The Best Materials for Raised Beds (And What to Avoid)

If you’re building a raised bed garden this season, one of the biggest decisions you’ll make is what material to build it out of.

And trust me, it matters more than you think.

Raised beds come with so many benefits, from better soil and drainage to easier harvesting and fewer weeds.

👉 Explore the benefits of raised bed gardening in more detail. 

After installing dozens of raised bed gardens over the years, I’ve seen firsthand how the right raised bed garden material can make gardening easier, last longer, and honestly just look better in your space. The wrong choice? It can warp, rot, or leave you rebuilding sooner than you planned.

I’ll walk you through the best materials for raised beds, along with the pros and cons of each, so you can choose what works best for your garden. 

BEST MATERIALS FOR RAISED BEDS (QUICK ANSWER)

If you’re short on time, here’s what I recommend:

• Best overall: Natural wood (i.e. cedar or redwood) or steel
• Best long-term option: Steel or stone
• Best budget option: Metal bed kit or fabric grow bags
• Best for aesthetics: Wood, Wood + metal combo, steel, or stone

WHAT TO LOOK FOR IN RAISED BED MATERIALS

If you’ve already started looking, then you know there are so many different options, everything from lightweight aluminum to built-for-a-lifetime stone. And selecting the right material for your raised vegetable garden involves several different considerations. 

Here are some ideal qualities to help guide your decision: 

Attractive

The two things you’ll see when you look at your garden will be the plants and the raised beds. You’re more likely to maintain those plants if you like the way the garden looks and take pride in its appearance. View your raised bed as a hardscaping piece that should look good on its own, even when no plants are growing. 

Durable 

If you go through the effort of filling a raised bed with soil, you want to know that you’ll be rewarded with fruits of your labor for 10 or more years. Your material has to stand up to the elements. Using the right type of wood can increase your bed’s lifespan by 5 to 10 years, while steel and stone are largely indestructible. 

Well-Draining

It should drain well. If your bed will be placed on bare ground, it’s also ideal to be bottomless so that the roots of your plants can work their way down and beneficial microorganisms from the dirt can work their way up. If you’re growing on a concrete patio or a wooden deck, I’d select a raised bed with a bottom that allows for drainage.

Natural 

The material should be consistent with organic gardening so that you don’t have to worry about anything dangerous leaching into your soil. 

Coordinated

For the most cohesive, beautiful garden space, coordinate your raised bed material to your home. Look for something that matches colors and overall style. Steel beds are great for modern and modern farmhouse styles. Wood beds can be painted or stained to match the trim of your home. 

Affordable

Don’t blow your budget for the raised bed. But know that whatever you invest in your raised bed you’re likely to get back in terms of how long you can enjoy your garden. Cedar may be a more expensive lumber, but it also lasts a lot longer than something much cheaper like pine. If your budget is tight, look into an affordable option like galvanized steel or fabric grow bags. 

You should also take into account your level of handiness or ability to hire help. You may not want to build an elaborate wood garden bed if you’ve never held a drill before (unless you’re up for a challenge!). 

Appropriate

And lastly, the bed material should consider the environment where it’ll be placed. If you’re growing somewhere that a certain type of pest is a major issue, I’d look for a bed that can help keep that pest out. (Wood beds, for example, allow you to staple hardware cloth over the bottom to keep out gophers or construct a squirrel cage overhead.) 

If you live next to the ocean, you might avoid something like galvanized steel, which will corrode faster. 

WOOD RAISED GARDEN BEDS

Even though the cost of wood keeps climbing, wood is still an accessible (if not budget-friendly) and popular option for constructing your raised garden bed. 

Pros of Wood Raised Beds

Wood raised beds are a gardening classic for a reason. Advantages include: 

• There are different types of wood you can use to make your bed, and you can further customize the appearance with eco-friendly wood stains and paint. 
• Wood raised bed kits are often easy to install and look really nice. 
• Durable woods can last 10 to 20 years in the garden.
• You can stack boards to make the raised bed as high as you want. 
• Untreated wood is completely non-toxic. It’s about as natural as you can get.

Cons of Wood Raised Beds

While wood beds have some downsides, you can often avoid these problems by buying the right type of wood. Problems include: 

• Wood can warp and rot when pressed against damp soil over time (though, again, there are ways to increase the lifespan). 
• Building a wood raised bed from scratch requires simple carpentry skills. 
• Wood boards are inflexible, so you’re limited to angular-shaped beds. 
• Wood can attract termites (though more durable boards are pest-resistant).

Best Types of Wood to Use for Raised Beds

Not all wood is created equal when it comes to building raised beds. Available options (and their prices) vary by region, so the best lumber for your garden project depends on where you live. Overall, you want something durable and untreated. 

Durable woods (by region) include: 

• Cedar (North America and Europe)
• Redwood (Western United States)
• Cypress (Southern or Eastern US)
• Hemlock (Canada)

These woods contain tannins, making them naturally resistant to rot and decay (and even pests like termites). That means you don’t go through the hard work of building a raised bed, only to have it warp and then rot in a couple of years. 

You can expect a raised bed made of cedar or redwood to last at least 10 years, if not 20, before beginning to degrade.

Tips for Picking the Best Lumber for Your Wood Raised Bed 

Use Untreated Wood 

Treated wood could potentially leach chemicals into your soil and then contaminate your food. Wood was historically processed with arsenic. Even though the EPA banned the sale of lumber containing arsenic decades ago (and the new chemicals—copper and fungicide—are considered safe), the Department of Agriculture still recommends avoiding pressure-treated wood in organic gardens. 

Buy 2-Inch-Thick Boards 

For greater durability, buy boards that are 2 inches (5cm) thick for the body of your raised bed. You can opt for 1-inch-thick boards for trimming the top and sides. 

Inspect Each Board 

Pull out each board and check it for straightness, discoloration, and defects. Stare down the length of a board to ensure it’s as straight as possible. You don’t want boards that curve like a banana. Then, check the sides to ensure they don’t curve up. 

Check the Barcode Sticker for the Actual Size 

The numbers used to describe a board are its measurements before being dried, so lumber is often slightly smaller than its name. A 2×4 is, in reality, about 1.5 by 3.5 inches. 

Shop Smart 

It might be worth seeking out a local lumberyard if you’re building several garden beds. Whether you’re shopping at a hardware store or lumberyard, I recommend having materials delivered to your home so you don’t have to worry about fitting a 12-foot-long plank in your SUV. 

Tips for Building Wood Raised Beds

Ask the Store to Cut Your Lumber 

Hardware stores will often make one free cut per board. Just make sure you’re certain of your measurements! 

Recut Ends 

The ends of boards are rarely perfectly square. If you have a circular saw at home, I recommend recutting each end to ensure straightness. 

Increase Longevity 

Before constructing your bed, I recommend painting each board with a food-safe wood preservative like Eco Wood Treatment to seal the wood and increase the lifespan of your garden. 

Customize 

Match your wood raised bed to your home by staining the outside with an eco-friendly, weather-resistant, water-based stain. You can alternatively paint the outside with milk paint, which is made from natural ingredients, or VOC-free latex paints. 

Hire Out 

If you’re not very handy (no shame!), consider hiring a local carpenter or kitchen garden company to build the raised beds for you. 

Use Framing Brackets

In my experience, the easiest way to attach wood boards is with framing brackets, which are found in the decking section of hardware stores. They make it easy to create perfect corners. 

Note: If you’d rather buy a wood raised bed kit, look for one with thicker boards. Many cheap garden bed kits come with boards just 1 inch (2.5cm)  thick and won’t last as long outdoors. 

METAL RAISED GARDEN BEDS

Metal is both durable and strong. Steel raised garden beds can, in fact, last a lifetime. 

Pros of Metal Raised Beds

There are many benefits of using metal as your bed material, including:

• Metal beds are often attractive. You can choose a finish or even a powder coating color to match your home. 
• There are many companies making metal bed kits that are easy to assemble at home. 
• Corten steel and powder coated beds are made to hold up to corrosion.
• Steel is considered a food-safe material. 
• Metal beds have thin profiles, which means you can maximize available growing space in a smaller garden. (Though, I will say, this isn’t ideal if you like to sit on the edge of your raised bed while planting or tending.)
• Many steel beds are durable enough to last a lifetime. Unlike with wood, you won’t have to worry about your garden beds warping or decomposing. These beds are truly a long-term investment. 
• It’s easy to add castors to metal beds that have a bottom so that you can easily roll your bed around a patio or deck. 
• You don’t have to worry about metal cracking after freeze and thaw cycles. 
• You can max out the height of the bed (I love 2- and 3-foot-tall beds) without a considerable spike in the price. 

Cons of Metal Raised Beds

Disadvantages of metal beds include: 

• The soil around the edge of a metal bed will dry out quickly and stay a couple degrees warmer than the rest of the bed. It’s not a considerable difference—just something to keep in mind as you’re creating a planting plan.
• Over time, the coating on your bed might chip, crack, or peel. 
• Low-quality, thin metal beds may rust and decline after about 5 years. 
• Some metal beds are expensive, especially custom-made ones. 

Best Types of Metal for Raised Beds

• Powder coated steel – These beds are produced by baking colored powder onto a metal surface. The result is a smooth coating far more durable than regular paint. You can find powder coated steel in a number of colors to suit your home. 
• Alzuinc steel – This is the material used for popular metal raised bed kits like Vego or Birdies. This type of steel allows for super thin beds that will keep their structure for about 20 years. 
• Corten steel – This type of metal has a distinct weathered appearance thanks to oxidation. Once it’s developed a rusted patina, it seals itself, meaning it won’t continue to rust. Corten steel beds have a lifespan of between 40 and 100 years. 
• Galvanized steel – This type of steel is made by applying a zinc coating to prevent the formation of rust, giving beds a lifespan between 25 and 50 years. Many budget-friendly farm-style raised beds are made of galvanized steel.
• Aluminum – Aluminum beds are lightweight but strong, making them ideal for balconies with weight restrictions. You can find powder coated finishes in your preferred color. 

Tips for Installing Metal Raised Beds

Add Drainage Holes

A popular and easy metal raised bed option is a repurposed cattle trough or container made of stainless or galvanized steel. These beds are ideal for small herb or salad gardens. Before adding soil, however, make sure to drill drainage holes across the bottom.  

Consider Weight

Steel beds can be heavy, especially custom-made beds that are welded together into one durable piece. If you’re going with steel, arrange for delivery. I’ve installed steel beds for clients that took several grown men to move. 

If you’re going with pre-made, you’ll also want to measure the narrowest part of the bed’s journey to your yard to ensure it’ll fit. 

Avoid Sharp Edges

Since metal can be sharp, look for kits with rubber safety strips on edges if you have small children. If you’re building a metal bed with corrugated roof panels, add wood trim to edges.  

WOOD & METAL COMBO RAISED BEDS

If you like the farmhouse look, consider doing a wood and metal combination. 

You can buy an 8-foot corrugated galvanized metal roof panel for around $20. This size is perfect for the sides of your raised beds. Then you just need 2-inch-thick boards for the frame of the bed. 

STONE & BRICK RAISED GARDEN BEDS

Stone or brick raised beds can be costly, but when installed correctly, they’ll never need replacing. You’ll be able to enjoy these beautiful raised beds for decades to come, no matter the weather. 

If you already have stones on your property, then you’ve got the means to build a beautiful raised bed for free. You’ll just have to figure out how to fit the irregular shapes together to create a durable raised bed. 

Pros of Stone/Brick Raised Beds

These are the ultimate building materials for a reason. Advantages include: 

• Stone is a food-safe material, as are newly created bricks. 
• Locally sourced stone is a sustainable building material. 
• Stone doesn’t emit any chemicals or require treatment to maintain its appearance. 
• Stone and brick are beautiful building materials and can be selected or painted to match your home’s exterior. 
• Stone and brick are incredibly durable. 
• It’s easy to create round or custom-shaped raised beds with smaller materials. 

Cons of Stone/Brick Raised Beds

No material is perfect. Disadvantages include:

• Stone may not fit in your budget.
• Once your beds are constructed, they will be extremely difficult to move. Make sure you choose the location of your garden beds wisely.
• Due to the thickness of these materials, it may be difficult to attach weather or pest protection.

Tips for Installing a Stone or Brick Raised Garden Bed

You have two options when constructing your bed: dry stacking the bricks or stone or using cement to hold them in place. Using no or minimal cement will obviously be less permanent. 

Start with a Level Sand Bed

A sand foundation under your raised bed helps to distribute weight, prevent shifting, and increase drainage. A level sand bed is critical to prevent cracking if you’re using cement or mortar between stones or bricks. 

Add a Cement Footer

While it’s possible to build your raised bed on just a sand foundation, I recommend adding a cement footer underneath your materials to increase durability.   

Hire Out

If you plan on going above two stones or bricks tall with the sides of your raised beds, I recommend hiring a garden designer or stonemason to help. That way, you know your bed will really last. 

FABRIC RAISED GARDEN BEDS 

If you’re not ready to commit to a large raised bed, then fabric makes a great inexpensive, versatile option for your growing space. Fabric bags come in a variety of different sizes and are ready to grow. 

Pros of Fabric Raised Beds

There are many pros to this short-term option, including the following:

• There’s no assembly. You unfold the bags and fill them with soil. 
• Grow bags are inexpensive. 
• Bags can be set on any level surface. 
• The cloth bottom can prevent pests like gophers and voles from eating the roots of your plants. 
• The porous material allows plenty of air circulation and good drainage. 

Cons of Fabric Raised Beds

Even if grow bags are the right option for you right now, there are still some downsides, including: 

• The bottom prevents roots from digging into the ground and beneficial organisms like earthworms and fungi from rising into the soil. 
• The edges of the bags dry out quickly. In hot summer weather, the bags will need to be watered every day. 
• Fabric raised beds need to be replaced every 4 to 5 years. If the sides tear, then your bed is done. 
• Your garden won’t have the same sense of permanence or beauty as other options. 

 If you’re interested in growing in a fabric grow bag, just look for something that’s BPA free. 

WHAT NOT TO USE FOR YOUR RAISED BED MATERIAL 

Not all materials are worth the risk, especially when you’re growing food.

Make sure you select something that won’t leach dangerous chemicals into the soil of your garden, thereby contaminating whatever edible plants you grow there. 

With that in mind, here are some materials to avoid when building raised vegetable garden beds.

Old Bricks & Cinder Blocks 

Reclaimed bricks make a beautiful garden path, but I’d avoid using them for your raised beds. Use only fresh materials that you know the history of. Thanks to outdated manufacturing processes, old materials can include carcinogens.  

Old Wooden Boards 

Don’t repurpose any boards unless you’re sure they’ve never been painted or sealed with anything you wouldn’t want in a food garden. Old paint could potentially include lead or other toxins, while old stains may contain arsenic.

Plastic 

Plastic pots are fine for growing ornamental plants, but I’d think twice before using plastic raised garden beds. 

Most of the simulated wood designs commonly found at big box stores are made of UV-protected high-density polyethylene (HDPE). Often considered a safer, higher-quality plastic (no BPA or phthalates), it’ll still shed microplastics in your soil. Lower-quality plastic will degrade quickly under the sun. 

When it comes to your vegetable garden, I recommend sticking with new materials you feel good about. 

Fence Posts

I’ve seen fence posts as a “hack” for building raised beds. While fence posts are a budget-friendly way to buy cedar boards, they’re too thin to last. I actually built a raised bed with posts, and it only lasted 2 years before it was warped beyond use. 

MY PERSONAL RECOMMENDATION

If you’re feeling stuck after all these options, here’s what I tell most of my clients.

You don’t need to overcomplicate this.

• If you want something natural and traditional, go with cedar.
• If you want something long-lasting and low-maintenance, go with steel.
• If you want something budget friendly go with a Vego raised bed garden kit or fabric containers.

I hope this helps you decide on the best raised bed material for your new vegetable garden. Once you’ve got your beds set up, it’s just a matter of filling them with soil, selecting an irrigation method, and planting them up! 

Let us know in the comments if you have any questions or concerns about these materials!