KEEN (and not so keen) gardeners will always find a good set of secateurs are a must for keeping everything looking tidy, but choosing the best secateurs can be a bit of a minefield.
A one-size-fits-all approach doesn’t always work, as some larger plants require stronger cutters, so where do you start?
While serious cutting back should be done in autumn – apple trees for example enjoy a trim in the latter part of the year, as do Buddleia and Dogwood – you can still get rid of stray shoots and overgrown brambles at any time of the year. They can become a nuisance if left, as well as being potential tripping hazards.
As summer approaches and our gardens prepare to dazzle us with their beauty, we’ve rounded up our pick of the best secateurs on the market, all tried and tested, and to suit a range of budgets.
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Best secateurs at a glance:
- Most stylish: Niwaki GR Pro Secateurs
- Most heavy duty: Felco No. 2s
- Best mid-range: Okatsune 103s
- Best left-handed: Burgon and Ball
- Most sensible: Burgon & Ball Flora brite
- Best budget secateurs: Wilko Soft Grip
- Best value: Spear & Jackson Razorsharp
Niwaki GR Pro Secateurs
- Niwaki GR Pro Secateurs, £84 from John Lewis - buy here
- Niwaki GR Pro Secateurs, £84 from Niwaki - buy here
Constantly jostling for top spot are Niwaki’s GR Pro and the classic Felco Model 2. A bit like trying to work out whether lamb or beef is better for Sunday lunch. Each comes with definite pros and the odd con.
The GR Pro is made from Japanese carbon steel. They’re easy to work with and have hard-to-miss yellow handles, so they stand out when you inevitably leave them lying around the lawn.
With 55mm blades, and a 15mm max cut - they may be smaller, but they are deadly - Japanese steel is very, very hard. I alternate between the two, depending on my mood - but the Niwaki are definitely the more stylish of the two with slightly more streetcred. They’re drop forged and hand finished in Sanjo in the North of Japan for goodness sake.
The cons however, have got to be the price tag and the fact that sometimes the strong magnet catch on the bottom flicks back into place when you’re mid cut, which can be annoying.
Material: Carbon steel Size: 18.5cm Weight: 228g
Rating: 5/5
Pros:
- Tough
- Easy to see
Cons:
- Price
Felco No. 2s
- Felco No. 2s, £50.56 from Amazon - buy here
Felco No. 2s are found at the top of the more traditional secateur charts - they’ve been on the market for more than 70 years.
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Instantly recognisable with their glossy red handles, you immediately know where you are with a pair of Model 2s. They offer a more reassuringly chunky feel than the GR Pro; they are Swiss designed and have shock absorbers to protect your hand and wrist.
Plus they have a wire cutting part to the blade, which is unbelievably useful and they feel heavy duty enough to take on even the woodiest of stems.
The downside is that I find they rust without constant attention and, although they’re easy to take apart, getting them back to the exact cut you’re looking for can take a bit of fidgety precision.
Material: Aluminium alloy Size: 23.5cm Weight: 250g
Rating: 5/5
Pros:
- Robust
- Shock absorbers protect your wrists
Cons:
- Can rust
Okatsune no. 103 pruners
- Okatsune 103s, £49.50 from Amazon - buy here
- Okatsune 103s, £45 from Niwaki - buy here
The best mid-range secateurs have got to be the Okatsune no. 103 pruners. Small and hardy and sought-after in Japan, these are sharp and very strong. They’re also very popular amongst my professional gardener friends.
They have clever red and white handles because - wait for it - red shows up in daylight and white at night!
Stripped back of some of the more western comforts, these have a really sharp cutting action, and a strong spring - as well as the magnetic catch at the bottom that is large enough to work no matter how cold and shaky your hands are!
Because they're made from Japanese carbon steel, the blades can chip, so they come with a baffling list of what you’re not supposed to cut - very hard wood, some bamboo fibres and stone (!) but don’t let that put you off. A very satisfying pair of secateurs that won’t break the bank. Blades are 55mm with a 15mm max diameter cut.
Material: Carbon steel Size: 20cm Weight: 228g
Rating: 4/5
Pros:
- Very strong
- Easy to see day and night
Cons:
- Not suitable for cutting some wood/plants
Burgon and Ball left-handed secateurs
- Burgon and Ball left-handed secateurs, £22.95 from Amazon - buy here
I'm right handed, so this review was helpfully provided by a friendly leftie.
The Burgon and Ball bypass secateurs are specially created for left handed gardeners and are endorsed by the RHS.
Bypass means the two blades glide past each other, creating a really clean cut. They’re good for cutting greener growth.
Despite a relatively low price point, they come with a reassuring 10-year guarantee. The easy release is nice and smooth.
There’s lots more left handed versions on the market now, but these look like they’ll stand the test of time. They cut live stems up to 25mm diameter.
Material: Carbon steel Size: 26.8cm Weight: 270g
Rating: 4/5
Pros:
- Left-handed
- Price
- 10-year guarantee
Cons:
- None
Burgon & Ball Flora brite
- Burgon & Ball Flora brite, £23 from B&Q - buy here
If, like me, you are constantly on your knees searching for trowels/hand forks/secateurs that you’ve literally just put down, then these are for you.
Fluorescent yellow, they show up in any foliage - and I should know, I chucked them around my garden at 7pm in early October, and found them every time; a triumph!
With a 10-year guarantee AND an endorsement from the RHS, you’d be a fool not to. They feel sturdy with a strong catch, and are quite large, so they probably wouldn’t suit small hands.
They may not win any fashion awards but they’re sensible enough not to care. Cuts up to 25mm diameter.
Material: Carbon steel Weight: 260g
Rating: 3/5
Pros:
- Flourescent so easy to see
- 10-year guarantee
Cons:
- Large
Wilko soft grip garden secateurs
- Soft grip garden secateurs, £3.50 from Wilko - buy here
Right at the bottom of the price scale for the more well-known brands, are Wilko’s soft grip secateurs.
It's claimed they cut up to 12mm diameter - which is probably about right - and gives a 45-degree slope cut. Don’t overstretch yourself on these as they’re definitely more for trimming and tidying than tackling a particularly grumpy tree.
But they’re nice little pruners, the catch is a bit stiff but will almost certainly loosen with further use or a tiny drop of WD40.
Material: Carbon steel Size: 21.4cm
Rating: 3/5
Pros:
- Price
- Soft grip
Cons:
- Limited cutting diameter
- Not great for heavy cutting
Spear & Jackson Razorsharp
- Spear & Jackson Razorsharp, £14.95 at Homebase - buy here
If you baulk at paying only a few pounds for a pair of secateurs, next up the rungs are the Spear & Jackson Razorsharp. Costing under £15, they’ve got soft grip handles and a 12mm diameter cut.
They felt much lighter than some other secateurs, and a little creaky when first opened but once they got into their stride they became nice and springy, with a good cut.
I would keep to the green and living wood; not ones for angry apple trees, but a decent budget pair.
Material: Carbon steel Size: 20cm
Rating: 3/5
Pros:
- Soft grip handles
- Price
Cons:
- Light cutting
What are secateurs and what do you use them for?
Secateurs are a hand-held garden tool similar to scissors that are used to prune gardens. Equipped with a sharp cutting blade, they can trim through bushes, trees and shrubs.
An essential tool for garden maintenance, secateurs can help you manage overgrown and unruly plants, shape plants in a desired way and help with cutting off dead leaves, flower heads and stems.
What to look for in a pair of secateurs
The best secateurs will feel solid yet comfortable to hold – you should be able to prune with them for a long time with no discomfort.
Consider what you'll be using them for – if you only need to cut back smaller plants or deadhead flowers, you won't need a heavy-duty pair with a large cutting diameter.
If, on the other hand, you regularly need to prune large, thicker areas, it's worth considering how big the cutting diameter is.
Different types offer different advantages – bypass models work like scissors with two blades that glide past each other for a clean cut. These are great for sharp, everyday pruning.
Anvil secateurs have one blade and a flat surface that the blade cuts onto, which is useful for cutting through thicker stems and dead wood.
Ratchet secateurs cut in a series of stages, so they don't need as much pressure to work.
Where to buy garden secateurs in the UK
If you live near a good-sized garden centre or hardware shop, it's a great idea to have a look at the brands they have in stock and any deals that are running. That way, you can hold the different designs in your hand and see if you like the look and feel of them.
If you're after something specific, online is your best bet. Retailers like Amazon, Robert Dyas, Dobbies and Screwfix, plus specific manufacturers like Burgon & Ball and Felco, all have a wide range of secateurs to cover all budgets and needs.
How much do secateurs cost?
It's possible to pick up a very basic pair for under £10, but most mid-range models are priced between £15 and £35.
For premium secateurs by high-end brands, you can pay up to £90, while really technical versions, that have been drop-forged and are wielded by celebrity gardeners, can reach well over £100.
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