11 Best Pruning & Garden Shears of 2022

✔️ Blade Type: There are three basic types of pruning shears: anvil, bypass, and ratchet. To choose the right working style for your needs, take a look at the size of your plants and their stems (how flexible or sturdy are they?) and consider how often you will be using your scissors:

• anvil is best for cutting woody stems and branches.
• bypass is best for pruning or trimming flexible stems or green wood.
• ratchet is best for tough stems or for gardeners with small or weak hands.
• straight blade is best for small cuts and fine work.

✔️ Size and Handle Design: You’re going to want a clipper that feels good in your hand so you can prune your plants without hand pain. “Look for pruning shears that have a comfortable grip—usually a rubber grip is most comfortable,” says Eva Bleyer, product reviews analyst at the Good Housekeeping Institute and avid indoor gardener. “Pruning can take time and you don’t want your hands to get tired or blistered.” If you’re left-handed, look for a pair that’s specifically designed for left-handers.

✔️ Locking Tab: For safety reasons, all pruning shears should have some form of lock to keep the shears closed when not in use. “Make sure your scissors close and snap into place so you don’t injure yourself or others — and be careful,” advises Steinkopf.

Trimming dead leaves, stems, and branches promotes healthy plant growth, prevents an infestation, and can prevent future damage once your plant has started dying. You’ll know your plant needs pruning when the leaves are “stringy, limp, or just plain overgrown,” says Steinkopf. You might also want to prune your plants if they get too big or if you want to propagate them, she adds.

If you’re wondering whether you can just use house shears instead of pruning shears to trim your plants, gardeners say it’s best not to.

“Sharp scissors will get the job done, but for the best results, good scissors will provide a sharp, clean cut that allows the plant to repair damage faster,” says Caro Langton of Studio RoCo. Steinkopf agrees that “scissors can crush the stems instead of giving them a clean cut.”

✔️ Cleaning: Choose durable shears that are easy to disassemble so you can give them a thorough clean at least once a season. Between uses, Ray suggests “keeping your shear blades clean by wiping them down with rubbing alcohol, which will help prevent the spread of infection while cutting.”

✔️ Sharpening: “Look for scissors with sharp blades that can be sharpened if necessary,” says Bleyer. “The sharper the blades, the less trouble there is in cutting thick flower stems or branches, and the less risk of injury.” You can buy a pruning tool sharpener or a scissor sharpener.

This summary was written by Alyssa Gautieri, a lifestyle editor for Good housekeeping, covering everything to do with home, design and garden. To make her selection, Alyssa researched and reviewed pruning shears that received overwhelmingly positive reviews on Amazon, as well as best-sellers from popular gardening tool manufacturers. She also interviewed two gardening experts who shared their recommendations and tips for buying secateurs, and she asked two experienced product testers from the Good Housekeeping Institute (who happen to be avid indoor and outdoor gardeners!) for their insights.