Who makes the best pruning shears?

The 3 Best Garden Pruners of 2024 | Reviews by Wirecutter

Using dull pruners in your garden is like wielding a substandard scalpel in the operating room. You risk making your plants sick, scarring them, and even nicking yourself. We tested 39 pruners to see which models were the most comfortable to hold and made the cleanest cuts.

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Our testers with small hands liked this pair of compact, inexpensive pruners more than any other model. These pruners had the sharpest blades and required the least force to make the smoothest cuts of any of the pruners in our tests, but the price changes often.

What is sharp, durable, easy to repair, and easy to find? As countless gardeners already know, a Felco 2 may be the last pruner you ever buy, but those with smaller hands might have an easier time with one of our other picks.

Felco 2

The Best Garden Pruners

What is sharp, durable, easy to repair, and easy to find? As countless gardeners already know, a Felco 2 may be the last pruner you ever buy, but those with smaller hands might have an easier time with one of our other picks.

Buying Options

$60 from Amazon

$70 from Home Depot

In our tests, the Felco 2 Classic Manual Hand Pruner made clean, straight cuts on almost everything we tried. Its bypass blades opened and closed smoothly, and required only slight force to cut thick branches. The hardened-steel blades are strong enough to withstand sharpening dozens of times, the plastic-coated forged aluminum alloy handles are nearly unbreakable, repairs are easy, and replacement parts for any worn-out pieces are widely available, consistently priced, and beloved among gardeners.

Also great

ARS HP-VS8Z

Excellent pruners, uneven costs

These pruners had the sharpest blades and required the least force to make the smoothest cuts of any of the pruners in our tests, but the price changes often.

Buying Options

$44 from Amazon

The ARS HP-VS8Z was the only model that consistently made perfectly clean, flat cuts in soft stems, woody growth, hardwood dowels, and even buckthorn branches almost an inch thick without crushing or tearing anything—and with less effort. Every other pair of pruners jerked or stuck on something in our tests, but not this one. The HP-VS8Z is so good that we almost made it our top pick for this guide, but its pricing is inconsistent and sometimes very high. We've seen it fluctuate between $35 and $75.

Also great

Okatsune 101

Best pruners for small hands

Our testers with small hands liked this pair of compact, inexpensive pruners more than any other model.

Buying Options

$24 from Amazon

May be out of stock

If you wear small or extra-small gloves, our other pruner picks might be uncomfortable to hold and, at worst, dangerous, since pruners can spring open if you're struggling to grip them. Our three paid testers with small hands found they were able to get easy, straight, clean cuts on branches and stems of varying widths with the Okatsune 101.

This more compact tool is less than half the price of our top pick, the Felco 2, making it a good budget option. Our paid testers also liked the simple locking mechanism, although there were some complaints that the latch sticks out past the edge of the handle.

Best pruning shears in 2024: Tested and rated

Whatever the season, it's always worth having one of the best pruning shears to hand. But if you're looking for a new set of shears, or want to upgrade, how can you tell which to buy? There are countless brands and models to choose from, all with a very similar appearance, but you'll want to know about comfort, grip, longevity, and ease of use when deciding which pair to buy.

We teamed up with Farmer Rich, a seventh-generation fruit and vegetable farmer, to help us test a wide range of bypass, anvil, and ratchet pruning shears. Each set of shears had to make at least 100 cuts through wood and stems to assess the sharpness and consistency, not to mention the durability of the blade. While pruning his fruit trees and ornamentals, he also scored each on the comfort and grip of the handles, considering the overall weight and shape of the design. For bypass pruning shears, he even checked the quality of the blade at the end of the test by attempting to cut through a thin sheet of paper.

The Felco 6 bypass pruner came out top in our trials for its ergonomic grip and sturdy but lightweight design. Still, the ARS VS8Z has the sharpest blade, and the Corona ClassicCUT is ideal if you're looking for a heavy-duty pruner.

Here's a list of the best pruning shears you can buy with options for both anvil and bypass types.

Best bypass pruners

1. Felco 6

The Felco 6 is smaller and more lightweight than its predecessors, but still rated to cut 0.8-inch branches. It is made for medium-sized hands, but also worked well for large hands when we put it to the test. The ergonomics designed in this tool made it very comfortable to use and noticeably reduced hand fatigue. Although it is designed for right-handed individuals, it was comfortable and worked well in the left hand as well.

This pruner has an intuitive thumb lock, easily adjustable hinge mechanism, and readily available replacement parts. The bright red handle also means you will be unlikely to lose it in the field. Its snub-nosed blade created a clean, reliable cut after well over 100 cuts on both dry and green wood. In fact, it was still sharp and tight enough to cut through paper like a new pair of scissors.

Although many pruner brands offer lifetime warranties, it is usually best to purchase a reputable pruner that will last a lifetime. Fortunately, Felco pruners have both the reputation of lasting a lifetime and offer a limited lifetime warranty. Overall, the Felco 6 is a fantastic pruner that will undoubtedly provide years of use.

2. Corona ClassicCUT

The Corona ClassicCUT 0.75” is a great pruner and a pleasure to use. It has a very simple yet rugged design with only a few parts. While lacking some ergonomic features such as wide, curved handles or a traditional thumb lock, the ClassicCut was surprisingly comfortable to use and maintained its smooth, tight action well after over 100 cuts. The MAXFORGED high-carbon steel blade showed no visible signs of wear and kept an incredibly sharp edge after repeated use on both live and dry branches.

For under $20, it is definitely in the realm of “budget pruners,” however, it was able to perform as well as other heavy-duty professional pruners several times more expensive. The tool locking mechanism was the only real area of frustration as it was difficult to use with gloves on and difficult to engage single-handedly.

The Corona ClassicCut 0.75” seemed to fit the medium-large range for hand size. The spring of the tool is strong and held firmly in place. The tool also features a built-in sap groove in the bottom blade to help prevent the shears from gumming-up when working with evergreens or other sappy plants.

3. Felco 2

The Felco 2 bypass pruners are an industry standard and are the #1 pick for most professional landscapers and orchardists. Originally designed in 1948, the Felco 2 has become one of the most copied designs of bypass pruners on the market. In fact, you must be careful of companies selling knockoffs of this product because it has such a good reputation.

There is a reason the Felco 2 has become known as the last pruner you'll ever buy. This heavy-duty pruner is incredibly well made—it has an ultra-sharp blade, comfortable handle (for larger hands), easy-to-use thumb lock and is intuitive to tighten and maintain. The cutting action of this pruner is easy on the hands for repeated cuts; that's why it is the go-to pruner for people who use them all day, every day. On test, it smoothly and cleanly cut through both green and dead wood with minimal crushing. This pruner was especially great for pruning green sucker branches from apple trees as well because it could handle both the small and the larger diameter cuts.

The Felco 2 is a right-handed pruner designed for users with large hands. They do have other options for left-handed users. The drawback of the Felco 2 is that it lacks some of the ergonomic features of their newer models (such as found on the Felco 6 that is designed for medium-sized hands). Users with some smaller hands or carpal tunnel issues may find issues using this pruner. While it is on the high end of the price range for pruners, the value is well worth it when you consider the years of reliable use you get.

Best anvil pruners

1. Felco 32 Anvil Pruner

As with most Felco products, the Felco 32 Anvil Pruner is an incredibly rugged, well-made pruner trusted for years by professionals. The hardened steel blade, metal anvil, and wide grip smoothly cut through 1-inch thick sticks. The blade closes precisely on the anvil, making a complete cut with minimal crushing or stripping of the bark. The bright red handle is easily found if put down, and replacement parts are readily available. While the pruner can be used in both the left and right hand, the thumb lock is designed for right-hand use.

The Felco 32 does require a large hand to operate and may be unwieldy for those with reduced hand strength or carpal tunnel issues. It is an expensive pruner, but if you divide the price over the lifetime of the tool, it is very reasonable. Overall, this heavy-duty pruner performed consistently well with a wide assortment of sticks and branches. If the handle size isn't an issue, then this would be a great pruner for anyone doing moderate to heavy lawn and garden work.

2. The Gardener’s Friend Ratchet Pruning Shears

The Gardener’s Friend Ratchet Pruning Shears offer a very functional ratcheting system that makes cutting thicker or harder branches a breeze. Each squeeze of the handle drives the blade further down towards the anvil until the stick cuts through. This spreads difficult cuts into up to four squeezes, greatly reducing the amount of hand strength needed for pruning.

This pruner comes with oiler pads to help with the oiling process, a very sharp blade, and has a built-in knuckle guard to help protect your hand. It is designed for medium to large handed individuals and can be operated in either the left or right hand. I appreciated the internal spring which is unlikely to ever get knocked out and lost. The pruner was comfortable to use and had a very solid feel. It consistently cut through dead wood of various shapes and diameters without much crushing or stripping of the bark.

What I liked most about Gardener’s Friend pruner was that you didn't always have to rely on the ratcheting system. If you have the strength to cut through the stem in one go, just squeeze the handle and cut. If not, release the handle slightly and the ratchet is automatically engaged. It was very simple and satisfying to use. If you're looking for a very user-friendly anvil pruner that also doubles as an easy-to-use ratcheting pruner, this one has it all. I would put it as the go-to for anyone with carpal tunnel or hand strength issues. Overall, I was highly impressed with Gardener’s Friend Ratchet Pruning Shears, it's definitely one of the best pruning shears.

3. Gonicc 8” Professional SK-5

The Gonic 8” Professional SK-5 anvil pruner uses a unique "pulley mechanism" inside the handle that slowly increases the blade pressure on the wood as you squeeze. This reduces the amount of effort it takes to cut each branch and lessens hand fatigue. The SK-5 in the name refers to the very sharp high-carbon steel blade that easily cut through 100 dead sticks of all sizes up to 0.75" thick. Its aluminum body is very lightweight, yet feels sturdy and reliable.

The Gonicc 8” Professional SK-5 anvil pruner has an ergonomically designed handle to be used either in the right or left hand. I found it to be rather slippery without gloves, but it worked well with gloves on. While the sliding thumb lock was conveniently located, I did find I would occasionally knock it into the locked position while pruning with gloves on, resulting in some frustration.

Perhaps I received a faulty unit, but there was a rivet that partially stuck out from the pulley mechanism that would constantly rub against my finger. This made it uncomfortable to use over a long period of time. This pruner was also by far the noisiest manual pruner I tested with both the spring and the pulley singing along with each cut. Even though it did cut very well, these design flaws made it frustrating to use at times and moved this pruner lower down on the recommendation list. It's a great price for the performance you get though.

4. STEELHEAD 7” Anvil Pruning Shears

The STEELHEAD 7” Anvil Pruning Shears have an extra-sharp, high-carbon steel blade and a very comfortable grip. The handles are ergonomically designed for both right- and left-handed use, and the plastic thumb lock is conveniently placed on the top of the head. These pruners consistently performed well in over 100 cuts of dead wood up to 0.5" thick without causing too much crushing damage.

At under $10, these are the least expensive of all the pruners tested. They should be considered a light-duty anvil pruner due to its small diameter capacity and plastic anvil. While the website says they are rated for 5/8 inches, the box they arrive in says 0.4 inches, which is very small for a typical anvil pruner. The spring has nice action, but is easily knocked out. While they did work very well, I have trouble thinking of scenarios when you would want an anvil pruner that is rated for less than half an inch, but you never know. These are the best pruning shears if you're after a small, light-duty anvil design and you're shopping on a budget.

How we selected and tested the best pruning shears

You can trust Tom's Guide. Our writers and editors spend hours analyzing and reviewing products, services, and apps to help find what's best for you. There are hundreds of pruners available on the market. The pruners chosen for this test were selected because they ranked amongst the highest in terms of product reviews from reputable brands and vendors. We were looking for a pruner that created a reliable, clean cut, with minimal crushing of the wood or tearing of the bark. It had to be relatively comfortable in the hand and at minimum have a hardened steel blade.

As mentioned earlier, each of the pruners featured in our best pruning shears list were hand tested by an experienced farmer while pruning fruit trees and ornamentals. Each pruner went through at least 100 cuts of wood and stems of various diameters. Most of the wood used was either apple or pear wood with a diameter of up to 1 inch thick. Live and dead wood was used for bypass pruners and dead wood was used for the anvil pruners. Flower stems were used to test thin green cuts. At the end of testing, all bypass pruners also went through a papercut test to see if the blades had stayed tight and sharp enough to cut a thin piece of paper.

Several other pruners were tested for this feature and many literally did not make the cut to be included in our ranking.

Pruner types

There are different types of hand pruners for different types of uses. It really depends on if you're cutting a living plant or dead wood.

Bypass Pruners are by far the most popular style of pruners and are ideal for cutting and pruning living plants. They work like scissors; when the handle is squeezed, a very sharp top blade slides past a duller bottom blade leaving a clean, smooth cut. The cleaner the cut, the faster the plant will heal and the more resistant the cut will be to disease. There are a few new electrical and gear-driven bypass pruners on the market for those that might have arthritis or carpal tunnel issues and a couple of them have made it into our top picks.

Anvil Pruners are ideal for cutting dead wood. When the handle is squeezed, a sharp top blade drives down against a flat surface (called the anvil). This gives the pruner more cutting power with less effort. However, it is not a ‘clean’ cut and can often crush branches and stems. If used on live plants, it can result in stripped bark or a rough cut that leaves the plant open to infection.

Ratcheting Anvil Pruners offer mechanical assistance while cutting dead wood and can be used for slightly larger diameter cuttings. A ratcheting mechanism in the pruner distributes the effort of cutting the wood over up to four squeezes instead of one. Each squeeze of the handle drives the blade further down into the stick until it eventually cuts through. This type of pruner can be great if you are lacking in hand strength, but it does increase the number of times you have to squeeze your hand. Basically, you are trading ease for repetition.

Pro tip: If you're pruning