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Slimline water butt vs collapsible

Updated: October 2026

Both are sold as the tank that saves space, and they save different kinds of space. A slimline water butt vs collapsible comparison, in this set, is a rigid kit you leave fitted in a narrow gap against a folding PVC tank you empty and pack away. It is not a lab test, and it is not a ban notice. The eleven rows are on the [water butts](/hub/garden-watering/water-butt) comparison. The order of checks before you choose a type is on the [water butt buying guide](/hub/garden-watering/water-butt/sub/water-butt-buying-guide). The Products Compared editorial team used the amazon.co.uk listings from 15 October 2026. A qualifying purchase can earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

Both are sold as the tank that saves space, and they save different kinds of space.

Our top picks

Pluto Packaging Pluto 100 litre kit

Best overall

Pluto Packaging Pluto 100 litre kit
9.0/10about £33.69
View offer
BeGrit BeGrit collapsible butt

Alternative

BeGrit BeGrit collapsible butt
8.8/10about £59.99
View offer
Bowers Bargains Bowers 100 litre kit

Best value

Bowers Bargains Bowers 100 litre kit
8.6/10about £39.99
View offer
On this page
  1. 1.What you are comparing
  2. 2.Depth and the stand
  3. 3.Tap flow and winter storage
  4. 4.Which one to buy

What you are comparing

The rigid slimline kits here are about 100 litres, with a stand and a diverter or filler stated. Pluto's single kit is £33.69, 4.5 from 283 reviews. Bowers' 100 litre kit is £39.99, 4.3 from 72 reviews. The collapsible listings are FZYY, BeGrit, VeftBltrem and Mekturm. FZYY states 250 litres, 40 cm by 40 cm by 100 cm, 1.5 kg, at £51.99, and has no review line. BeGrit is 4.4 from 25 reviews, 3.37 kg, at £59.99. VeftBltrem is 2.1 kg at £43.99, with 5.0 from five reviews. Mekturm is 2.12 kg at £41.99, with 4.4 from three reviews and no stored text.

Depth and the stand

Pluto and Bowers quote about 32 cm by 36 cm by 95 cm, on a stand about 30.5 cm high. That depth is the side-passage case, and the stand is what gets a watering can under the tap. Strata's own website describes a different 100 litre set at about 36 cm by 32 cm by 96 cm. Do not paste that size onto amazon.co.uk ASIN B0FGJV3HWT, which prints 60 cm by 60 cm by 90 cm. Treat that listing as a 60 cm square until you measure the tank. FZYY is the only PVC row with a printed footprint, 40 cm by 40 cm by 100 cm. BeGrit does not state a raised stand. Mekturm's title says a stand, and the bullets describe footpads. VeftBltrem names a stand. FZYY does not.
Pluto Packaging Pluto 100 litre kit

Testsieger

Pluto Packaging Pluto 100 litre kit
9.0/10about £33.69
View offer

Tap flow and winter storage

A PVC tap in this set is for dipping a can. BeGrit's reviews say the middle tap has low pressure, a hose is a poor way to empty the tank, and some buyers dip through the zip mesh. The RHS says a hose needs a pump, and none of these listings includes one. A rigid slimline tap can drip once the tank is heavy, and the stand is there so a can sits under the outlet. Winter is the folding tank's job. You drain it, dry it, and put the empty shell away. Folding is not frost-proof while the tank is full. Keep the conflicting capacity lines. BeGrit's title says 380 litres and technical details say 350. VeftBltrem's title says 200 litres and also 52.8 gallons with the unit unstated.

Which one to buy

Buy the rigid slimline when the gap is about 32 to 36 cm deep and you will leave the kit fitted. In this set that is Pluto's single kit if you want the review pool, or Bowers' 100 litre kit if you will check the diverter is in the box. Leave Strata out until you have measured the printed 60 cm square. Buy the folding PVC when you must pack the empty tank away and you will dip a can. A 5.0 from five reviews is not a reason to prefer VeftBltrem over a rigid kit with 283 reviews. A conditional pick is on the best water butt page. Fitting the diverter is on the how to install a water butt page.

Common questions

Is a slimline water butt better than a collapsible one?
It is better when the gap is narrow and the kit will stay fitted, because these rigid kits name a stand about 30.5 cm high and a footprint about 32 cm by 36 cm. It is worse when you need the empty tank in a shed for winter. Neither runs a hosepipe. The RHS says hose pressure needs a pump, and these listings do not include one.
Can I pack a collapsible butt away for winter?
Yes, if you empty it and dry it. BeGrit, Mekturm, VeftBltrem and FZYY are sold as fold-flat. That avoids leaving a full tank out in a frost. It does not make the plastic frost-proof while it is full. A rigid slimline kit in this set is not sold as something you fold, so the tank still occupies the gap.
Why is the tap on a PVC tank slow?
The outlet is gravity at a low head. On BeGrit the reviews say the middle tap is weak even when the tank is full, so a hose is a poor way to empty it and some buyers dip a can through the mesh. A rigid kit on a 30.5 cm stand is still gravity. It is easier to get a can under the tap, and it is still not mains pressure.
Do both types include a stand and a diverter?
No. Pluto and Bowers name a stand and a diverter or filler, though one Bowers review says the diverter was missing and the Pluto twin connector is not in the box. FZYY states neither. BeGrit says no diverter and no raised stand. Mekturm's stand reads as footpads. VeftBltrem names a stand and a downspout kit. Read the bullets for that ASIN.
How heavy is each one when it is full?
About 1 kg of water per litre, plus the tank. A 100 litre slimline is about 100 kg of water plus the plastic. A PVC tank stated at 250 litres is about 250 kg of water plus the shell, even when the shell is 1.5 kg empty. Empty kilograms are what you carry in from the car. They are not what the paving holds once the tank is full.

Related pages

Watering can comparison

Water butt

Best water butt for a narrow gap or a larger store

Water butt buying guide: the gap, the carton, the litres

Hosepipe ban and a water butt: stored rain and a can

How to install a water butt before you cut the downpipe

Sources

Sources checked for this comparison. Shelf prices and star lines are from the amazon.co.uk listings on 15 October 2026.

  1. RHS, collecting, storing and using rainwater (retrieved 15 October 2026)
  2. RoSPA, garden safety (retrieved 15 October 2026)
  3. Ofwat, hosepipe bans and non-essential use bans (retrieved 15 October 2026)
  4. Thames Water, temporary hosepipe ban (retrieved 15 October 2026)
  5. Water Industry Act 1991, section 76 (retrieved 15 October 2026)
  6. Waterwise, rainwater butts (retrieved 15 October 2026)
  7. BSI, BS EN 16941-1:2024 on-site non-potable water systems (retrieved 15 October 2026)
  8. Screwfix, how a water butt diverter works (retrieved 15 October 2026)