The best planters, compared.
Top pick: JonesHouseDeco urn pair Best value: Straame 50 L barrels, two pack – Two stated 50 litre tubs for about £18.99, if you accept sealed bases and prepare them for conventional planting. Updated October 2026.
A planter is the container you fill with compost and a plant: a pot, a trough, a lined basket, an urn, a stack tower, a lidded box or a raised bed. On a UK patio, balcony or windowsill, the Royal Horticultural Society treats drainage holes, summer watering and winter wet as what decides whether the plant lives. Several tubs arrive sealed so you can drill them, and a plug lets you open or close a hole. Figures of 39 g and 250 g are printed empty weights, not the load once the compost is wet. Holes, plugs and saucers are set out in the [planter drainage guide](/hub/plant-accessories/planter/sub/planter-drainage). The twelve amazon.co.uk listings are pots, troughs, a lined basket, a pedestal urn, a stack tower, a lidded grow box and two galvanised raised beds. A reservoir planter is a different job and is not a row in this table. Vegetables want a raised bed on prepared ground.
A planter is the container you fill with compost and a plant: a pot, a trough, a lined basket, an urn, a stack tower, a lidded box or a raised bed.
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Personal buying guide
Question 1 of 2
What are you planting?
The JonesHouseDeco listing offers two pedestal urns for £75.99, with a pre-drilled hole and removable plug stated in the bullets. Its headline 4.8 rating comes from only six reviews, and just two stored texts are from the UK. The listing cannot settle whether the urns are polypropylene or clay, and it also conflicts on dimensions, weight and piece count. Those disagreements matter for lifting, weather exposure and value. The pair may suit a formal entrance if the seller confirms the exact variation in writing. It should not win a comparison on the star average alone.
Pros
Cons
Best for: A formal decorative pair after the seller confirms material, size and quantity
Less suitable: A buyer who needs reliable specifications or strong review evidence before spending £75.99
Specifications
Common questions
Is the urn clay or polypropylene?
The listing prints both. Bullets say UV-resistant polypropylene. The table says clay. Do not treat them as one material.
Is there a drainage plug?
The bullets say a pre-drilled hole and a removable rubber plug.
How many UK reviews are in the file?
The listing has six reviews. Two of four stored texts are from the United Kingdom.
The PROFIKLA set combines three polypropylene pots of 20, 18 and 16 cm with matching saucers for £15.99. Its 4.7 rating is supported by 969 amazon.co.uk reviews, and drainage holes are stated in both the title and bullets. The graduated sizes suit several small houseplants better than one large shrub, while the 770 g listing weight applies to the set rather than planted pots. The specification table describes indoor use, so it does not provide an outdoor winter claim. Unit count six is consistent with three pots plus three saucers rather than six planting pots. This is the top pick in the set for straightforward small indoor planting because the pack, holes and saucers are clearly described.
Pros
Cons
Best for: Several small indoor houseplants that need drained pots and separate saucers
Less suitable: A large floor plant or confirmed year-round outdoor use
Specifications
Common questions
Are drainage holes and saucers included?
The title and bullets say several holes in the base and a matching saucer for each pot. There is no Has Drainage field on the table.
Why is the unit count 6?
Unit count 6 reads as three pots plus three saucers. The piece count is 3.
Does the table list every size?
No. The dimension line is 20.3 x 20.3 x 18 cm, not all three titled sizes.
The Garden Superstore pot is a 30 cm polypropylene container with a grey stone-effect finish at £13.10. It carries 4.7 from 421 amazon.co.uk reviews, and the bullets describe recycled plastic and weatherproof use. UK reviews mention a drainage hole, but the specification table gives no drainage field, plug or empty weight. The table also says indoor while the bullets imply outdoor use, and the frost question is not answered. It is an inexpensive conventional-looking pot when you can verify the base on arrival. Skip it when confirmed drainage or a stated winter rating is essential before purchase.
Pros
Cons
Best for: A medium patio or indoor plant when you can inspect the base before planting
Less suitable: A purchase that depends on confirmed factory drainage or frost-proof wording
Specifications
Common questions
Does the listing confirm a drainage hole?
No. There is no Has Drainage field. UK reviews say a hole is present. Do not treat that as a plug.
Is a frost rating printed?
The listing FAQ asks about frost resistance. The bullets do not answer it.
Is an empty weight printed?
No. The table has no item weight.
The VIREO galvanised bed measures 120 × 60 × 30 cm, states a 216 litre capacity and costs £25.99. Its open bottom provides drainage into prepared ground, while the 5.16 kg figure is only the kit weight before soil and water. The amazon.co.uk line is 4.7 from 41 reviews, and 23 of 24 stored texts are from the UK. The listing describes 3-in-1 panels for nine layouts, giving more flexibility than one fixed rectangle. No liner is specified, so soil retention depends on the ground or on a separate solution you provide. It is the clearer compact raised-bed choice here, but not a portable balcony planter.
Pros
Cons
Best for: A compact ground-level vegetable or flower bed on prepared soil
Less suitable: A balcony, roof, paved surface without a designed base or a container you need to move
Specifications
Common questions
Does this bed have a base?
No. The bullets say the bottom is open. Has Drainage Yes is because of that open bottom.
Is 5.16 kg the weight full of soil?
No. 5.16 kg is the kit weight. Capacity is printed as 216 litres.
Can the panels change layout?
The bullets say 3-in-1 panels for nine layouts.
The DIVCHI grow box combines a 73 × 34 cm planting area with 37 cm legs, a 19 cm humidity dome and vents for £29.99. Its bullets state a 28 cm planting depth and drainage, which makes it more specialised than a plain trough. The amazon.co.uk line is 4.6 from 14 reviews, with all 12 stored texts from the UK. The printed 250 g is not a credible filled weight for an 84 cm-high box, and a software-update field is listing noise. The lid can help with young plants, but ventilation and watering still need active management. Choose it for a raised, covered growing space, not because the thin review file proves long-term durability.
Pros
Cons
Best for: Seedlings or herbs needing a raised box and humidity cover in a managed position
Less suitable: A simple open trough or a buyer wanting extensive review evidence
Specifications
Common questions
Is 250 g the weight after filling?
No. 250 g is the printed item weight. It is not a filled weight.
How deep is the planting area?
The bullets say planting depth 28 cm, with legs of 37 cm and a humidity dome of 19 cm.
Does the listing state a drainage hole?
Yes. Special features include a drainage hole, and the bullets say drainage.
The Optimal pack supplies four 55 cm plastic troughs for £19.94, making it practical for several herb rows or seasonal displays. Its amazon.co.uk rating is 4.5 from 1,577 reviews. The bullets say the troughs are sold without holes and provide drill locators, while the table says no drainage and a special-feature line says drainage hole. A drainage saucer is listed, but no window bracket is included even though the mounting field says window. The pack therefore offers useful length and quantity only if you are willing to resolve the base and provide secure supports. It is not a ready-mounted window-box kit.
Pros
Cons
Best for: Several herb or seasonal rows where you can drill the bases and supply suitable supports
Less suitable: Anyone expecting pre-drilled troughs and window brackets in the box
Specifications
Common questions
Do the Optimal troughs have holes?
The table says Has Drainage No. The bullets say they are sold without holes and that locators show where to drill.
Is a window bracket included?
No. Mounting is window mount on the table. The listing does not give a bracket.
What is the voltage line?
The page prints 100 to 120 volts and 50 hertz. That line is not a trough feature.
The Straame one-pack gives you one sealed 50 litre plastic tub for £13.99, with a wide 45 cm top that suits a substantial planting once you prepare the base. Its amazon.co.uk line is 4.5 from 1,147 reviews, and the listing explicitly lets you drill drainage or keep the barrel watertight. That flexibility is useful for a shrub or deliberate bog-style use, but it is not a ready-drained planter. The printed 39 g and 50-piece lines do not credibly describe one filled tub, and the voltage field is irrelevant. A saucer appears on the included-components line, although the table and title also disagree about indoor or outdoor use. Buy it for inexpensive volume if you will inspect and prepare it before planting.
Pros
Cons
Best for: A large shrub or deliberate wet planting when you are willing to prepare the sealed base
Less suitable: A ready-to-plant outdoor pot or an upper-floor site with an unknown filled-load allowance
Specifications
Common questions
Does the Straame one-pack arrive with drainage holes?
No. The bullets say the tub is sold sealed and that you can drill holes or leave it watertight. UK reviews say the base is not pre-drilled.
Is 39 g the weight once the barrel is planted?
No. 39 g is the printed item weight. It is not a filled weight.
Does the 100 to 120 V line make this a mains product?
No. That voltage line is not a planter feature.
The Straame two-pack gives you two stated 50 litre plastic barrels for £18.99, or less than £10 per tub in this capture. Its amazon.co.uk line is 4.5 from 70 reviews, and all 22 stored texts are from the UK. The table says no drainage, while reviews describe drill marks, so each barrel needs preparation for conventional planting. No empty weight or handles are listed, which matters because a filled 50 litre tub is difficult to move. The title and table swap the dimension axes but describe the same general barrel format. This is the best-value option for two large tubs if a sealed base is a feature you can work with, not a surprise.
Pros
Cons
Best for: Two large ground-level plantings when you will drill suitable drainage or intentionally keep the tubs sealed
Less suitable: A ready-drained pot, easy repositioning after filling or an unassessed balcony
Specifications
Common questions
Do the two-pack barrels have drainage holes?
The table says Has Drainage No. UK reviews say there are no holes, and one says drill marks are there.
Is a weight printed?
No. Filled weight is not on the listing.
Are handles included?
The bullets do not list handles. One UK review says the tubs are hard to move without them.
The NATTHSWE basket is a 25 cm woven indoor cover with a plastic liner, listed at £16.99. Its 4.4 rating comes from 1,767 reviews, the broadest review count in this set. It works best around a separate nursery pot, because the table says no drainage and neither a pot nor a saucer is included. UK reviewers describe reshaping the folded basket by stuffing or carefully ironing it with a damp cloth. The liner helps protect the fibres from routine watering, but it does not turn the basket into an outdoor growing container. Choose it for appearance around a small houseplant, not for direct planting in exposed rain.
Pros
Cons
Best for: Covering a separate drained houseplant pot on a table or shelf
Less suitable: Direct planting, outdoor rain or a plant that needs water to leave through the basket
Specifications
Common questions
Does the NATTHSWE basket have drainage holes?
The attribute table says no. One UK review nested a plant pot inside so water stayed off the basket.
Can this basket go outside?
The table says indoor and tabletop. It is not sold as an outdoor growing container.
Why does it arrive flat?
The listing says it ships folded. UK reviews describe ironing it with a damp cloth or stuffing it overnight.
The FOUBAM galvanised bed is a substantial outdoor kit priced at £42.42, with drainage stated and tools included. It has 4.4 from 190 amazon.co.uk reviews, although only 19 of the 50 stored texts are from the UK. The title says 8 × 4 × 1 ft, while the metric table prints 232 × 30 × 114 cm with axes that do not map cleanly to that title. At 11.3 kg before soil, it needs its final ground-level position chosen before filling. No liner or food-safety certificate is listed. Consider it only after the seller confirms the exact footprint and height for your plot.
Pros
Cons
Best for: A ground-level garden with space confirmed against seller-verified dimensions
Less suitable: A balcony, roof or tightly measured plot where the conflicting dimensions matter
Specifications
Common questions
Which size should you plan from?
The title says 8 x 4 x 1 ft. The table says 232 x 30 x 114 cm and also 2.32 x 1.14 x 0.3 m. Those lines do not agree.
Is a liner included?
The included line names an instruction manual and tools. A liner is not listed.
How many of the stored review texts are from the UK?
19 of 50 stored texts are from the United Kingdom.
The Bamworld tower stacks five planting levels into a footprint of roughly 30–33 cm square and costs £16.99. It has 4.3 from 137 reviews, stated drainage, a bottom dish and locking wheels. Top-to-bottom watering does not make it a self-watering reservoir, and the capacity field gives 15 without a unit. Three printed dimension lines also disagree about the axis order and overall height. A stored UK review says a little wind knocked the tower over, so the wheels do not replace a sheltered, stable site. Use it to grow several small plants where floor area is tight, rather than as an exposed balcony tower.
Pros
Cons
Best for: Herbs or strawberries in a sheltered small space where several tiers are useful
Less suitable: An exposed balcony or anyone seeking unattended reservoir watering
Specifications
Common questions
Is this a self-watering planter?
No. Bullets describe top-to-bottom watering and a bottom dish. That does not put it in the self-watering category.
Are the wheels locking?
Yes. The title and bullets include locking wheels.
Which height is printed?
The page prints 30 x 30 x 64 cm, 33 x 33 x 65 cm, and a size line that swaps length and height.
The Olly & Rose pot is a fibre-cement container about 44 cm across and 40 cm high, with a hole and removable plug. At £89.99 and 7.03 kg empty, it is the heaviest and most expensive single decorative pot in this set. The listing shows 4.0 from 16 reviews, with only three UK texts in the stored review file. Its closable drainage suits indoor or outdoor positioning, but the seller says frost resistant rather than frost-proof. One UK review calls the material fibreclay, while the table says ceramic fibre cement. Choose it for the particular size and aged finish, with caution about the thin review evidence.
Pros
Cons
Best for: A substantial decorative pot where the finish, plug and stated dimensions justify the price
Less suitable: Frequent moving, a tight budget or buyers wanting broad UK review evidence
Specifications
Common questions
Does this pot have a plug?
Yes. The bullets include a drainage hole and a plug, so the hole can be opened or closed.
Does the listing say frost-proof?
No. The special-features line says frost resistant.
Is 7.03 kg the filled weight?
No. 7.03 kg is the empty weight on the table.
The displayed scores are the captured amazon.co.uk star rating multiplied by 20. They are not laboratory, growing-season or durability scores. Twelve listings were checked on 15 October 2026. The editorial assessment separately considers the stated job, drainage, size, pack, review count, UK review evidence and material listing conflicts. Prices, ratings and review counts are captured marketplace data and may change.
Job and size
25%A sill, a shrub, a herb row and a vegetable bed are different containers. Credit depends on whether the stated size matches that job.
Drainage
25%The Royal Horticultural Society says holes in the base are essential. Sealed tubs, plugs and saucers are scored as stated, including listings that tell you to drill.
Weight and winter
20%Empty weight is not filled weight. Frost-resistant wording is not the frost-proof wording the RHS uses, and plastic, metal and fibre cement behave differently in a UK winter.
Listing clarity
20%Material, size, piece count and indoor or outdoor lines sometimes disagree. A mains-voltage line on a trough is not a planter feature. Thin review files add less confidence.
Price
10%Price is the last check. It decides the best-value badge among listings that do the stated job, not the star score on its own.
Choose the job and the size first, then drainage, then the difference between an empty weight and a wet load. Price comes last. The notes below follow that order for these twelve amazon.co.uk listings.
A planter here is a container you fill with growing medium and plants. The twelve amazon.co.uk listings are pots, troughs, a lined basket, a pedestal urn, a stack tower, a lidded grow box and two galvanised raised beds. A reservoir planter is a different job and is not a row in this table. Start with the job. A windowsill wants the small polypropylene set. A shrub wants a large tub. Vegetables want a raised bed on prepared ground. Herbs want a trough or a tower.
Material, size, piece count and indoor or outdoor use sometimes conflict on the same listing. The JonesHouseDeco page prints polypropylene in the bullets and clay in the table. Do not treat those as one material.
The RHS says drainage holes are essential and that saucers come off in winter. Several tubs and the Optimal troughs are sold without holes and tell you where to drill. A sealed base is a choice, not a surprise after planting.
Those figures are printed item weights. Wet compost is the load. Frost resistant is not the RHS frost-proof wording. No source here gives one kilogram limit for every balcony.
Match the container to the plant before you match the price. A windowsill wants the PROFIKLA set, three polypropylene pots at 20, 18 and 16 cm with saucers. A shrub wants a large tub. The Straame barrels are stated at 50 litres. The Olly & Rose pot is about 44 cm across and 40 cm high, with an 11.62 litre capacity on the table. Vegetables at ground level want a raised bed. The VIREO bed prints 120 × 60 × 30 cm and 216 litres.
The RHS says holes in the base are essential. In this set, holes are stated for PROFIKLA, the Olly & Rose pot, the Bamworld tower, the DIVCHI box and the FOUBAM bed. The VIREO bed drains because the bottom is open. The Straame barrels and the NATTHSWE basket are no on the drainage line. The Optimal table says no, while the bullets tell you to drill locators. The Garden Superstore table has no drainage field. A plug is stated for Olly & Rose and in the JonesHouseDeco bullets.
Three typical situations, each with a recommendation from this comparison.
You need a light pot, and the balcony allowance is set by the building, not by a number on the tub. The Garden Superstore 30 cm pot is about £13.10 in polypropylene. Drainage is not on the specification table, so check the base on arrival. A filled 50 litre barrel is a poor guess when that allowance is unknown.
You want a small pot and a saucer, or a lined basket around a nursery pot. The PROFIKLA set is three drained pots with saucers at about £15.99. The NATTHSWE basket is an indoor cover with a plastic liner and no drainage on the table, at about £16.99. It is not an outdoor growing container.
A trough, a tower, a lidded box or a raised bed is the usual fit. The VIREO galvanised bed is 120 × 60 × 30 cm with an open bottom, about £25.99, for prepared ground. It is not a balcony planter, and no liner is specified.
In this set of twelve amazon.co.uk listings, the top pick for small indoor plants is the PROFIKLA pot set of three at about £15.99. Its sizes, holes, saucers, price and 969 reviews form the clearest complete offer for that job. The best value is the Straame 50 litre two-pack at about £18.99, two large tubs with the explicit limit that both bases are sealed and need preparation for conventional planting. A 4.8 from six reviews, as on the JonesHouseDeco urn, does not outweigh a listing that prints both polypropylene and clay.
Straame 50 L barrels, two pack
Two stated 50 litre tubs for about £18.99, if you accept sealed bases and prepare them for conventional planting.
Editorial
Products Compared publishes British-English buying guides based on amazon.co.uk listings and public UK sources. We do not run a lab and we do not invent test scores.
Guides on what to look for, how to use a product, and common mistakes.
Public UK sources for container growing, product safety and balcony loads, plus the amazon.co.uk listing facts checked on 15 October 2026. Shelf prices, stars and review counts are those UK figures and can change. On that date a separate look also showed a 55 cm plastic trough at £6.99 and a fibre-stone trough at £47.18. Those two are not rows in this table.
This page contains affiliate links to amazon.co.uk. If you buy through them, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Prices, stars and review counts are from the UK listings checked on 15 October 2026. We did not lab-test these planters.
