Thanks for taking the time to read my article on the best spade for use around the garden. Owning a spade is going to be invaluable for a variety of digging jobs around your garden.
There are many brands available on the UK market, and they do come in slightly different shapes and sizes. Below we hope to guide you through the choices available.
That way you can decide which is the best type for your own specific needs.
In this article though, we are going to focus on the best spades for gardens, and which types of spade are the best to use.
What Type of Spade Do You Need?
There are basically three main types of spade used for digging and these are:
- The standard digging spade - a general purpose spade
- The border spade - smaller, lighter and better for digging garden borders and for digging between vegetables and shrubs
- The pointed spade - the best choice for anyone with hard or stony soil
Top 10 Best Buyer Rated Garden Spades
- Spear & Jackson Select Stainless (94%)
- Spear & Jackson 1180NB Neverbend Carbon Steel (94%)
- Spear & Jackson Traditional Stainless Steel Border Spade (92%)
- Fiskars Gardener's Pointed Spade for Hard Stony Soils (92%)
- Kent and Stowe Carbon Steel Digging Spade (90%)
- Amtech U1600 Border Spade (88%)
- Spear & Jackson Traditional Digging Spade (86%)
- Kingfisher CS580 Border Spade Carbon Steel Handle (84%)
- Rolson 82651 Ash Handle Digging Spade (82%)
- Spear & Jackson 4190NB Elements Digging Spade (80%)
1. Spear & Jackson Select Stainless
- 83% of all online buyers gave this a full 5 star review
- This is a very big seller online and is the highest buyer rated general digging fork
- It is the perfect partner for digging and turning over soil
- The spade has a mirror polished stainless steel head which helps stop the soil sticking to it
- It also has a forward tilting handle making it much easier to use
- It has been manufactured to exceed BS3388 load tests
- It is rust resistant
2. Spear & Jackson 1180NB Neverbend Carbon Steel
- 82% of all online buyers gave this a full 5 star review
- This spades head is made from forged carbon steel head and has an extra long socket for additional strength
- It has been given a hammer finish powder-coated head and that make it more resistant to rust
- It has a wooden shaft which has been weatherproofed
- The handle has a nice solid grip
- Like the first one on our list, this spade also has a forward tilt that helps provide the ideal digging angle
- It has also been treaded for more comfortable digging
3. Spear & Jackson Traditional Stainless Steel Border Spade
- 76% of all online buyers gave this a full 5 star review
- This is a border spade so lighter and smaller than a standard digging spade
- It has a mirror polished stainless steel head which helps resists rust and also stops soil from sticking to it
- It has a hardwood shaft that has been weatherproofed
- It is a one piece shaft and nice and light to use around the garden
4. Fiskars Gardener's Pointed Spade for Hard Stony Soils
- 83% of all online buyers gave this a full 5 star review
- This a pointed spade so better suited for anyone who has hard or stony ground to work with
- From the very good Fiskar's brand
- It has a hardened spade blade with tread surface
- Makes use of a D-shaped handle that caters for all hand sizes to easily and comfortably hold the the spade
- It has a very high-quality steel blade and plastic handle
5. Kent and Stowe Carbon Steel
- 76% of all online buyers gave this a full 5 star review
- This is the perfect spade for use on large soil areas
- Buyers use this for a variety of gardening tasks that include digging, soil turning and making drainage
- It has a carbon steel blade
- Also has an FSC approved Ash handle
- There are large treads for better grip on the spade head
6. Amtech U1600 Border Spade
- 70% of all online buyers gave this a full 5 star review
- This spade is one of the cheapest online and good enough for any beginner gardener on a tight budget
- It has a forges steel head
- It also has a D shaped plastic handle so suitable for any hand size
- Lightweight and easy to use
- Comes with a 3 year guarantee
7. Spear & Jackson Traditional Digging Spade
- 75% of all online buyers gave this a full 5 star review
- It has a mirror polished stainless steel head which helps resists rust and also stops soil from sticking to it
- It has a weatherproof one piece wooden shaft that forms a wishbone shaped handle, suitable for all handle sizes
- This model also sells pretty well online
8. Kingfisher CS580 Border Spade Carbon Steel Handle
- 69% of all online buyers gave this a full 5 star review
- This is a border spade with a soft grip plastic handle
- The digging head is made from carbon steel
- It has a D-shaped handle
- Very light and easy to use
- Not suitable for taller people over 6 feet
- It is described as lady size
9. Rolson 82651 Ash Handle Digging Spade
- 60% of all online buyers gave this a full 5 star review
- One of the more affordable spades on the UK market
- It has a carbon steel head that has been heat treated to increase the length the spade will last
- It has a popular ash wood D handle for any hand size
- This is a shorter than average digging spade so more suitable for smaller people
10.Spear & Jackson 4190NB Elements Digging Spade
- 62% of all online buyers gave this a full 5 star review
- This spade is east to recognise as it has a brown head
- The head of the spade has been heat treated and is made from carbon steel
- The head has then been coated with a hammer finish epoxy coated head
- That makes it a good option for working in heavy wet soils
- The shaft is made from ash wood sand has been weatherproofed
- Has a forward tilted handle
- Has a Polypropylene D handle
Buyer's Guide
We always like to provide a buyer's guide especially for beginners. If you are not sure which spade to buy, then go for a traditional spade. These are designed to be suitable for most sizes of people.
They are also really good for bigger work areas. Most of them are solid and well made and will last you for anything between 5-10 years, depending on use and how well you look after it.
Digging helps aerate and drain soil. It also helps incorporate organic materials and expose insect grubs to the birds and to the weather. It also helps improve rooting space for plants, and ultimately gives a nice surface finish.
Light, easily worked soils usually only need turning over to the depth of the spade. Heavier or clay soils will usually need double digging. Ideally the use of a digging fork and a spade are best for doing this.
The one good thing to remember is that if the soil is initially well dug, then it needs less digging in subsequent years.
Why Buy a Border Spade?
If you need a smaller spade which will be lighter and easier to use, then go for a border spade as these are so much easier to use. A border spade can be used to dig borders but is equally at home as a digging tool.
We would recommend that anyone over 6 feet tall should avoid buying a border style spade as it will just be too small for you. The last thing you need is back pain.
Why Buy a Pointed Spade?
You should only ever buy a spade with a point if the soil you will be working on is very hard and full of stones. The point allows you to get a shorter amount of sharper metal into the ground.
Some buyers just prefer working with this type of spade as they find them easier to use.
