Best hedge trimmers: cordless and corded options reviewed

A good hedge trimmer can be a blessing, saving you time and preventing aching arms. Buy a bad one, though, and you'll be left with backbreaking work and poorly trimmed, uneven hedges.

We test each hedge trimmer on conifers, deciduous, laurel and privet hedges, seeing how long it takes and how easy it is to use. With cordless hedge trimmers, we also check how long the battery lasts and how many metres of hedge we could cut in this time.

To help you select the right model for your garden, we've divided our hedge trimmer reviews into three categories: hedge trimmers for tall hedges, small hedges and large hedges – with Best Buy recommendations in each.

The hedge trimmers we've tested 

The biggest brands and the most popular hedge trimmers are listed below.

Only logged-in Which? members can view the hedge trimmer test results below. 

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Bosch EasyHedgeCut 45-16

Most recently tested June 2021

Power source Corded

Blade length 45cm

Need to know Weighs 2,6kg, 16mm tooth width, 10-metre power cable

EGO HT2001E

Available from Ego (£309)

Most recently tested June 2021

Power source Cordless

Blade length 51cm

Need to know Weighs 4.1kg, 25mm tooth width, battery recharge time is 50 minutes

EGO HT2600E

Available from Ego (£329)

Most recently tested June 2023

Power source Cordless

Blade length 66cm

Need to know Weighs 3.1kg, 30.5mm tooth width, battery recharge time is one hour and 10 minutes

Einhell GE-CH 1846 Li Kit 2.0

Most recently tested May 2021

Power source Cordless

Blade length 46cm

Need to know Weighs 2kg, 15mm tooth width, battery recharge time is 40 minutes

Einhell 3410940 GC-CH 18/40 Li Solo

Most recently tested June 2024

Power source Cordless

Blade length 40cm

Need to know Weighs 2kg, 13mm tooth width, battery recharge time is one hour and 15 minutes

Husqvarna 215iHD45

Available from Garden Machinery Direct (£239)

Most recently tested June 2023

Power source Cordless

Blade length 45cm

Need to know Weighs 4.1kg, 33mm tooth width, battery recharge time is 40 minutes

Hyundai HYHT680E

Most recently tested July 2023

Power source Corded

Blade length 61cm

Need to know Weighs 4.3kg, 24mm tooth width, 10-metre power cable

Hyundai HYP2HT550E

Most recently tested May 2022

Power source Corded

Blade length 44cm

Need to know Weighs 3.2kg, 20mm tooth width, 10-metre power cable

Makita DUH502Z

Most recently tested November 2021

Power source Cordless

Blade length 50cm

Need to know Weighs 3.8kg, 21.5mm tooth width, battery recharge time is 45 minutes

Stihl HLA 56 Cordless Long-Reach

Available from Mowers2Go (£205) (Tool only)

Most recently tested December 2023

Power source Cordless

Blade length 45cm

Need to know Weighs 3.8kg, 30mm tooth width, battery recharge time is two and a half hours

Stihl HSA 30

Available from Mowers2Go (£96.98) (tool only), Stihl (£104)

Most recently tested January 2024

Power source Cordless

Blade length 45cm

Need to know Weighs 2kg, 22mm tooth width, battery recharge time is one hour and 10 minutes

Stihl HSA 40

Available from Stihl (£184)

Most recently tested June 2024

Power source Cordless

Blade length 50cm

Need to know Weighs 2.1kg, 24mm tooth width, battery recharge time is one hour and 10 minutes

Stihl HSA 50

Available from Stihl (£234)

Most recently tested June 2023

Power source Cordless

Blade length 50cm

Need to know Weighs 2.9kg, 30mm tooth width, battery recharge time is one hour and 15 minutes

Stihl HSA 60

Available from Stihl (£304)

Most recently tested June 2023

Power source Cordless

Blade length 60cm

Need to know Weighs 2.9kg, 34mm tooth width, battery recharge time is one hours and 35 minutes

Titan TTI827HDC

Available from Screwfix (£69.99)

Most recently tested June 2023

Power source Cordless

Blade length 45cm

Need to know Weighs 1.5kg, 20mm tooth width, battery recharge time is one hour

More hedge trimmers from our tests

Here’s how the rest of the hedge trimmers from our test measured up, listed in alphabetical order.

How we test hedge trimmers

Every hedge trimmer on test is pitted against not one, but four different types of common hedge to see how well it cuts, what finish it left and how manoeuvrable it is.

• Cutting quality Shrubs have different stems and leaves, so we cut conifers, deciduous, laurel and privet hedges to find out where each cutter excels and where they meet their match. Our three testers cut at least 10 square metres of each hedge type to see how well they trim and whether they left a neat finish. We check how long it took to cut the different hedges, with the times then averaged out.
• Ease of use We assess how easy they are to operate and maneouvre, taking into account how easy they would be for an older or less able gardener to use. The machines are rated on 18 criteria, including how easy they are to carry around, how comfortable the handles and switches are, how simple they are to use for vertical or horizontal cutting and whether noise, vibration, weight or balance is a problem.
• Battery life (cordless machines only) We carry on cutting until the battery has been exhausted. We note how many minutes this takes and calculate how many metres of hedge we cut in this time. We also rate how easy the battery is to remove and refit, and time how long it takes for the battery to recharge.

We regularly revisit the hedge trimmers on sale to see if there are any more popular models that need testing and when we find them we do.

Find out more about how Which? is not influenced by product manufacturers or retailers and how your support helps us to stay editorially independent.

What size hedge trimmer do I need? 

For small hedges

If you have a small hedge and don’t mind a little exercise, a pair of hand shears might be all you need. They're better for the environment and much quieter to use so won't disturb your neighbours. Look for a model with extendable handles to help you reach the top of your hedge.

For situations where you have a limited amount of hedge to cut close to the house, a mains electric hedge trimmer with a cutting blade up to 45cm long is the best option. Our selection of Best Buy hedge trimmers are quick, leave a neat finish and are easy to use. If you hate the hassle of dealing with the power cable, consider a cordless hedge trimmer.

For lots of hedges

If you have lots of hedges to cut, look for a hedge trimmer with a longer cutting blade. We have Best Buy hedge trimmers with a blade length of up to 70cm or more, which will cut a significant amount in a single sweep. For hedges that are too far from the nearest power source, a cordless machine is the best option – some come with a spare battery, or you could buy an extra one to extend the cutting time.

For tall hedges 

If you're dealing with tall hedges, it might be worth considering a long-reach or extendable-pole hedge trimmer. They have fixed or extendable shafts which let you cut the side of a hedge above head height. The blade can also be set at various angles up to 90 degrees to the shaft, so you can cut the top while standing on the ground.

What type of hedge trimmer to go for

Electric hedge trimmers

• Pros: Cheaper than cordless, lightweight
• Cons: Need access to mains power, easy to accidentally cut the power cable

Electric hedge trimmers are usually lightweight, can be quite powerful and are useful in most gardens where you can reach all your hedges with the attached cable and possibly an extension cord.

Be sure to think about how far your hedges are from the house and whether you will need a long extension lead.

Cordless hedge trimmers

• Pros: Can be taken anywhere, easy to use
• Cons: Can be pricey, may need a second battery to finish long jobs, batteries may be unreliable

Cordless models give you the freedom to cut hedges further away from the house, but you'll be doing so against the time limit of the battery life – they can last anywhere between 20 and 90 minutes. They tend to take an hour or so to charge back up, or you can buy a second battery and have it on standby.

However, in our most recent reliability survey (February 2024) unreliable batteries were one of the most common faults cordless hedge trimmer owners reported to us  – either they don't hold the charge well or don't charge at all. Scroll down to see which hedge trimmer brands were rated most highly by owners.

Petrol hedge trimmers

• Pros: Better and faster for large areas, can trim anywhere
• Cons: Heavy, noisy, inescapable vibrations, can be hard to start the engine

We're seeing fewer launches of petrol-powered gardening tools, as manufacturers appear to be focusing their attention on quieter, more environmentally friendly electric tools. We don't currently have any petrol hedge trimmers on test.

They're great for cutting large hedges, especially those with thicker branches that are away from a main power source.

Long-reach, extendable hedge trimmers

• Pros: Perfect for cutting tall hedges safely
• Cons: Often underpowered, can be unwieldy to use

If you have tall hedges, the safest and quickest way to cut them is from the ground. Long-reach hedge trimmers have a long shaft that can be adjusted in length, and the cutting blade sits at the end of this. The blade can be tilted to cut the top of the hedge or the side.

Long-reach hedge trimmers can be found as corded electric, cordless or petrol models.

Which hedge trimmer brand is most reliable?

Alongside our tests, we also ask hedge trimmers owners how happy they are with their chosen brand, so we can give you some insight into the best out there along with the ones to avoid.

Only Which? subscribers are able to see our unique data comparing the most popular hedge trimmer brands. Log in or sign up to Which? to get instant access.

Best hedge trimmer features

• Blade length is important. Remember that the longer the blade, the more you will be able to cut with each sweep. However, longer blades are generally trickier to manoeuvre. For most gardeners, a 45-60cm blade is suitable.
• Teeth spacing is something to consider too. Wider teeth are powerful enough to slice through bigger branches, but need a larger motor. Many have a fairly restricted width of up to 20mm between teeth, which is fine for an annual trim of a typical garden hedge, or for twiggy hedges such as privet. You will often see claims that the hedge trimmer can cut stems up to 33mm, but in practice we would not recommend using a hedge trimmer to cut such thick branches. If your hedge has branches larger than around 1cm in diameter, you will achieve a neater finish with loppers.
• Tip protector is a short bar across the top to prevent you from damaging the blade if you knock it against a solid object.
• Catcher plate is a piece of plastic or metal that can be attached along the length of the blade to sweep away cuttings.
• Hand guard prevents your fingers coming near the teeth and stops clippings from getting caught up around your hands as you cut. 
• Blade sheath or guard protects the blade when carrying or storing the machine, preventing dust and dirt from getting onto the blade and blunting the cutting teeth.
• Wraparound front handle with an 'on' switch that runs around the length of the handle, which makes it easy to change from cutting the sides or top of the hedge.
• Rotating rear handle helps maintain the same grip when cutting vertically or horizontally.
• Lithium-ion batteries are increasingly replacing Ni-Cad and often have higher voltages and capacity.
• High voltage lithium-ion batteries are increasingly common as well as 56V and 72V batteries. These typically allow the hedge trimmers to run for longer between charges and to have more power, meaning they are more likely to cope with thicker branches.
• Battery indicator lights to show how much charge you still have in the battery. This allows you to plan your work and see when you will need to take a break to recharge the battery.

How to use a hedge trimmer safely

1. Ensure you read and follow the safety guidance within the supplied instructions. You’re using what could be a potentially dangerous product.
2. Always work from the ground where possible, on an even and dry surface.
3. If you need to cut a tall hedge, use a long-reach hedge trimmer or a platform.
4. Always use a residual current device (RCD) plug or adaptor to protect you from an electric shock if you accidentally cut the cable unless your whole house is protected by an RCD.
5. Keep the cable out of the way by putting it over your shoulder so it hangs behind you or attach it to your belt. 
6. When carrying it around your garden, ensure you put its blade sheath on in case you accidentally power it while holding it. And, if it’s corded electric, unplug it from the mains before moving it, too.
7. Make sure your extension cable is long enough to complete the job without stretching. 
8. Wear safety goggles or a visor to protect your eyes from flying debris.  
9. If you have young children, unplug a mains hedge trimmer at the mains, or remove the battery from a cordless trimmer, if you leave it unattended for any time.
10. Strong gloves and work boots with good grips are advisable.