A shovel is a practical tool that has to be in every gardener’s shed. The only question is, what type of shovel do you need? Serious gardeners will most likely have more than one. But of course, there are tons of various types of digging tools out there, which can make it confusing to choose. We have narrowed it down for you so you can make an informed decision of choosing the best garden shovel to keep.
Comparison Chart
| IMAGE | PRODUCT | DETAILS | PRICE |
|---|---|---|---|
| AMES 2535600 Tempered Steel Digging Shovel with Hardwood Handle | The AMES 2535600 Tempered Steel Digging Shovel with Hardwood Handle is the perfect tool for digging on soft and sturdy soil. The sharp blade of the shovel ensures a more comfortable and more convenient digging experience. | ||
| SOG Folding Shovel | Many serious gardeners use their hands almost of the time. When the trowel is too small, and the shovel too big, it’s time for the SOG Folding Shovel to step in. This product is also the best garden shovel for big jobs. | ||
| Roamwild Multi-Digger Garden Spade | This multi-digger garden spade is everything you need in one lightweight, strong reinforced design. It is a digging spade, shovel, and root cutter all in 1 tool, with a unique large easy-to-use AIR light handle and a fiberglass shaft. Roamwild Multi-Digger Garden Spade – The next level in digging innovation. | ||
| The Ames Companies, Inca 43106 UnionTools Poly D-Grip Round Point Shovel | The Ames D-Grip Round Point shovel is meant for practical moving and lifting making the best garden shovel. | ||
| SE Prospector’s Choice 12″ Serrated Edge Digger | The SE Prospector’s Choice 12″ Serrated Edge Digger is a handy garden shovel made of heat-treated carbon steel, which provides this tool with straight and serrated edges to break through concrete, hard soil, and roots easily. | ||
| Bully Tools 82515 14-Gauge Round Point Shovel with Fiberglass Long Handle | Looking for the best garden shovel? The Bully Tools fiberglass shovel uses triple wall fiberglass, and wood reinforced handle design that’s great for homeowners and contractors alike. | ||
| True Temper 2585700 Square Point Transfer Shovel | The True Temper 2585700 Square Point Transfer Shovel is the perfect tool for transferring. Its structure is built to support the user and make work easier. |
A Detailed Review on the 7 Best Garden Shovel
AMES 2535600 Tempered Steel Digging Shovel with Hardwood Handle
The AMES 2535600 Tempered Steel Digging Shovel with Hardwood Handle is the perfect tool for digging on soft and sturdy soil. The sharp blade of the shovel ensures a more comfortable and more convenient digging experience.
Product Highlights
Measuring 60.5 inches long, the well-built handle of the shovel allows users the luxury of digging without straining their back. It is welded with a tempered steel blade, and steel shaft to provide durability that far outlives wood-handled tools and won’t flex like fiberglass. The blade also offers enough foot space to bear it into the ground powerfully. The perfectly shaped tear-drop shaft complements the unique design, which enables the shovel’s sharp and narrowed edge to sink deep into any soil.
The Good
This product got lots of raves online is among the most popular shovel out there. Because of its durable steel construction and sharpened blade for any soil penetration, it is perfect for heavy digging in your garden.
The Bad
Despite having high ratings, some users point out that the shovel, due to its long handle, may not be fitting for smaller people to use.
PROs
- Ideal for digging in tough soil
- Welded tempered steel blade
- Sharpened blade
- Length: 60.5 inches
- Enough foot space
- Durable and hardwood handle
CONs
- Handle may be too long for others
- May not be fit for use of smaller people
SOG Folding Shovel
Many serious gardeners use their hands almost of the time. When the trowel is too small, and the shovel too big, it’s time for the SOG Folding Shovel to step in. This product is also the best garden shovel for big jobs.
Product Highlights
This award-winning and modern shovel is based on a classic three-way folding design. It features a slightly cupped blade, which makes the shovel becomes the best choice for working in clay and rocky soils. This shovel is bigger than your hands, like a size of an Entrenching Tool, especially when it’s folded.
It is also known for its high-carbon steel construction that also comes with a carry case that you may carry out as backpack or for belts. This shovel is made to last, so you don’t have to worry about heavy tasks because it will surely carry on.
The Good
This shovel features four times the gripping surface of traditional tools, with room for both hands and gives extra leverage and lessens hand stress.
The Bad
The heat-treated carbon steel blade should be wiped clean after each use to maintain quality and performance.
Roamwild Multi-Digger Garden Spade
This multi-digger garden spade is everything you need in one lightweight, strong reinforced design. It is a digging spade, shovel, and root cutter all in 1 tool, with a unique large easy-to-use AIR light handle and a fiberglass shaft. Roamwild Multi-Digger Garden Spade – The next level in digging innovation.
Product Highlights
The unique design of the Multi-Digger spade allows the user to translate digging power directly to the tip of the tool, where it matters most. This significantly reduces digging efforts. This, combined with the unique ARROW-shaped HEAD DESIGN with large surface footplates easily penetrates any soil or rocky ground. It makes light work of cutting through the turf, digging into hard clay, or being used to separate and transplant the toughest perennials.
The Good
The DUAL GRIP AIR LIGHT HANDLE TECHNOLOGY allows for Easy Digging & Easy Shovelling. The unique design gives more control and flexibility to different types and styles of digging or shovelling work. The Extra-large grip allows for easy comfortable use even when wearing gloves. It makes heavy soil feel light and allows you to do detailed work without disturbing the surrounding plants, as well as taking on larger tasks like digging up bushes and stumps. All these unique features combined offer an ultra-lightweight comfortable, yet powerful digging experience.
The Bad
One of the users received a defective product. One of the prongs bent in the opposite direction of the other 2 prongs.
PROs
- Reinforced Fibreglass
- Light Weight Digging Arrow Head Shovel
- Dual Light Grip Technology
- Root Saw Stump Cutter
CONs
- Product came defective
The Ames Companies, Inc 43106 UnionTools Poly D-Grip Round Point Shovel
The Ames D-Grip Round Point shovel is meant for practical moving and lifting making it the best garden shovel.
Product Highlights
This product features a high-quality shovel design for efficient moving and lifting, which makes it one of the best garden shovel on the market. It also has a durable carbon steel blade with a forward turned-step for secured foot placement. The Ames D-Grip Round Point shovel has a strong D-grip and hardwood handle for durability.
The Good
The D-shaped handle provides an ergonomic fit, and the wood handle gives you a non-slip grip. The sharp tip and wide blade make this an excellent shovel for digging or hauling. This shovel is made for small to medium jobs.
The Bad
Tall people may have a difficult time using this product as it best fits short people and not suitable for tall users. Also, the shovel is too heavy.
PROs
- Hardwood handle for durability
- Durable carbon steel blade
- Poly D-grip
- Forward tuned-step
- Rust resistant
CONs
- Not for tall people
- Too heavy
SE Prospector’s Choice 12″ Serrated Edge Digger
The SE Prospector’s Choice 12″ Serrated Edge Digger is a handy garden shovel made of heat-treated carbon steel, which provides this tool with straight and serrated edges to break through concrete, hard soil, and roots easily.
Product Highlights
This SE Prospector’s Choice 12″ Serrated Edge Digger has an oversized comfortable grip and handguard that helps in lessening accidental injuries. It comes with a sheath so you can always keep the tool with you. The multipurpose serrated edge digger is helpful for various tasks, including cutting clean and deep plugs, excavating, loosening soil, planting, digging, transplanting, weeding, and many more. The length of the shovel is 7-1/2,” and the overall length is 12″.
The Good
There are a lot of good things to say about this handy product. One, this tool has an oversized comfortable grip and handguard to help minimize accidents. The serrated edge digger is also multifunctional that can do plenty of your gardening tasks.
The Bad
Aside from being blunt and cannot cut through hard roots, some users pointed out that the quality of the shovel is not as good compared to other tools of the same category.
PROs
- 12″ serrated edge digger
- Heat-treated carbon steel material
- Serrated edges
- Sheath with belt loop included
- Oversized comfort grip
CONs
- Not sharp enough
- Lacks quality compared to other tools in the same category
Bully Tools 82515 14-Gauge Round Point Shovel with Fiberglass Long Handle
Looking for the best garden shovel? The Bully Tools fiberglass shovel uses triple wall fiberglass, and wood reinforced handle design that’s great for homeowners and contractors alike.
Product Highlights
This Bully Tools fiberglass shovel is just as powerful and sturdy as a wood shovel, with the added convenience of a fiberglass handle. It is 100% American made with a pure 14-Gauge Steel and a closed backhead design. All fiberglass handle features triple wall construction, and the welded I-Beam construction inhibits bending along ferrule. The tool measures 59.25-inches long.
The Good
The Bully Tools 82515 Round Point Shovel highlights all the components of a well-built and affordable American tool. With a closed-back design to reduce debris build-up, this 14-gauge steel shovel is created to last. The augmented fiberglass handle is built with triple wall construction, which features a reinforced wood core, 25% thicker fiberglass, and an extended steel ferrule to withstand bending.
The Bad
This is a sturdy and relatively heavy shovel that probably surpasses the requirements of most homeowners and gardeners. But unless you are thinking of hand-mixing a lot of concrete, this one will do just fine. However, several reviewers have noted that their shovel arrived with significant dings and scratches.
PROs
- 100% American made
- True 14-Gauge Steel
- Closed backhead design
- All fiberglass handle features triple wall construction
- Measures 59.25-inches long
CONs
- Heavy shovel
- Scratches easily
True Temper 2585700 Square Point Transfer Shovel
The True Temper 2585700 Square Point Transfer Shovel is the perfect tool for transferring. Its structure is built to support the user and make work easier.
Product Highlights
Measuring 57.6 inches long, the well-built handle of the shovel allows users to do their work easily. Its square shaped forged steel blade provides enough space for transferring loose soil and other materials. It is built to lessen strain and support the balance of user.
The Good
This product also has a cushioned end grip to lessen fatigue and stress from working. It uses North American hardwood handle that is guaranteed to last for years.
The Bad
Despite having high ratings, some users point out that the shovel may not be fitting for smaller people to use.
PROs
- Ideal for transferring loose soil and other materials
- Square point forged steel blade
- 45-inch hardwood handle
- Length: 57.6 inches
- Enough foot space
CONs
- Handle may be long for shorter people
- May not be able to support really heavy materials
Conclusion
A shovel is a must-have tool for every gardener, whether you are a beginner or an old-timer. As the years go by, various types of shovels have entered the market. Each one has distinct attributes in design and functionality. To have the best garden shovel, you have to consider its length, the shape of the blade, and the overall construction and design. We hope that this article helped you in picking the most practical and best garden shovel fit for your gardening needs. Know more about garden tools.