Top 6 compared
The best secateurs
Sharp, comfortable secateurs that cut cleanly and don’t leave your hand aching halfway down the border.
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The top 6 at a glance
Secateurs are hand pruners for stems and small branches: deadheading roses, cutting back shrubs, taking cuttings. Bypass secateurs cut like scissors, one curved blade sliding past another: the kind for living stems. Anvil secateurs press a single blade down onto a flat edge, which suits dry, dead wood but can crush green growth.
Most pairs here are bypass secateurs with high-carbon steel blades. The thickest cut a maker lists is usually for green stems; anything thicker, and hard dead wood, is a job for loppers or a pruning saw. A safety lock keeps the blades shut in a pocket or a trug. Thick stems belong deep in the jaws, close to the pivot, where the leverage is greatest.
What matters
- A lock you can work with one hand.
- Spring-loaded handles that open by themselves.
- Handles that suit the size of your hand and your grip.
- A blade coating against rust and sticky sap.
#1Kimura 8-inch Pro Bypass Secateurs
£20–£30
- Cuts stems up to 25mm
- Squeeze-to-release safety lock
- Lifetime guarantee from the maker
Japanese SK5 steel blades, heat-treated to 60 HRC, that slice cleanly through stems up to 25mm, on light aluminium handles with a non-slip coating. The lock opens with a light squeeze and shuts with a push of the thumb, and the maker backs them for life.
What owners say: Owners find them extremely sharp and built to last, making short work of thick branches, and say they’re easy to use, smaller hands included.
A closer look: The maker says the blades rarely need sharpening; when they do, a few strokes of a fine diamond file along the bevelled edge only, never the flat back, brings them back. At 230g they’re light enough to carry in a pocket through an afternoon of deadheading.
Best for: Unlocking with a squeeze
- Thickest cut
- 25mm
- Blade
- Japanese SK5 steel, 60 HRC
- Weight
- 230g
- Suits left-handers
- Yes
#2FELCO 2 Bypass Secateurs
£50–£75
- Spare blades, springs and grips
- Cuts stems up to 25mm
- Adjuster brings blades back together
- Right-handed only
- No non-stick blade coating
A Swiss-made professional pair: a 25mm bypass head, forged aluminium handles and cushioned shock absorbers, built for large right hands, with a notch in the jaws for snipping wire such as plant ties. The Kimura cuts the same 25mm stems.
What owners say: Owners find them comfortable over long sessions, slow to lose their edge and easy through thick brambles, and value how long they last, lifetime guarantee included.
A closer look: When cuts start to tear, a small turn of the adjuster on the cutting head brings the blades back together without stripping the pair down. Blades, springs and grips are all sold as spares, so the same pair keeps going as parts wear out.
Best for: Large hands
- Thickest cut
- 25mm
- Blade
- Hardened steel, bypass
- Weight
- 251g
- Suits left-handers
- No
#3DECERK Professional Bypass Secateurs
£10–£20
- Spare springs in the box
- Coated against rust and sap
- Lifetime warranty
Leverage built into the handles multiplies each squeeze, so branches up to 20mm take less effort, which helps anyone with a weaker grip. The SK5 blade is hardened to 60 HRC and protected by chrome, titanium and PTFE layers against damp and sap.
What owners say: Owners rate the quality and sharpness, find them strong and comfortable to hold, and good on thicker branches.
A closer look: Make each cut just above an outward-facing bud, with the sharp blade on the side of the stem that stays, so any bruising from the hook falls on the piece coming off. The orange handles stand out against soil and foliage, which helps when they’re put down mid-job.
Best for: Less effort per cut
- Thickest cut
- 20mm
- Blade
- Japanese SK5 steel, 60 HRC
- Weight
- 250g
- Suits left-handers
- Yes
#4Spear & Jackson Kew Gardens Adjustable Bypass and Anvil Secateurs Set
£10–£20
- Bypass and anvil pairs together
- Grip narrows for small hands
- 10-year guarantee
- Thickest cut only 15mm
Two pairs in one box, bypass secateurs for green stems and an anvil pair for dead wood, each with a catch that narrows how far the handles open, for smaller hands. Developed with the horticultural team at Kew, with PTFE-coated carbon steel blades and a 10-year guarantee.
What owners say: Owners find both pairs sharp and good quality, getting through brambles, stems and small shrubs, and comfortable to hold; some find them a good size for smaller hands, others smaller than they expected.
A closer look: Try the narrow setting for a long afternoon of deadheading, then open it up for thicker stems. Hanging both pairs on hooks in the shed, rather than loose in a trug, keeps the two blades from knocking against each other and blunting.
Best for: Both live and dead stems
- Thickest cut
- 15mm
- Blade
- Bypass and anvil, carbon steel, PTFE-coated
- Weight
- 300g (both pairs)
- Suits left-handers
- Yes
#5Kynup Garden Secateurs
Under £10
- Cuts branches up to 25mm
- Spare spring in the box
- Non-stick, rust-resistant blade
SK-5 steel blades that cut fresh branches up to 25mm, on forged aluminium handles with soft grips that hold even with wet hands, shaped asymmetrically to spread the pressure across the palm.
What owners say: Owners find them sharp and comfortable, easy on the wrist and good on thick twigs; the lock divides opinion, with some finding it won’t stay shut.
A closer look: A spare spring comes in the box: fit it when the blades stop opening on their own, with the lock on and the old spring eased out. Until you know how firmly the slide lock holds, carry them in a holster or tool pouch rather than a pocket.
Best for: Kind on the palm
- Thickest cut
- 25mm
- Blade
- SK-5 steel
- Weight
- 300g
- Suits left-handers
- Yes
#6VOTREK VT-C800 Bypass Secateurs
£10–£20
- Sealed spring keeps out grit
- Sap groove beside the blade
- Lifetime limited warranty
A sealed spring keeps soil, rain and grit out of the mechanism so it doesn’t jam after a wet day, and the soft non-slip grip is shaped to work through gardening gloves. The SK5 blades carry Teflon and IGP coatings against rust.
What owners say: Owners find them sharp enough for thick branches and rose bushes and comfortable to use; the lock and the blades get mixed reports, with some finding the lock comes off and some blades breaking after first use.
A closer look: A groove beside the blade carries sap away as you cut, so after a session on roses or conifers, run a cloth along it to keep it clear. It’s a light everyday pair, at its best deadheading and trimming soft shrubs rather than tackling woody stems.
Best for: No jamming in the wet
- Thickest cut
- 20mm
- Blade
- SK5 steel, Teflon and IGP coated
- Weight
- 227g
- Suits left-handers
- Yes
Side by side
How they compare
Swipe sideways or rotate device to see all 6.
| Feature | #1Kimura 101 Pro | #2FELCO 2 | #3DECERK DDGJ-JD | #4Spear & Jackson CUTTINGSET3K | #5Kynup V11 | #6VOTREK VT-C800 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best overall | Best premium | Best budget | ||||
| Picked Rating | 9.6 | 9.5 | 9.4 | 9.3 | 9.1 | 9.1 |
| Price | £20–£30 | £50–£75 | £10–£20 | £10–£20 | Under £10 | £10–£20 |
| Thickest cut | 25mm | 25mm | 20mm | 15mm | 25mm | 20mm |
| Blade | Japanese SK5 steel, 60 HRC | Hardened steel, bypass | Japanese SK5 steel, 60 HRC | Bypass and anvil, carbon steel, PTFE-coated | SK-5 steel | SK5 steel, Teflon and IGP coated |
| Weight | 230g | 251g | 250g | 300g (both pairs) | 300g | 227g |
| Suits left-handers | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Best for | Unlocking with a squeeze | Large hands | Less effort per cut | Both live and dead stems | Kind on the palm | No jamming in the wet |
| Buy now | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon |
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