Now that warmer weather is almost here, you may be itching to start working on your garden. But all that digging and weeding can lead to aches and pains.

So the Good Housekeeping Research Institute tested gardening tools that claim to have ergonomic or strain-reducing features to find the ones that work the best.

The joy of gardening can vanish if your tools cause fatigue. The institute looked at 16 of the newest tools that claimed to be ergonomic.

"Out of those 16 we found some best of the best winners, we found some that worked, and some that didn't," said Kathleen Huddy, the institute's gardening director.

Both the testers and the pros gave green thumbs-up to the Corona E-Grip Trowel ($7) because it easily penetrated dirt.

"They (the testers) liked the big width of it," Huddy said. "They liked the beveled edge because it could puncture mulch bags and move lots of dirt very quickly. And, of course, they loved the ergonomic handle because it made it lightweight and easy to use."

Another winner was the Fiskars Power Pivot Pruner ($22).

"The best thing about these pruners is you don't have to use very much hand force to close them so there isn't a lot of fatigue," said Huddy.

And if you need a light wheelbarrow, the institute says the Jackson Professional Tools Wheelbarrow ($150) is the right pick for you.

"It's wider than most and it has a spout in the front, which I really like because you can just dump without a big deal," Huddy said.

And Good Housekeeping says the Fiskars Power Pivot Grass Shears ($23) made the cut because they can go where a mower can't.

But the testers weren't wowed by the Healthy Back Garden Kneeler.

"You still end up going forward and that doesn't alleviate any of the problems," Huddy said.

To get your older garden tools ready for spring, Good Housekeeping suggest dunking them in a bucket of sand and vegetable oil. The sand removes stain and rust, and the oil prevents future rusting.

Remember to pace yourself as you're working on the lawn or garden. If you're performing repetitive tasks, take a few breaks. That will reduce your chance of aches, pain and fatigue.