By Meg Muckenhoupt and Ellen Airhart
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Using dull pruners in your garden is like wielding a substandard scalpel in the operating room. You risk making your plants sick, scarring them, and even nicking yourself. We tested 39 pruners to see which models were the most comfortable to hold and made the cleanest cuts.
What is sharp, durable, easy to repair, and easy to find? As countless gardeners already know, a Felco 2 may be the last pruner you ever buy, but those with smaller hands might have an easier time with one of our other picks.
May be out of stock
These pruners had the sharpest blades and required the least force to make the smoothest cuts of any of the pruners in our tests, but the price changes often.
Our testers with small hands liked this pair of compact, inexpensive pruners more than any other model.
What is sharp, durable, easy to repair, and easy to find? As countless gardeners already know, a Felco 2 may be the last pruner you ever buy, but those with smaller hands might have an easier time with one of our other picks.
May be out of stock
In our tests, the Felco 2 Classic Manual Hand Pruner made clean, straight cuts on almost everything we tried. Its bypass blades opened and closed smoothly, and required only slight force to cut thick branches. The hardened-steel blades are strong enough to withstand sharpening dozens of times, the plastic-coated forged aluminum alloy handles are nearly unbreakable, repairs are easy, and replacement parts for any worn-out pieces are widely available, consistently priced, and beloved among gardeners.
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SKIP ADVERTISEMENTThese pruners had the sharpest blades and required the least force to make the smoothest cuts of any of the pruners in our tests, but the price changes often.
The ARS HP-VS8Z was the only model that consistently made perfectly clean, flat cuts in soft stems, woody growth, hardwood dowels, and even buckthorn branches almost an inch thick without crushing or tearing anything&#;and with less effort. Every other pair of pruners jerked or stuck on something in our tests, but not this one. The HP-VS8Z is so good that we almost made it our top pick for this guide, but its pricing is inconsistent&#;and sometimes very high. We&#;ve seen it fluctuate between $35 and $75.
Our testers with small hands liked this pair of compact, inexpensive pruners more than any other model.
If you wear small or extra-small gloves, our other pruner picks might be uncomfortable to hold and, at worst, dangerous, since pruners can spring open if you&#;re struggling to grip them. Our three paid testers with small hands found they were able to get easy, straight, clean cuts on branches and stems of varying widths with the Okatsune 101.
This more compact tool is less than half the price of our top pick, the Felco 2, making it a good budget option. Our paid testers also liked the simple locking mechanism, although there were some complaints that the latch sticks out past the edge of the handle.
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SKIP ADVERTISEMENTMeg Muckenhoupt has been gardening in the Boston area for more than 20 years. She earned a certificate in field botany from the Native Plant Trust in , and co-founded the Lexington Community Farm Coalition, which is devoted to preserving working agricultural land. In she published Boston&#;s Gardens and Green Spaces.
Associate staff writer Ellen Airhart has been a journalist at Wirecutter since with a special interest in botany. She wrote a monthly gardening column for Popular Science for several years and created a botanical true crime podcast called Plant Crimes. She is also chair of the plant committee at her community garden.
Pruners should make straight, clean cuts without hurting your hands. Uneven cuts hinder a plant&#;s ability to heal, expose more area to insects and disease, and create crevices in which water can collect, increasing the chance of infection and rot. We looked for pruners that could reliably cut all the way through every last bit of a branch or stem without crushing it&#;or hurting your hands&#;and also considered the following criteria.
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SKIP ADVERTISEMENTWe tested pruners by cutting a variety of delicate and woody stems: We hacked up 0.25-inch-thick raspberry canes, 0.25-inch and 0.5-inch wooden dowels, 0.5-inch Norway maple branches, common 0.75-inch buckthorn branches, and ficus branches of varying widths.
We judged the tools by the quality of their cut&#;whether they mashed the material or left fibers hanging, whether they required a great deal of force to make the cut, and whether they cut consistently throughout our tests. While stems tested the tools&#; ability with delicate plants, woody pieces tested pruners&#; force, and we took note of models that mashed and flattened the wood as they severed it.
To incorporate a variety of user perspectives, we hired five paid testers with extra-large, medium-large, and small hand sizes, as well as varying levels of mobility and dexterity, to use the pruners that rose to the top of our list. Each person cut branches and stems of different widths from ficus trees, talking us through what they liked and disliked about each pruner as they worked.
What is sharp, durable, easy to repair, and easy to find? As countless gardeners already know, a Felco 2 may be the last pruner you ever buy, but those with smaller hands might have an easier time with one of our other picks.
May be out of stock
In our tests, it was easy to see why the Felco 2 pruners have earned such a great reputation among generations of gardeners. No other pruner we tried (except for our next pick) performs like this pair. The Felco 2 sliced through branches with ease, leaving almost everything in our tests with a perfectly flat, smooth cut edge.
Compared with cheaper pruners, Felco tools not only work better but also last longer&#;you can adjust and repair them, you can replace parts, and you will find that they&#;re just plain tougher and more durable than the competition.
The Felco pruners were nearly perfect in our tests but required some minor effort to close on a Norway maple branch&#;that task was easier with the ARS model below&#;and the Felco blades slightly crushed a 0.25-inch dowel, which the ARS managed to sever more smoothly. But these were tiny flaws. The Felco pruners cut every other sample perfectly and effortlessly, and overall performed better than any of the other tools we tried.
If you have small hands, be aware that Felco pruners are sized for larger hands than some other brands are. We have a recommendation for people who wear small and extra-small size gloves.
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SKIP ADVERTISEMENTThese pruners had the sharpest blades and required the least force to make the smoothest cuts of any of the pruners in our tests, but the price changes often.
The ARS HP-VS8Z pruners cut better than any other pruners we tested, leaving fewer bits of bark and ragged ends of stems than every other pair. They were the smoothest-feeling pruners we tried, slicing straight through both hefty branches and wispy scallion tops with no hesitation, jarring, or jerking, and they never got stuck.
The ARS HP-VS8Z are rated to cut about 0.9 inches and managed to cut through a 0.75-inch branch with aplomb&#;unlike several other pruner models that were rated to cut 1-inch branches. If you can find this tool for less than the cost of a Felco, there&#;s no reason to pass it up.
Tracking the cost of the ARS over several years, we&#;ve seen the model&#;s price rise by as much as $30 and then drop again, with no discernable consistency.
Our testers with small hands liked this pair of compact, inexpensive pruners more than any other model.
The Okatsune 101 cut swiftly and evenly through ficus branches that ranged from less than 0.25 inch to around an inch in diameter. In our original testing, these pruners cut live branches and dowels perfectly, with little torn bark and smooth, flat cuts. The blades are made from high-carbon Izumo Yasugi steel, which is also used for chef&#;s knives and bonsai pruners. The blades are rated to cut about an inch in diameter.
Like the rest of our picks, the Izumo Yasugi steel is not stainless, so the blades will rust if you leave them out in the rain. You can order a replacement spring but not new blades.
Wirecutter senior staff writer Tim Heffernan recommends using Evapo-Rust if you experience rust, and two other staffers simply soak rusty blades in vinegar to fix this issue with their pruners.
The lock on the Okatsune 101 annoyed some of our testers because the lever sticks out slightly over the handle when the pruners are locked, and it dangles off the handle when they are not. But this simple mechanism also meant our testers were able to open and close the Okatsune 101 with one hand. Even the person who objected strongest to the lock said it was &#;less painful of a reach&#; than locks on our other picks.
In our original testing, we dismissed the Okatsune pruners because they became slippery in damp conditions. To ensure a firm grip, we recommend wearing gloves while using them.
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SKIP ADVERTISEMENTOur former budget pick, the Corona BP D, costs the same as the Okatsune 101 and didn&#;t cut as smoothly and easily as our other picks. This model has a very wide handle span&#;when splayed open, these pruners are hard for many users to grasp. Users with small to medium-size hands will find them unwieldy. Corona does offer a smaller model, the Corona BP Classic Cut Forged Bypass Pruner, but it&#;s rated to cut branches only up to a half inch in diameter. Most gardeners would be better off with a pair of pruners that can tackle a broader range of branches.
The ARS HP-VS8R Signature Heavy Duty Rotating Handle Hand Pruner resembles our pick, the ARS HP-VS8Z, but has one handle that swivels on a pin in a 90-degree arc as you close your fingers. A rotating handle can reduce hand and wrist fatigue, but this design can also be awkward to use and reduce your power per cut. Our paid testers universally disliked this model&#;s rotating handle, saying it made them feel like the pruner was unsafe and out of control.
The Felco 7 is similar to Felco&#;s other pruners but has the same type of rotating handle our paid testers so disliked, with the added negative of a sticky, rubbery material coating the handle.
The Felco 6 model is a smaller version of our top pick. It has the same sharp blades but with slightly shorter handles (7.7 inches), a lighter weight (7.5 ounces, not 8.5), and a smaller blade capacity (0.8 inch, not 1 inch). If you have smaller hands, this pair is a great option, and the Felco 14 is another smaller tool we&#;ve tested and found to be as consistently excellent as the other Felco tools we&#;ve tried over the years. But both are nearly double the price of the Okatsune 101.
The Burgon & Ball RHS GTO/SC Bypass Secateur opens wide and snaps shut hard, but it could only cut a 0.5-inch dowel or 0.75-inch buckthorn branch when forced with two hands. It tended to crush the dowels, but it did sever them, and it made good, flat cuts in live branches.
The Fiskars PowerGear2 tended to crush live branches and dowels slightly, and it required more force to close than other pruners. We needed to reopen and squeeze the PowerGear2 pruners three times to cut through a 0.75-inch buckthorn branch. The blades also didn&#;t close especially smoothly.
The Kenyon Forged Bypass Pruner did a decent job on raspberry canes, but it required more force to cut through wooden dowels and live branches than most other pruners we tested.
The AM Leonard Traditional Bypass Pruners are almost as comfortable as the ARS HP-VS8Z, though this model required two hands and force to cut a 0.75-inch branch. These pruners also shut more roughly than the ARS and Felco models.
The Fiskars PowerGear Pruner required more force than other pruners to cut raspberry canes and cut the 0.25-inch dowel inconsistently, but it was able to cut through a Norway maple branch even when we used just one hand. The clasp, handles, and the gear housing are all made of plastic.
This article was edited by Joshua Lyon and Harry Sawyers.
Meg Muckenhoupt
Ellen Airhart
What I CoverI write about how to prepare for emergencies. I also cover cleaning supplies such as microfiber cloths and brooms.
by Wirecutter Staff
These 40(ish) useful things are some of our favorite gardening picks.
by Samantha Schoech
The gifts on this list make gardening easier, more pleasant, and yes, more stylish.
by Ellen Airhart
Garden work is better if you don&#;t kill your hands in the process.
by Harry Sawyers
Here&#;s everything you need to keep your yard tidy, no matter what winds up on the ground out there.
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SKIP ADVERTISEMENTProfessional quality
Adjustable blades
Durable construction
Comfortable handles
Might be too big for very small hands
We put the Felco 2 to the test in a garden in Oregon, where hydrangeas, laurel hedges, various shrubs, and flowers were running rampant. Much to our delight, the pruner snipped and snapped through all manner of greenery and shrubbery up to 1 inch in diameter without any difficulty at all and without leaving ragged or torn edges on the plants. We think it's an essential tool for any gardener.
This is a bypass pruner, meaning that the blades "scissor" past each other rather than meeting directly together when clamped closed. That makes this a great tool for pruning through green stems, vines, and branches, as well as woodier branches up to 1 inch in diameter.
The F2 has a steel blade for durability and lightweight aluminum handles. We loved the ergonomic design, as well as the red, rubbery covers that provide a secure grip while adding a cushioning feel&#;no hand pain here, even after a lengthy session in the garden. The pruner has a steel nut and bolt that allow for tiny adjustments of the blades to secure the exact angle that works best for you. There's even a small groove on the edge of the pruner for snipping landscaping wire or similar materials so you don't damage the blade with such activities.
The F2 measures 8.5 inches in length, making it ideal for gardeners with medium to large hands. (If your hands are small, then the Felco F6 is your best option.) While this is the most expensive pruner on this list (aside from our best electric pick), every part of this Swiss-made tool can be replaced, so if you care for your pruner properly, it will last you for decades. The iconic Felco 2 has been a favorite pruner of gardeners everywhere since its launch back in .
Type: Bypass | Maximum Cut Capacity: 1 inch thick | Locking Mechanism: Yes | Weight: 0.53 pounds | Length: 8.5 inches
What We LikeRatcheting reduces force required
Comfortable handles
1.5-inch cutting capacity
Green color can be hard to spot against the grass
While testing this all-metal anvil-style pruner, we found it sturdy and sharp, yet very comfortable to grip and use. It has a three-stage ratcheting mechanism, which greatly reduces the force required to use it, making it ideal for those who may need extra help tackling tougher branches. We think it's also useful for beginning gardeners building their toolkit since it is so easy to use and handles many different types of pruning jobs.
We found that the handles provided better leavage than others we tested, thanks to the design. This pruner is made of aluminum with a comfortable grip coating, and at 8.26 inches in length, it is a good fit for most hands.
With a maximum cutting capacity of 1.5 inches, it is Ideal for pruning dead branches and woody materials, and can also be used to clip through greenery and stems. It is also well-designed for making circle cuts&#;if the branch to be pruned is too thick for the pruner, then use the blade to circle around the branch, cutting into it as far as you can, before making a final snip to remove it from the tree or shrub.
On the downside, the green color can make it tough to spot if it is set down in the grass. It is available in pink as well, if you tend to misplace your tools or want a pop of color in your toolbox.
Type: Anvil | Maximum Cut Capacity: 1.5 inch thick | Locking Mechanism: Yes | Weight: 0.4 pounds | Length: 8.26 inches
What We LikeDesigned for small-to-medium hands
All components are replaceable
Professional quality
Not a very wide cutting capacity
The Felco 6 is very similar to our best overall pick, the Felco 2, but designed for a smaller hand. Like the F2, this pruner is a great addition to your gardening toolbox, especially if you are an avid gardener and will use it often, since it is one of the more expensive options on our list. While testing, we found this pruner to be very durable and sharp, allowing us to prune a bush in our yard very quickly.
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Like the F2, this pruner has a sap groove to help ward off the accumulation of sticky grunge on the blades, a wire-cutting notch, and a nut and bolt that are adjustable to set the blades at just the right angle for your use.
At 7.68 inches in length, it is shorter than the F2, and the handles are closer together, making it easy for smaller hands to open and close the prune fully. The blades are slightly more angled than on the F2, which makes them more like an extension of your own hand and, thus, easier to angle into tighter spots.
The cutting capacity of the F6 is 0.8 inches, which is a bit less than the F2, but you can just as easily snip through green stems, vines, twigs, and branches that aren't too hard or thick on your garden shrubs. You can also replace all parts of this pruner, which means that if you take good care of it, it will last through decades of gardening use.
Type: Bypass | Maximum Cut Capacity: 0.8 inch thick | Locking Mechanism: Yes | Weight: 0.46 pounds | Length: 7.68 inches
What We LikeErgonomic handles
Require less effort to cut through branches
Easy to close and lock
Designed for right-handed use only
While testing the Fiskars PowerGear 2 Pruner in our yard and garden, we found it to be a heavy-duty tool that is easy to use for a variety of hand sizes. This sturdy bypass pruner stands out for its patented gear and cam mechanism, which lets you cut through branches up to .75-inch thick with far less pressure than you'd need with most other pruners. That means less stress and fatigue to your hand and a cleaner cut through the stem.
The handles are uniquely designed to roll slightly with your fingers' movement to help reduce hand strain. It took us just a minute or two to get used to the rolling motion since it's different from a traditional pruner. But after the first use, we loved how quickly we were able to prune back ivy along our fence, even for thicker branches. This pruner is designed to handle green stems, vines, twigs, and small branches.
Aside from the rolling motion, the handles have an ergonomic design that fits very comfortably in your hand, and there are additional soft cushioned areas strategically placed to help prevent blisters and provide extra comfort during those long gardening sessions. We found that both small and larger hands can use this pruner comfortably, but it is on the longer side, at 11.5 inches long. It's also designed for right-handed use, but we found that a left-hander can use this pruner. However, you won't get all of the benefits of the rolling motion since it rolls the wrong way for a left-hander.
The titanium coating on the steel blades helps ward off sticky sap and rust, as well as provides a smooth cut. The strong blades stay sharp for a long time, so resharpening them will be a thankfully infrequent task, although when you do need to sharpen this pruner, the blades open wide enough to make it an easy job.
We also loved how easy it is to close and lock the blades for storage. It has a latch at the top of the pruner that we found very intuitive and easy to push back and forth.
Type: Bypass | Maximum Cut Capacity: .75 inch thick | Locking Mechanism: Yes | Weight: 0.55 pounds | Length: 11.5 inches
What We LikeComfortable cutting action
Sharp titanium blades
Suitable for most hands
Spring can break after heavy use
A quality hand pruner can be expensive, but these pruning shears from Gonicc are no slouch in the garden yet come at a very reasonable price. The blades are made of titanium that's been polished to a very sharp edge that cleanly and easily nips through greenery and small branches up to .75-inch in diameter, making them useful for pruning all sorts of common backyard plants. We used this tool to prune ivy and other plants growing over our fence and for other pruning tasks in our garden.
The handles are aluminum wrapped in soft plastic that provides thick cushioning and improves grip. While this pruner doesn't have any mechanism to reduce the effort of squeezing the handles, we found it very comfortable to use and sharp enough to cut easily. It is 8 inches long and suitable for a variety of hand sizes.
This pruner also has a sap groove that helps prevent the accumulation of sticky plant fluids on the pruner, helping to prevent annoying catching and sticking while you work and reducing the effort needed to clean the tool after a gardening session.
Keep in mind that this tool is best used to cut through live stems and greenery, rather than dead wood. We also want to note that the latching locking mechanism is easy to use, and standard to most pruners, but we didn't find it as intuitive as our best heavy-duty option, which has a latch at the top of the tool. But overall, we think this is a great tool for many pruning jobs and is a great value for its sharp blades and comfortable grip.
Type: Bypass | Maximum Cut Capacity: .75 inch thick | Locking Mechanism: Yes | Weight: 0.4 pounds | Length: 8 inches
What We LikeEight settings for small through large hands
Coated to prevent sap buildup
Effective and clean cuts through most plant materials
FlexDIAL can be tricky to use
The unique feature of this pruner is the FlexDIAL, which allows you to adjust how far the pruner can open, which, in turn, lets you tailor the tool to the size of your hand. We tested this pruner in our own home garden on a wide variety of plants, including citrus trees, palm fronds, vines, and shrubs. We found that the steel blades cut easily and cleanly through just about everything we tested&#;the palm fronds were too wide for a clean cut, but the pruner still managed to muscle through them.
What also stood out while testing was the very comfortable grip. The ergonomic handles were very easy and comfortable to squeeze, even for our somewhat painful hands. The blades are coated to prevent the sticky buildup of sap and other plant fluids, which was especially liked while pruning ficus.
The 8-position dial adjusts the tool from a maximum cut capacity of .25-inch at the first setting to .75-inch at the eighth setting. If your hands are small, stick with the lower numbers and go higher for larger hands. Of course, you can also use the small settings for more delicate pruning and the higher settings for more power, regardless of your hand size.
One little hiccup we noted while testing was the FlexDIAL's stickiness. We found that it tended to stick when being adjusted. However, we were still able to work around that by squeezing the pruner slightly while turning the dial to the desired setting.
Type: Bypass | Maximum Cut Capacity: .75 inch thick | Locking Mechanism: Yes | Weight: 0.6 pounds | Length: 8 inches
What We LikeProfessional quality
Extremely sharp, durable blades
Designed for reduced hand fatigue
Exceptionally clean cuts
Lock can be tricky
Known for their extremely high-quality garden tools, ARS is a Japanese brand that's been around for over a century. We like the amazing sharpness of the double-hardened, double-plated, resin-coated steel blades; this pruner snips through rose stems and canes as easily as cutting through butter, creating clean, perfect cuts without any ragged edges or tears.
The blades are slightly offset to reduce hand fatigue and effort required for clamping the pruner closed, so even if your hands aren't the strongest, you can still easily keep your rosebushes looking their best, whether it's end-of-season pruning or in-season deadheading to encourage more blooms.
The handles of this bypass pruner are die-cast aluminum with a rubbery coating for better grip and improved comfort. The lock requires just a squeeze to release, making this a one-handed pruner, but occasionally, the lock can stick a bit. At 8 inches in length, this pruner is good for gardeners with average-size hands. Use it to snip through rose stems and canes, vines, twigs, small branches, and flower stems up to .75-inch thick.
Type: Bypass | Maximum Cut Capacity: .75 inch thick | Locking Mechanism: Yes | Weight: 0.47 pounds | Length: 8 inches
What We LikeRequires almost no hand strength to use
Long battery life
Large cut capacity
Battery sold separately
Somewhat heavy
If you are looking for a pruner that does most of the hard work for you, then you'll love this cordless battery offering from Dewalt. It is powered by a Dewalt 20-volt MAX battery (sold separately), which can carry out up to 1,100 cuts on a single charge, depending on the thickness of the branches you're pruning. You do need to squeeze the trigger to activate the device, but after a very gentle squeeze, the tool takes over and closes the blades to cut through branches up to 1.5 inches thick, and then the blades automatically open again in preparation for the next cut.
You'll be able to prune quickly with this tool; it can make up to one cut each second. That makes this bypass pruner a great tool for most common backyard plants, including roses, shrubs, vines, perennials, and even small tree branches.
The blades have a nonstick coating, so sticky sap won't easily build up and slow you down. The plastic body of the tool has a rubbery grip that's easy on your hands. At 2.5 pounds (without the battery), it's heavier than many manual pruners (and the heaviest on this list), but for those who struggle with hand pain or stiffness, this electric pruner can mean continuing to work in a beloved garden, which can easily justify the price. It even has a built-in LED light, so you can easily pinpoint just the stem you want to snip.
Type: Electric bypass | Maximum Cut Capacity: 1.5 inch thick | Locking Mechanism: Yes | Weight: 2.5 pounds | Length: 12.5 inches
What We LikeCompact and lightweight
Sharp blades
Spring can be tight
These lightweight, compact garden snips are perfect for deadheading flowers, lightly pruning unruly annuals and perennials, removing twigs, or clipping away unwanted greenery. They are also useful around the vegetable garden, for pruning houseplants, or for shaping bonsai. The snips have stainless-steel, precision-ground blades that are very sharp and make clean cuts without leaving stems ragged or torn. The handles are plastic with a rubbery grip and are comfortable in your hand. The spring can be a bit tight to squeeze, however.
While the manufacturer does not indicate the maximum cut capacity for these, as a general rule, garden snips are only for small cuts through soft plant material that's no more than .25-inch thick. You can carry these snips in your pocket&#;they are only 6.5 inches long&#;and you'll always be ready to deadhead that faded rose or spent sunflower. While you aren't going to use garden snips for major pruning, for less than $10, they are a must-have tool for those small, delicate tasks that require a fine touch.
Type: Snips | Maximum Cut Capacity: Not listed | Locking Mechanism: Yes | Weight: 0.15 pounds | Length: 6.5 inches
What We LikeDesigned to reduce amount of force needed
Comfortable grip
Reasonable price
Can be a bit stiff
Anvil pruners have a grooved stationary blade and a sharp cutting blade that comes straight down into the groove, creating a clean, crushing cut that is especially good when you are pruning dead twigs or small branches, but can also be used to prune living, woody stems. We especially like this 8-inch anvil pruner from Gonicc, which has carbon-steel, chromium-plated blades that stay sharp. The handles are aluminum with a soft, rubbery grip for comfort.
This pruner has a pulley mechanism that greatly reduces the amount of force you need to exert to cut through branches, making them a good choice if you have a weak grip or painful hands. The maximum cut capacity is .75-inch, so it can handle most common pruning tasks. It is a good size for the average hand but might be a bit large if your hands are very small. This is a very reasonably priced anvil pruner, but can be a bit stiff to open and close at times.
Type: Anvil | Maximum Cut Capacity: .75 inch thick | Locking Mechanism: Yes | Weight: 0.4 pounds | Length: 8 inches
There&#;s a reason the Felco 2, our best overall pick, is the pruner of choice for so many professional gardeners and arborists. This iconic bypass garden tool is made to last, with very durable construction, blades that can be micro-adjusted for the perfect angle, a comfortable handle, and all-replaceable parts. But if you want an inexpensive garden pruner that still gets the job done effectively, the Gonicc Bypass Pruning Shears, our best for general use pick, is the tool you need. We found it to be comfortable to use and can tackle a variety of pruning tasks.
We researched a variety of top-rated pruners and tested eight different options, including anvil and bypass in our gardens across the country. We used these as part of our normal yard and garden maintenance, which included pruning small shrubs, rose bushes, vines, and other plants over several weeks. Our experience ranges from beginners to more seasoned gardeners, and those right and left-handed. We also included other top-rated pruners we researched, based on what we learned while testing to round out this list.
The Gardener's Friend Pruning Shears: We loved the cutting power of this ratcheting hand pruner and liked that you could adjust the cutting widths for different types of branches, up to 1 inch in diameter. However, while testing, we found that closing the pruner was not as intuitive as other options we tested and we often had to leave them open in our garage somewhere safe instead of putting them away in our toolbox. Also, we found it difficult to cut wider branches, even though the pruner was capable of doing so. These could be a great option for some gardeners, but they were not as simple to use as we had hoped.
Bypass pruners, including our best overall pick, the Felco 2, are the most common type. These have two slightly curved blades that slide past each other as they close, similar to scissors. One of the blades is sharper than the other. This provides a clean cut through live materials, including stems, twigs, very thin branches, vines, and leaves, including sappy or gummy plant materials.
Anvil pruners have one stationary, flat-surfaced blade with a groove in the middle and one slicing blade that cuts down directly into the groove. The blades on an anvil pruner are often straight. These pruners are ideal for cutting away dead twigs, stems, or small branches, as the crushing-cutting action easily snaps away dry, dead materials. It generally takes less effort to cut with an anvil pruner than with a bypass pruner, but anvil pruners tend to be heavier and bulkier. The Gonicc Professional Anvil Pruning Shears, our best anvil pick, is a great addition to any gardening tool collection.
Garden snips, like Vivosun Pruning Shears, our best snips pick are a subset of bypass pruners. These tools have very short, straight blades, both of which are sharp. Garden snips are useful for delicate work, such as deadheading flowers, snipping herbs, pruning houseplants, trimming very small vines or stems, shaping bonsai, or cutting flowers for bouquets.
Ratcheting pruners are a subset of anvil pruners, although occasionally, you&#;ll find ratcheting bypass pruners. These tools have a ratcheting mechanism that lets the blades close in stages, rather than in one motion, which greatly reduces the amount of force required to use the pruner. Our best ratcheting pruner is the EZ-Kut Ratcheting Pruner.
The typical pruner is between six and eight inches in total length. For most people, any size within that range will be comfortable to use and hold. However, if your hands are particularly large, you&#;ll be more comfortable with a pruner at the upper end of that range or even beyond it, while those with especially small hands will prefer a pruner that&#;s towards the lower end of the range. The Felco 6, our best for small hands pick, is designed for comfortable use by gardeners with small-to-medium-sized hands.
Remember also that the wider the pruner blades can open, the further apart the handles spread, so those with small hands might find a pruner with a smaller cutting capacity is easier to use, while those with large hands can effectively use a pruner with a large cutting capacity. Our best adjustable pick, the Corona FlexDIAL ComfortGEL Bypass Pruner, has a unique mechanism that lets you adjust the cutting capacity to a comfortable level for your hand size, making these suitable pruners for just about anyone.
Most pruners have steel blades. The highest quality have hardened or carbon steel. Some lower-cost pruners, as well as small gardening snips, have stainless steel blades. Some better brands coat their pruner blades with a nonstick material that helps prevent sap and other plant fluids from gumming up the pruner.
The best pruners have aluminum handles, usually with a coating of a rubbery cushioned material to provide better grip and cut down on hand fatigue. However, less costly pruners, as well as gardening snips, often have plastic handles.
Depending on the brand and the model, you&#;ll find pruners with fairly straight blades, and pruners with blades that are at an angle. Anvil pruners usually have straight blades, but bypass pruners that are designed for a more comfortable, ergonomic grip often have somewhat angled blades, which reduces hand fatigue and effort.
Pruning can be tiring work, especially to your hands and wrists. To offset that, many brands have pruners that are designed specifically to reduce the effort needed to squeeze the pruner blades closed and then reopen them. Springs that help to reopen the blades are common, but some pruners take it further with ratcheting mechanisms that help decrease the force required to squeeze the blades together, like our best rachet pick, the EZ-Kut Ratchet Pruner.
The handle of the pruner is also very important when it comes to comfort. Good pruners should have handles that are shaped to conform to the user&#;s hand. A bit of rubbery padding adds further comfort and helps keep the tool secure in the user&#;s grip, even if their hands become sweaty.
A few pruners, including the Fiskars PowerGear 2 Pruner, our best heavy-duty pick, have rotating or rolling handles, which means that the pruner is ergonomically designed to move with your fingers&#; natural motions as you work. This makes the pruners easier for those with arthritis or hand weakness. However, some gardeners find the rolling motion awkward or take a while to get used to the feeling of the tool slightly rotating within their grasp as they open and close their fingers.
Many pruners can be comfortably used in either hand. But often, pruners are specifically designed for use in the right hand only. Because of this, if you are a lefty, you&#;ll need to be sure that your pruners are either designed for use in either hand, or are specifically designed for left-handed use. Since it isn&#;t always easy to find left-handed pruners, you might need to specifically ask your local nursery to order you a pair if you cannot find them otherwise.
If you are looking for a pruner that requires little effort from your hands, an electric pruner like the Dewalt 20V MAX Cordless Battery Pruner, our best electric pick, is a great option. It runs on a rechargeable battery and does the hard work of closing and opening the pruners for you, thus supplying all the force required to nip through stems, twigs, small branches, and other plant materials.
FAQKnowing when to prune is important since the optimal timing varies by plant, so it's best to research your plant's needs before pruning.
Feldman gave the following guidelines for timing your pruning. "Plants that flower during summer months should be pruned during the winter or early spring before new growth begins. Flower buds develop on the new year&#;s growth, so it is important not to prune new growth before flowering." Some summer-flowering shrubs include hydrangea, glossy abelia, rose-of-Sharon, and roses.
Not only can you sharpen your pruner&#;s blades, but you should do so regularly enough to maintain a sharp, even edge. Dull pruner blades create ragged cuts, which can lead to damage or disease in the plant&#;s tissues. The frequency with which you&#;ll need to sharpen your pruners depends on how often you use them, as well as the hardness of the plant materials you are cutting, but for most gardeners, an annual sharpening is sufficient.
You can use blade-sharpening files for your pruners, starting with a coarse file to remove rust and metal shards, then a fine file to begin honing the blade edge, and finally, an extra-fine file to create the sharpest edge possible. Always use short, even strokes with the files, holding them at the same angle as the edge of the pruner blades.
This article was researched and written by Michelle Ullman, who is a writer specializing in home and garden products. She has been a writer for The Spruce since , covering a wide range of home improvement products including power and hand tools, painting supplies, landscaping tools, and tool organizers. To choose the best pruners for this article, she evaluated dozens of pruners of various types, each for durability, effectiveness at creating clean cuts, blade type, ergonomics, ease of use, and overall value. We also used testing insights from several pruners that we tested in our gardens at home.
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