The Best Battery-Powered Hedge Trimmers in 2024

Though it might seem counter-intuitive, experts say trimming your hedges actually promotes growth! All you need is the proper tool. As powerful and reliable as their gas-guzzling cousins (and without nasty fossil fuel exhaust, carburetors, or spark plugs), battery-powered hedge trimmers are all you need to keep your shrubs lookin’ fresh and healthy!

In this article, we present not only the best battery-powered hedge trimmer overall, but also our top choice in categories like best eco-friendly, best budget, best ergonomic, and best lithium battery-powered hedge trimmer.

Got hedges bushier than Tom Hanks’ beard in Castaway? We better get started.

Our Top Picks: Best Battery-Powered Hedge Trimmers

Short on time? Check out our top picks:

• Best Overall: DeWalt DCHT820P1. The DeWalt DCHT820P1 is the best battery hedge trimmer in our ranking, balancing consumer reviews, blade length, power, and battery life.
• Best Green Pick: Greenworks 22332. The Green Pick in our ranking goes to the 22332 Hedge Trimmer from Greenworks, a yard care equipment brand known for prioritizing sustainability. 
• Best Budget: Snow Joe HJ604C. The Snow Joe HJ604C earned its spot as best budget battery-operated hedge trimmer for its combo of power, ease-of-use, and affordability.
• Best Ergonomic: Makita XHU02Z. With an anti-vibration structure designed to minimize fatigue, the best ergonomic battery hedge trimmer category is the Makita XHU02Z.
• Best Lithium: Black + Decker 2436. The Black + Decker 2436 took home the best lithium battery-powered hedge trimmer for the rechargeable 40-volt lithium-ion battery included with purchase.

Powered by a rechargeable 20V lithium-ion battery, the DeWalt DCHT820P1 is our best-rated battery-powered hedge trimmer. This bad boy lasts up to an hour on a single charge and can handle even the toughest jobs with ease. This is largely thanks to the 22-inch dual-action blades that make quick work of foilage and branches up to ¾ inch thick. Yeah, nearly an inch!

Although the tool is a bit heavier and more expensive than other trimmers in our article, the DCHT820P1 is designed to vibrate 40% less than other trimmers, minimizing arm fatigue — a definite bonus.

Above all, you can feel confident in your purchase with DeWalt’s 3-year limited warranty, 1-year of free service, and 90-day money-back guarantee. In addition, there are 77 DeWalt service centers across the nation for face-to-face customer service. Battery included with purchase.

You’re here because you value environmental sustainability in everything you do, just like us. Our green pick for battery-powered hedge trimmer is the G-Max Trimmer 22332 from Greenworks, a brand known for its complete line of battery-powered yard tools that are just as powerful as their gas power counterparts — minus the fumes, mess, and noise.

The G-Max 22332 offers long battery life with 24-inch laser-cut blades reaching speeds between 2400 and 3200 SPM (strokes per minute) with a 3/4-inch cutting capacity. Unique to the G-Max 22332 is the 180-degree rotating rear handle for comfortable trimming at various angles, as well as a wraparound auxiliary handle. Both of these stellar additions contribute to this tool earning high marks for ergonomics. 

The G-MAX 40V Lithium-Ion Battery and Charger are sold separately, and the MSRP is on the high side. But the unit is relatively lightweight, and the battery is compatible with other GreenWorks G-MAX 40V Lithium-Ion models. This will save you some money if you’ve bought other Greenworks tools in the past.

Not all trimming requires a big whack job on overgrown blackberry bushes. Sometimes you just need to do some detail work in the garden, or trim up the areas your mower can’t reach. For jobs like these, you shouldn’t have to shell out a small fortune.

If that’s you, our choice for best budget battery hedge trimmer is the lightweight and versatile Snow Joe HJ604C. The HJ604C is like having two-tools-in-one, converting quickly and conveniently from a grass shear to a hedger, with 4-inch grass and 6-inch hedge blades.

This tool gets its juice from a rechargeable, 7.2V lithium-ion battery — battery and charger included with purchase. Also not to be missed is the ergonomic handle for ease of use.

Everything is backed by the Snow Joe + Sun Joe Customer Promise, a 2-year warranty from the date of purchase, no questions asked.

If you’ve got a big trim job on the agenda, the Snow Joe HJ604C isn’t for you. But for help with small grooming work, look no further than the Snow Joe HJ604C.

The vibration that comes with using a hedge trimmer often leads to pain and arm and shoulder fatigue. To help address this, the Makita XHU02Z boasts an anti-vibration structure, meaning five cushions within the motor housing minimize vibration.

This (as well as the Star Protection computer controls that protect against overloading, over-discharge, and overheating) put the XHU02Z ahead of the pack in terms of ergonomics. 

The Makita XHU02Z also boasts a two-handed operation switch that activates the motor only when the switch and top handle are engaged, as well as an improved rubberized soft grip design to keep you comfy while showing that hedge who’s boss. That’s all while two 22-inch dual-action, double-sided shear blades jujitsu those shrubs at speeds reaching up to 700 SPM. And you don’t have to disassemble the housing to switch the blades — nice and easy!

Also notable is the battery capacity warning system, an indicator light that stops the motor automatically whenever it’s time to charge up the battery. The battery is relatively weak, however, and the battery and charger are sold separately.

Lots of hedge trimmers come with long-lasting and rechargeable lithium-ion batteries. At 40 volts, however, few hedge trimmers with a lithium battery are as reliable as the Black + Decker 2436, far-and-away the best lithium battery-powered hedge trimmer in our ranking.

When the Black + Decker 2436’s battery reaches max power, it trims up to 6000 square feet (on average) after a short, one hour charge. Impressive!

In addition to the powerful battery, this model sports a 24-inch dual-action blade, efficiently dicing up branches as thick as ¾ inch while reaching speeds up to 2400 SPM. 

For safety and comfort, the tool offers a full wraparound front handle and a 2-year warranty. Included with purchase is an Energy Star charger, making the 2436 a solid choice for the environment, as well.

What to Look for in a Battery-Powered Hedge Trimmer

Each hedge trimmer in this article earned its spot based on the following five factors: battery life, blade length, weight, and price, as well as overall consumer reviews. Here’s a closer look at what makes these characteristics so important in your new hedge trimmer.

1. Battery life

How long you need your battery to last depends on the size of the shrubs you need to trim. Most hedge trimmers run on either 20V or 40V batteries. We limited our field to trimmers running on one or the other.

Why both? 20V batteries are more than enough for most hedge trimming jobs, providing power from 40 minutes to an hour on average. That’s while 40V batteries charge quickly and hold their charge for a lot longer than 20V. 

Thirty minutes of battery life was our benchmark by which we judged the trimmers. We also gave extra attention to any brand including battery and charger with purchase (or even better, batteries that can be swapped between products).

2. Blade Length

Blades are where the hedge trimmin’ magic happens. Experts say 18-inch blades are adequate for most jobs. Nevertheless, all but four of the trimmers in our ranking have blade lengths starting at 22 inches.

Blade gap is also important. A ¾ inch blade gap is considered a good standard.

Last, a word about the blade’s SPM, or strokes per minute. The higher the SPM, the more powerful the trimmer. Be careful, though, because you’ll pay more for trimmers with a high SPM, and it might be overkill, depending on the size of the job.

3. Weight

Weight is perhaps the most intuitive of all standards by which to judge a hedge trimmer. The lighter the weight, the easier to use. The heavier the tool, the more taxing it is on your arms, shoulder, back. But heavy trimmers are more powerful and more durable, so there’s a trade-off.

Battery power trimmers tend to be lighter than gas power trimmers, but it’s essential to factor in the weight of the battery. So again, consider the type, height, and thickness of your hedges before making your choice. 

It’s also important to think about any ease-of-use restrictions or physical limitations that might make it challenging to use your trimmer. In our ranking, we sought trimmers as light as possible, with as many ease-of-use add-ons as possible, like wraparound handles. 

4. Price

Last, there’s price. Gas power tools and hedge trimmers will cost you upwards of $250. For a battery power model, you’ll pay around $50 on the low-end (making the Snow Joe HJ604C our pick for best budget battery power hedge trimmer — a steal at only $35). 

For the best battery power hedge trimmer, expect to pay between $150 to $200. 

But remember: battery-operated and corded tools require less maintenance, fuel, oil, and lubricants, which saves you lots of money down the line.

Our Process

For this guide on battery-powered hedge trimmers, our team spent 4 hours researching the most popular options from over 25 brands and manufacturers big and small. We then read about one hundred user reviews (both positive and negative) to discover what shoppers thought about each trimmer. After comparing this data, we narrowed our list down to the top 5 battery-powered hedge trimmers on the market. You can count on this research to guide you to a mindful purchasing decision.

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