Picking up after a dog with a bag means getting close to it, and there is no version of that anyone enjoys, least of all on wet grass, in the dark, wearing gloves. A hinged clamshell scooper puts a jaw and a handle between you and the job, closes over the mess in a single squeeze, and keeps your hands somewhere else entirely while it happens.

The whole thing folds flat on its hinge, and that is what makes it something you carry rather than something that lives forgotten in the shed. Flattened, it slides into a coat pocket or down the side of a walking bag. Opened, the two halves close against each other to lift cleanly off grass or off pavement. There is nothing to break and nothing to charge, and it rinses under an outside tap with a squirt of disinfectant, which is the honest maintenance requirement.

• Hinged clamshell design that folds flat for carrying
• Scoops without bending down or handling the mess
• Works on grass and on hard pavement
• Light, with no moving parts beyond the hinge
• Rinses and wipes clean after use
• Suits dog and cat waste, in the garden or out on a walk

Two things worth knowing. A scooper is only half a system, because you still need a bag or a bin to put the contents into, and on a walk that means carrying both. And it comes back dirty every single time, so it wants a designated spot by the back door rather than going straight back into your pocket. Rinse it after each use rather than at the end of the week.

Who it's for: Anyone with a bad back, a large garden, or a plain dislike of the bag-over-the-hand method.