The best bean seeds, compared.
Top pick: Unwins Aquadulce Claudia – Highest score at 96, a very hardy longpod at about £2.48 with 4.8 from eight reviews, if you accept no stated count and no sow window. Best value: Just Seed Aquadulce (80) – Lowest price per stated seed in this set, about 2.2p across about 80 seeds at about £1.75, for a winter overwintering sowing. Updated 21 October 2026.
This bean seeds comparison decides which of twelve amazon.co.uk packets fits the month you can sow. The set covers hardy broad beans, frost-tender French and runner beans, and one mung packet sold for sprouting. Broad beans can go into a mild, well-drained site in autumn. French and runner beans wait until after frost, in soil of about 12°C. You also check habit against the height field, and an organic bullet stays unconfirmed unless a control-body code was checked. Packets that need canes of about 2.5 m are compared under [runner bean seeds](/hub/herb-seeds/runner-bean-seeds). Stars and review texts are listing evidence, not a germination trial. You judge it by species, variety, stated seed count, sow window and habit, then by whether an organic line is a checked control-body claim or only a bullet. The RHS uses, also spelled on some of these packets, as the example for November sowing. The RHS grow guide for runner beans names supports of about 2.5 m. A mung sprouting packet is a kitchen job. A full-sun line on that listing does not turn it into a 100 cm broad bean. Depth, spacing and the frost line are set out in [how to sow bean seeds](/hub/herb-seeds/bean-seeds/sub/bean-seeds-how-to-sow).
This bean seeds comparison decides which of twelve amazon.co.uk packets fits the month you can sow. The set covers hardy broad beans, frost-tender French and runner beans, and one mung packet sold for sprouting.
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Personal buying guide
Question 1 of 2
What are you sowing?
Unwins Aquadulce Claudia at £2.48 carries the highest score in this comparison, on a 4.8 line from only eight amazon.co.uk reviews, and the listing calls it a very hardy longpod. No seed count is stated, so the £2.48 price cannot be turned into pence per seed, and the 550 g item weight is a listing field rather than proof of a sack. Sow window and height are both empty, which means the variety name matches the type the RHS cites for November without this page printing a month. The pot question is unanswered. Full sun is the only site line. It is the top pick on that score, and you should still skip it if you need a stated count or a printed sow window before you order.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You want the Aquadulce Claudia name and will accept a listing with no count and no month.
Less suitable: You need a stated seed count or a printed autumn or spring window.
Specifications
Common questions
How many seeds are in the packet?
No seed count is stated. Number of items is 1 and the unit count is 1.0 count.
Does 550 g mean a large sack?
Item weight is 550 g. The listing does not say how many seeds that weight contains.
Can it be grown in pots?
The pot question is unanswered. No pot size is given.
Just Seed's Aquadulce at £3.65 states about 60 seeds, autumn sowing, and a height of 65 cm, and the care text says sow outdoors 5 cm deep and 23 cm apart in well-drained soil. The amazon.co.uk line is 4.7 from 73 reviews. Material Features says Organic and a bullet names Defra 7291 and AP23164, which this comparison did not check on a public register, so that line is not a GB-ORG code. Stakes are mentioned as plants grow to 65 cm, which is shorter than the 100 cm on 22397 and is the figure you should plan from this listing. The indoor question is unanswered. About 6.1p per stated seed puts it between the 80-seed packet and the Fothergill's rows. It fits an autumn outdoor sowing if you accept the unverified organic bullet, and it is a weaker match if you wanted a checked control-body code.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You want an autumn Aquadulce with a stated depth, spacing, and about 60 seeds.
Less suitable: You need a verified organic code or a listing height of 100 cm.
Specifications
Common questions
How does the listing say to sow it?
Sow outdoors in autumn, 5 cm deep and 23 cm apart, in rows 45 cm apart, in well-drained soil. Stakes are mentioned as plants grow to 65 cm.
Is the organic line a checked code?
Material Features says Organic. A bullet names Defra 7291 and AP23164. This comparison does not confirm a register entry.
Can it be grown indoors?
The indoor question is unanswered. The care text says sow outdoors.
The Just Seed Aquadulce at £1.75 is the lowest price per stated seed in this set, at about 2.2p across approximately 80 seeds, with 4.7 from 28 amazon.co.uk reviews. The planting period is Winter and the care text says sow outdoors for overwintering, 5 cm deep, in well-drained soil, with a stated height of 65 cm. Sun is not filled in. Material Features again says Organic, with the same Defra 7291 and AP23164 bullet that was not confirmed here. Compared with the 60-seed Just Seed packet at £3.65, you get more stated seeds for less than half the money, though the window is labelled Winter rather than Autumn. It is the best value pick when you want a counted Aquadulce packet and can sow for overwintering. Skip it if you need a printed sun line or a verified organic code.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You want the most stated Aquadulce seeds for the lowest packet price here.
Less suitable: You need a printed sun requirement or a checked GB-ORG code.
Specifications
Common questions
How many seeds are stated?
The title and a bullet say approximately 80 seeds. Number of pieces is 80.
When does the listing say to sow?
The planting period is Winter. The care text says sow outdoors for overwintering, 5 cm deep.
Is the organic line a checked code?
Material Features says Organic. A bullet names Defra 7291 and AP23164. This comparison does not confirm a register entry.
Mr Fothergill's Aguadulce at £3.49 states 45 seeds and calls itself an autumn and winter sowing variety, which is the packet a mild, well-drained site uses for an early broad-bean crop. The amazon.co.uk line is 4.6 from 43 reviews, a larger sample than the one-review French packets here and still far smaller than model 22397. The plant-type field says broad bean and the style name is Aguadulce, yet the title also says flower seeds, so you have to read past the bestseller line before you treat it as a vegetable packet. No month range is printed, only the special-features line Autumn / Winter Sowing Variety. Height is not stated, and a bullet mentions borders, beds and containers without a pot size. At about 7.8p per stated seed on this 19 October 2026 snapshot it sits in the middle of the counted broad-bean packets. Skip it if you need a single agreed height or a winter window written as months rather than a variety label.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You want a named Aguadulce packet of 45 seeds labelled for autumn and winter sowing.
Less suitable: You need a printed height, a month range, or a title that does not also say flower seeds.
Specifications
Common questions
Is this only a flower packet?
The title says Flower Seeds and the bestseller line is Flower Seeds. The plant-type field says Broad Bean, and the style name is Aguadulce Broad Bean. Keep both labels.
When does the listing say to sow it?
The special-features line says Autumn / Winter Sowing Variety. No month range is given.
Can it be grown in pots?
A bullet says borders, beds and containers. The pot question has no size.
Mr Fothergill's 22397 is the Aguadulce packet with the largest review file in this set: 4.5 from 216 amazon.co.uk reviews, at £4.00 for 45 pieces and a stated height of 100 cm. The bullets call it extremely hardy and suitable for autumn sowing, while the expected planting period on the same listing says February to May, so both windows stay on the page. Number of pieces is 45, yet the unit-count field is 20.0 gram, which is not a seed count you can swap in. Sun is listed as full sun and partial sun. At about 8.9p per stated seed it is the dearest counted broad bean here, which buys review volume rather than extra seeds. Choose it when you want the 100 cm height line and can live with two sow windows. Skip it if you need one month range only.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You want Aguadulce with a 100 cm height and the largest review file here.
Less suitable: You need a single sow window, or you are counting pence per seed.
Specifications
Common questions
When does this packet say to sow?
Bullets say it is extremely hardy and ideal for autumn sowing. The expected planting period is February to May. Both lines are on the listing.
How tall is it listed?
The height field and a bullet both say 100 cm.
How many seeds are stated?
Number of pieces and number of items are 45. The unit-count field is 20.0 gram.
Mr Fothergill's Polestar at £3.99 states 40 runner bean seeds and a sow window of April to July, with full sun and well-drained fertile soil. The star line is 4.4 from only four reviews, which is too thin to rank a crop. One review text says the side ripped open and about 10 beans were lost, and the reviewer still called the price good. Height is not stated, so you cannot take a 2.5 m cane length from this page. About 10p per stated seed is the top of this set, level with Mergoles. It suits a spring or early-summer runner sowing when you already know you will add supports. Skip it if you need the listing itself to print a height, or if a torn packet in that review text worries you.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You want Polestar for an April to July sowing and will supply your own supports.
Less suitable: You need a printed cane height, or you want more than four reviews.
Specifications
Common questions
When does the listing say to sow?
A bullet says April to July. The planting-period field says Spring.
Can it be grown in pots?
The pot question is unanswered. No pot size is given.
What does the only review say about the pack?
The side ripped open and about 10 beans were lost. The reviewer still called the price good.
Mr Fothergill's Mergoles at £3.99 is the climbing runner packet that prints a method: indoors 2.5 cm deep from April to May, or outdoors 5 cm deep from May to July, with 40 seeds, full sun, and well-drained fertile soil. The amazon.co.uk line is 4.3 from 13 reviews. Indoor-grown plants go out 25 cm apart from May to June, and outdoor sowing is two seeds every 30 cm, then thinned. Seedlings are listed at 7 to 14 days at 15–20°C, with harvest from July to October. Height is still not stated, so the word climbing is not a measured cane. At about 10p per stated seed it matches Polestar on price and adds the spacing the other runner listings do not spell out. Skip it if you needed a stated height before you buy canes.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You want a climbing runner packet that prints depth, spacing, and months.
Less suitable: You need a centimetre height before you put canes in.
Specifications
Common questions
How deep does the listing say to sow?
Indoors, 2.5 cm from April to May. Outdoors, 5 cm from May to July. Avoid cold or waterlogged soil.
How far apart?
Indoor-grown plants go out 25 cm apart from May to June. Outdoor sowing is two seeds every 30 cm, then thinned.
When is harvest listed?
July to October. Seedlings usually show in 7 to 14 days at 15–20°C.
Unwins Equator at £2.48 states 35 runner bean seeds, sowing from April to June and harvest from August to October, with a height field of 65 cm. The title does not say dwarf or climbing, and the bullets claim stringless pods. The star line is 4.1 from two reviews, which is too thin to judge a crop. The planting-period field says Summer, which sits beside April to June rather than replacing it. About 7.1p per stated seed is cheaper than Polestar, but 65 cm is not the 2.5 m support a typical runner frame assumes. Buy it when you will follow the 65 cm line and the April to June window. Skip it if your job is a tall cane crop.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You want a cheaper runner packet and will plan for 65 cm, not a 2.5 m frame.
Less suitable: You need a tall cane crop or more than two reviews.
Specifications
Common questions
How many seeds are stated?
The bullets and number of pieces both say 35 runner bean seeds.
How tall is it listed?
The height field says 65 cm. The title does not say dwarf or climbing.
When do you sow and pick, on this listing?
Sow April to June. Harvest August to October. The planting-period field says Summer.
Just Seed The Sutton at £2.95 states 50 seeds, and the title says dwarf while the height field says 65 cm, so both figures stay. The amazon.co.uk line is 4.0 from 21 reviews, the weakest star line among the broad-bean packets here. Sow window and sun are not filled in. Material Features says Organic with the same unconfirmed Defra and AP bullet used on the other Just Seed rows. At about 5.9p per stated seed the arithmetic is middling, and 65 cm is not a patio plant near 45 cm. It is the only packet in this set whose title uses the word dwarf. Use it when you want The Sutton as a broad bean and will plan for 65 cm. Skip it if you need an autumn window or a height field that matches a small pot.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You want The Sutton and will plan around a 65 cm height field.
Less suitable: You need an autumn sow window or a height nearer 45 cm.
Specifications
Common questions
Is this a dwarf bean?
The title says The Sutton Dwarf. The expected plant height is 65 cm. Both figures are on the listing.
Does it need full sun?
The full-sun question is unanswered. No sun field is filled in.
Is the organic line a checked code?
Material Features says Organic. A bullet names Defra 7291 and AP23164. This comparison does not confirm a register entry.
Just Seed Yard Long at £3.25 is titled as a climbing French bean of 50 seeds, yet the height field says 45 cm and the plant-type field says Asparagus, so the listing disagrees with itself. Across 74 amazon.co.uk reviews the line is 3.9, and the UK review texts mix strong germination with reports of 3 of 10, about 60 percent, or a single seed. That is a review pattern, not a lab trial, and it is the recurring criticism on this packet. Full sun is stated. Material Features says Organic without a checked GB-ORG code. At about 6.5p per stated seed you are paying mid-band money for a frost-tender packet whose height line does not describe a cane crop. Skip it if you need the title and the height to agree.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You already know you want Yard Long and will ignore the asparagus label and the 45 cm field.
Less suitable: You need title, height, and plant type to agree, or you are put off by the germination texts.
Specifications
Common questions
Is this asparagus?
The plant-type field says Asparagus. The title says Climbing French Bean Yard Long. Keep both labels. Do not treat the plant-type field as proof that the packet is asparagus.
How tall is it listed?
The height field says 45 cm. The title says climbing. No cane length is given.
What do the reviews say about germination?
Ten UK texts are mixed. Some report strong germination. Others report 3 of 10, about 60 percent, or a single seed.
Unwins sprouting mung bean seeds at £1.48 are the kitchen packet in this set, not a garden pod crop. The amazon.co.uk line is 3.9 from 31 reviews. Seed count is not stated, and the item weight is 15 g, so you cannot price it per seed. Bullets say dwarf variety and bronze-green foliage, while the bestseller line is sprout seeds. One review describes sprouts grown in a plastic bottle, another says a pack arrived unsealed and spilled, and another found about half the seeds still hard on day 6, which is the complaint that comes up against the praise for value. Full sun is listed, and that does not turn the packet into a 100 cm broad bean. It is the one to buy when you want sprouts, and you should skip it if you want pods or a stated seed count.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You want mung sprouts, not a garden bean.
Less suitable: You want pods, an autumn sowing, or a stated seed count.
Specifications
Common questions
Is this a garden pod bean?
The title is Unwins Sprouting Mung Bean Seeds. The bestseller line is Sprout Seeds. Seed count is not stated.
Can they be grown indoors?
The indoor question is unanswered. One review describes sprouts grown in a plastic bottle.
What do reviews say about the pack?
One pack arrived unsealed and spilled. Another buyer found about half the seeds still hard on day 6. Other texts praise sprouts and value.
Just Seed Hunter at £2.15 states 40 seeds of a climbing French bean, with a spring sow window, partial shade, and a height field of 60 cm. The amazon.co.uk line is 3.0 from a single review, and that text says about half of the few seeds planted came up, with harvest still too early to judge. A one-review score cannot carry a variety. The title says climbing while 60 cm is far short of a cane frame, and no cane length is given. Organic appears on the material line without a confirmed code. About 5.4p per stated seed looks cheap until you weigh the evidence. Skip it if you are choosing by stars or need a listing whose height matches a climber.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You want a cheap spring French packet and will treat the single review as a warning.
Less suitable: You are choosing by star rating, or you need a height that matches a cane crop.
Specifications
Common questions
How tall is a climbing packet listed at 60 cm?
The title says climbing French bean. The height field says 60 cm. No cane length is given.
What sun does the listing state?
Sunlight exposure is Partial Shade. Care says regular watering and well-drained soil.
What does the only review say?
One UK text says about half of the few seeds planted came up, and that it was too early to judge a harvest.
Scores use the twelve amazon.co.uk listings in this set, the prices, stated seed counts and star lines, and the review texts already pulled into the product notes, plus the RHS grow guides and UK rules named below. Shelf date 19 October 2026. This is not a germination trial or a taste test. Weights sum to 100. The highest score is the top pick. The lowest price per stated seed, on a different packet, is the best value.
Review evidence
35%Stars count for more when the review count is in the tens. A 4.8 from eight reviews can still lead a thin set. A 3.0 from one review cannot. Fewer than five reviews is a clear cut, and a single rating is cut further, so 100 is not available.
Listing usefulness
25%A stated seed count, a sowing window, habit, and a height only when the field prints it. A missing count or an empty window scores lower. A 550 g weight is not treated as a seed count.
Species fit
25%A hardy broad bean, a frost-tender French or runner bean, and a mung sprouting packet are different jobs. A title that also says flower seeds, or a plant-type field that says asparagus, does not get a bonus.
Price per stated seed
15%About 2.2p per stated seed on the 80-seed Aquadulce beats about 10p on Polestar and Mergoles. A missing count cannot win this block. The figure is arithmetic on this snapshot, not a trial.
Choose the species and the month before the packet price. A hardy broad bean, a frost-tender French or runner bean, and a mung sprouting packet are not the same purchase.
A bean seed packet in this comparison is a small retail packet of broad bean (Vicia faba), French bean (Phaseolus vulgaris) or runner bean (Phaseolus coccineus), or the one Unwins mung packet sold for sprouting. It is not a bulk farm sack. You judge it by species, variety, stated seed count, sow window and habit, then by whether an organic line is a checked control-body claim or only a bullet.
Those species are frost-tender. They wait until after frost, in soil of about 12°C. Autumn and November sowing is the hardy broad-bean case, on a mild, well-drained site. The RHS example is Aquadulce.
Yard Long prints 45 cm, Hunter prints 60 cm, and Equator prints 65 cm. A climbing title does not turn that field into a cane of about 2.5 m. Keep both figures, and put supports in before you sow a climber.
Claudia at £2.48 and the mung packet at £1.48 have no stated seed count, so the shelf price is not pence per seed. A Defra 7291 and AP23164 bullet was not confirmed on a public register here. It is not a GB-ORG code.
Species decides the month. Broad bean, Vicia faba, is hardy. The RHS cites Aquadulce for November sowing on a mild, well-drained site, and these packets spell that name Aquadulce or Aguadulce. French bean, Phaseolus vulgaris, and runner bean, Phaseolus coccineus, are frost-tender. Outdoor sowing waits until after frost, in soil of about 12°C, and runner plants need supports of about 2.5 m before you sow.
Price is the packet price divided by a stated seed count, not the lowest shelf price on its own. Counts that are printed run from 35 to about 80. Claudia at about £2.48 and the mung packet at about £1.48 have no usable count, so neither can win a pence-per-seed comparison. The 550 g field on Claudia is a weight, not a sack size. On this 19 October 2026 snapshot the 80-seed Just Seed Aquadulce at about £1.75 is about 2.2p per stated seed, the lowest in the set, which is why it is the best value.
Three typical situations, each with a recommendation from this comparison.
You want an Aquadulce-type broad bean for a mild, well-drained site and you will order from the variety name. Unwins Aquadulce Claudia is the top pick on score. It states no seed count and no sow window, so skip it if you need either figure before you pay.
You want the word dwarf on the packet and you will plan for the height field, not a patio plant near 45 cm. Just Seed The Sutton is the only title here that says dwarf. The height field still says 65 cm, and no sow window is printed.
You want mung sprouts, not pods. Unwins mung is the sprouting packet at about £1.48, rated 3.9 from 31 reviews, with no stated seed count. Do not treat the dwarf and full-sun lines as a 100 cm broad bean.
The top pick is Unwins Aquadulce Claudia at about £2.48. It scores 96, the highest of these twelve listings, on a 4.8 line from eight reviews, and the page calls it a very hardy longpod. No seed count and no sow window are printed, and the 550 g item weight is not a count. Best value is Just Seed Aquadulce, about 80 seeds, at about £1.75, about 2.2p per stated seed, with a winter overwintering line. The organic bullet on that packet was not confirmed as a GB-ORG code. Skip Claudia if you need a stated count. Skip the 80-seed packet if you need a printed sun line.
Unwins Aquadulce Claudia
Highest score at 96, a very hardy longpod at about £2.48 with 4.8 from eight reviews, if you accept no stated count and no sow window.
Just Seed Aquadulce (80)
Lowest price per stated seed in this set, about 2.2p across about 80 seeds at about £1.75, for a winter overwintering sowing.
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 sources named below. amazon.co.uk prices, stars and review counts on these twelve listings were read on 19 October 2026. Page updated 21 October 2026.
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 taken from those listings. We did not run a lab test.
