Pointed shovel buying guide
Updated: October 2026
A pointed shovel buying guide starts with the hole, not with the star rating. A border, a bulk bag, and a drain channel do not share a blade. On amazon.co.uk the listings in this set sit between 4.3 and 4.8 stars, so the rating will not tell you whether the shaft is 700 mm or 1,460 mm. Match the mouth and the length to the job before you look at the stars. Prices and the side-by-side table are 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.
A pointed shovel buying guide starts with the hole, not with the star rating. A border, a bulk bag, and a drain channel do not share a blade.
A pointed shovel buying guide starts with the hole, not with the star rating. A border, a bulk bag, and a drain channel do not share a blade. On amazon.co.uk the listings in this set sit between 4.3 and 4.8 stars, so the rating will not tell you whether the shaft is 700 mm or 1,460 mm. Match the mouth and the length to the job before you look at the stars. Prices and the side-by-side table are 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 | Blade | Shaft | Note | Price | Offer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best overall |  Roughneck Roughneck ROU68044 long serrated shovel | 1,460 mm | Serrated, 300 × 225 mm | Fibreglass | 9.6 | about £19.34 | View offer |
| Best value |  Spear & Jackson Spear & Jackson MICROROUND micro shovel | 700 mm | Round mouth, 210 × 150 mm | Fibreglass | 9.4 | about £12.91 | View offer |
 Roughneck Roughneck ROU68010 mini round shovel | 880 mm | Round point | Fibreglass | 9.2 | about £17.10 | View offer |
On this page
Pointed, square, or narrow
A pointed shovel, often sold as a round-point or round-mouth shovel, is built to enter the ground. Wonkee Donkee describes a round mouth as the shape that goes into earth and semi-compacted material. A square mouth is the scoop. It shifts loose soil, gravel, and mulch, and it is a poor choice when you still have to break the surface. A square pan skids if the ground is still firm. The third mouth in this set is the narrow one. A drainage or cable-laying blade is slim so it can work inside a trench without dragging the sides down. If the job is a fence-post hole or a channel for a pipe, leave the general round mouth and use the drainage shovel page before you buy.
Length that fits how you dig
Length is the mistake that survives a correct blade. In this set the bands run from a 690 mm Roughneck Gorilla micro and a 700 mm Spear & Jackson MICROROUND, through an 880 mm Roughneck ROU68010 mini, to a 1,070 mm Roughneck drainage shovel and a 1,460 mm Roughneck ROU68044. One review of that long shaft says it is far too big for a shorter user, and the listed length supports the complaint. Draper’s 15072 is listed at 71 cm and 710 g. Several reviews expected a full-size spade and found something closer to a long-handled trowel.
Shaft, joint, tread, and edge
Wonkee Donkee groups shovel shafts as wood, fibreglass, and steel. Wood, as on the Draper 15072, is light and kinder on shock than steel, and it splits if you store it wet. Fibreglass, used on the Roughneck models and the MICROROUND, does not rot the way wood does. It is still a garden shaft. Do not treat it as an insulated tool for live cables, and do not assume a pass of BS 3388. The Bulldog’s shoulder can become too narrow for a foot once the trench tightens; one review added a block of wood. A serrated edge, on the ROU68044, the Gorilla, and the Artemis Root Master, is there for roots and compacted ground. It is a liability next to a pipe or a cable you have not traced. The Draper 57569 listing contradicts itself: the bullets say a pressed mild-steel blade and the technical table lists the blade material as fibreglass. Read the live page before you rely on either line.
What the listings in this set cost
On 19 October 2026 the ten amazon.co.uk prices in this comparison ran from £11.54 to £44.99. The low band is the Bulldog 5CLAM at £11.54, the Spear & Jackson MICROROUND at £12.91, and the Draper 15072 at £13.45. That is not one job at three prices. The Bulldog is a narrow forged trench tool, the MICROROUND is a 700 mm border shovel, and the Draper is a 710 g wooden mini. The middle of the set runs up to the Roughneck drainage shovel at £21.54, with the long serrated Roughneck at £19.34 and the 2154HK draining shovel at £16.20. The Artemis Root Master sits alone at £44.99, with 4.7 stars from 69 reviews. A named top pick and a best-value pick are on the best pointed shovel page.
Common questions
What is a pointed shovel compared with a square shovel?
A pointed, or round-mouth, shovel is shaped to enter soil and semi-compacted ground. A square-mouth shovel is a scoop for material that is already loose, such as gravel, mulch, or spoil you have already broken. If you still have to start the hole, the square mouth tends to skid. If you are only moving a heap into a barrow, the pointed tip holds less and is the slower scoop.
How long a handle do I need if I am short or tall?
Use the listed overall length, not a guess from the photo. In this set, 690 mm and 700 mm suit kneeling and borders. The 880 mm Roughneck mini is a short standing tool. The 1,070 mm drainage shovel and the 1,460 mm ROU68044 are for standing work, and one review says the long one is far too big for a shorter user.
Should I choose a fibreglass, wood, or steel shaft?
Wood is light and can split if you leave it wet, which is the limit of the Draper 15072. Fibreglass avoids that rot and is what most of the Roughneck and Spear & Jackson border tools use, but it is not insulation against a live cable. Steel, on the 2154HK and the Bulldog 5CLAM, is strong in clay and it conducts. Pick steel when the ground is the problem, and fibreglass or wood when the tool has to stay light in the hand.
Do I need a serrated edge?
You need serrations when roots and compacted ground are the reason you are buying, which is how the ROU68044 listing describes its edge. You do not need them for loose spoil, and you should not want them where a pipe or a cable might be. The Roughneck drainage shovel is sharpened and is not described as serrated. The Artemis adds teeth and a second serrated edge, which makes it a root tool rather than a general garden shovel.
Is a mini shovel a border tool or a toy?
A mini in this set is a steel blade on a short shaft, and it is still the wrong tool for a trench or for clay you mean to break while standing. The Draper 15072 reviews show people buying it as a full-size spade and finding a 71 cm tool. The MICROROUND, at 700 mm and about £12.91, is the border tool with 2,424 reviews.
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)