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Digging forks are an essential part of any gardener's kit. They're used to prepare beds for planting, as well as to harvest root veg and dig out perennials and shrubs, and they're especially useful for gardens with heavy clay or compacted soil. 

In September 2021, our researchers joined forces with the Which? Gardening team to put a selection of 10 garden forks through their paces.

We tested garden forks from a variety of retailers including Homebase, Screwfix, Toolstation and B&Q, as well as from brands such as JCB, Spear & Jackson and Fiskars, assessing their build quality, durability, comfort and ease of use.

Pricing and availability last checked: 8 August 2022.

In need of a digging spade as well? Then check out our best garden spades .

Expert advice through the seasons so you know what to do and when. £4.99 a month, cancel anytime.

Only logged-in Which? members can view the garden forks test results below. If you're not yet a member, you'll see an alphabetised list of the digging forks we tested. 

Join Which? now to get instant access to our test results and Best Buy recommendations below. 

Cheapest price: £39.45 available at Amazon , also available at Burgon & Ball , B&Q .

Tines: 28cm x 18cm (HxW)

This digging fork from Burgon & Ball has a Y-grip shape handle made from FSC-certified hardwood and the tines and sockets are stainless steel.

What did our team of researchers and Which? Gardening experts make of this RHS-endorsed garden fork?

To find out log into your account or join Which? today and gain instant access to all our reviews and recommendations.

Tines: 27cm x 18cm (HxW)

Total length: 120cm (also available in a smaller size of 108cm)

The manufacturer says the tines of this fork are made from steel while the handle and upper portion of the shaft are made from 'fibreglass reinforced synthetic material' (in other words plastic). 

How did this Fiskars Xact Soil Work Fork fare in our tests? 

Find out by reading our full reviews. Log in or join Which? now to get full access to our results and recommendations.

Tines: 29cm x 18cm (HxW)

Excluding the wooden section of the handle, this digging fork is all steel with a solid forged head welded to the socket. 

How comfortable and easy to use was this Hawksmoor fork? 

To find out, log into your account or join Which? now to get full access to our reviews and Best Buy recommendations.

Tines: 29cm x 19cm (HxW)

This digging fork from Homebuild has steel tines and a steel socket, with a plastic-coated shaft and handle.

Easily the cheapest fork we tested, see how it fared against the rest of our selection. 

To read the full review and the rest of our results log into your account or join Which? now. 

Tines: 29cm x 20cm (HxW)

The tines and socket of this digging fork are solid forged carbon steel. The shaft and handle are coated in plastic.

See how this garden fork from JCB compares to the other forks in our test. 

Read our full review by logging into your account or joining Which? to find out.

Only available at B&Q : £25.

Tines: 30cm x 19cm (HxW)

This digging fork from Magnusson is claimed to have a carbon steel socket and tines with a nylite composite handle.

It's one of the larger forks in our selection, but how did it compare with the others? 

To find out, check out our full review by logging in to your account or joining Which? now to get instant access to all our results and Best Buy recommendations.

Tines: 28.5cm x 18cm (HxW)

This digging fork from Roughneck has a lacquer-coated carbon steel socket and tines with a fibreglass handle.

How did the Roughneck digging fork fare in our tests?

To read the full review and find out, log into your account or join Which? today. 

Cheapest price: £29.99 available at Screwfix , also available at Amazon . 

Tines: 29cm x 19cm (HxW)

This garden fork from Spear & Jackson's Neverbend range has an epoxy-coated carbon steel socket and tines, a wooden shaft and a rubber gripped steel handle.

Neverbend by name, but was that the case when we put it to the test?

Check out our full review by logging into your account or by joining Which? today.

Cheapest price: £27.48 available at Amazon , Toolstation . 

Tines: 29cm x 18cm (HxW)

This garden fork from Stanley Fatmax has a fibreglass handle and heat-treated steel tines.

Stanely Fatmax is a name seen in many sheds up and down the country, but how did this garden fork do in our tests?

Log into your account or join Which? today to find out.

Tines: 30cm x 18cm (HxW)

This digging fork from Spear & Jackson has mirror-polished stainless steel tines, which the manufacturer claims are rust-resistant, and a polypropylene (plastic) shaft with a non-slip grip on the handle. 

What did we think of this garden fork? 

To find out, read our full review by logging into your account now or joining Which? today.

Make more of your garden - get our free Gardening newsletter for top tips from our experts

FSC is a global forest certification system.

The label allows consumers to confidently purchase wood, paper and other forest products made with materials from well-managed forests.

FSC-certified products are worth looking out for as it means that these trees were grown as part of a well-managed forest, protecting forest plants and animals.

For more information visit their website and learn about the FSC-certification system .

To find out which is better we spoke to our Which? Gardening experts, who use gardening tools including forks all year round on an almost daily basis. 

They said that while wooden handles can irritate the hands over prolonged use, this can easily be avoided with a good pair of gardening gloves. 

It's also worth noting that wood is better able to absorb shock and vibrations.

Plastic handles, on the other hand, often boast a textured or rubber grip, but they can become brittle over time, especially if left out in the summer sun.

On balance, our experts feel a wooden handle is better due to the overall comfort and durability.

When purchasing a gardening fork it's important to consider your own height compared with the different lengths of forks. 

If you have back problems or can only work for shorter periods, consider a fork with a longer or angled shaft to help you bend less and take the strain off of your back. 

Bear in mind if the fork's shaft is too short for your height, this puts extra strain on your back. 

We recommend going to purchase the fork in person if you can. This way you can get a feel for the length and weight that's right for you. 

To check the overall length, hold the fork as you would if you were about to push it into the ground. The handle height is right for you if you're leaning over it slightly. 

Then hold the fork as if you were lifting soil. 

Are the areas you're holding comfortable? And can you reach the base of the shaft easily without stretching?

Our Which? Gardening experts shared three tips to ensure your fork is kept in good condition for the next job in your garden.

Are you a safe gardener? Check out these tips to help prevent injury and back pain while using a garden fork.

If you're concerned about this type of pain, please check out the NHS guide to back pain for further information and advice.

Following feedback from our Which? Gardening members and working closely with the Which? Gardening magazine team we developed tests to put these products through their paces.

To start the testing process a pair of researchers weighed and measured each of the forks and then examined the build quality of each. 

Our Which? Gardening experts all examined the build quality of each digging fork. 

We considered the finish of each fork, including any rivets, edges, mould lines and welding or forge marks. 

For these two tests, our researchers used each of the forks to turn the top layer of soil and remove weeds from a Which? Gardening vegetable patch.

The researchers worked in pairs and recorded their observations and opinions while using each of the forks. 

Consideration was given to how comfortable the fork was to use and how easy or difficult the length, weight and design made turning the soil.

To measure the durability of each fork we examined them before they were used and then looked at them again after all other tests were completed. 

We then got two of our researchers to stand and jump on each of the forks to test the strength between the socket and the shaft.

For this project, we considered garden forks (sometimes called digging forks) from a variety of major UK retailers.

To be considered the forks needed to cost £50 or less. 

We purchased all the forks we tested.