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Metal or cedar raised beds?

Coated steel and cedar raised beds compared on what makers publish and what extension services say about lifespan and safety, with which situations suit each.

The same spot in your garden

4 × 8 ft2 × 8 ft4 × 4 ft3 × 6 ft

At 4 × 8 ft, both stand 12 in tall.

Metal

Land Guard rectangular metal beds

8 × 4 ft, 12 in tall · 96 × 48 in

19 bags to fill its stated 28 ft³

Cedar

Gardenary cedar raised beds, 12 inches tall

4 × 8 ft · 96 × 48 in · 12 in tall

Capacity not stated

At 2 × 8 ft, both stand 12 in tall.

Metal

Land Guard oval metal beds

8 × 2 ft, 12 in tall · 96 × 24 in

9 bags to fill its stated 13 ft³

Cedar

Gardenary cedar raised beds, 12 inches tall

2 × 8 ft · 96 × 24 in · 12 in tall

Capacity not stated

At 4 × 4 ft, both stand 18 in tall.

Metal

Anleolife metal beds

4 × 4 ft, 18 in tall · 48 × 48 in

16 bags to fill its stated 23 ft³

Cedar

Gardenary cedar raised beds, 18 inches tall

4 × 4 ft · 48 × 48 in · 18 in tall

Capacity not stated

At 3 × 6 ft, both stand 12 in tall.

Metal

Land Guard rectangular metal beds

6 × 3 ft, 12 in tall · 72 × 36 in

11 bags to fill its stated 16 ft³

Cedar

Gardenary cedar raised beds, 12 inches tall

3 × 6 ft · 72 × 36 in · 12 in tall

Capacity not stated

Each maker’s size closest to this footprint, within 6 in. Where a bed comes in two heights, we show the one closest to the other maker’s. Bags are 1.5 ft³, enough to fill the stated capacity.

Which suits you

Metal

Metal suits a bed you want tall, with walls up to 32 inches in the kits we list, and one kit that can be set up in several layouts.

Cedar

Cedar suits a bed you want to build to your own size, or a lower bed, and a natural material; the heartwood lasts longer than the sapwood.

This compares what makers publish and what extension services say. It is not a test of any bed.

Every published height in each group, on one scale, in inches. Where a group lists too many to label, the lowest and tallest are labelled; the table below gives them all.

Side by side

Measure	Metal	Cedar
Beds we cover	49 models, 284 sizes (Vego Garden, Birdies, Metal Garden Beds, Tarter, Best Choice Products, Garden In Minutes, Epic Gardening, Vegega, Sunnydaze, VEVOR, Gardenary, Land Guard, Anleolife, Arrow, Veikous)	24 models, 104 sizes (Gronomics, Greenes Fence, Gardener's Supply, Gardenary, Outdoor Living Today, VegTrug, Veikous)
Published heights	11 to 36 in	7 to 35 in
Stated soil capacity	3 to 96 cubic feet	4.8 to 74.7 cubic feet
Lifespan	14-gauge galvanized steel could last 35 to 50 years before first perforation; most beds are 20 to 24 gauge (Virginia Cooperative Extension)	10 years or more for cedar or redwood (UNH Extension); untreated wood, even cedar, often begins to decay within a few years (WSU Extension)
Safety notes	Zinc may leach only below pH 5; some metal beds sold online have been found to contain lead (University of Minnesota Extension)	Untreated cedar has no preservative; the question applies to treated lumber, not cedar
Fasteners	Bolted panels supplied with the kit	Stainless or hot-dipped galvanized screws (Western Red Cedar Lumber Association)

Every figure is as the maker or extension service publishes it.

See the beds

Metal beds

Cedar beds

References

Comparison of Raised Bed Methods, Materials, and Costs (SPES-425NP), Virginia Cooperative Extension
How to Utilize Raised Beds for Small Space Gardening, University of New Hampshire Extension
Raised Beds: Will They Benefit Your Vegetable Garden? (FS075E), Washington State University Extension
Raised bed gardens, University of Minnesota Extension
Fasteners for Outdoor Projects, Western Red Cedar Lumber Association