The 8 Best Hedge Trimmers for Perfectly Manicured Shrubs, According to Reviews

Amina Lake Abdelrahman
·10 min read

Courtesy of Amazon

Trimming your hedges is an essential part of maintaining a tidy-looking yard. Whether you’re growing boxwoods as a low foundation hedge or larger shrubs as a screen for providing backyard privacy, there are plenty of tools available that make hedge trimming much easier.

“Using a hedge trimmer achieves instant results,” says Bill Marmaduke, product manager for Troy-Bilt, a lawn and garden equipment manufacturer. “It can almost be mesmerizing to watch someone take a scruffy hedge and transform it into a perfect round sphere in a matter of seconds.”

Related: The 9 Best Lawn Mowers to Keep Your Yard Well-Groomed

Since there are so many hedge trimmers on the market, this list of eight top-rated models that customers actually use in their own yards will help you narrow down your choices. From a lightweight cordless option to a heavy-duty tool that cuts through thick branches, there’s bound to be a hedge trimmer among these selections that fits your needs and budget.

These are the best hedge trimmers in 2021, according to reviews:

Types of Hedge Trimmers

It’s important to note the difference between gas, electric, and battery-powered tools. Marmaduke notes that electric hedge trimmers have to be plugged into a “grounded outdoor extension cord, so you will have some resistance dragging behind you that can get tangled in outdoor furniture, hoses, or other obstacles.” There’s also the risk of accidentally cutting the cord, but they’re otherwise safe when used as directed.

Hedge trimmers that use gasoline are typically a bit more expensive, but can offer convenience. “Consumers that have larger yards or more trimming [to do] often find gas-powered units can allow maximum freedom,” says Marmaduke. “They can run longer without refueling or needing to recharge a battery, and if the unit needs maintenance, they are easier to repair (by yourself or by an engine mechanic).”

Most of the hedge trimmers below are battery-powered, which means they have the added benefit of being cordless. According to Marmaduke, they’re “one of the most efficient tools in your yard to be powered by a battery.” He recommends looking for hedge trimmers ranging from a minimum of 20 volts all the way up to 80 volts.

How to Choose a Hedge Trimmer Size

When shopping for hedge trimmers, there are a few factors to consider before making a purchase, especially size. The length of the blade you need (many are between 18 and 22 inches) depends on the size of your hedges and shrubs. “Keep in mind that if you have deep shrubs, extra length means trimming at more comfortable angles,” says Marmaduke.

You’ll also want to take note of the branch diameter that each hedge trimmer is designed to cut through. “The most powerful hedge trimmers can only cut 1 1/2-inch limbs,” says Marmaduke. But don’t choose a hedge trimmer solely based on what you think it looks like it can handle: “The spacing of the trimmer’s teeth is not indicative of the size of the branch that can be cut, so it’s important to not just buy a trimmer because it appears to have cutting teeth spaced the size of the branch you intend to cut,” he adds.

Keep reading to learn more about the best hedge trimmers, from top-rated brands like Black+Decker, Sun Joe, Worx, and more.

Best Overall: Black+Decker 20V Max Cordless Hedge Trimmer

With more than 2,200 five-star ratings, this 22-inch hedge trimmer from Black+Decker is the best-selling option on Amazon. Shoppers love that it’s so easy to use, and multiple people said it trims so well that it “cuts like butter.” The cordless hedge trimmer comes with a 20-volt lithium-ion battery that can tackle up to 3,000 square feet on a single charge. It’s designed to cut through branches up to 3/4 of an inch thick, but there’s also a convenient feature that helps out with jams. When you press the Powercut button, the blades move back and forth with extra force so they can cut through tougher branches. “I had an old trimmer that used an electric cord, but I couldn't reach all our bushes,” wrote one customer. “This trimmer freed me to move on to bushes around our pond and house that I’d had to trim with a pair of hand clippers before (or just let go ‘natural’) and I can’t get over how fast and easy this trimmer makes my work.”

Buy It: Black+Decker 20V Max Cordless Hedge Trimmer, $89 (originally $150), Amazon

Best for Small Hedges: Sun Joe 2-in-1 Cordless Handheld Trimmer

This versatile hedge trimmer from Sun Joe is a great option for anyone with a small garden. Not only is the handheld option small and lightweight (just 2.5 pounds), but it has a two-in-one design that takes the place of another gardening tool. The 6-inch hedge trimmer also functions as a grass shear thanks to its interchangeable blades. Overall, customers are very pleased with how well this compact hedge trimmer works on their small gardens, and they appreciate that it’s very comfortable to hold. “The Sun Joe helped me buzz through my entire row of boxwoods, and it was easy to maintain the shape and evenness I like,” said one reviewer. “Then I attacked a huge vine that grows on one side of the house—I wanted to trim everything!”

Buy It: Sun Joe 2-in-1 Cordless Handheld Trimmer ($36, Amazon)

Best Gas: Poulan Pro 2-Cycle Gas Dual-Sided Hedge Trimmer

Poulan Pro’s gas-powered hedge trimmer has a powerful two-cycle engine and a 22-inch dual-sided blade that can cut through thicker branches (up to 1 inch in diameter). This hedge trimmer has a rotating handle that makes it comfortable to hold and easy to control at various angles. One shopper said this feature “makes a big difference” when they’re trying to cut in hard-to-reach areas. “I used this to clear a property I am buying of some pretty heavy shrubs,” another wrote. “[It] cuts very nicely for shrubs up to 1 inch thick. I cut quite a number of larger shrubs and this machine went right through them. Saved me hours of work.”

Buy It: Poulan Pro 2-Cycle Gas Dual-Sided Hedge Trimmer, $160 (originally $200), Amazon

Best Electric: Greenworks 4 Amp 22-inch Corded Hedge Trimmer

If you don’t want to worry about running out of gas or battery life while touching up your garden, then a traditional electric hedge trimmer, like this corded one from Greenworks, is your best bet. Its powerful electric motor and 22-inch steel blade make it easy to trim branches up to 5/8 inch thick. Even shoppers who were initially skeptical about this affordable hedge trimmer describe it as a “workhorse.” One wrote, “It is lightweight and easy for me to use, but also quite efficient on hedge-sized trimming. It is pretty quiet and all it needs is a long extension cord to make it quite usable for a normal-sized yard.” The cord comes with a lock to prevent it from accidentally disconnecting, but you’ll need to purchase an extension cord separately.

Buy It: Greenworks 4 Amp 22-inch Corded Hedge Trimmer ($50, Amazon)

Best Lightweight: Worx Power Share 22-inch Cordless Hedge Trimmer

Carrying heavy tools around your yard can be tiring, but this cordless hedge trimmer from Worx is lightweight enough to make yard work less exhausting. Even with the battery attached, the tool weighs just 5.5 pounds. But it’s still a full-size hedge trimmer: It has a 22-inch dual-action blade that cuts twigs and branches up to 3/4 inches in diameter. The 20-volt battery and charger are included, and they can even be used with the brand’s other Power Share tools. “I got a quote on trimming my shrubs for $150. I bought this instead, and I was able to nicely trim every shrub by myself in maybe an hour,” wrote one customer. “I’m 68 and don't love doing outdoor work, but this was pretty easy since it's lightweight. When I finished, I was very happy I didn’t pay someone to do my hedge trimming.”

Buy It: Worx Power Share 22-inch Cordless Hedge Trimmer, $84 (originally $110), Amazon

Best Heavy Duty: Black+Decker 60V Max Cordless Hedge Trimmer

If you need a hedge trimmer that’s tough enough to cut through the thickest branches on your hedges, try this heavy-duty tool from Black+Decker. Just like our best overall pick, this cordless model has the Powercut feature to cut through stuck branches. Its 24-inch blade comes with a saw blade at the end, which tackles branches up to 1.5 inches thick—the biggest cutting capacity on this list. “We do a lot of gardening in our overgrown yard, and I took a chance paying much more on this unit instead of cheaper corded or cordless ones,” said a shopper. “Now, after using it all over our yard on some pretty large overgrown shrubs, I am so glad that I paid more for this powerful cordless model. It works like a charm. Hasn't gotten stuck once on any good-sized branches [and] mows through thick shrubs like butter.”

Buy It: Black+Decker 60V Max Cordless Hedge Trimmer, $170 (originally $179), Amazon

Best Manual: Tabor Tools Telescopic Hedge Shears

Unlike the other tools on this list that require gas or electricity, this manual hedge trimmer is powered solely by you. While it’s definitely more labor-intensive to trim your hedges by hand, Marmaduke says some people find it a “relaxing way to connect to their yard and feel like they are a sculptor and less of a gardener.” This particular set of hedge shears has plenty of features to maximize comfort, like shock-absorbing bumpers and nonslip grips on the handles. Not only does it have telescopic handles (that go from 25 to 33 inches in length), but it also has an adjustable tension knob so you can easily control the blades. “I never knew hedge clippers could be this good,” said one customer. “They’d be wonderful even without the extendable handles, but those save me an armful of scratches on my sharp-leaved hedges.”

Buy It: Tabor Tools Telescopic Hedge Shears, $37 (originally $46), Amazon

Best Pole: Troy-Bilt 2-Cycle Articulating Hedge Trimmer

This gas-powered hedge trimmer from Troy-Bilt has a 22-inch blade with a cutting capacity of 7/16 of an inch, but it really stands out because of its unique pole design. “[It has an] articulating head that can be adjusted to trim things at chest level or far above your head, all while staying ergonomic and safe,” says Marmaduke, who recommends this type for people with tall shrubs and hedges. “This means that you can change the angle of the cutting blade without changing how you stand and hold the trimmer.” The blade can be adjusted from 0 to 135 degrees locks into place at various angles. The pole hedge trimmer is even attachment capable, which means it works with Trimmer Plus attachments to make the tool even more versatile.

Buy It: Troy-Bilt 2-Cycle Articulating Hedge Trimmer ($219, Home Depot)