Gardening can be a rewarding hobby or a fulfilling profession. The ability to not only grow plants to provide food or add beauty to a property is an incomparable one. That being said, gardening is not an easy task. It requires time, effort, and patience to create the perfect garden. On top of that, you need the right tools to make the job easier and yield greater results. One of the best tools for gardening is a garden cart.
They make it easier to transport your garden tools around the yard and you can even use it for non-gardening activities. With that in mind, there is a lot to consider when choosing a garden cart and to help you with your decision making; we’ve put together a handy review and guide to help you choose the best garden cart for your requirements.
Why Would You Need a Garden Cart?
A garden cart shouldn’t be viewed as an expense but rather as an investment.
Even the best garden cart needs maintenance and has to be done properly, it can give you years of use and what’s even better is you can use it outside of your garden too.
Garden carts, unlike wheelbarrows, have a flat bottom and their various sizes and designs give you options when choosing a cart to use both inside and outside of your yard.
Due to their beds, garden carts can be used to save your back and energy when transporting heavy materials such as power tools or materials for home renovations or repairs.
Many people use garden carts for fun too. If you have children, they’d enjoy being pulled in a garden cart around the yard or even at the park. It can be decorated to look like a carriage and you can allow their imagination to do the rest.
If you’re going to a music festival, taking everything from the car to your spot can be difficult and a great garden cart can make that trip much easier and less backbreaking.
What’s even better is that the best garden cart allows you to carry more stuff which makes you even more prepared to have a blast.
Heavy duty utility garden carts are versatile
Besides personal uses, garden carts work great for some professionals besides gardeners and landscapers.
If you display company products at trade shows, a garden cart can make it easier for you to transport your products from your vehicle to your booth.
Attaching it to a lawn tractor? Shouldn’t be a problem either.
And if you work on a construction site, garden carts make moving around certain tools and supplies a breeze which makes for improved productivity and faster progress plus less strain on your back which is always a plus.
Types of the Best Garden Carts
One of the beauties of garden carts is their variety. There are different types, each with their own pros and cons.
These are the four types of garden carts:
Dump Cart
First up on our list is the dump cart which resembles a wheelbarrow or a utility wagon.
However, what sets it apart from those two is that it can dump out its load. This is cart is especially useful for fertilization and is often used to carry items like bags of fertilizer, wood chips or soil.
If you need to carry large loads, it is advised you go for a heavy-duty model. There are two-wheeler dump carts as well as four wheelers.
Utility Wagon
The utility wagon is built with four vertical sides which helps to keep everything you need in place. One of its convenient features is that its sides are typically removable which makes for easy cleaning and access plus removing a side or two makes it easier for you to transport oddly shaped objects without much fuss.
Foldable Garden Cart
If storage space is a major factor when choosing a garden cart then a foldable cart may be what you need. Its ability to fold up makes it easier to store than other cart types.
It is typically built using strong fabric attached to metal frames which makes it easy to fold, store or transport. Due to its construction, foldable carts are suited for lightweight hauls.
Flatbed Cart
This type of garden cart has no sides. Because of its design, it is great for moving or stacking large packs of fertilizers or soil. In addition, you can use flatbed carts to transport tree logs and other heavy loads that the other carts cannot.
Features to Consider
When you’re shopping for the newest and best garden cart, you’ve got to take into account your needs as well as possible uses you may have for it then see which features fit those.
Outside of the type of garden cart, there are three main features to consider when making your choice.
Capacity
Capacity refers to how much your garden cart can handle. A cart’s load capacity can also affect its design as well as its price.
A cart built to carry 500 pounds or less is vastly different from one that is built to carry 1000 pounds or less.
Heavy-duty carts have much larger tires and thicker bodies to handle larger loads.
Tires
Speaking of tires, there are two types that you’ll find on a garden cart and those are pneumatic tires and plastic tires.
Smaller carts built to carry lighter loads typically have plastic tires. Some of these tires are trodden while others are not. One of the upsides of plastic tires is that they can’t be punctured and they are often great for use in your yard.
Larger tires for larger carts, on the other hand, are pneumatic tires that are built to work well on rocky terrain or gravel. These tires are air-filled reinforced rubber tires that allow for shock absorption and an overall smoother user experience.
Materials
When it comes to a garden cart’s body, it helps to know which materials suit your needs.
Carts with steel beds are the toughest and can endure heavy use but they are also the heaviest and can rust over time.
On the other hand, polyethylene beds are resistant to dents and scratches and can survive harsh weather.
Finally, plastic beds are the lightest of the three which makes them easy to pull but they are only able to handle small loads and can crack as time passes.
Best Garden Cart Reviews
Gorilla Heavy-Duty Garden Cart GOR866D
1200
Loading Capacity (lbs)
58.6
Weight (lbs)
The Gorilla Heavy-Duty Garden Dump Cart is a feature-packed garden cart built for heavy hauls and dumps.
Its trademarked feature is its quick-release dump ability which stands out and makes unloading your hauls quick and simple.
Its 13-inch tires are built to carry it across any surface and you can pull its padded handle to hook it up to your ATV or lawn tractor for increased efficiency or simply pull it by hand.
This Heavy-Duty Pastic Bed Cart has a reliable 40-inch by 25-inch poly bed that’s resistant to rust making it last longer and giving you more value for your money.
It also boasts a steel frame with a black finish for durability and style.
With a max 1200-pound capacity and weight of 58.6-pounds, this garden cart is great for those heavy duty tasks.
If you like its design but don’t need such a beast then check out the Gorilla Poly Garden Dump Cart which has a 600-pound capacity and a new design that cuts down on assembly time.
Need even more loading capability? Gorilla gets you sorted with the 1500 lbs super-heavy-duty cart.
All these options and features might make Gorilla the best garden cart maker in the US. But let’s see the rest!
For more information, check out our Gorilla Carts Heavy-Duty Cart Review!
Mac Sports Collapsible Outdoor Wagon
150
Loading Capacity (lbs)
22.5
Weight (lbs)
This Mac Sports garden cart is a foldable cart that works great if you have limited storage space.
It folds up to only 8-inches thick and comes with a carry case that adds some much appreciated protection and makes carrying it around easier.
Also, it doesn’t need any assembly which is useful if you’re in a rush and sets up in under a minute.
One of its few drawbacks is that it, and many other foldable carts, has a low capacity.
The Mac Sports Collapsible Outdoor Wagon itself has a 150-pound loading capacity which makes it great for light loads but not strong enough for those mid-range or heavy hauls.
It also uses a fabric for its bedding which is a durable 600D polyester material, which is easy to clean, so maintenance won’t be much of a problem.
In terms of accessibility, it has an adjustable handle which is built to make movement easier and comes equipped with 2 mesh cup holders to hold drinks so this would be a great cart to take to a festival or even the park.
However, one thing to note is that it’s not built to carry children which is unfortunate because being able to take it to the park or playground and have your kids play with it would have been an added bonus. It’s still a good garden cart that works great for multiple events and activities in the backyard.
Gorilla Steel Utility Cart GOR400-COM
400
Loading Capacity (lbs)
31.5
Weight (lbs)
Our third featured garden cart is the Gorilla Steel Garden Cart with removable sides.
It has durable 34-inch x 18-inch steel mesh along with steel mesh sides all coated in a nice green paint.
This Gorilla cart is outfitted with 10-inch pneumatic tires making it suitable for near all terrains.
This garden cart has a relatively new frame design from Gorilla which makes it easier for you to set it up as well as improves its mobility, ground clearance, and strength.
The removable sides also give you versatility and allow you to carry odd loads and use this garden cart’s load capacity to its fullest.
The last thing to mention is its sturdy handle is padded for comfort and ease of use. Overall, this is a great mid-range garden cart that affords you versatility without much of a compromise on strength.
Worx Aerocart Multifunction 2-Wheeled Yard Cart Dolly and Wheelbarrow
200
Loading Capacity (lbs)
49
Weight (lbs)
The Worx Aerocart wheelbarrow is a multifunctional 2-wheeled yard cart that’s sort of a hybrid between a garden cart and a wheelbarrow.
If a wheelbarrow and a garden cart had a baby then this would probably be it.
It’s quite versatile with a unique moving and lifting work system that changes from a dolly to a wheelbarrow and more.
The tires are flat-free and oversized which means you’ll never have to inflate them and they can handle near any terrain.
Its entire body is made using steel and it has a load capacity of 300-pounds which makes it good for those mid-range loads.
Its design adjusts the center of gravity which makes it easy to move and handle and would make a 200-pound load feel like it weighs a measly 17-pounds. That will save you energy and put much less strain on your back so if you’ve got back problems then this cart may work out great for you.
The Worx cart also comes with accessories such as a mesh rock mover, flower pot strap, bag holder, and cylinder holder. It also has a fold-out extension arm to carry small trees, mulch bags, and other items with that weigh maximum 80-pounds. All in all, it is a handy tool to have in the yard.
Best Alternative Garden Cart
Suncast Poly Rolling Lawn Cart LC1250D
15.5
Loading Capacity (lbs)
11
Weight (lbs)
If you’re looking for an affordable and fairly light yard tool then the Suncast Poly Rolling Lawn Cart might be what you need.
This lawn cart is different than the other carts we’ve reviewed.
It only has two wheels and is much smaller than the others.
The Suncast Poly’s body is also made using only polyethylene which gives it some nice durability.
Its capacity isn’t measured in pounds, however, as it works with gallons and has a 15 ½ gallon capacity which is good for great for transporting dirt, mulch, and other items.
You can handle it with ease thanks to its telescoping handle and its 7-inch plastic wheels.
The Suncast Poly Lawn Cart is built for light work and best used in your backyard, not in other areas such as the more heavy-duty models. It’s still a pretty good cart especially if you don’t have any major yard work or gardening to be done. You can even use it to store a few outdoor items too.
Conclusion
All things considered, there is no one perfect garden cart as your needs may differ from that of another.
That being said, each of the garden carts we’ve reviewed offers something that the other does not.
The Gorilla Steel Utility Garden Cart offers versatility with a decent load capacity while the Mac Sports Collapsible Wagon offers storage size and mobility.
If you’re interested in power then the Gorilla Heavy-Duty Dump Cart will give you just that while the Suncast Poly Rolling Cart will give you something quite affordable and simple.
Lastly, the Worx Aerocart Multifunction Yard Cart offers the best of both worlds with its hybrid wheelbarrow and garden cart design.
