Ask any keen gardener what they reach for most often and it usually isn’t a fancy power tool. It’s the humble trug: the tub, basket or bag you carry round the garden filling with weeds, prunings, windfall apples and armfuls of autumn leaves. Get the right one and every tidy-up job feels lighter. Get the wrong one and you end up with a cracked bucket, sore hands and a trail of debris across the lawn.
As we head into autumn, the trug earns its keep more than ever. Leaves need clearing off the lawn before they smother the grass, borders need their final cut-back, and there is always compost to barrow to and fro. In this guide we compare the best garden trugs and tubtrugs you can buy in the UK in 2026, from tough flexible plastic tubs that cost about the same as a round of coffees to handsome traditional wooden trugs that will still look the part in twenty years. We cover flexible tubs, wooden trugs and clever pop-up bags, and explain which suits which kind of gardener.
Our quick picks
- Best all-rounder for value: Red Gorilla Gorilla Tub (Large, 38L) – the iconic flexible tubtrug, tough, squashable and cheap.
- Best for leaves and clippings: Red Gorilla Gorilla Tub Shallow (35L) – the low, wide shape swallows bulky leaves and grass.
- Best heavy-duty tub: Faithfull Flex Tub (42L) – builder-grade flexible tub that shrugs off rubble, soil and wet loads.
- Best budget multipack: Kingfisher / Ward Flexi Tub (40L, twin pack) – two tubs for around the price of one branded one.
- Best collapsible option: Haxnicks Pop-Up Garden Tidy Bag – springs open when you need it, folds flat when you don’t.
- Best traditional wooden trug: Burgon & Ball Traditional Wooden Trug – FSC poplar and brass, as good-looking as it is useful.
- Best heritage choice: Original Sussex Trug – handmade in Sussex, a lifetime keepsake for the dedicated gardener.
Trug, tubtrug or tub – what’s the difference?
The word “trug” traditionally means a shallow, boat-shaped wooden basket used for carrying cut flowers, vegetables and light garden waste. The classic Sussex trug has been made the same way for well over 150 years. It looks lovely and is a joy to use for gentle jobs, but it is not built for hauling wet soil or half a hedge.
The “tubtrug” is the modern workhorse. The name was popularised by the brand now sold as Red Gorilla, and it describes a flexible plastic tub with two strong handles that you can squash, flex and even sit on. These are the tubs you see on every allotment and building site. Cheap wooden-look and rigid plastic trugs sit somewhere in between. When people ask us for “a trug” for everyday garden tidying, nine times out of ten a flexible tubtrug is what they actually want.
The best garden trugs and tubtrugs for 2026
1. Red Gorilla Gorilla Tub (Large, 38L) – best all-rounder for value
Flexible plastic tubtrug | around £10–£14 | small, medium and large sizes
If you only buy one trug, make it this one. The Gorilla Tub (still widely known by its old name, the Tubtrug) is the tub that started it all, and it remains the flexible tub we reach for most. The food-grade plastic is genuinely tough, frost proof and UV stable, so it lives outdoors year-round without going brittle. The two moulded handles are comfortable even with a heavy load, and the flexible walls mean you can squeeze the tub through a gate or scoop up an awkward armful of prunings with ease.
The large 38-litre size is our pick for general garden work – big enough for a proper haul of weeds or leaves without becoming too heavy to lift when full of wet soil. It comes in a rainbow of colours, which sounds like a gimmick until you own three and colour-code them for compost, recycling and general waste. For most gardens this is all the trug you will ever need.
Pros: Tough, frost and UV proof; flexible and squashable; brilliant value; huge choice of sizes and colours.
Cons: Round shape is less suited to sweeping in flat leaves; very cheap copies exist, so check you are buying the genuine article.
2. Red Gorilla Gorilla Tub Shallow (35L) – best for leaves and clippings
Shallow flexible tub | around £12–£16 | wide, low profile
Autumn leaf clearing is where the standard round tub falls slightly short: bulky, springy leaves fill it up before it is anywhere near heavy. The shallow version of the Gorilla Tub solves that. Its low, wide shape sits flat on the ground so you can sweep or rake leaves and grass clippings straight in, and the larger footprint holds a surprising volume of light, bulky material.
It is just as tough and flexible as the standard tub, and the low sides make it easy to tip into a compost bin or garden waste bag. If your autumn routine involves a lot of raking, this is the shape to have alongside a deeper tub for heavier jobs.
Pros: Low, wide shape ideal for leaves and clippings; easy to sweep into and tip out; same tough build as the standard tub.
Cons: Shallow depth is less useful for carrying soil, water or dense waste; slightly pricier than the standard tub.
3. Faithfull Flex Tub (42L) – best heavy-duty tub
Builder-grade flexible tub | around £10–£15 | sizes from 15L to 60L
When the job crosses over from gardening into landscaping – mixing compost and grit, hauling rubble from a border makeover, moving wet turf – a builder’s flexible tub earns its place. The Faithfull Flex Tub is made from heavy-duty polyethylene that resists cracking and crushing under real weight, and the chunky handles are comfortable even when the tub is loaded to the brim.
It is frost resistant, UV stable and fully recyclable, and the range runs from a handy 15-litre up to a cavernous 60-litre. The 42-litre is the sweet spot for garden work: big enough for serious hauling but still liftable when full. If you routinely give your tubs a hard life, this is the one that will survive.
Pros: Extremely tough; wide range of sizes; happy with rubble, soil and wet loads; recyclable.
Cons: Utilitarian looks; the biggest sizes are too heavy to lift when fully loaded with dense material.
4. Kingfisher / Ward Flexi Tub (40L, twin pack) – best budget multipack
Flexible plastic tub multipack | around £12–£18 for two | widely stocked
You rarely need just one trug. Once you start colour-coding jobs or leave one by the compost and one by the shed, a multipack makes sense. Budget brands such as Kingfisher and Ward sell pairs of 40-litre flexible tubs for around the price of a single branded tub, and for most gardeners they do the job perfectly well.
They are not quite as thick-walled or as long-lived as the premium tubs, and the handles can feel a touch less comfortable under a heavy load. But for light-to-medium garden tidying – leaves, weeds, deadheading, carrying pots – a twin pack is a sensible, cheap way to kit out the whole garden. Buy these to spread around and save the tougher tubs for the heavy stuff.
Pros: Excellent value; two tubs to spread around the garden; perfectly good for light and medium jobs.
Cons: Thinner walls and less durable than premium tubs; handles less comfortable when heavily loaded.
5. Haxnicks Pop-Up Garden Tidy Bag – best collapsible option
Spring-framed pop-up bag | around £10–£20 depending on size | folds flat for storage
If shed or balcony space is tight, a rigid tub taking up a corner all winter is a nuisance. Pop-up garden bags solve that neatly. A sprung wire frame makes the bag stand open on its own while you fill it, then the whole thing twists and folds flat to the size of a dinner plate for storage. Haxnicks make some of the best-known versions, and there are larger tubtastic-style bags for bigger clear-ups.
They are light to carry even when full of leaves, and the tall sides hold far more bulky waste than a shallow tub. They are less suited to heavy, wet or sharp material – the fabric can wear against brambles – but for seasonal leaf and prunings clearing by someone short on storage, a pop-up bag is hard to beat.
Pros: Folds flat to almost nothing; large capacity for bulky waste; very light to carry; self-standing.
Cons: Fabric is less durable than plastic; not ideal for heavy, wet or thorny loads; frame can eventually tire.
6. Burgon & Ball Traditional Wooden Trug – best traditional wooden trug
FSC poplar with brass fittings | around £30–£40 | available in medium and large
Sometimes you want a trug that is a pleasure to own as well as to use. The Burgon & Ball traditional trug is our pick here: a proper boat-shaped basket made from FSC-certified poplar, held together with solid brass pins and finished with a smooth wooden handle. It is the trug for gathering cut flowers, harvesting the veg patch or carrying a few tools and a ball of twine round the borders.
It is not built for wet soil or heavy waste – that is not what a wooden trug is for – but for light, dry garden jobs it is lovely to handle and ages beautifully. It also makes an excellent gift for a keen gardener, striking a nice balance between everyday usefulness and something a little special.
Pros: Beautiful, sustainably sourced timber; brass fittings; ideal for flowers, veg and light jobs; a great gift.
Cons: Not for wet or heavy loads; needs a little care to last; pricier than plastic tubs.
7. Original Sussex Trug – best heritage choice
Handmade willow and sweet chestnut | around £50–£80+ | made to order in the UK
For the gardener who has everything, the original Sussex trug is a genuine piece of British craft. Still handmade in Sussex from steam-bent sweet chestnut and hand-cleft willow, each one is a slightly different, and the better makers offer a lifetime guarantee against normal use. It is light, strong for its weight and beautiful in the way only handmade things are.
This is a considered purchase rather than a workhorse: you would not fill it with wet compost. But for gathering flowers and produce, and for the sheer pleasure of using something made to last a lifetime, nothing else in this list comes close. If you want an heirloom trug, this is it.
Pros: Genuine handmade British craft; light yet strong; often a lifetime guarantee; a true heirloom.
Cons: Expensive; often made to order with a wait; strictly for light, dry jobs.
Garden trugs compared at a glance
| Trug | Type | Approx. capacity | Guide price | Best for |
| Red Gorilla Gorilla Tub (Large) | Flexible plastic | 38L | around £10–£14 | Everyday all-round use |
| Red Gorilla Gorilla Tub Shallow | Flexible plastic | 35L | around £12–£16 | Leaves and grass clippings |
| Faithfull Flex Tub | Heavy-duty plastic | 42L (15–60L range) | around £10–£15 | Rubble, soil, wet loads |
| Kingfisher / Ward Flexi Tub (twin) | Flexible plastic | 40L each | around £12–£18 for two | Value multipack |
| Haxnicks Pop-Up Tidy Bag | Collapsible fabric | Large | around £10–£20 | Storage-saving leaf clearing |
| Burgon & Ball Traditional Trug | Wooden | Medium/large | around £30–£40 | Flowers, veg, light jobs |
| Original Sussex Trug | Handmade wooden | Varies | around £50–£80+ | Heritage gift / heirloom |
Prices are a guide only and change frequently – always check the current price before you buy.
How to choose a garden trug
Flexible plastic vs wooden
This is the first decision. Flexible plastic tubtrugs are the practical choice for everyday hauling: leaves, weeds, soil, water, prunings and general muck. They are cheap, tough and squashable. Wooden trugs are for lighter, prettier jobs – cut flowers, harvesting, carrying tools – and for the pleasure of owning something handsome. Most keen gardeners end up with both: a couple of workhorse tubs and one nice wooden trug.
Size and capacity
Bigger is not always better. A 38–42-litre tub is the sweet spot for general garden work – large enough to be useful, but not so large that it becomes back-breaking when full of wet soil. Only go for a 60-litre tub if you will mostly fill it with light material such as leaves, or if you are doing landscaping work and can accept that it is a two-handed lift when loaded. If in doubt, two medium tubs beat one huge one.
Handles and comfort
You will carry a trug hundreds of times a season, so the handles matter. Look for two strong, moulded handles set wide enough apart to balance a heavy load, with enough width to spread the weight across your hand. Thin, hard handles dig in when the tub is full; the better tubtrugs get this right.
Durability and frost resistance
A trug lives outdoors, so it needs to cope with UK weather. Good tubs are UV stable so they do not fade and go brittle in summer sun, and frost proof so they do not crack in winter. Cheap, thin tubs often skip both and split within a season or two. The tubs in this guide are all built to last outdoors year-round, though the very cheapest multipacks will not last as long as the premium options.
Getting the most from your trug
- Rinse tubs out after muddy jobs – dried-on soil makes them heavier and harder to store, and a quick hose-down takes seconds.
- Store plastic tubs stacked and out of direct summer sun where you can; even UV-stable plastic lasts longer in the shade.
- Keep a wooden trug dry between uses and give it an occasional wipe of oil to stop the timber drying and cracking.
- Colour-code multiple tubs by job – one for compostable waste, one for general rubbish, one for tools – to speed up every tidy-up.
- Drill a couple of small drainage holes in one old tub and keep it as a dedicated ‘wet’ tub for washing pots and mixing compost.
Frequently asked questions
What size trug do I need?
For general garden use, a 38–42-litre flexible tub is ideal – big enough to be useful, small enough to lift when full. Add a larger tub or a pop-up bag if you do a lot of autumn leaf clearing.
Are tubtrugs frost proof?
The good ones are. Brands such as Red Gorilla and Faithfull use frost-proof, UV-stable plastic that copes with UK winters and summers. Very cheap tubs may crack in a hard frost, so check before you buy.
Can I use a garden trug for mixing compost or cement?
Yes – a heavy-duty flexible tub like the Faithfull Flex Tub is ideal for mixing compost, potting mixes and even small amounts of cement or mortar. Just rinse it out promptly afterwards, especially with cement.
Wooden trug or plastic – which is better?
Neither is ‘better’; they do different jobs. Choose a flexible plastic tub for everyday hauling of soil, leaves and waste, and a wooden trug for flowers, veg and lighter, prettier tasks. Many gardeners own both.
Our verdict
For most gardeners, the answer is simple: buy a large Red Gorilla Gorilla Tub and you will wonder how you managed without it. Add the shallow version if autumn leaves are your main battle, and a heavy-duty Faithfull Flex Tub if your jobs stray into landscaping. If storage is tight, a Haxnicks pop-up bag folds away to nothing between uses.
And if you want something with a bit more soul, a Burgon & Ball wooden trug or a handmade Sussex trug turns a simple garden task into a small pleasure – and makes a lovely gift for the gardener in your life. Whichever you choose, a good trug is one of the cheapest ways to make every job in the garden a little easier.
