The 8 Best Hedge Trimmers of 2026

A 1.2-inch cutting capacity is the number that separates the EGO HT2601 from the rest of this group. That is a lot of branch for a hedge trimmer, and it is paired with a 26-inch dual-action blade and a 56V brushless motor rated at up to 3,400 strokes per minute. The five-position handle rotates through 180 degrees, and the carbon fiber rail is backed by a lifetime warranty.

The reach is the point. A 26-inch blade lets you true up a tall hedge without stretching, and the 1.2-inch capacity means you can take out woody stems that can stop a 5/8-inch trimmer. EGO rates runtime at up to 60 minutes with the included 2.5Ah battery. The 6.9-pound body is not the one to wave around one-handed at the top of a ladder, but the weight feels like a fair trade for the longer bar.

We reach for this one when the hedge has been left too long and the cuts need to be decisive. The rotating handle is what makes the size usable: you can index the head to a vertical face, a flat top, or an awkward angle without twisting your wrists. For a tidy boxwood border, the smaller BLACK+DECKER is easier to place precisely. For a tall, overgrown hedge that needs real capacity, the EGO is the one that earns its place. The carbon fiber rail is the spec that matters least day to day; the five-position handle is the one your wrists notice.

The D-grip on the WORX WG261 is the first thing we noticed, and it is the reason this 5.5-pound trimmer feels easier to wave along a hedge top than its 22-inch blade might suggest. You can hold the grip from several angles, which helps when you move from a horizontal top to a vertical side without resetting your stance. The dual-action blade and 20V battery are the rest of the package.

This is the lightweight cordless pick, not the brute. The 2.0Ah battery and charger are included, and the PowerShare system means the pack can run other WORX 20V tools. The 5.5-pound body is easy to lift overhead for short passes, and the wrap-around grip gives you a place to choke up. It is not the tool for a hedge that has gone woody; the 22-inch bar is happiest in regular shaping and smaller stems. For a homeowner with a few shrubs and a long top to keep flat, that is a fair trade.

The low weight is the part we appreciate: at 5.5 pounds, the trimmer is easy to lift when the top of the hedge is above your shoulders. The D-grip is not a gimmick; it changes where your lead hand lands when the blade goes vertical. If you already own WORX 20V batteries, the value is obvious; if you do not, the included pack and charger still make it a sensible first tool.

Two batteries in the box is the headline, and for a budget cordless trimmer it is also the most useful feature. The KOMASTY 22-inch model comes with a pair of 1.5Ah packs and a charger, so a dead battery does not have to end the afternoon. The dual-action steel blade is rated for branches up to 3/4 inch, and the body weighs 5.25 pounds.

We think this is the budget cordless pick because it spends its money in the right places. The 22-inch blade gives you real reach for a hedge top, the 3/4-inch capacity is the same as our top pick, and the second battery covers the weak point of a small pack. The 5.25-pound body is easier to carry than the 6.6-pound CRAFTSMAN, and the dual-switch start is a sensible safety feature.

The 1.5Ah packs are the trade-off. They keep the kit light and affordable, but they will not last as long as the 4Ah and 5Ah batteries on some of the other cordless picks, so plan on swapping. The two-switch start also means you cannot run it one-handed, which is fine for deliberate trimming and annoying for a quick snip. What we kept coming back to was the second pack: it turns a short-runtime trimmer into a two-session tool without another purchase.

For a small yard with an outlet within reach, the corded BLACK+DECKER BEHT150 is the simplest way to spend less and still get a real hedge trimmer. The 3.9-pound body is the lightest full-size pick here, and the 17-inch dual-action blade is easy to steer along a short run of shrubs. The 3.2-amp motor is rated for branches up to 5/8 inch.

The cord is the trade-off. You need an extension cord, and you need to keep it behind you rather than dragging it through the hedge. The cord retention system helps prevent an accidental unplug, but it does not make the cord disappear. The 17-inch blade also means more passes than a 22-inch model, and the 5/8-inch cut is a step down from the 3/4-inch capacity of the top pick. For a small foundation planting or a few boxwoods, those limits are easy to live with.

The T-handle and full-length trigger give you more control than the price suggests, and the reduced-vibration dual-action blade is comfortable for a short session. We treat it as a light-duty tool: it is best suited to homeowner trimming, not all-day use. What we appreciated most was the weight. At 3.9 pounds, it is easy to hold at shoulder height long enough to finish a small hedge without your arms burning.

If you are already invested in CRAFTSMAN's V20 batteries, the CMCHT810C1 is the hedge trimmer that fits the kit you own. It arrives with a 1.5Ah pack and charger, and the 20-inch dual-action steel blade is rated for branches up to 3/4 inch. The full wrap-around handle gives you a second grip for vertical cuts.

At 6.6 pounds, it is heavier than the 22-inch BLACK+DECKER and the WORX, and the 1.5Ah battery is small for a 20-inch trimmer. That does not make it a bad tool; it makes it a platform purchase. If you already have several V20 packs, the value of staying on one battery system is better than starting over with another brand. If you do not, the included battery and charger get you going, but a spare is worth adding for a full hedge.

We put this in the runner-up group for the CRAFTSMAN user, not because it beats the top pick on weight or runtime, but because the battery you already own changes the math. The 20-inch blade is a useful middle size, the 3/4-inch cut handles most shrubs, and the wrap-around handle is comfortable when you roll the trimmer to a vertical face. What we keep coming back to is the handle: when the blade is above the shrub line, your forward hand has a proper landing spot instead of the bare housing.

The BeautFirst kit leads with two 5.0Ah batteries, which is a lot of capacity for a budget cordless trimmer, and the 180-degree rotating rear handle is the other feature that sets it apart. The 22-inch hardened steel blade is rated for branches up to 5/8 inch, and the body weighs 5.6 pounds.

On paper, the battery pair is the reason to look twice. BeautFirst claims 100 to 120 minutes of runtime from the two packs, and even allowing for optimistic marketing, that is more capacity than the single 1.5Ah or 2.0Ah packs on several picks here. The rotating handle turns 180 degrees, so you can angle the rear grip for a vertical side or a flat top.

The 5/8-inch cutting capacity is the limit. It is fine for maintained hedges and soft growth, but it is not the tool for the woody stems that the EGO handles. The 5.6-pound body is light enough to lift, and the kit includes two batteries rather than making the second one an upsell. We also like that the pair means you can swap and keep working instead of waiting on a charger.

This is an also-consider rather than a top pick because it is a less proven tool, and the 5/8-inch cut puts a ceiling on what it can clear. We see the appeal for a homeowner with a long, well-kept hedge who wants to keep working when the first battery dies. The two big packs are the draw; the blade capacity is the line that keeps it from replacing the top pick on a serious hedge.

The 7.2V KOMASTY is not trying to be the trimmer you use on a full hedge. It is a powered shear with a hedge-trimmer head and a grass-shear head, a 7.28-inch blade, and a 2.0Ah battery that charges through a Type-C cable. That makes it a different tool from the 20V and 56V machines here, and the right way to read it is as a quick touch-up tool.

The compact size is the appeal. It is easy to keep by the door for clipping a few shrubs, trimming around a bed, or tidying grass along a walk. The dual-switch start and blade guard are sensible for a tool that might be used by someone who does not trim hedges every week. The 1,250 rpm motor is not built for woody growth; it is for tender stems and light shaping.

The 2.0Ah battery is rated for up to 60 minutes, and the Type-C cable means you can recharge it without a proprietary dock. The trade-off is capacity. A 7.28-inch blade takes small bites, so a full hedge would be slow work, and the 7.2V motor will bog down on anything much thicker than soft new growth. The 2-in-1 heads swap in seconds, which is the feature that makes it useful beyond one narrow job.

We keep this one as a niche pick, not a hedge trimmer for a homeowner with a long property line. It earns its place for small shrubs, grass edges, and quick cleanups where a full-size trimmer is overkill. The Type-C cable is the detail we appreciate most: it is one less proprietary charger to keep track of, and it makes the tool easy to top up between small jobs.