A trusty pair of garden shears or secateurs is one of the most effective weapons in your gardening arsenal. While they're invaluable during springtime's burst of roots and shoots, they're just as handy year-round, with many growers opting for a few different pairs to cover all bases. Whether you need an extendable pair with long handles for trimming the lawn or a telescopic one for reaching those high branches, there's plenty to choose from.
These tools will help you restrict rebellious plants, trim overflowing grass and hedges and promote healthy growth in your decorative shrubs. All you need to do is find the right set! We're here with our ranking of the best garden shears for roses, the best pruning shears and the best lightweight shears in the UK for arthritis and more, all available from Amazon and Argos.
For those after a quick look, here is our Top 5:
For a more in-depth look at the comprehensive top 10 selection, make sure to read on to learn more about the different types of garden shears available and understand how our ranking was determined.
This article's chosen EC site price listings are reflective of its publishing date.
Image | 1 ![]() Berger | 2 ![]() Spear & Jackson | 3 ![]() GRÜNTEK | 4 ![]() JEOutdoors | 5 ![]() Bahco | 6 ![]() Jakoti | 7 ![]() Spear & Jackson | 8 ![]() Okatsune | 9 ![]() McGregor | 10 ![]() GRÜNTEK |
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Name | Hedge Shear Comfort | Razorsharp Geared Hedge Shears | Telescopic Hedge Shears Q-32 | ZEM Pruning Shears | P75 Edging Shear | Hand Shears | Razorsharp Telescopic Edging Shears | 217 Shrub Shears | Telescopic Hand Shears | Garden Pruning Shears |
Features | A Regular-Sized Pair of Shears With Wavy 60 CM Blades for Hedges, Bushes and Shrubs | Straight-Bladed Shears With an Intuitive Geared Mechanism to Make Your Work Easier | Extra-Long Telescopic Shears Measuring 82.5 CM for Trimming Hard-To-Reach Greenery | High-Quality Short Pruning Shears Made From Robust Carbon Alloy for an Affordable Price | Precision Edging Shears With Smooth Blades for Concise, Clean-Cut Incisions | A Perfect Trimming Tool for Budding Topiarists to Neaten up Their Shrubs and Bushes | Angled Blades for Cutting Grass and Strong Steel Handles for Durability | Lightweight Japanese Steel Sheers Capable of Tackling Pretty Much Any Branch | Rust-Resistant Blades With Telescopic Handles for Trimming High Hedges All Year Round | Small Shears Built to Promote Healthy Plants Without Them Growing Out of Control |
Price | £53.80 | £29.58 | £29.80 | £8.49 | £43.58 | £39.99 | £28.00 | £89.70 | £15.00 | £11.25 |
Handle | Standard | Standard, telescopic 34 - 50 cm | Long, telescopic 68 - 82.5 cm | Handheld pruning shears | Long, 90 cm | Very short | Long, telescopic 67 - 114 cm | Short, 30 cm | Long, telescopic 38 - 53 cm | Handheld pruning shears |
Blade Type | Serrated | Straight | Straight | Straight | Straight | Straight | Straight | Straight | Serrated | Part serrated |
Blade Material | Alloy steel, coated | Carbon steel, coated | Steel, coated | Carbon steel | Metal, coated | Carbon steel | Carbon steel | Steel | Carbon steel | Japanese SK5 steel |
Coating | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | - | No | - | Yes | |
Safety Catch | Yes, coated | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | No | Yes | No |
Dimensions | 53.8 x 4.8 x 19.8 cm | 57 x 17 x 7 cm | 75 x 20 x 4 cm | 86.9 x 23.8 x 3 cm | 0.8 x 32.6 x 9.4 cm | 74.5 x 25 x 4 cm | 5 x 15.5 x 53.5 cm | 67.5 x 28 x 6.5 cm | 19.5 x 5.5 x 2.2 cm | |
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The rule to remember with handles is that the smaller the handle, the greater your control, though you will have less leverage. Likewise, longer shears are your best bet if you want good leverage, but you will sacrifice some control. Here are the three main types:
Need more than shears to shape your hedges? Take a look at our list of hedge trimmers!
The blade is essentially the workhorse of this whole tool, and its functional design is a vital factor in how they will work and what they’re best at. Depending on the foliage in your garden, you may only need one type of shear. However, most people find that they need both at some point in their gardening lifetime.
Your first choice is straight blades. These are two regular, flat cutting blades that produce clean, sharp cuts. They’re better when it comes to cutting grass at the base of trees, shrubs, young shoot-ups or just general greenery.
The other option is serrated or wavy blades, which have the same composition as the classic shears, only their shape is designed to grip twigs and stop them slipping from your grasp. They'll often be a little thicker because they’re designed for cutting through tougher and more resilient branches or hedges.
The material most manufacturers tend to use for the blades of their garden shears is carbon steel. We would recommend this for many reasons, such as its impressive durability and shock resistance. It’s also relatively economical and easy to recycle compared to other metals.
It's not the only option, however. You may see different alloys, which are essentially a combination of two or more metals. All of our recommendations that aren't carbon steel are still known for being robust and will perform well, but if you want to opt for a material you know, the best bet is carbon steel.
Another important thing to look out for is whether a coating has been applied. This additional layer lengthens the lifespan of the blades and helps maintain their cleanliness, which is especially useful if you're cutting a lot of deadwood. The coating essentially protects the blades from moisture which prevents them from rusting.
Keep your hands protected too with a safe pair of gardening gloves!
Looking for a pair of shears with a good safety catch will not just be advantageous in stopping accidents. That is the feature's primary purpose, of course, so it will be a useful addition if you have a home full of children or you'd just like some peace of mind.
However, there's more. As with many of the other components, the safety catch can affect how easy and comfortable the shears will be to use and how long they’ll last. This is because it will keep the shears taut, preventing any slackness.
mybest UK product recommendations are reviewed and curated by our writers in-house. We focus on in-depth research and analysis of product reviews to carefully select the best products available for the best prices.
4590
£53.80
Handle | Standard |
---|---|
Blade Type | Serrated |
Blade Material | Alloy steel, coated |
Coating | Yes |
Safety Catch | Yes, coated |
Dimensions | 53.8 x 4.8 x 19.8 cm |
£29.58
Handle | Standard, telescopic 34 - 50 cm |
---|---|
Blade Type | Straight |
Blade Material | Carbon steel, coated |
Coating | Yes |
Safety Catch | Yes |
Dimensions | 57 x 17 x 7 cm |
£29.80
Handle | Long, telescopic 68 - 82.5 cm |
---|---|
Blade Type | Straight |
Blade Material | Steel, coated |
Coating | Yes |
Safety Catch | Yes |
Dimensions | 75 x 20 x 4 cm |
£8.49
Handle | Handheld pruning shears |
---|---|
Blade Type | Straight |
Blade Material | Carbon steel |
Coating | |
Safety Catch | Yes |
Dimensions |
£43.58
Handle | Long, 90 cm |
---|---|
Blade Type | Straight |
Blade Material | Metal, coated |
Coating | Yes |
Safety Catch | No |
Dimensions | 86.9 x 23.8 x 3 cm |
£39.99
Handle | Very short |
---|---|
Blade Type | Straight |
Blade Material | Carbon steel |
Coating | No |
Safety Catch | No |
Dimensions | 0.8 x 32.6 x 9.4 cm |
£28.00
Handle | Long, telescopic 67 - 114 cm |
---|---|
Blade Type | Straight |
Blade Material | Carbon steel |
Coating | - |
Safety Catch | No |
Dimensions | 74.5 x 25 x 4 cm |
£89.70
Handle | Short, 30 cm |
---|---|
Blade Type | Straight |
Blade Material | Steel |
Coating | No |
Safety Catch | No |
Dimensions | 5 x 15.5 x 53.5 cm |
£15.00
Handle | Long, telescopic 38 - 53 cm |
---|---|
Blade Type | Serrated |
Blade Material | Carbon steel |
Coating | - |
Safety Catch | Yes |
Dimensions | 67.5 x 28 x 6.5 cm |
£11.25
Handle | Handheld pruning shears |
---|---|
Blade Type | Part serrated |
Blade Material | Japanese SK5 steel |
Coating | Yes |
Safety Catch | No |
Dimensions | 19.5 x 5.5 x 2.2 cm |
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