Looking to tidy your lawn? Our guide to the best lawn edgers - including electric, gas, and cordless models - gives you options for most gardening scenarios and budgets. Finishing off the job after you’ve used a gas lawn mower, edgers are a great tool to keep your garden looking great, but there are quite a few options when it comes to choosing the right one for your needs.
As the name suggests, lawn edgers create a neat and tidy edge around lawns. They can be used to create a border or define the edge between grass and walkways. But helping lawns look tidy isn’t the only function a lawn edger has. These machines also edge the grass so that water can run off it with ease, helping with the overall lawn health. Traditionally lawn edgers involved quite a lot of manual labor but now you can find plenty of models that do most of the work for you.
So what’s important when choosing the best lawn edger? First up consider how often you’re going to be using it. There are two different design types including walk-behind and stick models. If you want something light and easy to move around, a stick model is your best bet. For something more powerful though, a walk-behind edger is what you’ll need
Next, is the fuel type. Gas-powered edgers are great for really tough jobs and don’t rely on any cords, so you can use them as far away from your house as need be. The downside to gas edgers is that they do require topping up with gas, which can be both expensive and messy. Many electric edgers require you to plug them in, which can be really restrictive if you’re working away from the house and don’t have a long extension lead. Cordless models can offer a great solution here, although you will have to charge the batteries frequently.
Make sure you choose an edger that has enough power to tackle your lawn. For regular, suburban lawn maintenance, a medium-powered one will be fine. If your yard is exceptionally small, you don’t need much power at all. It’s also important to take a look at the weight of each edger, to make sure it’s easy enough to move around.
1. EGO POWER+ MEO800 Cordless Electric Edger: Best lawn edger overall
The EGO POWER+ MEO800 is a great cordless electric lawn edger which comes with an impressive five year warranty. Because this model is cordless, there’s no need to worry about cord lengths if you’re working away from an electrical socket. You also won’t need to worry about topping up the edger with gas, but you will have to charge your edger.
Frustratingly for some users, the batteries and charger for this lawn edger are sold separately which means the initial price you see isn’t for everything you need. What is good about this model though, is that it provides plenty of power for small to medium lawns and the head of the edger is compatible with other tool ends. Reader reviews for the EGO POWER+ MEO800 claim that this model does hold its charge and is great for creating a super smart lawn.
2. Greenworks 27032: Best value lawn edger
The Greenworks 27032 edger offers great value for money. However, there are a few trade-offs for the price. For example, its 12-amp engine isn’t as powerful as our top pick. But that’s to be expected because this is an electric edger, which typically have less power than their gas-fueled counterparts.
This Greenworks model also has a short blade, just 7.5 inches – this is big enough for occasional use, but it doesn’t have the grass-root removing power of other tools we reviewed. The edger features a push-button ignition instead of a recoil cord, which is great because it will almost always start on the first try. At 13.24 pounds, this is an extremely lightweight edger. So, it may feel a bit flimsy, but the upside is that it is very easy to maneuver.
Since the Greenworks 27032 requires an electrical outlet to work, its range is limited by the length of your extension cord. Because of this, it isn’t advisable to use the edger on a large lawn.
- Read our Greenworks 27032 review
3. WORX WG896: Best edger for small lawns
The WORX WG896 is a good lawn edger for small to medium-size yards – since it draws power from an electrical outlet, you’re limited by the length of your extension cord. However, it has an electric cord lock, which keeps it from disconnecting – a problem with some corded yard tools.
With two wheels at the back and a guide wheel in front, it is very stable and easy to guide in a straight line. You can adjust the shaft length so it is comfortable to use for your height, and the secondary handle pivots so it’s easy to place it in a comfortable position. In addition, its lightweight design makes it easy to maneuver around corners and in tight spots. The 12-amp motor is powerful compared to those on other electric edgers we reviewed.
- Read our WORX WG896 review
4. Black & Decker LE750: Best lightweight lawn edger
At 12.4 pounds, the Black & Decker LE750 is the lightest edger we reviewed. Because it’s so light, it doesn’t put much strain on your body and is easy to maneuver and handle. Its weight, combined with its compact size, makes it easy to get in tight spaces and cut around curves. The 7.5-inch hardened steel edger blade is sturdy but on the short side compared to those on some of the other edgers we reviewed. It has an 11-amp motor, which isn’t bad for an electric edger and provides enough power to cut through tough grass and roots.
The handle adjusts to suit both right and left-handed people and has a trigger that makes the edger easy to start and stop. It also has an auxiliary handle to help you guide the machine. With two rear wheels and a front guide wheel, it’s easy to handle and leaves your grass with a straight cut. If you're looking for an extremely lightweight and easy-to-move lawn edger, this is one of the best you can buy.
- Read our Black & Decker LE750 review
5. Craftsman E405 Lawn Edger: Best adjustable lawn edger
The Craftsman E405 Lawn Edger is a gas-powered lawn edger that features Easy Start technology. Despite the Easy Start function, some user reviews did describe this model as particularly tricky to get started.
This lawn edger does benefit from six different cutting positions and its heavy duty blade is able to cut to a depth of 1.75 inches. The edger is built with three wheels to make it easier to move around. Whilst this model isn’t the most powerful you can buy, it does a good job of edging medium-sized lawns.
How much does an edger cost?
As with other yard tools, there is a big price difference between electric and gas edgers – when you buy a gas-powered edger, you pay more for its steel construction and extra power. However, you can cut a nice edge with either type of tool. Many electric edgers cost less than $100, while a good gas edger can cost $200 or more. You can spend more than $500, but there is no need to pay that much for a solid edger.
Weed wacker vs edger: when to use which
It’s rather self-evident, but true: the best tool to use depends on the job you need to do.
Weed wackers can be used to trim grass around walls, posts, stumps and all kinds of obstacles. Many have a rotating head that also lets you comfortably edge your lawn. Trimmers are made to get in hard-to-reach places edgers aren’t designed to reach.
Edgers are designed for one job, and they do it better than any other tool can, including weed wackers. An edger’s vertical spinning blade is built to cut through all kinds of grass and even roots to create a straight, clean edge. Gas edgers, while more pricey, have all the power and heft needed to cut a near-perfect line. An edger can give your lawn a pristine, finished look, unlike any other tool can.
However, a weed wacker, also called a string trimmer, is more versatile than an edger. So if you can only afford one or the other, your best bet is probably a string trimmer.