We may be compensated if you purchase through links on our website. Our Reviews Team is committed to delivering honest, objective, and independent reviews on home products and services.
A raised garden bed is an alternative configuration to an in-ground bed. It can be managed without getting on your hands and knees, requires less maintenance, can work within small spaces, and often can be moved to a new location in your yard. To learn about the best raised garden beds on Amazon, read our review below.
Top 5 Raised Garden Beds
- Best Tiers: Outland Living Raised Garden Bed
- Best Metal Raised Bed: FOYUEE Raised Planter Box
- Best Compartments: Keter Urban Bloomer Raised Garden Bed
- Best Standard Bed: Best Choice Products Raised Garden Bed
- Best Mobility: Best Choice Products Raised Garden Bed
Compare Top Raised Garden Beds
Product | Dimensions | Weight | Capacity | Material | Number of Compartments |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Outland Living Raised Garden Bed | 30 x 23 x 65 inches | 31.7 pounds | 14 liters of soil | Plastic | 4 |
FOYUEE Raised Planter Box | 37.4 x 15.7 x 31.5 inches | 23.3 pounds | 2.5 cubic feet of soil | Metal | 1 |
Keter Urban Bloomer Raised Garden Bed | 32.3 x 14.7 x 30.7 inches | 21 pounds | 12.7 gallons of soil | Resin | 6 |
Best Choice Products Raised Garden Bed | 48.5 x 24.5 x 30 inches | 36.2 pounds | 200 pounds of soil | Wood | 1 |
Best Choice Products Mobile Elevated Garden Bed | 48 x 23.3 x 32 inches | 32 pounds | 100 pounds of soil | Wood | 1 |
Product | Dimensions | Weight | Capacity | Material | Number of Compartments |
Best Tiers: Outland Living Raised Garden Bed
Pros and Cons
✔ Has numerous color and quantity options
✔ Is made from 100% BPA-free plastic
✔ Has a curved design that ensures that all of the layers have equal access to sunlight
✘ May be difficult for shorter individuals to tend to the plants on the top tier
✘ Has a heavy body, making it difficult to move
What Customers Are Saying
From living rooms to gardens, customers claimed that the design of this planter from Outland Living matched any aesthetic. However, customers who weren’t satisfied with this planter complained that the drainage holes on each tier clogged frequently, complicating their watering systems.
Best Metal Bed: FOYUEE Raised Planter Box
Pros and Cons
✔ Includes two wheels for easy transportation
✔ Has a bottom storage shelf for storing gardening tools
✔ Can support vegetable gardens
✘ Holds less garden soil than some competing models
✘ Some customers said they had drainage issues
What Customers Are Saying
Many customers said that this planter was easy to assemble, requiring only a screwdriver and half an hour to complete. They also said that the final product looked significantly more expensive than it was. However, some customers didn’t receive the assembly instructions and failed to get a response from the manufacturer after requesting instructions.
Best Compartments: Keter Urban Bloomer Raised Garden Bed
Pros and Cons
✔ Is crafted with a high-quality, durable resin material
✔ Includes a special UV coating that prevents fading
✔ Comes with a detachable seed sprouting tray
✘ Only available in one color
✘ Holds less soil or mulch than some competitor models
What Customers Are Saying
Customers complimented this bed’s easy maneuverability. Even users who lived in small apartments said that this planter easily fit under their windows. However, dissatisfied users complained that the water reservoir that allowed for self-watering didn’t work properly.
Best Standard Bed: Best Choice Products Raised Garden Bed
Pros and Cons
✔ Is constructed with weather-safe materials
✔ Is designed with a long bed space to prevent crowding
✔ Comes with four wheels
✘ Doesn’t have a bottom shelf for storage
✘ Is shorter than some other models at 30 inches tall
What Customers Are Saying
Most customers had no trouble assembling this raised garden bed out of the box. One customer even said that they were able to assemble it in under half an hour. However, customers who weren’t satisfied claimed that it was made of low-quality materials and fell apart after a few months of use.
Best Mobility: Best Choice Products Mobile Elevated Garden Bed
Pros and Cons
✔ Includes a garden liner that prevents soil from touching the natural wood of the bed
✔ Comes with a large built-in shelf for gardening
✔ Has holes to drain excess water
✘ Can be overly heavy when filled
✘ Has a higher price point than some other, similar models
What Customers Are Saying
Customers loved how easily this cart rolled and how its wheels could be locked without bending down. However, dissatisfied customers complained that the cart was made from low-quality fir wood.
Buyer’s Guide
Before purchasing a raised garden bed, consider its size, material, and location, among other factors.
Size/Location
The size of the garden bed you purchase will depend on where you plan on placing it. If you only have space in a small corner of your backyard or outdoor space, you may want a smaller bed. If you live on an acre of land, a bigger garden bed may be a better option.
Material
Raised garden beds are made of one of four materials.
- Plastic: The walls on plastic beds are often thin, making them more prone to bending under too much weight. However, they’re affordable and rot-resistant.
- Wood: Wood is more heavy-duty than plastic and has a more natural look. You can purchase a naturally rot-resistant wood, such as cedar or redwood, or you can purchase wood that has a weather-resistant coating.
- Fabric: Fabric is lightweight, affordable, and low-maintenance.
- Metal: Galvanized metal is the most durable option for a raised garden bed, and it gives your yard an industrial look.
Accessories
Some raised bed planters come with gardening accessories, such as plant markers and pest covers. If you’re new to gardening, investing in a raised garden bed that comes with an essentials kit can prevent you from having to make a separate purchase.
Assembly
Most garden beds ship in pieces that need to be put together upon arrival. Some garden beds have pieces that simply snap together, while others require tools for more of a DIY approach.
The Best Vegetables to Plant in a Raised Garden Bed
Raised garden beds provide a nutrient-rich environment for plants to grow, making it a great place for growing vegetables for experts or first-time planters alike. Raised beds are effective in growing just about any vegetable, but some take particular advantage of the garden space and environment during growing season. Here are some of the best veggies you can cultivate using a raised garden bed.
- Beans
- Broccoli
- Brussel sprouts
- Carrots
- Cauliflower
- Celery
- Cucumbers
- Eggplant
- Kale
- Legumes
- Lettuce
- Peas
- Peppers
- Potatoes
- Radishes
- Spinach
- Squash
- Tomatoes
- Zucchini
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use a raised garden bed if I’m in a wheelchair?
Yes. Before purchasing a garden bed, look at its measurements to ensure that you can reach it in a sitting position.
Will a raised garden bed deter animals and insects?
Similar to in-ground garden beds, raised planting beds are prone to pests. To protect your plants, cover your garden bed with netting or spray an organic insecticide around its perimeter.
What should I plant in my raised garden bed?
This depends on your personal preferences. If you want to eat what you plant, opt for an herb garden, or you could plant fruits or vegetables. If you want to add color to your garden, consider planting flowers.
Why Trust The This Old House Reviews Team
This Old House has empowered homeowners for more than four decades with top-notch home improvement content in the form of television programs, print media, and digital content on its website and social media platforms. The This Old House Reviews Team focuses on creating in-depth product and service review content to help inform your purchasing decision for just about any item or resource that you might need for your home. The This Old House Reviews Team has written over 1,000 reviews on products in the home space, from cordless drills to kitchen trash cans, lawn mowers, and dining room decorations.
We recommend products in each review using an intensive research process, spending hours combing through the best available models on Amazon. For a product to make our list of top picks, it must hold a solid sales record on Amazon, have consistently positive customer reviews, and offer unique features, among other factors. After narrowing down our list of recommendations, we conduct additional research and sometimes in-person testing to ensure that the products meet our standards. Once we conclude the research phase, we craft a well-rounded, user-friendly article that includes our recommended products and additional information to help homeowners like you make the right purchase.
To share feedback or ask a question about this article, send a note to our Reviews Team at reviews@thisoldhousereviews.com.