Best pointed shovel
Updated: October 2026
The best pointed shovel in this set is not the listing with the busiest browse rank, and it is not automatically the one with the most reviews. If you can use a 1,460 mm shaft and you are breaking ground rather than threading between plants, the top pick is the Roughneck ROU68044. If the job is a border and you will work with a 700 mm shaft, the best value is the Spear & Jackson MICROROUND. The full table is on the [pointed shovel comparison](/hub/digging-tools/pointed-shovel). Peter F. checked the listings on 19 October 2026. There was no lab test. A qualifying purchase can earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
The best pointed shovel in this set is not the listing with the busiest browse rank, and it is not automatically the one with the most reviews.
The best pointed shovel in this set is not the listing with the busiest browse rank, and it is not automatically the one with the most reviews. If you can use a 1,460 mm shaft and you are breaking ground rather than threading between plants, the top pick is the Roughneck ROU68044. If the job is a border and you will work with a 700 mm shaft, the best value is the Spear & Jackson MICROROUND. The full table is on the pointed shovel comparison. Peter F. checked the listings on 19 October 2026. There was no lab test. A qualifying purchase can earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
Our top picks
| Badge | Product | Length | Weight | Shaft | Note | Price | Offer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best overall |  Roughneck Roughneck ROU68044 long serrated shovel | 1,460 mm | 2.3 kg | Fibreglass | 9.6 | about £19.34 | View offer |
| Best value |  Spear & Jackson Spear & Jackson MICROROUND micro shovel | 700 mm | 1.02 kg | Fibreglass | 9.4 | about £12.91 | View offer |
 Spear & Jackson Spear & Jackson 2154HK draining shovel | n/a | 2.79 kg | Tubular steel | 9.4 | about £16.20 | View offer |
On this page
Top pick for open ground
The listing puts the Roughneck ROU68044 at 1,460 mm overall, with a serrated carbon-steel blade of 300 mm by 225 mm, foot treads, a fibreglass shaft, and a listed weight of 2.3 kg. On 19 October 2026 it was about £19.34, with 4.8 stars from 477 amazon.co.uk reviews, the highest rating in this set. Almost every page here sits between 4.6 and 4.8 stars, so the job decides. The serrated edge is described for roots and compacted ground. That length is also the reason to skip it. One review says it is far too big for a shorter user, and a 1,460 mm tool in a packed border is an awkward lever. The fibreglass shaft is a garden handle with a Power Ring socket. The listing does not claim a BS 3388 pass, and fibreglass here is not an insulated tool for a live cable. Serrations help on a root you can see. They are a poor idea beside a pipe you have not traced. How you stand and lift is in how to use a pointed shovel.
Best value for borders
The best value pick is the Spear & Jackson MICROROUND, at about £12.91 on 19 October 2026, with 4.7 stars from 2,424 amazon.co.uk reviews. That is the largest review count in the set, on a tool listed at 700 mm, with a blade of 210 mm by 150 mm and a weight of 1.02 kg. The head is pressed carbon steel with 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 rusted, and another says sharpening takes the factory coating off. Those are ordinary carbon-steel complaints, not a reason to ignore the length.
Strong alternatives that are not the default
Three other listings look like winners if you sort by stars or by a browse rank. The Spear & Jackson 2154HK is a forged carbon-manganese draining shovel at about £16.20, with 4.7 stars from 2,403 reviews and a head listed at 2.79 kg. Reviews mention fence posts, roots, clay, and pieces of brick. Rank in a mixed Gardening Shovels node is not a pointed-shovel test, and the steel shaft conducts. The Roughneck Gorilla micro, ROU68005, is about 690 mm and 1.04 kg, with a serrated round blade, at about £19.99 and 4.7 stars from 141 reviews. The review sample is smaller than the MICROROUND, and the price is close to the long Roughneck. The Artemis Root Master is about £44.99, with dual serrated edges and teeth, and 4.7 stars from 69 reviews. The bullets do not promise an adjustable handle.
Who should skip each pick
Skip the ROU68044 if you are short, you are working between plants, or the hole is a drain, a cable, or a post hole. A wide pointed blade collapses the sides. Skip the MICROROUND if you will dig standing for long spells or move a large volume of loose gravel. Length, shaft, and price bands are in the pointed shovel buying guide.
Common questions
Which pointed shovel should I buy if I only want one?
Buy the Roughneck ROU68044 if you will dig standing in open ground and a 1,460 mm shaft suits your height. Buy the Spear & Jackson MICROROUND if most of the work is in borders with a 700 mm shaft. One tool cannot be both. If your week mixes lawn edges and gravel heaps, you may still need a spade as well as a shovel, which is a second purchase rather than a compromise blade.
What is the best value if I work in borders?
The MICROROUND, at about £12.91 with 4.7 stars from 2,424 reviews, is the best value when the bed is confined and you accept a short shaft. The blade is 210 mm by 150 mm and the listed weight is 1.02 kg. It is poor value if you needed to stand upright or move a large volume of loose gravel, because you will feel the length and the small pan on the first afternoon.
Is the number-one gardening shovel the one I want?
Not from this set. The 2154HK showed rank 1 in a Gardening Shovels browse node that mixes other shapes, and the tool itself is a heavy draining shovel at 2.79 kg. That rank is not a test of pointed shovels for ordinary beds. Take it when you want a forged head for posts, roots, or clay, and leave it when you want a light border tool.
Is the Artemis worth £44.99?
Only if you are cutting smaller roots and overgrowth and you already know what is buried. At about £44.99 it costs more than twice the long Roughneck, on 69 reviews. One bamboo job in the reviews still needed a machine for the main plant. The handle adjustment is not a promise in the bullets, and a review says the blade can damage pipes or wires. That is a specialist buy with a thin review base.
What if I kneel or have a bad back?
The Gorilla reviews include kneeling use at about 690 mm, including someone who expected it to be too short. The MICROROUND is the cheaper short shovel at 700 mm if you do not need serrations. A longer handle is not automatically easier on your back. The RHS has reported that poor digging posture raises lumbar load, and a shaft you cannot control does not fix that. Stop if pain starts, rather than buying a heavier head to push through it.
Related pages
Sources
Sources from the category digest. Listing prices and ratings were taken from amazon.co.uk on 19 October 2026.
- B&Q planting and digging guide (retrieved 19 October 2026)
- Wonkee Donkee, shovel blade shapes (retrieved 19 October 2026)
- Wonkee Donkee, shovel shafts (retrieved 19 October 2026)
- Wonkee Donkee, cable-laying shovel (retrieved 19 October 2026)
- HSE HSG47, avoiding danger from underground services (retrieved 19 October 2026)
- HSE, electricity and excavations (retrieved 19 October 2026)
- HSE, good handling technique (retrieved 19 October 2026)
- Energy Networks Association, Think before you dig (retrieved 19 October 2026)