Which? Don't Buy hedge trimmers

Hedge trimmers should take the hard work out of cutting your hedge. But we've found some that don't have the power to cut through even thin branches, leaving you with a messily-cut hedge. Find out how our expert lab tests separate the hedge trimmers you should avoid from those recommended as Best Buy hedge trimmers.

Join Which? to find out which hedge trimmers we've named as Don't Buys.

What makes a Don't Buy hedge trimmer?

Hedge trimmers are designed with one simple job in mind - to cut through a hedge quickly, efficiently and neatly. But we see too many hedge trimmers that either can't cut even the thin stems of a hedge or take a very long time to do this. On top of this, too many are awkward and uncomfortable to hold, or heavy and noisy. 

On the plus side, we've also found many hedge trimmers that make light work of even tough hedges with thick branches. They have the power to cut through stems rapidly, meaning you spend less time cutting your hedge. They also cut cleanly, leaving your hedge looking neat and reducing the risk of disease entering through the cut stems.

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Unique hedge trimmer testing by Which?

We've tested all the most popular hedge trimmers, including models from Bosch, Black & Decker and Stihl, to help you find the best one for your garden. Our rigorous tests mean we can recommend hedge trimmers that will cut quickly and efficiently, leave a neat finish and be a joy to use. 

• We cut laurel, privet and conifer hedges to see how well hedge trimmers cut through tough and wood, thin and spindly and stringy stems.
• We time how quickly they cut and rate them for how neatly they cut the hedge. We also assess how easy and comfortable they are to use.
• Cordless hedge trimmer batteries can run down quickly and take a long time to recharge. Petrol hedge trimmers can be heavy, noisy and hard to start. We assess all of these factors to discover everything that makes a difference to how easy hedge trimmers are to use.

Which? is independent – we work for you, the consumer, so you can be sure that our product recommendations are influenced only by our test results. We're not influenced by third parties and we don't accept freebies from product manufacturers or retailers. We buy all the products that we test ourselves, so our advice helps you to make the right choice first time and avoid costly mistakes.