The best horticultural perlite, compared.
Top pick: PLANT!T Perlite 10L Best value: Horticultural perlite, 100 litre bag – Lowest price per stated litre in this set, about £0.25, with 88 UK reviews rather than an empty file. Updated October 2026.
Horticultural perlite for plants is heat-expanded volcanic glass. The white granules open compost so roots get air and excess water can leave. In the UK you buy it for houseplant pots, cuttings, seed trays and greenhouse mixes. It is inert, so it is not a fertiliser, and it does not lock up nutrients the way wood fibre can. A suitable bag prints a millimetre grade, states the volume in litres, and matches that volume when it arrives. A common horticultural band is about 2–5 mm. Packs below a large sack are sometimes split into clear bags, so read the pack line rather than a photograph of a bigger bag. Dampen the granules before mixing. Dry perlite is dusty, and a dust-free title is not a guarantee. Keep the bag dry, frost-free and sealed, away from garden chemicals. Straight perlite is the usual buy. A labelled blend with vermiculite holds more water. Horticultural grit is a separate material. How to read the grade, the litres and the pack line is in the [perlite for plants buying guide](/hub/fertiliser-soil-and-bark-mulch/perlite-plants/sub/perlite-plants-buying-guide).
Horticultural perlite for plants is heat-expanded volcanic glass. The white granules open compost so roots get air and excess water can leave.
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Personal buying guide
Question 1 of 2
How much will you store?
PLANT!T Perlite 10L is £7.99, about £0.80 per stated litre, with Hydrogarden as manufacturer and part 02-065-015. The bullet covers soil conditioning, lawns, vegetables and houseplants. Item form is granules and the 10000 ml unit count matches 10 litres. The star line is 4.6 from 1,586 and is not the same line as the other PLANT!T row in this set. Reviews mention cacti, succulents and a plain inner bag. No millimetre grade is printed. That review sample is independent of the other PLANT!T row. It is not a laboratory test, and the missing millimetre grade is why it does not take the top pick.
Pros
Cons
Best for: A 10 litre habit when you want a named horticultural brand and a large UK review sample.
Less suitable: A buyer who will only order a bag with 2–5 mm or 1–6 mm printed on the listing.
Specifications
Common questions
Who makes this 10 litre bag?
The manufacturer field says Hydrogarden. The brand line is PLANT !T. Part number 02-065-015. UPC 611517430794.
Is a grade printed?
No millimetre band is printed on the listing. One review says the granules were small and not too dusty.
What packing do reviews describe?
More than one UK review says the perlite arrived in a plain or loose bag rather than the manufacturer sack, and that it spills if you open it carelessly.
This Swiftair row is 50 litres of 2–5 mm perlite at £15.00, about £0.30 per stated litre. The bullet set covers rooting, cutting and potting, and the highlight says organic gardening without naming a certificate. The star line is 4.6 from 1,502 and is the same line saved on the 100 litre file. UK reviews in the shared text praise the large bag and repeat that dry perlite is dusty. Item weight is 2 kg while unit count prints 6500 g. It is the top pick for the printed 2–5 mm grade, the £0.30 per stated litre, and the large UK review text, with that shared-size limit. It is not a laboratory test.
Pros
Cons
Best for: A shed or greenhouse that will use 50 litres and can dampen the bag first.
Less suitable: A single windowsill pot, or a buyer who needs a review count that belongs only to this size.
Specifications
Common questions
What size is this Swiftair bag?
The title and the volume field say 50 litres at 2–5 mm. Item weight is 2 kg. The unit-count field says 6500 g.
Is the 1,502-review line only for 50 litres?
This file and the 100 litre file show the same 4.6 from 1,502 and the same opening reviews. Treat it as a shared listing figure.
What do the reviews repeat?
Value against small bags, and dust. Reviewers describe wetting the granules and wearing a mask.
Swiftair’s 100 litre row is 2–5 mm perlite at £29.00, about £0.29 per stated litre. The bullet names seed starting, rooting, soil conditioning and hydroponic projects. Country of origin is United Kingdom. The 4.6 from 1,502 line is the same line as the 50 litre file, including the dust comments. Item weight is 3.9 kg and unit count is 3999 g, so those two fields do not agree. The organic gardening highlight does not name a certification body.
Pros
Cons
Best for: Someone who will store a 100 litre sack and wants 2–5 mm written on the title.
Less suitable: A buyer who wants reviews that clearly belong to the 100 litre variation only.
Specifications
Common questions
How big is the bag on this variation?
The title and volume field say 100 litres at 2–5 mm, listed at £29.00. Item weight is 3.9 kg. Unit count prints 3999 g.
Are the 1,502 reviews only about 100 litres?
The file matches the 50 litre file on the star line and the opening reviews. It is a shared figure.
Does the listing name hydroponics?
The 100 litre bullet includes hydroponic projects. It does not say which system, and it does not warn that loose perlite floats.
UK GROW lists 20 litres at £16.95, about £0.85 per stated litre, which does not undercut the 10 litre rows. Bullets name vegetables, flowers, houseplants, bonsai, potting mixes, hydroponics and seed starting, and they talk about fertility without an NPK. The part number field says perlite 100L. The star line is 4.5 from 199. Reviews split on dust: some dampen it and call it good value, one calls it overly dusty. The listing image is a small thumbnail.
Pros
Cons
Best for: A 20 litre top-up when you want more than 10 litres and less than a 50 litre sack.
Less suitable: Anyone chasing the lowest price per litre, or a printed 2–5 mm grade.
Specifications
Common questions
Is this 20 litres or 100 litres?
The title and the volume field say 20 litres at £16.95. The manufacturer part number field says perlite 100L. Item weight is 2.3 kg.
Does the listing give a grade?
No millimetre grade. One review calls the granules a good size for compost. Another calls the bag overly dusty.
Why is one review about an ankle?
A saved UK review discusses skin pressure and does not describe perlite. It is in the file and is not plant evidence.
This PLANT!T variation is priced at £8.79 with a 10 litre volume field. The title also names 100, 50, 25, 10 and 5 litre options. There are no marketing bullets. Unit count is 1 count and item weight is 880 g. The star line is 4.4 from 728, separate from the other PLANT!T file’s 1,586. UK reviews say the 10 litre quantity arrived in a plain bag rather than the pictured sack, and at least one buyer called the measure short. Rank sits in Hydroponic Nutrients and Additives.
Pros
Cons
Best for: Only if this exact variation is the one in your basket and you have read the plain-bag reviews.
Less suitable: Anyone who can buy the other PLANT!T 10 litre row and wants a part number and a larger review sample.
Specifications
Common questions
Which size is this file?
The volume field is 10 litres and the title ends in 10 litre. The title also lists 100, 50, 25, 10 and 5 litres. Shelf price is £8.79.
Why is the rank under hydroponic additives?
Best Sellers Rank in the file is 49 in Hydroponic Nutrients and Additives, not Gardening Perlite. The title says hydroponics grow medium.
What do the UK reviews say about the bag?
Reviewers describe an unbranded or grey bag, a photocopied label, a rip that leaked, and short measure against 10 litres. Some still call the granules fine.
B2C lists this variation as 10 litres at £8.79, about £0.88 per stated litre, with a 1–6 mm bullet. The same bullets say smaller quantities come in a clear zip bag split from larger bags. GTIN in the file is 65060856057921. The star line is 4.4 from 564 and is repeated on the 5 litre and 1 litre files. Shared reviews praise drainage for houseplants and also describe powder instead of coarse granules.
Pros
Cons
Best for: A 10 litre clear bag when you have read the repack bullet.
Less suitable: Anyone who expects the branded 100 litre sack in the photograph.
Specifications
Common questions
What arrives for the 10 litre option?
The size bullet says 1 x 10 litre clear bag. It also says quantities under 100 litres are repackaged and that the 100 litre picture is a reference.
What grade is printed?
Premium grade perlite 1 to 6 mm.
Whose reviews are the 564?
The 10 litre, 5 litre and 1 litre files share 4.4 from 564 and the same opening reviews, including houseplant and powder complaints.
The 5 litre B2C variation is £7.69, about £1.54 per stated litre, with a 1–6 mm bullet and a clear grip seal bag. Unit count 5000 ml matches the volume field. GTIN is 55060856057924. The 4.4 from 564 line is shared with the 1 litre and 10 litre files. A shared review describes mixing perlite with ericaceous compost for blueberries in pots. Powder complaints are in that same shared text.
Pros
Cons
Best for: A medium indoor job where a grip seal bag matters more than the lowest price per litre.
Less suitable: Anyone buying 5 litres because they think the 564 reviews are all of this size.
Specifications
Common questions
How is the 5 litre packed?
The size bullet says 1 x 5 litre clear grip seal bag, repackaged from larger bags.
Why is the price per litre higher than the 10 litre B2C row?
£7.69 for 5 litres is about £1.54 per litre. The 10 litre row in this set is £8.79, about £0.88 per litre.
Do the 564 reviews belong only to 5 litres?
No. The files for 1, 5 and 10 litres carry the same star line and the same opening review text.
B2C’s 1 litre variation is a clear bag at £5.49 with a 1–6 mm bullet. That is about £5.49 per litre. GTIN is 35060856057920. The star line of 4.4 from 564 is the parent figure also saved on the larger B2C sizes. Shared reviews mention Monstera and drainage, and also powder instead of coarse granules. There is no item weight in the file.
Pros
Cons
Best for: One houseplant repot, if a 1 litre bag is all you can store.
Less suitable: Any job that will use more than a litre. The 10 litre rows cost less per litre.
Specifications
Common questions
What do you get at 1 litre?
The size bullet says 1 x 1 litre clear bag, repackaged from larger bags. Volume and the 1000 ml unit count match.
Is £5.49 a low price?
It is a low bag price and about £5.49 per litre, the highest straight-perlite unit price in this set.
Can you use the 564-review line as a 1 litre sample?
The same line and opening reviews are stored on the 5 litre and 10 litre files, including talk of 100 litres.
This 100 litre bag is £24.95, about £0.25 per stated litre, the lowest unit price in the set. Item weight is 6.9 kg and the unit count of 100000 ml matches 100 litres. There is no brand, no grade and no bullet instructions. The star line is 4.4 from 88 UK reviews. Reviewers use it in outdoor pots, seed sowing and borders, and they repeat dust, wind and the size of the sack. It is the best value for that unit price plus a real review sample, not a certificate or a laboratory test.
Pros
Cons
Best for: A large potting season when the lowest price per litre matters and you can dampen dust outdoors.
Less suitable: A buyer who wants a brand, a 2–5 mm line, or a bag that will live in a small cupboard.
Specifications
Common questions
Who sells this as a brand?
The listing has no brand and no manufacturer. The title is Horticultural Perlite 100 litre bag.
What is the price per litre?
£24.95 divided by the stated 100 litres is about £0.25 per litre, the lowest in this set.
What do the reviews warn about?
Dust, including a bag one reviewer said was marked dust free and was still very dusty. Wind, and white granules left on a lawn patch. Storage if you only need a little.
Swiftair Standard Perlite 10L is listed at £7.99 with a 2–5 mm bullet and a 10 litre volume line. The star line is 4.1 from 21 UK reviews. One of those reviews measured 8 litres. Country of origin is United Kingdom and the part number is SW-PER. Unit count prints 500 g against an item weight of 600 g, so quantity on the page is not one figure. At about £0.80 per stated litre it matches other 10 litre rows on price, with a smaller review sample and a short-measure complaint in the file.
Pros
Cons
Best for: A 10 litre 2–5 mm bag if you will check the fill when it arrives.
Less suitable: Anyone who needs a large independent review sample, or who already had a short bag from this listing.
Specifications
Common questions
What grade does this Swiftair 10 litre listing state?
The particle-size bullet says 2–5 mm for rooting, cutting and potting. The title says Standard Perlite 10L.
Do the quantity lines agree?
The volume line is 10 litres. Item weight is 600 g and the unit-count field is 500 g. Those are different quantities.
What did UK reviewers say about the fill?
One reviewer measured this 10 litre purchase at 8 litres and said an earlier bag looked underfilled. Other reviews call it good value and fine for cuttings.
This B2C row is a 1 litre 50/50 perlite and vermiculite mix at £5.50, graded 1–8 mm on the bullet. The listing says it is sold by volume and that 1 litre is not 1 kilogram. It names seeds, cuttings, houseplants and soilless growing. Model Pervermix, part Pervermix_001. There is no star line and no review text on the listing, so there is no UK comment on dust or fill. It is the only blend in this set.
Pros
Cons
Best for: A first seed or cutting tray when you want both minerals in one pouch.
Less suitable: A buyer who searched for straight perlite and needs a known review sample.
Specifications
Common questions
Is this straight perlite?
No. The title and the first bullet say 50 percent perlite and 50 percent vermiculite.
What grade is printed?
1–8 mm for the mix. That is wider than the 2–5 mm Swiftair titles.
Are there UK reviews on the listing?
There is no customer-review line and no review text.
The Potting Pantry 1 litre pouch is £4.95 from Invigortex, part PP-PERLITE. Bullets name houseplants, cacti, succulents, seedlings, cuttings, terrariums and bonsai, and a resealable pouch. They do not give a mix ratio or a millimetre grade, and the pet question is unanswered. There is no star line and no review text. Item weight is 400 g. The unit-count field of 9999999 g does not describe this pouch. About £4.95 per litre.
Pros
Cons
Best for: One or two small indoor pots, if you can accept an unknown grade and no reviews.
Less suitable: Anyone who needs a printed grade or a UK review sample before they buy.
Specifications
Common questions
What size are the granules?
The listing asks the question and does not answer it. No millimetre grade is printed on the listing.
Is it described as safe around pets?
The question is on the page and is not answered on the listing.
What does the unit-count field say?
9999999 g. Item weight is 400 g and the volume is 1 litre. Use the litre line, not the unit count.
Twelve amazon.co.uk listings were scored from the stored pages and the UK review notes already on file. There is no laboratory test. A millimetre grade, a litre line or an organic-gardening highlight is the seller's claim. Where two quantity fields disagree, both stay and the clash is a deduction. A shared star line is not treated as a separate sample for each size. The highest score is the top pick. The best value is the lowest price per stated litre among bags with a UK review sample. The weights below sum to 100.
Amazon evidence
40%Star rating on amazon.co.uk, then the size of that review file. A line that is copied onto another size is deducted, because it is one sample.
Listing clarity
35%A printed millimetre grade, a stated volume in litres, and a job the bullets actually name. A missing grade or a missing use is a deduction.
Named use
15%Whether the listing names a real job, such as cuttings, houseplants, seed starting or a soilless mix, rather than a title with no instructions.
Consistency
10%Whether the litre line, the item weight and the unit count describe the same pack. A clash between those fields is a deduction.
Buy the grade and the litres before you buy the star line. Straight perlite and a perlite–vermiculite blend are not the same bag. Prices below are the stored amazon.co.uk shelf prices. This is not a laboratory test.
Horticultural perlite for plants is heat-expanded volcanic glass. You mix the white granules into compost so roots get air and excess water can drain. UK buyers use it in houseplant pots, cuttings, seed trays and greenhouse mixes. AHDB describes perlite as inert. It is not a fertiliser, and it does not lock up nutrients the way wood fibre can. There is no NPK on these bags. Buy straight perlite unless you want a labelled blend.
A 100 litre picture can be a reference for a clear bag of 1, 5 or 10 litres. Read the litre line on the variation you are about to order.
The granules are inert. They open the compost. Nutrients still have to come from the compost or from a fertiliser. There is no NPK on these bags.
The same 1,502 reviews sit on two Swiftair sizes, and the same 564 reviews sit on three B2C sizes. That is one sample each, not a count for every litre option.
Start with straight horticultural perlite unless the label says it is a blend. A 50/50 perlite and vermiculite pouch holds more water than white granules alone. Vermiculite, grit and pumice are different products. The Royal Horticultural Society prefers locally sourced grit or gravel for many drainage jobs because of the impact of making and shipping perlite. Then read the millimetre band.
Buy litres, not the photograph. Some bullets say quantities under a large sack are repackaged into a clear zip bag, and that the large-sack picture is only a reference. UK reviews describe plain bags, split-down sacks and short measure. Compare the litre line with the unit count and the item weight. If those fields disagree, do not treat them as one quantity. The Consumer Rights Act 2015 expects the goods to match the description. Price per stated litre is the fair comparison.
Three typical situations, each with a recommendation from this comparison.
You will use about 50 litres and you can dampen the bag before mixing. Swiftair Perlite 50L, 2–5 mm is the top pick at about £15.00, about £0.30 per stated litre, with 2–5 mm printed on the title. The 4.6 from 1,502 reviews is shared with the 100 litre file, and dust is a repeated theme.
You can store a 100 litre sack and you will wet it outdoors. The unbranded horticultural perlite is the best value at about £24.95, about £0.25 per stated litre, with 4.4 from 88 reviews. There is no brand and no millimetre grade on the listing.
You need about 10 litres for indoor pots and a review sample that is not copied onto another size. PLANT!T Perlite 10L is about £7.99, with 4.6 from 1,586 reviews, and Hydrogarden is named as the manufacturer. The listing does not print a millimetre grade.
The top pick is Swiftair Perlite 50L, 2–5 mm, at about £15.00. The listing prints a 2–5 mm grade, the price is about £0.30 per stated litre, and the UK review text describes potting use, with dust as a repeated theme. That 4.6 from 1,502 line is shared with the 100 litre Swiftair file, so it is a shared figure. The best value is the unbranded 100 litre bag at about £24.95, about £0.25 per stated litre, with 4.4 from 88 reviews and no brand or millimetre grade. PLANT!T 10 litres has the largest review line in this set that is not copied onto another size, and it does not print a grade. None of these scores is a laboratory test.
Horticultural perlite, 100 litre bag
Lowest price per stated litre in this set, about £0.25, with 88 UK reviews rather than an empty file.
Editorial
Peter F. is the editor for DIY & tools at productscompared.co.uk. Comparisons in this category are checked against amazon.co.uk listings, review evidence and public UK sources.
Guides on what to look for, how to use a product, and common mistakes.
Public UK and maker sources from the research digest, used for this page in October 2026. Prices, stars and review counts are from the twelve stored amazon.co.uk listings. A shared star line is not a separate sample for each size. Dust warnings are from the cited safety sheets. No exposure was measured at home, and this is not a laboratory test.
Expert source (DIY & tools): Lee Burkhill (Garden Ninja) (external profile) – public expert commentary used as a research source, not as a contributor to our pages.
This page contains affiliate links to amazon.co.uk (tag pcuk26-21). If you buy through them, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Prices, stars and review counts are from the listings. This is not a laboratory test.
