The Fiskars PowerGear2 UltraBlade Softgrip Pruner are the best bypass pruners for people with arthritis based on how comfortable they are to use.
You love gardening.
The smell of the beautiful flowers, the soothing green plants, and the relaxing atmosphere in the garden is what you enjoy.
But age seems to be taking a toll on your hands.
Maybe they have gotten weak. Maybe your fingers are getting stiff. Or maybe you’re suffering from painful arthritis.
You want to continue tending to your plants but sometimes you feel like giving up because of the discomfort.
But you don’t have to. All you need is a pair of good pruning shears that are made for your arthritic hands.
Let’s take a look at the best bypass pruners for people with arthritis.
What is a bypass pruner?
A bypass pruner is a cutting tool that can be used to cut branches and stems that are up to 1 inch thick.
You can either get an anvil pruner or a bypass pruner. The difference is that the anvil pruner is better to cut dead branches while the bypass pruner excels at cutting live branches.
The anvil pruner has a blade on one end and an anvil on the other end. It has an action like a hammer falling on an anvil. This helps it generate a lot of cutting power but tends to crush the wood. We don’t want to do that for a green branch and damage it.
So instead it’s better to use a bypass pruner for a green branch. It has two cutting blades that bypass each other like the action of a scissor. This helps it cut the branch cleaner so the plant can heal itself faster.
Do you need a bypass pruner?
Pruning is an important activity in the life of a gardener. It helps the plants grow more leaves and branches as well as keep the plant in good shape.
So a bypass pruner that can be used for such pruning is an essential part of a gardener’s toolbox.
How to choose a bypass pruner
There are several important factors you need to consider before making a buying decision. But especially important is the ease and comfort for your hands if you suffer from arthritis.
Handle
Having painful hands and wrists means you need to choose a bypass pruner with a good handle.
Make sure the handle has an ergonomic design that puts the least stress on your hands while cutting. It’s even better if the handle is lightweight and made of material like aluminum.
Some bypass pruners come with handles that rotate providing comfort to your hands and help prevent blisters.
Also, ensure that the handles have a non-slip coating so they don’t slip out of your hands as you’re busy with the pruning. Usually, the handles will have a rubberized grip or some non-slip coating on them.
Different people have hands with different sizes. You won’t feel comfortable with a bypass pruner that does not fit in your hand. So choose one based on whether your hands are small, medium, or large in size.
Blade quality
The sharper the blades of the bypass pruner the easier it will be to cut the branches.
You need to choose a bypass pruner that has a good blade quality. This means it should work for a long period of time without rusting, breaking, bending, or losing its sharpness.
Good quality bypass pruners come with blades made of high-quality steel like high-carbon or hardened steel.
They will also have a sap groove so the sap can flow out of the blade. This will prevent the blades from sticking to each other making the cutting more comfortable.
Some blades also come with a non-stick and low-friction coating which further reduces the effort you need while cutting.
Weight
Bypass pruners tend to be small so you should not have problems carrying them around and pruning branches.
However, if you can get a lightweight one then even better.
Try to get bypass pruners with handles made of aluminum or fiberglass that tends to be lighter than material like steel.
Cutting mechanism
Bypass pruners come in a variety of cutting mechanisms that reduce the amount of effort you need to cut the branches.
This could be ratcheting, spring-action, compound-action, or even a patented mechanism.
The ratcheting mechanism makes use of a ratchet system where you keep pressing the handles of the pruner till you hear a click. This means the ratchet action has taken place. You can then remove the pressure from the handles till they return back to a certain position. And then continue with the cutting.
The ratcheting mechanism can help you cut 4 times easier than a regular bypass pruner.
A compound-action mechanism makes use of a complex set of movements in the pruner to make the cutting 4 times easier than a regular bypass pruner.
There are companies like Fiskars that have patented technology like PowerGear that makes use of gears to give you a cutting power 3 times that of a regular bypass pruner.
Cutting diameter
You should select the bypass pruner based on the thickness of the branches you need to cut in your garden.
You can get bypass pruners that can cut branches from 1/4th to 1 inch thick so choose one based on your needs.
If you need to cut branches more than an inch thick you’re better off using a lopper or a pruning saw.
Locking mechanism
Carrying about the bypass pruner in your pocket or gardening apron means you risk cutting yourself or tearing your clothes.
With a good locking mechanism, you don’t need to worry because they will keep the blades closed and protect you from injuring yourself.
Replacement parts
Like any tool, your bypass pruner will get worn out after a lot of pruning. And you may need to replace some of its parts like the blades.
If you invest in an expensive bypass pruner it’s always good to know that spare parts are available.
Then you don’t need to spend money again on a bypass pruner if you can replace the parts for a lower cost.
Price
You can get a bypass pruner for a variety of prices depending on the quality and cutting power of the tool.
It’s always good to buy one that has the best quality so it will last longer and give you great cutting power. This will help take the pressure off your hands while cutting and prevent arthritic pain.
Warranty
Your bypass pruner is a tool and it can fail like any other tool. That’s why it’s great if you can get as much warranty on it as possible.
The good thing is that many bypass pruners come with a good warranty of a couple of years. Some even go so far as to provide a lifetime warranty.
How to use a bypass pruner
The bypass pruner is a very simple tool and you should not have problems using it. There are certain things you need to understand so you can keep your hands pain free and the pruners working for a long period of time.
It’s important to keep the blades of your bypass pruner sharp. Not only will this help you cut the plants with least effort but also improve the life of the blades.
Don’t try to cut branches more than 1 inch thick using pruners. You may be able to do so but your hands will need more effort and you risk bending or breaking the blades.
When cutting place the branch as deep as possible in the jaws of the pruner. This will help provide good leverage so you can cut the branches with ease.
Once you’re done with the cutting, make sure to clean the blades using orange oil or vinegar. Then you can store it in a safe place away from children.
Maintaining your bypass pruner
Like any tool, your bypass pruner will need the occasional maintenance to keep it in good shape for many years to come.
Always make sure the blades are sharp before you use the bypass pruner. You could use a sharpening stone or a hand file to do so.
After your cutting session, if you find there is sap collected on the blades you need to clean them. Take off the screw holding the blades together and clean the blades using orange oil, vinegar, or WD-40.
You should also check the blades for rust or sap before starting the cut. If there is any such residue you can clean it up.
Reviews
Last update on 2024-04-23 // Source: Amazon Affiliates
The Fiskars PowerGear2 pruner is able to cut branches up to 3/4 inches thick. It comes with a patented PowerGear technology that will give your 3 times the cutting power than a regular bypass pruner.
The pruner comes with an UltraBlade coating on the blade that helps keep it sharp 5 times longer than other bypass pruners. The coating will also help keep the blade rust-free for a long time to come.
The shape of the blade is made in such a way so that the pruner can reach in hard-to-reach places.
The handle of this bypass pruner is ergonomically designed to give your hands comfort while cutting. It also has a rolling handle which means no wrist pain while cutting thick branches. Using the rolling handle does take a little bit of getting used to though.
Like most of Fiskars products, this bypass pruner comes with a full lifetime warranty which is a good thing to have.
The Fiskars PowerGear2 pruner makes cutting so easy it has earned the Arthritis Foundation’s Ease of Use Commendation.
This pruner weighs just 8.8 ounces which makes it pretty lightweight so you won’t have trouble using them in your garden.
Pros
Cons
Last update on 2024-04-23 // Source: Amazon Affiliates
The ClassicPro pruning shears can help you cut branches up to 1 inch thick.
The blades are made of high-quality Japanese hardened steel. There is a titanium coating on the blades that reduce the friction and makes cutting easier. It also protects the blades from rust.
There is a sap groove in the blades that will help keep sap off the blades. This means lower maintenance of cleaning the blades after use.
There is also a micrometric adjustable system that allows manual adjustment of the blades so you get the smoothest cut possible.
You might find it a bit difficult to close the blades together with the provided locking mechanism.
The body of these pruning shears is made of aluminum which makes it 9 ounces in weight and pretty lightweight.
The handles of this pruner are ergonomically designed to give you comfort while cutting. It comes with shock absorbing pads that will help avoid wrist strain and prevent arthritic pain while cutting.
The ClassicPro pruning shears come with a 100% customer satisfaction guarantee. So if you have any problems with the pruners you can just contact customer support.
Pros
Cons
Last update on 2024-04-23 // Source: Amazon Affiliates
The Planted Perfect bypass pruner comes with high-carbon steel blades that can cut branches up to 3/4 inches thick.
The hard-steel blades are easy to re-sharpen and use as often as you like.
The comfortable ergonomic design of the soft handles means you don’t need to worry about pain while cutting branches even if you suffer from arthritis.
These pruners seem to work better if you have large hands rather than for small or medium ones.
You might have some trouble with the locking mechanism where the safety latch keeps closing while in use.
It’s easy to clean these bypass pruners and it comes with a sap groove that can channel the sap away from the blades. This makes it easier to maintain without spending a lot of time cleaning it.
The Planted Perfect pruners weigh about 10.4 ounces which makes them pretty lightweight and you should not have problems using them for long cutting sessions.
These bypass pruners come with a lifetime satisfaction gardener guarantee. So if anything happens to these pruners just contact customer support to get a replacement.
Pros
Cons
Last update on 2024-04-23 // Source: Amazon Affiliates
The Lausihay pruning shears can be used to cut branches up to 1 inch thick. The blades have a titanium plating to ensure they stay sharp and last for a long time.
The cutting head is made from SK5 high-carbon steel so you can cut with ease even if you have arthritic hands. This will also protect the blades from friction and rust.
There is a sap groove in the blades that will help keep sap off the blades. This means lower maintenance of cleaning the blades after use.
The handles are ergonomically designed and made of copper core and plastic. This will help your hands stay comfortable during the cutting.
There is a specifically-designed latch that will keep the blades closed when not in use. This will protect you and your clothes from injury while you carry the pruning shears.
This pruning shear weighs just 2.4 ounces which makes it very lightweight to carry around and use in your garden.
The Lausihay pruning shears come with a good-looking holster that will help you carry the tool around in your garden.
The ClassicPro pruning shears come with a 100% money-back guarantee. So if you have any problems with the pruners you can just contact customer support.
Pros
Cons
Last update on 2024-04-23 // Source: Amazon Affiliates
The Vremi garden pruning shears can be used to cut branches up to 1 inch thick.
The blades are made of high-quality stainless steel that should make them stay sharp and last for a long period of time.
The blades have a rust-proof coating to protect them from rust. They also come with a safety lock so the blades don’t open up when not in use. You might find the locking mechanism a bit tricky to use though as the release might not be smooth.
These pruning shears are quite inexpensive and a match if you are doing the occasional pruning and don’t want to spend a lot of money.
The handles are ergonomically designed with a comfortable grip that should help you cut branches even with your arthritic hands.
The black hand grips can slide off the handles after you have used them for a while.
The Vremi pruning shears weigh 12 ounces which is pretty lightweight but the heaviest one on our list.
Pros
Cons
Conclusion
Gardening does not have to be painful.
You can continue to enjoy your time in the garden pruning your plants and keeping them healthy.
All you need is to choose a good bypass pruner that you will find comfortable enough for your arthritic hands.
We recommend you choose the Fiskars PowerGear2 UltraBlade Softgrip Pruner. You get a high-quality, comfortable bypass pruner that has earned the Arthritis Foundation’s Ease of Use Commendation.
Fact Checked, Written, and Published by Kevin Rodrigues
Kevin is the founder of Gardening Mentor, a website that aims to teach people to grow their own food in a limited space. As a self-taught gardener, Kevin has spent several years growing plants and creating gardening content on the website. He is certified in Home Horticulture and Organic Gardening from Oregon State University. He has a Post Graduate Diploma in Horticulture and Landscape Gardening from Mumbai University.
Read more