UK’s best water butts and water barrels that are cheap, decorative, square, and slimline reviewed

I don’t think I’ve reviewed a set of products in such a long time with a beautiful array and choice. And while I didn’t buy the Charles Bentley Ward 210L Round Plastic Water Butt myself because I wanted a space saving option. I opted for the Rainsaver Mini 100 litre Green Water Butt Double Kit that looked a bit snazzier (it’s right to the side of my extension collecting rain water directly off the house roof). But, with that said the Charles Bentley Ward water butt definitely deserved top spot. Let’s take a look at why:

Firstly it comes with everything you need – The stand and a reasonable length strap to tee into your gutter downpipe. This may sound trivial but some of the other best picks do not come with these options in a bid to save costs and for some, that makes sense, for the example the best value pick (no surprise) the Strata Products Ltd GN334 Ward 100L doesn’t have anything but the butt. No pun intended 😀

So fitting the strap is really easy if you follow my simple guide. The strap goes around the downpipe but be sure to make your cut about 3 inches below the height of the stand + and water butt. The reason for strapping slightly below is eventually the cup holder on the inside of the strap will fill up and from inside the downpipe and pass the water to your butt. If you fit this on a level surface it won’t flow over because of gravity, you can easily drill into this and feed a second and third water butt if you want to. Don’t make the same mistake as I did 😀 – go lower than the butt and you self regulate the amount of water:

It weighs about 8kg and pretty comfortable to move around on your own though a little cumbersome being half a metre wide and the best part of a metre tall. This doesn’t include the stand by the way so as not to throw you off. The stand combined takes you up to about 1.4m so as you can imagine this is pretty large but not over the top. It falls well short and hidden on a 5ft fence. The top will poke over a 4ft fence but nothing too obtrusive given it looks pretty nice. With all the height it makes for the ideal platform (40cm) to place your watering can. This is about enough space for a medium to large watering can but I’d recommend you take a tap measure out to be sure this is going to the comfortable. There’s nothing worse than holding the watering can at a funny angle:

It’s made from high density plastic which is pretty sturdy, and whilst they don’t give the thickness, with so many positive reviews all over the net it’s hard ignore this if you’re looking for a high quality hassle free water butt that’ll last.

The stand is overly strong and not a problem at all. Being 210 litres though, I’d be putting this on a slab or solid surface, freshly dug soil is definitely a no-no. A level water butt will also stop overflow problems and be less likely to sink over time too.

There’s a couple of niggly problems I hope they’ll resolve on this at some point. The tap is a bit loose and therefore leaks (no surprise I think all of the water butts I’ve ever owned have). So, you definitely want to use some plumbers tape and tape it up good before bolting it in. That’ll solve the problem.

Also, don’t forget you’ll need a hole cutter for the inlet. (the pipe that you’ve installed from the downpipe to the water butt) so if you was planning to replaced a pre-existing setup you’ll still need a little DIY but well worth it for a quality bit of kit and easily deserves top spot for the best water butt. Whilst the problems above sound significant, I’ve literally had water butts come apart at the seams 😀 and the base just randomly start leaking. So all in all a top quality unit!

Pros:

• Best water butt/barrel for quality and durability in the UK
• Complete solution – butt, diverter kit, and stand.
• Well constructed – rarely leak
• Not too tall as to be a problem
• Set and forget – if you install level and on hard ground, this is a long term solution

Cons:

• Some install work
• Leaks – to be expected from every review

Next up is the bare bones Strata 100L Slimline Water Butt. This is easily the best pick for cheapest water butt in the UK right now and I decided to test this myself personally by installing a water butt with standard waste pipe. Essentially it holds the same amount of water and pretty much equal in quality to the Mini Rainsaver but without the rain diverter or stand but you do get the lid and tap – I bought the rain base separately – you can buy the Strata water butt base but I went for one I had locally. The lid has a simple lock mechanism which is handy as some of my earlier water butt purchases didn’t and have blown off in the past. If you can be bothered to search Amazon for a stand and diverter which isn’t all that much hassle you can save a few quid on the Mini Rainsaver and most have done so taking advantage of the prime delivery no doubt 🙂

In terms of real life practical use I won’t sugar coat this. As you’ll see in my example I was able to cut this with a stanley knife. When I bought one of these a couple of years ago I got a slightly different design. If you look at the one in my install it looks different but they are definitely the same maker and product – both are equal quality and my original lasted very well. Here’s a look at the latest one I got:

Given this has been so good to me I am moving it up to second in the ranks ahead of the double mini water butt setup.

This water butt has sold many more than the Rainsaver online and there’s some other good reasons apart from price. Firstly, Strata is a well known and reliable brand for water storage – they make a super larger square water butt too: the Strata pro Ward 250L Slimline Water Butt which is also top rated. It matches the slimline Rainsaver on width too at 35cm wide and 95cm tall. The weight is almost identical and so is the look:

Apart from the extrusion being blown in a slightly different patter you’re getting a top notch product at a great price with the option not to have to buy the diverter and stand! In fact this would probably be the best in the country if not for those complaining as a result of not reading the description carefully enough – though I hope I have made it crystal clear 😉

Installation is much down to you but standard kits are available and as I say, not having to pay for the kit and stand means that if you have something other than standard you’re good to go making your own plan! Definite a buy rating from me on this one!

Pros:

• Cheapest water butt that’s high quality
• The price means no diverter or stand but this gives you flexibility if you have a non standard downpipe or stand setup.
• Decent quality material and easily on par with the Mini Rainsaver
• Lockable lid

Cons:

• Usual leaks which is covered in my guide to install

Next up is the Rainsaver Mini 100 litre Green Water Butt which is the one I actually wen’t for (well two). There are so many good reasons why you would want to distribute the load so to speak. This is almost certainly what you’ll end up with if you want a decent amount of water storage but at the same time, need something flexible in terms of how it’ll fit or can be placed to save space. It’s exactly the same as the Mini Rainsaver 100 litre Water Butt which is a single and voted top for slimline and space saving so it goes without saying this is the same level too:

Firstly you’ll notice just how light a 100L tank is compared to the heavier versions and having two side by side means you get the same capacity near on as the top pick Charles Bentley 210L but with a much slimmer fit to your wall. It goes without saying space is everything, especially when placing these on a patio area as I am doing.

You’ll appreciate the tap height. given these are mini containers the stand height is just shy of 30cm and that’s pretty generous. The unit itself measures a tad over 90cm but where this really scores is the width. Being less than 40cm, I think about 38cm exactly, but allow 40cm to be sure, you are saving a third in space from the wall when compared to the top pick and since I wanted them tight and out the way that was a deal sealer for me.

You get a kit that fits a round or square downpipe. Remember this is standard 68mm and 65mm (square sizes) so if you have something custom then you’ll need to make a bit of a bodge to get it on.

From my perspective the key to getting these working perfectly was levelling them well and making sure the diverter kit you install onto the gutter is positioned below the height of the rim to stop overflow. Joining is easy – everything comes in the kit read to go but i will say this, there’s no way you’ll install this without water proof silicone or plumbers putty. Universally water butts are leaky. It’s pointless to complain about it. When you make a tank from a big oil drum you buy a tap, cut your hole. First thing that happens….leak 😀 So don’t forget some sealants and good preparation. If you do this you’ll have a quality water storage solution.

One complaint I have is I am struggling to get the tanks to fit together tightly because of the overflow kit so they need to be spaced apart a little. Other than that I can’t really fault them.

Pros:

• Beautiful space saving and design looks great – only 38cm width
• Easy and clear install instructions
• Butt, diverter kit, and stand included – nothing else to buy except sealant for leaks

Cons:

• Some leaks as expected
• Can’t quite get them to go snug together – needs a little space between

Next up is the Sankey 150L Beehive Water Butt. This is one of the only survivors from the original review a couple of years ago and definitely deserves it’s inclusion still. That should give you some confidence knowing you’re with a trusted seller and it remains my pick for the most decorative water butt as I just love the beehive design 🙂

Some people are put off by the look of the standard water butt and, let’s be honest, they’re not he most eye catching things in the world are they?

Well, Sankey have thought about this problem and have come up with a solution- the Beehive water butt.
 As the name implies, this model is shaped like a beehive and looks so much more natural and pleasing to the eye than what is usually on offer.
 Made from 100 percent recycled materials but styled to look like a ceramic construction, this water butt will look great in any garden. It is also shatter proof and resistant to UV damage.
It stands 77 (height) by 60 cm diameter at it’s wide point and weighs 4 Kg when empty.

The capacity is 150L so on the lower side for storage solutions. If capacity is your thing as well as decoration you might want to look at the RAIN BARREL WATER BUTT, but before you do, have a look at how well this ages over time. This picture is a couple of years on from original, one of the biggest benefits of buying a product with history is getting to see what you’ll have in time ahead:

This model isn’t a kit and the stand and diverter have to be purchased separately. They are still recommending to pair this up with the premier water butt stand which you’ll find when following the water butt link to Amazon.

However, there are some draw backs. Over the years there’s been a couple of complaints it isn’t quite as nice looking as the pictures. I’m not really sure if they realised they are buying a plastic tank, and not a multiple hundred pound stone beehive? For the money it looks great in my opinion. Also, as with all water butts you’ll get leaks so I recommend sealant or plumbers mate on install. There’s been a few broken seals over the years now but not enough to worry about and with a trusted seller you have a genuine returns policy so you can buy with confidence.

Pros:

• Unique beehive design looks better than the standard models
• Made from recycled materials – that’s great it’s 100% recycled.
• Shatter and UV proof – strong and durable, really does hold up well.
• Not crazily priced

Cons:

• Not ideal if you need a large water storage solution
• Not as good as the real thing in stone

New to the reviews this time round in the decorative water butt category is this lovely wooden looking, plastic water barrel. To be absolutely fair, this thing looks great from a few metres, the closer you get the more you’ll realise it’s plastic:

As you can see from the picture there are two sizes. I’m reviewing the 240 litre larger version but as you can see you can make a bit of a feature with the smaller ones, carefully linking them up in the background. Water storage doesn’t need to be ugly 🙂

So I’ve got a question for you before we go any further. Have you got time to maintain a wooden water butt? (if yes I envy you) 😀 I will say this though, they do look super if you have the energy to convert one and keep the teak oil up.

Back to the listing though – this thing only weighs 12kg and so can be moved around and sort of spun on it’s edges into position pretty easily, even for those not so strong anymore.

The install is pretty simple and easy to follow if you can read GERMAN 😀 so don’t worry I’ll help out. You’ll need to drill your holes The inlet want’s to be on the second rung and although totally obvious I’ve still highlighted where to install the lower tap. Obviously you want to put the water inlet (where the water flows in from downpipe) around the back or to the side, or wherever is most convenient but out of sight:

I suppose it was pretty easy to follow and almost guided by the plastic extrusion, but still, it would have been handy if that was cleared up for us.

Before I start my usual moaning there’s more good news on this – it’s split proof guaranteed. So should that happen, you can send back for a replacement but what will impress you the most is the size. At just 58cm wide and 78cm tall you store 240L of water which is pretty good going given the extra decorative bulk and not far off the dimensions of the top pick Charles Bentley 210L.

Looking up close they’ve tried to make the oak like effect and I have to say it’s not bad:

I think given so many positive reviews elsewhere my comments are reasonably founded and if this continues to attract the positive feedback it has over the last year or so on the UK market I’ll be inclined to move this up to top decorative water barrel next time round. If you consider it’s a bit more expensive than the Sankey Beehive Water Butt but holds considerably more water, storage wise the prices are pretty much in alignment litre for litre. Overall it’s a solid confident buy.

Pros:

• Looks really authentic without actually being wooden
• Well priced – litre for litre its on par with the Sankey
• Sturdy and a split proof guarantee
• Smaller model can be bought and linked up to make an interesting looking display

Cons:

• Instructions are German but I’ve got you covered on this review
• Need to purchase stand (if you want one) and diverter kit separately.

Next up is one of my favourites and no surprise Strata are involved. They one the cheapest and best value water butt and I feel they deserve the best square water butt too. Mainly because they’ve tried to make this slimline and space saving whilst maintaining very sensible aesthetics you wouldn’t mind have around the home. In terms of space saving I opted for the Rainsaver Mini 100 litre Green Water Butt Double Kit because I wanted them as tight as possible against the wall, but this solution despite only being one barrel provides more storage and actually uses the same surface area (per litre) and might be better for you on that front too. It’s also not too bad on height at around 150xm with a 30cm stand (so the unit is about 1.2m) – it’s also 54cm square if that helps to know:

Here’s a look at how one ages, as you can probably see the lids a bit out of shape but that’s because it’s not engaged on the lid clips, otherwise not bad at all:

For this quality and storage of 250 litres you are getting a bargain. It’s basically litre for litre as cheap as the cheapest option in our picks that are good quality. You can see where you need to install your diverter kit but note: it is not supplied, and again, neither is the stand. Hence the excellent price of this unit as it’s not a complete set.

It’s quite bulky so there’s been the odd complaint of damaged on arrival – and I mean a handful of thousands sent – it’s the only thing that stopped this being my top pick actually. This is more down to courier than the seller. It’s understandable as this is essentially a big bit of hollow plastic and just on of those things. The seller will replace so don’t worry if that did happen to you. Also, you’ll get the odd complaint of the water leak issue. It’s normal and so you should consider sealant when installing both the tap and the inlet, of course the tap has far more pressure on it so pay special attention to that.

Overall it’s another great water butt from Strata and if you want to save space you really can’t go far wrong here.

Pros:

• Excellent value for money
• Decent quality plastic and guarantee period
• Stores 250 Litres so on the larger end of the scale
• Square water butt so saves space in corners

Cons:

• Some damaged in transit
• The usual occasional water leak so need to install with sealant.

The Mini Rainsaver 100 litre Water Butt is identical to the Double Kit I have reviewed above with exception that it is obviously just half – to be clear though: you still get a diverter kit and a base so it is a full solution. There’s not really too much to add to this part of the review other than I can share with you how this ages very well. Here is a picture of one a year old that’s been taking full sunlight:

Something I didn’t mention in the previous listing though, these are made from recycled plastic, which is a bonus and should make you feel better about buying! In case you arrive to this listing before the top pick, it’s 38cm wide so really good on space. With the supplied base you are a tad over 1.2m in height which is all pretty standard.

One benefit of buying the single as opposed to the double is the fact you can’t really get the double kit that close together, so if the plan is to push this tight to a corner it works superbly as a slimline solution. Overall if you’re looking for small and slimline, this is by far the best solutions of all the quality picks in this article. It really boils down to how many you want to link up 😀 Buying the double offers a slight advantage price wise and even more so if you don’t have amazon prime for delivery!

Pros:

• Only 38cm wide – super slimline and ideal for tight spots and corners behind patio doors etc
• Well constructed for the price – not far off the best value for money Strata 100L which is also slimline.
• Comes with stand and Diverter kit for square or round standard downpipes. (68mm round, 65mm square)

Cons:

• Usual leak complaints that is the same for all top picks – need sealant

The BeGreen 100L Capacity Mini Rainsaver Water Butt in my mind is almost identical to the Mini Rainsaver 100 litre and the Strata 100L. And is one of the only surviving water butts from my review a couple of years ago.

This water butt is made in Britain from recycled plastic is on sale for the same price as the Mini Rainsaver at the moment. 
The kit includes a 100 litre water butt, a rain diverter that fits 68mm round and 65mm square downpipes, a stand, and a hose fit tap. Basically everything you need.

Its sleek design means finding a space for it in the garden isn’t too much of a hassle and it remains stable on its 3 part stand. The stand itself holds the weight of the butt well, even when it is filled to capacity.
 It has been made to a high standard and there are minimal complaints of leaks which is unusual :D. It is also surprisingly easy to set up thanks to ports for the filler tube already being cut in the sides – a bit of an advantage especially if you’re only replacing a water butt and filler kit. The product measures 38 width both ways and a tad over 1.2m in height with the stand.

Pros:

• Great alternative 100 litre water butt to the Mini Rainsaver 100 litre and the Strata 100L
• British made to a high standard
• Doesn’t take up too much space
• Easy to set up – the pre drilled filler and tap is a real bonus if your downpipe is already cut!
• Comes with filler/diverter kit for standard downpipes

Cons:

• The odd leak
• Other choices for the exact same item near enough

This very popular kit from Harcostar contains a water butt that can hold 350 litres which is the largest of all in this review. It also includes a raintrap diverter and stand.

The components are all well made from strong materials so you don’t have to worry about the working life of this product.
Like our previous review, ports have been pre-cut on each side to make set up easier, but this model also has removable plugs in the ports, and handily, threaded tap holes have been pre-set up in two different places so you can choose which side to install the tap.

Another great feature is the lockable lid which has a spring loaded fastening clip. 
The rain diverter will for any downpipe, round or square with a little bit of adjusting and does what it is intended to do better than most.

Given this is a pre drilled kit and well built, if you want a large water butt and you’re doing a swap over so already have the downpipe cut at the right height which by the way is 1.2m without stand, this is absolutely ideal.

You want to make sure this is set on a solid surface. 350 litres will move and lean over if not setup right. There’s been hundreds of sales since I last reviewed this and only a couple of complaints with regards to leaks. Other than that, this is a top product and ideal if you need big!

Pros:

• 350 litre capacity
• High quality materials used in the butt’s construction
• Precut and plugged ports on both sides of the butt
• Two threaded tap holes have already been set up for you
• Lockable lid
• Includes stand and filler/diverter kit

Cons:

• The odd leak
• Need a really solid level base to store this much water (concrete or slab)
• Pretty standard bin look