Gardening is rewarding in many ways, but a good collection of tools is essential to making your time in the garden easier and more fun.
We have researched, tested and reviewed a ton of garden tools over the years and written dozens of buying guides for everything from the best gardening gloves to the best electric lawn mowers. Here we have collected all our favorite garden tools and accessories.
And if you want to learn more about some of our top picks, check out the links under the recommendations below for a buying guide for each tool.
- Large capacity
- Two stream types
- Constructed from FDA-approved resin plastic
- Dual handle grip
- 50-feet length
- Crush-proof heavy duty couplings
- Rubber washer for watertight connections
- Nickel plated brass male and female coupling
- Ideal for digging in tough soil
- Length: 57.5 inches
- Steel construction
- Welded handle and blade
1. The best gloves
Showa Atlas Nitrile Gloves keep your hands clean and dry, but won’t hinder or hinder your dexterity when handling delicate seedlings.
- Flexible
- Lightweight
- Machine washable
- Not thick enough to handle thorny plants
Our top pick in our guide to the best gardening gloves, these gloves are made from durable nylon and coated with a layer of nitrile rubber – the same material used to make medical gloves. They keep your hands clean and dry, but are tight enough to keep your hands safe when distributing delicate seedlings or flowers.
Malarie Gokey, Associate Editor of Insider Reviews, writes: “The best gardening gloves make you feel like you have nothing on hand. Showa Atlas Nitrile Gloves protect you from dirt and grime with a nylon and nitrile coating that resists dirt without adding unnecessary bulk or entering your garden path. ”
The only downside to these gloves is that they are relatively thin which means they won’t protect you from spikes or smudging. If you’re looking for something a little heavier, click our full buying guide to explore our other choices.
2. The best shovel
The Fiskars long-handled steel digging shovel is a durable shovel that easily handles dense dirt, stones and roots.
- Steel construction
- Welded handle and blade
- Too large for detail work
While it’s probably the least fun part of the landscape, digging holes is just as necessary a task as planting a garden. And unless you really want to get your hands dirty, you need a good shovel. For large jobs like planting shrubs or moving rose bushes, you need a sturdy steel spade with a sharp, rounded blade.
The Fiskars Long Handled Steel Spoon Shovel is our top pick from our largest Buyer’s Guide to the Best Shovels. It has a wide platform of the foot to concentrate your weight while digging and an orange rubber handle to keep gloved hands in place without slipping or slipping. ”
This, of course, is the most used spade for planting larger shrubs and bushes. If you are looking for a more suitable trowel or spade for planting flowers or seeds, check out our buying guide for more advice.
3. The best garden hose
With a lifetime warranty and a durable, thick rubber construction, the Craftsman Premium Rubber Garden Hose is a great buy at a reasonable price.
- Durable
- Can withstand extreme temperatures
- Lifetime guarantee from Craftsman
- Stiff
- Difficult to coil
- can scuff surfaces
Our top pick in our guide to the best garden hoses, the Craftsman Premium Rubber Garden Hose is a great example of solid workmanship. It’s a simple construction rubber garden hose that won’t bend, break or warp easily in the sun and comes with a lifetime warranty.
Insider Reviews writer Steven John writes, “If I hadn’t already called the Craftsman Premium Rubber Garden Hose a superior product based on its quality, I’d call it a great buy simply for the price. This solid and efficient hose would sell easily. “At double the price given its duration.”
It can withstand temperatures from 25 degrees to 160 degrees Fahrenheit, so if you tend to leave the hose outdoors in any weather, the craftsman won’t cause leaks the next time you open it.
4.The best garden hose nozzle
The Gardenite Heavy Duty irrigation nozzle is customizable thanks to 10 spray modes and a separate button.
- Incredibly versatile
- Easy to squeeze
- Metal construction
- May be too complicated for some
- Adds weight to your hose
The Gardenite Heavy Duty Irrigation Nozzle is our top pick in our guide to the best hose nozzles for its amazing versatility. It can easily change from a hard direct spray, suitable for watering garbage cans, to a soft, gentle mist for watering seedlings and flowers.
This freedom allows you to adjust each part of the spray. Spray and the control system, there is nothing to stop you from customizing Gardenite Heavy Duty – Watering Nozzle for a specific task.”
The mouthpiece is made of metal, so it won’t crack even if you drop it on the floor. This makes it slightly heavier than other models, so if you’re watering a large swath in your garden, you may have a bit more trouble than other sprinklers.
5. The best watering can
The Bloem Easy Pour watering can is one of the most versatile, as it can go from a light rain shower to a full stream.
- Large capacity
- Two stream types
- Constructed from FDA-approved resin plastic
- Dual handle grip
- May be too heavy for some gardeners when full
For smaller gardens, planters and even houseplants, a watering can can be the best way to provide the plants with the desired water. But some plants need careful dusting so they don’t crush delicate leaves or flowers. Other more hardy plants may require a greater amount of water, which is more easily released in a steady stream. The Bloem Easy Pour watering can has a rotating head that allows you to give your plants the right flow.
It’s a large 2.6-gallon watering can, and anyone whose dragged water across a lawn to plants can attest to how heavy watering gets. These larger cans can be difficult to pour, putting a lot of strain on your hands and wrists. Bloem also took this into account. Its double handle allows you to position your hand any way you want and get the best leverage possible. You can also hold it with two hands for extra support.
The Bloem Easy Pour watering can is made of UV-stabilized plastic resin, so it is resistant to fading, warping, cracking and freezing. The material is also FDA-approved for food contact, so you don’t have to worry about dangerous chemicals getting into the water you feed your garden.
6.,The best pruning shears
Fiskars Steel Bypass Secateurs have precision-ground steel blades that are coated with a non-stick coating to prevent juice and dirt from getting trapped.
- Steel blades
- Easy locking mechanism
- Large cutting capacity
- Non-stick blades
- lifetime warranty
- Blades can still gum up over time
If you’ve ever left your pruning shears in your garage to completely lock up the next time you prune your roses, they’ve probably fallen victim to the sap that glues the blades together. Fiskars’ goal was to put an end to rubber-coated pruners by treating the blades with a non-stick coating. The coating not only prevents the build-up of sap, but also makes it much easier for the blades to cut through the wood.
The steel blades are also of the bypass type, which means that the upper blade falls under the hinge, making the cut sharper and you do not have to saw through the branch that you remove. Fiskars pruning shears can handle branches up to 5/8 inch (just under a centimeter) so they can easily cut through your rose bushes and forsythias that require seasonal pruning.
The blades lock with a slider that is easily accessible with your thumb, so you don’t have to fiddle with the locking mechanism. Fiskars also gives its product a lifetime warranty.
7. The best garden sprinkler
The Gardena 1951 Tip Sprinkler provides a light mist of up to 10 meters to ensure that hard water does not hit the plants.
- Easy to connect and move
- Anchors into soil for stability
- Delivers a gentle mist that won’t harm plants
- Not powerful enough for a whole lawn
- hose connector is plastic and can crack
Mary Marlowe Levrette, author of years of gardener ratings and insider reviews, voted the Gardena 1951 Tip Sprinkler the best flower and vegetable sprinkler in our guide to the best sprinklers. He writes: “The easy-to-move and clip-on tip delivers water in a fine mist that penetrates slowly into the soil and does not disturb sensitive seedlings. The spray comes in a circular pattern that can reach up to 10 meters. However, the diameter can be adjusted too much smaller areas by simply lowering the water pressure.”
Just press the skewers into the ground in the center of the watering area and turn on the garden hose. While the Gardena has a decent coverage area, if you want to water the entire lawn, you’ll need something a little more powerful. Check out our other tips in our full guide, linked below.
8. The best rake
With its extra-wide 24-inch head, the Fiskars leaf rake does a quick job of clearing leaves, tilling the soil or spreading mulch.
- Extra-wide head
- Extra-long handle
- Flexible tines won’t snap
- Lightweight
- Not strong enough to handle large rocks
For many, a rake is simply a seasonal tool for removing fallen leaves from the garden, but gardeners know it as a multi-purpose tool. Whether you’re aerating the soil, spreading mulch, or using it for general purposes, you need a sturdy, broad-headed rake that you can use to quickly grow your beds or lawn.
The Fiskars leaf rake comes with a 60cm wide head. The handle is also longer than many other rakes, so you don’t have to bend over that long. The head is made of sturdy yet flexible resin, so the teeth won’t break if you hit a rock. This means that it is not as strong as a metal rake, but it is much more versatile and lighter.
The Fiskars Leaf Rake is our top pick in our guide to the best lures, but if you’re looking for an all-metal rake or one for more precise tasks, check out our other selections.
9. The best string trimmer
The DE Walt 20V Max Li-Ion XR Battery Brush cutter offers excellent cutting performance in a lightweight tool that gives you the freedom to work precisely around garden beds and fences.
- Lightweight
- Battery-powered
- Gives you precise control over edging
- Does not come with battery but any DeWalt 20V tool battery will work
A lawn mower is more of a landscaping tool, but if your flower beds are located near a lawn, you want to get clean edges without compromising your flowers. Wire cutters, also known as herbicides, cut grass in places a lawn mower simply can’t reach.
The DE Walt 20V Max Li-Ion XR String Trimmer is our top pick in our best trimmer guide because it’s lightweight and packs tons of cutting power. Because it runs on batteries, you won’t be bothered by gas from your garage or an extension cord.
Insider Reviews writer Steven John writes, “This brush cutter is powered by a 20 volt, five amp lithium ion battery which offers plenty of power and spins two cutting lines in a 13″ swath that easily clears the grass. weeds and weeds., thorns and more The tool can be operated at high speed at full power to cut harder materials or it can be used at a lower speed for lighter work and longer battery life Yes, this brush cutter costs four times more than other electrical components, but it also works better and lasts longer. ”
10. The best electric lawn mower
The Ego Power + 20-inch cordless lawnmower may be electric, but there is no compromise in power or versatility, and it is much quieter than gas models.
- Powerful motor, quiet operation
- Charges quickly
- Olds for storage
- Five-year warranty
- May not have enough battery life for large lawns
- Replacement batteries are expensive
You’ve worked so hard to grow a beautiful and nutritious garden, so complement the look of your garden with a well-mowed lawn. The Ego Power + is our first choice in our guide to the best electric lawn mowers due to its excellent combination of functionality, versatility, power and quietness.
Owen Burke, senior editor for home and kitchen at Insider Reviews, writes: “The 20-inch Ego Power + cordless lawnmower offers gas performance, but with the convenience of a cordless electric design. Produces 30% less. Of noise compared to the average gas-powered model, making it more comfortable to use.
While this mower is electric, it doesn’t compromise on power or functionality. The 3-in-1 function allows you to chop, collect or use a side discharge. The start button is easy to use and incredibly convenient, and the LED headlights allow you to mow whenever you want, as long as you don’t mind disturbing your neighbors in the dark.
The battery charges fully in about 30 minutes and you get about 55 minutes of mowing, which should be enough to mow an average lawn. Doing both front and back at the same time can cause swelling eventually, so it might be best to load it in the middle.
