Garden arches, or arbours, are a wonderful way to liven up your outdoor space. The trellises or poles they feature allow you to grow beautiful climbing roses or clematis, while others even come with benches or gates attached. Design-wise, there's a wide variety available from sturdy wooden arches to unusual metal frames, so you'll have plenty of options to suit your garden.
Having lots of selection is great, but it also makes it harder to decide which one to pick. That's OK! Read through our handy guide that contains top tips to help you choose the best arch for your garden. We've also put together a ranking of the 10 best garden arches available to buy on Amazon and Argos with designs by Outsunny, TecTake and more.
Arches are unique decorative pieces that you can grow climbing plants around, but before you get to that, you need to work out how to find the right one. We've put together a guide with tips on size and material to help. If you follow our tips, you're sure to find an arch you'll love!
What material should you pick? Garden arches are commonly made out of steel, metal or wood. Below is some key information about the benefits of different materials and coatings to help you decide.
Many garden arches are made from metal, as it's malleable. For that reason, you'll find metal arches with intricate designs that look beautiful. Iron is a great metal to go for as it's strong and hard-wearing – just stay away from thin metalwork that bends out of shape easily.
The best metal arches will also have a black powder coating. This coating is much stronger than paint and will protect the arch against harsh weather conditions, rust and general wear and tear.
Bronze finishes are another option that gives arches an expensive look. It's a cheaper alternative to buying cast bronze garden decorations! The coating is also durable and weather-resistant against rain and frost.
While we refer to steel as a metal, it's technically an alloy made from carbon and iron. The carbon is added to make the iron stronger and stop it from fracturing. Similarly to other metals, you should check to see if the steel pipes are thick so they don't bend over time.
Steel arches are often fairly lightweight to, so it'll be easy to move them around if needed. Furthermore, it's a cheap material to manufacture, so they are more affordable than wooden arches or ones with complex metalwork.
Metal arches are lovely, but you can't beat the natural look and sturdiness of wood. Check if the arch is made from solid wood, as that means it's suitably strong and will have a unique grain pattern that looks magnificent. Some woods also have an FSC label, which means the product is sourced from FSC forests and meet environmental and social standards.
Another thing to look out for is wood that is finished with a pressure treatment where preservatives are forced onto it. This treatment helps the wood to stand up against adverse weather conditions like rain and wind. It also protects it against damage from insects and rot. Your wooden arch will last years if it's been treated correctly!
You can grow all sorts of plants on an arch and use it to frame your garden path. They can even be used as decorations for weddings, events and special occasions. However, if you're looking for something really unique, you might want to check out a few other different types of arches.
Some arches have benches, which are particularly great for small gardens. They take up less space as you get a bench and arch in one! You can also position these arches anywhere in the garden and they won't look out of place.
If you have a bigger garden, consider an arch with a gate. You can use the gated design to separate your garden into different sections. They are especially useful if you have a vegetable patch and don't want pets getting in. Alternatively, you could use the arch in your front garden to create a magnificent entrance.
Don't forget to check whether the arch you have your eye on fits into your space. If you buy a basic design, you have a little more leeway to adjust the height. You can leave out some rods when you're constructing it to make the arch shorter if you desire.
The most important measurement to consider is width, as it's something you can't easily adjust. If you've bought the arch to fit over a path or grass opening, measure the space to see whether it fits correctly. We recommend measuring a little extra on either side, as you want it to sit comfortably over your path or opening.
Although most arches are free-standing, it's advised that you bury them in the ground for security. This is particularly important if you live in a windy area! You can decide how deep you embed the poles, although some products have a recommendation for this.
Wooden arches need to be attached to spikes before you bury them for better security. Sometimes these come with the product, but you may have to buy them separately. If you're required to do that, make sure the spikes are the right measurement to hold the poles.
Similarly, if a metal arch has a wider base, it may come with fixing pegs to secure the arch. They're thin pieces of metal that hook into holes on the bottom of the arch. It's simple to do if you follow the instructions.
You're guaranteed to find a product you love by looking through our ranking of the top 10 best garden arches. They're all available to buy online in the UK with a click of a button from Amazon and Argos. We've got a great selection, too!
£79.99
Material | Iron |
---|---|
Treatment | Black powder |
Gate | Yes |
Bench | No |
Dimensions | 210 x 113 x 52 cm |
Securing Method | Bury |
£15.00
Material | Steel |
---|---|
Treatment | Not specified |
Gate | No |
Bench | No |
Dimensions | 243 x 137 x 38 cm |
Securing Method | Bury 20 cm |
£84.99
Material | Metal |
---|---|
Treatment | Black powder |
Gate | Yes |
Bench | No |
Dimensions | 214 x 116 x 44 cm |
Securing Method | Bury, pegs |
£12.95
Material | Steel |
---|---|
Treatment | Black powder |
Gate | No |
Bench | No |
Dimensions | 240 x 140 x 38 cm |
Securing Method | Bury 40 cm |
£47.99
Material | Iron |
---|---|
Treatment | Black powder |
Gate | No |
Bench | No |
Dimensions | 214 x 120 x 25 cm or 240 x 120 x 24 cm |
Securing Method | Bury |
£189.95
Material | FSC solid wood |
---|---|
Treatment | Pressure treated |
Gate | No |
Bench | No |
Dimensions | 277 x 183 x 54 cm |
Securing Method | 70 mm spikes (not included) |
£122.99
Material | Metal |
---|---|
Treatment | Black powder |
Gate | No |
Bench | Yes |
Dimensions | 208 x 152 x 58 cm |
Securing Method | Bury |
£84.99
Material | Wood |
---|---|
Treatment | Tan coloured preservative |
Gate | No |
Bench | No |
Dimensions | 218 x 114 x 40 cm |
Securing Method | Spikes |
£54.99
Material | Iron |
---|---|
Treatment | Bronze effect |
Gate | No |
Bench | No |
Dimensions | 244 x 117 x 45 cm |
Securing Method | Bury |
£76.99
Material | Metal |
---|---|
Treatment | Black powder |
Gate | No |
Bench | Yes |
Dimensions | 210 x 114 x 42 cm |
Securing Method | Bury |
Image | 1 ![]() TecTake | 2 ![]() BIRCHTREE | 3 ![]() Selections | 4 ![]() Outsunny | 5 ![]() Parcel in the Attic | 6 ![]() DOEWORKS | 7 ![]() Ram | 8 ![]() Selections | 9 ![]() Argos | 10 ![]() Gr8 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Name | Garden Arch With Bench | Metal Garden Arch | Wooden Garden Arch | Garden Arbour With Bench | Oleiros Rustic Garden Arch | Garden Arch | Black Metal Garden Arch | Windsor Garden Arch | Steel Garden Rose Arch | Large Black Metal Arch |
Features | High-Quality and Well-Made With a Charming Bench | Heavy Duty With a Stunning Brass Finish | A Tall, Narrow Trellis Perfect for Clematis | Sit Down and Admire the Flowers | A Wide, Rustic Arbour That Can Be Painted | A Stable Arch With Beautiful Decoration | The Perfect Arch for Windy Areas | A Beautiful Design Secured With Fixing Pegs | Affordable, Weather-Resistant and Easy to Assemble | A Clever Double-Gated Design for Easy Access |
Price | £76.99 | £54.99 | £84.99 | £122.99 | £189.95 | £47.99 | £12.95 | £84.99 | £15.00 | £79.99 |
Material | Metal | Iron | Wood | Metal | FSC solid wood | Iron | Steel | Metal | Steel | Iron |
Treatment | Black powder | Bronze effect | Tan coloured preservative | Black powder | Pressure treated | Black powder | Black powder | Black powder | Not specified | Black powder |
Gate | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | Yes | No | Yes |
Bench | Yes | No | No | Yes | No | No | No | No | No | No |
Dimensions | 210 x 114 x 42 cm | 244 x 117 x 45 cm | 218 x 114 x 40 cm | 208 x 152 x 58 cm | 277 x 183 x 54 cm | 214 x 120 x 25 cm or 240 x 120 x 24 cm | 240 x 140 x 38 cm | 214 x 116 x 44 cm | 243 x 137 x 38 cm | 210 x 113 x 52 cm |
Securing Method | Bury | Bury | Spikes | Bury | 70 mm spikes (not included) | Bury | Bury 40 cm | Bury, pegs | Bury 20 cm | Bury |
Link |
Arches are just one way to decorate your garden. If you've got the room for it, why not go one step further and buy a gazebo and some benches for your garden? You could even buy some raised beds to grow flowers and plants and make it look even better!
A decorative arch with climbing plants will look stunning in your garden. Whether you're doing a complete outdoor makeover or just making a few adjustments, we hope you've found our guide useful and that it has helped you pick out the best product!
Author: Rosa Fairfield
Household goods
PC and cameras
Home appliances and electronics
Cosmetics and skincare
Health
Food and drinks
Kitchen supplies
Clothing
Shoes
Accessories
Kids and baby
Interior and furniture
Hobbies
Outdoor
DIY and tools
Sports and fitness
Pets
Books, CDs, DVDs
Games
Cars and motorcycles
Gifts
Housing equipment and renovation
Travel
Smartphones and mobile phones
Music
Smartphone applications