Burgon & Ball (Sophie Conran)Sophie Conran for Burgon & Ball Trowel

Name: Sophie Conran for Burgon & Ball Trowel
Brand: Burgon & Ball (Sophie Conran)

Our verdict · A smart, gift-boxed hand trowel that punches above its price — the easy win when the budget is modest.

Buy it if

You want an attractive, useful gift for a casual or container gardener without spending a lot.

Skip it if

You want one substantial statement gift, or if the recipient needs a tool for heavy digging rather than planting.

Where to get it

Sophie Conran for Burgon & Ball Trowel

WATTB Score

86/ 100

Our research-based editorial assessment.

How we score →

From £21

Indicative price at the time of review.

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Not every gardening gift needs to cost a fortune, and the Sophie Conran trowel is our pick when the budget is around the £20–£25 mark. Made by Sheffield's Burgon & Ball, it pairs a mirror-polished, rust-resistant stainless-steel head with a waxed, FSC-certified beechwood handle and brass ferrule, and it arrives gift-boxed — so it reads as a considered present rather than a hardware-shop afterthought. Indicative pricing is from around £21 direct from Burgon & Ball. It sits at the foot of the ranking because it is a single hand tool rather than a standout object, and its value score is actually the highest here; it ranks below the Haws purely because that heirloom can is a more impressive overall gift for someone who has room in the budget. Against a bargain trowel you gain better materials, comfort and presentation; against the Hori Hori you give up the multi-tasking versatility.

The good & the bad

Pros

Rust-resistant stainless-steel head and comfortable beechwood handle
Gift-boxed, so it presents well straight out of the wrapping
Strong value for a well-made, design-led hand tool

Cons

A single hand tool rather than a set or statement piece
Best for general planting and potting — not heavy digging in solid clay

How it compares

Pick	WATTB Score	Price	Best for
1.Felco No.2 Bypass Secateurs	94/100	From £45	overall
2.Niwaki Hori Hori Japanese Trowel	92/100	From £32	multi-purpose tool
3.Burgon & Ball Kneelo Memory Foam Garden Kneeler	87/100	From £30	comfort
4.Haws Bearwood Brook Galvanised Watering Can	87/100	From £105	splurge
5.Sophie Conran for Burgon & Ball TrowelThis pick	86/100	From £21	value