The 8 Best Loppers of 2024 to Keep Your Yard Manicured

Best Overall

Fiskars Power-Lever Lopper

This easy-to-use lopper offers compound power lever to give you two times the cutting power compared to single-pivot designs.

This easy-to-use lopper offers compound power lever to give you two times the cutting power compared to single-pivot designs.

These are bypass loppers which are great for most everyday gardening tasks but you’ll need anvil pruners for more heavy duty jobs.

These are bypass loppers which are great for most everyday gardening tasks but you’ll need anvil pruners for more heavy duty jobs.

Our best overall pick is the Fiskars Power-Lever Bypass Lopper for its ease of use, strength in cut, and affordability. This lopper came recommended by our experts and is a solid pick to have on hand for most jobs in your garden. “I recommend the bypass pruners and my favorite brand to use is Fiskars,” Phillips says. “They have a couple of style options to choose, from extendable handles to stationary handles.”

This lopper includes compound levers that add extra strength to your cutting power so you won’t have to use all your strength when cutting large, thick branches. For those looking for a tool that’s longer than pruning shears but that doesn’t need to open super wide to make a cut, the Bypass Lopper’s 28-inch handle is a great length and can still fit into nooks and crannies.

The steel blade withstands wear and tear, and the non-stick coating helps make a clean cut while resisting sap. Softgrip handles offer extra cushion for your hands, but we always recommend adding a pair of gardening gloves to keep your hands from more wear.

The lopper is great for greenery, live branches, and limbs up to 1.75 inches thick. Plus, Fiskars offers a full lifetime warranty to give you peace of mind in case your lopper breaks down the line.

Best Budget

Fiskars Bypass Lopper

This lopper gives a powerful cut to live and green branches making it a great everyday lopper.

This lopper gives a powerful cut to live and green branches making it a great everyday lopper.

This is a basic tool and doesn’t have a mechanism that enhances its strength for ease of cut.

This is a basic tool and doesn’t have a mechanism that enhances its strength for ease of cut.

For those new to this gardening tool or for anyone looking to add an affordable yet effective tool to their shed, this is the best lopper to add to your home gardening tool collection. If you had to have just one lopper at home, this would be a great choice.

The budget-friendly version of our best overall pick, this lopper doesn’t have an extra mechanism to enhance its strength. However, the tool is still effective at cutting overgrowth, greenery, and branches up to 1.5 inches thick.

Like other Fiskars tools, this pick offers extra cushioning in the handles, a steel blade, and shock-absorbing bumpers. Plus, it’s backed by a lifetime warranty.

Best Splurge

Felco F 22 Pruning Shear

This lopper is extremely durable and Felco offers replacement parts for extended years of use.

This lopper is extremely durable and Felco offers replacement parts for extended years of use.

It’s is a heavier pick at over 4 pounds, so you’ll need more arm strength to lift it over your head.

It’s is a heavier pick at over 4 pounds, so you’ll need more arm strength to lift it over your head.

When it comes to garden tools, it doesn’t get much better than the Felco F22. The lopper is highly dependable and durable and offers up a great cut. Its carbon steel blade is incredibly sharp, so you will need less strength to make the cut. Overall, it’s a great pick for serious gardeners who need a heavy-duty tool to use for a wide range of gardening tasks.

These shears are 33 inches in length and can reach higher branches. Do keep in mind that this lopper weighs over 4 pounds, so you’ll need the proper arm strength to use it if you’ll be lifting it over your head. You may need to take breaks to rest when wielding this tool.

Felco’s ergonomic handle and non-slip handle grips will keep your hands cushioned during the hardest cuts, and the shock absorbers help this tool go easy on your wrists.

Felco has a few other perks that we love, including a 30-day return, a lifetime warranty, and the ability to purchase replacement parts directly from the company. Plus, you can feel good about your purchase as Felco makes their products using 100% renewable energy.

While it’s expensive, this lopper is worth the investment for those who have a lot of work to be done in their yard and are looking to upgrade the tools they use.

Best Anvil

Kings County Tools Double Ratcheting Anvil Lopper

It includes telescoping arms for the ability to cut branches further away.

It includes telescoping arms for the ability to cut branches further away.

These are top-heavy, so they can be tricky to handle.

These are top-heavy, so they can be tricky to handle.

This anvil lopper means business. With the ability to cut branches up to 2.5 inches wide, it can prune tough, dry wood. Unlike bypass loppers that have two blades and work like scissors, anvil loppers have one sharp blade that cut onto a block, making these tools better for tougher

This lopper includes a ratchet mechanism, which helps make cutting thicker branches easier. To do this, the ratchet head grabs ahold of the branch and keeps it in place while you reopen and pump the handles. The multi-step process helps alleviate the need to use all your strength at once and takes the pressure off your arms. However, this makes the head top-heavy, which can make handling this lopper a bit tricky.

The Kings County lopper is made from high-quality steel with aluminum extendable arms, which helps keep the tool lightweight while still providing enough power for tough cuts. Whether you need to give a more precise cut or are looking to weave into those harder-to-reach high branches, this lopper can take care of both. Plus, you can extend the handles up to 40 inches, which may eliminate the need for a ladder.

Best Bypass

Felco 220

Weighing just under 3 pounds, this lopper is lighter than most on the list and still gives a strong cut.

Weighing just under 3 pounds, this lopper is lighter than most on the list and still gives a strong cut.

It’s much pricier than the average lopper.

It’s much pricier than the average lopper.

The bright red, ergonomically-designed handles on the Felco 220 are sure to stand out in your collection of tools. The cushioned, non-slip grips and rubber shock absorbers make this lopper feel comfortable in your hands and minimize the chance of tired arms.

This strong lopper features a gearing system that intensifies its cutting strength with minimal effort on your part. In addition, a curved head holds the wood in place as you cut. At just under 3 pounds, you should be able to keep up with your day’s work in your yard with ease.

For frequent gardeners, the high-end price is well worth the added benefits that make this tool incredibly user friendly. Plus, Felco offers a lifetime warranty to give you added peace of mind.

Best for Bamboo

Fiskars PowerGear2 Lopper

An added gear mechanism lets this lopper cut branches up to 2 inches thick with three times more power than standard loppers.

An added gear mechanism lets this lopper cut branches up to 2 inches thick with three times more power than standard loppers.

With longer handles, you’ll need to open your arms wide to get the full 2-inch cut, which can cause some arm fatigue.

With longer handles, you’ll need to open your arms wide to get the full 2-inch cut, which can cause some arm fatigue.

If you don’t care for it properly, bamboo can grow aggressively and quickly take over your yard. And with bamboo’s hardy stems, you’ll need a powerful lopper to cut back growth. The steel blade on the Fiskars PowerGear2 can already stand up to the hardest cuts, but with an added gear mechanism, these loppers can cut through hardy bamboo. Fiskar’s low-friction coating helps make a smoother cut with less stick. Plus, the blade is resistant to rust.

This long-handled lopper will help you reach branches overhead, and its ergonomic grips make working with this heavier tool a bit easier on your hands. With a 32-inch handle, the lopper is on the longer side, so keep in mind that you'll have to open the tool wide to make a cut.

Best Small

Tabor Tools Bypass Lopper

This lopper is the lightest on our list, weighing under 2 pounds.

This lopper is the lightest on our list, weighing under 2 pounds.

It doesn’t include an additional mechanism for tougher branches.

It doesn’t include an additional mechanism for tougher branches.

If you’re looking for a lightweight, shorter, and super-simple lopper, the GL18A Bypass Lopper by Tabor Tools is as good as it gets. While it’s the smallest lopper on our list at only 20 inches long, it doesn’t skimp on power, allowing you to work quickly and closely to your greenery.

The size also means you’ll be able to get in a full day's work—they are light enough to carry around and use for hours and are ideal for those with limited mobility.

Like other Tabor Tools, this model offers a strong carbon steel blade and comfortable grips. Keep in mind, it doesn’t have any additional mechanisms for tougher branches and the blade can only cut branches up to 1 inch in diameter, so it’s best getting around lower growth or making precise cuts.

Best Telescoping

Spear and Jackson Heavy Duty Telescopic Ratchet Anvil Lopper

It offers a locking mechanism to make the tool safe to store.

It offers a locking mechanism to make the tool safe to store.

The lopper can only extend to one extra length.

The lopper can only extend to one extra length.

Another hardy and strong anvil lopper, this tool has multiple features including telescoping arms for extended reach and a ratchet mechanism to make cuts easier. You can extend the lopper from 28 inches to just over 40 inches, making it a great pick for close shrubs and high branches alike. Once extended, the handles simply twist to lock into place. Keep in mind, while some telescoping loppers have multiple steps, this pick has just two length options.

The ratchet mechanism holds the blade in place on your cut while you pump the arms to complete the job in multiple steps. A carbon steel upper blade meets lightweight aluminum handles that have a no-slip grip for comfort. It also includes a locking mechanism to make the tool safe to store when not in use.