It isn't just your lawn that will need a regular trim – bushes and shrubs need to be kept tidy to look neat and stay healthy. With that in mind having the best hedge trimmer is a must if you have lots of bushy green borders.
And it is a worthy investment, too. Beautiful hedges enhance kerb appeal, so trimming could even help your home sell. While a pair of shears will do the job, a powered hedge trimmer will save time and effort.
That is why we have rounded up our selection of the best hedge trimmers on the market. From affordable corded options, to easy-to-use cordless models, take your pick. Want only cordless models? Check out the best cordless hedge trimmers.
Best hedge trimmer
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An all-round winner, this Bosch hedge cutter is well designed for both comfort and safety.
Easy to use
The fact that this hedge cutter has earned an AGR certificate for its superior back friendliness is partly testament to why it’s made our top spot, but it’s also our winner for the fact that it doesn’t cut down on power for the sake of that comfort. Its impressively light 2.6-kilogram body still packs a powerful motor, putting considerable heft behind the laser-cut, diamond-ground blade for cutting performance that left users very impressed indeed.
Recommended for
Those who aren’t used to handling a hedge cutter, as well as people who suffer from a bad back.
Added features
Its 20mm tooth spacing with sawing function allows you to cut branches that don’t fit in between the teeth for a thorough job. It also comes with a tip protector to ensure you don’t damage the blade when cutting along walls and paths.
Offering excellent cutting power, this petrol design is great for small to medium hedges and bushes where there’s no power connection.
Easy to use
It might not seem like it compared to some of our electric picks, but for a petrol trimmer this is ‘superlite’. Users love how easily it slices through even thicker branches and its ability to handle big jobs like really overgrown hedges, as well as how simple it is to start compared with other petrol models. Put simply, for all the power of petrol with a lot less of the faff you might expect, give this one a go.
Recommended for
Use in areas where you need to work away from the house and away from a power connection.
Added features
As well as fitting comfortably in the hand, this hedge trimmer is surprisingly quiet for a petrol model. Its Soft Start system is easy to use while the air filter can be removed for maintenance without the need for tools.
Whether you’re tidying up the front hedge or doing a bigger landscape project out the back, this powerful 600-watt hedge trimmer makes fast work of overgrown greenery.
Easy to use
The thoughtful design of this Black + Decker hedge trimmer makes it tops for safety and convenience. The two-handed starting switch means that it can’t be started by accident, either by you or any little hands that might come across it in the shed or garage. It also features cable retention to safely and securely manage the lead while you’re mid-lop. Reviewers found it to be user-friendly too, even the self-confessed gardening loathers say it feels sturdy and safe, but is still lightweight and easy to manoeuvre.
Recommended for
Use on small to medium hedges and choose this model if you want a trusted brand with plenty of safety features.
Added features
This two-handed trimmer has a powerful motor and dual action, asymmetric blades for efficient trimming of medium hedges and branches up to 25mm diameter.
Number one for low noise and low emissions, Honda has come up trumps with this cordless petrol model.
Easy to use
If the prospect of a powered hedge trimmer leaves you quaking, you might want to consider this Honda model. Not only is it specifically engineered to operate with minimal vibration, but it also tops up the comfort with ergonomic controls and an adjustable handle, both intended to minimise fatigue while you go about your business. It allows you to change your grip for cutting the face of the hedge as well as the height while a fierce double blade and four-stroke engine take care of thick branches.
Recommended for
All types of hedge, even overgrown and rough greenery.
Added features
As well as being low vibration, this hedge trimmer is ergonomic, easy and comfortable to hold and uses four-stroke oil.
When you just need something for a quick tidy up, this one’s for you and it’s fast charging, too.
Easy to use
The Shrub Shear Set from Bosch is our best hedge trimmer for arthritis sufferers and gardeners with mobility issues or fatigue, all thanks to its light weight and ability to be operated one-handed. Of course, it won’t make light work of big hedges, but it’s perfect for neatening shrubs, detailed work, short box hedges and otherwise sharpening up the look of smaller gardens where a larger trimmer would be overkill. Users love that the battery was so small and quick to charge, proving that electric trimmers are coming on leaps and bounds.
Recommended for
Those with small gardens or mobility issues, which make using a traditional sized hedge trimmer out of the question.
Added features
Compact and lightweight, this cordless edging shrub and shear set comes with a range of attachments including a sprayer and spreader. These can be swapped in easily thanks to the Multi-Click system.
Perfect for trimming tall, awkward and hard-to-reach hedges, this model comes with an extendable pole, which also enables you to cut back low hedges without having to bend down.
Easy to use
Thanks to its telescopic 2.6m reach, this trimmer is ideal for taller hedgerows and the blades cut cleanly and evenly up to 16mm in diameter. It’s also powerful with a 518 V Lithium-ion battery and is fairly lightweight, so it’s easy to handle with rubber handles for a comfy grip.
Recommended for
Anyone who needs to tackle taller hedges and branches but doesn’t want to call the professionals in. It’s also great for those who suffer from a bad back or knees, as the extendable pole means you can reach low as well as tall shrubbery, without having to bend down.
Added features
An adjustable, 135° pivoting cutting head allows for easy trimming while dual action hardened steel blades are strong and sturdy. There’s also an electronic anti-blocking system for continuous action.
Flymo’s hedge trimmer is designed especially for small gardens and it weighs in at just 3.28kg so it’s easy to handle.
Easy to use
With diamond ground, dual reciprocating blades, this trimmer is easy to use and is lightweight too. The centralised handle is comfy to operate and feels safer as well.
Recommended for
Compact city gardens and smaller hedges that just need a quick tidy up.
Added features
Buyers recommend it for those who don’t want the heavy, unwieldy, larger hedge trimmers. The long blade length and powerful motor are also great on ornamental trees and shrubs.
What is the best hedge trimmer?
We think the best hedge trimmer you can buy right now is the , as its ergonomic design is comfortable and safe to use.
How to buy the best hedge trimmer
If you’re not sure which model is the best for your garden, check out our handy guide below to help you get started. It’s also wise to do your homework when it comes to the legalities of trimming a neighbour’s hedge or any branches that are overhanging your outside space. Before you do anything, have a chat with your neighbour if you can, as this will dispel any worries and it’s the polite thing to do – plus, if you get their permission you’re in the clear. Essentially, it’s ok to snip back any branches or roots that creep onto your property but you must only go as far as the boundary line and no further. If you do, your neighbour could take action against you. Never trespass onto their land and make sure there are no bird’s nests or other wildlife making its home in the hedge.
What are the legalities of trimming a neighbour's hedge?
Over half of gardeners said they would chop down a neighbour's branch without asking if it was hanging over into their garden – or even if they weren't sure what the property boundaries were.
The potential legal repercussions of this? Your neighbour could take you to court for criminal damage, and you could face a fine. And while this is unlikely to happen, if you don't know your neighbours, you can't predict how they will feel about their foliage, invasive or not. So always ask first.
Cordless vs corded
If you have a big garden or simply don’t want to run the risk of slicing through the power cable, look for a cordless hedge trimmer. However, if you’re happy cord-wrangling, corded hedge trimmers tend to be more reliable in terms of power. The other big choice is between electric and petrol hedge trimmers, where the former are lighter and tend to be cheaper while petrol designs usually pack a bit more power. We’ve included both types in our list but have erred more on the side of electric, as the offerings in the shops right now tend to be more varied and with the advent of the 36V battery, are beginning to compete with petrol.
Further Advice
The big names are all here, from Bosch to Black + Decker, but be sure not to unduly dismiss relative newcomers such as Ryobi – they have a lot to offer for a small price.
For more garden-related buyer's guides, check out our best lawnmowers buying guide.
Can I use a chainsaw as a hedge trimmer?
In short, a chainsaw is a bit heavy handed for keeping your hedges neat and tidy, though it will cut away large sections, as needed. Shears are a better choice and of course a dedicated powered hedge trimmer is your best option for precise and easy hedge maintenance.
If you have storage space and lots of shrubs to maintain then it is definitely worth investing in a hedge trimmer. It will make the job easier and better than tools not geared for the task.