Quick verdict
The WORKPRO 7.2V Cordless Grass Shear & Shrubbery Trimmer is the lightest pick on this page at 0.82 pounds, making it the easiest option to hold and maneuver one-handed, while the 22-Inch M18-compatible trimmer at 4.4 pounds is the top choice if you need full hedge-blade cutting capacity without much added weight.
WORKPRO 7.2V Cordless Grass Shear & Shrubbery Trimmer
At a manufacturer-rated 0.82 pounds, this is by a wide margin the lightest tool on this page, light enough to run comfortably with one hand. The 2-in-1 head swaps between a shrub blade and a grass shear blade, and WORKPRO positions the top-mounted safety button as easier to use for people with smaller hands.
Compare the lightest hedge trimmers by manufacturer-published weight, from 0.8 pound detail shears to full-size 5 pound cordless models.
The picks at a glance
| Tool | Best for | Score /100 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| WORKPRO 7.2V Cordless Grass Shear & Shrubbery Trimmer | Best Ultralight | Check price | |
| 22-Inch Cordless Hedge Trimmer (M18 Battery Compatible) | Best Full-Size Blade at Low Weight | Check price | |
| 20V Lightweight Hedge Trimmer Cordless | Best Value | Check price | |
| 22 Inch Hedge Trimmer Cordless (Dual Battery) | Best for Longer Sessions | Check price | |
| BLACK+DECKER Electric Hedge Trimmer 16-Inch Corded (BEHT100) | Best Corded Lightweight Option | Check price |
The picks, reviewed
WORKPRO 7.2V Cordless Grass Shear & Shrubbery Trimmer
At a manufacturer-rated 0.82 pounds, this is by a wide margin the lightest tool on this page, light enough to run comfortably with one hand. The 2-in-1 head swaps between a shrub blade and a grass shear blade, and WORKPRO positions the top-mounted safety button as easier to use for people with smaller hands.
Reasons to buy
- Ultra-lightweight at 0.82 lb
- 2-in-1 grass shear and shrub trimmer
- 2000mAh battery, USB-C charging
- Top-mounted safety button for smaller hands
Reasons to avoid
- Rated for branches under about 5/16 inch thick, so it only suits fine hedge growth and edging, not a full-size hedge
- USB-C charging draws from a phone charger, laptop or power bank rather than a dedicated wall charger
22-Inch Cordless Hedge Trimmer (M18 Battery Compatible)
This is the lightest full 22 inch bladed trimmer on this page at a stated 4.4 pounds, so you get a genuinely full-size cutting blade without the weight of most 20 to 22 inch models. Compatibility with 18V M18 batteries is also a real savings if you already own that battery platform.
Reasons to buy
- 22 inch dual-action blades, 5/8 inch capacity
- Compatible with 18V M18 series batteries
- Ultra-lightweight at 4.4 lb
- Pure copper motor with overcurrent protection
Reasons to avoid
- Battery and charger are not included in this listing, an added cost if you do not already own M18 packs
- 5/8 inch cut capacity is solid but slightly below the 3/4 inch rating on some heavier trimmers
20V Lightweight Hedge Trimmer Cordless
At 4.8 pounds with two batteries installed, this trimmer stays close to the lightest full-size options here while matching the higher end 3/4 inch cut capacity on its 22 inch blade. Two detachable 1.5Ah batteries are rated for up to 60 minutes combined, so the weight saving does not come at the cost of runtime.
Reasons to buy
- 4.8 lb total weight with batteries
- 22 inch dual-action blade, 3/4 inch cut capacity
- Two 1.5Ah batteries, up to 60 min runtime
- 3-layer safety system with dual-switch lock
Reasons to avoid
- 1.5Ah batteries are a smaller capacity than some heavier competitors' packs, which can mean a swap on a longer hedge
- 22 inch blade, while light for its size, is still bulkier to store than the ultralight detail tools on this page
22 Inch Hedge Trimmer Cordless (Dual Battery)
At 5.25 pounds this sits at the upper end of what this page still calls lightweight, but it trades a small amount of weight for two 1.5Ah batteries rated at up to 60 minutes of combined runtime and a 3/4 inch cut capacity, useful if your hedge takes longer than a quick trim to finish.
Reasons to buy
- 22 inch hardened dual-action blade
- Two 1.5Ah batteries, up to 60 minutes runtime
- 5.25 lb ergonomic design
- Dual-switch safety start
Reasons to avoid
- At 5.25 pounds it is the heaviest pick on this page, noticeably more than the ultralight and 4.4 pound options above
- A less established brand with a thinner track record of long-term owner reviews
BLACK+DECKER Electric Hedge Trimmer 16-Inch Corded (BEHT100)
BLACK+DECKER markets the BEHT100's compact 16 inch build specifically for lightweight, easy handling, and because it is corded there is no battery weight added to the head at all. The 3.0 amp motor still cuts branches up to 5/8 inch, matching several heavier cordless picks on capacity.
Reasons to buy
- 16-inch dual-action hardened steel blade
- 3.0 amp motor cuts up to 5/8 inch
- Compact, lightweight design, no battery weight
- T-handle and full-length trigger for control
Reasons to avoid
- BLACK+DECKER does not publish an exact pound figure for this model, only that it is built compact and lightweight
- Corded design limits range to your outlet and extension cord
Weight is the deciding factor for a lot of hedge trimmer buyers, and for good reason. Trimming a hedge means holding a tool out in front of or above your body for extended stretches, so a couple of extra pounds in the head or a battery mounted far from your hand shows up as real fatigue well before a job is finished. The goal on this page is finding trimmers that stay genuinely light in the manufacturer’s own published weight, not just ones marketed with the word lightweight in the title while carrying an unstated, likely heavier spec.
Weight alone is not the whole story, though. A trimmer that weighs almost nothing but only cuts thin twigs is a different tool than a full-size hedge trimmer that happens to be built light. Cutting capacity, blade length and battery runtime still matter, they just need to be weighed against the actual pound figure rather than assumed. Some of the lightest options on this page are small handheld shear-style trimmers meant for detail and edging work, while others are full 20 to 22 inch bladed trimmers that manufacturers have specifically engineered to stay under about 5 pounds without giving up cutting capacity.
Where the weight sits also matters. A one-piece cordless trimmer carries its battery in the head or the grip, right where you are holding it, while some pole and multi-tool designs shift weight further from your hand and can feel heavier in use than their stated weight suggests. Dual battery kits add a small amount of weight over a single battery but usually buy meaningfully longer runtime, which is worth checking against how long your actual hedge takes to trim.
These picks were selected by comparing manufacturer-published weight figures and Amazon listing specifications, prioritizing verified pound ratings over marketing language, then checking documented cutting capacity and battery runtime so a lighter tool is not accidentally underpowered for the job. This is a research based comparison, not a direct trial by YardToolLab.
How we research
What to look for
Check the manufacturer's stated weight, not just the word lightweight
Plenty of listings use lightweight as marketing language without a pound figure. Where a manufacturer publishes an exact weight, as most picks here do, trust that number over the adjective.
Match weight to the job, not just the lowest number
The lightest tools here are small detail shears rated for thin growth only. A full-size hedge needs a full blade, so compare weight among trimmers with similar cutting capacity rather than against an ultralight detail tool.
Where the weight sits changes how it feels
A one-piece cordless trimmer carries its battery right in your hand, which usually feels lighter in use than the same stated weight on a pole tool or multi-attachment system that shifts mass further away.
Dual batteries add a little weight for real runtime
A two-battery kit weighs slightly more than a single pack but often doubles usable runtime, worth the small tradeoff if your hedge takes a while to finish.
Corded models skip battery weight entirely
A corded trimmer never carries battery weight in the head, which is why some corded picks stay light even without an explicit pound rating, at the cost of being tied to an outlet.
Our verdict
The WORKPRO 7.2V Cordless Grass Shear & Shrubbery Trimmer is the lightest pick on this page at 0.82 pounds, making it the easiest option to hold and maneuver one-handed, while the 22-Inch M18-compatible trimmer at 4.4 pounds is the top choice if you need full hedge-blade cutting capacity without much added weight.
FAQs
There is no official cutoff, but full-size cordless hedge trimmers with a published weight under about 5 pounds are widely considered lightweight for their category, and small handheld detail shears under 1 pound are the lightest tier available.
Not necessarily. Several picks on this page combine a sub-5-pound stated weight with the same 3/4 inch cutting capacity as heavier competitors. The tradeoff shows up more in battery runtime or blade length than in raw cutting power.
A corded trimmer skips battery weight entirely, so it can feel lighter in hand even without a manufacturer's exact pound rating, but you trade that for a cord limiting your range. A cordless model adds battery weight but gives full mobility around the yard.
Smaller battery packs, like the 1.5Ah cells on some picks here, weigh less than larger ones, which is often the tradeoff a manufacturer makes to hit a lower overall weight. Two smaller batteries can offset that with a swap partway through the job.
No. Tools like the WORKPRO shear at 0.82 pounds are built for thin growth and detail edging, not a full hedge. If you need to trim a full-size hedge, compare weight among the full-blade trimmers on this page instead.
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