Wheelbarrows

A wheelbarrow is the unglamorous garden essential that lasts decades if specified right. Capacity is described in litres for the body or kilos for the load: 60L is the small-garden standard; 90L is the working garden; 120L+ is allotment territory. Aosom UK, Cheaper-Online.co.uk and Cherry Lane Garden Centres between them cover £5-£910 across the range. Body material decides how it wears: galvanised steel rusts at chips within 3-4 years; powder-coated steel lasts longer but the powder coat eventually flakes; plastic bodies are lightweight, dent-proof, and the right pick for a garden where the barrow shifts soil and compost rather than building rubble. Wheel format matters: pneumatic (air-filled) wheels handle uneven ground and don't damage lawns; solid rubber wheels never puncture but feel jarring on rough ground; ball-bearing axles make heavy loads manageable for older arms. Twin-wheel wheelbarrows are easier to balance and turn but harder to tip out.