Best Cordless Hedge Trimmer
Updated: Jan 2023
When maintained, a hedge is a perfect addition to any garden. Whether it’s as a boundary divider with your neighbour or ornamental, we’re better many of you have hedges. But hedges need cutting and in summer, quite often to keep them looking tidy. That’s where good quality cordless hedge trimmers can come in handy!
Thankfully, gone are the day of trailing meters of power extensions across the garden and worrying you’re going to trim through it. Developments in rechargeable batteries now mean that a cordless hedge trimmer is the best way to keep your hedge pristine.
We’ve looked at the best models currently available and reviewed them below so that you can purchase the best model for your needs.
What to consider when buying a hedge trimmer?
Extendable?
If your garden has high hedges or maybe you’re looking to trim conifers, then it might be worth investing in an extendable or pole hedge trimmer. These trimmers come with long poles and the ability to adjust the angle of the trimmer so that you can reach the top of hedges.
Weight?
Again, something to consider if you have a tall hedge is the weight. Even if it’s not tall but your garden is surrounded by hedges, you might want to consider something lighter if you’re going to be working with it for hours.
What will you be cutting?
Not all hedges are born equal. A good privet or box hedge has small branches throughout and a trimmer with smaller teeth will do just the job. If you’re cutting a larger hedge or conifer, you might come across some thick branches and therefore you will need something with more bite!
VonHaus Cordless Pole Hedge Trimmer
Pros
- Easy to assemble
- Simple to use
- Great battery life
- Fast recharge
Cons
- Quite heavy
We start with the VonHaus Cordless Pole Hedge Trimmer, which is great for taller hedges. The trimmer features a comfortable and supporting shoulder strap which is best to get adjusted straight away to fit your needs. This is especially important as the VonHaus is not the lightest product in this review, in fact, its weight is one of its only downsides.
Despite that, the ease of use and the fact it comes with a fully charged battery makes this hedge trimmer our top pick. It will cut through a good 1cm branch thickness, making it suitable for everything from a box to a yew.
The battery for the machine recharges in just half an hour, which means if you’re cutting lots of hedges you get a suitable tea break in between cuts. It’s also worth looking to invest in a second battery given that they are relatively inexpensive.
Price: £129.99
DEWALT DCM563PB-GB 18 V XR Hedge Trimmer
Pros
- Long-lasting battery
- Cuts thick branches
- Lightweight
- Well balanced with battery in
Cons
- Not quite as powerful as a petrol trimmer (but you’re probably not here for that kind of power).
When it comes to cordless hedge trimmers, you can do much worse than sticking with one of the leading power tool manufacturers. DeWalt are known for delivering high-quality pieces of kit and this cordless hedge trimmer is no different.
It’s worth noting that the trimmer does not come with batteries as standard. The reasoning behind this is potentially so that you can choose how much power you need. A 2AH battery will give you a good 25mins of cutting power, but if you feel you need more than that then the company provides a 5AH battery.
At a slightly higher price point, it’s worth deciding if you have enough hedge to warrant the purchase. But as with many of their tools, you get a solid piece of kit that also comes with a 1-year warranty and sturdy quality to last for years.
Price: £142.89
Ryobi OHT1845 18V ONE+
Pros
- Lightweight
- Batteries compatible with other Ryobi ONE+ tools
- Rotating handle to balance weight of battery
- Long battery life
Cons
- Battery and charger sold separately
If you already own any of the Ryobi ONE+ tools, then you’ll know it’s decent stuff. The company has developed a bit of a following for sturdy well-made products that work and work well. The OHT1845 is no different and is one of the best hedge trimmers in this list, easily powering through 200ft of a hedge on one charge.
It’s worth noting that the hedge trimmer doesn’t come with a battery or charger. If you already own any of the ONE+ kit you can use the same batteries, if not you’re looking at an additional £76.99 for the 2AH battery and charger.
One of the best features that we haven’t seen on any other trimmers, is the twisting handle. This feature allows you to rotate the handle 180 degrees to balance the battery against the direction you’re cutting to make it easier to handle.
All in all, we’d say the Ryobi ONE+ system is worth investing in for all your power tool needs and the OHT1855R is no different.
Price: £89.09 (without battery and charger)
Greenworks Tools Cordless Hedge Trimmer G40HT61K2
Pros
- Lightweight
- Great battery life
- Affordable
- Adjustable handle
Cons
- Doesn’t cope well with thick branches.
Greenworks are a competitor brand to Ryobi, with a variety of tools that fit the same 40V batteries they produce. This hedge trimmer resembles the above Ryobi model in many ways, one of which is the adjustable handle. Although it only rotates 90 degrees, it’s still a very useful feature that helps you trim in comfort.
It’s worth noting that if you’re looking to tackle a leylandii or conifer, then the 27mm blades may not cut through the thicker branches. But the model does come with a great anti-jam feature which kicks the trimmer into reverse when it gets stuck.
On the standard battery that comes with the hedge trimmer you will get around 40 mins of running time. That’s enough to cover most hedges in our cases, but if you’ve got a garden the size of a football pitch or two, you might want to buy another battery as they take around 90mins to charge.
Price: £176.99
Bosch Cordless Hedge Trimmer AHS 50-20 LI
Pros
- Lightweight
- Easy to manoeuvre
- Quick charging
Cons
- Only 30mins of battery life
Along DeWalt, if you were looking for a power tool you’d likely think of Bosch. The company have been powering our gardening and DIY efforts for years and this cordless hedge trimmer is a great addition to any Bosch shed.
Price-wise, it’s fairly middle of the road compared to the rest we’ve reviewed – the bonus is that it comes with a battery and charger where others don’t. If you own other Bosch Power 4All tools in the range then you’ll be pleased to know that the battery will fit. That might come in handy as the charge on this trimmer only gives you 30-40mins of power on average, so an additional battery could be a good purchase.
If you’re going to be trimming some simple box or privet, then at this price these are a great buy. But if you have anything thicker in your garden like a conifer, then don’t expect to cut through the thicker branches with these.
It’s also worth noting that we’ve read of several issues when trying to register the 3 year warranty, certainly not a dealbreaker for many but worth noting.
Price: £86.80
