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Oct 15, 2024

The 15 Best Raised Garden Beds, Reviewed and Tested

Every item on this page was chosen by a Veranda editor. We may earn commission on some of the items you choose to buy. Whether you're looking for a deer-resistant raised bed or a massive veggie garden

Every item on this page was chosen by a Veranda editor. We may earn commission on some of the items you choose to buy.

Whether you're looking for a deer-resistant raised bed or a massive veggie garden container, we've got you covered.

Whether you're dealing with heavy clay soil, hungry bunnies, or limited space, raised bed gardens solve all kinds of gardening challenges. The best raised garden beds make growing anything from flowers to herbs to vegetables easier, more productive, and more enjoyable.

You can use raised beds to make productive use of even a tiny patio, deck, or a balcony. Some raised bed gardens are elevated so you won’t have to bend over, which is helpful for seniors or anyone with mobility issues. The additional height also keeps your plants away from hungry, uninvited dinner guests, such as bunnies and digging rodents. Because you fill raised garden beds with quality potting medium, you'll also overcome any issues with sandy, heavy clay or rocky soils.

Many raised garden beds also are available with a self-watering feature, which allows you to fill a reservoir so your plants take up the amount of water they need when they need it. You’ll also be able to water less frequently, though as the plants mature and their roots fill the planter, you still may need to fill the reservoir daily.

Another thing to remember when shopping is to ensure you have enough planting depth. Some raised garden beds are too shallow so that plants quickly become root-bound, which impacts flower power and productivity. Generally, you’ll want planters that are a minimum of 6 inches for shallow-rooted plants such as lettuce, baby kale, sweet alyssum, or marigolds. But you’ll need a bed with an open bottom or that’s 12 inches or more for deep-rooting plants such as tomatoes, root veggies, and pole beans.

We tested some of the most popular raised bed gardens, scanned reviews, and scrutinized the product features and warranty periods to round up the best raised garden beds for every outdoor space.

This galvanized metal garden bed is spacious and versatile, allowing you to set up in 12 different configurations to best suit your space. It comes in two neutral colors, gray or sage, so it fits unobtrusively in any garden. At 17 inches deep with an open bottom, it's suited for large plants such as tomatoes, eggplants, and peppers.

Testers say: This sturdy bed has held up exceptionally well after two seasons in testing and still looks new, surviving even the accidental ding with the string trimmer.

Corten steel is corrosion-proof and weathers to a rusty patina that just gets better with age. This type of steel typically lasts for decades, so it's a great long-term investment. The material also is food-safe, so you can grow edibles in it. At 17.5 inches deep, it's roomy enough for most vegetables such as tomatoes. This one is 2' x 6', but there's also a smaller version, and both fit the self-watering inserts so you won't need to hand-water as frequently.

Cedar is weather and pest resistant and offers an attractive rustic look. This bed is a generous 16.5 inches deep and comes in three different sizes (4'x4', 3'x6', and 4' x 8'). It's ideal for crops that need plenty of room to stretch their roots, such as tomatoes and pumpkins. It's also made in the U.S. and comes with a five-year warranty.

Have a compact space? This handsome metal elevated bed on wheels is ideal if you have a small area, such as a petite deck, patio, or balcony. It's 8 inches deep and holds 95 quarts of soil, so it's a good choice for shallow-rooted plants such as herbs or greens.

This 30-inch tall wooden planter provides easy access for gardening, while also keeping plants away from hungry bunnies. The planter is made from fir, which should last two to three seasons, and can hold more than 8 cubic feet of soil. It's best for shallow-rooted plants such as greens and herbs.

Grow bags have been gaining popularity in recent years because they're easy to use (no assembly!), and you can place them anywhere on a deck, patio, yard, or even your driveway. The fabric walls allow good air flow to roots for healthy growth.

Testers say: We found this grow bag to be lightweight, durable, and a good choice as a starter garden.

Lightweight and easy to assemble, at 34" square, this corrugated metal bed comes in two colors, storm gray and blue. It's more attractive than many raised beds, so you won't feel like you need to hide it out behind the potting shed.

Testers say: This bed lasted four seasons in the garden before starting to rust.

Looking for a fun gift for a friend (or yourself)? This all-in-one kit comes with a reusable grow bag, four to six herbs customized to your tastes, plus potting medium, mister, and fertilizer to get your garden started. You'll be muddling or stirring herbs into your favorite cocktails in a matter of weeks!

Testers say: We found the kit to be a fun and unique gift idea.

This small self-watering grow box, which comes in 10 colors, can contain a surprising amount of veggies! At just 24.5 in. x 20.5 inches, you can fit several of these on a deck or patio, and we love that you can roll them around as the sun exposure changes throughout the day.

Testers say: After five seasons in the garden, these raised garden beds have held up exceptionally well, making them a great value.

This tiered planting bed has four separate sections for flowers or veggies. At 10 inches deep, you'll have plenty of room for most flowers and vegetables, such as radishes, carrots, and peas.

At 31 inches tall, this raised bed, which comes in gray and natural wood tones, is ideal for seniors or anyone with mobility issues. Its unique v-shape allows deep-rooting plants more space, while the hinged cold frame allows you to start gardening earlier in the season and also extends your growing season into the fall.

Does Bambi like to visit your garden without an invitation? This 8' x 8' cedar garden contains everything you need to set up a small space garden with built-in fencing to keep out deer and other unwelcome guests, such as hungry bunnies. The built-in raised beds make it easier on your back, too.

This 12.7-gallon raised garden bed is nearly 15 inches deep, which gives you plenty of room to plant lettuce, greens such as arugula, and even small peppers such as shishito. It's self-watering but includes a drain hole if you need to empty it out a bit when you've had lots of rain.

Testers say: We found it didn't fade at all during a steamy summer and was at a comfortable height for gardening.

If you're particularly tight on space, this compact unit allows you to grow plants vertically in a small footprint. It's also on wheels so it can be moved around, and it comes with a preassembled mini irrigation drip system.

Testers say: Although the pots are on the small side, we found during testing that they were just the right size for herbs and greens such as spinach, arugula, or petite flowers like sweet alyssum.

This handsome cedar raised bed comes with a trellis, which makes it easy to train up vines such as morning glories, nasturtiums, or peas. It's 15.5 inches deep to accommodate many different plants. Locking casters also make it convenient to move around your balcony, patio, or rooftop garden.

To determine the best raised bed gardens, we looked at specific criteria, including:

For more than 35 years, VERANDA has been the authority on extraordinary design, outdoor living, art and craft, entertaining, travel, and culture. Every product we feature is expertly curated by our discerning editors and industry experts. Through market research, experience, and rigorous product testing, we only give our stamp of approval to the very best.

Arricca Elin SanSone is a freelance writer, editor, and digital content developer. She specializes in lifestyle and interior design content with a focus on gardening. Arricca earned dual bachelor’s degrees summa cum laude in English and classics from Hiram College, as well as an MBA cum laude from Georgia Southern University. Before writing full-time, Arricca studied in Rome, traveled in Europe, and taught school in Asia. With over a decade of experience, Arricca has pitched, researched, and crafted fresh story ideas and content to appeal to national audiences. She has written thousands of articles for print and digital publications such as Country Living, Good Housekeeping, Prevention, House Beautiful, and more. She’s passionate about gardening, baking, reading, and spending time with the people and dogs she loves.

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