Our Top Picks
When it comes to gardening, there are a lot of different tools and equipment that can help you get the job done. One of the most important tools is a good set of hedge shears. Hedge shears are super helpful for me when trimming hedges and other plants around my garden. If you’re looking for the best hedge shears, check out my top picks below along with an explanation of why these made the list of top picks.
We spent hours searching online for the best hedge shears available.
If you’d like a more detailed review, scroll down to our product review section and be sure to check out our buyers guide where we include more information on blade types, electric vs manual, and more!
Here is a quick summary of the best hedge shears:
| IMAGE | PRODUCT | |
|---|---|---|
Overall Best  |
| View On Amazon →Read Our Review |
Best Kit  |
| View On Amazon →Read Our Review |
Best Professional  |
| View On Amazon →Read Our Review |
Longest Lasting  |
| View On Amazon →Read Our Review |
Best Ergonomic  |
| View On Amazon →Read Our Review |
Table of Contents
| Topic | Page |
| Quick Intro to Hedge Shears | 2 |
| Reviews of the Best Hedge Shears – Overall Best Hedge Shears – OARA 21 inch Hedge Shears – Best Hedge Shears Kit – iGarden 3 Piece Gardening Kit – Best Professional Hedge Shears – ARS HS-KR1000 – Longest Lasting Hedge Shears – Fiskars 8 inch Hedge Shears – Best Ergonomic Option – GARTOL 23 inch Hedge Shears | 3 – 7 |
| Bonus Products | 8 |
| Hedge Shears Buyers Guide – Types of Hedge Shears – Manual – Gas – Electric – Blade Types – Wavy blades – Straight edge – Key Factors | 9 – 11 |
| FAQs | 11 |
| Conclusion | 11 |
Quick Introduction to Hedge Shears
Maintaining a garden either as a profession or as a responsibility can require you to buy many tools that’ll help get the job done. One such tool is the classic hedge shears.
Hedge shears are essentially oversized scissors which have been used in property maintenance for centuries now. They are the cheapest, most environmentally friendly option to produce and don’t need anything but strength to operate. Hedge shears are used to shape or trim shrubs and plants in gardens. Hedge shear design hasn’t changed significantly over the years but companies have made improvements to handles and blades to make them cut smoother and more comfortable to use. Despite the simple design of hedge shears, a quick search online will show you the wide variety of models available on the market nowadays. Don’t worry though because we put together a list of the best ones and the basics of hedge shears.
Reviews of the Best Hedge Shears
Overall Best Hedge Shears:
OARA 21 inch Hedge Shears
Specifications:
- Overall length: 21 inches
- Blade length: 8 inches
- Handle length: 10 inches
- Weight: 2 lbs
Features:
- Made with carbon steel
- Vinyl cushion handles
- Shock absorbing bumpers
- Anti-corrosion coating
- Wave blade
Overview:
These hedge shears from Oara are made with high quality materials ideal for cutting all kinds of branches up to an inch thick.
The hedge shears feature a wave blade design made with carbon steel. These are meant to give the user a better grip on a branch without it slipping.
The design of the blade allows for smoother and cleaner cuts which make them ideal for manicuring boxwood, hedges, shrubs and other decorative plants.
The blade is also coated in Teflon to prevent rust build up and corrosion from happening any time soon.
The handle has anti vibration bumpers and unique soft vinyl cushion grips that offer comfortability while further reducing the amount of shock. These hedge shears have shorter handles so that you have more control and balance over your cut.
Check out the OARA 21 inch hedge shears here:
Best Hedge Trimmer Shears Kit:
iGarden 3 Piece Gardening Kit
Specifications:
- Overall length: 20 inches (shears)
- Blade length: 8 inches (shears)
- Handle length: 10 inches (shears)
- Kit Weight: 5 lbs
Features:
- Comes with loppers and bypass pruner
- Rubber handles
- Shock absorbing bumpers
- Aluminum cutting edge
- Rust resistant coating
- Replaceable lopper blades
- Hang hole in handle
Overview:
This general purpose garden maintenance kit from iGarden features a lopper, hedge shears and a bypass pruner. Perfect for all your shrubbery manicuring and trimming needs.
The lopper and bypass pruner are perfect for cutting individual branches that prove too tough for the hedge shears. Both the loppers and bypass pruner have interchangeable aluminum blades for easier maintenance. The aluminum material for the cutting head has rust resistant properties and can easily be resharpened for longevity.
The hedge shears themselves are made with carbon steel and feature a unique undulating blade made for precise cuts. The hedge shears feature handles with vibration absorbing bumpers and rubber grips designed to prevent sweat from building up. The hedge shears have low friction, rust resistant coating which protects the shears from the elements.
Check out the iGarden 3 piece gardening kit here:
Best Professional Garden Shears:
ARS HS-KR1000
Specifications:
- Overall length: 25.7 inches
- Blade length: 7 inches
- Handle length: 12 inches
- Weight: 1.8 lbs
Features:
- Made with high carbon steel
- Replaceable blades
- Shock absorbing rubber bumpers
- Well balanced handle
Overview:
These premium steel hedge shears offer users unparalleled cutting capability with the perfect handle to blade balance.
The HS-KR1000 professional hedge shears feature an extra long handle which is shaped to fit comfortably in the palm of your hand for maximum power transfer. The cutting head features quick change blades made with treated steel that are sharpened for the ultimate cutting performance.
The handles lack shock absorbing grip and instead have rubber pads. This is done for balancing issues and has shock absorbing bumpers instead to lessen vibration. The weight distribution on these hedge shears are very balanced making them easy to use and at just 1.85 lbs, you could use them for hours on end without fatigue.
These hedge shears are a great choice for landscapers and homeowners who have intricate decorative shrubbery on their property. Although the price tag is much higher compared to other hedge shears in this category, these are worth their weight in gold and promise years of service.
Check out the ARS HS-KR1000 professional hedge shears here:
Longest Lasting Hedge Shears:
Fiskars 23 inch Hedge Shears
Specifications:
- Overall length: 23 inches
- Blade length: 10 inches
- Handle length: 10 inches
- Weight: 2.8 lbs
Features:
- Self sharpening blades
- Serrated blades
- Rust resistant, low friction coating
- Shock absorbing rubber bumpers
- Soft grip handles
- Lifetime warranty
Overview:
If you’re looking for hedge shears that offer long lasting, accurate and powerful cutting action while backed by a lifetime warranty then these are the ones for you.
These hedge shears from Fiskars feature an innovative self sharpening blade technology making these one of the lowest maintenance hedge shears on the market while having a compound lever action that doubles the cutting power.
The serrated blades help you get a better grip on branches and stems for a smoother cutting action. The protective coating on the blades lessens friction and prevents sap from building up while keeping the blade rust resistant.
The shock absorbing silicone bumpers coupled with the soft grip handles reduce the amount of force returned to the user while enhancing comfort.
Fiskars stands behind the longevity and quality of their product offering a lifetime warranty to prove it.
Check out the Fiskars 23 inch hedge shears here:
Best Ergonomic Option:
GARTOL 23 inch Hedge Shears
Specifications:
- Overall length: 23 inches
- Blade length: 9 inches
- Handle length: 10 inches
- Weight: 2.5 lbs
Features:
- Wavy blade design
- Adjustable tensioning knob
- Rust resistant, low friction coating
- Shock absorbing rubber bumpers
- Soft, non-slip grip handles
- Lifetime warranty
Overview:
These hedge shears from Gartol allow you to cut at more comfortable angles and are ideal for shaping decorative shrubs or bushes.
Featuring a wavy blade paired with angled handles, these hedge shears are great for sculpting patterns while still cutting smoothly and efficiently. The blades are made with full hardened carbon steel and are protected by a low friction, rust resistant coating that extends its lifespan. The blade also features an easily adjustable tension knob in case you need the tougher cutting action.
The handles feature shock absorbing bumpers and an extendable, ergonomic soft grip for better reach and comfortability. All these features make these hedge shears great at reducing noise, vibration and fatigue during operation.
On top of all these neat features is a lifetime warranty that ensures that you’ll have the full support of Gartol for years to come.
Check out the GARTOL 23 inch hedge shears here:
Bonus Products
Here are some hedge shears that didn’t quite make our list but we included in case you were interested.
| IMAGE | PRODUCT | |
|---|---|---|
 |
| View On Amazon →Read Our Review |
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| View On Amazon →Read Our Review |
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| View On Amazon →Read Our Review |
Hedge Shears Buyers Guide
Types of Hedge Shears
As you may have realized by now, hedge shears come in all sorts of shapes and sizes but there is another category that we have yet to touch up on namely, the eclectic hedge trimmer. Before we get to that though, let’s get the differences straight.
Manual Hedge Shears
These are the most common, oldest and cheapest form and look like oversized scissors.
These have been used by landscapers and homeowners for property maintenance, sculpting and trimming decorative shrubbery for decades for good reason.
Manual hedge shears are known to be low maintenance, cut quick, cut clean but most of all, are cheap. They do require more labor than other alternatives making them a hassle for larger properties or for the elderly.
Gas Powered Hedge Trimmers
Now, we know that putting this on the list is like comparing an axe to a chainsaw but we decided that you deserve to know that such alternatives exist.
Gas powered hedge trimmers entered the scene around the early 20th century and offered users a machine capable of cutting thicker branches and could operate for as long as you had the fuel. These are powerful machines but can be quite heavy, loud, hard to start and expel harmful fumes.
Electric Hedge Trimmers
These are the new kids on the block and can feature the cutting efficiency of gas powered hedge trimmers without the gas consumption, harmful fumes and loud noise. These come in corded or battery powered options are lightweight enough to be carried by any user. Electric hedge trimmers can be limited in terms of range though because of their battery life or cord length.
Blade Types
Manual hedge shears have a straight forward function, to cut branches and twigs. Companies have taken this function and have improved on blade design to make this process as efficient and smooth as possible. Lets go over the two main blade designs used in hedge shears.
Wavy Blade Design
Hedge shears with a wavy blade design are meant to give the user a better grip on twigs while cutting. These are becoming more and more common on hedge shears because of their effectiveness. This design does have a con however in the difficulty that users will have in sharpening the wave blade pattern. It’s also more difficult for manufacturers to add special modifications to the blade such as making them serrated.
Straight Blades Design
This blade design is the easiest to manufacture, sharpen and often feature unique modifications such as serrated edges or even a self sharpening function. Hedge shears with a straight edged blade are ideal for cutting practically any part of a shrub that’s thin enough with the right strength.
The modifications such as serrated edges help in making cuts in thicker foliage but these do require some skill to sharpen.
Key Factors of Hedge Shears
Here are some key factors that we recommend you take note of before purchasing hedge shears.
Blade Shape
It’s important to note whether the blade is wavy or straight edged because this can affect how smoothly you cut and the amount of force required to make said cuts. You should take note of any modifications made to the blade such as serrated edges that could improve the quality of the cut.
Blade Length
The length of the blade is also an important factor because this would affect how comfortable you’d be cutting larger shrubs and the amount of control you have over the hedge shears.
Handle Length
This is an important factor because it would affect how much reach you have when making cuts and the amount of shock absorbing material there would be. There are hedge shears that have telescopic handles but most models can have handles as long as 7 to 10 inches long.
FAQs
Q: How to maintain hedge shears?
A: Manual hedge shears are relatively easy to maintain. Majority of the maintenance is cleaning the blade of any leftover sap or debris. The more complicated part of hedge shear maintenance is when the time comes to sharpen. While normally you’d need a whet stone, some blades require more skill to sharpen compared to others such as wavy or serrated blades. If you aren’t sure how to sharpen your hedge shears, always seek professional help.
Q: Do I need hedge shears?
A: Manual hedge shears are unparalleled in terms of how straightforward they are. If you have the need to trim or shape shrubs and hedges, there’s nothing that quite comes close to how effective a good ol’ pair of hedge shears are. Powered hedge trimmers are becoming more and more popular nowadays but unless you have a large property which would require too much labor to maintain, they can often be overkill and unreliable especially if you don’t use them regularly.
Conclusion
And there we have it, our list of the best hedge shears available online and the basics of their design. We hope that this article has taught you a thing or two about hedge shears and that we helped you in making the decision on which is the best one for you. Thank you for making it to the end of our article dear reader and happy gardening!
