A mown lawn looks tidy. A lawn with a clean vertical edge along the drive looks like someone who knows what they are doing lives there. That line is the difference between cut grass and a finished garden, and it takes about ten minutes with the right tool or an afternoon of regret with the wrong one.
Edging asks something specific of a trimmer: the head has to turn vertical and stay there, and something has to keep it steady, because a wobbling line at 7,000 rpm carves a scalloped mess instead of a straight cut. The five below range from a corded workhorse to a professional-grade battery machine, and they suit a small courtyard, a suburban block with a long drive, or anyone tidying paths and flower beds a few times a season.
| Product | Standout feature | Price tier | Link |
|---|---|---|---|
| WORX Cordless String Trimmer & Lawn Edger, 12″ | Rubberized wheels guide the edge; head tilts 90 degrees | Mid-range | |
| KOMASTY 20V Cordless Weed Wacker & Edger, 12″ | Shaft folds 180 degrees three ways for vertical storage | Budget | |
| EGO POWER+ String Trimmer, 15″ | Brushless motor, split shaft, 5-year tool warranty | Premium | |
| BLACK+DECKER 2-in-1 Trimmer & Edger, 14″ | Wheeled edge guide; mains power, no battery limits | Budget | |
| CRAFTSMAN V20 String Trimmer & Edger, 13″ | Telescoping pole; two speeds; 3-year warranty | Mid-range | |
How to choose a string trimmer for edging
Trimming and edging are different jobs
Worth separating, because the words get used interchangeably. Trimming is horizontal: the head is flat, you sweep it across grass a mower cannot reach, around trees and along fences. Edging is vertical: the head turns 90 degrees, the line cuts down into the boundary between lawn and path, and you walk a straight line. A tool can be excellent at the first and clumsy at the second. If the crisp line is what you are after, edging capability is not a bonus feature, it is the specification.
Wheels are what make the line straight
Here is the thing nobody tells you until you have gouged a divot out of your lawn: holding a spinning head vertical at a steady depth, freehand, along thirty feet of drive, is genuinely difficult. A wheeled edge guide solves it by resting on the hard surface and setting the depth for you, so you push rather than balance. Every dedicated 2-in-1 here has one. Without wheels you can still edge, and plenty of people do by rotating a straight shaft and using the guard as a reference, but the result depends on your hands and it takes practice.
Corded, battery or the ecosystem question
Corded trimmers are lighter, cheaper, never run out and never need a battery replaced. The cable is the price: you manage it constantly, and you cannot go past its length. Battery tools go anywhere and start instantly, and the real decision is the platform rather than the tool, since batteries only fit their own family. If you already own one brand, a bare-tool purchase there beats a new system.
Cutting width and line thickness
Cutting swath, usually 12 to 16 inches, sets how much you clear per pass. Wider is faster on open grass and clumsier around flower beds, so a small, fiddly garden is not automatically better served by a bigger number. Line diameter matters more than people expect: 0.065 inch suits ordinary grass, while 0.080 or 0.095 inch handles thick weeds and brush without snapping every few minutes. Thicker line needs a motor that can drive it, which is why the professional-grade machines pair 0.095 line with a brushless motor.
How the line feeds
Three systems exist and the difference shows up on a long job. Bump feed means tapping the head on the ground to release more line, which is reliable and mildly irritating. Automatic feed dispenses line as needed with no bumping. Push-button or command feed gives line on demand at the press of a button, which is the most control. Any of them beats stopping to rewind a spool, which is the real chore, and this is where the reload mechanism earns its keep.
Weight, balance and the shaft
You hold this thing at arm’s length, often turned sideways, for as long as the job takes, and 5.5 lb against 8 lb feels very different at the twenty-minute mark. A telescoping shaft matters more for edging than for trimming, because getting the head to the ground at a comfortable angle depends on the shaft matching your height.
WORX Cordless String Trimmer & Lawn Edger, 12″
The runaway best seller here, and for an edging article it is close to purpose-built. It converts from trimmer to edger in seconds, and the rubberized wheels are the reason it belongs at the top: they support and guide the head so your line comes out straight instead of scalloped. The head tilts through 90 degrees for banks and awkward corners, and the adjustable spacer guard keeps the line off your plants and ornaments, which is a small feature that saves real damage. Command Feed gives line at the push of a button rather than bumping, and WORX include free spools for life, which quietly removes the running cost of the one consumable. At 5.5 lb it is the lightest tool here, and two 20V batteries and a charger come in the box, sharing across the whole WORX Power Share range. Specs are 7,600 rpm, 12-inch swath, 0.065 line.
- Pros: Rubberized support wheels for genuinely straight edges; converts trimmer to edger in seconds; head tilts 90 degrees for slopes and tight spots; push-button Command Feed with free spools for life; lightest here at 5.5 lb; adjustable spacer guard protects plants; two batteries and charger included; shares batteries across WORX Power Share.
- Cons: 12″ swath is the narrowest here; 0.065 line is for grass, not heavy brush; 20V has less headroom than the 56V machines.
Best for: crisp edges along drives and paths on a typical suburban plot, with light trimming alongside.
KOMASTY 20V Cordless Weed Wacker & Edger, 12″
The second-best seller here and the cheapest cordless option, which is a combination worth taking seriously. The shaft folds 180 degrees in three different ways so it stores upright in a corner, which is aimed squarely at flats, small sheds and garages already full of other things. A pivoting head switches between trimming tall grass and cutting crisp edges without changing tools. The upgraded motor spins to 9,500 rpm, higher than the WORX, and the automatic feed system senses line length and dispenses cord as needed, so no bumping. Two 2.0Ah batteries and a charger give around 30 minutes of continuous running, which the maker frames plainly as enough for most yard jobs rather than a full afternoon. It has no wheeled edge guide, so straight lines rely on your hands.
- Pros: Cheapest cordless tool here; shaft folds three ways for vertical storage in tight spaces; 9,500 rpm motor; automatic line feed with no bumping; pivoting head switches between trimming and edging; two batteries and a charger included; light and easy to handle.
- Cons: No wheeled edge guide, so edges depend on your technique; around 30 minutes of runtime; an unknown brand with no wider tool platform behind it.
Best for: small gardens and tight storage, where the tool has to disappear into a corner.
EGO POWER+ String Trimmer, 15″
The serious machine, and the one that stops being a garden tool and starts being equipment. A 56V brushless motor drives professional-grade 0.095-inch dual-feed spiral-twist line across a 15-inch swath, which means thick weeds and brush that would stall the 20V tools simply go. Brushless matters for more than power: longer runtimes, low vibration and a motor that lasts. The Rapid-Reload head is a genuinely good idea, since you line up the arrows, push the line through and twist, with no spool to dismantle on the lawn. Variable speed lets you back off around beds, and it is IPX4 weather resistant. Fair warning for this article: the listing describes no dedicated edger conversion or wheeled guide, so edging means rotating the shaft and doing it by hand. The split shaft helps with storage, and the 5-year tool and 3-year battery warranty is the strongest here.
- Pros: 56V brushless motor with the most power here; 0.095″ professional dual-feed line cuts brush, not just grass; 15″ swath; Rapid-Reload head makes reloading painless; variable speed control; IPX4 weather resistant; split shaft; 5-year tool and 3-year battery warranty; works with all EGO batteries.
- Cons: No wheeled edge guide or stated edger conversion, so edging is freehand; premium tier; heavier and larger than the 20V tools; overkill for a courtyard.
Best for: large or overgrown plots where trimming power matters and you can edge by hand.
BLACK+DECKER 2-in-1 Trimmer & Edger, 14″
Mains power, and the argument for it is stronger than it looks. There is no battery to charge, no runtime to ration and no cells to replace in a few years; the 6.5-amp motor runs at full power for as long as the job takes. Conversion is a rotate away, and the wheeled edge guide does the work of holding depth and direction, so the edge comes out straight without practice. The POWERDRIVE transmission gets torque to the head for heavy overgrowth, automatic feed removes the bumping, and the 14-inch cut path is the second widest here. An adjustable handle and height positions let you set it up for your reach, and the cord retention system stops the extension lead unplugging itself mid-pass, which is exactly the small annoyance that makes people abandon corded tools. The cable is the whole trade-off.
- Pros: No batteries to charge or replace, ever; full power for unlimited runtime; wheeled edge guide gives straight edges easily; rotates from trimmer to edger; 14″ cut path; POWERDRIVE transmission for overgrowth; automatic feed; adjustable handle and height; cord retention system; budget tier.
- Cons: Tethered to a socket and an extension lead; range limited by cable length; managing the cord around beds is a constant task; not for a plot without outdoor power.
Best for: edging near the house on a small to medium plot, without ever thinking about charge.
CRAFTSMAN V20 String Trimmer & Edger, 13″
The telescoping pole is the feature that matters here, and it matters most for edging. Set the length to your height and the head meets the ground at a comfortable angle, instead of you stooping along a drive with your back complaining. It converts from trimmer to edger quickly, and automatic 0.065-inch line advance means no bumping. Two speed settings are a genuinely useful pairing on a battery tool: high power for thick growth, low for a longer run on ordinary grass, so you choose which you need that day rather than accepting one compromise. The 13-inch swath sits neatly between the 12-inch tools and the wide machines. It hangs on the VERSATRACK wall system if you have one, runs on the V20 platform alongside CRAFTSMAN’s other tools, and carries a 3-year limited warranty.
- Pros: Telescoping pole sets the working height properly for edging; converts to edger quickly; automatic line advance, no bumping; two speeds trade power against runtime; 13″ swath; battery and charger included; V20 platform shares with other CRAFTSMAN tools; VERSATRACK compatible; 3-year warranty.
- Cons: No wheeled edge guide; 0.065″ line is for grass rather than brush; 20V platform lacks the punch of 56V.
Best for: comfortable edging over a long boundary, especially for taller users or anyone with a fussy back.
Verdict
Best Overall – WORX Cordless String Trimmer & Lawn Edger. The best seller of this group by a distance, and the right answer for the job in the title. The rubberized wheels are what separate a straight edge from a wavy one, the 90-degree tilting head reaches the awkward places, and Command Feed with free spools for life removes the fiddliest part of owning a trimmer. Two batteries in the box and the lightest weight here mean it gets used rather than avoided.
Best Value – KOMASTY 20V Cordless Weed Wacker & Edger. The cheapest cordless tool here still brings a 9,500 rpm motor, automatic feed, a pivoting head and two batteries. The folding shaft is a real answer for anyone short on storage. You give up the wheeled guide, so your edges will only be as straight as your hands are steady.
Best Premium – EGO POWER+ String Trimmer, 15″. The brushless 56V motor and 0.095-inch line put it in a different class for cutting power, and the 5-year tool warranty says EGO expect it to last. Be clear that it is the trimming that is exceptional; with no wheeled guide, edging is a freehand technique. Choose it if your plot is big or rough and the edge is a finishing touch rather than the main event.
FAQ
Can any string trimmer be used as an edger?
Most can, in the sense that you can rotate the head vertical and cut down into the boundary. Whether the result is a clean line is another matter. Tools designed for edging give you a head that locks at 90 degrees and usually a wheel to set depth and direction. Without those, you are balancing a spinning head freehand, which takes practice and produces a wavy edge until you get it.
Do I really need the wheeled edge guide?
You need it far more than the listings suggest. The wheel rests on the path and holds the cutting depth constant while you walk, which is the entire trick to a straight edge. Experienced hands manage without one. If you want a good result the first time you try, buy the wheel.
Corded or cordless for edging?
Edging is usually done along drives, paths and beds near the house, which is exactly where a socket tends to be, so corded suits the job better than it suits general trimming. You get full power, unlimited runtime and no battery to replace. If your boundaries run well away from the house, or the cable would cross the lawn constantly, cordless is worth the compromises.
What line thickness should I use?
Match it to the growth. Around 0.065 inch is right for lawn grass and light edging and will snap on woody weeds. Thicker line at 0.080 or 0.095 inch cuts brush and lasts longer per pass, but needs a stronger motor to swing it, which is why it appears on the professional-grade machines. Using thicker line than your tool is rated for strains the motor.
How often should I edge?
Once the line exists, keeping it is quick, so a light pass every few mows beats a rescue mission twice a year. The first cut on a badly overgrown edge is the hard one, since you are cutting through built-up turf and soil. After that it is minutes.
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