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Keeping your lawn or garden looking its best not only adds to the curb appeal of your home, but it can also help you enjoy spending time in your yard or entertaining others. While taking care of the yard can seem like a daunting task, the right products can truly make all the difference.
Our experts have tested some of the most popular lawn care products and scoured the internet for the best picks. Below are the lawn care essentials you’ll want to add to your cart today to keep your grass green and your plants thriving.
1. Battery-Powered Lawn Mower
Selecting the right mower is one of the key steps to achieving a prize-winning yard. When our team tested battery-powered mowers head-to-head, we awarded the Snapper XD Cordless 21-Inch Self-Propelled Mower the top spot. Our testers reported that the Snapper XD lawn mower can traverse all terrain and deliver a smooth, even cut on a single pass. The lawn mower can easily handle overgrown grass and weeds up to 10 inches tall.
Get the Snapper XD Cordless 21-Inch Self-Propelled Mower at Amazon for $449.
2. Garden Hose
The Zero-G garden hose is constructed with special woven fabrics that make it durable and kink-free. Our experts selected this hose as the best overall pick in our guide to the best garden hoses because of its flexibility and refusal to kink, even when the weather is cold. The hose is also highly durable with its rugged aluminum attachment fittings and brass inserts.
Get the Zero-G ⅝-inch by 50-foot Black Aluminum Garden Hose at Amazon for $43.98.
3. Sprinkler
Without watering, your lawn won’t remain lush and green, especially during those hot and dry months. The Dramm 9-Pattern Turret Sprinkler is a fan favorite and also our best overall pick for lawn sprinklers on the market. With nine different watering settings, this sprinkler can cover up to 575 square feet. It also has a sturdy metal base that users appreciate for its ability to hold up in the outdoor elements.
Get the Dramm 9-Pattern Turret Sprinkler at Amazon for $28.79.
4. Hose Reel
A hose reel, such as the Liberty Garden multidirectional garden hose reel, keeps a hose tidy and easy to use. This particular model—our top pick as one of the best hose reels—rotates 360 degrees, allowing you to effortlessly pull the hose exactly where you need it to go and wind it back once you’ve finished using it. The weather-resistant frame is made from powder-coated 18-gauge steel.
Get the Liberty Garden Multidirectional Garden Hose Reel at Amazon for $101.91.
5. Sunday Lawn Care Subscription
A Sunday Lawn Care subscription will provide you with custom lawn products based on the specific needs of your lawn. Sunday will analyze your soil and climate dates for your region, and study satellite mapping information to deliver nontoxic fertilizers, nutrient books, and clear step-by-step instructions to help you give your lawn the care and attention it needs. Our writer who used and reviewed the subscription service says it transformed her dry, patchy grass into a healthy and lush lawn.
Get a Sunday Lawn Care Subscription from Sunday.
6. Backpack Leaf Blower
Clear leaves and other debris off your lawn to give it a manicured look with this backpack gas leaf blower from Husqvarna. In our guide to the best backpack leaf blowers, our team gave this blower the best overall award because of how well it breaks up clumped leaves and grass clippings. Its 180 mile-per-hour rating and 692 cubic-foot-per-minute capacity also make it one of the most powerful residential blower models. Take advantage of the ergonomic harness system, the fuel-efficient engine, and speed control technology to save yourself some time and effort.
Get the Husqvarna Gas Backpack Leaf Blower at Amazon for $459.
7. Cordless String Trimmer
The Greenworks Pro Cordless String Trimmer comes with a lot of high praise. With its almost 2,000 Amazon reviews and its selection as our most versatile pick when we tested the best cordless trimmers, this model is ready to tackle all your yard-trimming needs. It offers a quiet and long-lasting brushless motor, variable speed options, a .080-inch dual-line feed head, and a 2 amp-hour (Ah) battery for up to 45 minutes of continuous use.
Get the Greenworks Pro Cordless String Trimmer at Amazon for $219.99.
8. Broadcast Spreader
Use the Scotts Turf Builder Mini Broadcast Spreader to seed your lawn, spread fertilizer, salt an icy walkway, and more. The hopper can hold enough lawn products to treat up to 5,000 square feet of space, making it the optimal size for smaller yards. Its hopper and agitator allow for smooth and consistent application of fertilizer, seed, or other lawn care treatments. This spreader, a customer favorite with nearly 32,000 Amazon reviews, was also our experts’ selection for the best bang for the buck when it comes to the best fertilizer spreaders.
Get the Scotts Turf Builder Mini Broadcast Spreader at Amazon for $44.98.
9. Edger
The Worx Electric Lawn Edger and Trencher will allow you to achieve clean lines along sidewalks, driveways, and garden beds for a neat and pristine lawn. One of the best lawn edgers, this model offers a 7.5-inch blade with three different depth adjustments between 1 inch and 1.5 inches to match the needs of your lawn. Grip the D-ring handle and adjust the height of the shaft for customized comfort as you edge the lawn. Users will appreciate the cutting line guide for straight and clean lines.
Get the Worx Electric Lawn Edger and Trencher at Amazon for $99.
10. Weeder
Stop weeds from taking over your garden and ruining the appearance of your yard with the CobraHead Weeder & Cultivator Tool. With its tempered steel blade and comfortable-to-grip curved head, this tool comes highly recommended by over 2,400 Amazon reviewers and our experts in our selection of the best weeding tools.
Get the CobraHead Original Weeder & Cultivator at Amazon for $31.95.
11. Sprinkler Controller
Eliminate worries about watering your lawn with the Rachio 3 Smart Sprinkler Controller. Selected as the upgrade pick in our review of the best sprinkler controllers, this model uses local rain and weather data to keep your grass lush and green. It will also use this data to skip unneeded watering sessions due to rain, freezing conditions, high winds, and other factors. With the smartphone app, you can keep track of watering schedules and view an estimate for your water usage.
Get the Rachio 3 Smart Sprinkler Controller at Amazon for $183.90.
12. Soil Moisture and pH Meter
One of the best things you can do for your lawn is to test the soil to ensure the pH is in the ideal range of 5.0 to 7.0. The Kensizer soil tester measures pH levels, along with moisture and sunlight levels, to help your grass and plants flourish. In the world of soil moisture meters, this “best for pH” pick uses a double probe to provide quick and accurate data without the need for a battery.
Get the Kensizer 3-in-1 Soil Tester at Amazon for $11.04.
13. Hedge Shears
Hedge shears offer various benefits for garden maintenance and landscaping. Opting for hand pruning with hedge shears is a healthier-for-the-environment choice and a pocket-friendly one, as hand shears serve as a more affordable alternative to power trimmers. Our testers selected the Fiskars Power Lever Hedge Shears as the top pick for best hedge shears due to the tool’s excellent gripping and cutting qualities. The shears can cut through thicker branches up to 1.5 inches in diameter, making it a great all-purpose choice for regular use.
Get the Fiskars Power Lever Hedge Shears at Amazon for $22.75.
14. Backpack Sprayer
Backpack sprayers are great for precise and efficient liquid application in home landscaping. They are portable and convenient, making it easier to apply fertilizers, herbicides, and pesticides over large areas or specific spots to ensure plants receive the nutrients and protection they require to thrive. After testing various backpack sprayers, our testers chose the Field King 190515 Battery Powered Backpack Sprayer as one of the best backpack sprayers. It comes with a fully padded harness that cushions your shoulders against muscle strain, a preset rating of 40 pounds per square inch (psi) that users can increase if necessary, and a lockable shutoff on the wand to help reduce hand fatigue.
Get the Field King 190515 Battery Powered Backpack Sprayer at Amazon for $199.99.
15. Handheld Leaf Blower
Handheld leaf blowers are versatile tools that offer a range of benefits for yard maintenance. They are not limited to blowing leaves but can also be used for dust, snow, and other debris, making them useful for outdoor maintenance throughout the year. After testing various models, our experts chose the Worx 40V Power Share Turbine Cordless Leaf Blower as their top pick for best leaf blowers due to its variable speed options and lightweight design, which makes it easy to maneuver and use for extended periods without causing fatigue.
Get the Worx 40V Power Share Turbine Cordless Leaf Blower at Amazon for $164.99.
16. Garden Cart
A garden cart is a helpful tool that can easily hold and transport many materials, such as soil, dirt, leaves, tools, and plants, from one location to another. Our expert testers selected the Gorilla Carts 4 cu. ft. Poly Yard Cart as the top pick in our best wheelbarrow guide. This is due to its ample capacity and the maneuverability provided by its multiple wheels, not to mention its durability and stability. If you have a large garden or a small backyard, using a garden cart can simplify your tasks since it keeps all your gardening essentials in one place, making them easily accessible.
Get the Gorilla Cart 4 cu. ft. Poly Yard Cart at The Home Depot for $129.
17. Hand Pruners
Hand pruners are designed to make precise cuts on live branches and stems, aiding the plant’s quick healing and ensuring good health. The Felco 2 One-Hand Pruning Shear ranked the highest in our best pruning shears guide. Our testers were impressed by the tool’s comfortable and well-sized handle shape and the spring’s optimal resistance, allowing easy pushback without causing hand fatigue.
Get the Felco 2 One-Hand Pruning Shears at Amazon for $63.
18. Loppers
Garden loppers are special pruning tools designed to cut thicker branches and stems that are usually out of reach for standard pruning tools. Their long handles provide extra leverage to cut through tough plant material effortlessly, resulting in precise and clean cuts without damaging the remaining stems. Because of its versatility, the Kings County Tools Double-Ratcheting Anvil Lopper is our landscape experts’ top pick for the best lopper. It offers quick lengthening, powerful ratcheting cutting force, and ergonomic nonslip handles.
Get the Kings County Tools Double-Ratcheting Anvil Loppers at Amazon for $67.95.
19. Soil Knife
A soil knife, or a hori hori knife, is a versatile tool used for various gardening tasks. It functions as a knife and a digging tool, making it ideal for cutting through tough roots and breaking up hard soil. The serrated edge is perfect for slicing through roots, while the smooth edge is excellent for clean cuts. Our gardening experts recommend the Fiskars Big Grip Multipurpose Planting Knife as their best bang for the buck pick because of its concave design with straight and serrated edges, and also because of its budget price, lightweight build, and large rounded handle, which makes it very comfortable to work with.
Get the Fiskars Big Grip Multipurpose Planting Knife at Lowe’s for $11.98.
20. Hearing Protection
Machines commonly used in yard work, such as lawn mowers, leaf blowers, and trimmers, produce sound levels that can significantly exceed safe-hearing thresholds, potentially leading to noise-induced hearing loss over time. Using hearing protection when landscaping at home is crucial for users to preserve their auditory health. Our landscape experts were impressed with the Decibel Defense Safety Earmuffs’ comfortable fit and durability. The earmuffs have a noise reduction rating (NRR) of 34 decibels, offering users ample protection while doing their yard work.
Get the Decibel Defense Safety Earmuffs at Amazon for $26.79.
