By Andréana Lefton and Timothy Dale and Mark Wolfe | Updated Aug 12, 2022 3:04 PM
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Whether your yard is large or small, minimally landscaped or filled with flower beds, one of the easiest ways to tame unruly edges and to keep it looking manicured is to invest in a reliable lawn edger.
Similar to how a picture frame enhances artwork, an evenly trimmed yard perimeter elevates the overall appearance of a lawn. Crisp edges signify a well-tended property, especially along driveways, sidewalks, garden beds, and walkways.
Simplify your search by identifying your property’s needs with the shopping guide and our field-tested reviews of several popular lawn edgers on our own curbs, landscape beds, and driveway edges. Preview our roundup of some of the best lawn edger tools available below and keep reading for performance details later on.
There are many options to choose from when deciding on the best lawn edgers to keep the yard well maintained and weed-free. Edgers typically fall into three categories based on power source, including manual, electric, and gas lawn edgers.
Instead of relying on an electric or gas-powered motor to get the job done, these manual lawn edgers are completely powered by the user.
If manually edging the lawn seems like a daunting task or if the goal is to not limit the war on weeds by physical endurance, then the best lawn edger may be motorized. There are two main kinds of motorized lawn edgers: ones with an electric motor and those powered by a gas engine.
Don’t make a hasty decision about the best edger to landscape the garden and yard. There are several important considerations to keep in mind that can help you find the right lawn edger, including the power of the device, the blade type, the cutting width and depth, and included safety features to keep the user protected while working.
When trying to decide on the best lawn edger for the yard, it’s important to understand the power potential of these tools. Both gas and electric options offer comparable power output, but manual lawn edgers depend on the power exerted by the user.
A straight, no-frills blade can handle simple yards just fine, but an edger that offers multiple positions and angle settings may be a worthwhile investment if a property has a lot of flower beds and specialty features. The following are the three main types of edger blades:
If there are only a few needs to address, it is possible to get by with purchasing the desired replacement blade(s) for the edger and swapping them in as necessary. While this may be easy to do, this transition does add some time to yard work.
The cutting width of a lawn edger can refer to the cutting width of a combined trimmer and edger tool, but it may also simply indicate the physical width of the edger. This can impact the ability of the edger to access tight corners or any areas restricted by fences, decks, patios, foliage, or even the home.
However, a more important consideration is the depth of the edger, which refers to the maximum depth the edger blade can penetrate into the ground. Typically, corded-electric, gas-powered, and battery-powered lawn edgers have a blade depth of about 2 to 6 inches. This allows the blade to plunge into the turf to cut and remove deep root systems. Manual lawn edgers often have a limit of about 2 to 4 inches to the cutting depth, though this is still deep enough to cut through most root growth.
While a lightweight manual edging tool moves on nothing more than the user’s guidance, the weight of an engine typically requires three or four wheels to cover a property without causing strain to the operator. The rear wheels are responsible for moving the entire unit along, while a guide wheel keeps the blade aligned with the task at hand.
Some gas-powered lawn edgers offer the addition of a fourth wheel (a “curb wheel”) to help stabilize the edger when using it at a slight drop-off, such as the line where the lawn meets the street. If opting for an electric lawn edger or if there isn’t a need to maneuver around many curbs, three wheels are likely sufficient.
Using a lawn edger can be tiring, especially for those who are toiling away with a manual edger, but there are several factors that can help make the work easier. These include the size of the shaft, the weight of the edger, and the runtime of both battery-powered and gas-powered edgers.
Safety needs to be a priority at all times, but especially for those who are operating a tool designed to cut through solid earth and tough root systems; otherwise, serious injuries can occur. Look for products with built-in features to help keep the user safer while they work, such as debris guards, trigger locks, and padded grips.
Many manufacturers offer product features beyond the basic design to help improve the functionality of the lawn edger and to make the tool more appealing to users. These additional features can include two-in-one trimming and edging tools, adjustable auxiliary handles, and accessories.
The top choices below were selected based on the overall quality and product efficacy with significant attention paid to the important product factors mentioned above to help find some of the best lawn edgers to keep gardens neatly maintained. In order to make the cut, each tool successfully navigated our hands-on edger testing criteria that included curb, driveway, and natural landscape bed edges. Check out the product descriptions for performance details.
The plug-and-go Black & Decker serves not only as an edger but also as a trench digger. With a 12-amp electric engine that produces no emissions, this tool is useful for installing outdoor lighting, fencing, or when planting bushes and trees. The edger can be set to one of three possible cutting depths, with a maximum depth of 3.75 inches.
As an added safety feature, this trimmer-edger includes a built-in cord retention system that keeps the extension cord in place to prevent users from tripping over it. The edger weighs 12.4 pounds, and it has an edging guide that helps to make clean cuts around hard surfaces like patios, walkways, and driveways.
We liked the way the Black & Decker edger tracked around tight landscape bed curves and straightaways along paved edges. It easily sliced through foliage and tough surface roots for a clean edge, but was a bit undersized for digging into clay for bed edge renovation.
Get the BLACK+DECKER trimmer-edger on Amazon.
Instead of investing in a heavy-duty lawn edger, those with small yards may be better off with this inexpensive manual lawn edger. While it will take a little more physical effort to drive the thick 12-gauge steel blade into the turf, users won’t need to worry about gas, batteries, or extension cords, making it easier to quickly and efficiently edge a small yard.
The spade lawn edger weighs just under 4 pounds, and it extends out to a length of about 38 inches. It features a T-style handle for better control and to help distribute the force evenly across the bottom of the blade. The entire edger is made of thick steel, and the handles are covered with padded grips to help prevent the tool from slipping while in use.
We like the simplicity of this classic half-moon style manual edger. The tool excels at trenching and defining natural landscape bed edges. It is not the fastest or best tool for maintaining crisp grass edges along pavement, but it would pair nicely with one of the fast electric edgers for a complete package.
Get the Bully Tools edger at The Home Depot, Lowe’s, and Northern Tool.
The McLane Lawn Edger draws considerable power from the 127-cc gas engine with a maximum power output of 3.5 hp. However, the powerful gas engine does increase the weight of the tool to about 66 pounds, which may quickly wear out some users. To help manage the weight of the machine, the manufacturer includes four 7-inch wheels to balance and support the gas-powered lawn edger.
This edger has handlebars extending up from the frame to two padded handles, allowing the user to push and maneuver the edger like they would a lawn mower. The flat rectangular cutting blade can reach a depth of 4.5 inches as an edging tool, but it can also be set up to cut horizontally as a trimmer, taking care of more than one yard maintenance task with a single tool.
The McLane lawn edger was by far the most powerful and adjustable edger we tested. It tracked well along pavement, articulated around curved bed lines, and cut through heavy clay soil to renovate old bed edges. For those with lots of edging to maintain, this tool can do it all.
Get the McLane edger on Amazon.
Weighing just 12.1 pounds, this lightweight battery-powered lawn edger is easy to carry, maneuver, and control with an adjustable auxiliary handle that can be moved up or down the shaft of the tool to better suit the specific user. It also has a trigger lock to help prevent the edger from accidentally starting up. The 8-inch flat rectangular cutting blade is suitable for most edging tasks, with a maximum cutting depth of 4 inches.
This cordless Greenworks lawn edger operates on the included 80-volt lithium-ion battery and can last for up to 60 minutes before it needs to be recharged. It doesn’t come with a spare battery, but it does include a charger and an onboard battery life indicator, so users can keep an eye on the remaining battery life.
We were impressed with the gas-like power that the 80-volt Greenworks battery provides. The lithium-ion battery inflates the overall price, but for those who wish to cut the cord and remain emission-free, this tool can be paired with others in the Greenworks 80-volt lineup for an excellent solution.
Get the Greenworks brushless edger on Amazon or at Best Buy.
This corded electric lawn edger is a great choice for small yards and it features a 12-amp engine and an extension cord with a cord-lock feature that prevents accidental unplugging. It weighs about 18 pounds, but a portion of this weight is supported by a pair of back wheels and a single guide wheel that can be adjusted in height to change the depth of the cut.
The 7.5-inch star-shaped steel blade of the Greenworks lawn edger is capable of cutting grass cleanly and smoothly to a maximum depth of 3.75 inches. Users can also adjust the length of the shaft so that it better suits their height. When the lawn edger is properly adjusted and the user is ready to go, just push in the trigger lock switch to unlock the trigger and get to work.
We found this corded electric edger to be a rock-solid performer at a bargain price. Like the other corded electric models we tested, this Greenworks unit performed best in a maintenance setting but lacked power and size for trenching unbroken soil. It is lightweight and articulate, and an excellent choice for smaller yards.
Get the Greenworks corded edger on Amazon or at Lowe’s.
Connect the 12-amp corded electric lawn edger using an extension cord to edge the entire yard without having to worry about running out of battery or needing to refuel. The only limit to the range of the edger is the length of the extension cord, and this product even offers two bundled options that each come with a 100-foot extension cord.
This edger has star-shaped cutting blades that can slice through sod, dirt, and roots at three different cutting depths to a maximum of 3.75 inches. It weighs only 14 pounds, and it has two wheels at the back of the tool for better balance, as well as a single wheel at the front of the tool for better control. The electric edger also has an adjustable auxiliary handle that is optimized to suit the specific needs of the user.
This WORX corded electric lawn edger weighs less than just about any of the other corded electric models we tested. Unlike those others, it trenched beds fairly well for landscape bed renovation, but it probably should not be used extensively for new bed construction. The handle and controls felt comfortable for extended use.
Get the WORX lawn edger on Amazon, The Home Depot, and Lowe’s.
The 21.2-cc Echo PAS225 power head drives more than a dozen different lawn care tool attachments to keep a yard looking great without filling the garage with extra gas engines. This kit includes the power head, a curved shaft edger with a 9-inch square tipped blade, and a straight shaft string trimmer with a Speed Feed head that holds up to 17 feet of .095 string line. Along with a lawn mower and leaf blower, this may be all that’s needed to maintain a great-looking lawn. Available add-on attachments include hedge shear, pole saw, brush cutter, cultivator, bed redefiner, sweeper, and rock sweeper.
The tool attachments swap out quickly and easily, with just a spring pin and tension screw handle. The edger features a clog-resistant open-faced metal safety shield that works easily around uneven soil and taller grass. It penetrates deeply for trenching and bed edge renovation and trims crisp, clean edges along the pavement. The adjustable curb wheel allows users to customize the fit for maximum comfort. When not in use, the included S-hook hanger helps keep attachments organized.
We appreciated the versatility of the Echo PAS system. Both the edger and the string trimmer worked smoothly and efficiently, and the powerhead delivered nearly professional-level performance. The 9-inch edger blade had no difficulty penetrating clay soil while trenching for bed renovation. The combination of power, versatility, and moderate weight make this a broadly useful pick for maintaining small or large landscapes.
Get the ECHO trimmer and edger kit on Amazon.
Whether building new landscape beds or maintaining curb edges, the Earthquake Walk-Behind Lawn Edger gets it done with less effort. This walk-behind edger is powered by a 79-cc 4-cycle gasoline engine that does not require mixed fuel. It rolls along easily on four wheels while the adjustable edging tool head cuts deeply into the soil to create or renew bed lines, or it skims along curb edges for a neat and tidy appearance.
Blade adjustments are accomplished with two controllers. Set the blade angle while the machine is turned off by means of a spring lever located at the side of the machine. A second spring lever conveniently located at the handlebars is used to raise and lower the head as necessary while the engine is running. The engine uses a pull start with a throttle control lever on the handlebars.
At just slightly more than half the price of the McLane walk-behind edger, this tool offers a good value, in our opinion. The 79-cc engine on the Earthquake model delivers less torque, but that difference is mostly felt when breaking new ground where roots and rocks sometimes bog it down. For maintaining a varied landscape and occasional new bed preparation, this could be an excellent choice.
Get the Earthquake lawn edger on Amazon, The Home Depot, and Tractor Supply Co..
For most users with a typical residential yard, the Black & Decker landscape edger delivers the functionality needed to maintain a well-groomed lawn without breaking the bank. Although it is a single-use tool that takes up a bit more space than a string trimmer, it offers the convenience of plug-and-go operation and requires almost no maintenance.
For those with an excessive amount of curbs, edges, and beds to maintain, or those who have lots of new landscaping on the horizon, we recommend the McLane lawn edger. Although it is heavy and pricey, it offers loads of power and flexibility for a wide range of uses.
We wanted to run these tools through real-world scenarios such as basic grass edge maintenance, trenching along hard edges, and digging into new ground as would be needed for bed line definition. The test yard offered a good mix with a driveway edge that only needed maintenance, a curbline with an overgrown edge, and several landscape beds with edges that varied from moderately well defined to poorly defined.
To make our list, the edgers had to function well in every location based on the ways they are marketed. For instance, plug-in electric edgers are designed for maintaining existing edges in small landscapes and are not expected to be used for digging into unbroken soil for extended periods. On the other hand, gas-powered walk-behind models are intended for both detailed trim work and clean, powerful groundbreaking during long hours of work.
After reading the various shopping tips and factors involved in selecting a lawn edger, you may still have a few questions about the best depth for edging or how frequently a lawn should be edged. For answers to these questions and more, continue reading.
Choose a suitable lawn edger that meets your preferences and needs for yard work. This can include a battery-powered edger, a gas lawn edger, a corded-electric lawn edger, and a manual lawn edger.
When you have the tool of choice ready for the job, mark out the exact area you want to edge. This step becomes less important with more experienced individuals who can eyeball the exact cut, but for DIYers new to edging, this is an important step to ensure the edging line is even along the entire border of the yard or garden. Consider marking the area with stakes and string, especially when working with rounded corners and curving garden beds.
Mow the lawn first to help create a clean edge at a consistent depth, and proceed to cut thin strips of sod from the edge of the lawn, ensuring that the edger tool remains within the boundaries laid out. If the lawn edger has a variable speed trigger, it can be easier to get precise lines while edging. When the job is done, clean up the driveway, path, or sidewalk with a leaf blower or a broom.
Typically about 2 to 4 inches deep is sufficient for controlling the growth and spread of grass roots, keeping the grass from growing into the gaps in the patio or walkway.
It depends on the grass. Some grass grows and spreads very quickly, so you need to at least check the edge lines every time you mow. While most yards won’t require edging every time the grass is mowed, it’s likely to need edging every two or three times it’s been cut with a mower.
Whether you edge or mow first is almost entirely a matter of preference. If you choose to edge first, the mower will help clean up excess grass clippings, but if you mow first then it’s easier to create a straight edge at a consistent depth.
Ease of use varies among people and products, but one of the easiest edgers to use is the Bully Tools 92251 Round Lawn Edger. Just line up the manual spade edger and push down with your foot to cut into the turf. Continue this process along the entire edge to complete the job.
A gas-powered edger is a heavy-duty tool equipped with a powerful motor and durable shaft to help cut through thick turf. The McLane 101-5.5GT-7Gas Powered Lawn Edger is among the best gas-powered options available.
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