6 Reasons To Not Buy a Metal Raised Garden Bed

It’s impossible to not see a garden with a metal raised bed these days. They’re everywhere and it seems like everyone has one. But just because you see them everywhere doesn’t meant that they’re right for you.

So in today’s article I’m going to tell you all the reasons why you shouldn’t get a metal raised bed. But here’s the thing. I’m not actually saying you shouldn’t get a raised garden bed. I’m just letting you know that there are negatives to these gardens and they aren’t the perfect garden that you absolutely need to have.

So if you’ve been tossing around the idea between building your own wood raised bed, or getting a metal raised bed – this article is for you!

Reason 1: They can be expensive to buy

Depending on where you buy your metal raised bed from, these gardens can be really expensive. Especially if you’re looking to get a garden that is larger and has more space to grow in or is taller than your average raised bed garden. Of course, the size, colour and quantity is going to dictate how much you’re going to spend so if you only want smaller gardens it won’t be as expensive. But if you plan to have a larger garden, prepare to invest a pretty penny.

Reason 2: You don’t know the quality of them until it arrives

You can spend $50 on a garden or $500 but until it shows up to your house you have no idea what the quality is. Plus, unless your a steel or metal expert, you have no idea what the gardens are made of other than what you’re told. I don’t like to be this paranoid but it seems over the years there’s always news coming out of some hidden poisonous chemical in our products, which makes me wary of where I buy my products from and which companies I choose to trust.

Another thing is that if you do spend hundreds of dollars, you hope that the garden comes in perfect quality. Most metal raised beds are bought online and not in store so you don’t have a chance to look at it before it gets to your house. When choosing to build a wood garden you can at least physically look at the wood before purchasing it.

Reason 3: The panels and top can be sharp when building/using

Because it’s made of metal you run the risk of being cut while building the gardens. Especially the edges of the panels and the drill holes, both of these can be sharp. I’ve cut myself on a few of my gardens while I was building them so it’s important if you choose to buy one that you wear gloves and a long sleeve when building them. Also – not all brands offer rubber edging for the top of their gardens (while others do!). You don’t need the edging with higher quality metal beds (such as those from Raised Garden Beds Canada), however most metal beds offered on Amazon come without rubber edging and look to be quite sharp on top.

Check out these related articles:

• The Best Metal Raised Beds in 2025
• Vego Garden Raised Bed Review
• Vego Garden vs Sproutbox Garden – Which is Better?
• Sproutbox Garden Raised Bed Review
• Sproutbox Garden Review: 2 Year Update

Reason 4: You can’t sit on top of them

If sitting on the edge of your garden in order to make weeding or gardening easier is important to you, you can say goodbye to that with a metal garden. When building gardens out of wood you can build a thick edge on the top to sit on while you’re working, but metal gardens are generally only 6mm thin which means sitting is impossible.

Reason 5: They can get hot in the summer & cold in the winter

Although they don’t get so hot that they burn your hands, they definitely are warm to the touch. This means that the soil in your garden is also warm which causes higher rates of evaporation and more frequent watering. This is a benefit in the spring when you want your soil to warm up faster but in the summer it’s definitely not a benefit. On the opposite side, they get super cold in the winter time which means if you want to try and grow a winter garden, a metal bed might not be the best choice.

Reason 6: Customization is difficult

When you build a raised bed out of wood you can make it any shape, size and height. However with metal raised beds your only choice is what the companies offer. You can still make a unique garden using metal raised beds but it might require extra work to plan it vs if you choose to build your own. If your backyard space is an odd shape (say a triangle) you’re unlikely to find exactly what you need from a metal raised bed.

Reason 7: Higher carbon footprint than wood

If you’re trying to build an eco-friendly garden it’s important to know that metal gardens have a higher carbon footprint than wood. Especially here in Canada where our wood is local vs a lot of metal garden companies ship their gardens in from China. Therefore, between the steel production & transportation, their carbon footprint is higher. Many companies will market that their gardens will last for 20 years, however, if you move and don’t take your gardens with you and purchase new ones than it restarts this time period. Also, when built properly, wood beds will last many years. We took apart one of our wood raised beds after 2 seasons of using it and it had almost zero damage to it, proving that it would last for many years to come.

If the sustainability of the garden is a major concern for you, you’ll definitely want to check out our course on sustainable gardening. You’ll find all the tips you need to create a garden that supports the environment while fighting the effects of climate change.