As all gardeners know — whether you're a green-fingered casual or landscaping professional – the secret to a beautiful lawn is blood, sweat, and tears. Well, that and tooling up with the best gear available.

Investing in good tools is absolutely essential. The lawn mower is probably the most important purchase a gardener will make, but the strimmer is a close second. Grass strimmers, also known as trimmers, keep your lawn edges, borders, and even the lawn itself tidy by cutting back weeds and long patches of grass. Basically, these products handle everything that your lawn mower can't reach.

But unless you’re a gardening expert, choosing a strimmer can be tricky. Here’s some must-know info if you’re looking to buy a new strimmer.

The main types you’ll have to choose from are electric strimmers that plug into the mains, cordless strimmers powered by rechargeable batteries, and petrol strimmers which give you extra power. The best option for you really depends on the size of your garden and its current state.

It’s less a case of which is best and more which type best suits your garden and gardening needs. Corded strimmers are generally cheapest and best for casual use, but they’re slightly limited by the cord. You’ll need easy access to a mains outlet — and you must check that the cord reaches far enough to cover your lawn.

Cordless strimmers are built for convenience — lightweight and easy to handle around the garden. The main drawback is that you have to recharge them after use. Look for a model with battery power to match the size of your garden. 

Petrol-powered strimmers promise powerful strimming. If you have a large garden, or particularly tough grass and weeds to cut through, a petrol strimmer is likely the best option. They’re not always the best option for more delicate or detailed jobs, such as edging.

Lawn edging is pretty much as it sounds — the art of keeping your lawn neat, tidy, and even styled. It can be surprisingly hard to do if you don’t have the right tools. Some strimmers are built for both regular trimming and edging, or may have a cutting head that converts into an edger.

As well as edging, there are other handy features that can elevate a strimmer from good to great. They can include a telescopic shaft, adjustable handle, shoulder strap, and brush cutter for tackling brambles and shrubbery.

Another feature that can be a deal-breaker for some gardeners is an automatic line extension. The “line” is the thing that whips around quickly and does the actual business of grass cutting (though some strimmers use a blade). The lines sometimes break, so you need a system to replace the line mid-cut. Strimmers may have an automatic line feed, or can extend the line by you pressing a button — or even by giving the head a bump on the ground.

There are plenty of impressive models out there from top brands like Bosch and Flymo. To help you find the right strimmer for you and your garden, we have lined up a selection of the very best models. We have considered customer reviews, specifications, and features to give you a clear idea of what's out there.

These are the best strimmers in 2022.

The Flymo SimpliTrim Li(opens in a new tab) strimmer features an ultra-lightweight design with optimised ergonomics for maximum comfort. When you've been working hard all day in the garden, this sort of thing matters.

This lightweight strimmer utilises a powerful integrated 14.4 V battery with a run time of 40 minutes, so you can tackle everything on your list without needing to charge up. The durable blades also ensure you get a manicured finish to your lawn.

The integrated charging port comes with an LED indicator and storage for your spare blades. The lack of power cord helps you move around your garden with total flexibility.

The Greenworks Tools G40LT(opens in a new tab) strimmer uses a 40V battery that can be quickly installed so you can get to work right away.

The adjustable front handle makes it easy to adjust the cordless strimmer to different body heights, and the telescopic shaft can be continuously fixed for additional ergonomic comfort. The G40LT offers precise handling and impressive results thanks to its electronic speed control. This helps when you're navigating the edge of a patio, sensitive plants, or tree trunks.

The sturdy metal frame keeps flowers and other delicate plants safe from getting cut. 

The Bosch Easy GrassCut 26(opens in a new tab) is a basic but highly capable strimmer. It has a balanced, lightweight, ergonomic design that ensures easy handling as you go to work on the garden. And this model can do all the essential work – cutting grass and weeds, cutting around plants and tricky spots, lawn trimming, and garden edging.

The Bosch Easy GrassCut 26 also has a hassle-free cutting system which minimises the need for managing the cutting line. A semi-auto spool feeds the line at every trigger release, so you always have the optimal cutting line length. You’ll never need to manually adjust the spool.

It’s powered by a 280 W motor, which gives you plenty of oomph for the price, and there’s a quick and easy 2-step assembly system.

The WORX GT3(opens in a new tab) is a third-generation upgrade of the always-popular GT strimmer.

It’s absolutely stacked with features, including a 90-degree adjustable head, a telescopic body, an easy-to-adjust handle, and an automatic line feed that works with the push of a button.

The lightweight WORX GT3 also converts from a strimmer to wheeled lawn edger in a swift action. Another helpful feature is its PowerShare battery, which is compatible with any WORX cordless tool. The battery gives you up to 30 minutes of cutting action.

A built-in guard protects your plants, ornaments, and other obstacles in the garden.

The McCulloch TRIMMAC strimmer(opens in a new tab) has a rare dual-purpose — it’s about both power and convenience. The petrol-powered engine has an output of 0.6 kW — meaning it tears through dense, tricky lawns — while a split shaft design allows you to disassemble into two sections for easy transportation.

The strimmer head has a Tap ‘n’ Go function. Just bump the head on the ground and the strimmer line automatically extends. There’s also a carry strap that distributes the weight evenly across your shoulders, an adjustable handle, and an easy-to-access air filter cap.

The split shaft design connects to other attachments and transform the strimmer into a cultivator, hedge strimmer, edger, and other tools.

The VonHaus 20V Max(opens in a new tab) strimmer delivers plenty of power without the hassle of power cords, extension leads, or petrol fumes. 

The 180 degree adjustable strimmer head helps you get accurate border edges by tackling the trickiest spots and trimming the tightest corners. The VonHaus 20V Max also features an innovative blade system for sharper, stronger, and more efficient cutting. 

You can adjust the handle height and the lightweight design with soft grip rubber handles helps with lengthier trimming tasks.