The best pointed shovels, compared.
Top pick: Roughneck ROU68044 long serrated shovel – Longest shaft in the set, serrated blade and foot treads, and the highest amazon.co.uk rating here at 4.8 from 477 reviews. Best value: Spear & Jackson MICROROUND micro shovel – About £12.91, 700 mm, and 4.7 stars from 2,424 reviews, the largest count in this set, for borders and confined digging. Updated October 2026.
A pointed shovel has a dished blade and a rounded tip, so your weight goes into a small point and the dish then carries soil, gravel, or sand. On amazon.co.uk that search often mixes in garden spades and square-mouth scoops. A garden spade is the flatter cutting blade for edges and turf. A square mouth moves loose material and does not break ground. Length, width, and serrations separate them more than a tenth of a star. What matters is a blade that matches the job, a shaft you can live with, a joint that does not flex, a tread, and a length that fits whether you stand or kneel. The [pointed shovel buying guide](/hub/digging-tools/pointed-shovel/sub/pointed-shovel-buying-guide) sets out those checks before you use the table. UK shoppers often call the same tool a spade. A head sold without a handle is outside this category, and so is a square-mouth builders' shovel.
A pointed shovel has a dished blade and a rounded tip, so your weight goes into a small point and the dish then carries soil, gravel, or sand.
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Personal buying guide
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Where are you digging?
Across 477 amazon.co.uk reviews, the Roughneck ROU68044 is the long pointed shovel in this set: 1,460 mm overall, a serrated carbon-steel blade of 300 mm by 225 mm, and a listed weight of 2.3 kg at about £19.34. Buyers who stand in open ground get a shaft that reaches, and the foot treads give a boot somewhere to push. The listing describes the serrated edge for roots and compacted ground, which helps until you are near a pipe or cable you have not traced. One review says that length is far too big for a shorter user, and the measurement supports the complaint. The shaft is fibreglass with a Power Ring socket; the listing does not claim a BS 3388 pass. At 4.8 stars it is the highest rating here, though that tenth does not make a 1,460 mm tool right for a packed border.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You are tall enough to use a 1,460 mm shaft and you are breaking open ground rather than working between plants.
Less suitable: You are short, you kneel in a border, or you need a narrow trench blade.
Specifications
Common questions
What is the handle made of?
The listing says a long tubular fibreglass handle with a contoured grip, joined by a Power Ring and a steel-reinforced plug.
Can it cut through roots?
The blade is listed with a sharp serrated edge for slicing through roots and compacted ground. It is 300 mm by 225 mm.
How long is it?
The title length is 1,460 mm and the listed weight is 2.3 kg. One review says that length is too big for a shorter user.
The Spear & Jackson MICROROUND is the short round-mouth shovel with the largest review count in this set: 4.7 stars from 2,424 amazon.co.uk reviews, at about £12.91. The listing length is 700 mm, the blade is 210 mm by 150 mm, and the weight is 1.02 kg, with a pressed carbon-steel head, treads, and a fibreglass shaft. Reviews say that length suits borders and confined digging, and that it is short if you want to dig while standing upright. One review says the socket metal rusted after use, and another says sharpening the edge takes the factory coating off. Those are ordinary steel-blade complaints, not a reason to treat the price as a lab result. It is the best-value pick here when the job really is a border, and a frustrating buy if you expected a full digging shovel.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You garden in borders or confined beds and you are happy to work with a 700 mm shaft.
Less suitable: You need to dig standing for long spells, move bulk gravel, or cut a narrow trench.
Specifications
Common questions
Is it a full-size shovel?
No. The listing length is 700 mm and the blade is 210 mm by 150 mm. Reviews say that suits borders and is short if you want to dig standing.
What is the blade made of?
Pressed carbon steel with treads. The shaft is fibreglass. Listed weight is 1.02 kg.
Does the blade stay rust-free?
One review says the socket metal rusted after use. Another says sharpening the edge removes the factory coating.
The Spear & Jackson 2154HK is a forged carbon-manganese draining shovel on a rotary-welded tubular steel shaft, listed at 2.79 kg and about £16.20. It has 4.7 stars from 2,403 amazon.co.uk reviews, and the saved listing showed rank 1 in Gardening Shovels, a browse node that also holds square and snow tools. Reviews mention fence-post holes, roots, clay, and pieces of brick, which matches a narrow forged head more than a scoop. Several UK reviews say the mass helps the first push and then tires them on a long session, which is the trade-off of 2.79 kg before any spoil. The shaft is steel, so it conducts; it is not an insulated tool for live cables. Item dimensions are listed as 110.5 by 15 by 12.5 cm, with a 711 mm handle length, so check the live page if you need a precise overall figure.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You are digging fence posts, roots, or clay and you want a heavy forged draining head.
Less suitable: You want a light border tool, a long fibreglass shaft, or a scoop for loose gravel.
Specifications
Common questions
Is the head forged?
Yes. The listing says a fully forged carbon and manganese head, rotary welded to a tubular steel shaft and epoxy coated.
Why do reviews call it heavy?
The listed weight is 2.79 kg. Several UK reviews say that mass helps the first push and tires them on a long session.
What do buyers use it for?
Reviews mention fence-post holes, roots, clay, and pieces of brick. The model is sold as a draining shovel.
The Roughneck ROU68238 is a drainage and post-hole shovel listed at 1,070 mm overall, 1.98 kg, and about £21.54, with 4.7 stars from 1,336 amazon.co.uk reviews. The blade is heat-treated carbon steel with a sharpened edge and foot treads, on a fibreglass shaft with a double-injected D-grip and a Power Ring socket. Reviews describe holes about 600 mm deep for fence posts, which is a useful reach the 700 mm micros do not give you. The listing covers drains, pipe and cable channels, and post holes. It does not say the edge is serrated, so do not expect the root-sawing teeth of the long ROU68044 or the Artemis. Fibreglass here is a garden shaft, not a BS 8020 insulated tool. At the top of the mid price band you are paying for length and a tread, not for a lighter head than the Bulldog.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You want a fibreglass drainage shovel with treads for drains, cable channels, or post holes around 600 mm.
Less suitable: You need the cheapest narrow forged head, or a wide blade for moving spoil.
Specifications
Common questions
Can it dig post holes?
The listing is for drains, pipe and cable channels, and post holes. Reviews describe holes about 600 mm deep for fence posts.
What is the handle?
Fibreglass, listed at 1,070 mm overall, with a double-injected D-grip and a Power Ring socket. Weight is 1.98 kg.
Is the blade serrated?
The listing says a sharpened edge and foot treads. It does not say the edge is serrated.
The Bulldog 5CLAM is an all-steel cable-laying shovel with a solid-forged narrow blade, a slightly dished round cutting edge, and a metal YD grip with a wooden cross dowel. It is listed at about 2 kg and about £11.54, with 4.7 stars from 316 amazon.co.uk reviews, and the country of origin is India. The listing describes the narrow blade for narrow trenches, including clay. Reviews cite fence-post holes and a channel for solar-panel cables, which is the job a wide pointed shovel spoils by dragging the sides in. One review says the trench became too narrow for a foot on the shoulder, so they added a block of wood. The shaft is steel, so it conducts, and the listing does not state BS 8020 or a BS 3388 pass. It is the cheapest narrow tool here, and a poor scoop for a heap of spoil.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You are opening a narrow trench or post hole in clay and you want a forged head at the low end of this set.
Less suitable: You need foot treads you can trust in a deep cut, a fibreglass shaft, or a scoop for loose material.
Specifications
Common questions
What is a cable-laying shovel for?
The listing says a narrow blade for narrow trenches, including clay. Reviews cite fence-post holes and a channel for solar-panel cables.
Is the handle wooden?
The grip is a metal YD with a wooden cross dowel. The head is solid forged steel. It is not a full wooden shaft.
Can you get a boot on the shoulder in a deep trench?
One review says the trench became too narrow for a foot on the shoulder, so they added a block of wood.
The Roughneck Gorilla micro shovel, model ROU68005, is listed at 690 mm and about 1.04 kg, with a serrated round carbon-steel blade, foot treads, and a fibreglass D-grip, at about £19.99. It has 4.7 stars from 141 amazon.co.uk reviews, a smaller sample than the MICROROUND. One reviewer with a bad back uses it kneeling, and another at 5 ft 8 in worried it would be too short and then found kneeling worked. Reviewers also say it fits a backpack, which suits detecting or a job away from the shed. One review says the rivets on the handle dig into the hands, even while calling the shovel robust. The listing does not state whether it folds. At this price you are paying close to the long Roughneck for a tool you use on your knees.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You kneel in borders or carry a short serrated shovel for light detecting.
Less suitable: You want to dig standing, or you need a proven review count above a few hundred.
Specifications
Common questions
Is it short enough to kneel with?
The listed length is 690 mm. One reviewer with a bad back uses it kneeling. Another at 5 ft 8 in was concerned it might be too short and then found kneeling worked.
Are the edges serrated?
Yes. The listing describes a sharp serrated edge and foot treads for roots and compacted ground.
What is the handle complaint?
One review says the rivets on the handle dig into the hands. The same review calls the shovel robust.
The Artemis Root Master is a narrow carbon-steel head with dual serrated edges and teeth, listed at 2.5 kg and about £44.99, with 4.7 stars from 69 amazon.co.uk reviews. The listing says it digs, cuts, chops, and saws, and the handle material is plastic on a reinforced shaft. One review used it on bamboo runners and said the main plant still needed a machine; others used it on smaller roots, grass, and unwanted bushes. Reviews disagree on whether the handle adjusts, and the bullets do not promise adjustment. One review says it is heavy for a 70-year-old, and another says the blade cuts hard enough to damage pipes or wires. The two long listing dimensions conflict, so do not treat 113.5 cm and 135 cm as a settled length. Sixty-nine reviews is too small a base to treat the star rating as a settled verdict.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You are cutting smaller roots and overgrowth and you have already located anything buried.
Less suitable: You want one garden shovel, a confirmed adjustable handle, or to work near unknown services.
Specifications
Common questions
Will it remove a large shrub or bamboo crown?
One review used it on bamboo runners and said the main plant needed a machine. Others used it on smaller roots, grass, and unwanted bushes.
Is the handle height-adjustable?
The bullets do not say it adjusts. One review says it can be adjusted. Another says it cannot and is heavy for a 70-year-old.
Is it safe around buried pipes?
One review says the blade cuts hard enough to damage pipes or wires. Locate services before you dig.
The Roughneck ROU68010 is an 880 mm round-point mini shovel, listed at 1.1 kg and about £17.10, with 4.6 stars from 833 amazon.co.uk reviews. Reviews describe it as a workable size for a smaller adult and for shifting material out of bulk bags, where a full-length shaft gets in the way. The blade is heat-treated carbon steel with foot treads and a fibreglass D-grip on a Power Ring socket. One metal-detecting review says the blade flexes on clay and is fine on lighter ground, so this is not the clay tool in the set. The listing states it does not fold, despite the short length. At 880 mm it sits between the 700 mm micros and the 1,070 mm drainage shovel, which is useful if you stand but do not want 1,460 mm.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You want a short round-point shovel for borders, bulk bags, or light detecting on ground that is not heavy clay.
Less suitable: You need to break clay, dig a narrow trench, or carry a folding tool in a pack.
Specifications
Common questions
Is it light enough for a smaller adult?
The listed weight is 1.1 kg. Reviews describe it as a good size for a smaller user and for moving material from bulk bags.
Will it cope with clay?
One metal-detecting review says it flexes on clay and is fine on light ground. The listing does not claim a clay rating.
Does it fold?
No. The listing says it is not foldable.
The Draper 57569 is a mini round-point shovel with a fibreglass shaft and a Y-dee grip, listed at 820 g and about £19.05, with 4.4 stars from 1,781 amazon.co.uk reviews. Several reviews buy it for metal detecting and for light garden digging, which fits a short pointed blade you can carry. The bullets say a pressed mild-steel blade, while the technical table lists blade material as fibreglass, so the listing contradicts itself and you should read the live page before you rely on either line. One review says the shaft was riveted before it was pushed fully into the socket. Another calls it heavy for a short tool, which is a fair complaint next to the 710 g wooden Draper even though 820 g is still light in this set. It is not a border spade you can edge a lawn with, and it is not built for heavy pushing.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You want a light mini round-point shovel for detecting or light digging and you have checked the live blade description.
Less suitable: You need a clear material spec, a tread for heavy pushing, or a full-length digging shovel.
Specifications
Common questions
What is the blade made of?
The bullets say pressed mild steel and a fibreglass shaft. The technical table lists blade material as fibreglass, which conflicts with the bullets.
Is it a detecting spade?
Several reviews buy it for metal detecting and for light garden digging. It is a mini round-point shovel, not a full-size border spade.
Are there assembly issues?
One review says the shaft was riveted before it was pushed fully into the socket. Another calls it heavy for a short tool.
The Draper 15072 is a mini round-point shovel with a pressed mild-steel blade, a wooden shaft, and a plastic Y-dee grip, listed at 710 g and about £13.45. Dimensions are 71 by 15 by 6 cm. It has 4.3 stars from 649 amazon.co.uk reviews, the lowest rating in this set, and the listing states a one-year warranty. Several reviews expected a full-size spade and found something closer to a long-handled trowel, which is what the word mini and the 71 cm length already say. The listing points it at restricted areas, and reviews mention pots, raised beds, tight corners, and light detecting. One review says it will not take heavy pushing. A wooden shaft is lighter and kinder on shock than steel, and it splits if you store it wet. Treat it as a bed tool, not as the shovel for a trench or a clay bed.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You want a light wooden mini for pots, raised beds, and light digging in restricted spaces.
Less suitable: You expected a full-size shovel, or you need to push hard in clay or a trench.
Specifications
Common questions
How small is the mini shovel?
Listed dimensions are 71 × 15 × 6 cm and weight is 710 g. Several reviews expected a full-size spade and found it closer to a long-handled trowel.
What is it good for?
The listing says restricted areas. Reviews mention pots, raised beds, tight corners, and light detecting. One review says it will not take heavy pushing.
Is there a warranty?
The listing states a one-year manufacturer warranty.
For this comparison we checked pointed, micro, drainage, and cable-laying shovels on amazon.co.uk and kept ten complete tools. Scores use the listing details, the review counts, and the buying criteria below. Nothing here is a laboratory test, and no listing is treated as a BS 3388 pass unless that page says so.
Blade and job
30%A round point has to enter ground and lift spoil. A narrow blade is for a trench, drain, or post hole. A square mouth is the wrong category.
Length and fit
25%About 690 to 700 mm suits borders and kneeling. About 1,070 mm adds reach. A 1,460 mm shaft is only for a taller user in open ground.
Shaft and joint
20%Fibreglass does not rot, wood absorbs shock and splits if stored wet, and steel is strong and conducts. A forged, welded, or reinforced socket beats a loose joint.
Edge and tread
15%Serrations help on roots and raise the risk to buried pipes. A tread gives the boot a shoulder so you can use your weight.
Price and reviews
10%Shelf prices in this set run from about £11.54 to about £44.99. Star ratings sit close together, so review count and the job matter more than a tenth of a star.
Start with the job, not the star rating. A round point enters ground and lifts spoil. A narrow blade cuts a trench, a drain, or a post hole. A square mouth is the wrong category. Then check length: a shaft around 700 mm suits a border, and a 1,460 mm shaft only suits open ground if you are tall enough to use it. Shaft material, the joint, a tread, and serrations come next. Listed weight is the empty tool. The ten listings below are amazon.co.uk tools with their review counts.
A pointed shovel, sometimes listed as a round-point or round-mouth shovel, has a dished blade with a rounded tip. Your weight goes into that small point, and the dish then carries soil, gravel, or sand. UK shoppers often call the same tool a spade. A garden spade is the flatter cutting blade for edges and turf. A square-mouth shovel is the scoop for loose material that will not break ground. A head sold without a handle is outside this category, and so is a square-mouth builders' shovel.
A square-mouth shovel scoops loose sand, gravel, or spoil. It does not put your weight on a point. If the ground still needs opening, start with a round point or a narrow blade.
Several buyers of the Draper 15072 expected a full-size spade and found a tool about 710 mm long. A 690 to 880 mm shaft is for borders, kneeling, or light work, not a day of standing digging.
A wide pointed shovel drags the trench sides in. A drainage or cable-laying blade is the narrow tool. Serrations and a fibreglass garden shaft do not make a strike on an unmarked cable safe.
The blade decides whether the tool enters the ground or only shifts what is already loose. A round point, or round mouth, puts your weight on a small tip and the dish then holds soil, gravel, or sand. That is the job of the long Roughneck ROU68044, the 880 mm Roughneck mini, the MICROROUND, the Gorilla, and both Draper minis. A narrow drainage or cable-laying blade is for a trench, a drain, or a post hole: the Roughneck ROU68238, the forged Spear & Jackson 2154HK, and the Bulldog 5CLAM.
Length has to match your height and whether you stand or kneel. In this set, about 690 to 700 mm is a micro for borders and kneeling: the Gorilla at 690 mm and the MICROROUND at 700 mm. Reviews say that length suits confined digging and is short if you want to dig while standing. About 750 to 880 mm is the mini band, including the Roughneck ROU68010 at 880 mm and the two Draper minis. About 1,070 mm is the Roughneck drainage shovel, and reviews describe fence-post holes around 600 mm deep.
Three typical situations, each with a recommendation from this comparison.
Gardeners in borders and raised beds want a short pointed shovel so they do not crush plants or stoop with a full-length shaft. The Spear & Jackson MICROROUND is 700 mm and 1.02 kg, at about £12.91, with 4.7 stars from 2,424 reviews. It is the best value when the job really is a border.
If you are opening a drain, a cable channel, or a post hole, you want a narrow blade, and you need to locate services first. The Roughneck ROU68238 is a 1,070 mm fibreglass drainage shovel with foot treads, at about £21.54. Reviews describe fence-post holes about 600 mm deep. Fibreglass here is not a BS 8020 insulated tool.
Detectorists want a light pointed mini they can carry through a day in the field. Several reviews name the Draper 57569 for detecting and for light garden digging. It is listed at 0.82 kg and about £19.05, with 4.4 stars from 1,781 reviews. The bullets and the technical table disagree on the blade material, so read the live page.
For open ground, the top pick is the Roughneck ROU68044: 1,460 mm, a serrated carbon-steel blade, foot treads, and 4.8 stars from 477 reviews at about £19.34. It is too long if you are short or working between plants. For borders, the best value is the Spear & Jackson MICROROUND at about £12.91, 700 mm, with 4.7 stars from 2,424 reviews. Use a narrow drainage or cable-laying shovel for a trench, and locate services before any serrated blade goes in the ground.
Roughneck ROU68044 long serrated shovel
Longest shaft in the set, serrated blade and foot treads, and the highest amazon.co.uk rating here at 4.8 from 477 reviews.
Spear & Jackson MICROROUND micro shovel
About £12.91, 700 mm, and 4.7 stars from 2,424 reviews, the largest count in this set, for borders and confined digging.
Editorial
Peter F. is the editor for DIY & tools at productscompared.co.uk. Comparisons in this category are checked against amazon.co.uk listings, review evidence and public UK sources.
Guides on what to look for, how to use a product, and common mistakes.
Sources from the category digest. Listing prices and ratings were taken from amazon.co.uk on 19 October 2026.
This page contains affiliate links. If you buy through them, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Links go to amazon.co.uk with the tag pcuk26-21. Prices shown are about the listing figures we recorded.
