The Only Pair of Pruners You’ll Ever Need, According to a Gardening Pro

You wouldn’t trim your fingernails with your dog’s claw clippers or chop fresh herbs with a butter knife, right? Well, the same ethos carries over to your outdoor tasks. Having the right tool for the job matters, and in your yard one of the key pieces of equipment you’ll need to keep everything tidy, healthy, and thriving is a pair of pruners. 

Whether you’re reducing the size of a plant, trimming away dead branches, shaping a shrub, or thinning out the canopy of a small tree, a pair of hand pruners should be your tool of choice. Pruning can promote more vigorous growth, encourage a greater abundance of flowers and fruits, and improve overall plant health.

Because this instrument is going to be your go-to tool, it makes sense to buy a high-quality pair to withstand regular use. Although a good pair of pruners can be expensive, they are far more likely to stand the test of time (compared to cheaper options, which will likely need to be regularly replaced). Bram Olson, the trees and shrubs manager at Swansons Nursery in Seattle, Washington, agrees.

I asked him to recommend a pair of pruners he swears by, and his answer will make you want to hit “add to cart” ASAP.

When asked about his favorite pair of pruners, Olson said, “FELCO pruners, hands-down; they will be the last ones you ever buy.”

Having worked professionally in the gardening industry for 13 years, Olson is never far from a branch that needs trimming. “I work in my yard as much as possible, so they are always on me — just like a sun hat on a sunny day,” he says of his pruners. He relies on his FELCO garden tools for their durability, explaining, “They are all very well-made with replaceable pieces (blades, nuts, locks, and springs), great metal, and different sizes for different hands.”  (The company makes different models for right-handers and left-handers!)

FELCO offers a range of pruning shears, including both bypass and anvil types. Bypass pruners have a scissor-like action with overlapping blades, while anvil pruners slice with a sharp upper blade that presses against a flat base. Like many gardeners, Olson prefers bypass pruners, which typically make cleaner and closer cuts. 

His personal favorites are the #9 and #13 FELCO pruners, both of which he’s been using for 14 years, as well as the #10 FELCO pruning shears, which he’s owned for a decade. These pruners retail from around $70 to $90, which makes them a significant investment. But for anyone who takes their garden duties seriously, including Olson, a safe pair of hands in the garden is worth the investment. “They are a bit more expensive, but you get what you pay for.”