Written by Terry Smith
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Best wheelie bin screens [UK]: Top wheelie bin screens with trellis and on wheels – how to screen off wheelie bins
This article was last updated on October 13th, 2021 at 8:54 am
It can get really annoying when you do up the garden or the house and no matter how nice you get it looking, your wheelie bins just end up ruining it. Everyone knows this struggle and it takes away all the effort you put in, so it’s always good to find some suitable cover or item that hides away your bins and even better, blends in with the garden.
That’s where wheelie bin screens are really handy. You can buy some bin storage units which are also really useful, but they can be more expensive and take up space, so they’re not always the most suitable option. Screens are cheaper and work better with a lack of space, as well as looking good in the garden if you get it right.
What are wheelie bin screens?
Well, there’s a few different items that count as wheelie bins screens, but effectively they’re any item or accessory that go on or around your wheelie bins to cover them up so they’re not on show. Wheelie bin storage units are a bit different as you actually place the bins inside them, whereas the crucial difference is a wheelie bin screen screens just covers them or are placed around them to tuck them away. Generally speaking, you can get screen units which cover all around the bin or covers which stick on the bin to make them look more natural.
However, there has also been a surge of trellising screens that have been used as wheelie bin screens too. This is effectively just some natural looking or wooden trellising that’s designed to cover off your bin, and they look fantastic in the garden to say the least. They make things look more natural and bring a new aesthetic to your outdoor area or garden.
So, wheelie bin screens aren’t just screen units, but actually count trellising and stickers too. This means there’s a bit of variety, which is always good because it means you can pick the one which fits best with your garden. They vary a bit in price but the main thing is that you just choose what suits you best. For example, my bins are kept in the side garden where I have lightly coloured wooden trellising, so a trellised screen or light wooden screen would be most suitable for me for it to blend in. If you don’t have too many flowering plants or wooden features in your garden though, a screen unit might be better for you.
Just take a look at your garden and have a think about what you might need, then refer to the list below to see what screen might best suit you. I know wheelie bin screens don’t sound overly exciting or useful, but I can confidently tell you it makes a hell of a difference if you hide your bins away with them and have them in the garden. In fact, it really highlighted to me how much the bins can just ruin a garden’s aesthetic, which is why I was keen to review them and pick out the best ones.
So, with that in mind, the 6 products below are the best 6 wheelie bin screens on the market currently, each with their own useful attributes to help you decide which is best for you. As well as that, we’ve got a buyers guide to help you know what you’re looking for in wheelie bin screens-they’re only effective when they’re used right in your garden.
Our top wheelie bin screen picks
- Selections Willow Wheelie Bin Screen (Best overall)
- Smart Garden 60cm x 180cm Expanding Solar Pre Lit Ivy Leaf Trellis Bin Screen (Best trellising option)
- Wheelie Bin Cover Ivy Leaves (Best cover/sticker option)
- Festnight Gabion Wheelie Bin Surround (Best expensive and most aesthetic option)
- Artificial Ivy Screening Rolls (Best for bright and colourful gardens)
- Casaria Poly Rattan Wheelie Bin Storage Screen (Best modern and best plastic option)
Problems with wheelie bin screens
The one thing that get us all with a wheelie bin is hygiene. But once that issue resolved we turn to how unsightly they are. And whilst one obvious solution is to use a wheelie bin storage, it’s actually quite difficult to justify the cost so wheelie bin screens work in the same way.
However with that said, you want a wheelie bin screen that has a sturdy base but still easy enough to move and finding a combination of the trow isn’t as easy as you might think.
1. Selections Willow Wheelie Bin Screen
Specification: Easy to assemble: yes, Width: 81 cm, Depth: 64 cm, Height: 115 cm
First up is my personal choice and the one which I’ve been using for a while, which is the selection willow screen. I used the single but there is a triple option too, so you can get the larger unit if needs be. At £64.99 it feels a little steep at first, but it’s really worth the money for its robustness and how it looks.
It doesn’t feel cheap or flimsy and feels like its high quality, which is really important for wheelie bin screens since they’re going to be outside and, well frankly, next to your bins. It needs to be able to withstand quite a bit of dirt and mess, as well as not become ruined or dirty too easily when the bin gets a bit too full.
It’s a nice darkish colour and is made from natural woven material, but it has a steel frame which keeps it sturdy and supported. You can barely see the metal support too, so it just fits nicely in a garden by bringing a natural look to it. This will fit in most gardens in terms of how it looks, I would say unless you’ve got lots of stone features, then this is a screen which will fit in easily into your garden. It’s not too big either, and it even comes as separate panels that are hinged and connect at different angles, so you can modify it so that it fits your bins area nicely.
Personally I’m a massive fan of the wood effect in my garden as it really does make things look more natural, but for how light weight it is and its material, it’s really strong and I don’t worry about it falling over or standing. It’s really versatile and is a pleasure to put up, and I’ve had no issues with it so far. The only thing that concerned me was maybe how it will last in harsh weather or when it gets dirty, but since its natural material unlike most other screens, it should be fine. After a closer look I also realised I could just apply a wood preserver, and because it’s wooden, a couple of screws into the wall were dead easy to secure it even more. This might not have been necessary at all and I’m sure it will last absolutely fine, but it just gave me that piece of mind.
That only took 5 minutes though, and for the product it is, I want it to last. It’s perfect for my garden and it covers my bins effectively, and it’s strong enough and robust enough to make me feel like I’ll have this screen for a long time. Yes it’s a little steep but you get what you pay for, and I’d rather have something for 60 quid rather than a cheaper screen that I might need to replace after a week. In my opinion, this is the best screen there is and is worth investing in no matter what your garden is like, so I couldn’t recommend it more. Like I said though if you have a garden with more stone in it or anything along those lines it might look a bit out of place, but I can’t guarantee you this and it will really depend on what your garden is like. Either way, I would put it in most gardens and believe it’s a really good bit of wheelie bin kit.
2. Smart Garden 60cm x 180cm Expanding Solar Pre Lit Ivy Leaf Trellis Bin Screen
Specification: Easy to assemble: yes, Power source: Battery Powered, Width: 60 cm, Height: 180 cm
In second place is the best trellis screen that’s on the market currently, and whilst these sorts of screens can be used in many ways and could even just be taken from some standard garden trellising, this one is the best designed for wheelie bins. It’s a natural, I’ve leaf trellis which completely takes the attention away from the bins, and it’s perfect for screening off your bin area or even areas of the garden you don’t want on show.
It’s dead cheap at £33 and is easy to install too, you’ll just need to decide how it will look most effective. You might want to buy a couple just so you have more than enough to cover the screens, which is its only downside but let’s be real, it’s only £33 so it won’t be that big anyway. It’s UV resistant and will be waterproof too, so it should last you and you won’t have to worry about it wearing out too quickly. It’s also expandable which is a really handy feature, as it will cover more area.
Since it’s designed to look like leaves it obviously looks natural, and it really does fit into the garden. It’s a bit full on with the leaves so I would say as long as you’ve got some flowering plants or greenery in your garden, it will suit you perfectly. The LED lights that are solar powered also bring a comforting aesthetic to the garden. I would say the only way it looks out of place is if you really have got loads of greenery in your garden, as it could overload it a bit. Either way, this is the best trellising option there is and it will screen off your bins with a natural look effectively.
3. Wheelie Bin Cover Ivy Leaves
In our third place spot is a really cheap, and best budget, option for wheelie bin screens that will make your bin area look that little bit better and less off putting. First thing to note is that this won’t cover your bins entirely and wont screen them off that effectively, but it will take less attention off them and blend them in a bit more.
This ivy leaf cover only costs £21.99 and covers the entire bin apart from the lid, making it look a bit more natural and making it fit in with your garden more. There’s plenty of similar options like this which have different designs, but this one I felt was the most multi purpose and most applicable to gardens in general. Now they are easy to stick on but obviously since they are the exact size of most standard UK wheelie bins, they can be a pain to get exact! This isn’t the fault of the product though, and you can easily cut some off if needs be.
They might fade slightly over time (they are only 20 quid) but so far they haven’t for me, and needless to say I was really impressed with them. That’s why the only thing I would say is don’t buy these covers if your bins are out in the sun as this increases chances of fading. That said, they are the cheapest way to effectively screen your bins in a way that makes them blend in with the garden’s surroundings. Easy(ish) to put on, good looking and they don’t look that cheap either, so if a full on screen isn’t ideal for you, these covers are for you.
4. Festnight Gabion Wheelie Bin Surround
Specification: Dimensions: 250 x 100 x 120 cm (L x W x H), Mesh: 10 x 5 cm (L x W), Wire diameter: 4 mm
Now first thing is first, this is an incredibly reliable screen and a really effective way to screen your bins, but it is on the expensive side. On top of this, you’ll need to buy the stone or materials to fill it with to make it look good, so this screen is only good for you if you’re not worried about a budget or if you’re willing to splash the cash.
Now that’s out the way, what an incredible screen this is! It’s a robust, alloy steel frame that you can use to cover up to three bins and keep them out of sight. It has the strength I would expect from a £200 screen and I’m confident this will last you for a long time. It’s 250 x 100 x 120 cm in size and is quite big, so only get this if you have the space. It’s dead easy to assemble and if needs be, you could most likely rearrange it a bit so that it fits your garden better. Once it’s filled with either stone or wooden materials, it’ll cover your wheelie bins in such a way that it looks professional and up market, so it really does turn your wheelie bin area from a bit of a dull corner to a brand new fancy area.
The beauty about this product is that because you get the secure and stable frame on its own, you can fill it up with whatever material best suits your garden’s aesthetic. It could be stone, coal, wood you name it, it just depends on what you want. Have a think about what might look good in your garden and fill it up-this screen will make it look incredible…it’s just not cheap!
5. Artificial Ivy Screening Rolls
Next up in our list is a screen that is great for gardens where flowers are the focus, as it’s designed to look like white ivy which looks fresh and natural in the garden. It only costs £10 and it’s ideal to buy a few if you decide this is suitable for you, just so you have enough.
It’s made entirely from polyester and is suited for the outdoors, and it shouldn’t fade easily too, so should last you a while. It’s a really solid screen and can easily be attached to walls or bins etc, so it’s perfect for screening off your bins and making it fit in with your garden full of flowers. It’s not difficult to install and again, since these screens are multipurpose, there’s a few different ways you can screen your bins with them. We suggest in a corner or by placing the product directly onto the bins so it hangs off.
These are great for aesthetic reasons, but up close they can look a little flimsy. This is why you should only use it to blend the bins in with the garden rather than using them to make it into a sort of feature, as with any cheaper plastic, it’s not going to look the most authentic. That said, it’s a great way to screen your bins and also comes in a variety of colours and types, so you can pick the one that’s most appropriate for you. It’s cheap and handy, and we’re confident it will blend your bins in perfectly with the rest of your garden and will be effective in screening off your bins.
Personally it’s a bit too colourful for my tastes…but the wife loves the look of it!
6. Casaria Poly Rattan Wheelie Bin Storage Screen
Specification: Easy to assemble: yes, Width: 80 cm, Depth: 65 cm, Height: 115 cm
In our final spot is another sturdy and reliable wheelie bin screen, but the reason it’s in last place is because it doesn’t really offer anything extra that isn’t already covered in the products above. It’s got similar attributes to a wheelie bin storage shed but it doesn’t do the name much justice, as its thin polyester material makes it more suited to act as a screen.
It has a lid and a lock, so you can easily hide away your bins and open the door when needed. It comes in a darkish wooden colour and is nice and compact, and it actually looks pretty modern, so if this is what you’re after in your garden then this screen could be for you. Other screens in this list bring a more natural feel to the garden, which is generally more useful.
As well as this, it’s really expensive and it’s not the best value for money, considering the fact it’s only useful for screening one bin. That said, its modern and furniture-like design make it perfect for gardens that might have a patio or lots of furniture, as this will blend in nicely and prevent your bins from ruining the mood. It’s definitely good quality and will screen your bins effectively, but it’s just not got any major features or characteristics that make it a better screen than the products above.
Either way, it’s perfectly reliable and gets the job done, so there’s not really much to complain about, is there?
Comparison table: Best wheelie bin screens [UK]: Top wheelie bin screens with trellis and on wheels – how to screen off wheelie bins | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Product | What We Think | Price | ||||
Smart Garden 60cm x 180cm Expanding Solar Pre Lit Ivy Leaf Trellis Bin Screen   | This is the best option for a screen with some trellising, as it's great value for money and should last you a while, but it also does the job really well and can help blend your bins in with the garden. It looks a bit out of place if you don’t have much greenery or flowers in your garden, but apart from that, it adds to your garden's aesthetic and doesn’t look too unnatural either. I think it works well on the wall next to the bins or on the bin itself, but it's up to you. | |||||
Selections Willow Wheelie Bin Screen     | This is easily the best screen on this list and I would say it’s the most applicable to the garden. It's made from wooden material and should last outdoors, and in my opinion it looks the best too. It has a natural look to it and whilst it may be a little steep, it's not the most expensive in this list and it's honestly worth the investment. It's easy to put up and get right and it will screen your bins effectively, but it might not work as well as the other options in this list in a garden with stone features. Apart from that, it's my personal favourite and it really looks the part, as well as being strong and sturdy enough to last me a while. | |||||
Casaria Poly Rattan Wheelie Bin Storage Screen     | Compared to the other products in this list this one doesn’t have much else to offer, but it's still a reliable and sturdy screen which looks pretty modern and fresh. It does have features of a storage bin such as locks and a lid, but it’s the right sort of build for a screen too and is perfect if you don’t want a big bulky storage bin. Personally I think this would look great in gardens with some furniture or decking, but it doesn’t look natural, so just keep that in mind. | |||||
   | This is the best cover that can be used to screen your bins, and its variety and cheap cost means you can mix it up and really modify it to your garden's tastes. Only problem is that it won't cover your entire bin as the lid will be exposed, but I loved it because it just blends your bins in a lot more and takes the attention away from them. Yes they’re not full screen such as our first place spot, but because they’re so cheap and easy to apply, I think they can be really effective. If you’re on a budget or not desperate for your bins to be screened entirely, these covers are for you. | |||||
Festnight Gabion Wheelie Bin Surround     | The most expensive option in the list as all you’re getting is the screen frame, so it's not for you if you’re on a budget. The great thing is that you can modify this to your own tastes and fill it with whatever you like, so you could get it looking really professional if you need to. The frame itself is really sturdy and robust too, so you can feel reassured that it will last you and hold up. I suggest using large rocks or wood for a more aesthetic effect. It might not be the best value for money, but it’s the most expensive option for sure. | |||||
Artificial Ivy Screening Rolls     | This really does look the part and if you have a garden with plenty of colour then this is for you. It's dead cheap but you'll need a few of them, so make sure to measure the area first. They’re easy to apply and look effective without looking too plasticky or cheap. They’re a bit too bright for my garden but I love the idea of them, so I’m confident they will work in bright gardens or flowering gardens. They can look a tad flimsy up close but only if you look hard, so maybe it's not the best for smaller gardens. | |||||
Buyers guide
As you can probably gather from the details of what we thought of the products above, there are a few key things to keep in mind when looking for and buying wheelie bin screens. Don’t worry though, we’ve got them covered below.
Type of screen
As already said there are different types of screen (unit, trellised and cover) that you can get, but each one is suitable for your garden in different ways. Units are the most effective way of screening your bins and generally cost more for it too, but these units also help to make the bin area look better and make it part of the garden too.
On the other hand, trellising and covers won’t be as effective in screening your bins completely, but they will help them blend into the garden a lot and make it look like you’ve put the effort in to make them look good. Covers are generally cheaper though, and are definitely the best option for bin screening if you’re on a budget.
When considering the aesthetic side of things, units aren’t the best, but they don’t look bad. For gardens with plenty of flowering plants, we suggest trellising screens. If you have lots of greenery or lots of plants, covers will help blend the bins in.
How many bins?
This is an obvious one, but it can easily be missed! Make sure to buy a screen that will cover the amount of wheelie bins you have. For units, this information is typically available in the product details, so you’ll need to check before buying. For trellising and covers, check the size of the product and measure the area in which you wish to put them, then you can make sure you buy enough to fit the area.
Size
Typically, all UK wheelie bins are the same size (107x58x74cm) and so your screen should be designed for this. For units though, double check it will fit into the garden in the area you wish to put the unit. For covers and trellising, make sure that the size of each screen will fit onto the wheelie bin, cutting it down if it’s too big. It’s important that the sizes match up as if not, it’ll just draw more attention to your bins from visitors, and realistically just defeats the objective of a wheelie bin screen!
Material
You’re most likely going to come across either a wooden screen or plastic screen, both of which have their pros and cons. Wood is great and it looks far more natural than plastic, so it really brings an authentic feel to the garden. However, it might be more vulnerable to weather than plastic, so it may not last you as long.
On the other hand, the plastic material should be UV and weather resistant, and ideally dirt resistant too. It might also fade over time compared to wood, so ideally keep it out of the sun. Both materials will be absolutely fine, but you just need to consider it before you buy. If you wish to go for wood then we suggest treating it with some outdoor protector, but if you wish to go for plastic, just keep in mind it needs to have those characteristics for it to last. Personally I think plastic will last longer as it’s more resistant to weather, but they don’t look as good, so it’s about personal choice really.
Price
Obviously you always have to consider price with any product, but for wheelie bin screens it’s especially important. This is because for effective screening, chances are you’ll need to buy more than one screen. With units this isn’t really a problem (as long as you buy a screen big enough for the amount of bins you have!) but it will be for trellising or covers.
As we said with trellising, measure the entire area and see how much you need to cover. Check the size of the screen and buy as many as possible. However, the cost will creep up on you even if it seems cheap at first, so if you’re going to be buying lots then we suggest buying cheaper screens, but if you’re only buying 2 or 3, don’t worry so much.
With covers you’ll only need as many as the number of bins you have, assuming of course one screening cover will cover the entirety of each bin. So, just consider the price when you’re buying your screens, and hopefully it won’t run your wallet dry!
Why not build your own wheelie bin screen?
Here’s an interesting little tutorial on building your own wheelie bin screen!
Consider these points above and we’re confident you’ll find the wheelie bin screen that’s right for your garden, and hopefully you’ve learnt a thing or two about why wheelie bin screens are so useful!
