The 12 Best Pruners of 2024

Best Overall

Felco F-2 One-Hand Pruning Shear

$61 At Amazon $70 At Home Depot $59 At Walmart

We put the Felco 2 to the test in a garden in Oregon, where hydrangeas, laurel hedges, various shrubs, and flowers were running rampant. Much to our delight, the pruner snipped and snapped through all manner of greenery and shrubbery up to 1 inch in diameter without any difficulty at all and without leaving ragged or torn edges on the plants.

This is a bypass pruner, meaning that the blades "scissor" past each other rather than meeting directly together when clamped closed. That makes this a great tool for pruning through green stems, vines, and branches, as well as woodier branches up to 1 inch in diameter.

The F2 has a steel blade for durability and lightweight aluminum handles. We loved the ergonomic design, as well as the red, rubbery covers that provide a secure grip while adding a cushioning feel—no hand pain here, even after a lengthy session in the garden. The pruners have a steel nut and bolt that allow for tiny adjustments of the blades to secure the exact angle that works best for you. There's even a small groove on the edge of the pruners for snipping landscaping wire or similar materials so you don't damage the blade with such activities.

The F2 measures 8.5 inches in length, making it ideal for gardeners with medium to large hands. (If your hands are small, then the Felco F6 is your best option.) While this is the most expensive pair of pruners on this list (aside from our best electric pick), every part of this Swiss-made tool can be replaced, so if you care for your pruners properly, they will last you for decades. The iconic Felco 2 has been a favorite pruner of gardeners everywhere since its launch back in 1948.

_{Type: Bypass | Maximum Cut Capacity: 1 inch thick | Locking Mechanism: Yes | Weight: 0.53 pounds | Length: 8.5 inches}

Best Heavy-Duty

Fiskars PowerGear 2 Pruner

$22 At Amazon $25 At Home Depot $22 At Walmart

These sturdy bypass pruners have a patented gear and cam mechanism that lets you cut through branches up to 3/4-inch thick with far less pressure than you'd need with most other pruners. That means less stress and fatigue to your hand, as well as a cleaner cut through the stem. Plus, the titanium coating on the steel blades helps ward off sticky sap and rust, as well as provides a smooth cut.

The strong blades stay sharp for a long time, so resharpening them will be a thankfully infrequent task, although when you do need to sharpen these pruners, the blades open wide enough to make it an easy job.

The handles have an ergonomic design that fits very comfortably in your hand, and there are additional soft cushioned areas strategically placed to help prevent blisters and provide extra comfort during those long gardening sessions. The handles are designed to roll slightly with the movement of your fingers to help reduce hand strain. It can take a little bit of time to get used to the rolling motion, but once you do, you'll enjoy pruning green stems, vines, twigs, and small branches.

Keep in mind that these pruners are 11.5 inches long, making them suitable for medium to large hands but possibly too big for gardeners with small hands. Also, they are designed for right-handed use only, so if you are sharing pruners with a lefty, you might want our best adjustable pruners instead.

_{Type: Bypass | Maximum Cut Capacity: 3/4 inch thick | Locking Mechanism: Yes | Weight: 0.55 pounds | Length: 11.5 inches}

Best Adjustable

Corona ComfortGEL Bypass Pruner

$29 At Amazon $29 At Home Depot $32 At Walmart

The unique feature of these pruners is the FlexDIAL, which allows you to adjust how far the pruner can open, which in turn, lets you tailor the tool to the size of your hand. We tested this pruner in our own home garden on a wide variety of plants, including citrus trees, palm fronds, vines, and shrubs. We found that the steel blades cut easily and cleanly through just about everything we tested—the palm fronds were too wide for a clean cut, but the pruners still managed to muscle through them.

What also stood out while testing was the very comfortable grip. The ergonomic handles were very easy and comfortable to squeeze, even for our somewhat painful hands. The blades are coated to prevent the sticky buildup of sap and other plant fluids, which was especially liked while pruning ficus.

The 8-position dial adjusts the tool from a maximum cut capacity of 1/4-inch at the first setting up to a maximum cut capacity of 3/4-inch at the eighth setting. If your hands are small, stick with the lower numbers, and go higher for larger hands. Of course, you can also use the small settings for more delicate pruning and the higher settings for more power, regardless of your hand size.

One little hiccup we noted while testing was the stickiness of the FlexDIAL. We found that it tended to stick when being adjusted. However, we still were able to work around that by squeezing the pruners slightly while turning the dial to the desired setting.

_{Type: Bypass | Maximum Cut Capacity: 3/4 inch thick | Locking Mechanism: Yes | Weight: 0.6 pounds | Length: 8 inches}

Best for Hand Pain

The Gardener's Friend Pruning Shears

$18 At Amazon

These ratcheting hand pruners from The Gardener's Friend are designed to be very easy to use even if you struggle with hand weakness. The ratcheting design means that the blades "catch" slightly as they are closed, so the blades help provide the squeezing force rather than requiring your hands to exert all the effort on their own. That means it's much easier to cut through small branches up to an inch in diameter.

The blades of these sturdy pruners are corrosion-resistant, manganese steel, and the handles are aluminum with a soft rubber grip that's easy on your fingers and palms. The pruner locks from either side, making it ambidextrous, and at 8 inches in length, it's good for any average-sized hand.

This is an anvil-style pruner, meaning that one blade moves to clamp down directly against the other, in contrast to a bypass pruner where the blades slightly slide past each other. Anvil pruners require less pressure to provide more cutting force and are especially good for cutting through woody material, although, of course, you can use these pruners to clip through stems and vines, as well.

While the blades aren't quite as sharp as some others on our list, they can be replaced if needed. These pruners also come with a small cleaning sponge to help keep the blades in great shape.

_{Type: Anvil | Maximum Cut Capacity: 1 inch thick | Locking Mechanism: Yes | Weight: 0.5 pounds | Length: 8 inches}

Best Ratchet

EZ-Kut Ratchet Pruner

$40 At Amazon View On Ezkutproducts.com

These all-metal pruners have a three-stage ratcheting mechanism, which greatly reduces the force required to use them, meaning that they are ideal even for those with weak or painful hands. The handles are aluminum with a comfortable grip coating, and at 8.26 inches in length, they are a good fit for most hands.

These anvil-style pruners have a maximum cutting capacity of 1.5 inches. Ideal for pruning dead branches and woody materials, they can also be used to clip through greenery and stems. They are also well-designed for making circle cuts—if the branch to be pruned is too thick for the pruners, then use the blade to circle around the branch, cutting into it as far as you can, before making a final snip to remove it from the tree or shrub. On the downside, we do wish they came in another color as the green color can make them tough to spot if they are set down in the grass.

_{Type: Anvil | Maximum Cut Capacity: 1.5 inch thick | Locking Mechanism: Yes | Weight: 0.4 pounds | Length: 8.26 inches}

Best for Small Hands

Felco F-6 Classic Pruning Shears

$55 At Amazon $66 At Home Depot $72 At Walmart

The Felco 6 is very similar to our best overall pick, the Felco 2, but designed for a smaller hand. That makes this an ideal choice if you find the F2 just a bit too large. Like the F2, these are bypass pruners with hardened steel blades and aluminum handles covered with a red, rubbery material that provides an improved grip and some comfortable cushioning. And like the F2, these pruners have a sap groove to help ward off the accumulation of sticky grunge on the blades, a wire-cutting notch, and a nut and bolt that are adjustable to set the blades at just the right angle for your use.

At 7.68 inches in length, these are shorter than the F2, and the handles are closer together, making it easy for smaller hands to open and close the pruner fully. The blades are slightly more angled than on the F2, which makes this pruner more like an extension of your own hand and thus easier to angle into tighter spots.

The cutting capacity of the F6 is 0.8 inches, which is a bit less than the F2, but you can just as easily snip through green stems, vines, twigs, and branches that aren't too hard or thick on your garden shrubs. You can also replace all parts of this pruner, which means that if you take good care of it, it will last through decades of gardening use.

_{Type: Bypass | Maximum Cut Capacity: 0.8 inch thick | Locking Mechanism: Yes | Weight: 0.46 pounds | Length: 7.68 inches}

Best for Roses

ARS Heavy Duty Pruner

$43 At Amazon View On Growers-inc.com

Known for their extremely high-quality garden tools, ARS is a Japanese brand that's been around for over a century. We like the amazing sharpness of the double-hardened, double-plated, resin-coated steel blades; this pruner snips through rose stems and canes as easily as cutting through butter, creating clean, perfect cuts without any ragged edges or tears.

The blades are slightly offset to reduce hand fatigue and effort required for clamping the pruners closed, so even if your hands aren't the strongest, you can still easily keep your rosebushes looking their best, whether it's end-of-season pruning or in-season deadheading to encourage more blooms.

The handles of these bypass pruners are die-cast aluminum with a rubbery coating for better grip and improved comfort. The lock requires just a squeeze to release, making these one-handed pruners, but occasionally the lock can stick a bit. At 8 inches in length, these pruners are good for gardeners with average-size hands. Use them to snip through rose stems and canes, vines, twigs, small branches, and flower stems up to 3/4-inch thick.

_{Type: Bypass | Maximum Cut Capacity: 3/4 inch thick | Locking Mechanism: Yes | Weight: 0.47 pounds | Length: 8 inches}

Best General Use

Gonicc Titanium Bypass Pruning Shears

$20 At Amazon View On Gonicc.top

A quality hand pruner can be expensive, but these pruning shears from Gonicc are no slouch in the garden yet come at a very reasonable price. The blades are made of titanium that's been polished to a very sharp edge that cleanly and easily nips through greenery and small branches up to 3/4-inch in diameter, making them useful for pruning all sorts of common backyard plants.

They even have a sap groove that helps prevent the accumulation of sticky plant fluids on the pruner, helping to prevent annoying catching and sticking while you work and reducing the effort needed to clean the tool after a gardening session.

The handles are aluminum wrapped in a soft plastic that provides some cushioning to your hand as well as improves your grip. While these don't have any mechanism to reduce the effort of squeezing the handles, they are still easy to use. The pruners are 8 inches long, which is suitable for most hands other than very small or very large.

They are best used to cut through live stems and greenery, rather than dead wood. Although these aren't as sturdy as some of our other top picks, they are still a fine addition to your gardening tool collection, and should serve you well through many seasons.

_{Type: Bypass | Maximum Cut Capacity: 3/4 inch thick | Locking Mechanism: Yes | Weight: 0.4 pounds | Length: 8 inches}

Best Electric

DeWalt 20V MAX Cordless Battery Pruner

$102 At Amazon $89 At Home Depot $126 At Walmart

If you are looking for a pruner that does most of the hard work for you, then you'll love this cordless battery offering from Dewalt. It is powered by a Dewalt 20-volt MAX battery (sold separately), which can carry out up to 1,100 cuts on a single charge, depending on the thickness of the branches you're pruning. You do need to squeeze the trigger to activate the device, but after a very gentle squeeze, the tool takes over and closes the blades to cut through branches up to 1.5 inches thick, and then the blades automatically open again in preparation for the next cut.

You'll be able to prune quickly with this tool; it can make up to one cut each second. That makes this bypass pruner a great tool for most common backyard plants, including roses, shrubs, vines, perennials, and even small tree branches.

The blades have a nonstick coating, so sticky sap won't easily build up and slow you down. The plastic body of the tool has a rubbery grip that's easy on your hands. At 2.5 pounds (without the battery), it's heavier than many manual pruners, but for those who struggle with hand pain or stiffness, this electric pruner can mean continuing to work in a beloved garden, which can easily justify the price. It even has a built-in LED light, so you can easily pinpoint just the stem you want to snip.

_{Type: Electric bypass | Maximum Cut Capacity: 1.5 inch thick | Locking Mechanism: Yes | Weight: 2.5 pounds | Length: 12.5 inches}

Best Snips

Vivosun Pruning Shears

$6 At Amazon $11 At Home Depot

These lightweight, compact garden snips are perfect for deadheading flowers, lightly pruning unruly annuals and perennials, removing twigs, or clipping away unwanted greenery. They are also useful around the vegetable garden, for pruning houseplants, or even for shaping bonsai. The snips have stainless-steel, precision-ground blades that are very sharp and make clean cuts without leaving stems ragged or torn. The handles are plastic with a rubbery grip and are comfortable in your hand. The spring can be a bit tight to squeeze, however.

While the manufacturer does not indicate the maximum cut capacity for these, as a general rule, garden snips are only for small cuts through soft plant material that's no more than 1/4-inch thick. You can carry these snips in your pocket—they are only 6.5 inches long—and you'll always be ready to deadhead that faded rose or spent sunflower. While you aren't going to use garden snips for major pruning, for less than $10, they are a must-have tool for those small, delicate tasks that require a fine touch.

_{Type: Snips | Maximum Cut Capacity: Not listed | Locking Mechanism: Yes | Weight: 0.15 pounds | Length: 6.5 inches}

Best Anvil

Gonicc Professional Anvil Pruning Shears

$21 At Amazon View On Gonicc.top

Anvil pruners have a grooved stationary blade and a sharp cutting blade that comes straight down into the groove, creating a clean, crushing cut that is especially good when you are pruning dead twigs or small branches, but can also be used to prune living, woody stems. We especially like this 8-inch anvil pruner from Gonicc, which has carbon-steel, chromium-plated blades that stay sharp. The handles are aluminum with a soft, rubbery grip for comfort.

These pruners have a pulley mechanism that greatly reduces the amount of force you need to exert to cut through branches, making them a good choice if you have a weak grip or painful hands. The maximum cut capacity is 3/4-inch, so these can handle most common pruning tasks. They are a good size for the average hand but might be a bit large if your hands are very small. These are very reasonably priced anvil pruners, but can be a bit stiff to open and close at times.

_{Type: Anvil | Maximum Cut Capacity: 3/4 inch thick | Locking Mechanism: Yes | Weight: 0.4 pounds | Length: 8 inches}

Best for Houseplants

Fiskars Softouch Micro-Tip Pruning Snip

$13 At Amazon $19 At Walmart $12 At Target

Whether it's a pothos, ficus, or dracaena, most leafy houseplants require an occasional trim to keep them well-shaped and looking their best. Because most common houseplants—we are not including succulents or cacti in this category—have fairly thin and soft stems and branches, they are best pruned with a garden snip like this one from Fiskars. Basically a very sharp scissor, these snips have stainless steel blades that create very clean cuts so your plants won't have ragged edges that can bring on disease or look unsightly. The plastic handles have soft, rubbery material at the pressure points, so they are very easy on your hands and comfortable to hold.

You can of course also use these snips on your outdoor plants; they are especially good for deadheading spent flowers or trimming back overgrown perennials. They are also excellent for snipping fresh herbs. The snips have a spring that helps open the blades back up after every cut, which reduces the strain on your hand. On occasion, the spring can stick, though.

At only 6 inches in length and a mere 0.2 pounds in weight, they are easy to carry in your pocket, especially since they come with a protective cover for the blades. While Fiskars does not specify the cutting capacity, as a general rule, snips are only for cutting through soft stems up to 1/4 inch in diameter.

_{Type: Snips | Maximum Cut Capacity: Not listed | Locking Mechanism: Yes | Weight: 0.2 pounds | Length: 6 inches}