Western red cedar is the gold standard for raised vegetable beds — naturally rot-resistant without treatment, light to handle, and beautiful as it weathers to silver. A cedar bed will give you 10–15 years of vegetable production. Plastic-corner kits go up in an hour; full timber beds give you a lifetime of upgrades. Here's what we trust.
Our team’s top picks
CedarCraft Elevated Garden Planter
- Real cedar, no treatment
- Pre-cut, screws together
- Multiple sizes 2x4 to 4x8
- Made in North America
Greenes Fence Cedar Raised Bed Kit
- Honest cedar at a fair price
- Tongue-and-groove assembly, no tools
- Stackable for depth
- Decent for first-time gardens
Foursquare 4x8 Premium Cedar Bed
- Heavy 38 mm cedar
- Reinforced corners
- Pre-drilled, pre-finished
- Will outlast cheap kits 3:1
Yaheetech 32" Tall Cedar Planter
- Standing-height bed
- No bending — best for accessibility
- Cedar with stainless screws
- Built-in drainage
Outland Living Modular Cedar Raised Bed
- Modular plank-and-corner system
- Stack for depth, expand for width
- Cedar planks throughout
- Easy to take apart
What to look for in a cedar raised garden bed
- 38 mm thick boards last; 19 mm boards warp and split.
- Keep beds under 1.2 m wide so you can reach the centre from both sides.
- A 30 cm deep bed grows most vegetables; root crops appreciate 45 cm.
- Don't line cedar beds with plastic — it accelerates rot from below.
- Bottoms can be open to soil (best) or hardware cloth (rodent proof).
Frequently asked questions
How long does a cedar raised bed last?
10–15 years for proper Western red cedar. Cheaper "cedar-look" beds (often hemlock or pine with cedar stain) last 4–6 years. Treated pine is sometimes used but raises legitimate concerns about copper leaching into food.
How deep should a vegetable bed be?
30 cm is the minimum for most vegetables. Root crops (carrots, parsnips, daikon) want 45 cm. Most market gardens build to 30 cm and fork the soil under.
Should I line a cedar bed with plastic?
No. Plastic traps moisture against the timber and accelerates rot. Open bottom (best) or 1/4" hardware cloth bottom (for rodent protection). Roots find their way through fine.
Cedar or galvanised steel?
Cedar weathers beautifully and is warmer to the touch. Galvanised steel lasts longer (20+ years), heats up in summer, and looks more industrial. Personal call — cedar is our favourite for the look.
Bottom line
If you only take one thing from this guide, it is that quality matters more than spec on paper. The picks above have been chosen because our team uses them or trusts them — not because they are the most expensive or have the flashiest marketing. Buy once, garden often.
