Best lawn edger

Best lawn edger
(Image credit: @Victor Malyushev on Unsplash)

Having a lawn edger can be the difference between a yard that looks good, and a garden that looks genuinely great. While you can tidy up with a lawnmower, hedge trimmer, or weed wacker, these often leave edges uneven or scraggly. A well-edged lawn is a healthy lawn that is better equipped to deal with heavy downpours by redirecting moisture into bedding so your lawn doesn't get too soggy, which could damage grass down to its roots and invite weeds to take hold. There are a lot of choices when it comes to picking a lawn edger. To help you decide, here's our pick of the best lawn edgers you can get.

Best overall

Best lawn edger 2020

(Image credit: Amazon)

BLACK+DECKER 2-in-1 string trimmer

Always in control

The BLACK+DECKER 2-in-1 is a lightweight edger that doesn’t put much strain on your body while also being easy to maneuver and handle. It features a hardened steel blade and a 12-amp motor, which is pretty powerful for an electric edger and is great for cutting through tough grass and roots. The front guide wheel and two rear wheels help keep the edger, and ultimately the cuts in your lawn, straight and clean.

Pros:

  • Extremely lightweight
  • Very maneuverable

Cons:

  • Blade is a little small
  • Power cord limits range

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. The BLACK+DECKER 2-in-1 is designed to easily convert from an edger into a trencher. The trench blade has three different depth settings that won't snag as you use it, so you always have great control. Because this is a corded edger, the BLACK+DECKER 2-in-1 is limited in where it can reach, which can be especially frustrating in a large yard.

Best value

Best lawn edger 2020

(Image credit: Amazon)

Greenworld 27032

Good for small lawns

The Greenworks 27032 is a basic, electric lawn edger with a short blade making this a good tool for cutting lawn edges, but not powerful enough for grass-root removal. The edger features a push-button ignition instead of a recoil cord so it almost always starts on the first try.

Pros:

  • Spring-assist wheel
  • Lightweight

Cons:

  • Build quality could be better

The 12-amp engine is powerful enough for an electric edger, which typically has less power than gas-fueled models. But it also makes the Greenworks edger more lightweight. At just over 17 pounds it’s easy to control, plus the spring-loaded front wheel helps as it moves over rocks or bumps so the edging lines remain straight. Because it requires an electrical outlet to work, your range will be limited.

Best electric edger

Best lawn edger 2020

(Image credit: Amazon)

Worx WG896

Walk-behind lawn edger

With two wheels at the back and a guide wheel in front, the Worx WG896 is very stable and easy to guide in a straight line, around corners, and in tight spots. 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. 

Pros:

  • Adjustable shaft
  • Cord lock

Cons:

  • Limited range due to power cord

The WORX WG896 has three blade depth settings with the deepest that can be used to make trenches. Its 12-amp motor is powerful enough to tackle most jobs in your yard and garden. Because it is a corded edger, you are limited by the length of the power cord. However, it has a cord lock, which keeps it from disconnecting. 

Best lightweight edger

Craftsman Edger

(Image credit: Craftsman)

Craftsman Edger

Several blade settings

The Craftsman Edger cuts through even the toughest lawns to create a straight edge. The blade has three different height settings, so you can tend to different areas of your yard and garden. The handle is adjustable, so you don't need to hunch over and cause strain on your body.

Pros:

  • Three cutting positions
  • Stores easily

Cons:

  • Corded

Because this edger is electric, you don't need to worry about mixing or using gas or oil. It's lightweight, so it's easy to keep control of it while working, and when you're done there is a convenient hook so you can store it off the floor of your garage or tool shed. This electric edger is corded rather than cordless, so you are limited to how far you can work away from an outlet unless you also invest in an extension corn.

How to choose the best edger for your lawn

Why you can trust Top Ten Reviews Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing products and services so you can choose the best for you. Find out more about how we test.

Here are the most important things to consider when buying an edger for your lawn... 

Design

The first decision you have to make is if you want an edger you walk behind like a lawnmower or a stick model you hold like a weed eater. If maneuverability is important for you or you will only use your edger occasionally, a stick model is probably your best bet. The walk-behind models are more precise and cover more area than the stick models, so they are an excellent choice if you need lots of power.

Weight

The edgers we reviewed weigh as little as 13 pounds to as much as 65 pounds. The extra weight on the heavier models is usually due to the size of the engine and the machine’s body. Heavier models are harder to push and may wear you out quickly, and they are more difficult to maneuver. However, they also tend to be more powerful, durable, and have more advanced features than simple, lightweight edgers.

Fuel type

When choosing between a gas, corded electric, or battery-powered edgers, you should consider how far away from your house you plan to use it. Electric edgers rely on an extension cord for power, which is fine if you have a long extension cord or will be using it very close to your house. But if you need to use it farther out than an extension cord can reach, you’ll want a gas or battery-powered model. Battery-powered edgers are convenient because you can take them anywhere, but you’re limited by the life of the battery and how long it takes to recharge. Gas models are excellent for tough tasks that require a lot of power. The downside is that for some models, you have to mix gas and oil yourself to power it.

Power

The amount of power you need depends on what jobs you plan to tackle with your edger. If you plan to regularly use the edger as part of a landscaping business, then you want the most powerful one you can get. For regular, suburban lawn maintenance, a medium-powered one would suffice. If your yard is exceptionally small, you don’t need much power at all. 

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 whackers 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 whackers. 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.

Why trust us?

At Top Ten Reviews we recommend the best products to enhance your life. As expert curators, we handpick products based on quality and usefulness to positively impact your day-to-day, from cart to doorstep. We take our responsibility seriously — testing products, reading reviews, and sourcing knowledgeable outlets to ensure our selections are worthy of your time and money. We deliver detailed product overviews, balancing objective information with subjective opinions, so making the best choice for your home and lifestyle is as easy as possible.

Our team of expert reviewers spent more than 100 hours researching and evaluating the best lawn edgers available. We considered a wide selection of brands, models, and designs and picked models that best fit specific needs, such as edgers for people with large yards and those who live in residential areas.

Our reviewers weighed the pros and cons of attributes such as weight, manner of propulsion, type of ignition, fuel and power requirements, ease of use, reliability, durability, and more. In the end, we concluded that the best edger for you depends on what you need it for. If you have a small yard or only need to do yard work occasionally, an inexpensive, low-powered edger is sufficient. On the other hand, if you need heavy-duty equipment for more intense tasks, you’ll want a gas-fueled edger with a powerful engine.

Sophie Bird

Sophie is Home Editor at Top Ten Reviews. Starting off her career in print journalism, Sophie then moved to digital and now specializes in lifestyle, home interiors and social media. While she has scooped awards for her journalism, Sophie likes to whip up a storm in the kitchen when she's not writing.