logo
logo
  • Home
  • Products & Services
  • How-To
  • House Tours
  • Gardens & Exteriors
  • Kitchens & Baths
  • Interiors & Decors
  • Magazines
  • Buying Guides
    • Attic
    • Basement
    • Bed & Bath
    • Bedroom
    • Cleaning
    • Decks & Patios
    • Dining Room
    • Exterior Design
    • Garage
    • Home Office
    • Kitchen & Dining
    • Outdoor & Garden
    • Living Room
    • Smart Home
    • Home Improvement
    • Utilities
  • Reviews
  • Outdoor & Garden
We independently research, test, review, and recommend the best products-learn more about our process. If you buy something through our links, we may earn a commission.

Have the Ultimate Gardening Experience Using the Best Hand Shovels

author-image
By Old House Journal Review Team
Last updated: 2 Mar 2023

Without a reliable hand shovel, gardening tasks would be a hassle. Gardening is beyond simply planting and watering. When you start your own garden, the first thing you will need is a nice hand shovel. You have to dig the soil, change the fertilizer, shift the plants, and so on. While gardening is hard work, the results are worth it. This is why we researched lots of shovels and reviewed the top hand shovels in 2023 to help you find the right tool for your gardening needs. With the best hand shovels, you will not have to worry about wrist pain or bruises from weeding, transplanting, etc. Due to their compact size and ease of use, these shovels are suitable for beginners and professionals alike.

Top Pick
logo
Sinoer Hand Shovel
Check on Amazon
Check Price On Walmart
Super Versatile
logo
Mr. Pen Hand Shovel
Check on Amazon
Best Rust-Proof Material
logo
Garden Guru Lawn & Garden Tools Hand Shovel
Check on Amazon
Best Large-Sized Tool
logo
Fiskars Hand Shovel
Check on Amazon
Also Consider
logo
Yeacool Hand Shovel
Check on Amazon

Best Hand Shovels Buying Guide

Hand shovels or trowels are garden tools used with one hand. The tool is ideal for digging in containers, making small holes to plant new plants, digging weeds out, or transplanting. The shovel blade is long, and the handle is short. Find even more information about these garden tools below. 

What Is a Hand Shovel?

The hand shovel is used for digging, scooping, and moving loose materials, including soil, sand, and tarmac. Shovels come in various sizes and shapes. It may seem easy to choose the right shovel because the tool is familiar and everyone uses it, but it isn’t. For many of us, no matter how different the appearance of a shovel is, it’s still a shovel. The point is that you should not ignore differences, such as the angle and shape of the blade.

Using a shovel, you can dig a hole and remove the earth. You can customize it for different purposes and environments. They can be used for various tasks, such as shoveling snow, digging tunnels in confined spaces, or laying pipes and cables, while others are designed for multi-tasking. Selecting a shovel can be difficult because there are so many choices. You will find a wide variety of spades and shovels in any DIY store or garden center. It is very convenient to have multiple shovels of different designs to handle any job. The most important thing is to choose a quality shovel. However, if you can only afford one shovel, it will need to be extremely versatile. Trust us, tons of hand shovels fit this profile.

Hand Shovels vs. Long Shovels

The purpose of a shovel is to dig up the soil and incorporate compost into the soil of a flower bed. There are several types of long-handled shovels, which feature long handles of up to 48 inches (122 cm). In most shovels, the tip of the handle is usually not metal. You can identify long-handled shovels most easily when lined against a wall with short-handled shovels. 

How to choose between long and short-handled shovels? When should long-handled shovels be used? These and many other questions are part of the hundreds of questions that most gardeners like you have when selecting the right tool for a gardening task. In the garden, you can use long-handled shovels for a variety of tasks. Almost every expert agrees that long-handled shovels are superior to other tools. You can sit upright more often and bend less over with them.

There is no harm in having both long shovels and a hand shovel. That is if you can afford it. You can use the long shovels for deep digging and heavy duties, while you can use the hand shovel for mild planting and gardening. 

How To Get the Best Hand Shovel?

You should consider several factors before buying a hand shovel. Among the many things to consider are the material used, the type of construction, grip quality, and durability. Finding the best hand shovel for your garden becomes easier when you know all the important factors to look out for.

Types of Blades

In the hand shovel market, one can find a variety of blade types, including Dixter, ladle, traditional, and transplanting blades. Buying these blades means knowing they are designed for different gardening tasks.

  • Gardening tools with traditional blades tend to be large, curved, and designed to handle a variety of chores.
  • Seeds and weeds can be easily removed from the garden using the transplanting blade’s pointed tip.
  • For moving small plants to new pots, a Dixter blade is ideal. It is round-ended and has a long, straight handle.
  • The ladles are made with rounded edges and used to dig and scoop soil.

Shovel Design

An effective shovel is designed to last a long time. Having a one-piece trowel will make it last for a long time. However, a shovel with a separate blade and handle joined with screws is more likely to break and bend under pressure. 

Material

A garden tool’s material is an important consideration for buying one. Blades for hand shovels need to be crafted from either aluminum or carbon steel. However, some manufacturers use stainless steel for construction and add an extra layer of rust-proofing to enhance the reliability of their instruments. Rust-resistant blades are critical because a non-rust-resistant blade will get damaged easily under constant exposure to moisture.

Grip

No one wants wrist aches and bruises from gardening work. You should buy a hand shovel with a good grip, so you don’t get fatigued and your wrists hurt. The grip of most trowels has an ergonomic gel design that is comfortable and makes it easier to handle heavy tasks. The grip should also be soft on the palm to avoid blisters.

Weight

Hand shovels that weigh more than 500 grams are extremely difficult to use. Prior to purchasing the trowel, confirm its weight. This can lead to buying a shovel with no real purpose. A heavy shovel may dampen your morale.

Cost

No one likes to go out of budget when purchasing an item like a hand shovel. It’s always possible to find much more affordable tools to complement the expensive ones. To avoid overspending on a shovel, cross reference prices from different stores.

Final Thoughts on Hand Shovels

Start a new garden with a good hand shovel. You won’t find a better tool. These shovels are also very durable and do not have to be maintained often. We hope that the hand shovels we reviewed helped you as you search for the perfect gardening tool. 

The Premier Hand Shovels You Can Buy in 2023

1

Sinoer Hand Shovel

– Top Pick
img
Buy on Amazon
Check Price On Walmart

You can use the Sinoer Hand Shovel to quickly break up hardened dirt clods, dig up tough soil, dig up plants, transplant, pull weeds, or scoop out fertilizer. This rubber garden trowel’s handle makes it easy to work and reduces wrist fatigue and hand fatigue when weeding. You can store the trowel in the hole provided. Compared to metallic garden trowels, this one is smaller and lighter. It’s perfect for women and girls. Made from polished aluminum, this trowel will endure the rigors of gardening for many years. The blade cuts through tough grass with ease.

Pros
  • The design is ideal for ladies and young girls
  • Easy to store the tool
  • Ideal for many gardening activities
Cons
  • Might bend under too much pressure
2

Mr. Pen Hand Shovel

– Super Versatile
img
Buy on Amazon

With the Mr. Pen Hand Shovel, you get not only a solid shovel but also a pocket-friendly one. It is protected from damage by a rust-resistant covering made from stainless steel. It is ideal for weeding, transplanting, scooping, and other gardening tasks. The blade’s concave design will assist you with digging and scooping, thus reducing the amount of work you will have to do. Despite being a smaller tool, it can be a good tool for learning gardening skills.

Pros
  • The blade’s concave design makes scooping easy
  • Stainless steel makes the shovel sturdy and durable
  • Convenient and cost-effective
  • The rubber textured handle gives it a good grip
Cons
  • Some people might question the durability of this product
3

Garden Guru Lawn & Garden Tools Hand Shovel

– Best Rust-Proof Material
img
Buy on Amazon

An all-purpose gardening tool, you can use the Garden Guru Trowel for all kinds of tasks around the garden, including digging, transplanting, and weeding. This tool’s blade is made of stainless steel and has a rust-proof coating that increases the durability and strength of the tool. A soft rubber grip provides a comfortable hold, and finger grooves give you a good grip on this trowel. The product is covered by a lifetime warranty that allows you to return it for a refund or receive a replacement if it does not meet your expectations.

Pros
  • Stainless steel and anti-rust coated blade
  • Rubber grips make it easy to hold, making it ergonomically designed
  • Its 5.5-inch long blade makes it ideal for digging deep
Cons
  • When the blade is under a lot of pressure, it can bend
4

Fiskars Hand Shovel

– Best Large-Sized Tool
img
Buy on Amazon

The soft-grip handle of the Big Grip Trowel helps you get more done while remaining comfortable. The tough blade cuts through tough turf faster and moves more soil with its extra-large polished cast aluminum head. This extra-large polished cast-aluminum head moves dirt faster, resists rust, and can’t snap off.

Pros
  • Ideal for digging, planting, picking up plants, and turning earth
  • Soft-grip handle
  • Easy storage with handle hang holes
  • Has a full lifetime warranty
Cons
  • It is not very sharp
5

Yeacool Hand Shovel

– Also Consider
img
Buy on Amazon

YEACOOL trowels are excellent for every kind of digging. This trowel has features that a regular trowel lacks, such as a shovel, saw, ruler, nail extractor, hex wrench, and paracord. You can easily hang this trowel on your belt with its convenient carrying pouch and belt loop. With this hand shovel, you’ll always be ready for anything. It can also be used as a tent stake on windy days.

Pros
  • Perfect garden tool for every gardener
  • The blade is made of stainless steel
Cons
  • Some users may find it too heavy

People Also Asked

Q: What type of hand shovel should I buy?

A: In comparison to collar-style shovels, one-piece shovels tend to last longer. Unlike a multi-piece shovel, a one-piece shovel doesn’t contain any screws or collars, making it more durable.

Q: How can I use a trowel for gardening tasks?

A: Among other things, you can dig, scoop, weed, and transplant. An appropriate hand shovel is suitable for any garden and can handle many light gardening tasks.

Q: Can I use a trowel that has a wooden handle safely?

A: Wooden handles with laminate coatings are safe to use. If you want to avoid wood rotting due to water or bruising your hands, look for a model with a protective covering.

Garden Tools
author-image
By Old House Journal Review Team
The Old House Journal Review Team’s product reviews and in-depth guides are here to help you restore, repair, update, and decorate your home. The content is created by The Old House Journal Review Team. The Old House Journal editorial staff is not involved. Old House Journal is reader-supported: When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.
Related Content
img
Clear Your Driveway With Ease Using the Best Snow Shovel
img
Make Perfect Cuts With the Best Table Saw Available
img
Elevate Your Craft With the Best Hand Saw Available
  • Subscribe to Magazine
  • Subscribe to Newsletter
  • Get Your Company Listed
  • Digital Editions
  • Subscription Services
  • Renew Subscription
  • Give a Gift
  • Contact Us
  • Advertising
  • Sister Sites
  • Traditional Building
  • Period Homes
  • Arts & Crafts Homes
  • Log Home Living
  • Woodsmith
  • Timber Home Living
  • Popular Woodworking
  • Horticulture
  • Cuisine at Home
  • Writers Digest
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Service
© 2023 Old House Journal