The Best Hedge Trimmers of 2022

The AL-KO EnergyFlex HT 4055 is an affordable hedge trimmer for medium-sized hedges with branches up to 1 cm thick If the branches are thicker, around 1.5 cm or more, the cutting process is slower and it pinches branches rather than cuts them. But in terms of price, it does a decent job.

The working time you get out of a 5-amp battery is up to 50 minutes as long as you don’t load it too heavily.

The hedge trimmer is easy to use and has handles with a curve and a partly rubberised surface. This gives you a good grip when working. Buttons and functions are well placed so that they work for both right and left-handed people.

The only real disadvantages of the construction are that it feels a bit plasticky, and that the trimmer is very sensitive in terms of how hard you have to push for it to make contact when you start it. Because you alternately press and release the start when you mow the hedge, and the machine is so sensitive, the start button can feel a bit awkward.

Interesting design choices

The hedge trimmer is well balanced and doesn’t particularly suffer from vibrations. Of course it vibrates a bit, but not more than you’d expect given the price, and not so much that it’s a nuisance.

Furthermore, the EnergyFlex HT 4055 weighs about the same as other hedge trimmers. However, it has a special solution with a battery belt to relieve tired arms. This works so that there’s a cable approximately 1.2 m long connected to the hedge trimmer, and the cable is in turn connected to an adapter and a belt where you connect the battery. In other words, you can run the hedge trimmer as usual (with the battery in it) or you can put the battery in the belt instead. The belt and adapter weigh a lot, but on the other hand you relieve your arms by about a third of the weight, which is really useful because you often hold a hedge trimmer quite high up and at awkward angles.

We've tried this solution out in other contexts and not been very happy with it. This is because you have the cord hanging loose at your side. It would have been useful if instead it was flexible (contracted automatically). But at least on this hedge trimmer we don’t run into any major problems with getting tangled on branches or similar, as we did when we tested it with a chainsaw. So in this case, it's a welcome extra feature.

Other intelligent functions

The AL-KO EnergyFlex HT 4050 comes with a hard plastic scabbard that’s easy to remove. But what’s ingenious about it is that it allows you to hang the hedge trimmer on the wall, either vertically, or – thanks to two extra screws – horizontally. Being able to hang garden tools on the wall to keep your workshop tidy is very practical, but very few manufacturers seem to appreciate this. All too often you have to modify the tools and solve this problem yourself.

The length of the bar is fine in terms of price, even if you feel a bit taken in by the stated size (60 cm), because it’s actually 55 cm in practice as there are no teeth at the ends.

The AL-KO HT 4050 is ideal for anyone looking for a hedge trimmer for a small or medium-sized hedge with branches up to 1 cm thick.

The STIHL HS 46 C-E is a hedge trimmer that offers the major advantage of being lightweight. It is surprisingly light for a petrol hedge trimmer, yet has a very good anti-vibration system and is fantastically well-balanced. This ensures you a comfortable cutting experience, even during long trimming sessions.

Some users may feel its lack of adjustable positions and rubberised grip are a disadvantage. On the other hand, its light weight and excellent balance mean that this is not noticeable when you are trimming, especially if you wear protective gloves – which clearly you always should, but the lack of a front hand guard on this trimmer makes it essential.

Easy to handle

The HS 46 C-E offers easy maintenance. For example, the petrol tank is well-placed and has a quick-release lid where you lift a flap and then rotate the lid three-quarters of a turn, which allows you to unscrew it without removing your gloves.

The blade could have been a little longer. But its 55 centimetres is sufficient for a wide range of larger hedges and it is powerful enough to cut thicker shoots as well.

STIHL HS 46 C-E is very easy to start. It only takes 2–3 attempts, even when you haven’t used it for a while.

The engine is a two-stroke mix, but it sounds like a four-stroke engine and is considerably more powerful than you might think at first glance. It also cuts really precisely. Cutting back coarse hedges with two-centimetre shoots is easy and quick. It may take a little longer to prune larger shoots of up to 2.5 centimetres, but it’s still possible.

The hedge trimmer has a suspension bracket on the handle so that you can hang it on the wall of your shed. The noise level looks high on paper, which our measurements confirm. But the actual sound is quite pleasant, so it doesn't seem as noisy when you use it.

STIHL HS 46 C-E is suitable if you have large, coarse hedges and want a high-quality hedge trimmer that offers fast and effective cutting, and easy maintenance.

The Husqvarna 115iHD45 is a hedge trimmer with high build quality that feels good when you use it. The feeling is a bit like cutting through cotton wool when you run it over a hedge. This is probably due to a combination of a light and quiet but simultaneously powerful machine. It also produces really good results. You get neat cut surfaces and it doesn't break off branches when it can't cope. Instead it simply switches off. On branches over 1.5 cm in diameter it starts to grumble a bit, and it's about here that you run into the limit of what this hedge trimmer can cope with. Unfortunately the bar is relatively short, which means that if you have a slightly wider hedge you may need to consider choosing another machine. The hedge trimmer has an eco mode that's useful when you've thoroughly maintained the hedge in previous years so you just have the odd thin branch sticking out. You'll clearly notice the difference between eco and full mode, both in terms of battery life and strength.

The Husqvarna 115iHD45 is well designed. The half-moon shaped handle makes it easy to move your hands and get a grip that works for various different angles. In terms of safety, we like the fact that there's a start button you have to press in before you can start using the hedge trimmer. However, there's no safety guard at the front, which means it needs a two-handed grip and some strength to get it going. The 115iHD45 has a really good anti-vibration system, so it's comfortable to work with even over longer periods. The battery life is also very good, and it charges quickly. However, the charger isn't a standard station you click the battery into, but a fiddlier version that takes up more space. Overall, however, this is a really good hedge trimmer that suits most home owners. You can cut long, quite thick hedges with a hedge trimmer that has high levels of ergonomics and build quality.

The AL-KO HT 2050 is a neat, light hedge trimmer that's ideal for shaping and similar finishing work.

For such a simple hedge trimmer, it's also quite powerful. The bar cuts well and doesn't get stuck in fiddly areas with lots of branches of mixed sizes. However, it can't cope with bigger branches – it simply chews away in the same place. This is more of a maintenance machine for anyone who trims their hedge so often that the branches don't have time to get thicker, or if you have bushes with thinner branches.

On the top of the hedge trimmer is a spirit level. Theoretically, this is a good addition, particularly given how well the HT 2050 performs in terms of shaping and finishing. But in practice, it doesn't work very well. It's pretty much impossible to keep an eye on whether the spirit level is perfectly vertical while you're using the hedge trimmer.

However, it's very easy to get an overview of the machine, so you really don't need the spirit level. In the majority of positions you can easily see through or over the hand guard.

Great at shaping and simple pruning

The AL-KO HT 2050 has a really good scabbard. It's made from hard plastic and is easy to remove and replace. It's also got wings that allow you to insert a screw to hang it up. The hedge trimmer is also very well balanced and the ergonomics are good given the price – for example, you get a really good grip on the machine and the safety guard is sufficiently stiff.

The battery life is reasonable and easily lasts long enough for a normal sized hedge. Unfortunately there's no battery indicator on the hedge trimmer.

The HT 2050 is perfect if you want to be able to quickly maintain bushes with thinner branches, or if you want to shape bushes of species such as box.

The Stiga SHT 700 AE is an affordable hedge trimmer with good performance and several great features. The hedge trimmer can handle branches up to around 20 millimetres, which is fully sufficient for a wide variety of hedges. It cuts through branches smoothly without jamming.

But a word of warning if you have an old-growth lilac hedge – the weight and performance of this trimmer make it unsuitable. But it will do a good job on a slightly younger lilac hedge.

Unfortunately, it is a bit heavy for a cordless hedge trimmer and it vibrates a lot. What’s more, they’ve removed the convenient handle that last year’s batteries had.

Easy to use

The Stiga SHT 700 AE has a convenient electronic starter. While it doesn’t have a child lock, the two-handed grip helps to lower the risk of accidents.

The hedge trimmer has a rotating handle, which is good from an ergonomic perspective. It has three different positions, 0/45/90, so it can move over an angle of 180 degrees. It does not move smoothly between the different modes, but it works well.

The SHT 700 AE has a hanging hole for easier storage when not in use. In terms of price, this is a completely acceptable hedge trimmer. It’s not a premium machine, but still has an electronic starter, can trim many of the more common types of hedge and can be used at an angle.

The Husqvarna 520iHD60 is a powerful machine. It can trim a hedge with branches up to 25–30 millimetres in size, but you can see how hard it has to work on the thickest ones.

Unfortunately, it devours a lot of battery. If you have a large hedge, you should buy double batteries so that you can swap. We manage to trim for just over 20 minutes on the one battery supplied (2 Ah). We also test using a battery with a higher capacity. While this makes the hedge trimmer a bit heavier at the back, it does ensure a more reasonable battery life.

The small battery lasted just over 30 metres in one of our test hedges, but this included trimming thicker branches as well. When trimming lightly, we estimate that it will last about twice as much.

Electronic starter and rotating handle

We feel that the 520iHD60 is quite heavy, despite being well balanced. On the plus side, however, we note how free from vibrations it is.

The grip is also good. The handle at the front is curved, at the end you have a small guard for your hand. It is adjustable, which is very ergonomic and means that it suits both right and left-handed users. It is adjustable to 180 degrees, i.e. 90 degrees in each direction. It offers you three modes: 0/45/90 to the right and left respectively. The handle also has a suspension feature.

The hedge trimmer has an electronic start button, which is modern and convenient. It also has an eco mode. What it doesn’t have is a child lock– but needing a two-handed grip to be able to start it helps to reduce the risk of accidents.

The Husqvarna 520iHD60 is a powerful cordless hedge trimmer with an ergonomic design. We’re very disappointed that it feels so heavy. While it’s not hugely heavy, it’s still significantly heavier than its rivals in the same price range. When the price is so high, we also expect better battery life.

The Bosch Easy HedgeCut 18-45 is a fairly lightweight, compact hedge trimmer for smaller hedges with relatively thin branches. It easily cuts branches up to around half a centimetre thick, and can work on thicker branches, although that gives a slightly poorer work rate.

One of the great advantages of the Easy HedgeCut 18-45 is its battery life. The trimmer can cut for just over an hour before the battery starts to tire, which is really great considering the price. Towards the end of the charge, however, the battery does become noticeably tired.

Because this is an 18-volt machine, the battery works with other 18-volt tools from the same manufacturer.

A simple hedge trimmer

Overall, this is a very simple hedge trimmer. It has no special features and even lacks a battery indicator. The grips are made of thin plastic, but despite their lack of rubber, the trimmer feels comfortable in your hand – partly because it’s so light and partly because it’s very well balanced.

One disadvantage of the Bosch Easy HedgeCut 18-45 is that the dead man's grip is very sensitive as to how you position your hand. It looks roughly like an anchor rather than an arch, and when you turn the hedge trimmer, it loses contact and cuts out. You really have to hold the grip in the middle for it to work all the time.

What the Bosch Easy HedgeCut 18-45 does well is that it’s lightweight, has a good battery life and is well designed for thinner hedges. Vibration reduction is also pretty good. Thanks to these features, it makes for an affordable hedge trimmer, but isn’t ideal for anyone with a hedge with coarser branches.

The Stihl HS45 is a strong hedge trimmer intended for the average home owner. There's a nicely judged resistance in the throttle which means it isn't hard to keep it pressed in for longer periods. It also has cruise control so you can lock the throttle in a particular position and avoid tiring your hand. You simply hold the handle and allow the hedge trimmer to do its job. However, the HS45 could have been significantly more ergonomically friendly. We expected a better anti-vibration system and a handle of something more comfortable than hard plastic, given the price. Unfortunately it's also quite heavy. These characteristics mean that overall it's quite tough to work with after a while. Nor can you adjust it to different positions.

The Stihl HS45 cuts well and is a powerful machine. Branches up to almost three cm in diameter pose no problems. Above all, the long bar makes it suitable for the majority of hedges. Despite the length, it doesn't waver in deep, slightly thicker hedges. This makes it an impressive hedge trimmer. It's also easy to start, even after it's been standing for a while. Unfortunately it's rather noisy. All of the buttons except for the cruise control are well positioned and can be reached by both right and left-handed users. The hard plastic scabbard is easy to remove and replace. You can also suspend the machine from the loop on the handle, making it easy to store. Overall, this is a relatively simple but strong hedge trimmer that's suitable for medium sized hedges. The ergonomics could have been better, but the cruise control means that it's still efficient.

The Husqvarna 122HD45 is a substantial hedge trimmer for anyone with a slightly smaller hedge. The machine produces low vibrations, which means it's comfortable to work with even for longer sessions. Unfortunately the hedge trimmer doesn't have a rubberised grip, but because it has such a good anti-vibration system you barely notice this. However, you will spot that it has a very short bar, as this limits where you can use it. Nor can you change the angle of the bar, which makes it less ergonomically efficient to work with. But all of the buttons are well placed both for right and left-handed users, which is positive. The scabbard has pre-punched holes so you can hang the hedge trimmer up on a wall.

The Husqvarna 122HD45 performs well. It can cope with both slightly thicker fir branches of around 1.5-2 cm and more bushy hedges that need a good trim. However, the short bar means that it isn't suitable for anything but relatively narrow hedges. You always have a good overview of the hedge as Husqvarna have positioned the grip and other components so that they don't get in the way. Unfortunately, the choke is rather sluggish and sharp to hold in. We also think that the primer bulb is hard to see as it's hidden behind the air filter housing. The air filter screw is easy to access, however. A major advantage is that you can see the whole of the petrol tank, so you can easily see how much fuel you have left. Overall the 122HD45 is a nice strong hedge trimmer for slightly thinner hedges.

The Cub Cadet LH5 H60 is a hedge trimmer with really great battery life and a rubberised handle that provides a stable grip. Unfortunately, the handle is a bit rough, but apart from that it is well de-vibrated and perfectly well balanced.

Unfortunately, the handle's angle cannot be adjustable, which results in somewhat poorer ergonomics.

Performance is good. This hedge trimmer is suitable for hedges with branches up to 20 millimetres in thickness.

There is a spiky sharp metal blade at the front of one side of the bar. The idea is that the blade will help if you have a branch that is very coarse, and that it should be able to saw it off. Unfortunately, this doesn't work well in practice. If, for example, you have a hedge with brittle branches that you want to trim, the hedge trimmer will get stuck all the time and you can only trim in one direction to prevent this. The spikes are so sharp that they hook – you don't get a good flow when you’re working. In theory, it’s a good idea, but in practice it doesn't work.

A lot that is good with the LH5

This is a shame because there are many other things that are good about the LH5 H60. If it hadn't been for the metal blade, it would have ranked significantly higher.

For example, it has a small steel bracket that can be folded out so that it can be hung on the wall. It also has an excellent child lock. You have to fold out a flap and then start, which is great when you have children at home.

The front hand guard is well positioned and you have a good view of the cutting blade.

The battery is easily accessible and the hedge trimmer has a battery indicator, even if it is a little difficult to see.

The machine is slightly heavy at the back, but not so that it will significantly bother you. Nor did we experience any major problems with vibrations.

The Cub Cadet LH5 H60 would have been a good hedge trimmer if it wasn't for the fact that it hacks. If it wasn't for the metal piece at the front, we would have recommended it for smaller and more brittle hedges with branches about 15–20 millimetres in size.

The Black+Decker BCHTS3625L1 is a hedge trimmer with a rubberised handle and performance suitable for smaller, new-growth hedges. It’s able to cut branches with a thickness of up to about 15–18 millimetres, but that’s all. This is surprisingly feeble, given the price.

The hedge trimmer has a pulse feature that’s meant to help when you get stuck in thicker branches, but the POWERCOMMAND technology under performs. You’re supposed to be able to just press the button to clear jams, but it doesn’t help.

At the front there’s a piece of metal that prevents you from sweeping the hedge trimmer across the hedge. It’s supposed to make hedge trimming easier for you, but does the exact opposite!

Trimming a new-growth hedge is relatively easy. The battery life is completely acceptable, so it also works well on large new-growth hedges.

The BCHTS3625L1 has a two-hand grip and the child lock works for both right- and left-handed users.

The actual hedge trimmer feels a little unbalanced, but as it’s so lightweight this hardly matters. It vibrates, but no worse than any other models in the same price range. It’s generally a comfortable machine to hold, but it lacks a hanging feature and an adjustable handle.

The handguard at the front is the right size to provide approved protection for your hands. That said, you should still wear work gloves.

The battery is a bit tricky to remove, but by no means the worst we’ve ever tested.

The B+D BCHTS3625L1 is suitable if you have a new-growth hedge and other tools from Black+Decker with which you can swap batteries.

The Greenworks G40HT61 is a hedge trimmer which combines a reasonable battery life with a reasonable performance. It can handle branches up to one centimetre thick without any problems, which makes it suitable for a lot of different hedges. If the branches are thicker than that, the trimmer has to work a lot harder and tends to stick. True, it will still cut your hedge, but your work rate won’t be as good.

The specifications say that the G40HT61 can handle branches up to 2.7 centimetres thick. Our feeling is that this might be true, but only if you work at those thicker branches for a while. Furthermore, they need to be soft rather than really tough.

This hedge trimmer comes with a 2 Ah battery and we’ve measured the unloaded battery life to be 50 minutes. But once we start working with it, that time is halved. So in terms of price, the battery life is decent, but no more than that. For a larger hedge, we recommend a 4 Ah battery. This lasted for about an hour. We managed to cut a 90 metre long hedge in that time, made up of branches about one centimetre thick.

One positive thing about the G40HT61 is that you have a battery indicator which is visible whilst you work, which means you can keep an eye on the remaining battery life.

You can rotate the handle

The Greenworks G40HT61 has rubber grips on the throttle as well as two safety devices for start-up. In other words, it offers a good grip and high levels of safety. However, we found that one of the safety features, the start button – which has to be held in to fire the trimmer up – is tricky to access and that makes starting difficult. The safety catch on the handle would have been more than enough.

Noise levels are average for a hedge trimmer with this performance. The build quality is also decent. We also liked the fact that it’s possible to rotate the handle for better ergonomics. However, in terms of vibration reduction, the trimmer was quite poor.

The Greenworks G40HT61 is suitable for anyone who doesn’t have a very coarse hedge, and for those who have more products from the same manufacturer – because you can share the battery between them.

Greenworks G24HT56 is a fairly inexpensive hedge trimmer, with the advantage that you can use the same battery in other 24-volt garden machines from the same manufacturer.

It has a handle that can be rotated for better ergonomics when cutting the vertical side of the hedge. The function does not work like other adjustable hedge trimmers – on this model you merely turn the handle 90 degrees. Basically, this is a good idea, but the battery does not follow along with the rotation, which results in an uneven distribution of weight. If the battery had followed, the weight would have been relieved against the other hand. Now you have to hold it up and thus get an imbalance in the hedge cutter.

Reaches deep into the hedge

The blade is long and therefore also reaches through fairly deep hedges. We measured it to 56 centimetres, and this is in line with the manufacturer’s specifications.

However, the hedge trimmer does not cut thicker hedges – or even normal-sized ones. After having run it in a number of hedge varieties, we established that it can handle well as long as the branches are not more than 5–8 millimetres thick, which means that it is mainly suitable for maintaining new, protruding branches.

This hedge trimmer does not have a child lock, but it does have a plastic cover to protect your hand.

Considering it's a battery-powered hedge trimmer, it is quite noisy. But the battery life is really good.

Greenworks G24HT56 is suitable for those of you who have a hedge that consists of slightly thinner branches, for example a spirea hedge. This is also a good choice if you’re looking to trim the tops of your hedges and cut new branches on a larger hedge.