The best gardening and landscaping tools in 2024 (2024)

Advertisement

Best gardening gloves

These gloves are our top budget pick in our guide to the best gardening gloves because they're made of durable nylon fabric and coated with a layer of nitrile rubber — the same material used to make medical gloves. They'll keep your hands clean and dry, but they're form-fitting enough to ensure you maintain your dexterity when handing seedlings or delicate blooms.

Malarie Gokey, currently director of learning & development, people & culture at Business Insider writes, "The best gardening gloves make it feel like you're not wearing anything on your hands at all. The Showa Atlas Nitrile Glovesprotect you from dirt and other debris with their durable nylon fabric and nitrile coating without adding unnecessary bulk or impeding your gardening."

The one downside to these gloves is that they're relatively thin, meaning they won't protect you from thorns or brambles.

If you're looking for something more heavy-duty, our full guide to the best gardening gloves has several more options.

Advertisement

Best gardening tool set

Whether you're looking for a handy set of tools to get you started on your vegetable gardening journey or need to replace your rusty, old handheld set, the Fiskars 3-in-1 Garden Tool Set is a worthy option. This trio of tools is ideal for light-duty tasks like weeding flower beds or planting new vegetable seedlings.

This set is our top pick, thanks to its combination of ergonomic design, durability, and value. It contains a transplanter, a trowel, and a cultivator—each backed with a lifetime warranty. The head of the tools consists of polished, rust-resistant cast aluminum, while the handles feature a soft, grippy design made for easy handling. The transplanter also has etched-on measurements for easy depth measurement when transplanting different types of seedlings.

Unlike other garden tool sets, which contain extra accessories — often cheaply made — this Fiskar set has only what you need. While the tools aren't ideal for cultivating heavy clay and rock-filled soils, they'll hold up well to frequent use in most other settings, including container gardens.

Advertisement

Best shovel

Though probably the least fun part of landscaping, digging holes is as essential a task as they come when planting a garden. And unless you really want to get your hands dirty, you'll need a good shovel. For large tasks like planting shrubs or moving rose bushes, you'll want a sturdy steel shovel with a sharp rounded blade.

The Fiskars Long-Handle Round-Point Steel Digging Shovel is the best shovel we've tried. Business Insider Reviews writer Michelle Ullman writes, "This beauty of a tool has a 14-gauge steel blade and an 18-gauge steel handle welded together so the shovel won't snap even under rugged use. It has a large foot platform so you can really throw your weight into your digging, and a rubbery orange grip to keep your gloved hands in place without slipping or sliding."

Of course, this is a shovel best used for planting larger shrubs and bushes.

If you're looking for a trowel or a spade more suited to planting flowers or seeds, check out our buying guide to the best shovels for further recommendations.

Advertisement

Best pruning shears

If you've ever left your pruning shears in your garage only for them to be completely locked up the next time you go to prune your roses, they were likely a victim of sap gluing the blades together. Fiskars has aimed to put a stop to gummed-up pruning shears by treating its blades with a non-stick coating. The coating not only prevents sap buildup but also allows the blades to cut through wood that much more easily.

The steel blades are also of the bypass variety, meaning that the top blade descends below the hinge, making for a cleaner cut, so you don't have to saw through the branch you're trying to remove. The Fiskars Pruning Shears can handle branches up to 5/8 of an inch (a bit smaller than a dime), so they will easily be able to handle your rose bushes and forsythias that need their seasonal trims.

The blades lock closed with a sliding button that can easily be accessed with your thumb, so you don't have to fumble with a latch mechanism. Fiskars also stands by its product with a lifetime warranty.

Advertisement

Best garden hose

When it comes to a reliable garden hose, the Dramm ColorStorm Garden Hoseis an excellent example of solid craftsmanship. It's a simply constructed rubber garden hose that won't kink easily and won't crack or warp in the sun.

It's rated to withstand temperatures from 25 degrees below zero to 160 degrees Fahrenheit, so if you're in the habit of leaving your hose outside in all weather, the Dramm Craftsman won't spring a leak the next time you uncoil it.

The hose's excellent durability comes with one minor tradeoff: it's pretty heavy. However, its kink resistance, flow rate, and durable construction make it a reliable watering companion.

For more recommendations, check out our guide to the best garden hoses.

Advertisement

Best garden hose nozzle

The Dramm 9-Pattern Revolver Spray Nozzle offers impressive versatility. It can easily transition from a hard, direct spray suitable for hosing down garbage cans to a soft, gentle mist to water your seedlings and flowers.

In addition to 9 different spray options available, a separate pressure knob allows you to adjust the intensity of any of those opinions. The freedom to customize each aspect of your spray makes it easy to adapt the Dramm 9-Pattern Revolver Spray Nozzle to any specific task.

The nozzle is made of metal and rubber, so it's fairly durable. However, its plastic parts may impact its durability, especially in colder climates.

If you're after other styles like a watering wand or a high-pressure nozzle, our full buying guide to the best garden hose nozzles has more recommendations.

Advertisement

Best sprinkler

Longtime gardener and Business Insider Reviews writer Mary Marlowe Levrette chose the Nelson RainTrain Traveling Sprinkler as a convenient option for hands-off watering of large areas up to 13,500 square feet. Three speeds allow you to adjust how fast the sprinkler travels, providing more or less spray.

Adjustable spray arms also let you choose the spray diameter — from 15 feet for small yards and areas to 55 feet for swaths of land. The full-circle sprinkler moves on its own along your garden hose — up to 200 feet — so you don't have to constantly adjust its positioning to reach all areas of your yard.

After it's done running through a cycle, it automatically shuts off, preventing water waste. There's a bit of a learning curve at first when discovering the best settings and placement for your lawn, but after some initial experimentation, the sprinkler requires little human input.

If you find yourself needing something a little more basic, or to mist flowers and vegetables, our full buying guide to the best sprinklers offers a range of sprinkler solutions.

Advertisement

Best watering can

For smaller gardens, window boxes, and even houseplants, a watering can might be the best way to supply your plants with the water they crave. But some plants require a gentle sprinkle so as not to crush leaves or delicate blooms. Other, hardier plants may need a larger volume of water more easily delivered in a steady stream. The Bloem Easy Pour Watering Canhas a rotating head that allows you to deliver the proper stream to your plants.

It's a large watering can with a 2.6-gallon capacity, and anyone who's hauled water across their lawn to their plants can attest to how heavy water gets. These larger cans can be tough to pour, putting a strain on your arms and wrists. Bloem has taken that into consideration as well. Its double grip allows you to place your hand however you'll get the most leverage. You can also grip with two hands for additional support.

The Bloem Easy Pour Watering Canis constructed from UV-stabilized resin plastic so it will resist fading, warping, cracking, and freezing. The material is also FDA-approved for contact with food, so you won't have to worry about dangerous chemicals leaching into the water you give to your vegetable patch.

Advertisement

Best rake

For many, a rake is simply a seasonal tool to clean up fallen leaves from the yard, but gardeners know it for the multipurpose tool it truly is. Whether you're aerating soil, spreading mulch, or, yes, using it for its most common purpose, you'll need a strong rake with a wide head to make quick work of your beds or lawn.

The Fiskars Leaf Rake delivers with its two-foot-wide head. The handle is also longer than many other rakes, so you won't have to hunch over nearly as much. The head is made of sturdy but flexible resin, so the tines won't break off if you hit a rogue rock. This does mean it won't be quite as strong as a metal rake, but it will be much more versatile and lighter weight.

The Fiskars Leaf Rake is the best overall pick in our guide to the best rakes, but if you're looking for an all-metal rake or one suited for more specific tasks, check out our other picks.

Advertisement

Best string trimmer

A string trimmer is more of a landscaping tool, but if your garden beds are adjacent to your lawn, you'll want a way to get clean edges without putting your flowers in danger. String trimmers, also known as weed whackers, cut grass where a lawn mower just can't go.

The DeWalt 20V Max Lithium-Ion XR String Trimmer is lightweight and has tons of cutting power. Because it's battery-powered, you won't have to deal with gas or running an extension cord from your garage.

Business Insider Reviews writer Steven John writes, "This trimmer is powered by a 20-volt, five-amp lithium-ion battery that packs plenty of punch, whirling the dual cutting lines around in a 13-inch swath that will easily clear grass, weeds, thorns, and more. The tool can be operated at a high-speed, full-power setting for cutting tougher materials or it can be run at a lower speed for lighter work and for better battery life. Yes, this trimmer costs four times more than other electric options, but it will outperform and outlast them, too."

Our full buying guide to the best string trimmers has more options.

Advertisement

Best wheelbarrow

Gardening requires more than just digging and planting. You often need to haul around supplies like mulch, soil, and fertilizer to keep plants thriving. A wheelbarrow is a must-have tool, whether taking care of a spacious yard or tending to a small vegetable garden.

The Gorilla Carts Poly Dump Cart 2-Wheel Garden Wagon is our top wheelbarrow pick because it's easy to maneuver — backward and forward — and can handle a significant payload — up to 300 lbs. It also has a convenient, foldable handle that makes storage easier.

You will need to refill the 10-inch tires occasionally, but they're sturdy enough that you don't have to worry about puncturing them. The 2-wheel design also makes it effortless to dump out hauls without breaking your back.

One reviewer recommends having a pressure gauge along with an air compressor or portable tire inflator on hand if you decide to invest in this wheelbarrow.

Advertisement

Best raised garden bed

Longtime gardener and Business Insider Reviews writer Steph Coelho selected the VegTrug Raised Planter as the best raised bed garden because of its beautiful design and clever V-shape construction. The raised bed is clearly designed with lifelong gardening in mind. The height is ideal for most users, preventing frequent bending that can lead to back pain. There's also enough clearance for wheelchair users to comfortably garden using the VegTrug.

The cedar wood construction is attractive and eco-friendly. Thanks to its self-draining, V-shape design, it also requires less soil compared to similar-sized containers. The shape still allows plenty of room for roots to grow and ensures proper drainage. Each VegTrug has a biodegradable liner that has lasted a decade with continuous use

If the 1.8-meter size is too big for your space, VegTrug also offers smaller planter options, including a Wall Hugger series.