Ergonomic Gardening Tools

Gardening has been going on in some shape or form since time immemorial, so it’s natural that garden tools tend to follow a traditional design depending on what task they’re designed for. After all, if something isn’t broken, then why fix it?

However there are some subtle changes in design that can improve the level of comfort for the user, or the level of ease or efficiency when it comes to the task at hand. This is what’s known as ‘ergonomics’.

You may be familiar with ergonomic desks, ergonomic chairs, ergonomic keyboards etc (can you tell I’m typing this sitting in an office?), and ergonomic tools follow a similar principle.

Benefits of Ergonomic Gardening Tools

Reducing Aches, Pains and Fatigue
Let’s face it, none of us are getting younger, and working in the garden can take a toll on weary joints or body parts. Whether it’s with contoured handles or angled blades, ergonomic garden tools make life easier and reduce the time spent grimacing.

Prevent Injury
If you’ve got yourself a tool that feels easier and more natural to use, it will promote good posture and reduce the risk that you’ll injure yourself by overstretching. Similarly, flexible tools with good reach mean that you won’t have to overextend.

More Efficient
If a tool is smoother to use, it stands to reason that you’re going to make faster work of the task in hand. Thus ergonomic tools can be a valuable time saver. You’re also going to be happier to use it for long periods - instead of ‘downing tools’ because of repetitive strain.

Accessibility
Ergonomic tools can be easier to use for those with mobility issues or physical limitations.

We had a dig through our warehouse and came back with some high quality tools to draw attention to. Read on…

Greenman Ergonomic Digging Spade
Greenman Ergonomic Digging Fork
Greenman are highly regarded makers of garden tools; the family company was founded in the 70s (when they were known to deliver the tools strapped to a motorbike). Their ergonomic tools take design cues from vintage farm tools that, in their own words, ‘were designed for ease and functionality long before the word ‘ergonomic’ even existed’.

What does this mean in practice? Well, the handle of both the Ergonomic Digging Spade and Digging Fork has been crafted by ‘steam bending’, so that the handle leans slightly forward when the blade is vertical. This allows the user to gain more leverage with less strain.

The 89cm long handle - made with high-quality sustainably sourced European Ash - is suitable for taller gardeners or those with back issues. The blade is high carbon stainless steel and cuts through heavy soil with ease. Greenman’s Ergo tools also feature an extra long lipped socket, for added flex.

Burgon & Ball T Dibber
T-shaped dibber tools are designed to make life easier and more efficient when it comes to planting out multiple seeds, seedlings or bulbs. The distinctive handle design allows you to apply downward pressure with a firm grip as you create planting holes of a suitable size.

There are a few of these to choose from, but the Burgon & Ball stainless steel dibber might be one of the most attractive around. It’s sleek, sturdy and sharp enough to glide through soil, while the handle is made from sustainably sourced hardwood.

Oscillating Hoe
The Swiss-made Oscillating Hoe has a very thin and sharp blade which can go to work with remarkable accuracy below the soil surface. The double-edged blade cuts on both the pull and push stroke, allowing you to do the job efficiently with minimal exertion. This hoe will slice through the stems of larger weeds while completely uprooting smaller ones.

The long handle means that you can weed vegetable beds without having to tread on them and risk compacting the soil. An excellent garden tool, the Chillington hoe will make short work of jobs that you previously might have put on the long finger.

Kent & Stowe Eversharp Bypass Secateurs
Bypass Secateurs are used for pruning living plant material like stems and branches; they are a key member of any garden maintenance toolkit. The ‘bypass’ refers to the design of the tool, where two curved blades pass by each other as you cut, leading to clean and precise results.

Kent & Stowe’s Eversharp Secateurs was recently awarded with a BBC Gardeners’ World Best Buy award for comfort specifically: in their review they highlighted the ash wood inserts on the handle, the reliable grip and the fact that the tool is lightweight but very durable. It’s suitable for both right and left handed users and is adjustable for different hand sizes.

With their tough, sharpened carbon steel blades, these are ideal for cutting delicate stems (the bypass action is less likely to cause bruising and damage), deadheading, taking cuttings, pruning and cutting shoots down to the nearest bud. There is also an integrated wire cutting notch for use on garden string, twine or wire.

Felco Secateurs & Pruners
Felco are one of the most respected and reliable names when it comes to pruning tools. Their secateurs have been refined and optimised to the point where the individual types that you can choose from now run into double figures.

These ultra-durable Swiss-made tools can make pruning work feel smooth and effortless, almost like a natural extension of your hand.

As for particular models:

• The No.11 is an all-rounder that has built-in shock absorbers to reduce any stress on your wrists, as well as contoured finger grips.
• The Felco no. 6 is designed for smaller hands, with a compact and lightweight design - it’s often recommended by female users for female users. This secateurs has a smaller cutting capacity than others in the line, but it will still be more than sufficient for most pruning tasks. The rubber shock absorbers and curved handles provide hand and wrist protection.
• The Felco 7 has a revolving bottom handle that helps to reduce hand fatigue during periods of extended use; it pivots along with your hand motions, distributing the effort across all the muscles in your hand. According to Felco themselves, this is the model they recommend for users with arthritis. This handle design also reduces the force required for cutting by up to 30%.
• For what it’s worth, the original Felco no.2 design (which dates from 1948 and hasn’t changed much at all) is still one of the most popular, and is no slouch on the ergonomic front either: it features a spring and rubber shock absorber which together protect the user from wrist strain.

In terms of durability, Felco secateurs are a ‘buy it for life’ tool - we’ve seen owners attest to them lasting 30-40 years, but if not you can also rest assured that all parts (blades, springs, screws etc) are replaceable.

Greenman Long Handled Trowel
The hand trowel is the ‘weapon of choice’ for many a gardener, but the lesser-known long handled version can often be much kinder on your back. It allows you to reach into raised beds and maintain good posture, while also affording more leverage when working with heavier soils.

Technically speaking, Greenman (the makers) call this a ‘Mid Handled’ tool, but 71cm is long-reaching by garden trowel standards. The smooth ash wood handle is bolstered by a strong lipped socket.

The Greenman mid handle range is designed to be useful for gardeners with back problems or those who have mobility issues. See also their Transplanting Trowel, which has a narrow sharpened blade and an ergonomic sculpted wooden handle.

Chillington Tools
What about heavier duty garden tasks? Clearing ground of briars or woody growth; removing deep-rooted weeds; breaking up heavily compacted soil: these can be laborious and strenuous tasks for even the most physically fit.

We are long-time fans of Chillington’s range of garden and agricultural tools, which are also known by the name ‘Crocodile’ in some parts of the world. Far from being a new-fangled design, they are based on vintage ‘mattock’ style agricultural tools that have been used for thousands of years.

The key to their effectiveness is that the blade (made with forged, high carbon steel) is at a right angle to the handle. First you swing the tool into the soil as you would a pickaxe; between the tool’s weight and the natural forces of gravity you will get a very firm purchase in the soil.

The right-angled blade then acts as a lever as you work with a pulling motion. The extra leverage reduces the amount of effort or back strain required, whatever the task may be. Above is a video demonstration from the early days of Quickcrop’s Youtube channel.

The ‘Canterbury Fork Hoe’ is a personal favourite of mine: with this bad boy, you can easily lever out large clumps of skutch grass and stubborn, deep-rooted perennial weeds. There is also the Heavy Duty Azada - which can clear the densest and toughest of weeds or undergrowth - or the Ridging Hoe, which is ideal for making potato ridges and seed trenches.

ARS Telescopic Pruner
For those hard to reach pruning tasks, the Japanese-made ARS Telescopic Pruner has an easily adjustable length up to 2 or 3 metres (depending on which model you go for). The moulded non-slip hand grip is designed for fatigue-free usage, while a revolving arm allows you to change angles without having to adjust your grip.

The pruner’s carbon steel blades are finished with a hard chrome plating for extra protection against rust and corrosion. The aluminium extendable arm meanwhile is pleasingly lightweight.