Best garden sheds UK 2023: metal, wooden, corner and barn options for outdoors
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Many people's garden isn’t complete unless it has a shed. Besides being somewhere to store your gardening tools, there are lots more functions that a shed can provide: a workshop to pot up plants or indulge in another hobby; a private place where you can find your own sanctuary; somewhere to lock away bicycles or other treasured goods securely; or even an extra room to work, play or sleep.
How to pick the right garden shed for your outdoor space
With all of these functions, and many more besides, it’s no wonder a massive range of sheds is competing for your attention. And besides selecting one that’s suitable for the role it has to play in your garden, there are numerous other variables you need to consider.
Wood vs metal vs plastic sheds: which is better?
Do you opt for the traditional look and relatively easy wood construction, or try to save money by choosing a potentially longer-lasting, metal or plastic (resin) shed? Do you need windows to let the light in (and for you to admire the garden), or do you want to keep your shed contents a secret?
Do you require the bare basics inside the shed, or are you planning on decking it out in a way that rivals a fully furnished room in the house?
You also need to determine what base you require to place your shed on. While some of the smaller sheds can sit on flat garden surfaces, it’s more likely that you will need something more solid to rest it upon, whether concrete, paving or one of the many base kits that are becoming more popular due to their simplicity to install.
Metal is often the cheapest shed option. Metal sheds are durable and low maintenance, although they can rust over time. On the downside, they can get hot in summer, so do not make good work sheds. They must also be placed on a flat, solid surface and ideally anchored to the ground.
Plastic sheds sometimes get a bad wrap but require almost no maintenance and can be well suited to smaller gardens. If you do go for plastic, consider a steel-reinforced one. Like metal, they need to be placed on flat, solid ground and anchored, but unlike metal sheds, they don't get overly hot in the summer, are almost impervious, and require zero maintenance. They're also easy to transport and put together. The downside is that the walls can't carry much weight, so shelving is generally not an option.
Wooden sheds are arguably the best-looking. They're easy to tinker with inside and out and generally durable. However, they are not insect or weather-resistant, so they require more maintenance.
How we’ve picked the best garden sheds
To help give you a great idea of what sheds are available, covering a wide range of functions, we’ve been checking out some of the leading brands around to come up with this list of ten.
So whether you’re a keen gardener for whom a shed is a vital part of your outdoor enjoyment, or if you have something else in mind, then you should find shed inspiration in this list
Best garden sheds at a glance:
- Best for a plastic shed: Keter Darwin, 6ft x 8ft
- Best for a wooden pent shed: Tiger Wood Shiplap Pent Garden Shed, 10ft x 6ft
- Best for a shed on a budget: Waltons Value Overlap Apex Wooden Shed, 8ft x 6ft
- Best metal shed: Trimetals Titan 660 metal shed 6 ft x6ft
- Best for luxury: The Posh Shed Company RHS Garden Retreat, 4m x 2.5m
- Best for corner shed / summer house: Adley 12’ x 8’ Chelsea Deluxe Corner Summer House With Side Shed
- Best for headroom: Dutch Barn, 8ft x 8ft
- Best for children: Redlands Little Hideout Playhouse 5ft x 3ft
Other sizes available
Pros: Great value, strong and secure
Cons: Restricted ability to add shelves
Keter’s Darwin shed range is made from Evotech, a tough recyclable plastic material that has been reinforced with metal.
The double walled tongue and groove construction gives it added rigidity, making it an excellent storage space for valuable garden tools and bikes, as well as lending it a look that is more in keeping with traditional sheds.
The Evotech construction also makes it one of the most weatherproof choices around, besides being easy to clean, so we reckon it should last well beyond its 15 year warranty if looked after.
It comes with a small window, ventilation panel and floor panel, which helps keep it clean and tidy on the inside.
As with metal sheds, it’s vital that it sits on a solid flat base in order for all the construction joints to fit together neatly, and it does lack the customisable benefits of wood (you can’t quickly fix a simple shelf up with a couple of screws).
However, we think this is a good, solid security shed and a great value alternative to wood.
Other sizes available
Pros: Good value, sturdy shed
Cons: Basic looks
Tiger produces a wide range of the kind of classic looking sheds that you see in numerous gardens and allotments, with a reputation for good quality at a reasonable price.
We like the basic looks of this solid wooden pent-roofed shed, with three windows that allow in enough light for you to comfortably see what you’re up to during daylight hours, and a front facing, lockable door.
A pent roof (one that slopes from front to back) lends sheds a more compact look, and is often preferred when situated by a wall, fence, tree or hedge, although they tend to lack the extra height provided by apex sheds (two slopes that meet in the middle).
The shiplap construction, where panels of wood overlap each other, gives a bit of flexibility to the walls and helps with weather protection which, along with this shed’s dip treatment, gives the manufacturers the confidence to offer a 20 year warranty.
Other sizes available
Pros: Tidy looking, cheap option
Cons: Needs protective treatment applied
Waltons is one of the country’s leading shed suppliers and, along with some premium products, they also have a ‘value’ range of sheds for those on a budget.
For well under £500 you can get this good quality, 8ft x 6ft apex shed which has ample room to store your garden essentials and more.
With overlapping board cladding fixed to a 28mm x 28mm frame, a good sized door and windows, it’s a smart looking shed that should be strong enough for general use.
The floor and roof are made from solid board, with the latter fitted with roof felt to protect it against the weather.
In order to benefit from the 10 year anti-rot guarantee the manufacturers request that you treat the building with timber preservative and a waterproof top coat, with a decent range available from the Waltons website.
Other sizes available
Pros: Long lasting and weatherproof
Cons: Lacks the visual appeal of other sheds
Metal sheds generally offer better value than wooden sheds with the added advantage of a greater longevity.
There are a few negatives to bear in mind, but these are mostly minor: they can be a bit noisier in the rain; it’s not as easy to attach shelves to the walls; and, particularly with the cheaper sheds, they can be harder to assemble.
Trimetals Titan sheds are towards the top end of the metal range and you would struggle to find many wooden sheds as strong, secure and weatherproof. Made from PVC coated, galvanised steel panels that come with a 25-year corrosion free guarantee, this shed is ideal for storing away the lawnmower and garden tools. The single door has an integral lock fitted, or you can upgrade to a double door, with further customised options including windows, wooden floor and shelving. Its utilitarian design may mean it’s not the most stylish looking shed around but, with a choice of three colour schemes available, we reckon it’s smart enough to suit most gardens
Pros: Quality build with attention to detail and living ‘green’ roof
Cons: Expensive
When it comes to endorsements for garden products, getting the nod of approval from the RHS is about as good as it gets.
Premium shed builders The Posh Shed Company recently collaborated with the horticultural charity to produce The RHS Garden Retreat, a multi-functional shed designed “with wellbeing in mind.”
The luxury wooden retreat is fully insulated and double glazed, making it a suitable living or working space for your garden. Three full length windows light up indoor activity, while a covered porch allows you to enjoy the fresh air in style.
The vaulted cedar shingle roof is fitted with guttering and even has a living ‘green’ roof set at the top. Each shed is handcrafted by The Posh Shed company to a high standard, with not only long lasting functionality in mind but also an attention to detail that puts most other sheds to shame.
Pros: Combines storage and relaxation area
Cons: Lacks the luxury of other summerhouses
Homeowners with a keen eye for garden design can often find it hard to accommodate the box-like features of a shed without it spoiling their aesthetic ideals.
For them, a shed designed to tuck into the corner of a garden offers a practical solution, particularly if space is at a premium.
This Chelsea Deluxe corner shed combines a space for storage with a summer house area, allowing you to admire your garden in comfort while the tools are hidden out of sight.
At 12ft x 8ft it’s a generous size, with two long windows either side of a windowed double door letting in plenty of light to the summerhouse, while another double door allows good access to the storage portion.
Although the styrene glazing lacks the quality of glass, at least it won’t break should an errant tool come into contact with it while on its way to the shed.
The 12mm shiplap cladding, tongue and groove apex roof and floor may give it more of a shed aesthetic than other luxurious looking summerhouses, but with a keen eye for design it can easily be smartened up to make a corner of your garden extra special.
Other sizes available
Pros: Lots of headroom and thick cladding
Cons: No windows
Dutch Barns are fitted with roofs that are curved or have multiple slopes, allowing for greater headroom throughout the shed.
This Dutch barn comes with a double door (but no windows), which further allows you to move awkward items, such as ladders, in and out without walls or roofs getting in the way.
It’s built from a strong 35mm x 35mm framework and is clad with 15mm tongue and groove walls, which is significantly thicker than the 12mm cladding you’ll get from most major online retailers.
Solid MFP boards are used for the roof and floor, the door is fitted with secure hinges and clasp, and the pressure treated timber has a ten year guarantee.
Other sizes are available
Pros: Styrene safety window and safe hinges with rubber protector
Cons: The kids will eventually grow out of it
If your kids like gardening (or if you want them to spend more time in the garden) then providing them with a shed will give them an outdoor base they can call their own and might just help develop some green fingered skills.
We like this playhouse from Redlands because it’s very much like a grown up’s shed in miniature, with 12mm shiplap cladding fixed to generously thick 28x44mm rounded corner framing.
The window is styrene glazed and the hinges have rubber protectors, making it safe for kids.
At 5ft x 3ft you won’t need a huge amount of space to accommodate it, but it’ll provide ample room for tiny tools or desk and chair, depending on what your children want to use it for.
And by keeping their kit in a shed of their own shed, it’ll free up room in your shed for more of your things.
In conclusion
We adore the Posh Shed’s collab with RHS - but most of us won’t have a spare £22,000 to spend on a new shed.
For the best marriage of stylishness, practicality and price, we’d opt for the Tiger Shed 10ft Shiplap Garden Shed
For more garden furniture inspiration, read our guides to the best garden furniture 2022, where we review everything from garden swing chairs to dining sets, deck chairs to sun loungers.
For expert reviews on camping gear, exercise kit, homewares and more, check out our recommended section.