The 10 Best Garden Forks (Review) 2021
The Best Garden Forks
Best Garden Forks Online - Our Picks
In This Review
Gardena ErgoLine Digging Fork
Features
Dimensions: 116.84 x 22.86 x 7.62 cm
Weight: 2.2kg
Fork Type: Digging Fork
Head Type: Hardened Steel
Pros
- Very comfortable to wield and use
- Ideal for use in thick planted areas
- Resistant steel tines
- You can grip the shaft at any point

Cons
- May be a little expensive for some budgets
Fiskars Ergonomic Garden Fork
Features
Dimensions: 123cm x 20cm x 9.5cm
Weight: 2.1kg
Fork Type: Digging Fork
Head Type: Boron Steel
Pros
- Four tines - sharp tines - for various jobs
- End is made from strong boron steel
- Very comfortable to use
- Long handle for ease of use

Cons
- May not be specialised enough for some gardeners
Kent and Stowe VBPHUKA1091
Features
Dimensions: 8cm x 12cm x 105cm
Weight: 1.8kg
Fork Type: Border Fork
Head Type: Carbon Steel
Pros
- Fantastic price
- Superb for soft soil digging
- Carbon steel tool
- A brilliantly balanced garden fork

Cons
- Not really suitable for big or tough jobs
Spear & Jackson 4550DF
Features
Dimensions: 90.5cm x 18.5cm x 12.5cm
Weight: 1.95kg
Fork Type: Digging Fork
Head Type: Polished Stainless Steel
Pros
- Resistant against rust
- Extremely durable
- Weatherproof
- Award-winning!

Cons
- One of the more expensive garden forks
Draper 88791
Features
Dimensions: 7.49cm x 92cm x 15.01cm
Weight: 1.88kg
Fork Type: Border Fork
Head Type: Carbon Steel
Pros
- Amazing value
- Resistant and durable
- Shaft is made from tough steel
- Great for softer soil jobs

Cons
- May not be the best all-round choice
Spear & Jackson 1570AL
Features
Dimensions: 101.6cm x 20.32cm x 30.48cm
Weight: 2.45kg
Fork Type: Digging Fork
Head Type: Forged Steel
Pros
- Extremely heavy duty
- Very sharp tines
- Very comfortable to use
- Resistant against all kinds of conditions

Cons
- Can be quite expensive
Premier Border Fork
Bulldog 5715042820
Features
Dimensions: 101.6cm x 20.32cm x 30.48cm
Weight: 2.45kg
Fork Type: Digging Fork
Head Type: Forged Steel
Pros
- Great overall build
- Hardwood handle
- What you see is what you get
- Great for long periods

Cons
- Can be quite pricey
Burgon & Ball GTB/SFBRHS
Features
Dimensions: 98cm x 14cm x 23cm
Weight: 500g
Fork Type: Border Fork
Head Type: Stainless Steel
Pros
- Super strong steel fork
- Great for multiple garden jobs
- Just the thing for reliability across the years
- Not badly priced

Cons
- Your average gardener may be looking for a softer grip handle
Spear & Jackson
Features
Dimensions: 97cm x 18cm x 7cm
Weight: 1.76kg
Fork Type: Border Fork
Head Type: Stainless Steel
Pros
- Very well priced
- Nice and durable handle and shaft
- Sharpened tines ideal for soft soil
- Reliable head

Cons
- There may be better all-rounders out there
Green Blade BB-GF201
Features
Dimensions: 97cm x 9cm x 2.8cm
Weight: 1.94kg
Fork Type: Border Fork
Head Type: Stainless Steel
Pros
- Great for seeding and planting
- One of the best garden fork choices for the price
- Resistant against rust
- Very soft grip

Cons
- Not the most versatile
Why Should I Buy a Garden Fork?
Garden forks are great for getting down deep into the soil. The best forks are impervious to bend or break, and offer an amazing amount of strength and durability. No gardener worth their salt should be without a fork of any kind, particularly as the three-prong approach is often preferable to using the same old spade head again and again.
Tines are the names for the prongs on your fork, and you’ve likely seen this word come up a lot so far! These can be made from stainless steel, for example, and are built to offer you fantastic digging resistance as well as great piercing.
You should buy yourself a garden fork that’s comfortable to use if you are looking to start digging, composting, weeding, or getting into tough ground
What are the Different Types of Garden Fork?
The type of fork you choose will revolve around what you intend to use it for! There are actually more than a few tools which you could consider garden forks, so let’s take a quick look at some of the bigger varieties.
- Digging forks tend to be very common. They are great for soft soils and can be good for planting flowers and tending to beds.
- Compost forks, as you can imagine, are ideal for digging in and twisting into compost and soil that’s decaying.
- Ballast forks tend to be a little tougher than most tools, and are a little more resistant than your average compost fork.
- Border forks are nice and light and are great for the soft soil type you will likely find in borders, funnily enough!
- Pitch forks tend to have fewer tines, but they are long and spaced out. They tend to be great when you’re mucking out a stable!
- Ballast forks tend to do the donkey work with tines which are extraordinarily well made. At least, the best ones are at any rate!
This is just a brief overview of the type of fork varieties available on the market right now. It’s always a good idea to look through different reviews from verified buyers to see what’s likely to work best for you in practice! You’ll need to consider everything from the prongs right down to the handle.
By all means look for different forums and reviews for additional advice. You’re going to need to invest in a tool or two which are available at more than just an affordable price – consider your long-term needs, too.
What We Looked for in the Best Garden Forks Online
As you can see, the type of garden fork you buy will likely dictate how best you are going to put it to use. However, there are a few questions we asked of the best garden forks and tools we reviewed before writing up our guide. Your own list and questions may well vary from ours. However, it is well worth looking through our queries as an introduction to fork shopping!
- What type of shaft is a garden fork built with? Is it a hardwood shaft for extra resilience, or something softer?
- How reliable is the head? Do you get a stainless steel head or forged steel head? Which head is going to work best for various types of garden work?
- Is a garden fork comfortable to use? By comfortable to use, we mean – can you use it over long periods without getting tired?
- How many tines do you need? As shown above, different types of steel fork may arrive with four tines or more – or even fewer, if you want to start picking up and handling hay or straw.
- What brand has manufactured the garden fork? We don’t always consider branding too much, but we do gravitate towards one or more big names when it comes to finding a solid build.
- Does the fork come with a non slip handle, or can it be used as one of your hand tools? Does it have a long handle for taller gardeners to get comfortable with? Does it have a hardwood handle or something softer?
- Which type of soil is the garden fork good for digging into? Is it good for hard ground or lighter flower beds?
- Is the fork good value? Does it come with a 10 year guarantee, or are there any indications how long the tool will last with heavy use?
Of course, these are just a few points you may wish to consider when shopping around. Your own needs for garden forks may well vary! That’s why we’ve gone to the effort of looking up plenty of different fork brands and types for different needs, purposes and uses.
Conclusion
Finding the best garden tools in the shape of reliable forks can be tricky if you don’t know what you’re looking for. Might a faithful all steel fork help out? What about one built-in carbon-manganese steel? You might even be looking at fibreglass handles for that easier handle grip and resistance.
However, whether you choose a wishbone handle or a handle with a steel core, or a garden fork with steel tines in three or more, there are plenty of great guides out there to help you make the best choice. Look for a fork – regardless of wishbone handle or any other type of handle for that matter – that speaks to your gardening needs, not just your budget.
We hope this garden fork guide has been useful – and don’t forget to look for heads and handle options with 10 year guarantee and warranty options attached!