A good pair of shears is an essential in any gardener’s toolkit. If you’re going to save yourself a lot of hassle, you’ll need one with sharp blades and ergonomic hand grips.
The best garden shears are made with hard-wearing materials and have useful features such as curved blades and telescopic handles to help you adapt master a range of different tasks. It’s also worth thinking about whether you want to get lightweight shears, which can be handy for smaller gardeners or time-consuming outdoor jobs.
The best garden shears to keep in your shed
Niwaki garden shears and sheath
You can always rely on Niwaki when you’re looking for high-quality gardening tools. Inspired by carefully designed Japanese devices such as three-legged ladders and robust topiary clippers, the brand has crafted a wide selection of premium gardening gear.
In line with Niwaki’s heritage, these shears are created in Sanjo, Japan, and the handles are made with Japanese white oak. Halfway down, you’ll find a small bulge telling you where to grip them for optimal balance.
An ideal gardening companion, these shears are a versatile choice for trimming hedges, evergreen and flowering shrubs and topiary. For safety, they arrive with a vinyl sheath to cover the blade.
Darlac tri blade shears
For something a little different, try this set of three-blade shears. An unusual tool, it has two outer blades coated with non-stick PTFE, and a central chrome-plated blade to cut large amounts of material at once.
According to Darlac, this is the only pair of shears on the market with three blades and a ‘twin cut’ action.
Draper Telescopic Shears
If you’ve got a lot of tall plants in your garden or you need to reach into tricky areas, these shears could be ideal for you. Not only are the handles telescopic to extend the length of the shears from 43cm to 55cm, but they’re also crafted with tubular aluminium to make them lightweight yet robust. This option is a practical choice for lengthy pruning sessions.
At the other end, the blades are made from hardened carbon steel, so they’re resistant to corrosion and should continue functioning well for years to come.
Darlac lightweight shears
One of the best pairs of garden shears for big pruning jobs and small gardeners, this tool weighs under a kilo. Thanks to the pared-back design, these lightweight shears are easy to use for long stretches at a time.
They don’t have extra features such as telescopic handles, but the long hand grips should still help you reach tall shrubs and bushes.
The makers haven’t compromised on the cutting edges either, fitting this tool with sharp carbon steel blades, which you can replace over time.
Spear & Jackson Razorsharp Hand Shears
Spear & Jackson is another trustworthy brand when it comes to gardening gear, which is why we’ve featured these garden shears. With a price tag under £25 and an average score of 4.8/5 from over 500 Argos reviews, they’re ideal for anyone after a high-quality yet budget-friendly option.
In this design, you get notched, chrome-plated blades made from carbon steel, which will help you cut cleanly through thick twigs and branches. Meanwhile, the lightweight aluminium handle with ergonomic hand grips should reduce arm strain during lengthy pruning tasks.
Find more ergonomic garden tools in our guide to the cleverly designed kit you can buy online.
Bulldog Wavy Blade Hedge Shears
If you’ve got a lot of thick twigs and stems to cut, it might be worth investigating wavy blade shears. Trapping branches within the curves of the blade, they keep foliage secure so you can slice through them more easily.
This set of shears also comes with curved handles, so you can achieve a natural and comfortable cutting action.
Another useful feature of this tool is its tension adjuster, which allows you to tighten or loosen the blades. Comfortable, grippy handles complete the package.
Kew Gardens Wishbone Hand Shears
Spear & Jackson collaborated with the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew to create these colourful gardening shears. The standout feature is its curved ‘wishbone’ handles, finished with a soft cover for extra grip.
The notched blades have a high-carbon steel construction, so they should perform well when faced with thick branches. And as with many of the better gardening shears, this model has a grippy dial, allowing you to adjust the blade tension.
RHS Burgon & Ball single handed grass shears
Another option endorsed by a leading gardening body, this set of Burgon & Ball shears is part of a collaboration with the RHS.
Unlike some of the other models on our list, this set is designed for trimming grass around trees and flowerbeds. You can use them with one hand like a pair of scissors, thanks to the ergonomic, moulded finger grips.
While one of the blades has a non-stick coating to stop the shears becoming clogged, both are hardened and tempered to extend their lifespan. They twist by 180° to help you adjust the angle for easy cutting.
Find more lawn shears in our dedicated guide.