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BY Miguel de Guzman / LAST UPDATED ON April 4, 2021
Clean-cut hedges, bushes, and shrubs can make your yard and your home's curb appeal stand out. Untidy and disheveled hedges are an eyesore — for you, your guests, and pretty much everyone else in the neighborhood. You can get your yard's overgrowth in control with a sufficiently powered hedge trimmer, but if you want unrestricted mobility, we suggest you opt for a cordless hedge trimmer instead. They are lightweight, easy to operate, and require little maintenance. Best of all, you won't wake the neighbors while you work.
With all the cordless hedge trimmers available, however, picking the right one isn't easy. Don't fret because we've done the research for you. In the buyer's guide below, we've listed the best cordless hedge trimmers available for purchase.
Comes with a 40-volt battery with 24-inch blades. It weighs only 6.9 pounds and has a dual-blade design with robust construction.
Comes with a 7.2-volt battery. Only weighs 2.5 pounds. Comes with an Interchangeable blade system.
Comes with a 20-volt battery and 22-inch blades. Only weighs 5.5 pounds. Has a dual-blade design.
Our reviews are driven by a combination of hands-on testing, expert input, “wisdom of the crowd” assessments from actual buyers, and our own expertise. We always aim to offer genuine, accurate guides to help you find the best picks.
A battery-powered cordless hedge trimmer will typically use a lithium-ion battery that can deliver plenty of power. Among the advantages of a battery-powered hedge trimmer are they are quiet to operate, easy to maintain, and don’t produce harmful pollutants. Despite this, they do have a few drawbacks. One is that they will typically have less cutting power than their petrol counterparts, and another is that they will also have a shorter runtime.
Gas-powered hedge trimmers are more suitable for commercial purposes and unconventionally large yards because they have more power and longer runtimes. Of course, because they run on gas, they are noisier to operate and are less environmentally friendly. Among the disadvantages of a gas-powered hedge trimmer are they are harder to operate and more difficult to maintain.
Black & Decker is an American company that was established in 1910. It is known for manufacturing power tools and home improvement products. Black & Decker is one of the world’s best-known power tool manufacturers, and when it comes to battery-powered garden tools, its 40V Cordless Hedge Trimmer has proven very popular.
Founded in 2001, Sun Joe is a known manufacturer of durable and reliable outdoor equipment. The company started with snow blowers and expanded other product offerings a few years later. By 2010, Sun Joe already had numerous products in its catalog, from electric mowers to pressure washers. Among its best products is the Sun Joe 2-in-1 Cordless Grass Shear and Hedge Trimmer.
DeWalt is a company that started in 1923 in Pennsylvania. It was originally focused on manufacturing radial saws but has since evolved into a global tool provider. In 1960, DeWalt was sold to Black & Decker and was rebranded as a high-end power tool manufacturer. It currently operates as a subsidiary of Black & Decker, and one of its most popular products is the Dewalt 20V Max Cordless Hedge Trimmer.
The voltage of your cordless hedge trimmer, as well as how it’s used, can determine how long its runtime will be. Batteries will typically be in the range of 20 to 60 Volts, and the more Volts, the more cutting power you’ll get. One disadvantage of higher voltage batteries is that they will be heavier.
Most cordless hedge trimmers are lightweight, but even small differences in weight can and will be felt after a while of working. Cordless hedge trimmers on the heavy side can be exhausting to maneuver after a while. Despite this, one can expect heavier devices to be more powerful if the additional weight is due to battery size.
Blade length is another thing to consider when choosing a hedge trimmer. Naturally, the longer the blade of your trimmer, the more efficient it will be for larger hedges. Long blades can significantly cut your work time since you won’t have to be going through the same area as much.
Needless to say, a cordless hedge trimmer can cause serious injury if handled improperly. Some devices will have safety features to prevent injuries, like an automatic shut-off feature that shuts off the device as soon as your finger pulls away from the trigger, or a lock button that prevents the device from accidentally starting.
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The Black & Decker 40V Cordless Hedge Trimmer gets our top pick for being a lightweight, reliable, and high-performance option for trimming hedges, shrubs, and bushes. This powerful 40-volt battery-powered trimmer produces a nice and clean trim, and its battery can last up to an hour in between charges. The ergonomic design and wrap-around handle make the device both easy to carry and use, and at only 6.9 pounds, it's much lighter than other trimmers in the market, making wrist fatigue less of an issue. It has two 24-inch blades designed to minimize vibration (reportedly 40 percent less than single blade designs) and cut through branches up to 3/4 inches in diameter. Additionally, the battery charges from zero to full in less than an hour.
As far as cordless hedge trimmers go, there's very little to complain about this one except that the handle can get hot in the middle of a job, which can be slightly annoying.
If you want an affordable yet versatile tool to handle your diminutive garden, then look no further than the Sun Joe 2-in-1 Cordless Grass Shear and Hedge Trimmer. It features an interchangeable blade system that makes converting the device to a grass shear or a hedge trimmer fast and easy and includes both a 4-inch grass shearing blade and a 6-inch hedge trimmer to help you with all kinds of yard maintenance work. The device comes with a rechargeable 7.2-volt lithium-ion battery that can last up to an hour before needing a recharge, and at 2.5 pounds, your wrist won't have any difficulty lugging this device around to get work done.
Those with a large work area and need to finish fast, however, might need a different tool, considering it takes somewhere between three to four hours to get the battery of this one from zero to full.
The solidly built Worx 20V Power Share 22-Inch Cordless Hedge Trimmer is another great option if you need a hedge trimmer that's light, compact, and reliable. Its ergonomic D-grip handle and its 5.5-pound weight makes general yard maintenance tasks less demanding. The 22-inch dual blades deliver powerful cutting strokes with less vibration, and they're long enough to get to hard-to-reach areas as well as nimble enough for rounding off corners. The battery can last anywhere between 45 minutes to an hour between charges and can be used interchangeably with other Worx battery-powered tools. Additionally, Worx backs this product with a three-year warranty.
One downside is that, despite the battery's substantial runtime, it will take around three hours to fully charge.
The Sun Joe Multi-Angle Electric Telescoping Pole Hedge Trimmer seems to have been specially designed for tall hedges, bushes, and shrubs. Its powerful 4-amp motor and 21-inch rust-resistant dual blades are strong, precise, and more than adequate for the typical yard work, but what sets this device apart is its telescoping pole. Indeed, you can leave the ladder behind because this trimmer has a telescoping pole that, when extended, can reach as far as 7.9 feet away — this means you can get around 13 feet of overhead reach. It also has an adjustable, multi-angle pivoting head to make trimming under and over hedges as easy as possible.
One thing that users will almost immediately notice about the device is its abnormal weight distribution. Because it's top-heavy, extending the device to its full length can make trimming work more tasking than it should be.
The WorkPro 7.2V 2-in-1 Cordless Grass Shear and Shrubbery Trimmer is a great tool to use for tight spaces. True to its name, this device is both a grass shear and a trimmer with a convenient safety release mechanism to switch between blades. Coming in at just a pound, this tool is light and easy to use. Once fully charged, the 7.2-volt battery can do either 40 minutes of trimming, or a little less than an hour of shearing.
Because of the device's size, however, it's limited to small gardens. Another downside is that the battery takes 3-4 hours to fully charge.
The Black & Decker 20V Max Cordless Hedge Trimmer might not be as strong as its 40V cousin, but it still has plenty of power to handle the most demanding yard work. This tool's powerful dual-action hardened steel blades can make quick work out of hedges, shrubs, and branches up to 3/4 inches thick. It has an ergonomic wrap-around handle that makes it both easy to hold and maneuver. The 20V battery is conveniently interchangeable with other Black & Decker battery-powered tools, and at only 5.7 pounds, you can get a lot of work done before the dreaded wrist fatigue.
One downside is that the run time is only 25 minutes. This would be fine if it took just as much time to fully charge, but that’s not the case. It takes 3 to 4 hours to fully charge.
The Makita Lithium-Ion Cordless 22" Hedge Trimmer is easy to recommend. It's simply a reliable tool — which is what one expects from the brand. Its power is rated at 18V but it performs on par with other 20V cordless models in the market. The trimmer features 3-speed modes and vibration-dampening technology to make cutting easier, and Makita boasts that the device is 25 percent quieter than other cordless models. It has a rubberized soft grip for maximum comfort, as well as a quick-change mechanism so users can switch out the blade without needing to disassemble the housing.
At 9.2 pounds, it's about a pound or two heavier than other cordless models close to its size. This difference won’t seem like much at first, but it will after a few minutes of work.
Dewalt is a brand that's practically synonymous with power tools, and the Dewalt 20V Max Cordless Hedge Trimmer is another one of their tools that delivers great results. Despite its all-plastic housing, the device feels capable and the 22-inch blades are made from durable steel that can be expected to last. The 5.0 Ah lithium-ion battery can run for around 2 to 3 hours — longer than the runtime of most cordless models — and takes less than an hour to charge from zero to full. The controls are simple and oversized, making the trimmer easy to use even with thick gloves on.
There's not much to complain about this device except that it might be difficult to transport considering the blades can only come out after a lot of disassembling work.
The Greenworks 24-Inch 40V Cordless Hedge Trimmer impresses with its long-lasting and fast-charging battery. The battery can last an hour and a half before needing a recharge and only requires 50 minutes to charge from zero to full. This same 2Ah battery also works with a slew of Greenworks power tools, so you can swap it out to get even longer runtimes. The handle of the trimmer can rotate 180 degrees so you can prune from different angles with ease. Additionally, it has multiple safety features such as a safety lock-out button to prevent unintended start-ups, a safety guard to protect your hand from slipping onto the blade while in use, and a lot more.
One downside is that, at 8 pounds, it can feel heavy to use after a while.
Cutting tall and unruly hedges and keeping your garden neat and tidy is easy with Sun Joe's 18-Inch Electric Telescoping Pole Hedge Trimmer. It has a 3.8 Amp motor that is more than sufficient to get most yard cutting tasks done, and an adjustable pivoting head to help you cut both under and above tall hedges. Speaking of tall hedges, the device also has a telescoping pole that can extend up to 7.4 feet, effectively giving you around 12.5 feet of overhead reach. Additionally, it comes with a slew of safety features such as a safety button to prevent accidental restarting, a strap to keep the device strapped down while in use, and many others.
Unfortunately, the weight distribution of the device is off. It's much heavier on the cutting side, which means it can be a challenge to maneuver when the telescoping pole is extended.
The answer will depend on your specific needs, but from our research, you can’t go wrong getting the Black & Decker 40V Cordless Hedge Trimmer. Simply put, it will tick most boxes. It’s lightweight, efficient, and can cut through thick hedges and shrubbery with ease.
The Sun Joe 2-in-1 Cordless Grass Shear and Hedge Trimmer is among the lightest in the market at 2.5 pounds. The device has a slew of other useful features but might be ill-suited for large yards due to its size.
They are two different tools that share a lot of similarities. Essentially, hedge cutters have bigger blades and are designed to cut through thicker branches, while hedge trimmers are meant for trimming and hedge-shaping work.
After going through the buyer’s guide above, hopefully, it’s clear why we chose the Black & Decker 40V Cordless Hedge Trimmer as our top pick. It ticks most boxes and has a powerful battery that produces nice and clean trims.
For smaller yards, check out the Sun Joe 2-in-1 Cordless Grass Shear and Hedge Trimmer.
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