Plastic bed edging test 2020: the best models in comparison

Plastic bed edging test 2020: the best models in comparison

What are the general characteristics of plastic bed frames?

No other material for edging beds has the advantages and disadvantages of plastic as opposed to one another. There are many pluses that are really convincing and quickly tempt you to overlook the serious disadvantages or to give them (too) little consideration. But one after the other. In the following, we will first deal with the advantages of bed borders (€ 26.90 on Amazon *) made of plastic. Then we take a closer look at the aspects that speak against buying a lawn edging made of plastic.

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  • Bed border made of plastic: Test 2020: The best models in comparison

Advantages of bed borders made of plastic

Here is an overview of the most important advantages of plastic borders:

  • inexpensive
  • large selection of colors, shapes and sizes
  • flexible to use
  • easy to install

Cheap price

Cellfast garden palisade, lawn edging ECO suitable for a simple combination of several shapes 17cm X 2.4m, 34-031 our recommendation
Cellfast garden palisade, lawn edging ECO suitable for a simple combination of several shapes 17cm X 2.4m, 34-031
9.99 EUR To the product

Plastic bed frames are unbeatably cheap to buy. You usually only pay between 30 cents and one euro per running meter. In addition, plastic boundaries are particularly lightweight, so that they do not drive up the transport or delivery costs anything but high. This is an immense advantage, especially when compared to building materials such as natural stone, concrete or wood.

Note: The reason why plastic surrounds are extremely cheap is primarily due to the simple chemical manufacturing process, which allows industrial production in huge quantities.

Great variety of models

Fence lawn edging, bed border palisade 10 m in brown our recommendation
Fence lawn edging, bed border palisade 10 m in brown
11.00 EUR To the product

Furthermore, plastic can be realized in many different ways. For this reason, you will enjoy a huge selection of plastic bed borders. The available versions come in a wide variety of colors and shapes. They are also available in various sizes. In specialist shops you can find plastic straps in various colors as well as fence-like specimens.

Tips

Visually, the models with a wood look or stone look stand out from under the plastic bed frames. At least to some extent, they ensure that the border of the bed is harmoniously aligned with the natural character of the garden.

Flexible use

Flexible plastic lawn edging (20 m, black) - Robust stay-in-place design - Very easy to process, min. 30 years service life, invisible - Bed edging made of 100% recycled plastic our recommendation
Flexible plastic lawn edging (20 m, black) - Robust stay-in-place design - Very easy to process, min. 30 years service life, invisible - Bed edging made of 100% recycled plastic
To the product

One of the most important advantages of bed borders made of plastic is their flexibility. In fact, you can use plastic edging for any flower bed. They are even suitable for garden beds with deep-rooted roots that you want to prevent from spreading in the garden soil. In other words: plastic bed frames are also suitable as root barriers - a point that often plays a crucial role for gardeners.

easy installation

7.8m garden palisade rattan lawn edging, bed edging, bed edging, bed delimitation, color gray palisade, mowing edge, beet fence our recommendation
7.8m garden palisade rattan lawn edging, bed edging, bed edging, bed delimitation, color gray palisade, mowing edge, beet fence
26.95 EUR To the product

The fourth big advantage of plastic bed frames is the fact that they are relatively easy to install. Most of the time, it just needs to be stuck in the previously loosened soil.

Extra: The question of durability

In many guides and (of course ...) also in the product descriptions of the respective manufacturers, bed frames made of plastic are declared to be extremely weather-resistant and durable. But do these claims correspond to reality?

We (and other experts) doubt this. It is true that bed borders made of plastic are considerably more moisture-resistant than wood. Plastic surrounds cannot rust either, as is the case with metal versions.

However, it is immense exaggeration when it is said that bed frames made of plastic are completely insensitive to solar radiation and generally virtually indestructible.

In fact, the lifespan of plastic bed borders is limited. As a rule, they have to struggle much more with external influences than edgings made of other materials:

  • UV light and frost make bed borders made of plastic brittle, so that the borders crumble over time. As soon as this condition sets in, you must immediately dispose of the borders so that your green oasis remains free of microplastics.
  • Compared to borders made of metal, steel, stone or wood, plastic surrounds are significantly more unstable. Even gardening with sharp objects or even children playing happily can damage the borders.

All in all, we consider plastic surrounds to be less durable.

Disadvantages of plastic bed borders

bed-edging-made-of-plastic

On closer inspection, the very limited durability is just one of several glaring disadvantages that plastic bed borders bring with them. Before we go into detail, here is a brief contra overview:

  • limited resistance (already described in more detail in the "intermediate part")
  • not very attractive
  • poor quality
  • environmentally harmful

Low attractiveness

Bed borders do not necessarily have to be beautiful and decorative, but they should at least fit so far into the garden that they do not catch the eye. However, the latter is generally the case with plastic boundaries.

Even designs with a stone or wood look cannot hide the strikingly unnatural appearance of plastic lawn edges. Plastic bed borders just look artificial, which is what they are. It is hardly possible, if at all, to integrate them harmoniously into the garden - especially if the gardener attaches importance to creating an all-round coherent whole. In this case, plastic surrounds are definitely not the right solution.

In short: The break between wild, living nature and dead plastic is simply too massive for a real consensus on the appearance of the green oasis to be achieved with the two opposing poles.

Reduced quality

For many buyers of plastic flower beds, the low price is the main motive. This is why the manufacturers save at every point in production. The result is often bed borders, the quality of which leaves a lot to be desired. Feather-light designs that slip when they come into light contact with work equipment or feet or in stronger winds make up the majority of the plastic edging that can be bought. So, literally crooked flower beds are more the rule than the exception when you choose plastic versions.

Environmentally harmful

Plastic bed borders are harmful to the environment. They are not biodegradable.

Tips

If, despite the disadvantages, you want or have to rely on plastic for cost reasons, we advise you to buy bed frames made from recycled plastic. With this compromise you protect the environment at least as much as this material allows.

General advantages and disadvantages of plastic bed borders

Lawn edging Garden palisade Bed border Beet border 3.9m rattan look 3 colors by rg-vertrieb (gray) our recommendation
Lawn edging Garden palisade Bed border Beet border 3.9m rattan look 3 colors by rg-vertrieb (gray)
13.99 EUR To the product

In summary, here is an overview of the advantages and disadvantages of plastic bed borders:

advantages
  • inexpensive
  • large selection of colors and shapes
  • many dimensions available
  • flexible to use
  • easy to install
disadvantage
  • limited life
  • unnatural look
  • often inferior and unstable
  • environmentally harmful

The popularity of plastic edging is on the decline

“For a long time, plastic bed borders were the preferred solution for separating beds and lawns. Gradually, however, lawn edges made of PE, PET, PVC and PP are falling behind. "

Our opening words indirectly raised the question of why plastic borders are becoming less popular. After the disadvantages have been explained, the answer is obvious: Even hobby gardeners are now more sensitive to nature and the environment. The trend is towards a 'natural garden' and artificial materials have no place in a natural garden. Especially not if they are not even just neutral, but even harmful to the most precious good on earth.

What types of plastic bed borders are there?

Most plastic flower beds are made from one of the following four materials:

  • PE (polyethylene)
  • PET (polyethylene terephthalate)
  • PVC (polyvinyl chloride)
  • PP (polypropylene)

All of them are plastics that have the advantages and disadvantages described above - but the specific properties still vary depending on the substance.

PE in the test

Forever Speed ​​Lawn Edging PE 2mm Roll Smooth Plastic Bed Edging Lawn Edging Bed Edging 10m x 15cm (LxH) Brown our recommendation
Forever Speed ​​Lawn Edging PE 2mm Roll Smooth Plastic Bed Edging Lawn Edging Bed Edging 10m x 15cm (LxH) Brown
To the product

Polyethylene is a thermoplastic material - this means that it can be deformed under certain temperatures. This fact and of course the extremely low production price make PE the most widely used plastic (share of around 30 percent). Manufacturers of plastic edging for flower beds also prefer to use polyethylene. PE is resistant to acids and alkalis as well as oils and fats.

PET in check

Polyethylene terephthalate belongs to the polyester family. The plastic can be coated with other plastics as well as with aluminum, steamed or used in the form of composite materials. PET is resistant to oils and fats as well as diluted acids and alcohols.

Extra: Comparison of PE and PET

  • In its raw form, PE is milky and cloudy.
  • PET is crystal clear in its raw form.
  • PE is much softer than PET.
  • PET is considerably more break-proof than PE.

Since PET is stiffer and more break-proof than PE, PET bed borders can be made with smaller material thicknesses than PE bed borders. This in turn means that PET borders require less use of raw materials and are therefore more environmentally friendly.

PVC put to the test

Connex flexible lawn and bed edging - green - 9 m length & 15 cm height - Made of impact-resistant plastic - Easy to assemble - Reliable root barrier / lawn edge / border / FLOR14215 our recommendation
Connex flexible lawn and bed edging - green - 9 m length & 15 cm height - Made of impact-resistant plastic - Easy to assemble - Reliable root barrier / lawn edge / border / FLOR14215
14.06 EUR To the product

In its original form, polyvinyl chloride is hard and brittle. This is why manufacturers of PVC bed borders usually have to use plasticizers to make the material elastic and malleable. Plasticizers are not only harmful to the environment, but have also been shown to be dangerous to human health. We therefore recommend that you keep your hands off the borders of PVC beds.

Note: PVC is very resistant to acids and alkalis as well as alcohol and oil. But this also applies to PET. If in doubt, you can simply buy a frame made of the latter plastic.

PP in check

Palisade lawn edging bed border bed border 4.05m 3 colors TOP (brown) our recommendation
Palisade lawn edging bed border bed border 4.05m 3 colors TOP (brown)
12.59 EUR To the product

Polypropylene tends to be a young plastic that is chemically very similar to PE (polyethylene), but is stronger and more temperature-resistant than it. However, even PP generally becomes brittle at temperatures below freezing point (zero degrees Celsius). The plastic is resistant to grease and moisture.

Further purchase criteria

In addition to the specific plastic and its specific characteristics, you should definitely consider the following criteria when buying a plastic bed border in order to find the perfect design for your needs:

  • height
  • colour

height

The height of the plastic border mainly depends on how high the plants are in the respective bed or how deep they are rooted.

Note: If you want to prevent the roots of your deep-rooted plants from becoming independent in the ground and spreading out into the lawn area with relish, you need the highest possible borders that you can set deep into the earth.

The trade has practical plastic bed borders at various heights. Are very popular

  • 30 cm,
  • 40 cm,
  • 50 cm and
  • 60 cm.

colour

One of the advantages of plastic flower beds is the variety of colors. In principle, you have a completely free choice here. There is nothing that is not there. Whether simple brown or black, green that picks up the garden or striking shades of red, yellow, orange or blue - the spectrum is huge.

Tips

Always match the color of the plastic bed border to the dominant color in the respective bed. This is how you can achieve at least a touch of harmony in your garden if you rely on plastic borders.

What brands are there?

Gardena lawn edging 15 cm high: ideal lawn delimitation, also for beds, 9 m, prevents roots from spreading, plastic, brown (532-20) our recommendation
Gardena lawn edging 15 cm high: ideal lawn delimitation, also for beds, 9 m, prevents roots from spreading, plastic, brown (532-20)
15.97 EUR To the product

Here is a brief overview of the most popular brands for plastic flower beds:

  • Beckmann
  • Gardena
  • geoBORDER
  • Richard Brink
  • Thomas Philipps

And we don't want to withhold our list of retailers and shops where you can buy plastic bed borders:

  • Aldi south / north
  • Amazon
  • Stretcher
  • eBay
  • Globus hardware store
  • Hagebau
  • Hellweg
  • Hornbach
  • OBI
  • toom

How do I care for plastic flower beds?

As long as they last, plastic bed frames are relatively easy to care for. You can wipe away any dirt with a damp cloth and a little washing-up liquid.

It is also practical that you do not have to impregnate plastic bed borders (unlike wooden borders).

The main problem with plastic borders is their high instability. Since the borders can break very quickly, small (or larger) repair work may be necessary every few months - i.e. the replacement of individual elements or the entire border of the bed.

Which accessories are useful?

Usually, you don't need specific accessories for plastic flower beds. During installation, the respective parts are usually simply plugged into the ground. So you don't even need a plastic hammer.

In order to loosen up the soil a little and thereby be able to fix the plastic border more easily, we recommend the use of a digging fork.

frequently asked Questions

How are bed borders made of plastic sold?

You can choose between two variants:

  • colored plastic strips in roll form
  • colorful plastic borders with integrated ground spikes

How do I install a plastic bed border?

Insert the border of the bed as far into the ground as you want it to be. If the enclosure is also to serve as a root barrier, it must logically be relatively high and embedded very deeply into the earth.

What is a plastic bed border used for?

With a bed border made of plastic, you can effectively separate the bed and the lawn and prevent one garden highlight from penetrating the other. In this way, you give your green oasis structure and create permanent order - or as long as the plastic bed border lasts.

When is a plastic bed border recommended?

A bed border made of plastic is advisable if the most important criterion is cost-effectiveness and the appearance and environmental protection play less of a role. Even with a varying use of space in the garden, plastic surrounds work very well, as installation and dismantling are quick and easy.

Note: Frames made of plastic are less suitable for permanent use, mainly due to their high instability and generally poor quality - not to mention the environmental problems.