First, a confession: pruning is my all-time favourite gardening task. I love the sound of well-sharpened secateurs slicing a stem, and the best will help you deal with dead, damaged or diseased plant material; pruning’s ‘three Ds’ are non-negotiables.
Along with a trowel and fork, secateurs are a must for any garden toolkit. Sharp blades and a comfortable grip are essential, but what constitutes the best secateurs is subjective, and there’s a range of styles to choose from.
While bypass secateurs are versatile, their slicing action is particularly appropriate for green wood and live stems. Anvil models (with a cutting blade that crushes down onto a flat anvil) are more suitable for dead wood, as a clean cut is less important. Meanwhile, ratchet designs increase power, making larger stems easier to cut – they can be especially helpful if you have mobility issues like arthritis
Whatever the design, I’ve trialled a selection that should meet the needs of most gardeners, whether tending to balcony pots or a multi-acre plot.
My top choice are the Okatsune 103 bypass secateurs, but there are several other great pairs available across a range of price points. Keep scrolling to find out more.
How I tested
I set the secateurs to work in my garden, when cutting back herbaceous perennials and pruning roses (Abigail Willis/The Independent)
After consulting RHS Gardening through the Year by Ian Spence (£12, Amazon.co.uk), I set about testing a range of secateurs on a variety of seasonal tasks in my own garden.
Over six weeks, I pruned rambling roses and early flowering shrubs such as philadelphus; I harvested dahlias and sweet peas; deadheaded roses, and cut back herbaceous perennials such as hardy geraniums to encourage new growth. I also enjoyed a few fragrant sessions trimming flower heads from lavender bushes to promote side shoots and compact growth.
On my allotment, I used the secateurs to prune gooseberry and redcurrant bushes and thin this year’s bumper apple crop. I also offered my services in a friend’s garden and did a morning’s bramble bashing in the overgrown back garden of my local bookshop.
As well as RHS-ratified tasks, I channelled the spirit of the late Christopher Lloyd, who, in The Well-Tempered Garden (£14.19, Amazon.co.uk), advocated doing gardening tasks when “in the mood”, as opposed to when the gardening manuals dictate. This Lloydian approach involved freestyle shearing on shaggy shrubs such as fuchsia, bay, pyracantha and pittosporum as well as “heading back” over-exuberant apple branches.
On top of that, I cleaned, sharpened, and oiled them as I went, so I have a good sense of how easy it is to maintain each tool. While testing, I considered the following criteria:
Quality of cut: I was after sharp blades that could give a clean and precise cut through plant tissues, helping the plant to heal quicker and therefore reducing the risk of disease and infection. A sharp blade also reduces the stress on the plant by minimising the size of the wound created.
Comfort: As an essential piece of kit that is used over a long period of time, secateurs must be comfortable to grip and hold.
Manoeuvrability: I also assessed how easily they moved around stems. As a natural lefty, I also tested some left-handed secateurs.
Ease of use: No one wants sticky latches on secateurs, so I was keen to find ones that were simple to get to grips with.
Springs: Like a sharp blade, springs can ease effort and produce a cleaner cut through a stem. Good spring can also help those with weaker wrists.
Longevity: I was after secateurs that are sustainable and have parts that can be replaced.
Ease of cleaning and maintenance: I wanted secateurs that were easy to clean, sharpen, and oil.
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The Independent’s dedicated shopping section, IndyBest is committed to providing unbiased reviews and expert advice. Our team of editors and writers have years of experience in testing products and trialling them within their own homes and gardens.
Abigail Willis is a garden writer and an RHS-qualified gardener with more than 25 years’ experience across gardens and allotments. She is the author of The London Garden Book A-Z (£3.51, Amazon.co.uk), Secret Gardens of Somerset (£17.99, Amazon.co.uk) and The Remarkable Case of Dr Ward and Other Amazing Garden Innovations (£12.99, Waterstones.com). An avid (read: compulsive) pruner, she welcomed the chance to unleash her inner Edwina Scissorhands while putting a range of secateurs to the test.
The best secateurs for 2025 are:
Best overall – Okatsune 103 bypass secateurs: £46, Amazon.co.uk
Best budget buy – Burgon and Ball bypass secateurs: £19.54, Crocus.co.uk
Best left-handed – Niwaki mainichi secateurs: £42.00, Niwaki.com
Best compact – Burgon and Ball professional compact bypass secateurs: £35.99, Burgonandball.com
Best ratchet – Darlac super classic ratchet pruners: £17.99, Amazon.co.uk
Okatsune 103 bypass secateurs
Best: Secateurs overall
Type: Bypass
Capability: 25mm branch
Hand size: Medium
Weight: 225g
Why we love it
Sharp, efficient cutting action
Hands-free latch suitable for left or right handers
Comfortable and fun to use
Take note
Handles a bit slippery at times
With their functional V-spring and jaunty red and white handles, these secateurs are Okatsune’s most popular model, and it’s easy to see why.
The blades are forged from high-carbon Izumo Yasugi steel – traditionally used for Samurai swords – so plenty hard and sharp enough for general gardening. That marketing held up to the test; they held up well, and I didn’t need to sharpen them once over the weeks of testing.
My favourites overall are light to use and cut effectively (Abigail Willis/The Independent)
I was impressed by the 103s, slicing shrub stems cleanly (but not quietly, the Okatsune’s V-spring powers a pleasingly percussive cut). At 225g, they’re light and manoeuvrable, readily nipping through prickly pyracantha and rose branches. The nifty latch closure at the handle ends can be operated by simply swiping across the hips. These are perfect for almost every gardener.
Buy now £49.84, Okatsune.co.uk
Burgon and Ball bypass secateurs
Best: Budget secateurs
Type: Bypass
Capability: 25mm branch
Hand size: Medium to large
Weight: 200g
Why we love it
Long, easy release side latch
Cushion grip
Spare blade and volute spring included
Take note
Hands up if you’ve ever lost secateurs in the compost heap. If, like me, you have, then these British-made pruners with hi-vis handles could be the answer to your prayers.
They’re endorsed by and developed in collaboration with the RHS, with the reassuring quality you would expect from that partnership.
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These secateurs are my affordable pick if you’re prone to misplacing garden tools (Abigail Willis/The Independent)
The high-carbon steel blade certainly took everything asked of it in its stride, from routine rose snipping to cleanly chopping brambles and shrub branches.
In the hand, they felt reasonably comfortable but ponderous compared to the agile Japanese style of V-spring secateurs above and below. I found that the firm action could get tiring during a prolonged pruning session. However, they offer good value for money.
Buy now £22.99, Burgonandball.com
Niwaki mainichi secateurs
Best: Secateurs for left-handers
Type: Bypass
Capability: 10-15mm branch
Hand size: Medium
Weight: 209g
Why we love it
Also available with right handed grip
Fiddle-free latch closure at end of handles
Easy to spot the yellow/blue handles on the left handed version
Take note
Too lightweight for larger pruning tasks
Niwaki describes these as ‘everyday secateurs’, and with their hard-wearing, clean-cutting, Japanese forged SK-85 blade, the Mainichi more than lived up to this billing.
I really enjoyed using them. After years of using right-handed secateurs, the small left-handed grip was blissfully comfortable. The bouncy V-spring and razor-sharp blade turned in an eager performance that was accompanied by a pleasing, almost performatively loud, cutting sound.
While Niwaki’s secateurs don’t fare well with thicker stems, they are a good choice for everyday gardening tasks (Abigail Willis/The Independent)
They look very similar to the Okatsune 103, but there are subtle differences. They can’t cut the same thickness of branches that the Okatsune can handle, but they’re ever-so-slightly lighter at 209g to 225g.
Compared to the 240g of the Felco No.2 (£55.45, Amazon.co.uk) below, they were particularly lightweight and agile; ideal for ‘pottering pruning’ like deadheading and cutting back herbaceous plants. They acquitted themselves well on the allotment, too, although they were overfaced by larger stems.
As promised by Niwaki, the high-carbon steel blades held their edge well, with no sharpening required during testing.
Buy now £42.00, Niwaki.com
Felco model 2 original secateurs
Best: Secateurs for professional gardeners
Type: Bypass
Capability: 25mm branch
Hand size: Medium to large
Weight: 240g
Why we love it
Adjustable blades for a clean, precise cut
Nonslip, shock-absorbing handles
Longevity – all parts can be replaced
Take note
Side closure toggle can inadvertently slide closed while in use
If you see a pro gardener at work, odds-on they’ll have a pair of red-handled Felco No 2s in hand or holster. I should know – I’ve been using a pair of Felcos for the best part of two decades.
Testing them for this review reminded me why. Launched in 1948, they’re the Swiss brand’s bestselling ‘ultimate all-rounder’, whose high-quality proposition includes a sharp (easily re-sharpened) hardened steel blade and non-stick, shock-absorbing handles to reduce hand-strain.
Although heavier than other secateurs, these are an exceptional long-term investment (Abigail Willis/The Independent)
Everything about these secateurs radiates Swiss competence and dependability, and they put in an efficient if stolid performance around my garden and allotment. At 240g and 215mm long, I found them heavier and more unwieldy than the Niwaki Mainichi (£44, Niwaki.com) and Okatsune 103 (£46, Amazon.co.uk), especially for fiddly jobs like fruit thinning.
They’re nicely balanced, though, slicing through mature stems with a quiet, satisfyingly crisp crunch. Every part is replaceable, too, so they’re a good option for buy-it-for-life secateurs. If you’re a pro gardener, it doesn’t get much better, but hobbyists might find them overkill – and they’re fairly expensive, too.
Buy now £71.00, Worldoffelco.co.uk
Alpen gelbhorn 150
Best: All-rounder secateurs
Type: Bypass
Capability: 20mm branch
Hand size: Small
Weight: 250g
Why we love it
Easy-squeezy opening mechanism
Replacement parts available for longevity
Hard chrome-plated blades are guaranteed corrosion resistant
Take note
Closure catch a bit stiff
Swiss quality but without a Swiss bank account price tag? That’s what Felco’s sister brand Alpen aims to deliver with these ‘designed and assembled in Switzerland’ secateurs.
At 250g, the Gelbhorn is heavier than its Felco cousin, but it is compact with a bouncy Zebedee spiral spring and 20mm capacity that’s comfortable in smaller hands.
Gardeners with smaller hands will enjoy this springy secateur ideal for most tasks (Abigail Willis/The Independent)
The Japanese carbon steel blade cut cleanly and quietly, excelling at allotment tasks and garden deadheading duties. Thanks to the sap groove, a signature Felco No. 2 Felco No.2 (£55.45, Amazon.co.uk) feature, sappy dahlia stems were severed smoothly.
Busy gardeners will appreciate the automatic opening system, activated by a simple squeeze on the egg-yolk yellow handles. Unlike many other seacateurs, the top-mounted thumb catch makes the Gelbhorn 150 suitable for left or right-handed users.
Buy now £37.19, Amazon.co.uk
Burgon and Ball professional compact bypass secateurs
Best: Compact secateurs
Type: Bypass
Capability: 22mm branch
Hand size: Small
Weight: 200g
Why we love it
Practical features include shock absorber, sap groove and wire cutting notch
Well-balanced and comfortable
Supplied with tensioning tool
Take note
Racing green cushion grip handles are classy but hard to find in the garden
One size does not fit all when it comes to secateurs, and the proof is these compact, RHS-endorsed pruners. Their 20cm length was just right for my hand size, making the Felco No.2 feel unwieldy in comparison.
I found the ‘ergonomic blade profile’ (translated: shorter blade) agile and easy to nose through dense foliage and tight spots.
It’s worth spending a bit more for the shock-absorbing handles (Abigail Willis/The Independent)
Working within its 20mm capability, the high carbon steel blade and well-tensioned volute spring put in an assured and – as billed, professional – performance, quietly and cleanly slicing through brambles, rose stems, pyracantha and soft fruit branches alike. These are a pleasure to use and a distinct upgrade on the Burgon & Ball RHS bypass secateurs (£19.54, Crocus.co.uk) reviewed above.
So why don’t they take the number one spot? Because of those shock-absorbing handles. They’re comfy to hold, but the British racing green is tricky to spot if you put them aside on a lawn or drop them into shrubbery by accident. It’s a really simple feature that can make a huge difference to your gardening.
Buy now £35.99, Burgonandball.com
Darlac super classic ratchet pruners
Best: Ratchet secateurs
Type: Ratchet
Capability: 25mm branch
Hand size: Small
Weight: 234g
Why we love it
More power for less effort
Replaceable blades
Locking catch on both sides suitable for left and right handers
Take note
Although these can be used as regular secateurs, most gardeners will want to have a pair of bypass secateurs as well
I’m as guilty as the next gardener of occasionally overwhelming my secateurs, so these keenly priced ratchet pruners by Brit brand Darlac were a welcome discovery.
The squeeze-release ratchet cuts through stems in stages, reducing the effort required by 30%, according to Darlac. This, and an efficient SK5 carbon steel cutting blade, certainly helped me dispatch a hefty 23mm diameter cotoneaster green wood branch and a long dead 20mm rose stem with ruthless ease.
These secateurs from Darlac reduce the hand effort needed on thicker stems (Abigail Willis/The Independent)
The slim profile handle suits small hands with a weaker grip (just like mine), although lacking a regular spring, these ratchet pruners aren’t as comfortable for extended use as the Burgon & Ball professional compact secateurs (£35.99, Burgonandball.com), for example.
Buy now £21.99, Amazon.co.uk
Kent and Stowe eversharp hard wood secateurs
Best: Anvil secateurs
Type: Anvil
Capability: 27mm branch
Hand size: Adjustable (medium/large)
Weight: 390g
Why we love it
Suitable for left or right-handed use
Alcona Pro plasma coating for wear resistance
Adjustable hand size
Take note
Unsuitable for smaller, less powerful hands
These UK-made anvil secateurs from Kent & Stowe are specialist taskmasters, designed to chop mature, hard and dead wood of diameters up to 27mm, the thickest branches on test. Furnished with an ‘ultra hard’, plasma-coated high-carbon steel blade, wire cutter and grippy handles, these ruggedly styled pruners certainly look the part.
For those needing to chop hard wood these are a good pick but they can be heavy to hold (Abigail Willis/The Independent)
However, even on the smallest of the two size settings, they were too big and heavy for me. I found them hard work – particularly compared to the labour-saving Darlac’s Classic ratchet pruners.
Using both hands and a lot of pressure, I did manage to cut through a hard 13mm stem, but anything bigger was off the table. Stronger gardeners with a lot of woody material will definitely get some use out of these, but I found them a little clunky.
Buy now £21.99, Kentandstowe.com
Kent and Stowe garden life all purpose mini secateurs
Best: Secateurs for cut flowers
Type: Bypass
Capability: 15mm branch
Hand size: Small
Weight: 180g
Why we love it
Lightweight
Central lock for left or right-handed use
Handy string-cutter notch
Take note
Only suitable for live, green wood
Weighing 180g and just 17cm long, these petite pruners are the lightweight version of Kent & Stowe’s SureCut All Purpose Secateurs.
Designed for ‘gardeners who may find heavier tools too much’, they punch above their weight and price point with a spec that includes a high carbon SK5 steel blade, die-cast aluminium handles, and stainless-steel volute spring.
While these are perfect for smaller tasks, you might opt for something more powerful for bigger stems (Abigail Willis/The Independent)
With their compact size and textured grips, I found them handy for sweet peas and other cut flowers, as well as deadheading the odd rose in passing. However, they’re too underpowered for anything more demanding.
If you work with trees and tougher stems, these probably won’t work for you. On top of that, gardeners with large hands need not apply – these are tiny even in my smaller hands.
Buy now £14.99, Kentandstowe.com
Corona flexdial comfortgel branch and stem pruner
Best: Secateurs for multi-user households
Type: Bypass
Capability: 25mm branch
Hand size: Adjustable
Weight: 259g
Why we love it
Adjustable cut size
Cushioned handles
Customisable for different hand sizes
Take note
The blade stuck occasionally on thin sappy stems
Born in the orange groves of 1920s California, Corona’s range has evolved considerably since their foundational “9B orange clipper”, and these secateurs feature two standout innovations: the “flexdial” enables users to adjust the opening size (dial 1 for small hands, 8 for large), and “comfortgel” handles reduce fatigue.
Although adjustable to hand size and stem, these secateurs didn’t always cut cleanly (Abigail Willis)
Constructed from solid steel with an eager volute spring, I found these secateurs comfortable and workmanlike, particularly when the lower section of the blade was applied to the branch. But I found their ‘coated, non-stick blades’ didn’t always cut cleanly. Unlike their red-handled rivals, the Felco No.2 (£55.45, Amazon.co.uk), I had to sharpen them a few times during the trial. If you, your partner, and your family will share this tool for different garden tasks, it suits everyone, but there are slightly better options out there for gardening obsessives.
Buy now £24.71, Burgonandball.com
What are the best secateurs for 2025?
My search settled on the Okatsune 103 bypass secateurs, which perfect the basics. Sharp blades effortlessly cut through branches up to 25 mm and nipped through shrubs, roses and fruit trees. They are lightweight and comfortable to hold, easily slicing through a huge range of different plant materials.
If you’re on a budget, the Burgon and Ball bypass secateurs will work well. There are better options out there, but not for the price.
For those looking to tackle thicker stems or wood, the Kent and Stowe eversharp hard wood secateurs by Kent and Stowe are a good choice, with a blade enhanced with hardness and wear resistance. Meanwhile, left-handers may choose the Niwaki mainichi secateurs, which have a comfortable grip and agile movement.
Having used the Swiss brand Felco for nearly 20 years, it was fascinating to compare them to other models. Favoured by many professional gardeners, the classic red-handled Felco No.2 are solid and dependable with plenty of practical features (see below for my review of a box-fresh pair). By comparison, the Japanese brands (Niwaki and Okatsune) felt like a breath of fresh air with their simple but refined design, powerful blades and agile handling. However, Darlac’s ratchet secateurs were also a game-changer in my garden – effortlessly powering through even quite chunky dead stems.
What are the different types of secateurs?
There are three main types of secateurs: bypass, ratchet and anvil.
Bypass secateurs are by far the most common type. These work like scissors, snipping through material.
Ratchet secateurs use a ratchet mechanism to cut through wood in stages. This makes them a good choice for processing hard or dead stems. They’re also great if you have mobility issues or have lost strength in your hands as you age. Because you can slice through the wood in steps, you can cut through a branch with several little cuts rather than one big chop.
Anvil secateurs cut with a blade like bypass secateurs, but the blade cuts straight onto an anvil, usually made from a soft metal like brass. This gives you the ability to cut through heavier stems. However, unlike ratchet secatuers, you have to cut the material in one pass.
Do you need a left-handed pair of secateurs?
Like most lefties, I am used to living in a right-handed world and have used right-handed secateurs throughout my gardening career. For this trial, I allowed myself the luxury of testing a pair of left-handed secateurs (one pair out of 10 reflecting the proportion of left-handedness in the population). While not quite the game changer I’d hoped for, being so conditioned to right-handed tools, they did feel a bit like a homecoming, quickly becoming a natural extension of my hands. They’re certainly comfortable, but not essential.
For more garden help, check out our tests of the best robot lawnmowers
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