Pallet collar raised bed
Updated: 23 October 2026
You want a bed on the allotment this season, and a stack of pallet collars looks quicker than a sleeper kit. A pallet collar raised bed is that stack: shallow wooden frames, one tier at a time, filled with soil or compost. The RHS suggests about 30 cm of soil for shallow crops and 45 cm or more for most plants. Two trade collars at about 195 mm each are about 39 cm, which sits between those figures. Heat treatment, if a collar even has it, does not turn the timber into a preservative. The frames in the [pallet frame comparison](/hub/diy-supplies/pallet-frame) are three Amazon pairs with no stated treatment mark. We did not grow a crop in them. A qualifying purchase can earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
You want a bed on the allotment this season, and a stack of pallet collars looks quicker than a sleeper kit.
You want a bed on the allotment this season, and a stack of pallet collars looks quicker than a sleeper kit. A pallet collar raised bed is that stack: shallow wooden frames, one tier at a time, filled with soil or compost. The RHS suggests about 30 cm of soil for shallow crops and 45 cm or more for most plants. Two trade collars at about 195 mm each are about 39 cm, which sits between those figures. Heat treatment, if a collar even has it, does not turn the timber into a preservative. The frames in the pallet frame comparison are three Amazon pairs with no stated treatment mark. We did not grow a crop in them. A qualifying purchase can earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
Our top picks
| Badge | Product | Side height | Stated footprint | Raised-bed wording | Note | Price | Offer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best overall |  MBDRKVGF MBDRKVGF 120 x 80 cm pair | 19.5 cm board height | 120 x 80 cm | Yes | 7.5 | n/a | View offer |
| Alternative |  MBDRKVGF MBDRKVGF 150 x 50 cm brown pair | n/a | 150 x 50 cm | Yes | 6.5 | about £16.99 | View offer |
| Alternative |  MBDRKVGF MBDRKVGF 150 x 50 cm grey pair | n/a | 150 x 50 cm | Yes | 6.5 | about £16.99 | View offer |
On this page
What depth you actually get
A trade collar is often one board about 195 mm high. BiGDUG sells that tier height, and the black Amazon listing states a board height of 19.5 cm. One collar is a low edge, useful for a mulch frame and short for almost any crop the RHS has in mind. Two collars are about 39 cm. That clears the about 30 cm figure for shallow crops such as salad, and it stays short of 45 cm for most plants. Three collars are about 58 cm, which is past that 45 cm line and is a heavier stack to move at the end of the season.
Those sums are for a collar whose board height is actually about 195 mm. The brown and grey pairs state 150 by 50 cm and print a 41 cm dimension without calling it a board height. Do not treat 41 cm as one tier and then order two for 80 cm of soil. The RHS suggests keeping a bed under 1.5 m wide so you can reach the middle, and paths of at least 45 cm. A euro footprint, 80 by 120 cm, is inside that reach. Footprint still comes first, and the measurement order is the pallet collar buying guide.
Heat treatment is not a preservative
ISPM 15 heat treatment, where it applies, is a pest treatment. GOV.UK describes the heat schedule as 56 °C for at least 30 minutes through the core of the wood. That kills pests for packaging that crosses a border. It does not put a preservative into the timber, and it is not a food-contact approval. None of the three kept listings states an ISPM 15 mark, a heat treatment or a use class. You cannot look at these Amazon pages and say the pine is heat treated.
Untreated timber in soil weathers. The RHS notes that untreated pallet timber has a shorter life than pressure-treated sleepers. Universal Pallets, writing about collars used as beds, says untreated timber weathers and that many gardeners line with plastic and store spare collars under cover. That is a description of what people do, not a year count. This page will not turn an allotment anecdote into a life in years for these frames. You also do not know the last load. A collar that has carried oily parts or unknown chemicals is a poor choice for a salad bed.
Lining and water
A liner is doing two jobs that pull against each other. You may want a barrier so soil does not sit directly against timber of unknown history. You also need the boards to dry. A plastic sheet that holds water against untreated pine keeps the timber wet, which is the condition that shortens its life. A membrane with drainage is a different object from a liner that traps water in the bottom.
The Amazon packs do not include a liner, a membrane or compost. A collar bed on soil does not need a pallet underneath. The pallet is for the warehouse job, where the collar is a frame on a deck you can move. If you do set the collars on a pallet, you have built a planter with a timber floor. That floor needs drainage holes or it becomes a tray. The listings do not include a drill pattern. Spare collars belong under cover. The hinges are galvanised on the listing. The pine is not described as a ground-contact grade.
Which of these frames is even a bed shape
The black pair states 120 by 80 cm, with a 19.5 cm board height, in a pack of two. That footprint is a comfortable reach under the RHS 1.5 m guide, and two boards are the about-39 cm stack described above. It is still a collar with no stated treatment, no liner and no price in the saved listing. Raised-bed wording on the listing is the seller’s claim that you might use it this way. It is not a use-class certificate.
The brown and grey pairs are £16.99 each and state 150 by 50 cm. As a bed they are a long 50 cm-wide box if you take the numbers as length and width. You can plant a single row in that. You cannot treat it as a 1.2 m bed you will thin from both sides. Those footprints are separated on the euro pallet collar or UK pallet collar page. Two different footprints do not stack into one rectangle. Buy a sleeper bed when the crop needs 45 cm or more and you want timber specified for ground contact. Use the collars when 30-odd centimetres and a short life in the soil are what you planned for. Stop when the bed has to hold back soil as a retaining wall, or when the frame would touch the house and its damp-proofing.
Common questions
How many collars do I need for a shallow salad bed?
Two tiers at about 195 mm give about 39 cm, which is above the RHS figure of about 30 cm for shallow crops and short of 45 cm for most plants. One tier is only a low edge. The black listing states 19.5 cm, so a pack of two is that two-tier height if both frames are the same board. Do not apply the 195 mm sum to the 150 by 50 cm listings until you have measured their boards, because their 41 cm dimension is not stated as a board height.
Is heat-treated timber preserved for soil?
No. Heat treatment in the ISPM 15 schedule is 56 °C for at least 30 minutes through the core, to deal with pests in wood packaging. It is not a wood preservative and not an approval to grow food. These Amazon listings do not even state that the timber was heat treated. Untreated pine in soil weathers faster than pressure-treated sleepers, which is the RHS comparison, whether or not a packaging stamp is present.
Should I line the inside, and with what?
A liner is reasonable when you do not know the timber’s history, or when you add a treatment and worry about leaching. Use something that lets water leave. A sheet that holds a pool against the boards keeps untreated pine wet. These packs do not include a membrane. Universal Pallets mentions plastic as what many gardeners use, without specifying a draining membrane, so choose the layer for drainage rather than for a sealed tub.
How long will untreated pine last in soil?
This page cannot give you a year count for these frames. The RHS says untreated pallet timber has a shorter life than pressure-treated sleepers. A seller says it weathers outdoors. Allotment comments about a few seasons refer to other collars, not to a test of these frames. Plan on replacing a soil-contact collar sooner than a sleeper specified for the ground, and store spare frames dry so the spare is not already weathering.
Can I grow food in a collar with no stamp and no known history?
You can physically fill it with compost. You should not treat a missing stamp as proof the wood is clean, heat treated or food safe. A collar that previously carried unknown goods is a bad candidate for salad. A new collar with no stated treatment is simply untreated timber of unknown detail. If that uncertainty is unacceptable for the crop, use a bed whose materials are specified for growing, rather than a packaging collar.
Do I still need a pallet underneath a bed?
Not if the frames are sitting on soil as a bed. The pallet belongs to the warehouse job, where the collar is a movable box on a deck. A pallet under a bed becomes a floor. That floor needs a way for water to leave, or the bottom boards stay wet. The Amazon listings do not include a pallet, a liner or drainage holes. Decide which job you are in before you bolt the two together.
Related pages
Sources
Public UK sources from the research digest, and the amazon.co.uk listings compared on this page. Shelf prices in the files are dated 21 October 2026. Updated 23 October 2026.
- GOV.UK: wood packaging material for import and export (retrieved 23 October 2026)
- EPAL euro pallet (retrieved 23 October 2026)
- HG Timber pallet collars (retrieved 23 October 2026)
- BiGDUG wooden pallet collar (retrieved 23 October 2026)
- Universal Pallets: new euro pallet collars (retrieved 23 October 2026)
- Universal Pallets: standard pallet collar (retrieved 23 October 2026)
- HSE PM15: pallet safety (retrieved 23 October 2026)
- RHS: how to make a raised bed (retrieved 23 October 2026)
- Consumer Rights Act 2015, section 9 (retrieved 23 October 2026)