Written by Terry Smith
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Best Small Shed [UK]: Top plastic slimline sheds and wooden compared
This article was last updated on August 28th, 2021 at 7:27 am
When it comes to garden storage, you can’t beat a classic shed. Whether it’s plastic or wood, big or small, a shed has had its uses for years and is always going to be a useful addition to the garden. If you don’t have a garage but you need somewhere to put your items, or even if you have a garage but you’re active in the garden or workshop, sheds are the perfect way to store all your tools and organise them properly (To organise your shed properly, look at our piece on shed organisers).
Anyway, most people are familiar with sheds if we are going to be realistic, but when it comes to buying the right shed for you, it can be quite the challenge as there’s so many options from wooden garden sheds to outdoor plastic storage sheds which are even smaller than a ‘small shed’. On top of this, you might be wandering from the title what might class as small shed but don’t worry, we will talk you through this.
This reviews focuses on the best 6 options for small sheds on the market right now, taking into account various important factors that affect your value for money and what shed product will suit you the best. You should also be thinking about shed locks, shed alarms and shed security cameras too whilst you upgrade your garden storage. options.
What is a small shed?
To get started, you need to know the answer to this question. Typically, garden sheds tend to be quite big no matter what the material, as people have different uses for their shed. When we say big, we’re talking 8ft+ in both directions, as this sort of size has plenty of floor space for storing lots of items. However, not all sheds have to be like this, especially if you’re only using a shed for some tool storage and organising other smaller items.
So if that’s the case, a smaller shed is likely going to be best for you, but what would we class as a small shed? Well, taking into account the fact that gardens come in different shapes and sizes, you need something that will fit nicely in any. With this in mind, we would say that a shed of no more than 6-7ft in either direction classes as a small shed. Height doesn’t necessarily matter as much, especially since most sheds are around 6ft in height, but either way it doesn’t really matter unless your garden has a canopy or something similar. This might seem a bit big at first, but not all small sheds are this size and as for the ones that are, they’re quite rare.
Sheds of this size are perfect for tool storage and small scale storage in general, so most of the time its all you’ll actually need. They obviously tend to be far less expensive than larger shed products, but higher end small sheds can still get quite expensive (£700), but they’re usually cheaper than this.
All in all, small sheds are really ideal and wed definitely recommend them, probably more so than large sheds. However, if you’re stuck for which one to get, then this review will clear up the best 6 options for small sheds on the market right now. As well as this, we’ve included a buyers guide that clears up all you need to know when buying a small shed.
Best small sheds: our top picks:
Chalet-Jardin 12-922518 Premium Shed (Best option overall an best slimline shed too)
Keter Manor Outdoor Plastic Garden Shed (Best value for money small shed)
Keter 17208243 Manor Pent Garden Storage Shed (Second best Keter option)
Lifetime 60190 7 x 7ft Heavy Duty Plastic Shed (Best option for no budget)
Forest Garden 6 x 4 Pent Shiplap Dip Treated Wooden Shed (Best wood option)
Keter 17202393 Scala Outdoor Plastic Garden Shed (Best wood-effect option)
Comparison table: Best Small Shed [UK]: Top plastic slimline sheds and wooden compared | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Product | What We Think | Price | ||||
| The Chalet-Jardin 12-922518 Premium Shed is easily the best option for smell shed products overall, as it’s a great size for an even better price, but its rigid enough to last you a long time. It has added features for ventilation and storage, as well as coming in a sleek grey and white design, so it really looks the part and does its job too. It can be a pain to setup in terms of time, but once its up, no maintenance is needed. Whilst Chalet-Jardin isn’t as well known as Keter, compared to the Keter products in this list, this small shed is slightly better than them both. and comes with a five year warranty which is equal or better than most competitor small sheds in the UK. | ||||||
| Being amazons choice for a small shed, as well as being sold by Keter, it really is a reliable, sturdy shed that you can count on. The Keter Manor Outdoor Plastic Garden Shed has a similar design to our first place spot but its just smaller, and for £50 less, that’s the only reason its not in first place. Its got all the right features (ventilation, easily lockable, etc.) and does its job perfectly. Keter are great for their customer service if you need them and are a reliable brand. Compared to first place, its just as good, especially for a budget, just not quite the same value for money. | ||||||
| The Keter 17208243 Manor Pent Garden Storage Shed is easily the best second Keter option for small sheds that there are, effectively being a larger version of the Keter shed in second place. They’re a reliable brand and this shed should last you a long time, but its been reported to have some issues when putting it up and making it as robust as possible. For about £400 normally, you're better off getting the Chalet Jardin product that takes our first place spot, as its cheaper and doesn’t have these issues. If it’s a bit too big too then all you need is our Keter shed in second place, so whilst this is a great product (if no assembly problems are encountered), wed recommend the top two places first, which both cost less too. | ||||||
| Costing £750 or more, the Lifetime 60190 7 x 7ft Heavy Duty Plastic Shed is the most expensive small shed in our list and is only suitable for you if you aren’t on a budget and if you’re not too worried about a small shed fitting into your garden. Compared to other small sheds in this list it’s a lot larger, but we would still technically class it as a small shed. It comes with steel reinforcements and can easily be assembled, as well as having everything you need in a shed, but others in this list are more suitable if you’re limited for space or if you don’t have lots of items to go in your shed. | ||||||
| Compared to other small sheds in this list, the Keter 17202393 Scala Outdoor Plastic Garden Shed is perfect for those who are looking for something resembling natural wood or a more natural design in general. Its walnut colour and extra aesthetic features really look great in the garden, and it has everything you need in a small shed. However, for its price you might not get the best value for money, as some customers have noted its not as big as stated. Whilst not a huge problem for small sheds, its better value to pick others in this list, such as the other Keter products in second and third place. | ||||||
| Summary: The best option for a small shed if you’re wanting a wooden product is the Forest Garden 6 x 4 Pent Shiplap Dip Treated Wooden Shed, and it definitely beats the wood effect seen in the design of other products in this list. Its designed well, looks great and is treated appropriately for use in your garden, but it’s a real pain to put up. This is only suitable for you if you can either get a professional to assemble it or if you’re confident in your DIY skills. If you’re desperate for a small wooden shed though, this is definitely the best option on the market currently. | ||||||
1. Chalet-Jardin 12-922518 Premium Shed
Specification: Material: Polypropylene, Floor Panel Included: yes, Dimensions: 183.5 x 111 x 200.5 cm, Warranty: 5 years
Taking our first place spot for the best overall small shed on the market is the Chalet-Jardin premium shed, which comes in a sleek grey and white colour and with a smooth matte design. Its priced at around £400 and should be similar for most sellers, and for this price, you get a shed that measures 72 x 113 x 201 cm with a 5 year warranty. For its reasonable size and other appealing features, this is a bargain and easily makes this shed the best on the market, and it just has everything you need in a small shed. What a beautiful looking slimline shed it really is. The slimline design is probably the best in the UK at the moment and that makes this a real bargain when comparing costs of other small and slimline sheds.
The shed itself is made from polypropylene, a type of resin that is notorious for its heat and chemical resistance, as well as it’s rigidity, so its perfect for a shed. Its also designed and made to be waterproof and easily cleanable, as well as UV resistant, whilst remaining hardwearing and robust. This is all you need in a shed no matter what size, so just because its made from plastic, don’t be fooled in thinking this isn’t as rigid as a wooden shed.
It has ventilation sockets on each side, so you can be assured that air flow into your shed remains consistent, which is important for preventing damp and humidity. Its door is easily lockable and is an appropriate size, not being too small so that you have to crouch down or squeeze in. As with any small shed, you’re not going to be wandering around inside it, but this is just the perfect size for easily grabbing your tools and putting them away. Its window easily opens too, so its easy to get some more ventilation.
Overall, this really is a fantastic little shed, and it’s a far better alternative to large sheds and comes at a reasonable price too. The only downside would be it requires care when setting up, as noted in a few of the reviews, but once it’s up it really requires no maintenance and should last you for a long time. Its design looks great and would work in any garden, so it would bring that extra aesthetic feeling to your garden too. It also comes with a shelf inside, but if you need some additional storage, its got room for organisers too.
It averages at four and a half stars plus for over 80 reviews, and the reviews really don’t slander it at all. It’s proven to be a best seller on Amazon too! They discuss a fair setup which we’ve mentioned, but a lot speak highly of how rigid it feels and how the design really lives up to the pictures, so its worth the time. The setup guide is straight forward but it will just take time, and even if you’re not familiar with tools or DIY, it shouldn’t be too much of a strain…just take your time!
We can confirm that this product deserves its top spot in this list, as its just got that edge above other products in this list, and it simply has everything you need for a great price. It’s also an amazon best seller for small sheds, and its really no wonder why.
2. Keter Manor Outdoor Plastic Garden Shed
Specification: Material: Plastic, Floor Panel Included: yes, Dimensions: 103 x 129 x 196 cm, Warranty: 1 year
In our second place spot is the Keter manor plastic garden shed, a popular item by a popular brand currently pricing at over £300. Since it’s the cheapest in our list, and the smallest, its definitely the best option for a small shed if you’re on a budget. They also happen to make the best garden storage bench too if you’re interested.
They do actually come in different sizes too, but this product, that measures 4x3ft, is the cheapest there is. This is a perfect little shed for your tool storage and should fit everything in nicely, without you worrying too much about spending too much. Here’s a picture of this model it looks superb:
Similar in design to products 1 and 3 in this list when compared, It comes in a grey and white colour scheme that looks sleek and smooth. It has a wood effect design too, so it works in the garden well. It has built in ventilation in the floor as well as vents on the outside, as well as an easily lockable door. It’s also made from polypropylene, so its not only rigid, but the Keter Manor Outdoor Plastic Garden Shed is resistant to UV, heat and chemicals. It’s built for the garden and is a fantastic small shed.
Here’s a look at the space insidde:
So why second place? Well, considering its only £50 less than our first place spot, it’s a lot smaller. Don’t get us wrong it’s a good size, but even if you’re on a budget, an extra £50 might be worth the space. As well as this, it takes just as much time to put up compared to the Chalet-Jardin shed, as stated in many of the 1000+ reviews that average at 4 and a half stars. Either way, its amazons choice and is a great product, it just doesn’t have the edge over first place.
3. Keter 17208243 Manor Pent Garden Storage Shed
Specification: Material: Wood+Plastic, Floor Panel Included: yes, Dimensions: 183.5 x 183 x 201 cm, Warranty: 1 year
In our third place spot is effectively a larger version of the Keter product in second place, but its still what we class as a small shed. Priced at £399, this product has received an average four and a half star rating for over 300 reviews, so its clearly gone down well with customers. As its from Keter its really no wonder, as they really are a reliable brand.
The shed itself measures 183.5 cm x 185 cm x 200 cm, so its on the larger side of small sheds, but its similar in size to our first place option, so its still classed as small. It really has everything you need and is effectively a larger version of the Keter product in second place, so it has ventilation, rigidity and reliability promised too.
The reason its in third place is because whilst its good value and has everything you need, some customers have reported problems with the pieces prior to assembly as well as problems putting it up. Whilst this is likely a product manufacturing issue, it is not ideal when you want to order it. Once up though, customers have praised the robustness and how it looks in the garden with a super looking grey design. Its definitely a Keter product we would recommend either way, but since the Keter shed in second place is smaller with less reported manufacturing issues, and our first place spot is similar to this product but cheaper, it falls into third place.
4. Lifetime 60190 7 x 7ft Heavy Duty Plastic Shed
Specification: Material: Plastic, Floor Panel Included: yes, Dimensions: 215 x 214 x 228 cm, Warranty: 1 year
Whilst being the largest ‘small’ shed we have, the Lifetime heavy duty plastic shed is perfect if you’re looking for a shed which is big enough for your needs without being ridiculously large. It measures 7 x 7ft, so it should still easily fit in most gardens, but its not ideal for gardens which are a lot smaller. It has an average 4 and a half star rating for over 500 reviews, so its gone down well with customers too.
It includes 2 screened vents, ventilation, opening windows and a skylight, which all bring an aesthetic quality to the shed. Its more beige in color than advertised. Its made from polypropylene similar to the other products in this list, but due to it being a larger, it comes with powder coated steel reinforcements. This ensures you that its rigid enough to support itself and means you should easily be able to store as much as you need.
Whilst this is a great shed, don’t get it if you need to only store tools and other bits, as the space is a bit too much. It definitely counts as a small shed, but tis still on the large side. As well as this, it costs £750, which is really expensive for a small shed. If you have no budget and enough space in your garden, but you don’t want something stupidly big, then this shed is for you. It has everything you need and despite its size, will only be a two man job, which reviews have said to be entirely possible and straightforward.
5. Forest Garden 6 x 4 Pent Shiplap Dip Treated Wooden Shed
Specification: Material: Wood, Floor Panel Included: yes, Dimensions: 127 x 182 x 191 cm, Warranty: 1 year
In our fifth place spot is the best option on this list for a small wooden shed, and there’s no denying it really is a nice looking product. It would easily look good in any garden, and its treated wood means it will last in your garden a long time. It costs around £500 and has an average four star rating for 150 reviews, with many reviewers praising its aesthetics and storage space capacity.
It measures 6 x 4ft, so not too big or too small, and quite frankly what we consider the ideal size in a small shed. It has a single window which is supposedly unbreakable, a secure door and a roof that is not only slanted to be waterproof, but also weather resistant and treated. Its got all the protection you need and is a great buy, so what are the downsides?
Well, whilst wood is nice its not always necessary, and it makes building it a bit of a pain. The delivery can take up a lot of space and it will require some DIY skills, which isn’t always ideal for customers. It will take time to put up and needs to be done right. However, if you’re wanting natural wood for a good price and that will last, this product is definitely for you. Who knows, even if you’re not into DIY, perhaps you’ll still enjoy putting this shed together!
All in all, a great wooden shed that really brings an aesthetic feel to your garden, but whilst being appropriately treated and prepared for outdoor use, it’s a real pain to put up. Some might also consider it a tad expensive, but in our experience, this is a good price for a wooden unit this big.
6. Keter 17202393 Scala Outdoor Plastic Garden Shed
Specification: Material: Resin, Floor Panel Included: yes, Dimensions: 152 x 185 x 226 cm, Warranty: 1 year
Now, this item is in our last place spot but not because its bad, but just because it’s a bit specific. By specific, we mean that if you want a shed that looks like wood but isn’t, so in other words with a wood-effect design, then this shed is for you. Priced at around £600 (dependent on seller) and with an average rating of four and a half stars for over 400 reviews, its on the expensive side but its worth it.
The wood-effect design comes in a dark brown/walnut colour, so you achieve the right wood effect without it looking too much like plastic, especially since the rustic looking panels make it look more natural. It measures 6 x 5ft, which is an ideal size for tool storage and not too big for smaller gardens. It has double doors with secure locks, efficient ventilation and two fixed windows. Its also weather-resistant and waterproof.
So, what’s the catch? Well, some customers reported its not as big as stated, and whilst this isn’t the end of the world for a small shed, its not great value for money if this is the case. As with other Keter products it can be a pain to put up too, but not impossible. For its price its on the steep side, but if you aren’t afraid to splash out on something which looks great and as if it was natural wood, then this small shed is for you and your garden.
Buyers Guide for small sheds
Before you start looking on the web for more small sheds or even the products in this list, there are a few important aspects of sheds to consider before you choose. Whilst fairly straight forward products, there are key additions/features that are important. Don’t worry though, this buyers guide clears it all up for you.
Ventilation
As with all outdoor storage items, and especially when it comes to sheds, ventilation is key. You’re going to be putting all your outdoor tools in there, as well as any other items you’re using in the garden, so there’s naturally going to be some humidity and moisture in there even if you clean it all. An example like the Keter 17208243 Manor Pent Garden Storage Shed has a superb ventilation system an worth checking. If this isn’t managed it can result in damp or bad smells, which ultimately create the perfect environment for pathogenic bacteria to thrive, especially from the dirt taken into the shed from your garden.
To solve this, see if your shed has a ventilated floor design, which may not be too common, but it definitely is useful if the shed has it. If not, just make sure your shed has vents on the sides of the shed and preferably open windows. The more ways air can flow, the better.
Material
Out of all the sheds in this list, only one isn’t made from a resin polymer (such as polypropylene) and that’s the wooden shed in spot 5. Typically, if you’re not going to get a wooden shed, you need to pick one made from a suitable resin polymer like the Chalet-Jardin 12-922518 Premium Shed. Most are polypropylene anyway but its always worth checking.
For wooden sheds, most woods are fine in terms of structure, but the wood should be treated with some form of weather-resistant oil or coating. The same goes for the roof of your shed, and whilst most plastic roofs are already resistant to weather, wooden sheds should have the appropriate treatment that is ideally waterproof (as more water hits the roof). As long as the material of your shed is weather resistant, especially waterproof, you’re good to buy.
Size
Since the premise of a small shed is its size, this might seem obvious, but there’s a few important aspects of size to consider. As we said, a small shed shouldn’t really be any bigger than 6-7ft, as this is plenty of room to store your tools away much like the Keter Manor Outdoor Plastic Garden Shed which is tall and sleek. However, you don’t want it to be too small either, so always check the dimensions first to see if the shed will accommodate the amount of tools and items that you plan to store away.
Secondly, as all sheds will arrive flat packed for you to put up, check the comments or reviews to see how it is packaged. Some reviews on some products have stated that the packaging is really large and takes up a lot of room, so if you have a small garden, this is going to be a huge pain to construct. This isn’t really avoidable and its difficult to tell, but if you have a small garden, don’t buy a larger (small) shed.
Overall, small garden sheds are an excellent addition to any garden and are a handy alternative to larger sheds. They can still be quite expensive but they don’t have to be too steep. Considering the aspects listed in the buyers guide, as well as looking at our list for the best small shed products on the market currently, you should be ready to buy yourself a small shed.
Happy shed buying!