Best Budget
Greenworks Corded Electric Hedge Trimmer
- This is an extremely lightweight and economical tool with a limited four-year warranty.
This is an extremely lightweight and economical tool with a limited four-year warranty.
- Its cutting diameter is only 5/8 of an inch, so it won't be able to tackle heavy-duty trimming tasks.
Its cutting diameter is only 5/8 of an inch, so it won't be able to tackle heavy-duty trimming tasks.
For light-duty hedge trimming on smaller properties, a commercial-grade or high-end tool isn't a necessity. For budget-conscious shoppers, we like the Greenworks corded electric hedge trimmer. It can sufficiently take on all the trimming work required in a small- or medium-sized yard. This tool's only real limitation, besides its small cutting diameter of 5/8 inch, is its cord. You'll need to pair this hedge trimmer with a long extension cord to reach the far end of your yard.
Its front handle wraps all the way around the tool so you can hold onto it whichever way feels the most comfortable, and both front and back handles provide a good grip. Its super-light weight makes it feel a little like a toy, but don't be fooled; this trimmer packs a punch and can cleanly slice through leafy shrubs and brambles.
At this price, there's not much more you could ask for in a hedge trimmer. The fact that it's so affordable and comes with a four-year warranty is rather remarkable, too.
Product Details: Power: Corded electric, 4-amp motor | Tool length: 37.8 inches | Blade length: 22 inches | Maximum cutting width: 0.625 inches | Weight: 5.72 pounds
Best Gas
Echo Gas 2-Stroke Hedge Trimmer
- It's a professional-grade tool that is extremely powerful, has a long run time for tending to large properties, and is much lighter than other gas trimmers.
It's a professional-grade tool that is extremely powerful, has a long run time for tending to large properties, and is much lighter than other gas trimmers.
- You have to keep it out of the cold in the winter to avoid it refusing to start.
You have to keep it out of the cold in the winter to avoid it refusing to start.
Though more and more people are opting for battery-powered options (especially urban gardening companies, Granville tells us), gas-powered tools are still the preferred option for many professional gardeners and landscapers, with many homeowners favoring them, too, for their reliability and power.
This Echo tool is our favorite gas-powered hedge trimmer for many reasons, not least of which is its low weight of 10 pounds (without the fuel). Gas tools are often much heavier than battery or electric models, but this unit is impressively light, making it a great pick for anyone with many hedges to tend to.
Its 21.2 cc, two-stroke engine is designed for commercial use and its 20-inch blade is double-sided and cuts both ways for faster trimming. This feature also makes the blade last longer since it's not just one side taking the brunt of the work. This trimmer also features a tip guard and blade guards for added blade and user safety, too.
Since the bar is the same size as the blade, the tool is easier to manage, say, if you're up on a ladder, but the good control is also aided by the two large ergonomic grip handles that are comfortable to hold.
This hedge trimmer also has improved filtration to minimize fumes and improve engine life, and you can replace the filter easily without having to use any tools. Just make sure you store it in a warm place if you want to start it up in the winter.
This machine has been designed to last a long time with proper care, but for extra peace of mind, the manufacturer offers a two-year warranty for anyone using it professionally. If you're using it for your home, however, you get an impressive warranty of five years.
Product Details: Power: Gas powered, 21.2 cc 2-stroke engine | Tool length: 41.9 inches | Blade length: 20 inches | Maximum cutting width: 1 inch | Weight: 10 pounds
Best Cordless
RYOBI 18V Cordless Hedge Trimmer
- This trimmer comes with the battery and charger included.
This trimmer comes with the battery and charger included.
- It's best for smaller properties.
It's best for smaller properties.
To keep shrubbery in small- to medium-sized yards immaculately pruned, this Ryobi 18V trimmer is a great choice. It has a run time of 35 minutes on its 1.5 Ah battery, which might be less than that of more professional-grade models, but it'll provide enough trimming time for a weekly or monthly hedge maintenance session. It can even trim and clean up your rose and blackberry bushes as well as tall ornamental grass.
If, however, you're undertaking a larger job, you could always purchase a second battery and swap it out when one dies to double the runtime. Another option is to get a stronger battery, which will also give you more working time; this hedge trimmer is compatible with Ryobi's 2 Ah and 4 Ah batteries, too. In any event, this trimmer's battery charges fairly quickly, so you could always take a break and enjoy an iced coffee while it gets ready to fire up again.
At 33 inches long, this hedge trimmer is relatively compact, and that, in addition to its low weight and two comfortable handles, makes it easy to control. Another impressive perk is its 'HedgeSweep' capability, which brushes the clippings off the hedge as you trim to save you having to do it manually when you're done trimming.
Its protective blade cover fits tightly and securely into place but needs a little effort to take off—remember to wear protective gloves and pull it towards the tip of the blade.
Product Details: Power: Cordless battery-powered, 18V lithium-ion 1.5 Ah battery | Tool length: 33 inches | Blade length: 22 inches | Maximum cutting width: 0.75 inch | Weight: 7.25 pounds
Best Manual
Tabor Tools B620A Hedge Shears
- You can adjust the tension of these shears to suit your strength and the type of plants you're trimming.
You can adjust the tension of these shears to suit your strength and the type of plants you're trimming.
- These shears aren't designed to cut through branches, unlike some hedge trimmers.
These shears aren't designed to cut through branches, unlike some hedge trimmers.
Before the invention of gas- and electric-powered hedge trimmers, people kept their shrubs neat and manicured the good old-fashioned way with a pair of manual hedge shears like these ones from Tabor Tools. These handheld tools are still considered a great way to maintain pretty shrubs, especially the smaller types that are kept in planters, and are most often used in collaboration with a motorized trimmer.
These particular hedge shears have strong carbon steel wavy blades for more accuracy when trimming and they're super sharp, too, for precise and healthy cuts.
The two handles are rubberized to provide maximum grip with your gardening gloves, and you can even adjust the tension via a knob to suit your strength and the type of plants you're trimming. This knob also comes in handy after a while when the shears' blades may become slightly misaligned, allowing you to fine-tune them back to par.
The high quality of these trimmers is evident just by looking at them, but they feel sturdy in the hand, too. In operation, they glide open and closed with each snip, making clean cuts that don't pull at the plants. Though they're excellent for leafy growth and smaller twigs, you won't be able to get through branches with these trimmers.
To keep them in tip-top shape and rust-free, you can rub the blades down with a lubricating oil in between uses. There's no safety latch to keep them closed so they're best stored hanging up instead of in a tool bag.
Product Details: Power: Manual | Tool length: 25 inches | Blade length: 8 inches | Maximum cutting width: 0.5 inches | Weight: 2.42 pounds
Best Lightweight
EGO 24-Inch Cordless Electric Hedge Trimmer
- You can use this tool for up to 75 minutes without any fatigue thanks to its light weight and low vibration.
You can use this tool for up to 75 minutes without any fatigue thanks to its light weight and low vibration.
- Using the tool on branches over 1-inch in diameter (though it may be tempting because it certainly looks like it can handle it) can seriously harm the blade and the motor.
Using the tool on branches over 1-inch in diameter (though it may be tempting because it certainly looks like it can handle it) can seriously harm the blade and the motor.
For a battery-powered model that can give you way more power and flexibility than a corded electric model, this dual cordless hedge trimmer from Ego Power+ easily beats the competition in the best lightweight category at just under 9 pounds with the battery. Aside from its low weight, it comes with a 56V 2.5 Ah battery that allows it to run for up to 75 minutes, depending on usage. It can also fully recharge in just 50 minutes.
This hedge trimmer has everything going for it and was very nearly our top choice for the best overall trimmer, losing out to the Stihl model only because of its superior cutting capacity of 1.66 inches. This Ego tool still has a pretty impressive cutting width and is able to cut branches up to 1 inch in diameter. You shouldn't attempt to tackle brush thicker than this, however, because it could damage the blade and motor.
Although the Stihl model states that it's almost 1 pound lighter than the Ego, this model somehow feels like it's lighter. We're putting this down to the Ego's distribution of weight, low vibration that doesn't strain the user, and comfortable grippy handles.
To ensure the best operation and to extend the life of the trimmer's blade, the manufacturer recommends lubricating the blade with lightweight machine oil both before and after each use. The tool itself comes with a five-year manufacturer's warranty and the battery and charger both have a three-year warranty.
Product Details: Power: Cordless battery-powered, 56V 2.5 Ah battery | Tool length: 42.1 inches | Blade length: 24 inches | Maximum cutting width: 1 inch | Weight: 8.96 pounds
Best Small
Worx 8-Inch Cordless Electric Hedge Trimmer
- This hedge trimmer is ideal for more detailed trimming work on leafy plants and bushes and provides more control.
This hedge trimmer is ideal for more detailed trimming work on leafy plants and bushes and provides more control.
- It can only cut branches and twigs up to 0.3 inches in diameter and can't replace a full-size hedge trimmer for heavier trimming work.
It can only cut branches and twigs up to 0.3 inches in diameter and can't replace a full-size hedge trimmer for heavier trimming work.
If you don't have many large bushes in your garden but still want the convenience and speed of a hedge trimmer for tidying up smaller shrubs, you'll need a compact handheld trimmer like this one from Worx. What could otherwise take up to an hour to trim with regular hand-held pruning shears will only take minutes with this handy gardening tool.
Many gardeners have one of these little tools in addition to their full-size hedge trimmers because it's effortless to use and provides a lot of control for more detailed work (if you're wondering how people get those cute little bushes on their porches perfectly spherical, now you know). It only weighs 2 pounds, so you won't feel any strain while trimming. Plus, it has a comfortable soft grip for added comfort.
Included with the trimmer, in addition to the battery and charger, is an 8-inch dual-action blade for shrubs and thin branches, a 4-inch shearing attachment (think oversized hair clippers) for trimming grass, and a blade sheath for protection. The battery is interchangeable with any other cordless Worx tools you may own, but it does take around five hours to fully charge.
If you want more of a reach with this tool, perhaps to access hanging shrubs, a pole extension is available that you can purchase separately.
Product Details: Power: Cordless battery-powered, 20V 2 Ah battery | Tool length: 11 inches (without attachments) | Blade length: 8 inches | Maximum cutting width: 0.3 inches | Weight: 2 pounds
Best Pole
DeWalt DCPH820M1 Pole Hedge Trimmer
- This tool can morph into several positions to trim trees, bushes, and hedges of all sizes and shapes.
This tool can morph into several positions to trim trees, bushes, and hedges of all sizes and shapes.
- Like most pole saws or trimmers, it can start to feel a little heavy when used for longer periods at shoulder height or above.
Like most pole saws or trimmers, it can start to feel a little heavy when used for longer periods at shoulder height or above.
To save you from having to use a hedge trimmer on a ladder, which can be dangerous and should be done with the utmost care, this DeWalt pole hedge trimmer can reach trees and hedges that are up to 12 feet off the ground (and even higher if you happen to be over 6 feet tall). You can, of course, use a ladder for even further reach, but as Granville advises, be careful not to lean forward or overreach.
The blades on this tool are made from strong hardened steel that can cut quickly and cleanly and can even snip branches that are up to 1 inch in diameter. This battery-powered tool comes with a 4.0 Ah battery and charger and provides around an hour of run time, depending on usage. You'll likely find that you need a break before it runs out of battery though since, at 13 pounds, this sturdy tool can feel quite heavy after time, especially when used overhead.
The best thing about this tool is that its head can rotate 180 degrees and be adjusted to seven different positions. Even though it's not extendable, the adjustable positions allow users to tend to trees, shrubbery, and tall hedges with straight and sharp angles that need precision trimming. Set to a different angle, it works just as well rounding off hedges, too.
Product Details: Power: Cordless battery-powered, 20V 4.0 Ah battery | Tool length: 7 feet | Blade length: 22 inches | Maximum cutting width: 1 inch | Weight: 13 pounds
Best for Thicker Branches
BLACK+DECKER 60V MAX Cordless Hedge Trimmer
- Activating the sawblade feature helps cut branches up to 1.5 inches thick, while the powercut feature fights through any resistance.
Activating the sawblade feature helps cut branches up to 1.5 inches thick, while the powercut feature fights through any resistance.
- There aren’t many safety features.
There aren’t many safety features.
A lot of hedge trimmers can handle branches up to 1 inch wide, but it’s less common to find a hedge trimmer that works on thicker branches. This one can cut branches up to 1.5 inches in diameter thanks to its sawblade feature.
The dual-action blade, which cuts down on vibrations when using the hedge trimmer, is 24 inches long, while the tool itself is 39.75 inches long total. It’s fairly mid-weight, coming in at 8.4 pounds. When you experience a jam, all you have to do is push the powercut button, which increases the power to more easily cut through stubborn areas.
To help keep you comfortable and in control, soft grips are included on the handle. As a cordless battery-powered hedge trimmer (meaning minimal noise and pollution), this trimmer includes an indicator that shows you the charge level at any given time. The maximum initial battery voltage is 60V, while the nominal voltage is 54V.
The biggest downside is that there’s only two safety features—a front handle guard and a glove. As such, those new to power tools or who have young kids may want to hold off.
Product Details: Power: Cordless battery-powered | Tool length: 39.75 inches | Blade length: 24 inches | Maximum cutting width: 1.5 inches | Weight: 8.4 pounds