I got the cheapest oval ones I could find with good reviews. Several different brands - I don’t think there are that many factories in China that make these.. A few different sizes. A lot of them have the same metal thickness, sizes and corrugation. I got them on Amazon and on Temu. I think they are just as good as the more expensive ones. Metal thickness is fine, in fact it took quite a bit of “smooshing” with my full weight over and over again to get the corner pieces bent to the right angle. I didn’t find the edges too sharp - edges were folded over on some of them. Plenty of bolts. 2 ft tall which is tall enough to avoid dog pee and not have to bend over too much. Over 2 ft tall the price increases dramatically.
The painted ones have really awful shrink-wrapped plastic on them that needs to be peeled off. This takes longer than putting them together IME. From what I can tell even the more expensive brands have this plastic coating. That plastic does not stop them from scratching. But it’s easy to match paint in a spray can. & They do look nice.
The 2 ft tall ones take a lot of soil. Be sure to multiply the measurements and convert to cu yards. I happen to have a mountain of free used potting soil from my neighbors who own several legal pot farms and needed a place to dump 30-40 yards of used organic potting soil. If I didn’t I’d be worried..
Prices have gone up and I’m not sure they’re such a bargain anymore.
I’ll took a look at some Temu ones (note: some of these might be at 4pack prices, which get better deal).
i saw these prices (i sorted by best sold/reviewed ones):
4ft x 2ft x 1ft for $18 each
6ft x 3ft x 1ft for $31 each
8ft x 2ft x 1ft for $42 each
8ft x 4ft x 1.5ft for $65 each
8ft x 4ft x 2ft for $68 each , another one $61 (no reviews)
Not getting any kickback off these links, just thought I’d post my research so far.
Would be nice to have the metal at the top rounded or with protective barrier so you dont get cut.
ill prob look up 1.5-2ft prices for the other sizes later.
i asked the person who gave me these and they said they purchased on temu for some discount thing but that they were 40/pair shipping included. for the 4x2x1
i suppose they are the cheapest but they did get me 4 sets so i cannot complain
Update the moco bed (I got 42” round) is definitely not same quality as named brands. The panels don’t fit together as snugly. I had to take it apart twice and switch around the panels to try to get them to fit better. Color is ever so slightly different than the name brands light green and inside color is different. Makes me concerned about how toxic the finish might be. The plastic coatings are more obnoxious to get off and hardware is a bit crappier. I should have spent the extra $40 for the ones I like, but oh well, it’s done and not bothering to deconstruct again and return.
As a side, I’m rather incredulous anyone can put one of these together in 30 minutes. For a small bed, it takes 10+ just to take off plastic coatings, then lining up panels and putting in hardware just isn’t fast. if you get uncoated, it should go a little faster because you don’t have to worry about scratching finish.
Edit- I have a crazy eye for detail and this bed is driving me crazy. Over the $40 I’m returning it and getting the vego that matches and I can be more confident about interior paint. Also, put together another small epic bed and forgot they aren’t double lined in plastic and those I can do in under 45 mins…
i got some cheapo ones and i did have to bend some pieces and some of the holes didnt line up, but like it doesnt really need all of the rivets it has to be steady, so like 1-2 of the holes per just dont have a screw in it. that kind of thing doesnt bother me. I didnt coat the inside for the toxicity concerns but outside rustoleum seemed fine. and the ege on mine just wasnt that sharp, but if it was i guess id just use a grinder i have to fix it.
After assembling the first few and getting a feel for it, it goes pretty fast. He just pulls back the plastic slightly to screw together so he doesn’t worry about scratching and we leave it on until they’re completely filled and we’re done fussing/shoveling around the area (so, never, at least not until we put proper paths through). Here is what that looks like and my rough leveling job. The green bed…I decided to fill it asap without loading it up with logs first, but I had 20yds of compost to work through so it didn’t matter as much. It’s not really a formal garden; this is just way out back by our chicken coops, so I’m not too hung up on appearances.
Knew I should have got that mini excavator from temu…!
Ha, I’ve never ordered anything off there but it sure would make digging/filling easier! That being said I have seen some small equipment that is really not expensive. But I don’t have anywhere to put them even if I did buy them!
I bought the cheapest ones I could find on Amazon (MOFEEZ brand) and they have been fine. Mine are 10’ x 4’ x 1’ tall and have cross bracing. No sharp edges. I will say though, they definitely get hot in the sun and the soil around the perimeter dries out really fast in the summer. I prefer my wood beds, but no complaints about the quality of the metal ones.
I just purchased a couple of raised beds and put three together so far. I have a question. I see people removing the plastic. Is there a reason why? My plastic is only on the outside and not on the inside (at least not that I can see it on the inside.)
A lot of sheet metal has a protective film on it, which will likely degrade from UV/sunlight sooner than later - will likely flake off in a random ugly pattern, and all that microplastic debris ends up in your garden space.
My personal experience has left me with the opinion that eastern red cedar not only works well but is actually more attractive. The only problem with it is that it has a life expectancy of about 10-12 years at which time it has to be replaced. I used rough cut 2x10s ten feet long with 4x4 corners all held together by Kregg pocket screws. I am in the process of replacing all of our main veg garden beds as I write this note. I like the wood as long as it is not treated with any chemicals. The metal tends to leach some of its compounds into the soil. Of course I believe the zinc tubs are ok for this use but not as pretty as the wood and they generally cost more to fill with good garden mix dirt. See the photo to get the idea of what I’ve been doing for the past 25 years. The white stuff is the rose garden covered with Agribon for the winter. The two longer beds are all garlic and will be replaced when harvested. I am shortening the garden by ten feet to make it easier for this old man to continue to garden. Hope that helps.
