Get the garden in shape with the best hedge trimmers

ith the heatwave upon us, the garden might be looking a tad on the disorderly side.

If you’ve glanced outside and realised your hedges need a short back and sides then these hedge trimmers will be just the ticket. Your garden will be back in shape in no time, perfect for hosting friends and family for a barbeque to make the most of the great British summer.

Whether you have acres of land to play with or some potted bushes in a yard, there’s a trimmer for every shape and size. From telescopic poles to trim even the tallest topiary, to a handheld gadget for those with less foliage to whip into shape. The pandemic saw many of us turning to DIY and learning to do things around the house for ourselves instead of hiring outside help. So why should the garden be any different?

The Royal Horticultural Society advises: “New hedges require formative pruning for their first couple of years after planting. Formative pruning is usually carried out in winter or early spring.

“After this, maintenance trimming is carried out, usually once a year for informal hedges and twice a year for formal hedges. Some formal hedges may need three cuts a year. Maintenance trimming is generally carried out between spring and summer.

“Timing of pruning should take into account the potential for nesting birds and be delayed until after the nesting season - considered to run from March to August - if there are any signs that indicate activity.”

There are also different styles of hedges to consider when eyeing up new gardening equipment, from the formal manicured to the informal natural look.

Here are some of the best hedge trimmers around.

This 2-in-1 design is a snip at this price point, as it opens up a whole host of opportunities for creating designs and shapes in smaller hedges and bushes.

As well as the cordless functionality allowing you to carry it around the garden, the device can be switched between a hedge trimmer and a grass shear. The 7.2V lithium-ion battery gives it a run time of 50 minutes, and if you run out of juice it’ll be fully charged again in four hours.

There’s a two-way safety switch to avoid mishaps, with a safety lock so it can’t be activated accidentally. It weighs just 1.3kg so won’t be giving you arm ache either, and also has an ergonomic handle. With nearly 2,500 positive reviews, you can’t go far wrong with this choice.

Also available in a smaller 45cm size, this hedge trimmer packs a punch and is ideal for bigger jobs. With a slew of five star reviews, there are many happy customers who have taken the plunge with this trimmer.

The extra large blade speeds up larger pruning, and it also had 600W of power so will make light work of denser hedges. Complete with dual action blades, this trimmer comes with an electrical blade brake for increased safety, and offers the cleanest cuts with minimal vibration.

The garden essential also comes with a blade cover for safe storage and to protect the blades when not in use. There’s also a two year guarantee, and it features an 8m long power cable making it ideal for most residential gardens.

The lightest of all of the trimmers, weighing in at 0.55kg for grass shearing and 0.6kg for hedge trimmer, this 2-in-1 design can shear for 50 minutes from full charge, and trim hedges for 70 minutes. It charges in 3-5 hours, and is portable for the garden.

For safety and security, there is a manual safety lock key that you can remove, and the device will not work until it is returned. Perfect for small gardens, this lightweight trimmer will shape hedges and bushes in no time and can be used for tricky corners of the lawn that your mower can’t reach, too.

If you need to bring out the big guns to shape tall hedges in your garden (or if you’re on the more petite side and keen to avoid a step ladder), this cordless pole hedge trimmer will make shaping the garden a doddle.

It’s one of the most expensive on the list so this isn’t one for the casual gardener, but if you’ve got a lot of ground to cover it could be a worthwhile investment. The pole extends up to 3.4m, and comes with a 180 degree pivoting head and 5 adjustable cutting angles.

Even the most awkward of hedges will be trimmed with this impressive device, thanks to hardened steel blade for an accurate cut. A display screen shows you how much battery remains, and the device weighs in at 4.1kg.

This one is only available online so you won’t see it in stores, and looking more like a miniature chainsaw, it is one serious bit of kit. Flymo is one of the names synonymous with lawnmowers and garden care, but the brand’s hedge trimmers also receive rave reviews.

With a 50cm blade, this trimmer is designed with medium-sized gardens in mind. The blades are diamond ground with dual reciprocators, to make light work of even the toughest hedge, with a 19mm blade gap. It weighs in at 3.4kg, and purchasers praise it as “lightweight but powerful.”

Another Flymo design, this one wouldn’t go amiss on the set of a Transformers film. The telescopic handle extends to 3m long. With a 48cm blade and a 25mm blade gap, it can handle decent sized hedges, and the design provides excellent stability and reach.

You won’t need a ladder with this trimmer around, and it weighs in at 4.1kg. As well as the telescopic handle, this trimmer also has a tilting head for accuracy and a protective blade tip. The cable measures up at 4m long, and it boasts 500W of power behind the blade. A cordless version is also available for a slightly higher price.

If you want something old-school with a petrol engine instead of messing about with wires or recharging batteries, the Titan is for you. It has a 0.5L capacity for the 25cc engine, and it doubles up as a grass trimmer as well as a hedge trimmer and comes with a harness and safety guard.

The anti-vibration system ensures accuracy and safety, and it also has an adjustable loop handle. For variety and increased handling, it also comes with an articulated hedge trimmer attachment. Previous buyers love the handling of it and say it’s sturdy and easy to assemble quickly.

This is one for the hardcore gardeners, never mind the 2-in-1 designs, this one boasts 5-in-1 functions. As well as a hedge trimmer, this is also a brush cutter, chainsaw pruner, grass trimmer and an extension pole. Covering all bases here, this is another petrol engine number and features a 2-stroke 52CC engine for the horsepower you need to get the job done.

It comes with a double shoulder harness to spread the weight more evenly while in use, and the hedge trimmer blade has spacing of 19mm and weighs in at (8.2 kg). Users praise the versatility and value for money compared to buying separate devices.

This convenient trimmer comes with a 1” safety guard and blade sheath for protection when not in use, and also features a handy HedgeSweep attachment. Featuring a 60cm blade, it comes with an impress 25mm maximum cutting diameter, and dual action blades.

The handle features 180 degree rotation, giving you more movement for vertical cuts and reaching awkward to access spots. It helps to remove the strain when cutting, and the sweep away bar removes debris once trimmed, protecting the blades. It comes in most handy for cutting horizontally across the top of the hedge.

Packing a 10.8 V lithium-Ion battery, this Bosch trimmer has the longest life of all of the models, at an impressive 100 minutes at a time, and recharges in three hours, making it the fastest charging time too. It comes with a mobile phone style charger, and has an LED battery status to monitor the life. 

The blade features the Bosch Anti-Blocking system to prevent stalling, as if a twig can’t be cut through on the first attempt, micro-electronics detect the issue and adjusts the direction of the blades. Despite this technology and impressive battery life, it weighs in at just 900g, and features a soft grip handle.