The UK's bestTelescopic Pole Hedge Trimmers2022 Review

Anyone who’s ever picked up a drill or mowed a lawn has probably heard of the German tool giant Bosch. Famed for their quality kit, it’s no surprise that they’ve produced a real contender for best pole hedge trimmer for the UK market. The Bosch Universal Hedge Pole Trimmer 18 is a very capable garden tool with only a few flaws.

After testing it out for several hours, using a range of ‘targets’ both in my garden and on a friend’s farm, it’s precisely what I’d expect from a brand like Bosch.

The Universal Hedge Pole Trimmer 18 forms part of Bosch’s standard “green” line of DIY tools, so I didn’t expect professional-level build quality. However, I was pleasantly surprised by its excellent power to weight ratio and intelligent electronic anti-blocking features.

It knows when you’re tackling tougher stuff and adjusts the blade speed accordingly!

Similarly to the Ryobi hedge trimmer, this Bosch Pole Hedge Trimmer has a battery that is interchangeable amongst other POWER FOR ALL products. What sets it apart from Ryobi, however, is that the POWER FOR ALL battery system isn’t exclusive to Bosch. You can power a whole host of great tool brands, all with just the one battery type.

Returning to the hedge trimmer itself, it’s both solid and reliable. Although, my one criticism is that it performs at its best “short mode”. I found that the relatively narrow aluminium pole and lack of a decent front grip makes it feel a bit less stable than the Ryobi RPT184520 hedge trimmer when fully extended.

Nevertheless, Bosch have still created a top candidate for the best extendable hedge trimmer on the market with this model. It’s a high-quality machine with reliable features that make it easier to use, such as the automatic adjusting of the blade speed.

Immediately recognisable for their atomic-green tools, Japanese firm Ryobi have fans all over the world. One thing that immediately sets this company apart is their ONE+ battery system; you can power more than 70 different tools with the same interchangeable battery.

The Ryobi RPT184520 cordless hedge trimmer is a particularly mighty power tool for the garden, chopping through whatever you put in front of it.

I put this beast through its paces on a huge hedge, to see whether its performance would match its heavy-duty design. Afterwards, I changed tack to test if it could be used as a precision tool for shaping a delicate privet hedge. I’m pleased to say it worked well for both!

Unlike most of its competition, this chunky heavyweight pole hedge trimmer isn’t made from aluminium. Instead, Ryobi have used reinforced plastic poles to create a long reach hedge trimmer of seemingly titanium strength. It doesn’t feel flimsy or wobbly, even when fully extended!

Featuring a truly comfortable handle, an ingenious safety strap, and a large blade with huge teeth, Ryobi have thought of nearly everything.

I only have two minor gripes when it comes to this Ryobi hedge trimmer: the lack of a “D” handle, to make it better balanced; and the fact that it comes in three hefty pieces that have to be assembled. Even so, after putting the Ryobi RPT184520 through its paces in the garden, I’d still consider it as one of the best pole hedge trimmer available right now.

The bright orange garden tool brand Yard Force might not be the most well-known name out there, but they certainly know how to make one of the best lightweight pole hedge trimmers on the market. Boasting a 20-volt battery system, and clever space-saving features, the Yard Force 20V Cordless Hedge Trimmer is a brilliant, lightweight pole trimmer that’s ideal for smaller garden jobs.

Due to this trimmer’s one-piece folding body and ultralight frame, I’ve reached for it more than the rest for any odd jobs around the garden.

The reach isn’t anywhere as long as some of the competition, at just over 2.5 metres, and the blade isn’t the biggest either, but it depends what you need it for. Compared to the big beefy hedge pole trimmers I’ve tested, this one is incredibly easy to manoeuvre and still packs a reasonable punch.

I’m a big fan of the “D” shaped front handle, it makes this light long reach hedge trimmer even easier to get into the right cutting position. The cutting head can also be adjusted through 135° which makes it ideal for delicate shaping work as well as rough hedge cutting.

It’s a shame that it doesn’t come with a shoulder strap, but I still think it’s one of the best cordless pole hedge trimmers for small gardens. It’s easy to manoeuvre, comfortable to hold, and still relatively powerful. All good points in my book, especially for light ‘odd jobs’.

Einhell might not be quite as well known as Bosch, but they’ve still been around since 1964. They’ve made a name for themselves by making honest, solid, reliable tools that don’t break the bank. A lot more DIYers have started to take notice of Einhell since they came out with their range of 18 volt Power X-Change cordless tools (a line of tools with interchangeable batteries).

Their GE-HH 18/45 Li T Solo is a hefty cordless hedge trimmer that generally works well but is let down by some odd design choices.

Seeing as this telescopic pole hedge trimmer has an impressive reach of more than four metres, I spent most of my time trying to reach the highest branches of my Japanese maple tree. I also used it to shape and trim an unruly conifer that had grown to more than three metres tall.

I’ve learned that the most effective way to control a heavy long reach hedge trimmer is with a good set of handles, which the GE-HH 18/45 has. The rear handle isn’t the best designed, but you can set it to four different angles to suit the task at hand. The huge front “D” handle makes things much easier to control, and there’s a shoulder strap too.

However, I can’t go much further without addressing the ‘elephant in the garden’ here… the fact that this hedge trimmer is really heavy.

Combined with the big 4.0 Ah battery I was using, it tipped the scales at nearly 5 kg. That’s a lot of weight to deal with, especially when so much of it is at the end of a long, narrow pole.

There’s nothing wrong with the way this extandable hedge trimmer attacks branches, but I can’t work out why Einhell have chosen to split the motor section in two. After just a few hours use, the grease is coming off the exposed drive shaft, and it’s both messy and oddly balanced.

Therefore, it’s a mixed bag with this one. It’s powerful and has a great reach, offering quite a lot of features for the price (and making it one of the best budget pole hedge trimmers); however, there are some problems. If it had a more comfortable main handle, less weight, and no exposed parts, the design would be greatly improved.

Part of the Futura Direct brand, Terratek make useful cordless and mains-powered tools that often suit those on a budget.

Their Terratek 550 Watt Long Reach Hedge Trimmer is a relatively lightweight but noisy garden tool that works well, especially if you don’t like relying on battery power to get the job done.

Seeing as this is a corded hedge trimmer, I was a bit limited on where I could use it. Even with an enormously long 10 metre power cable, it wouldn’t reach outside the front wall of my property. Even so, it made short work of trimming my Japanese maple tree and other climbing plants in my garden.

Boasting a long 45 cm cutting head and a wicked blade speed of 1,700 strokes per minute, this long reach hedge trimmer is ideal for trimming and shaping foliage and thin branches. I was a little disappointed that it lacked the grunt you might expect from a corded tool, but it should be enough for most jobs around the home.

Despite this slightly lacking power, I still consider it to be one of the best mains powered options around, for a couple of reasons. The long power cable is very generous which meant I could move around my back garden relatively freely. Therefore, it’s possible to complete all trimming jobs, as long as the branches aren’t too thick, without having to stop once.

Plus, the head pivots, so it can be angled to cut the top and bottom of hedges as well, meaning the whole garden can be finished, looking tidy, without stopping to charge batteries.

Ultimately, it comes down to what’s most important to you. It might be that I’ve been spoiled by testing out all the best cordless telescopic pole trimmers on the market, because I was a bit nonplussed by this corded trimmer. For me, if it had been more powerful, I think I could justify being tethered to the national grid.

However, if it’s more of a priority for you to get standard jobs done quickly and efficiently, this option has the benefit of no battery to cut you short. Long tasks don’t have to be interrupted by the frequent recharging or battery swapping, and you can be reassured that you’ve got plenty of time.