As the Good Housekeeping Institute’s senior homes and lifestyle writer, I come across a lot of cool gadgets that I’m excited to put to the test. Whether it’s a fun kitchen tool like the CRIMPiT, or trialling the latest air fryer – such as the Ninja Crispi – I love discovering products that make life easier.
For the first time, I’ve turned my attention to the garden. Before Christmas, I moved into my first home and while the garden was in pretty good shape, it certainly needed a bit of love.
My main bugbear: the overgrown bush invading one corner. Not only is it taking up a huge amount of space, but it’s also blocking out the sun at certain times of the day. And with the British summer upon us, I’m determined to get as many rays into my garden as possible.
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This gave me the perfect excuse to try out a gardening tool I’ve had my eye on for a while – the electric secateur.
Pros
- Affordable
- Cordless
- Good battery life
- Has a two-stage safety switch
- Comes with a two-year warranty
Cons
- Noisier than expected
- Blades are a little slow to clamp together
- Limited to branches under 25mm
Unlike the best secateurs we’ve tested at the Good Housekeeping Institute, these pruners have a power-assisted design that helps cut through thick branches like a knife through butter. They’re cordless and lightweight too (unlike many hedge trimmers), so you don’t have to worry about getting tangled or tripping over wires.
But how did it fare when put to work in the garden? Keep reading for my full verdict.
How do electric secateurs work?
Electric secateurs take the strain out of pruning for extended periods. Vonhaus’ Cordless Garden Pruner works off a 7.2V lithium-ion (li-ion) battery pack which slots into the end of the secateurs and can cut up to 800 branches on a full charge (which takes three to four hours).
At 920-grams, the secateurs are light enough to hold in one hand, meaning you can easily reach into small spaces and snip away. To use, simply hold down the safety lock and press the trigger, the blades come together to effortlessly cut through branches.
They’re designed to tackle softwood foliage of up to 25-millimetres thick and I had no issues chopping and pruning the various plants and bushes in my garden.
My verdict on electric secateurs
It took one glance of the instructions to get to grips with this tool, and I loved that the battery came partially charged so I could test out its pruning skills right away.
The secateurs excelled at cutting through branches and I was genuinely surprised at how well it did the job. They certainly proved that electric secateurs are a great buy for those with low grip strength (such as from arthritis). There’s barely any resistance when pulling the trigger, making them an accessible gardening tool for most people.
I also appreciated that it came with a two-stage safety switch and a cover for the blade for peace of mind, so there’s little risk of getting your fingers caught in the way.
My main drawback was the noise. While they are nowhere near as noisy as other gardening tools, such as the best electric lawnmowers, they are louder than I expected due to the battery-powered design. It’s quiet enough that you can still hear a conversation over it, but it can get annoying when snipping away for long periods. The motion of the blades is on the slower side too, but it produces a nice, clean cut so that’s an issue I can overlook.
Overall, the electric secateurs have been an absolute game changer for gardening jobs. While I don’t struggle with grip issues myself, they provide a welcome respite from the aches that come with long periods of snipping and trimming – I can finally get the gardening done without breaking a sweat.
Plus, at just £44.99, they’re an affordable add-on to your gardening toolkit – one I’ve been recommending to everyone since that very first snip.
The Vonhaus Cordless Garden Pruner is available to shop at Amazon or Vonhaus.
Megan is the Good Housekeeping Institute’s senior homes and lifestyle writer. She loves diving into the latest product releases to find the very best buys on the market and has written hundreds of product reviews on everything from the best vacuum cleaners and coffee machines to the best ice cream makers and robot window cleaners.
When she’s not writing about the newest gadgets and gizmos for your home and garden, you’ll find her running every distance from 5km to 100km or relaxing at home with her cat – there really is no in between.
Megan has an MA in Magazine Journalism and has previously written for Stylist, Glamour, Women's Health, TimeOut, SquareMeal, and YOU magazine. You can find Megan on Instagram @meganlouisegeall.
