Ideal for garden enthusiasts (professionals and amateurs alike), the best cordless hedge trimmers will come in handy if you want to keep your greenery looking neat and tidy.
This versatile tool can be used to effectively prune, cut and trim, but how do you choose the best cordless hedge trimmer on the market?
Our Recommended 5 Best Cordless Hedge Trimmers
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With different brands, models, features and, of course, different price tags, it can be tricky to choose. With that in mind, we’ve put together this handy guide to the best cordless hedge trimmers, without further ado, here are our top five picks.
#1: Bosch Cordless Hedge Trimmer AHS 50-20 LI
Check current stock levels, price, and reviews on Amazon
Features:
- Green in colour
- 2.5 Kg
- Powered by 18V lithium-Ion battery
- 12.7cm serrated blade with specially designed teeth for easy sawing
- Can cut through branches up to 25mm in diameter
- Battery pack and charger included and can be used in other Bosch tools.
- Blade guard allows precise cutting
- Anti-blocking system (blade direction changes to facilitate trickier cutting)
Things to Consider:
- We like that it’s lightweight, but this tool could benefit from being a little more robust.
#2: Ryobi OHT1845 18V ONE+ Cordless 45cm Hedge Trimmer
Check current stock levels, price, and reviews on Amazon
Features:
- Black and yellow in colour
- 2.5 Kg
- Powered by 18V lithium-Ion battery (not included)
- 45cm laser cut, diamond ground blade
- 18 mm cutting capability with sawing function
- Wrap-around front handle, designed for comfort
- Anti-jamming system
- Part of the ONE+ range
Things to Consider:
- Ryobi state the unit is sold “bare” to reduce retail price, but keep in mind you will need to buy a battery and charger to go with this it.
#3: Flymo EasiCut Cordless 20 V Li Hedge Trimmer
Check current stock levels, price, and reviews on Amazon
Features:
- Orange in colour
- 2.7 Kg
- 20V 2 5Ah lithium-ion battery
- Interchangeable powerhead can be used with all C-Link products
- Battery and charger included
- 50cm dual reciprocating double-sided blades
- Cutting capability of 16 mm
- Ergonomic wraparound handle for comfort and control
- Guards for protection
Things to Consider:
- The Flymo is good or small gardens, you might find it a little tricky to use it for large or very overgrown gardens.
#4: BLACK+DECKER GTC36552PC-GB Cordless Hedge Trimmer
Check current stock levels, price, and reviews on Amazon
Features:
- Orange in colour
- 3.4 Kg
- 18V 2.0 Ah lithium-ion battery (included)
- 45cm steel dual action blade
- Blade cuts as 1300 strokes per minute for a speedy and smooth cut
- 18 mm blade gap (useful when trimming big hedges
- Anti-jamming system (just press a button to clear the blockage)
- Handle designed with stability and safety in mind
- Two-handed switch for safety (no accidental start-ups)!
Things to Consider:
- The two-handed switch is safer – but you might find the tool slightly more cumbersome to use because of it
#5: NETTA 7.2V Cordless 2 in 1 Hedge Trimmer
Check current stock levels, price, and reviews on Amazon
Features:
- White in colour
- 7.2V lithium-ion battery (included) running time approx. 50 minutes
- Features 2 interchangeable blades depending on the job at hand
- Grass shearing blade at 100mm and hedge trimmer at 170mm
- 2-way switch and key for safety – no unexpected start-ups
- Lightweight design
Things to Consider:
- The interchangeable blades can be a little tricky to fit. Make sure the lugs in the unit are in line before-hand you attempt it.
Why Use A Cordless Hedge Trimmer?
In the past, hedges were often used as borders and barriers. Farmers would often use hedgerows to keep their cattle and sheep where they needed to be.
To an extent, hedges are still used in the same way today – gardeners use them to define land and break up areas, but despite their usefulness, hedges can be a pain to look after.
Neglected hedges can quickly grow, looking unruly and blocking out light.
Thankfully, there are handy gardening tools available to help you to keep your potentially wayward hedge firmly under control. We’re talking, of course, about the best cordless hedge trimmers.
How Does A Cordless Hedge Trimmer Work?
The best cordless hedge trimmers are powered by battery (usually lithium-ion batteries), and are designed to assist you with pruning and trimming.
The batteries of today are unlike the batteries of old. Lithium-ion (li-on) batteries are regularly used to power all sorts of transportable and handy devices. They are fully rechargeable and favoured for their high-power density, staying power and ability to be quickly charged.
To get your cordless hedge trimmer working you will need a charger and a suitable battery. Many products come with chargers and batteries included, but some manufacturers prefer to keep the retail price low by just selling the base unit.
The cost of the product will be lower, but you will still need to purchase a battery and charger (unless you have those already).
Get started by charging your battery, and while you’re doing that why not read the accompanying instruction manual? Before you head off into the great outdoors make sure you’re familiar with how to work your new hedge trimmer (and ensure you understand any safety measures too). Once you’re charged up you will be ready to go!
The best cordless hedge trimmers incorporate sharp blades (the type of blade can vary depending on the model of trimmer). The battery powers the blades and causes them to oscillate, resulting in the cutting motion.
Some hedge trimmers are fitted with single action blades (one moves and the other remains still), others have dual action ones (two blades moving in opposite directions).
If you look closely as the blades (preferably when the trimmer isn’t in motion!) you will see that they have small teeth, and between the teeth are spaces. The space between indicates what type of work the blade is most suited to.
Hedge trimmers with large spaces between the teeth tend to be used by professionals for commercial garden work, and those who need to get to grips with a spot of heavy-duty trimming!
Petrol vs Electric Corded Vs Cordless Hedge Trimmer
There’s a plethora of makes and models of hedge trimmer available to buy, including the petrol hedge trimmer (a trimmer powered by fuel). Then there’s the electric corded hedge trimmer, which you plug into the mains and switch on.
Finally, we have the type we are focusing on today – the battery-powered cordless hedge trimmer. So, which are the best hedge trimmers for you?
Electric Corded Hedge Trimmers
If you opt for an electric hedge trimmer you will need to find a handy plug socket. On the upside, once you’re plugged in you can keep trimming until your heart’s content!
However, there’s also a downside. You don’t tend to find a plug socket in the middle of your average garden, so you will need to plug in indoors and trail the wire through the house and outside. This can cause a few problems.
First off having a wire running through your house / garden is a trip hazard, and if you don’t catch your own feet you could catch the feet of a someone else in the house.
Then there’s an issue with the making sure the wire doesn’t get in the way of the blade – slicing through a wire is inconvenient and could be highly dangerous. There’s also the bother of being “attached” by a wire (which can prove limiting).
After all, you can only go as far as the cable length will allow you to – you might not be able to get into far corners or reach up to high places.
Petrol Hedge Trimmers
Perhaps a petrol hedge trimmer would be a better choice. There are no electrical wires to worry about – the petrol trimmer runs on fuel. However, there are other things to take into account.
You will need to actually buy petrol to power your trimmer with, and that can be a costly business. In addition to this, petrol power isn’t really the most environmentally friendly of options.
Cordless Hedge Trimmers
So, let’s turn our attention to the cordless hedge trimmer. We know it’s powered by an economical lithium-ion battery, which has a long life and can be recharged time and time again – better for the environment and for your wallet. There are no cables to trip over or hold you back either – so you have freedom and safety on your side.
The only thing you need to give thought to is charging your battery. Running out of power before you have finished the job can prove annoying, so make sure your battery is fully charged prior to heading out.
Thankfully lithium-ion batteries provide a decent amount of running time. Alternatively, you could always purchase a spare battery – then you can just charge one whilst you use the other.
We think all three, the electric corded, petrol and cordless hedge trimmer could be handy, but for us, the cordless hedge trimmer has the edge. No wire to trip over, no petrol to pay for – just a useful garden tool that’s easy to use and performs well.
Are Cordless Hedge Trimmers Any Good?
Naturally, cordless hedge trimmers won’t suit everyone. On the plus side they are lighter, more environmentally friendly, and cheaper to run than petrol hedge trimmers.
On the down side they lack some of the power and are limited in usage duration by the size of the battery.
However, on the whole, the best cordless hedge trimmers are excellent tools that will suit the vast majority of people’s needs.
The technology that powers them is getting better and better. That means that making the switch to a cordless hedge trimmer now is a good step that will prepare you for years of use in the future.
What Should I Look For When Buying A Cordless Hedge Trimmer?
The best cordless hedge trimmers can help you neaten up your topiary and give your green space the look it deserves. Here are a few things you might want to think about before you put your hand in your pocket.
Battery Life
Check out the battery capacity – how long can the hedge trimmer run for before you need to recharge it? Will that be enough time to trim the areas you have in mind? You don’t really want to have to stop mid-trim!
You should also check the number of times you can recharge your hedge trimmer prior to the battery decreasing.
Blade and Cutting Ability
What type of your blade does the hedge trimmer have, is it a dual blade? Is it durable and made from steel? You should also check the length of the blade – will it be able to manage the trimming job you have in mind?
Weight
Consider the weight of the hedge trimmer too. A lightweight cordless hedge trimmer can be picked up and moved around as needed (don’t forget you might be holding it up the air – carrying and using a heavy garden tool can put a lot of strain on your poor arms)!
Ideally you want the trimmer to be light enough to handle but not too delicate. It needs to be rigorous enough for the task in hand.
Ergonomics
Gardening can be hard on your joints and very tiring! Don’t make the job harder – make sure you choose garden tools that are well-designed with comfort in mind. User friendly tools will incorporate features such as ergonomic easy grip handles.
Warranty and Repairs
Ideally, your new cordless hedge trimmer will come with a warranty for peace of mind. Buying from a reputable manufacturer helps, and it’s worth checking if you can easily obtain spare parts on the off-chance you need to repair your hedge trimmer.
Which Is The Best Cordless Hedge Trimmer For You?
It’s hard to choose an out and out winner from the five best cordless hedge trimmers we’ve presented above. All will help you to give your garden hedge the mini-makeover it deserves.
We like the lightweight Bosch Cordless Hedge Trimmer AHS 50-20 LI with its blade guard and anti-blocking system to help you achieve a precision cut.
We also think the Ryobi OHT1845 18V ONE+ Cordless 45cm Hedge Trimmer has plenty going for it, with plenty of power and a 45cm laser cut sawing blade it will be a useful addition to your garden shed.
If you like well-known brands, the No products found. could be the one for you. Designed with ease of use and comfort it mind, the Flymo also boasts cutting power.
We also have the BLACK+DECKER GTC36552PC-GB Cordless Hedge Trimmer with its smooth and speedy cutting action and 18mm gap for tackling larger hedges.
Finally, we have the NETTA 7.2V Cordless 2 in 1 Hedge Trimmer – a versatile combo-tool that’s both lightweight and portable.
Choices, choices! We suggest you check out the latest prices and deals, but we don’t think you can go too wrong with any of the five garden tools we have listed above.
The Best Cordless Hedge Trimmers In The UK
