These picks for the best secateurs were specially created for users with small hands, providing comfortable use with plastic grips and an anti-stick blade for clean cuts.
These bypass secateurs are well-suited to most green stems and light pruning duties, providing easy operation with their well-balanced design and easy thumb lever access to their central safety catch.
Table for What to Look for in Sacateurs
For the British Green Thumb, having the best secateurs is not just about making gardening easier; it’s about precision, plant health, and the joy of gardening. This blog dives into the intricate world of secateurs, exploring what makes a pair truly stand out in the vast market of gardening tools.
From blade sharpness and handle comfort to durability and ease of maintenance, we dissect the features that are most important for British gardeners. Whether you’re pruning delicate roses or tackling tough shrubs, understanding the characteristics of the best secateurs will enhance your gardening experience and ensure the health and beauty of your garden.
This table provides a detailed guide to the critical features of secateurs, highlighting what British green thumb gardeners should look for and how these features fare in the local climate and gardening conditions.
| Feature | Details | Importance for Gardeners | Considerations for the British Climate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Blade Quality | Material (e.g., stainless steel, carbon steel), sharpness | Essential for precise cuts and plant health | Stainless steel is rust-resistant and suitable for wet British weather. |
| Handle Comfort | Ergonomic design, material (e.g., rubber, plastic, wood) | Reduces hand fatigue, important for prolonged use | Non-slip grips are beneficial in damp conditions. |
| Durability | Construction quality, resistance to wear and tear | Long-lasting tools save cost and time on replacements. | Robust construction withstands frequent use in varied weather. |
| Size and Weight | Proportionate to hand size, light enough for ease of use | Ensures ease of handling and control | Lightweight models are preferred for ease of use during long gardening sessions. |
| Cutting Capacity | Maximum diameter of branches they can cut | Determines the range of pruning tasks they can handle. | A larger capacity is needed for tougher, thicker British shrubbery. |
| Maintenance Ease | Ease of cleaning, sharpening, and oiling | Simple maintenance extends the life of the secateurs. | Regular cleaning is crucial to prevent rusting and jamming. |
| Safety Features | Locking mechanisms, blade guards | Prevents accidents and injuries | Essential for safe storage, especially in family homes. |
| Versatility | Suitability for different types of plants | More versatile tools provide better value. | It is useful for diverse British gardens with a variety of plant species. |
| Price | Cost versus quality and features offered | Balance between affordability and quality | A higher initial investment in quality can lead to long-term savings. |
| Warranty and Support | Manufacturer’s warranty, customer service | Assurance of product quality and company support | Important for resolving any issues due to frequent use or manufacturing defects |
Blades
These fun-looking secateurs were specifically created to aid those with smaller hands. Equipped with a ratchet mechanism that reduces cutting effort, you can cut stems gradually without having to squeeze tightly for the whole length of the blades, making this ideal for arthritis sufferers and anyone experiencing other hand ailments. Their lightweight construction makes them easy and fun to use, boasting stainless steel SK-5 Japanese blades as well as Fiskars’ comfortable FiberComp material handles with an attractive pink hue for an added touch!
These classic secateurs are a BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine Best Buy winner. Crafted of solid metal with shock absorbers for wrist protection during longer pruning tasks, their ergonomic handles feature shock absorption to minimise hand strain while holding. Furthermore, their central safety catch can easily be engaged by thumb, while the wire cutting notch on the blade makes wire cutting a snap; the simple one-hand opening and closing process allows width adjustments; the light brown handles make them hard to lose in border settings; and a two-year warranty is provided!
Corona’s slimline secateurs are perfect for deadheading flowers and performing delicate stem work in tight spaces, featuring an ultra-sharp tempered stainless steel blade for precise stem work. Our guide includes these lightweight scissors, which weigh less than 200g. These secateurs come equipped with an easy-to-unlock locking latch that doesn’t require finger strength to open and are built for effortless cleaning, an ideal feature when used regularly as they may become clogged up with dirt and sap over time. These blades are also rust-resistant and coated in chromium oxide for extra safety when cutting fruit; however, this may result in duller cuts than carbon steel would. Still, they’re very inexpensive and do an outstanding job at an excellent value for the price!
Grip
The comfort and fit of secateurs handles are of utmost importance when selecting a pair. Softer and smoother handles facilitate easier cuts while decreasing hand strain and fatigue from longer pruning jobs. A good grip ensures cutting with minimal effort is possible, while the best secateurs should feel robust with no rattles or squeaks in their construction.
These classic secateurs are perfect for light pruning tasks, with an ergonomic central safety catch designed to rest comfortably in the thumb and an adjustable blade aperture (cutting width) that can be controlled using a lever to suit different types of stems. Their handles are made from beech wood, which feels lovely against your hands while remaining sturdy, capable, long-term, and enjoyable to use. They make great gifts! They can even be personalized as keepsakes!
These premium secateurs, honoured as BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine Best Buys, are an absolute pleasure to use and hold. Boasting Japanese steel blades that are sharp, easy to cut with, and long-term durable, and an intuitive locking mechanism that may take some getting used to, their comfortable handles make long-term usage easy as they’re available in sizes that cater to left and right-handed gardeners, plus they come with a two-year guarantee!
These anvil secateurs are ideal for larger branches and feature a ratchet action, which makes cutting them much simpler than with standard secateurs. Their handles are ergonomically designed so larger hands are comfortable holding them, with rubberized grip handles to aid this comfort. Lightweight yet solid construction with an integrated spring that closes easily; blades may get stuck due to sap or other garden debris buildup, so regular cleaning may be required; overall score lower than our top choices.
Safety
Secateur blades can quickly collect rust and bacteria from dead branches they’ve cut, spreading disease to healthy plants in their path. To avoid this happening, keep your secateurs rust-free by regularly wiping down after use or spraying with camelia oil (a popular practice in Japan) to keep them protected against environmental elements.
When purchasing new secateurs, one of the key decisions is choosing between bypass or anvil blades. Bypass blades work similar to scissors in that their top blade bypasses the bottom one for a clean cut—ideal for general pruning and living stem cutting; however, they tend to be less sturdy than anvil secateurs with their flat metal bases that press down onto tougher or thicker stems to cut them more efficiently; anvil secateurs may be better suited to those suffering from arthritis or having weak hands.
These classic secateurs were honored with a BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine Best Buy award. With an easy ratchet action that allows for easy use, the blade opening width can be reduced for lighter tasks with ease. Their central safety catch is easy to engage using only your thumb. Furthermore, these bright red beauties feature wire-cutting-edge functionality and soft cushion shock absorbers to provide comfort, plus their 10-year guarantee makes sure they remain easily findable!
If you’re shopping for large secateurs, these from Felco should definitely make the shortlist. Renowned for their Swiss precision, these secateurs promise clean and precise cuts every time. While heavier than some models on test, their soft grip handles and rubber shock absorbers make them comfortable to use, and their central safety catch is easy to access. Their handle shape may not suit arthritic hands, but there are left-handed models as well.
Performance
Secateurs are among the most-used tools in any garden, so it’s crucial that they’re comfortable and easy to use. That means having a firm grip without too much force needed when closing them, a precision cutting tool that shouldn’t ‘hack’ through plants, and a sharp blade easily cleaned to rid themselves of plant disease, said topiary expert Darren Lerigo, who runs Modern Mint, an online tool and gardening shop.
Consider first whether bypass or anvil secateurs would meet your needs; bypass secateurs are ideal for live pruning work such as flowers and leaves, while anvil secateurs have two blades that move against each other like scissors; this makes them suitable for most live trimming jobs such as light shrubbery. Anvil secateurs resemble more like knives; therefore, they’re better suited to thick stems such as roses and hawthorns.
No matter whether you choose bypass or anvil secateurs, the ideal pair will feature hardened steel blades that have been tempered and coated for smooth cutting action. In addition, their handles should be lightweight, comfortable to use, and include an easily engaging safety catch. Features that add convenience, like wire cutting notches and being able to adjust the cutting width accordingly, may also come in handy.
Niwaki secateurs were recognized with a BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine Best Buy award due to their comfortable and balanced feel, including an easy engagement of the central safety catch with your thumb and an adjustable blade aperture width for more delicate pruning. Furthermore, this pair comes equipped with replacement springs, holsters, and warranties.
These medium-class secateurs from a brand recommended by the Royal Horticultural Society are relatively comfortable in your hand and feature a soft spring action that requires little force when opening and closing them. Our test showed these were also among the few pairs offering opening width control to change between standard settings for general pruning tasks and more precise precision settings for more delicate pruning jobs. Furthermore, their maintenance requirements are easy with an adjustable screw for setting blade length to meet tasks as well as a non-stick coating on handles that helps them glide easily over branches.