 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 to give a smooth cut with least resistance, and the blade folds and secures into the handle easily. The handle is shaped for grip and to sit comfortably in the hand and has a micro-textured rubber coating that ensures good 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 up for easy storage, and the saw also comes with a plastic case that can be buckled onto a belt. Its bright yellow colour makes it easy to spot if you put the saw down for clearing prunings ,but it is also rather large and could get in the way. Replacement blades are available but they’re pricey at £29.94.

Read the full Silky Gomboy Curve Professional pruning saw review.

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RRP: £65.99

Our rating: 4.8 out of 5

Available from Amazon and Felco

Pros

• Very light and comfortable
• Cuts easily and cleanly
• Replacement parts and repair service available
• Choice of cutting angles

Cons

• Expensive compared with others of similar quality

This high quality pruning saw won a BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine Best Buy award for Best fixed curved saw and is a joy to use. The high-carbon steel blade has a chrome plating to help prevent corrosion and impulse hardened teeth and it cuts cuts 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.

Read the full Felco 640 pruning saw review

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RRP: £29.50
Our rating: 4.8 out of 5

Available from Amazon, Garden Machinery Direct and Stihl

Pros

• Comfortable and light
• Compact and portable
• Cuts smoothly and efficiently
• Replacement blade available

Cons

• Small cutting width
• Safety catch stiff

Awarded a BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine Best Buy award for Best compact saw, this light, comfortable pruning saw has a curved, 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 the help of a plastic button. The shaped handle has well placed rubber grips that cushion the hand well and our only complaint is the stiffness of the safety catch, although this does loosen up with time. The saw is compact and neat and ideal for sticking in a pocket when you go out into the garden and it comes with a two year warranty.

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 on test:

RRP: £21.99
Our rating: 4.3 out of 5

Available from Crocus, B&Q and Amazon

Pros

• Makes good clean cuts
• Locks open and closed
• Replacement blade available

Cons

• Blade catches on handle when closing

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 overtime, will scuff the rubber. Replacement blades are available at an additional cost and it comes with a lifetime warranty. This pruning saw is ideal if you only have a few trees and shrubs, and would prefer to replace the blade than buy a new pruning saw.

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RRP: £24.99
Our rating: 4.3 out of 5

Available from Amazon and Wilkinson Sword

Pros

• Compact and portable
• Comfortable and light
• Cuts cleanly

Cons

• No replacement blade available
• No rust resistant coating

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 you do need to make sure you guide the blade into the handle when locking it in place. A handy size for slipping into your pocket the saw comes with a ten year warranty.

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RRP: £30.49
Our rating: 4.3 out of 5

Available from Amazon and Toolstop

Pros

• Feels sturdy
• Good safety features
• Cuts smoothly and cleanly

Cons

• No replacement blade available
• Unwieldy and large to carry

This is one of the largest pruning saws in the group we tested, measuring 60cm in length, 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, unlocking the blade to open or close it, and it also locks in the half-way position, which stops 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 others which have a lifetime warranty. However, it’s a sturdy saw that cuts well, has good safety features and is ideal for cutting living, green wood.  

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RRP: £40.99
Our rating: 4.3 out of 5

Available from Amazon and Burgon and Ball

Pros

• Strong and sturdy
• Cuts smoothly and efficiently
• Wide cutting width

Cons

• No blade guard or holster
• No replacement blade available

A fixed pruning saw with a long, curved SK5 carbon steel blade that has chrome plating and impulse hardened teeth, 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 unfortunately doesn’t have a holster or cover for the blade, which could be an issue when carrying it and in storage. Ideal for medium and larger branches, this saw is available in a variety of sizes and come with a lifetime warranty.

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RRP: £39.00
Our rating: 4.3 out of 5

Available from Crocus and Niwaki

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Pros

• Light and well balanced
• Choice of cutting angle
• Replacement blade available

Cons

• Handle uncomfortable
• Blade needed tightening for safety

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 and in our test the blade was quite loose when closed inside the handle and prone to fall 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.

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RRP: £59.99
Our rating: 4.3 out of 5

Available from Amazon and World of Felco

Pros

• Light and well balanced
• Cuts well
• Replacement parts available

Cons

• Handle not as comfortable as some

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 sharp for longer and it cuts smoothly and easily. The hooked handle helps the hand stay in place when cutting and also has a rubber grip to prevent slipping but compared to others in the test it felt less comfortable in use. It comes with a holster and belt hook for safe carrying, replacement parts and a repair service are available and it comes with a lifetime warranty.

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RRP: £39.34

Our rating: 4 out of 5

Available from Amazon

Pros

• High quality materials
• Compact and comfortable
• Folds easily with 2 cutting positions
• Replacement blade available

Cons

• Expensive for size and type of work
• Only suits light work
• Blade comes unfastened on occasion

This compact folding saw has a straight blade made from Japanese steel that’s 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 has a micro-textured, rubber grip and is shaped so it can be be held securely. It folds into the rubber handle simply and easily with a press-down metal fastener and has two cutting positions, although it did come out of its fastening on several occasions during use. This saw is small and easy to slip into your pocket and keep close at hand when needed. The handle has an ‘eye’ on the end for hanging up to store, 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.

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RRP: £18.00
Our rating: 4 out of 5

Available from B&Q

Pros

• Light and comfortable
• Hand protection
• Cuts smoothly on most wood

Cons

• Slip-on blade guard only
• Takes up room in storage

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.

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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 least effort.
Hanging hole: Handy for storing your saw safely when not in use.
Hook: A useful design feature, this hooked shape to the end of the handle prevents your hand from slipping off the saw as you’re cutting.
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:

• Blade strength. Pruning saw blades are typically high carbon steel, which has either been quench or impulse hardened to increase strength and help teeth stay sharp. Although all types of blade will cut well at first, impulse hardened blades and teeth will stay sharper for longer, so if you have a lot of pruning to do look for saws strengthened this way. Carbon steel rusts unless it has a protective coating or chrome plating so check for this too before you buy.
• Handle. Pruning saws are designed to be used with one hand, so many have an ergonomically shaped handle for comfort and all should have a non-slip grip, usually rubber or TRP plastic, to give optimum control of the saw. Some have a hand guard to protect the fingers. Look for a saw with a hooked shape to the end of the handle, which will help prevent the hand from slipping off the saw as you’re cutting.
• What you’re cutting. The size of branches you’re cutting, as well as their position can dictate the size of saw you need and the shape of its blade. Check blade length and cutting width are suitable for the job and bear in mind that a straight blade is designed for making comfortable cuts between your shoulders and waist, while a curved blade is best for cuts above head height or below your waist. However, if you only want to buy one saw, choose the blade right for the majority of cuts you’ll make or opt for a saw with a straight blade. This will offer the most comfortable and safe cutting position, whatever you’re cutting.
• Is it safe? Compact folding blades are great for tucking safely in the pocket but ensure the push button safety lock is easily reachable by the thumb and that it locks the blade in place. If it doesn’t lock closed check the blade stays securely in the handle and that it can be tightened if it becomes loose. Some saws also lock halfway down as an extra precaution. Fixed blades should have a carry holster or a blade cover to keep sharp teeth out of the way when not in use. After use a hanging hole on the end of the handle is handy for storing your saw safely away.
• Will it last? Some saws have replacement blades and other parts available, which will help extend their life. However these can sometimes cost almost as much as a new saw so check prices before you buy. There are speciality files to sharpen saw teeth but as these are often angled this can be tricky and is best done by a professional. Some also brands offer a repair service for a small fee.

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 as you need to be stable and positioned comfortably 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 throughout the year. They were assessed according to the following criteria with equal marks attributed to each:

• Handling. Looked at comfort, weight, balance and grip, including features like a hooked handle, how well the saw  folds and safety features.
• Cutting. Focused on blade shape and material, cutting width and efficiency, and smoothness and precision of cut.
• Maintenance. Assessed strength and sharpness of blade, any hardening and protective features and whether replacements parts or a repair service were available.
• Value for Money. Considered all of the above plus any special features, RRP and warranty.

For more information on our testing process see How we Review

This review was last updated in February 2025. We apologise if anything has changed in price or availability.

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.

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, which pass over one another to give a precise cut in a scissor action and that makes 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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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 round up 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.

Best garden loppers to buy at a glance

• Best bypass loppers for general use: Felco 221 70cm straight head loppers 
• Best value bypass loppers: Kent & Stowe SureCut All Purpose Extra Power Bypass Loppers
• Best telescopic anvil lopper: Wolf Garten Telescopic lopper
• Best anvil lopper for general use: Fiskars Power Gear X anvil lopper LX9
• Best anvil lopper for ease of use: Darlac Compact Compound anvil lopper
• Best ratchet anvil lopper: Spear and Jackson Razorsharp Advantage Telescopic ratchet anvil lopper

Jump to:

• Best loppers in 2025
• Best of the rest
• How to choose the best loppers
• Top tips for pruning
• How we tested loppers

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 anvil loppers below:

Best bypass loppers in 2025

RRP: £64.99

Our rating: 4.5/5

Available from Amazon

Pros

• Lightweight aluminium handles
• Effective shock absorbers
• Cam assisted mechanism for easier cutting
• Replaceable blade

Cons

• Long handles make these more difficult to use close to your body

These simple, unfussy loppers are light, with Japanese SK5 carbon steel blades and a cam assisted mechanism that makes 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 award for ease of use.
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.

Available from ALPEN Swiss tools

RRP: £39.99

Our rating: 4.5/5

Available from Marshalls, B&Q and Amazon

Pros

• Handles are comfortable with good grip
• Easy to adjust telescopic handles
• Excellent shock absorption
• Hanging loop
• Good value

Cons

• Colouring makes them hard to see in undergrowth
• Design may not appeal to all

This comfortable, versatile pair of loppers cuts cleanly and smoothly and is 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 are gripped for 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 but 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.

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RRP: £119.99

Our rating: 4.3/5

Available from Amazon and Felco

Pros

• Simple, no fuss styling
• Comfortable and easy to use
• Effective shock absorbers
• Strong and robust
• Repair service and lifetime warranty

Cons

• Expensive

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 to take them apart for 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.

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Best anvil loppers in 2025

RRP: £114.99

Our rating: 4.8/5

Available from B&Q

Pros:

• Comfortable with non-slip grip handle
• Easy telescopic handles lock securely in place
• Cut effortlessly
• Flat screws prevent damage to wood

Cons:

• Expensive

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. They have a non-stick steel blade with a metal anvil and 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 wood and the cut was effortless. Replacement blades are available and the warranty lasts for 10 years.

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RRP: £79.99

Our rating: 4.5/5

Available from Amazon and ManoMano

Pros:

• Light and comfortable
• Good reach
• Clean, powerful cutting action
• Curved anvil hooks branches into place
• Long warranty

Cons:

• Expensive

A BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine Best Buy winner for general use 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 and narrow, aluminium handles, which have a rubber grip. The loppers cut cleanly with a wide cutting width and there are also useful hanging holes in the handles. They come with  a generous warranty of 25 years.

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RRP: £39.99

Our rating: 4.5/5

Available from Amazon and Mr Fothergill’s

Pros:

• Very light
• Simple design and easy to use
• Excellent cutting strength for size
• Great value

Cons:

• Small cutting width
• Limited reach

Awarded a BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine Best Buy award for the best for ease of use, 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.

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RRP: £32

Our rating: 4.5/5

Available from Amazon and Argos

Pros:

• Light and comfortable
• Cuts smoothly
• Handles adjust easily with one hand

Cons:

• Narrow cutting width
• Handles slide into place by eye only

Our testers were impressed with these Spear and Jackson loppers and awarded them a BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine Best Buy award for the best ratchet loppers. 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.

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The best of the rest

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

RRP: £99.00

Our rating: 3/5

Available from Niwaki and Sarah Raven

Pros

• Simply but beautifully made with quality materials
• Minimal parts to malfunction

Cons

• Overall design too basic and simple
• Hard work to use
• No shock absorbers so uncomfortable in use

These stylish but simply designed loppers from Niwaki have strong, forged carbon steel blades and sturdy oak handles. Packaged in a simple cloth bag, which is also useful for storage, they’re suitable for branches up to 25mm thick. But, despite the beautiful crafting of the blades they’re not easy to open and close and we found them uncomfortable, and with no bumpers they’re hard work to use, even on softer woods like green sycamore. Their simplicity makes them easy to clean and use and although no spare parts are available, they come with a two year warranty.

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RRP: £49.99

Our rating: 3/5

Available from Amazon, BrandAlley and B&Q

Pros

• Traditional design
• Sustainably sourced wood handle
• Comfortable
• 10 year warranty

Cons

• Very basic
• Not as user friendly as others in our test

Traditional in design, with the Kew name attached, these loppers will appeal to gardeners who prefer a classic style of lopper. The blades are hardened carbon steel, with the upper coated for rust resistance, and the handles are sustainably sourced and weather proofed, and are both sturdy and pleasant to hold. They’re comfortable but simple and basic with no added grip or cushioning bumpers and are a little less easy to open and close than our other loppers on test. They have a 30mm cutting width diameter and come with a generous 10 year warranty.

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RRP: £36.99

Our rating: 4.3/5

Available from Cowell’s Garden Centre

Pros:

• Light and easy to use
• Good reach
• Spare parts available

Cons:

• Long blade only cuts tough wood at base
• Struggles with denser wood
• Strain on wrist when cutting tough wood

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 did struggle on tougher wood putting strain on the wrists while working.

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RRP: £34.99

Our rating: 4.3/5

• Buy now from Charlies and Wilkinson Sword

Pros:

• Very light and easy to use
• Cuts most wood cleanly and smoothly
• Good value

Cons:

• Narrow cutting width
• Ratchet catches occasionally

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

RRP: £48.99

Our rating: 4/5

Available from Burgon & Ball and Amazon

Pros:

• Cuts tough wood well
• Handles easily adjusted with one hand

Cons:

• Handles slide into place by eye only
• Handles bow under pressure
• Narrow cutting width
• Heavy

There’s a five stage spring-ratchet mechanism on these Burgon and Ball loppers which feature a carbon-steel, non-stick blade with a chrome-plated anvil. While heavy, the tool cuts well through tough wood and the telescopic handles extend 72-104cm. The loppers are guaranteed for 10 years.

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RRP: £34.99

Our rating: 4/5

• Buy now from Trade Counter Direct and Tool Station

Pros:

• Bumpers absorb shock well
• Tapered handles cut narrower stems with ease
• Sturdy and strong

Cons:

• Big and heavy
• Struggled with thicker, tough wood
• Hard to hold above head for long periods

These garden loppers feature curved, tubular steel handles with bumpers, plus a plastic and gel grip to ease the impact on your hands. They feature a coated-steel blade with a metal anvil. There is a geared mechanism, but the tool doesn’t open as wide as some other models and some effort is required to cut thicker stems. The included warranty lasts a lifetime.

How to choose the best garden loppers

Loppers are ideal for tougher pruning jobs later on in the year and there are 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 which 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, of up to 45cm, than anvil loppers.

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, which could be a ratchet, compound-action or geared mechanism which will help 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 will 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 which can 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 which should help make slicing through tough wood a less strenuous job. There will often be other handy features on loppers, extendable or otherwise. These include grips over the handles for added comfort or ‘bumpers’, which 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 top tips to keep your plants in top condition:

• Prune in the right spot on the stem or branch to keep your plants healthy – too high and you could encourage disease, and too low and you could damage the bud
• Check what time of the year to prune your plants, most plants respond well to winter pruning, but not all so do a bit of research before you get started
• Keep your secateurs and loppers sharp and clean to avoid disease
• Prune at a downwards angle, so rainwater runs off the wound. If you cut flat, there is a risk of fungal infections.

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:

• Handling: Looked at comfort, weight, balance, manoeuvrability and ease of use.
• Cutting: Focussed on the blade material, strength, cutting widths and cutting efficiency.
• Maintenance: Assessed ease of cleaning and sharpening and whether replacement blades are available.
• Value: Considered the price versus quality, design, performance and warranty.

For more information on our testing process, take a look at how we review.

This review was last updated in February 2025. We apologise if anything has changed in price or availability.

A lush, green lawn is a source of pride and joy for many gardeners but it’s often where all the action takes place in the garden. The focal point for gatherings with friends and family, it can suffer from overuse and too much wear and tear. Terrific turf needs a good lawn care regime to achieve it and while regular mowing and watering will take you so far, there are a couple of additional tasks for your to do list, which will help keep your lawn in tip-top condition.

Regardless of how often you cut your lawn, over time the soil underneath the turf becomes compacted, while above ground a thick, impenetrable layer of thatch and organic debris develops around the roots. This undesirable combination prevents air, water and nutrients from reaching deep down to the grass’ root system and ultimately weakens its growth, leaving the plant susceptible to pests and diseases.

Scarifying your lawn will help remove thatch and debris, but if you need to relieve compacted soil underneath the turf, it’s best to aerate it. Aeration is the process of making air holes in the lawn to create ventilation. In small lawns a simple garden fork can be used to push holes into the ground but you can also buy manual aerators, either solid or hollow tined, which require the same effort as a fork. However, if you have a lot of lawn and not much time, other types of aerator are probably the best option. Whether you’re pushing a roller covered in spikes, or using a powered machine, these aerators are a labour-saving version of the trusty garden fork, mechanically making a series of holes in the lawn.

Time to show your lawn some TLC? Check out our round up of the best lawn scarifiers and expert tips on how to improve your lawn in 12 weeks. You can also keep edges looking neat with our pick of the best lawn edging.

In addition to aerators and scarifiers, we’ve tested a range of lawn mowers, including the best cordless lawn mowers, the best robotic lawn mowers and the best electric lawn mowers and the best grass trimmers. For those with small lawns, our guide to the best hand push mowers will be helpful.

The best lawn aerators to buy at a glance

• Best aerator for manual hollow tined aerating: Kent & Stowe 4 Prong Lawn Aerator
• Best aerator for manual aerating: Greenkey Lawn Aerator
• Best combination aerator for safety: Stihl RLA 240 Cordless Lawn Scarifier

Jump to:

• Best Buy lawn aerators in 2024
• The best of the rest
• What is a lawn aerator and what does it do?
• Types of lawn aerator
• How to choose the best lawn aerator
• How to get the perfect lawn
• How we tested lawn aerators

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 hedge trimmers below:

Best lawn aerators in 2024

RRP: £36.99

Our rating: 4.3 out of 5

Available from: Marshalls Garden, Amazon, Bents

Pros:

• Lightweight
• Comfortable
• Removes good whole soil plugs

Cons:

• Needs strong treading to work 

Awarded a BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine Best Buy for manual hollow tined aerating, this simple aerator from Kent & Stowe works well. The smooth, FSC-grade ash handle is comfortable, lightweight and doesn’t rub, even after using it for a while. The handle runs into a single-riveted steel socket above wide steel treads and these treads are great for striking and pushing into soil. However, the 9cm, stainless steel tines don’t go in smoothly every time, despite being pointed. Its best feature is that it produces good, solid plugs of soil that are great for breaking down and reusing as topsoil.

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RRP: £49.99

Our rating: 4.5 out of 5

Available from Amazon and Crocus

Pros:

• Adjustable height
• Easy to use
• Lightweight
• Good for storage
• Plastic caps to cover the spikes when not in use

Cons:

• Needs assembling – though it’s straightforward
• Hard work, so best suited to small gardens

Awarded a BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine Best Buy for manual aerating, the Greenkey Rolling lawn aerator is basic but does the job well. Lightweight with sturdy spikes, it’s just the tool if your small lawn needs aeration. Made from aluminium and plastic, it’s lightweight but feels substantial and features a T-bar grip as well as an adjustable shaft to suit different height users. The drum is 30cm wide, which covers a lawn quickly and easily, and there are 30 x 4.5 cm spikes to ensure deep, even aeration. It comes with a two year warranty.

Read the full Greenkey Rolling Lawn Aerator review

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RRP: £224 (without battery and charger)

Our rating: 4.5 out of 5 

Available from Just Lawnmowers and Stihl

Pros:

• Excellent safety features
• Easy to use
• Comfortable

Cons:

• Struggles with inclines 

Awarded a BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine Best Buy for safety, this combination machine is powered by a 36v, 4.8Ah battery. It takes 205 minutes to charge, but is easy to plug in and has a helpful charge indicator, although this is faint in daylight. The battery also has great safety features – it won’t work without a safety key, and there’s a lock on the powerbar for an effective dead-man switch – and it lasts long enough to cover a 250m2 lawn, about the size of a tennis court. Thanks to smooth, high-quality wheels, it feels lightweight and easy to manoeuvre, which is surprising given that it weighs 15kg. Powerful aerating blades cut through the top layer of soil well, to help improve lawn health, rather than relieve compacted soil or open the structure of heavy clay, and in doing so, also tackle most of the thatch and moss in the lawn. The scarifying drum attachment was effective on moss too, though not as efficient with thatch. Although, this machine struggles with inclines, catching on the surface and shutting itself off if your lawn isn’t level, this isn’t too much of a problem, because you can easily adjust the heights – +7.5 mm to -9.5 mm – to avoid this problem, and this automatic shutdown is also a great safety feature.

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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.

RRP: £159

Our rating: 4.3 out of 5

Available from Mowers Online and B&Q

Pros:

• Easy to use
• Lightweight and compact
• Folding handles and removable collection box for storage
• Interchangeable drums are easy to remove and install
• Dual start system for safety
• Four depth settings
• Quiet at 91dB

Cons:

• The 15m cable isn’t included
• Collection box doesn’t pick up all the debris

The Stiga Essential SV 213E Electric Lawn Scarifier is light, compact and efficient when it comes to tackling moss and thatch in the lawn. It has two interchangeable drums, one with spring tines for scarification and the other with blades for shallow aeration, which is designed to help improve lawn health, rather than relieve compacted soil or open the structure of heavy clay. It also has a dual start safety system and can be adjusted to four depths, ranging from -6mm to +4mm, which is shallower than the other models we tested. We found that the 40L collection bag left some debris behind and the 15m cable – the longest in the group we tested – is an additional cost of £21.71. It’s compact and easy to fold the handles for storage, and comes with a two year warranty.

Read the full Stiga Essential SV 213E Electric Lawn Scarifier review

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RRP: £360.99

Our rating: 4 out of 5

Available from Keen Gardener

Pros:

• Comfortable to use
• Very effective
• Quick to charge

Cons: 

• Scalps the lawn
• Very poor instructions

The Cobra S3840V Cordless Scarifier handles well. It’s big, and the wheels are prone to being a little stiff, but it’s lightweight and has a soft-grip handle, which makes it comfortable to use. At 92dB, it’s relatively quiet, too. The 40V 5Ah battery charges quickly in just 90 minutes, and offers 40 minutes’ use. The machine itself is easy to use, and we loved being able to see the charge indicator through the transparent window. The aeration blades and spring tine scarifying drum can be set at five heights, which range from -10mm to +5mm. Unfortunately, the instructions are poor, so it takes a while to get this machine up and running. On the plus side, at 38cm wide, it covers a large area of lawn, reducing how long you spend on the job, but its size makes this combination machine very bulky and difficult to store.

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What is a lawn aerator and what does it do?

Aerating your lawn is part of a spring and autumn lawn care regime and there are two different methods of aerating your lawn:

• Spiking – this involves using solid spikes to create holes in the lawn, which are a couple of millimetres in width and several centimetres deep, to help relieve compacted soil.
• Hollow tining – as it sounds, hollow tines are pushed into the ground to remove cylindrical plugs of turf, around a centimetre wide and a few centimetres deep. Depending on the soil type, you may wish to fill these holes with a sandy mix or leave them to let the soil expand and close the holes, which helps with waterlogged clay soil.

Types of lawn aerators: the different ways to aerate your lawn

There are four types of aerator, each with their own pros and cons:

• Spike shoes – these are cheap and easy to use and most effective on soft – but not soggy – ground in small gardens.
• Manual aerators – although these are useful tools, which can do specific jobs (see above), using them requires a lot of effort as it gets tiring, even on a small lawn. But they’re cheap, and a great idea if you’re after a workout.
• Manual Rolling Drum Aerators – these are time and labour saving, as you simply walk across the lawn pushing the roller
• Powered Aerators – the obvious advantage of using these is that they’re labour saving. They’re also almost always available as part of a 2-in-1 combination machine that scarifies as well, so you get two jobs done for the price of one. However, it’s important to note these mechanical aerators don’t aerate in the same way that a manual aerator does – they use metal blades rather than spikes or tines. These blades create shallow slits rather than deep holes, and although they will help maintain a healthy lawn, by allowing air and water to move through this top layer of soil, they won’t improve your lawn if it’s compacted or you have heavy clay. Mechanical aerators are quite an investment too, as you’re using them twice a year at the most – even if they’re a 2-in-1 combination of aerator and scarifier – and they require more space to store than the other alternatives.

How to choose the best lawn aerator

Depending on the type of aerator you’re going to choose, there are several key features to look for:

• Manual hollow tine – look out for strong, solid tines that will cope with compacted turf, a decent tread to prevent your foot from slipping, and a soft-grip handle for comfort.
• Manual rolling drum – ideally you want a good number of metal spikes on the drum to create plenty of holes – as a guide, 27 spikes will give you about 180 spikes per square metre. The spikes should also be at least 5cm long to ensure they penetrate the ground deeply.
• Mechanical aerator – go for strong, good-sized blades and a collection box. If storage space is an issue look for handles that fold down and a collapsible collection box rather than a solid one.

How to get the perfect lawn

It’s not just aerating that will improve the quality of your lawn, look at our other tips below:

• Always rake up clippings when mowing at the start of the year, so they don’t smother younger, emerging shoots
• Neaten edges with a lawn edger
• Dig up small weeds like plantain and dandelions with a hand trowel
• Use a spring-tined lawn rake to rake out dead grass and moss in areas where there is poor growth
• Once the lawn is established, and later in the year, leave the clippings in place to act as a nutrient-rich mulch that will feed the grass
• If you notice bare patches, break up the soil, scatter grass seeds then sprinkle with potting compost. Cover newly sown seeded areas with netting
• When mowing on hot, dry days, raise the mower’s cutting height and make sure newly sown areas are watered.

How we tested lawn aerators

To see how well lawn aerators perform, the GW reviews team tested a range of models across a range of garden situations – creating holes and slits in different turf and ground conditions. Before we started, we checked for any wildlife in the grass and organic debris on the lawn surface. The lawn aerators were compared, and the following criteria used to calculate the scores, with equal weight given to each:

• Set-up & storage: We looked at the assembly needed, ease and clarity of instructions, any storage features and, where relevant, the cable length.
• Handling: We assessed ease of use, weight, noise levels, comfort and safety features.
• Performance: Considered the strength of the tines or blades, as well as how well they created holes and slits in the lawn. For the 2-in-1 machines, we also evaluated how well the spring tines removed moss and thatch in the scarifying mode.
• Value for money: We reviewed all of the above, plus quality and design, the RRP and the length of warranty.

For more information on our testing process see How we Review

This review was last updated in February 2025. Unfortunately, prices change and things go out of stock so we apologise if anything has changed.

Gardening gloves are available in an array of designs, materials and with various features, including waterproofing, added grip, cushioning, and breathable fabrics to help regulate hand temperature. The design and features you need will depend on the gardening jobs you intend to carry out and when. Thin, lightweight gloves are best for duties where dexterity and being able to feel what you’re doing is key, such as potting up, weeding and planting. However, heavy duty gardening gloves are essential for providing for protection and support when using tools or doing hard landscaping jobs.

Gardening gloves are available in an array of designs, materials and with various features, including waterproofing, added grip, cushioning, and breathable fabrics to help regulate hand temperature. The design and features you need will depend on the gardening jobs you intend to carry out and when.

• Thin, lightweight gloves are best for duties where dexterity and being able to feel what you’re doing is key, such as potting up, weeding and planting. They will protect your hands and let your skin breathe. Ideally, you’ll forget you’re even wearing them. Look for gloves with a nitrile coating on the fingers and palms, this will give you plenty of grip but also retain the dexterity. If you’re working with tools, pruning or working in the cold, you might want a pair of lightweight gloves with a little more padding. They won’t offer as much flexibility but will be comfortable and offer more protection.
• Heavy duty gardening gloves are essential for providing protection and support when using tools, doing hard landscaping jobs, or pruning roses or other thorny plants. There is a huge range of materials and styles of heavy duty gloves to choose from. Leather makes a very tough glove; some are entirely made of leather whilst others will have it added to finger tips and palms for strength and durability. It’s also worth carefully considering the fit of heavy duty gloves, as you may lose some dexterity if they don’t fit well. An adjustable cuff can also help with the comfort of the glove and prevent debris getting inside.
• Gauntlet gloves are particularly useful for pruning shrubs, brambles, or roses. The long cuff of a gauntlet glove provides extra protection for the lower arms, preventing scratches and irritation.

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Looking for more garden gear? Consider our reviews of the best wellington boots, best mini chainsaws and the best garden kneelers. If your gardening equipment needs a refresh, consider our test of the best lawn mowers and if it just needs a clean, why not try our expert review of the best pressure washers?

Buying gardening gloves – video

Follow our tips to find the right gardening gloves for you

Best gardening gloves at a glance:

Best lightweight gardening gloves

• Best lightweight gloves for winter use: Niwaki winter gloves
• Best gloves for light work: Clip Gloves Bamboo Fibre
• Best gloves for versatility: Feverfew Garden Company
• Best gloves for everyday use: Clip Gloves General Purpose
• Best gloves for grip: Donkey Gloves

Best heavy duty gardening gloves

• Best gloves for summer use : Spear & Jackson Kew Gardens Collection High Performance
• Best gloves for heavy duty work: Clip Gloves Shock Absorber
• Best gloves for wet-weather work: Gold Leaf The Dry Touch
• Best gloves for budget: Verve Latex Coated Garden Gloves
• Best gloves for winter use 2024: Clip Gloves Warm ‘n’ Waterproof 
• Best gloves for winter use: Stihl ThermoGrip
• Best gloves for year-round use: Burgon & Ball Love the Glove

Best gauntlet gloves

• Best men’s gauntlet gloves: Kent and Stowe luxury leather men’s gauntlet gloves

Jump to:

• Best lightweight gardening gloves
• Best heavy duty gardening gloves
• Best gauntlet gloves
• Best of the rest gardening gloves
• How to choose the best gardening gloves
• How we tested gardening gloves

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 gardening gloves below:

Best lightweight gardening gloves

RRP: £12.00

Our rating: 4.8 out of 5

Available from Amazon and Niwaki

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Pros

• Fit well
• Warm and all but cuffs waterproof
• Bright so wont loose them easily
• Good value

Cons

• A little bulky
• Not thornproof
• Cuffs aren’t waterproof

These gloves are a great, snug fit and very easy to get on and off thanks to their well fitting elasticated cuff. Made from latex, acrylic and polyester they mould well to the hand and although the bright orange fleece lining makes them a little bulky they’re still soft and flexible and offer a good amount of dexterity. They’re ideal for a wide range of winter jobs including finer weeding and keep your hands really warm and dry. However the cuffs are not waterproof so take care not to get these wet as they take a while to dry. Otherwise, the gloves dry well though and keep their shape. They won’t completely protect you against thorns and brambles but they don’t tear the latex.  They’re excellent value for money for the protection they give and we awarded them a BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine Best Buy award for the best lightweight winter gloves. They’re available in sizes small, medium, large and extra large.

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RRP: £6.49

Our rating: 4.8 out of 5

Available from Amazon in men’s and women’s designs.

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Pros:

• Comfortable and light
• Second skin fit
• Breathable
• Feel strong
• Excellent value

Cons:

• Bamboo snags occasionally

Awarded a BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine Best Buy for light work, our reviewers found the Clip Gloves Bamboo Fibre a good fit, easy to take on and off, comfortable and breathable. The gloves are washable and they come with a carabiner to clip them on to your belt. They did snag occasionally but they’re great for delicate work and all day wear in spring and summer. Available in both men’s and women’s designs.

Read the full Clip Gloves Bamboo Fibre review.

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RRP: £22.95

Our rating: 4.5 out of 5

Available from Marshalls Garden

Pros

• Robust
• Comfortable with a good fit
• Touch screen fingers work well

Good all rounder

Cons

• A little difficult to get on and off
• Not dextrous for fine jobs

These good-looking gloves by Feverfew have been designed specifically to fit women’s hands and our female testers found them to be a good fit, once they’d softened with a few wears. The elasticated neoprene cuff and Velcro strap make them a little tricky to get on and off, but they’re snug once on and the gloves are stretchy and flexible and ideal for all general gardening jobs, such as weeding, pruning and using tools. They have reinforced fingers, so they’re not for fine work like seed sowing, but they have a padded, microfibre palm and spandex and foam back so they’re comfortable and protective. They’re not waterproof, particularly on the palms, although they do have water resistance and are best for spring and summer wear. They also have handy ‘touch screen’ forefingers and thumbs that work very well, so you can look things up or answer a call if you need to without having to take them off. After use the gloves can be wiped down or machine washed at 30 degree C or below, and there’s a useful clip to secure them together and hang them up. Available in four sizes, XS-L and in a choice of green or plum, they also come in a protective cloth bag, which is a nice touch. They may not be the cheapest gardening gloves but they’re well fitting, comfortable and durable. We gave them a BBC Gardener’s World Magazine Best Buy award for the best lightweight gloves for versatility.

Buy the Feverfew Garden Company gloves from Marshalls Garden.

RRP: £14.99

Our rating: 4.5 out of 5

Available from ManoMano

Pros:

• Snug, comfortable fit
• Padded and reinforced
• Great for everyday, medium duty work
• Hard wearing

Cons:

• Lack warmth
• Not water resistant

With an adjustable wrist strap, extra padding and a tailored fit, these gloves were awarded a BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine Best Buy for everyday use. They may not be waterproof but the gloves dry well, keeping their shape. Sizes range from small to large in both men’s and women’s styles.

Read the full Clip Gloves General Purpose review.

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Buy now from Treadstone

RRP: £16.00

Our rating: 4.5 out of 5

Available from Amazon, Sarah Raven

Pros:

• Snug fit
• Good grip
• Well-designed
• Lightweight but sturdy

Cons:

• Not lined, waterproof or water resistant

Awarded a BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine Best Buy award for grip, these well-designed gloves fit snugly to help with delicate jobs where good grip is required. While they don’t feature an adjustable strap, the stretchy wrist cuff means they’re easy to get on and off, and there’s a helpful sizing-guide on the website to ensure you choose the right pair. Comfortable to wear, they feature an elasticated, breathable polyester back and a soft suede-padded palm and thumb gusset, which offers extra protection if you’re pruning and clearing borders. They feel well-made and sturdy, but while the material on the palm is water-resistant, moisture soaks through the back of the glove. That said, they dry quickly and the suede palm stays soft. Though warm, they’re not lined so won’t keep out the chill of wintery weather, but they’re a reliable, mid-priced option for everyday work. Available in a range of sizes.

Read the full Donkey Gloves review

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Best heavy duty gardening gloves

RRP: £18.99

Our rating: 4.8 out of 5

Available from Amazon

Pros

• Durable yet with good sensitivity
• Lightweight and cool
• Elasticated wrist keeps debris out
• Suit most gardening tasks

Cons

• Thin backs vulnerable to stings & thorns

Winner of a BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine Best Buy for the best gloves for Summer use, these stylish gloves are immediately comfortable to wear. Made from non-padded leather with polyester backs that ensure breathability, your hands stay comfortable, even in very hot weather. They’re well made, with reinforcement on the wear points at the palms and fingers, and elasticated wrists ensure a close comfortable fit to keep out debris. They give good grip and usability for a wide range of tasks such as weeding, planting and pruning but the reinforced fingers make them unsuitable for jobs needing fine dexterity, like handling seedlings. There’s a small loop on the wrists for easy hanging and storage and the gloves come in sizes small, medium and large. A donation to the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew is made from the sale of these gloves.

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Read the full Spear and Jackson Kew Gardens Collection high performance gloves review

RRP: £18.49

Our rating: 4.8 out of 5

Available from ManoMano

Pros:

• Comfortable and well fitting
• Good dexterity
• Sturdy and durable
• Good for heavy duty jobs

Cons:

• None

These gloves mould to the hand to provide good dexterity and an excellent fit and our experts praised their well thought out materials. They’re comfortable and durable but not bulky. There’s a carabiner to clip gloves to a belt and padding on the palms for extra protection. Awarded a BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine Best Buy for heavy-duty work they come in both men’s and women’s sizes and design.

Read the full Clip Gloves Shock Absorber review.

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Buy from Treadstone

RRP: £22.99

Our rating: 4.8 out of 5

Available from Harrod Horticultural

Pros:

• Comfortable with good control
• Soft, high quality leather
• Tough and long lasting
• Water resistant
• Good investment

Cons:

• Expensive

The Dry Touch gloves from Gold Leaf are tough, long-lasting and water resistant, and were awarded a BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine Best Buy for wet-weather work. Made from soft, supple leather, the gloves have a sturdy, yet luxurious feel and are available in both men’s and women’s sizes.

Read the full Gold Leaf The Dry Touch review.

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RRP: £2.50

Our rating: 4.8 out of 5

Available from Screwfix

Pros:

• Tough, thorn- proof material
• Great for everyday, medium- to heavy-duty work
• Hard wearing
• Great value

Cons:

• Not very breathable
• Lack warmth
• Not water-resistant

Awarded a BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine Best Buy for budget, these gloves offer great protection for tough, thorny jobs at a very reasonable price. We also love that they can be recycled. Featuring a generously-sized elasticated cuff means they’re easy to get on and off, but as they’re made from textured latex, the palm isn’t a snug fit. While the latex is also waterproof, we found that moisture can seep in through the fabric on the back. Great for cold and wet weather, they aren’t lined, so you might need extra protection in harsh winter months. Wipe-clean after use, these tough, durable gloves represent excellent value for money. Available in small, medium and large.

Read the full Verve Nylon Gardening Glove review

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RRP: £12.99

Our Rating: 4.8 out of 5

Available from Treadstone

Pros:

• Comfortable and warm
• Waterproof
• Sandy texture for good grip
• Lots of dexterity

Cons:

• No good for latex allergies

Awarded a BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine Best Buy for winter use, the Clip Gloves’ Warm ‘N’ Waterproof edition are indeed as warm and waterproof as their name suggests. They offer a great fit, and the fleece-lining is excellent for keeping your hands warm in the chilly weather. The double-dipped latex also makes these gloves completely waterproof – working in damp conditions there was no sign of seep-through. The sandy latex covering on the palm and fingertips is excellent for grip, and the comfortably snug fit allows for very good dexterity, even though the thick lining can make your finger movements occasionally feel a little clumsy when it comes to finer tasks. The additional latex coating on the thumb joint offers extra protection for more heavy duty tasks. Like all other gloves in the Clip Gloves range, the carabiner clip is a handy addition to keep the gloves paired together. Great multi-purpose gloves, they’re ideal for working snugly through cold wet winters rather than year round use as they’re a little too toasty for the summer months. They come in women’s small and medium sizes, and men’s medium and large.

Buy now from: Treadstone

RRP: £8.82

Our rating: 4.5 out of 5

Available from Sam Turner and Sons

Pros:

• Comfortable and snug
• Warm
• Good grip
• Good value

Cons:

• Bulky

Awarded a BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine Best Buy for winter use these thick gloves have been designed to keep your hands toasty and warm in the winter months. Stihl’s ThermoGrip gloves are sturdy with a snug, knitted fit and although their chunky thickness means they lack a little dexterity they have a good grip and a waterproof latex layer.

Read the full Stihl ThermoGrip Gloves review.

Buy now from Sam Turner and Sons

RRP: £19.49

Our rating: 4.5 out of 5

Available from Amazon

Pros:

• Comfortable and snug
• Good dexterity and control
• Strong and durable
• Attractive, quality materials

Cons:

• Wrist strap fiddly for some

Made from artificial suede and tweed with a leather trim, the Burgon and Ball Love the Gloves were some of the best ladies gardening gloves on test and were awarded a BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine Best Buy for year-round use. The materials are high quality and the gloves are breathable, tough and  provide protection all year round. The wrist strap is adjustable for a snug fit but some may find it fiddly. They’re available in two sizes – small/medium and medium/large.

Read the full Burgon and Ball Love the Glove review.

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Buy now from Burgon and Ball

Best gauntlet gloves

RRP: £15.99

Our rating: 4.8/5

Available from Amazon and ManoMano

Pros

• Comfortable, warm and well sized
• Good quality leather with strong stitching
• Excellent protection against thorns
• Great value

Cons

• Cuff a little snug
• Not waterproof
• One size only

These simple but tough gauntlet gloves provide excellent protection from thorns and prickles in both the thick sturdy hand and the long suede cuff, although the cuff can be a little tight depending on the thickness of the coat you’re pulling them over. Available in men’s large size only, they’re a good fit for large hands with the leather moulding well to the hand. They feel tough but flexible and comfortable and there’s enough dexterity to grip secateurs and loppers for regular pruning jobs, although these gloves are not for finer work like planting. They’re also warm enough to wear throughout the colder pruning months of the autumn and winter. Awarded a BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine Best Buy for the best men’s gauntlets, they’re comfortable, protective and sturdy and excellent value for money.

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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:

RRP: £20.00

Our rating: 4.3 out of 5

Available from Genus

Pros

• Flexible
• Totally waterproof
• Dry well
• Available in a wide range of sizes

Cons

• Loose fit at the wrists and the fingers are long
• Liner loose
• Dexterity tricky with fit

These well-made gloves are ideal for keeping your hands totally dry when weeding, planting and working in wet weather. They’re well made with synthetic leather palms, polyester backs and tough seams, and although they won’t completely protect you from thorns and brambles they won’t snag or tear. They’re reasonably thin and better for fine rather than heavy work, however, despite measuring our hands before ordering, the fingers are long, which makes very fine delicate work difficult. The elasticated wrist is also quite loose, which is a bit drafty and lets in debris when you work.  But they are waterproof and the fleecy style lining keeps your hands warm, just watch when you take them on and off as it does work loose. They’re quite expensive but if you’ve got wet work to do, like leaf raking or digging they would be useful. They’re available in sizes – XS, S,M, L, XL,XXL and 3XL.

Buy now from Genus

RRP: £5.99

Our Rating : 4.3 out of 5

• Buy now from Tooled Up

Pros:

• Super light and comfortable
• Excellent dexterity
• Machine washable
• Made from sustainable materials

Cons:

• Very thin
• Early wear and tear evident
• Slippery fingertip coating

Extremely thin and breathable, these are a good pair of gloves to use in the spring and summer months. They’re excellently suited for delicate potting and sowing, as you can still feel what you’re doing, although we found that the coating on the fingertips was slippery, which is a shame when you’re attempting to tackle those finer, more fiddly tasks. Made from plastic bottles sourced from the ocean, their sustainability credentials are great, and they’re a bargain at £5.99. It’s also handy to have a machine-washable glove and running them through a cold cycle left them mostly stain-free and ready to use again. However, because of their thinness they’0re susceptible to ripping; just a small snag on a thorn or wayward branch results in holes on the back of the hand. They’re not a go-to, all-rounder glove, but if you’re looking for something to protect your hands while you do light work, they’re a nice addition to your collection. They’re available in sizes extra small, small, medium and large.

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Buy now from Town and Country

RRP: £8.99

Our Rating: 4.3 out of 5

• Buy now from Tooled Up and Town and Country

Pros:

• Good protection
• Comfortable
• Sustainable

Cons:

• Not waterproof
• Fingers a little loose

As with other gloves in Town & Country’s Eco-Flex range, these gloves are made from recycled plastic sourced from the ocean and the materials themselves feel great – the elasticated wrist is snug and comfortable, and the coated palm and fingertips offers sturdy protection when tackling more heavy-duty tasks, including handling thorny stems and clearing waste. The rubber coating is somewhat stiff and doesn’t soften with use, and it can feel a little strange for the glove to want to snap back to its resting position. This also makes you feel less dexterous when tackling more tactile tasks or handling secateurs. The thin lining keeps your hands warm, but the backs of the glove soak through easily and are unpleasant to wear when wet. It’s very handy that they’re machine washable, and they come out looking clean with no signs of damage from a 30℃ cycle. They’re a good pair of multi-purpose gloves for the price, and their sustainable credentials are a big plus. They come in sizes small, medium, large and extra-large.

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Buy now from Town and Country

RRP: £12.49

Our rating: 4.25 out of 5

Available from Amazon, Tooled Up and John Lewis & Partners

Pros:

• Easy to get on and off
• Comfortable and well-fitting
• Lightweight

Cons:

• Not lined
• Not waterproof or water-resistant

Spear & Jackson’s Kew Garden Collection Gardening Gloves feature an adjustable velcro strap, so they’re easy to get on and off. Comfortable to wear, the palm is made using soft leather so doesn’t fit snugly, but you can feel what you’re doing and grip tools. The gloves have an elastane back, which makes them lightweight, breathable and flexible. As they’re not lined, waterproof or water-resistant, these gloves are best for dry weather in spring and summer. With double stitching and additional leather reinforcement on the thumb and index finger, they feel sturdy and durable enough to tackle everyday medium work. Available in small, medium and large for men and women.

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RRP: £14.99

Our rating: 4 out of 5

Available from Marshalls Garden and Electrical World

Pros:

• Soft and comfortable
• Thorn-proof
• Waterproof and warm
• Thick and shock absorbant

Cons:

• Bulky

The Kent and Stowe Luxury Leather Gloves are easy to get on, offering a great fit that moulds to the hand and up the wrist, even though there isn’t an adjustable strap. Made of leather with a warm polyester lining, these gloves are soft and comfortable, perfect for hard work in the winter. Though they’re only lined, not padded, these gloves are so thick they’ll still cushion your hands when you use a spade or a fork. The keystone stitches around the thumb make for extra durability, and it’s comfortable to lift heavy rocks or logs. They’re thorn-proof and waterproof, and they don’t stiffen after getting wet, even after a good soaking.
However, these gloves are quite bulky and inflexible, which means you’ll struggle with more nimble work like pruning and weeding. In summer, these will be far too hot to be comfortable, but they’re brilliant for wet work in winter. They’re a good value pair of leather gardening gloves. Available in ladie’s small and medium sizes and men’s medium and large.

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Our rating: 3.8 out of 5

• Buy now from Home & Garden Extras

Pros

• Snug and comfortable fit
• Good for dextrous work
• Latex covering for good grip
• Keen price

Cons

• Not at all durable
• Low level of protection

Made predominantly from recycled plastic bottles and coated with latex on the palms and fingers to give a good grip, these gloves are well fitting and comfortable. With a snug fit, they are good for light tasks, including jobs needing reasonably fine dexterity.  Although not waterproof, they will dry quickly but the main drawback of these gloves is that the covering wears and starts to come off after only a short time. And, although they’re made from recycled bottles, which is good from an environmental point of view, they can’t be recycled once they wear out. The latex covering is also not suitable for people  allergic to latex, but the packaging does highlight this. Like all Clip Gloves, they have wrist loops and a small metal carabiner so the gloves can clip onto a belt or bag when not in use or hang up easily. They come in sizes medium and large.

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RRP: from £15.99

Our rating: 4.5 out of 5

Available from Amazon and Town & Country

Pros:

• Soft and supple
• Generously-sized cuff for extra protection

Cons:

• Not water-resistant

While an extra-wide cuff means they’re easy to get on, the overall shape of these gloves feels loose and baggy.However, as you’ll use them for tackling rose bushes and other thorny shrubs this isn’t too much of an issue and the extra length in the cuff is more important than dexterity. Featuring a suede cuff and ultra-soft leather for the palm and fingers, these gloves are very supple, but there’s a seam at the base of the second and third finger which makes them uncomfortable to grip tools or branches, especially if you’re doing so for any length of time. They’re not lined but the leather provides some warmth, which is important as you’ll be pruning roses in late winter. Simply designed, we like the quality of the leather and suede, which remain soft even after getting wet. To clean, remove dry mud with a suede brush. Available in two sizes, medium to large.

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RRP: £19.99

Our rating: 4 out of 5

Available from Amazon

Pros

• Soft leather with comfortable lining
• Good protection
• Water resistant

Cons

• Bulky
• Short cuff
• Leather catches and tears easily

With leather palms, a faux suede cuff and reinforced fingers and thumbs these pruning gloves from Clip Glove offer good protection, whether you’re tackling roses or grappling with brambles. The leather softens quickly and is water resistant, so they’re ideal for working in damp weather but, it catches and tears easily, meaning the gloves age quickly. A soft poly cotton lining gives extra warmth and protection but unfortunately, it’s bulky, which makes the fingers feel thick and limits dexterity quite a bit. The gloves are easy to get on and off and the cuff is wide enough to slip over most coats but it is short, only coming halfway up the forearm, so although the gloves give you the confidence to grab even the thorniest stem, it would be helpful if the cuffs offered the same protection to the elbow. They come in women’s sizes small and medium and men’s medium and large.

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RRP: £64.95

Our rating:  4 out of 5

Available from Sarah Raven

Pros

• Long cuff offers excellent protection
• Comfortable
• Good dexterity

Cons

• Hands lack padding and can feel thorns
• Colour dirties easily
• Limited choice of sizes
• Cuff a little snug

These simple gauntlets have soft, white leather hands and long suede cuffs that protect the forearm all the way to the elbow.
They’re soft and comfortable, moulding quickly to the hand, although we found the limited sizes meant they weren’t the best fit in the fingers for some of our testers. They’re easy to pull on, even though the cuff did struggle over thicker coats and a lining to the hands offers some extra warmth and protection. However, they are thin and without any additional padding we could feel the odd thorn as we worked which isn’t ideal. The leather is waterproof but as it’s white, dirties quickly which given the price of them is a shame.They re available in one colour and sizes small and large.

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RRP: £15.99

Our Rating: 3.8 out of 5

Available from B&Q and Amazon

Pros:

• Attractive design
• Long protective cuff
• Easy to slide on and off

Cons:

• Tough leather around fingertips make fine work tricky
• Hard to clean
• Tough poppers
• Limited sizes available

With their lush yellow leather and classy herringbone backs, these gloves have a classic look, but unfortunately style may have been favoured over substance. They’re incredibly easy to slide on and off, especially with the elongated leather cuff, which comfortably covers most of the lower arm and provides good protection when pruning thorny shrubs and climbers or tackling brambles and nettles. The fleece lining feels cosy, and they‘re water-resistant when working in wet weather. However, even after a good amount of wear, it’s hard to get the leather to soften around the fingertips, which reduces dexterity and makes it difficult to feel or grip fine material. An adjustable strap on the back of the gloves allows you to choose the fit, but the poppers are tough to snap on and off and the difference between the two fits is negligible, so it feels more like an aesthetic offering rather than a practical one. The yellow leather also gets dirty quickly, although that can add to its charm. They are available in ladies medium size only.

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How to choose the best gardening gloves

Choosing the best gardening gloves for you will depend on the jobs you’re planning to do. A range of materials are on offer including leather, bamboo, latex and nylon as well as recycled materials. Bamboo fibre is one of the more environmentally-friendly options and is typically soft, close fitting and flexible. Latex and leather are both tear-resistant and are often used to improve grip.

Additional padding or cushioning can also be helpful. Look out for padding on knuckles, fingertips, wrists and palms for increased protection when taking on manual tasks. Elasticated cuffs will provide a snug fit, prevent soil and plant debris falling in and are easy to get on and off.

Finally, if you intend to use gardening gloves all year round, water-resistance is helpful. This is often achieved using latex, leather or synthetic materials that can be specially treated to repel water.

How we tested gardening gloves

Compost is nature’s gift to your garden, a rich blend of nutrients that not only nourishes your plants but serves as an ideal fertiliser, organic mulch, and soil improver. Making your own compost is both a rewarding and sustainable practice that allows you to recycle garden and kitchen waste to provide your plants with the essential elements they crave. Simply put your garden waste and some kitchen waste into a compost bin and it will break down over a year or so to reveal fresh, home-made compost. If you’re looking for a compost bin for your garden they come in a range of shapes, sizes, and prices.
Whether you have a large country garden or a small outdoor space in the city, there are compost bins to suit all tastes and requirements. To help you choose between the hundreds available on the market we’ve tested several to provide a broad range of compost bins to inspire your next purchase.
We’ve also got some useful information regarding the different materials that compost bins can be made of, how to choose the best compost bin and what to put in your compost bin.

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

Best compost bins to buy at a glance:

• Best budget compost bin: Blackwall Green Compost Converter
• Best large compost bin: Modular Compost Bin
• Best compost bin for versatility: Green Johanna 330 Litre Hot Composter
• Best compost bin for speed: Hotbin Mk. 2 Composter

Jump to:

• Best compost bins in 2024
• Best of the rest
• What materials are compost bins made of?
• How to choose the best compost bin
• What to put in a compost bin
• How we tested
• Trouble shooting – what to do if your compost doesn’t look quite right

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 compost bins below:

The best compost bins in 2025

RRP: £42.99

Our rating: 4.25/5

Available from Even Greener

Pros

• Low price
• Black bin totally recycled
• Optional base plate to site on hard surface
• Long warranty

Cons

• Thin, non-ventilated construction
• Slowest to compost
• Only one access hatch

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

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Read the full Blackwall Compost Converter review.

Buy Blackwall Compost Converter at Even Greener

RRP: £199.99

Our rating: 4.5/5

Available from Suttons

Pros

• Simple, tool-free assembly
• Insulated cover sits directly in compost
• Planks slide out for easy filling/ access
• Accessed in any side
• Extends with additional three-sided modules

Cons

• Cover lets in some rain

This traditional wooden compost bin has a huge 573 litre capacity, earning it a BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine Best Buy award for the best large compost bin. Made from sustainably sourced Scandinavian softwood, the planks easily slot into upright grooves on the corner posts and the bin can be accessed from every side. Thanks to its plastic cover, it produces the highest internal temperature of any of the wooden bins on test, guaranteeing fantastic compost. However, you should note that this cover let in a little rain.

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Read the full Suttons Modular Wooden Compost Bin review.

Buy the Suttons Modular Wooden Compost Bin at Amazon and organiccatalogue.com

RRP: £144.99

Our rating: 4.5/5

Pros

• Compost food and garden waste
• Made from 100% recycled plastic
• No need to pre-mix waste
• Good capacity for price

Cons

• Can’t harvest compost when the winter jacket is on

Awarded a BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine Best Buy for the most versatile compost bin, the Green Johanna 330-litre Hot Composter has a good capacity and works effectively for all types of food and garden waste. It does not need pre-mixing and is made from 100 per cent-recycled plastic.

Read the full Green Johanna 330 Litre Hot Composter review

Buy Green Johanna 330 Litre Hot Composter at Van Meuwen, Suttons, Amazon and Great Green Systems

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RRP: £255

Our rating: 4.25/5

Pros

• Quickly composts food and garden waste
• Self-contained and comes part assembled
• Achieved highest temperature

Cons

• Waste needs pre-mixing
• Made from vigin materials
• Cam straps make compost access awkward

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

Read the full Hotbin Mk. 2 Composter review

Buy Hotbin Mk. 2 Composter at Hotbin, Thompson & Morgan, Even Greener, and Dobies

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The best of the rest

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

RRP: £134.99

Our rating: 4/5

Pros

• Smart and compact, made from 90% recyclable plastic
• Takes both food and garden waste
• Easy to fill and empty
• Tank to collect/dispense liquid
• Makes compost quickly if regularly turned

Cons

• Lots of assembly
• Heavy to turn when fuller
• Needs regular attention for fast composting
• Household would need more than one composter
• High price

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

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

Buy the Hozelock EasyMix 2-in-1 composter from Keen Gardener, B&Q, Wickes and Amazon

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RRP: £84.99

Our rating: 4/5

Available from Primrose

Pros

• Good size capacity for price
• Removable front makes it easy to add waste and harvest compost
• Long warranty

Cons

• Drill required for assembly
• No lid or cover
• Waste composted slower at front and top

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

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Buy Lacewing Easy-Load Wooden Compost Bin from Primrose

RRP: from £199

Our rating: 4/5

Available from Harrod Horticultural

Pros

• Very sturdy construction
• Planks slide out for easy filling/access
• Accessed on any side
• Extends with additional three-sided modules

Cons

• Lots of assembly and requires a powered screwdriver
• Screws for lid rails too short

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

Buy the Harrod Horticultural Slot and Slide Wooden Compost Bin from Harrod Horticultural

RRP: £94.99

Our rating: 3.75/5

Pros

• Insulated and vented sides
• Two-part hinged lid for easy filling
• Made from 100% recycled plastic
• Optional base plate so can be sited on a hard surface

Cons

• Multiple lugs make assembly and hatch replacing tricky
• Connectors don’t feel very durable

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

Buy the 400 Litre Thermo-King Composter at Robert Dyas, Crocus and Garden Tech

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RRP: £208.88

Our rating: 3.75/5

Available from Garden Delights. Also available in 700L

Pros

• Insulated and vented sides
• Hinged lid, easy to fill
• Compost accessed on any side
• 100% recycled plastic

Cons

• Assembly hard to align single-handed
• Comparatively high price

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

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Buy the Thermo Compost Bin Komp 420 on Amazon and Garden Delights

RRP: £199.99

Our rating: 3.75/5

Pros

• Compost food and garden waste
• Produced compost in reasonable time
• Finished compost easy to access

Cons

• Waste needs pre-mixing for high temp
• Leachate tank hard to access
• Made from virgin materials

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

Buy the Aerobin 200L Composter from Amazon and Water Butts Direct

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RRP: £189.99

Our rating: 3.5/5

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Pros

• Durable with effective lid
• FSC wood
• Long anti-rot warranty
• Looks good

Cons

• Lengthy to build
• Needs a prop to hold up lid
• Hard to harvest from hatch
• Slow to make compost

This attractive wooden, beehive-style compost bin makes a stylish feature in the garden. Made from FSC pressure treated softwood it arrives flat packed and took our tester a lengthy two hours to slot together and build. It has a hinged lid and a hatch at the base for accessing the compost, and tools including a drill and screwdriver are needed to attach both of these. The bin holds 250 litres of compost, although this is more like 230 litres when you allow for a gap at the top for air circulation, and it’s easy to add material, as long as you’re strong enough to lift the lid with one hand. Our tester fashioned their own prop to hold the heavy lid up while they worked and it’s a shame that given the price, one isn’t included with the bin as it makes a massive difference to ease of use. It’s also awkward to harvest compost from the hatch as material needs regularly turning and so you end up turning and using the compost at the top.
The quality of compost was as you would expect with a cold composting system of this size and it took 18 months before we had a good crumbly mix. The bin is well aerated and the secure lid prevents compost getting soggy from the rain. The bin is also open at the bottom so it’s ideal for placing directly on the soil but this does mean that rodents can burrow up into the compost. The bin feels very durable once built and it comes with a 15-year anti-rot warranty, which as the wood is in direct contact with the damp ground is reassuring. The build quality and looks of this bin and are its best features but it’s not for gardeners who lack strength or don’t want to spend time putting it together.

Buy from Amazon

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What materials are compost bins made of?

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

• Plastic compost bins: Ideal for a small space, the plastic sides and lid retain moisture and heat to encourage rapid decomposition, as well as blocking out light to stop weeds from growing. This type of bin should ideally be placed on grass or earth.
• Wooden compost bins: Typically 1x1m but the biggest wooden bins can produce hundreds of litres of compost. They’re often modular, so you can fit several together and cycle compost throughout the year to ensure a steady supply. Usually open to the elements, you can also increase their efficiency with a wooden lid or plastic cover.
• Hot compost bins: Insulated with a close-fitting lid, these are designed to allow decomposition at a much higher temperature and therefore higher speed than other composters (30-90 days, compared to around six months). They also result in a finer compost. Roughly the size of a wheelie bin, they need to stand on a hard surface.
• Wormery bins: These work similarly to compost bins, but are slightly different. They’re designed for the small-scale composting of kitchen waste, and use tiger worms to break down material instead of decay. These specialised worms mix and break down the compost quickly and produce a nutrient-rich liquid for use as a fertiliser. Compost worms can also be added to larger bins. However, not all waste is suitable for a wormery, so you’ll still need a compost bin too.
  For more info, check out our expert tests of the best wormeries or read our guide on how to set up a wormery.

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

How to choose the best compost bin

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

Where will it go? Location is likely to influence your choice of bin. A site in full or part shade is best for successful composting. Most bins need to be placed on soil to achieve good drainage and boost microbial action, but the Aerobin and Hotbin must be on a level hard surface. If you want a cheaper compost bin but only have hard surfaces, look for a model with the option of a base plate to create good drainage and aeration.
Which design is best? If you only want or have room for a single bin, choose a design where finished compost can be easily harvested from the bottom so you can keep filling from the top. This applies to all the plastic composters in our trial.
How fast is compost produced compared to the work involved? Composting in traditional (non-insulated) bins takes 6-12 months on a ‘fill and forget’ approach. You can speed up the process by emptying out, turning and refilling to incorporate air and up the temperature, but obviously this takes time and effort. Easiest is two bins so one rots while the other fills. A lid or cover will help retain heat and moisture, and keep out excess rainfall, so cover open bins with a piece of plastic or old carpet. Material and thickness also influence compost speed by retaining more heat. Wood is a good insulator while thin plastic has the poorest qualities. Highly insulated or ‘hot’ composters are most expensive but do have the potential to make compost in just a few weeks as the composting process is faster at higher temperatures. This type of bin suits a ‘little and often’ mode of filling: note the Aerobin and Hotbin require a weekly supply of pre-mixed waste to work at their most effective.
What do you get for the money? Consider the length of warranty, particularly with wooden bins and the eco-credentials of the bin, which can vary – some are made from FSC wood or totally from 100% recycled plastic while others contain none.

What to put in a compost bin

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

How we tested compost bins

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

• Design & setup. Looked at ease and clarity of instructions, siting restrictions, and how well the design worked and extra features.
• Ease of use. Assessed the simplicity of adding waste and then removing compost from the bin.
• Compost quality & speed. Focussed on the speed the waste rotted down (including checking the temperature using a compost thermometer) and the quality of the finished compost.
• Value for money & eco credentials. Considered the value relative to the above, including warranty and RRP and as well as eco credentials such as type of material and, if plastic, whether virgin or recycled.

For more information in our testing process, take a look at how we review.

Trouble shooting

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

Compost too dry?
This might be down to too much brown waste and pruning waste that’s not been broken down sufficiently. Make sure cardboard is ripped up and prunings are shredded. And ensure you’re mixing regularly and adding enough green waste.

Compost too wet?
If you add too much green waste, the compost may get too wet and potentially smelly. Keep the balance and add more brown waste if you notice it’s becoming too wet. Make sure green material is added in small amounts, for example adding a pile of grass clippings in one go may cause problems.

Compost isn’t rotting down?
If your compost is taking too long to break down, check your balance of green to brown waste, and turn the heap more regularly.

Too many flies?
It’s natural to have fruit flies, fungus gnats and other small flies in your compost – they are a key part of the ecosystem. But fly infestations are more likely if the compost is too wet or has too much green waste. Keep a good balance of material or place a layer of cardboard or soil at the top of the heap.

This Review roundup was last updated in February 2025. We apologise if anything has changed in price or availability.

A lawn mower may be one of the first purchases we make when getting a garden of our own, but that doesn’t mean finding a good quality one is easy. There are so many models and brands on the market to choose from, including corded, electric and petrol, but as their range increases and prices fall, cordless, battery-powered models are an increasingly popular option.

Light and compact compared with traditional petrol models, cordless mowers are simple to use, easy to manoeuvre around the garden, and have none of the maintenance and servicing needs or costs of petrol lawnmowers. Powered by a rechargeable lithium-ion battery, which charges up quickly and won’t lose power in storage, they’re also quiet and emission-free.

If you’re on the market for a new cordless mower then we’ve reviewed a selection of models to find the best cordless mowers to buy in 2025. There are a variety of cordless mowers to choose from which suit a variety of price points, garden types and ease of use. Whether it’s your first purchase of a lawn mower or you’re looking for an upgrade, there’s sure to be one for you in our comprehensive list.

If you’re still unsure about the type of mower you want, you can compare our cordless mower selection with our reviews of the best lawn mowers, robotic lawn mowers, electric lawn mowers and push mowers.

And if your lawn needs a bit of attention, our experts have tested a range of the best manual and powered aerators and scarifiers. Also, keep edges looking neat with our pick of the best strimmers, the best garden shears and the best lawn edging, and if you’re thinking about somewhere to store your new mower, our comprehensive guide to choosing the best garden shed will be helpful.

For your next DIY project, you could also have a look at the best cordless drills and best multi-tools.

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The best cordless mowers to buy at a glance

• Best for ease of use 2024: Webb Eco WEV20X2LM43B4X 40V cordless mower
• Best for ease of use 2023: Husqvarna Aspire LC34 P4A
• Best for budget 2023: Greenworks GDG24LM33
• Best for small to medium lawns 2022: Yard Force LMG37A
• Best for very small lawns 2022: Gardena Handymower
• Best budget buy for ease of use 2022: Einhell GE-CM 18/33 Li

Jump to: 

• Best Buy cordless mowers
• Previous Best Buy winners
• The best of the rest
• What are the benefits of a cordless lawn mower?
• How to choose the best cordless lawn mower
• What can I expect to pay for a cordless mower?
• How long will the batteries last?
• How we tested
• Top tips for mowing your lawn

Cordless mowers – Buyer’s Guide video

Many thanks to Rosie Yeomans and Sparsholt College for their help in making this video.

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

Best Buy cordless mowers

RRP: £299.99

Our rating: 4.8/5

Available from Marshalls and Amazon

Pros

• Quiet, comfortable, and smooth to handle
• Long run time
• Great for storage
• Spare parts available

Cons

• Battery level not visible when mowing
• No safety plug

Easy to put together, this mower just needs the handle attaching and the 50L fabric grass bag has already been assembled. There’s a choice of three handle heights and it double folds snugly over the mower so it takes up very little space in storage. The two 20V 4Ah batteries have a charge indicator on the end and although there’s no way of seeing this when the mower’s in use, the approximately 60 minute run time means there’s time to finish the cutting of most small to medium lawns. The handle is padded for comfort and this mower is smooth and easy to push, even over longer, bumpier lawns. It cut very well in our test and the six heights of cut, from 25-75mm are easy to adjust with a single lever. At 96db the mower is reasonably quiet and we awarded it a BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine Best Buy award for ease of use.It also feels durable and sturdy with spare parts readily available from Webb and it comes with a three year warranty.

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RRP: £339

Our rating: 4.9 out of 5

Available from Husqvarna

Pros:

• Quiet
• Cuts even long grass with ease
• Battery level visible while mowing
• Small and compact for easy storage
• Part of the POWER FOR ALL cordless range

Cons:

• Only four cutting heights
• 95 minutes charge time

Part of the new Husqvarna Aspire cordless range, which includes a hedge trimmer, pruner and leaf blower, this 34cm mower is powered by an 18V POWER FOR ALL ALLIANCE battery and charger. These are interchangeable with tools in other leading brands such as Flymo, Gardena and Bosch so if you also invest in tools in these ranges, you’ll only need to buy the bare tool and won’t have different batteries and chargers taking up space in the shed.

Great for small gardens the mower comes ready to go, there’s no assembly or handles to attach, and it folds down to a compact size when you’re finished, with a telescopic handle that folds completely flat over the body of the mower. It can then be stood up against a wall or hung up, and even comes with a handy hook. The 30l grass bag also flattens down to take up very little room and can be hung on the mower. The Aspire is light, with a carry handle so that lifting it up steps or into other areas is easy and it has an adjustable handle to suit different height users. It’s comfortable and easy to manoeuvre around the garden and has just four cutting heights to choose from, ranging from 25-65mm and changed easily with a single lever on the body of the mower. It cuts grass quietly and smoothly and has an automatic boost that increases blade speed when you’re mowing in tougher, longer areas that works well. You can hear it kick in when you push the mower into longer grass and unlike other cordless mowers that can cut out, just carries on cutting the grass. While you mow the battery charge level is always clearly visible so you know how much battery you have left and when it needs charging. It comes with a two year warranty and we awarded it a BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine Best Buy in 2023 for ease of use.

Specs: Battery: charge time – 95 mins; run time – 500sqm. Cutting: width – 34cm; height – 25-65mm. Grass box – 30 litre.

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RRP: £144.99 (with 2Ah battery)

Our rating: 4.5 out of 5

Available from Amazon, Currys, Tooled Up, B&Q

Pros:

• Easy to assemble and use
• Comfortable padded handle
• Choice of mulching or collecting clippings
• Interchangeable battery with Greenworks 24V family

Cons:

• Short handle for taller users
• Struggles on long grass

Ideal for smaller gardens this sturdy, great value cordless mower is easy to put together, well thought out and simple to use. Thanks to a padded handle it’s comfortable to push, although it did feel a little short for our taller tester, and it’s light and easy to manoeuvre around trees and beds and borders. There are five cutting heights to choose from, adjusted with the simple lift of a lever and it offers the choice of collecting clippings in the 30 litre fabric grass bag or inserting the mulching plug and leaving them on the lawn to break down and feed the grass. It mows well but doesn’t like very long grass, with the battery cutting out occasionally but its long lasting  brushless motor offers a a decent run time of 46 minutes and it charges in two hours. Plus, as part of the Greenworks 24V family, both the battery and charger are interchangeable with all the other tools in the range, saving you money if you invest in more in the future. We awarded it a BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine Best Buy for the best budget cordless mower in 2023.

Specs: Battery: charge time – 120 mins; run time – 46mins. Cutting: width – 33cm; height – 25-70mm. Grass box – 30 litre.

• Buy now from Amazon and Robert Dyas

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RRP: £259.99

Our rating: 4.8 out of 5

Available from B&Q, Amazon

Pros:

• Rear roller
• Double folding handle for easy storage
• Quickest charge time
• Part of the Yardforce GR40 cordless range

Cons:

• Assembly slower than some

This sturdy mower has a 37cm cutting width and useful features including a rear roller for those much desired stripes. Awarded a BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine Best Buy in 2022 for small to medium lawns, clippings are collected in the large 40 litre fabric grass bag. It offers a wide choice of seven cutting heights, from 25-75mm, and is easy to fold away at the end of the day. The 40V battery is quick to charge, taking just 50 minutes and when full it has the capacity to cut a 400m2 lawn.

Specs: Battery: charge time – 50 mins; run time – 400sqm. Cutting: width – 37cm; height – 25-75mm. Grass box – 40 litre.

• Buy now from Amazon

Read the full Yard Force LMG37A cordless mower review

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RRP: £174.99 (+ battery and charger)

Our rating: 4.5 out of 5

Available from Amazon, Tooled-Up

Pros:

• Small and light to carry and store
• Pivoting handle very easy to manoeuvre
• Easy to check battery charge
• Part of the Power For All Alliance

Cons:

• Battery and charger are purchased separately
• Cuts out if handle pushed too close to the upright position

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Gardena Handymower Best Buy review – video

Reviews Editor Kay Maguire explains why the Gardena Handymower was awarded BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine Best Buy status.

This great little mower was awarded a BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine Best Buy in 2022 for very small lawns. It’s light, compact and easy to manoeuvre around the lawn and is ideal for the regular cutting of small areas of grass. There’s minimal assembly needed, you just screw the handle into the body and once the battery is charged it’s ready to go. There are three cutting heights to choose from and rather than collecting the clippings, this mower mulches, dropping them back onto the lawn where they break down and fertilise the grass – so you don’t need to spend time emptying a grass bag and your grass gets fed. A pivoting handle helps it get into tight spots really easily and it also copes surprisingly well with bumpy ground. While you’re mowing, the battery charge is clearly displayed on the mower. The battery and charger come separately, which does push the price up but this mower is part of the Power for All Alliance, which includes Gardena, Flymo, Husqvarna and Bosch battery powered tools and will save you money if you invest in cordless tools in the future.

Specs: Battery: run time – 20 mins. Cutting: width – 22cm; height – 30-50mm. Grass box – N/A.

• Buy now from Amazon and Tooled-Up

Read the full Garden HandyMower Li-18/22 cordless mower review.

RRP: £206.95

Our rating: 4.5 out of 5

Available from B&Q, Wickes, ManoMano

Pros:

• Light and simple to use
• Choice of handle heights
• Large rear wheel turns easily
• Part of the Einhell Power – X Change battery system

Cons:

• Lacks features and battery and charger purchased separately
• Handle only folds in half for storage

This simple, light, well priced mower was awarded a BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine Best Buy in 2022 for best budget mower for ease of use. It’s simple to assemble, with a choice of handle heights to suit different users, and the handle also folds in half helping it take up less room in storage. It moves smoothly across the lawn and manoeuvres well and offers a choice of five cutting heights that are easily adjusted with a central lever. The 18V battery takes just 75 minutes to charge and has the capacity to cut a lawn 200 m2. The 33cm cutting width mows neatly and efficiently, tackling longer grass with ease.

Specs: Battery: charge time – 75 mins; run time – 200sqm. Cutting: width – 33cm; height – 25-65mm. Grass box – 30 litre.

Read the full Einhell GE-CM 18/33 Li cordless mower review.

• Buy now from Amazon, Wickes and Toolstation

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Previous Best Buy winners

We regularly test core gardening tools to ensure we keep up with new introductions and developing technologies. Our previous Best Buy winning cordless mowers, all still deserving our award and available, are listed below:

RRP: £199.99

Our rating: 4.8 out of 5

Available from B&Q, Very Amazon

Pros:

• Easy assembly and storage, long warranty
• Turbo and Eco modes
• Robust, light and easy to manoeuvre
• Battery and charger interchangeable with other Worx 20V tools

Cons:

• Long charge time
• One handle height

Awarded a BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine Best Buy in 2020 for small lawns, our testers found this lawnmower easy to assemble and it handily folds away for storage when not in use. There’s a 30 litre ready-made grass bag and six cutting heights to choose from, which are easily changed with a single lever. We were impressed with the amount of features packed in for the price and it comes with a three-year warranty.

Specs: Battery: charge time – 120 mins; run time – 35 mins. Cutting: width – 34cm; height – 20-70mm. Grass box – 30 litre.

• Buy now from Amazon

Read the full Worx WG779E cordless mower review

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RRP: £592.00 including battery and charger

Our rating: 4.5 out of 5

Available from Just Lawnmowers, Stihl

Pros:

• Steel deck
• 55-litre grass box with fill level indicator
• Seven cutting heights, from 25-75mm
• Eco-mode
• Handle folds for storage
• Battery level indicator
• Battery compatible with Stihl AK tools

Cons:

• Grass box is a bit fiddly to assemble
• Relatively long charge time (205 minutes)

Awarded a BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine Best Buy in 2022 for value, this mower will cut 250 m2 in a single charge, but takes a relatively slow 205 minutes to charge. However, there’s a battery level indicator, which is visible during mowing so you can see how much time you have left, as well as storage for a second battery on the mower itself, although an additional battery will cost an extra £139 from Just Lawnmowers. Well-designed, it has a powder-coated steel deck, which means it’s more durable than the plastic alternatives we tested, and with a 46cm cutting width and seven cutting heights, it cuts the lawn quickly, cleanly and efficiently. Packed with features, this mower has an eco-mode to extend battery life, a generous 55-litre grass box and folding handles for easy storage. It also comes with a five-year warranty. Despite being the second most expensive mower on test, for the features and durability of the deck, we think it represents great value.

Specs: Battery: charge time – 205 mins; run time – 250sqm. Cutting: width – 46cm; height – 25-75mm. Grass box – 55 litre.

• Buy now from Just Lawnmowers

Read the full Stihl RMA 248 cordless review.

RRP: £549 (+ battery and charger)

Our rating: 4.5 out of 5

Available from Sam Turner & Sons

Pros:

• Comes assembled and folds flat for storage
• Battery power level clearly visible on handle
• Cuts well
• App for service needs and run time
• Battery compatible with Husqvarna products

Cons:

• Heavy
• Long charge time

Our expert testers felt this was a well-designed mower with a host of great features. It has a battery level indicator on the handle, plus an Eco mode and it even connects to an app. On the lawn it handles well and cuts efficiently. A one year warranty is included and we awarded this a BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine Best Buy in 2020 for medium sized lawns.

Specs: Battery: charge time – 130 mins; run time – 20 mins. Cutting: width – 47cm; height – 20-75mm. Grass box – 55 litre.

• Buy now from Sam Turner & Sons

Read the full Husqvarna LC 247iX cordless mower review

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RRP: £608.95

Our rating: 4.5 out of 5

Available from Amazon, Ray Grahams

Pros:

• Battery power level on handle
• Fast charge time
• Ten cut heights
• Adjustable handle height
• Robust steel deck

Cons:

• Heavy
• Assembly awkward for the price

The Makita model has a 46cm cutting width, the choice of ten cutting heights and a mulching option. The aluminium deck feels robust and the mower cuts well, with an optional quiet mode. The battery power level is displayed on the handle and it charges in 45 minutes, which was faster than most of the other models we tested. It’s guaranteed for a year and overall we felt this was great value. We judged this model a BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine Best Buy in 2020 for bigger lawns.

Specs: Battery: charge time – 45 mins; run time – 800sqm. Cutting: width – 46cm; height – 20-75mm. Grass box – 60 litre.

• Buy now from Ray Grahams

Read the full Makita DLM460PT2 cordless mower review

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RRP: £529

Our rating: 4.8 out of 5

Available from Amazon 

Pros:

• Easy to assemble and folds for storage
• Adjustable handle height for different users
• Sturdy and easy to handle
• Clear visibility of battery power levels
• Battery and charger interchangeable with other Ego Power+ tools
• Wide range of cutting heights

Cons:

• Short run time on battery supplied

Our testers thought this was a well-thought out lawnmower with plenty of great features. It’s simple to assemble and fold away for easy storage. The mower cuts and manoeuvres well and is a pleasure to use. There are seven cutting heights and it has collect, mulch and rear discharge features. Although it charges quickly in 30 minutes, it has a run time of just 20 minutes. A generous five-year warranty is included and we awarded this a BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine Best Buy in 2020 for extra features.

Specs: Battery: charge time – 30 mins; run time – 20 mins. Cutting: width – 42cm; height – 20-80mm. Grass box – 55 litre.

• Buy now from Amazon and mowers-online

Read the full Ego LM1701E cordless mower review

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RRP: £259.99

Our rating: 4.3 out of 5

Available from Worx

Pros:

• Height of cut very easy to change
• Cuts to the edge
• Auto cut adjusts to grass length
• Part of the Worx Powershare range

Cons:

• Long charge time
• Feels heavy to turn
• Noisy and vibrates in the hands

Simple and quick to put together, with clear diagrams showing how to attach the handles and grass box, this sturdy cordless mower is also easy to store, with a double folding handle that collapses over the body of the mower. It comes with two 20V batteries and a double charger that are part of the Worx PowerShare range, saving you money if you invest in any of their 20V, 40V 0r 80V tools in the future.

Although it has a long charge time of almost four hours it has a run time of around half an hour depending on what you’re mowing. It’s reasonably light at 15.3kg, with a carry handle to help you lift it into the shed, but it feels quite chunky to manoeuvre and turn and isn’t as smooth as some in our tests. It has a padded handle but it does vibrate in the hand particularly when the mower’s auto cut increases to cut longer grass. But, it cuts well, with a cutting width of 37cm and six heights of cut from 20m – 70m to choose from, each easily adjusted with a single, smooth lever. It also has a mulching plug, so you can opt to either collect the clippings in the generous 40 litre grass bag or leave them to mulch the grass, and has grass combs so it cuts close to the edge of walls, paths and fences.

It’s useful for medium size lawns, 300-550m2, is durable and well made, has a brushless motor and comes with a five year warranty.

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The best of the rest

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

Hayter Osprey 46 60V

• RRP: £715, Our rating: 4.3 out of 5
• Buy the Hayter Osprey 46 60V Cordless lawn mower from Hayter and Amazon.
• Read the full Hayter Osprey 46 60V review

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Cobra MX3440V

• RRP: £232.99
• Our rating: 4.3 out of 5
• Buy the Cobra MX3440V from Just Lawnmowers

Ryobi One+ RLM18X33B40

• RRP: £219.99 (+battery and charger)
• Our rating: 4.3 out of 5
• Buy the Ryobi One+ RLM18X33B40 from Amazon.

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Greenworks 48V 36cm

• RRP: £289.99
• Our rating: 4.3 out of 5
• Buy the Greenworks 48V 36cm cordless mower from Amazon and Wickes

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Kärcher LMO 18-36 Battery Set

• RRP: £379.99
• Our rating: 4.3 out of 5
• Buy the Karcher LMO 18-36 battery set lawnmower from Kärcher
• Read the full Kärcher LMO 18-36 Battery Set cordless mower review

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Mountfield Electress 30 Li Kit

• RRP: £179
• Our rating: 4.3 out of 5
• Buy the Mountfield 30 Li kit cordless mower from Amazon and Mowers Online
• Read the full Mountfield 30 Li Kit cordless mower review

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Honda IZY HRG416XB 36V

• RRP: £510
• Our rating: 4.3 out of 5
• Buy the Honda IZY-ON 416XB cordless mower from Just Lawnmowers
• Read the full Honda IZY-ON 416XB cordless mower review

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What are the benefits of a cordless lawn mower?

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

• Easy to manoeuvre: Without a cord, these mowers are typically easy to move around the lawn and can get to parts of the garden a cord may not stretch to. Without an engine, they’re lightweight and there are a large variety of models to choose from so you can be particular about weight, handle size, and ease of storage.
• Quiet: Powered by lithium-ion batteries, they’re much quieter than petrol-engine mowers. It’s worth noting that the bigger the mower, the more noise it will likely make, so if you’re looking for a very quiet mower keep this in mind.
• No emissions: As they don’t use petrol, they don’t emit emissions. Being battery powered cordless mowers are also better for the environment as they use electricity rather than fuel.
• Minimal maintenance: Cordless mowers don’t need the typical upkeep of petrol mowers. You don’t need to refill cordless mowers or worry about engine problems. They are typically easier to start up as well, requiring just a push of a button.

How to choose the best cordless lawn mower

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

• Where are you cutting? The type of lawn you’re cutting will dictate the mower features you’ll need. Push mowers require you to provide the momentum, so manoeuvrability is key, particularly if your lawn slopes or you have play equipment, beds and trees to navigate. A mower that cuts to the edge gives a neat finish and saves time with the shears or trimmer later. For a sharp, neat look opt for a low cut height, but if you lack time to mow regularly, a higher cut will tackle longer grass. A rear roller gives neat stripes, while a mulching plug lets you choose between collecting clippings or mulching them. It saves you emptying the collection box but mulching only works if the lawn is cut regularly.
• What’s the battery charge and run time? Lithium-ion batteries vary in size, from 18V to 40V and from 2Ah to 5Ah in our test, and this determines the cutting power and run time on a single charge. Match the run time to the size of your lawn. Most mowers have a recommended maximum lawn size or run time (although this depends on the conditions on the day) and ideally a fully charged battery will last long enough for you to finish the job. Some models use two batteries at the same time so you can mow for longer and most brands also sell batteries separately. Fast charge times allow you to get mowing again quicker.
• Is it easy to use? Most mowers should just need the handles attaching and the grass box assembling, with fabric bags simpler to construct than plastic box-style collectors. Switching between cutting heights should be easy. Some mowers need to be turned over and the entire axle moved, but a single lever simply moved through the range is ideal.
• Is storage space limited? If you don’t have much room, check how far the handle folds down and how easily. Most can be partly unscrewed to fold over the body of the mower; others are designed to unclip and double fold completely flat or can be hung or stood up vertically. Fabric bags also collapse while plastic grass boxes are tricky to take apart. If you need to lift the mower up steps into storage or onto a shelf, check its weight and whether there are carry handles to make this easier.
• What do you get for your money? The quality of materials often relates to the price. Budget models made from lightweight plastic as opposed to higher-end machines with metal decks are unlikely to last long. Brushless motors are powerful, efficient and longer lasting, and buying another mower later rather than one robust model now is bad for your wallet and the environment. Warranty length can vary – some brands require the mower to be registered to get the longest warranty period and some differ between the mower, battery and charger.

How long will the batteries last?

How long the battery lasts on a single charge depends on the model, the terrain and mowing conditions on the day and some mowers have an eco or power saving mode to help extend the battery life. A battery can take anywhere from 45 minutes to over two hours to charge although Lithium-ion batteries can be used when partly charged if you’re in a rush. Always check the charge time too as these can also vary widely. Many brands have fast chargers, which are usually available separately but can cut the waiting time down considerably and are useful if you need to get back to the job quickly.
Lithium-ion batteries typically last between three and five years (or 500 charges) before they need replacing and always check with the manufacturer if they will take back their batteries for recycling rather than you putting them into landfill.

How we tested cordless lawn mowers

When we test cordless mowers, each is unpacked, assembled, and then used to cut grass over a wide area, and wheeled up slopes and in and out of storage to see how they fared. They are assessed according to the following criteria with equal marks attributed to each:

• Setup and storage. Looked at the ease of assembly and clarity of instructions, the battery charge time and how easy the mower is to store.
• Handling. Focused on comfort and ease of use, handle-height adjustment and how to change the height of cut, weight, noise levels and run time.
• Mowing. Assessed cutting width, the range of cutting heights, collection-bag capacity and features such as cutting to the edge or mulching.
• Value for money. Considered all of the above as well as quality, design, warranty and price, which includes the battery and charger. For example, the Worx WG779E was awarded Best Buy for the range of features it offered at its low price point. 

For more information on our testing process see How we Review

Top tips for mowing your lawn

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

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

This review was last updated in January 2025. We apologise if anything has changed in price or availability.

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

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

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Kate’s wildlife care

Our wildlife editor, Kate Bradbury, has some advice on using a grass trimmer responsibly.

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

Grass trimmers – Buyer’s Guide video

The best grass trimmers to buy at a glance

• Best lightweight grass trimmer: Stihl FSA 30 grass trimmer 
• Best budget grass trimmer: Powerbase 550W Electric Grass Trimmer, 30cm
• Best grass trimmer for performance: Stiga GT 500e Cordless Grass Trimmer
• Best  grass trimmer for features: WORX WG184E Dual Battery Cordless Grass Trimmer
• Best  grass trimmer for ease of use: Gtech Grass Trimmer GT50
• Best grass trimmer for large areas: Husqvarna Aspire T28-P4A

Jump to:

• Best Buy grass trimmers
• The Best of the Rest
• What’s a grass trimmer used for?
• What are the different types of grass trimmer?
• Can I use a grass trimmer to mow the lawn or trim hedges?
• What are the key features to look out for?
• How we tested grass trimmers

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

Best Buy grass trimmers

RRP: £144

Our rating: 4.8/5

Available from Stihl

Pros

• Very light and easy to use
• Adjustable shaft, handle and head
• Battery level indicator
• Spare blade storage
• Interchangeable battery with AS system

Cons

• Only 19 minute run time
• Lacks wheel for edge trimming

This little grass trimmer is powered by the tiny Stihl AS battery which charges in 70 minutes and has a run time of 19 minutes. It’s very easy to set up and use – just the handle and spacer bar need screwing on and it has an adjustable handle and a telescopic shaft so it’s simple to ensure this trimmer is comfortable to use for all users. The head can also be adjusted to four different angles plus it rotates 90 degrees for trimming edges, although unlike other trimmers it doesn’t have a well to enable this with ease.
This is a blade trimmer, so it cuts with two plastic polycut blades that are easy to click in to place, but you can also use a line cartridge or feed cut length of line into the trimmer if you wish instead. Six spare blades are included with the trimmer and are stored neatly on the trimmer for when you need them.
Thanks to the small battery this trimmer is really light and although it doesn’t have the power that bigger more substantial grass trimmers do it performs surprisingly well. We think it’s ideal for trimmer around trees and boundaries and along the edges of beds and borders in small gardens. Once you’re finished trimming it has an eyelet in the handle for hanging the trimmer up for storage.
The battery is interchangeable with other Stihl AS tools including a hedge trimmer, powered pruners and mini chainsaw and it comes with a two year warranty. We awarded it a BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine Best Buy for the best grass trimmer for those that lack strength.

RRP: £59

Our rating: 4.5 out of 5

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Pros:

• Great cut
• Both trimming and edging function
• Wheels to help edging
• Comfortable, soft-grip handle
• Spare spool and storage on the machine
• 30cm cutting width
• Good value

Cons:

• Short 10m black power cable is hard to see in the grass
• Heavy to use
• Stiff to switch between trimming and edging modes

This corded trimmer won a BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine Best Buy award for the best budget grass trimmer. A double line trimmer, it gives a fantastic cut, and thanks to its generous 30cm cutting width, tackles the job quickly and efficiently. It’s particularly good when edging due to wheels that help take the strain, so you can achieve a precise cut. The soft-grip loop handles on its telescopic shaft are comfortable and there’s a helpful loop for tucking the cable away when you’re moving around. It has an automatic feed and we love that there’s a storage compartment on the shaft for the spare spool, so it’s close-at-hand when it needs replacing. However, gardeners with limited mobility should note that this grass trimmer weighs 3.1kg, which is over a kilo more than the lightest machine on test, the Gtech GT50, and it doesn’t come with a strap to help take the weight. The black power cable is only 10m, so you’ll need an extension cord if you plan to trim further from a power source, and it’s tricky to see it in the grass. It also requires some heft to move between the trimming and edging modes as the mechanism is stiff. That said, it’s good value, gives a great cut, and comes with a generous three-year warranty.

Buy the Powerbase 550W Electric Grass Trimmer from Homebase

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RRP: £159 (£321 including battery and charger)

Our rating: 4.5 out of 5

• Buy now from Stiga

Pros:

• Telescopic shaft, which separates in two for storage
• Both trimming and edging function
• Support wheels for vertical edge cut
• 50 minute fast charge
• Battery level indicator lights
• Powerful performance
• Part of the Stiga ePower cordless range

Cons:

• Heavy to use
• Guard is awkward to attach
• Battery and charger must be bought separately
• Comparatively expensive

Awarded a BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine Best Buy for performance, this trimmer has a generous 30cm cutting width, and the durable nylon double line automatic feed keeps working, so you don’t have to bump line out. The head is easy to rotate for use as an edge trimmer and the wheels help to support the weight of the body, ensuring it cuts at a consistent height. However, as it doesn’t come with a support strap, it’s eventually tiring to use. It’s powered by a large 2Ah 48V lithium-ion battery, which along with the charger is sold separately, making this significantly more expensive than other models in the test. That said, after a fast 50 minute charge it runs for 20 minutes, cutting powerfully and efficiently. It copes well with large patches of long grass, as well as hard to reach areas, and cuts lawn edges cleanly. Light indicators on the battery let you know how much time you have left to finish the job, the telescopic shaft separates in two for easy storage and it comes with a two year warranty.

Buy the Stiga GT 500e Cordless Grass Trimmer from Stiga

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RRP: £199.99 (including battery and charger)

Our rating: 4.5 out of 5

Pros:

• Telescopic shaft, which separates in two for storage
• Both trimming and edging function
• Comfortable handle
• Variable speeds
• Support wheels for vertical edge cut
• Automatic feed
• Battery level indicator on the shaft
• Part of the Worx 20V Powershare tool system
• Three year warranty

Cons:

• Weighs 3.9kg, the heaviest in the test
• No support strap

Awarded a BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine Best Buy for features, the Worx WG184E grass trimmer includes variable speed settings, an adjustable handle and shaft, an automatic feed and wheels. Powered by two 20V lithium-ion batteries, it has a 20-minute run time from a one hour charge, and there’s a battery level indicator on the shaft, so you can see how much power you have while you’re using the trimmer. The cutting head rotates to convert to an edger, and the wheels provide support and ensure a neat, consistent cut along an edge. We like the different speed settings, so you can boost power for longer grass, or reduce it to conserve the battery life if you’re just neatening up edges. The 33cm cutting width makes this the widest model in the test. That said, at 3.9kg it’s also the heaviest in our test, but the telescopic shaft and adjustable loop handle help to balance this trimmer and make it comfortable to hold and manoeuvre. However, it doesn’t come with a strap for additional support and becomes tiring after use in the trimmer mode. It comes with a generous three year warranty.

Buy the WORX WG184E from Amazon

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RRP: £149.99 (including battery and charger)

Our rating: 4.5 out of 5

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Pros:

• Lightweight
• Both trimming and edging function
• Adjustable loop handle
• Ergonomic harness
• Battery level indicator
• Safety switch
• Good value

Cons:

• Long four-hour charge
• Battery only compatible with 2 other Gtech tools

Awarded a BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine Best Buy for ease of use, the Gtech grass trimmer GT50 is a well-designed tool. It includes a safety switch, an ergonomic harness, an adjustable loop handle, a swivel head to change from trimmer to edger, and easy-to-fit plastic blades. Weighing just 1.8kg, it’s the lightest in the group we tested, but has a relatively narrow 23cm cutting width, so it takes longer to cover ground than the Worx, with its generous 33cm head. On test it tackled long grass and thin woody weeds on uneven terrain, as well as leaving lawn edges looking neat. However, you’ll need to plan ahead for trimming sessions as the 18V lithium-ion battery takes a lengthy four hours to charge to give 30 minutes of power, though there are helpful indicator lights on the battery to keep track of how much time you have left. As it includes a battery and charger, it’s comparatively cheaper than some other cordless trimmers, but the battery is only compatible with two other Gtech cordless tools, the HT50 hedge trimmer and SLM50 lawn mower , which doesn’t represent the best value for money. Other cordless systems have more battery-sharing tools available. It comes with a two year warranty.

Buy the Gtech GT50 from Gtech, Amazon, and Robert Dyas

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RRP: £179.99

Our rating: 4.3 out of 5

• Buy now from Sam Turner, Husqvarna and World of Power

Pros:

• Incredibly light weight and portable
• Long run time
• Low noise level at just 78 dB
• Power button and charge level indicator on the handle
• Metal plant guard to protect delicate flowers and shrubs
• Batteries compatible across many cordless brands

Cons:

• No wheel attachment for easy edging
• No adjustable cutting head
• Smaller cut capacity of 28 cm

This is a lightweight and powerful cordless grass trimmer with a telescopic shaft. Even with the large 4.0 Ah battery installed, it weighs just 3 kg, which earns it a BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine Best Buy for large areas.
It comes in all cardboard packaging and it’s easy to assemble too – a couple of screws attach the blade guard, and you’re ready to go. The battery charge time is a respectable 60 minutes and the run time a generous 50 minutes, which is almost the longest in our test. An auto-feed double line trimmer, it cuts beautifully through even thick grass, and with minimal vibration transmitted through to your hands. You can brace the end of the trimmer against your elbow on a rubberised section as well, which makes it particularly comfortable, even without a shoulder strap. The loop handle is comfy enough to hold on to, but it’s a bit small so you get less leverage for angled cutting. It comes with a handy storage hook that can be directly screwed into a shed wall or hung on the Husqvarna’s Storage Rail system, which is a great way to get it up off the floor and save some space. Both the battery and charger are compatible not only across the Husqvarna Aspire range but with the Power For All Alliance of cordless tools, which includes Flymo, Gardena and Bosch and will save you money if you invest in any of those tools in the future. It comes with a two year warranty.

Buy the Husqvarna Aspire T28-P4A from Sam Turner, Husqvarna and World of Power

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The best of the rest

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

RRP: £161.99 (including battery and charger)

Our rating: 4.25 out of 5

Pros:

• Quietest on test at 88.5dB
• Both trimming and edging function
• Adjustable bump guard
• Charges quickly
• Includes shoulder strap
• Rotating head
• Battery compatible with more than 100 other Makita tools

Cons:

• Loud charger, which can be annoying
• No spare line included
• No charge indicator on battery

This single-line cordless model from Makita is easy to set up thanks to clear instructions. It has several adjustable features, so you can alter the length of the shaft from 115 to 133cm, change the angle of the trimmer head, and rotate this head to trim the edges of the lawn. Even the bump guard is adjustable with a screwdriver, so if you have a variety of obstacles to trim around you can get the distance exactly right. There’s a safety button, which must be pressed to turn it on, and at 88.5dB this was the quietest trimmer on test, compared to the Powerbase trimmer, which was the loudest at 95dB. It cuts quickly and efficiently despite a small cutting width of 26cm, and comes with a shoulder strap, so it feels light and manoeuvrable despite weighing nearly 3kg. However, the charger for the 18V, 5.0Ah lithium-ion battery emits a high pitched whine, which would be annoying if you have to charge it in the house, rather than in the garage or shed. It also doesn’t come with any spare line, and unlike some of other battery powered grass trimmers, there is no indication of the battery level as you work. As with all Makita tools, it comes with a generous three-year warranty, and the battery is compatible with a wide range of other Makita garden and power tools.

Buy the Makita DUR181RT from B & Q

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Price: £179.99

Our rating: 4/5

• Buy now from B & Q and Screwfix

Pros:

• Solid build quality
• Large 5.0 Ah battery lasts for ages
• Battery features a charge level indicator
• Powerful brushless motor
• Weighs just over 3.5 kg

Cons:

• No edging attachment included
• You can’t adjust the length of the shaft
• No support strap for longer use

Lightweight, capable, and built for big gardens, the Erbauer EGT18 is a useful piece of kit. It didn’t take long to get up and running, there’s just a few screws to attach the shaft and blade guard. Supplied with a big 5.0 Ah battery and a wide cutting capacity of 30 cm, this double string auto-feed trimmer is well suited to large patches of grass or awkward garden areas. You can comfortably trim a garden on a single charge, and you can charge it back to full within an hour as well, which is very efficient. The large loop handle is comfortable and gives you extra leverage in tight corners, but it’s not designed for edging work. There’s a fair bit of vibration during use, and you’ll definitely need ear protection as it’s rather loud at 96 dB. You can fold the shaft in half for storage, but you need to undo a bolt and not lose it in between jobs. It comes with a two year warranty.

Buy the Erbauer Brushless Cordless Grass Trimmer EGT18-Li – KIT from Screwfix and B & Q

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RRP: £79.99 (includes battery and charger)

Our rating: 4 out of 5

• Buy now from B&Q (£62)

Pros:

• Lightweight
• Both trimming and edging function
• Cuts well
• Comfortable to use when edging

Cons:

• Stiff to switch between modes
• Stiff bump guard
• Loud
• Part of a cordless system, but only 6 other tools available

At just under 2kg, this trimmer feels lightweight and easy to move around the garden and it achieves a fast, efficient cut. It’s especially comfortable to hold when edging, has a simple automatic feed, and a relatively generous 28cm cutting width – the widest in the test was the Worx WG184E with 33cm. The 18V, 2.0Ah lithium-ion battery charges in 75 minutes and covers 250 square meters on a single charge. However, we found all its parts stiff to adjust – particularly lifting the bump guard up and down – and it’s fiddly to switch between the trimming and edging modes and to extend the telescopic shaft. Furthermore, the noise level is one of the loudest at 96dB, and this noise is noticeably high-pitched. It has a two-year warranty, and though it’s part of a cordless system, only six other tools are available.

Buy the Mac Allister 18V LI 280mm cordless grass trimmer from B&Q

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RRP: £44.99

Our rating: 4 out of 5

• Buy now from Vonhaus (£54.99)

Pros:

• Cuts well and quickly
• Great value
• Blade storage

Cons:

• Uncomfortable handles
• No edging function
• Loudest machine on test
• Battery compatible with only three other tools

Despite its narrow 21cm cutting width, this grass trimmer gives a good cut. The plastic blades tackle grass and woodier material well, and the 30-minute run time is one of the longest in our test. We like the storage feature under the handle for the included spare plastic blades, which are bright pink and easy to spot if they snap off into the grass. However, while it’s efficient, this machine is the loudest on the test at 98dB, and the handles are uncomfortable too. It also takes an hour and a half to charge, which though less than the 4 hours of the Gtech model, is much longer than the 45 minutes of the Makita DUR181RT and Mac Allister 18V LI 18V 280mm. The 12V, 2.0Ah F-Series lithium-ion battery is compatible with just three other Vonhaus tools – a hedge trimmer, garden saw, and handheld hedge and grass trimmer – which can save you money if you buy these in the future, but is limited compared to other cordless systems such as the dozens of compatible tools in the Worx PowerShare cordless system. Crucially, this trimmer also has no edging function, so if you’re after neat lawn edges you should look elsewhere. Because it’s just 12V, the battery is less powerful than others on test, but if you need to tidy up a small garden on a budget, it will do the job well, and comes with a two-year warranty.

Buy the Vonhaus F-Series Grass Trimmer from Amazon and Vonhaus

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What’s a grass trimmer used for?

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

What are the different types of grass trimmer?

• Line (or string) trimmers. These trimmers cut by spinning a plastic or nylon cord at high speed. This cord wears down gradually over time, and is either replaced automatically (automatic feed) or has a button on the bottom of the trimmer you can bump on the ground to reel out more cord (bump feed). They are either single-line, using one line of cord, or double-line, which uses two lines of cord. Generally, the line is designed to wear down gradually rather than completely break, but if the cord catches a rock and snaps, just reel out more cord. However, these fragments of plastic aren’t good for the environment, and once you run out of cord, the spools can be fiddly to replace. Although powerful enough to cut long grass and weeds, line trimmers aren’t as strong as blade trimmers, and are therefore less effective on tough, woody material.
• Blade trimmers. These trimmers cut using two blades, which on domestic models are usually plastic. This makes them more effective on woodier material than some line alternatives, but if they catch on a rock or tough bark the blades can snap and get lost in the grass, which can damage the mower next time you cut the grass. Trimmers with metal blades avoid this problem, but they’re more expensive and not as widely available.
• Petrol trimmers. Powered by petrol these typically have steer handles – explained in more detail below – and a curved, angled shaft. Because they use fuel, they’re often more powerful than corded and cordless trimmers, but petrol is polluting and messy to store and use. They’re also heavy, noisy and need regular servicing. Thanks to the rise of cordless batteries, they’re less common nowadays, particularly for home use.
• Electric corded trimmers. Corded trimmers use a power cable connected to mains electricity. Depending on the length of the cable, these trimmers are more suitable for smaller gardens, but you can expand their reach with an extension lead. They’re also more dangerous than cordless trimmers because you run the risk of accidentally cutting the cable.
• Electric cordless trimmers. Cordless trimmers are powered by lithium-ion batteries rather than mains electricity. Because of this, you can use them anywhere in the garden, but you’re restricted by run time and how long the battery takes to charge. They also tend to be less powerful and more expensive than corded trimmers, but they can be excellent value if their batteries are part of a cordless system and can be used in other power tools.

What are the key features to look out for?

Before you buy think about the following :

• Cutting head. The cutting head is the most important feature on a trimmer. It should be adjustable, so you can change the angle of the cut to cope with inclines and fiddly jobs. In most models, the head turns 90°, so you can trim along the edges of paths and flowerbeds. In the very best models, the cutting head also has wheels to help guide along edges and support the weight of the trimmer.
• Adjustable shaft. The best trimmers have a telescopic shaft, so you change the height to suit you. In some models, the shaft is angled rather than straight to help you manoeuvre into tricky spots. If space is an issue, it’s also helpful if you can break down the shaft and cutting head after use for storage.
• Line feed and blade replacements. It’s useful if a blade trimmer comes with spare blades, so you don’t run out if one breaks in the middle of a job. You should be able to get a new spool of line for a line trimmer or replace the whole head. With both types it’s helpful if the spare blades or line can be stored on the tool.
• Handle types. There are two types of trimmer handles. The most common is a round, circular handle on the shaft of the trimmer, called a loop handle. It makes the trimmer easy and comfortable to control, and on the best models, it can be slid up and down the shaft, so you can adjust it to your height. Alternatively, there are ‘steer’ handles – two handles rather than a loop. These offer more control and let you use a comfortable scything motion when you cut, but they take up room, and can be a little more expensive. They’re also far more common on brush cutters and petrol trimmers than electric or cordless trimmers, so you might not find steer handles on many domestic models.
• Straps and safety harnesses. A shoulder strap or safety harness is an excellent bonus feature. It takes some of the weight of the tool, making it more comfortable to use, and also helps balance it, for better manoeuvrability and a more precise cut.
• Bump guard. Some trimmers have metal guards on the head, called bump guards, which prevent the trimmer from cutting beyond a certain point. This protects your garden, as it stops you from nicking a tree or garden furniture but it also protects your trimmer line or blades by preventing them from catching on a fence or wall and breaking. The best bump guards can be adjusted, so you can control how closely you cut.

How we tested grass trimmers

We tested a range of grass trimmers, putting them through their paces on lawn edges, sloped areas and big and small gardens. They were assessed according to the following criteria with equal marks attributed to each:

• Preparation. Assessed how easy the grass trimmers were to assemble, how long this took and if any extra tools were needed, and how easy the instructions are to use. We also looked at how easy and quick it was to charge the batteries and store the trimmers. 
• Handling. Looked at comfort, weight, balance and grip, including features like a safety button, the runtime, and noise.
• Performance. Focused on blade shape and material, cutting width and efficiency, and smoothness and precision of cut. We also assessed power and any extra functionality.
• Value for Money. Considered all of the above plus any special features, RRP and warranty.

For more information on our testing process, see How We Review.

This review was last updated in January 2025. We apologise if anything has changed in price or availability.