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.
Quick List - Top Garden Arches
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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.
Products | Image | Click to purchase | Key features | |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | TecTake Garden Arch With Bench | ![]() | High-Quality and Well-Made With a Charming Bench | |
2 | BIRCHTREE Metal Garden Arch | ![]() | Heavy Duty With a Stunning Brass Finish | |
3 | Selections Wooden Garden Arch | ![]() | A Tall, Narrow Trellis Perfect for Clematis | |
4 | Outsunny Garden Arbour With Bench | ![]() | Sit Down and Admire the Flowers | |
5 | Parcel in the Attic Oleiros Rustic Garden Arch | ![]() | A Wide, Rustic Arbour That Can Be Painted | |
6 | DOEWORKS Garden Arch | ![]() | A Stable Arch With Beautiful Decoration | |
7 | Ram Black Metal Garden Arch | ![]() | The Perfect Arch for Windy Areas | |
8 | Selections Windsor Garden Arch | ![]() | A Beautiful Design Secured With Fixing Pegs | |
9 | Argos Steel Garden Rose Arch | ![]() | Affordable, Weather-Resistant and Easy to Assemble | |
10 | Gr8 Large Black Metal Arch | ![]() | A Clever Double-Gated Design for Easy Access |
It's time to see the best item on our list! This garden arch is a wonderful find because it looks beautiful and is very well-made. The metal tubing is thick and high quality, making it sturdier than other options. Furthermore, the product is easy to assemble and arrives quickly.
The arch and bench are a nice size because it can comfortably fit two people without taking up too much space. The metalwork is also coated in black powder to protect it against adverse weather and rust. Suiting both modern and classic-looking spaces, this is a great all-rounder!
Many metal garden arches have a standard black finish, but this one has a bronze effect. It adds a unique touch and makes the arch look much more expensive than it is. Combined with the decorative top, this arch looks truly stunning. All it needs is some climbing roses to complete the effect.
The iron metalwork will last a long time, as it's extremely sturdy and durable. And let's not forget to mention that this arch is very easy to assemble. It'll take no time at all if you follow the instructions!
A natural wooden arch will make a great centrepiece for your garden. This one has a decorative trellis up the sides, which you could use to grow clematis, and the shape is really classy and attractive.
If you have a smaller space, this is an excellent choice as it's slightly narrower than other designs. The spikes needed to secure the arch come with it, so you don't need to buy them separately. It's even finished with preservatives to protect the wood against damage from insects and rot.
Arches aren't just for growing climbing plants; this one also doubles up as a seat. Perfect if you have a small garden and haven't got room for both a bench and an arbour! Two people can comfortably sit on the bench because it can support weights up to 200 kilograms safely.
It's slatted too, which will prevent water build-up that might otherwise damage it. The slats also increase airflow, so you can comfortably sit on the bench when it's warm outside without feeling closed in.
With its unique shape, this arch is one of the most visually pleasing designs on our list. The connected logs give it a rustic effect that will complement any garden nicely. It's made from FSC solid wood that's thick and high-quality with a natural look, and it happens to be the widest on our list too.
You can fix this arch securely into the ground by purchasing 70-millimetre spikes. They're sure to hold it firmly in place! The wood has been pressure treated to protect it against rot, but it's left unfinished if you want to paint it yourself.
It's almost a shame to grow climbing plants up this garden arch as the metalwork on the sides is gorgeous and should be shown off! The decoration makes it ideal for a wedding or event. This arch isn't going anywhere, as the metal poles are diagonally shaped, so they'll be easier to insert into the ground to anchor it down.
This is another one that's a little tricky to put together, but despite this, the product has many positives. The metal has been powder coated to make it resistant against all kinds of weather and it guards against scratches. There are two sizes to choose from, too.
This arch has excellent stability as you can bury the poles up to 40 centimetres in the ground. It'll stay firmly rooted in the earth, even on a windy day! The arch is made from steel, which has a weather-resistant black powder coating that will stop it from rusting.
The frame is malleable, so it might bend out of shape when you're fixing it together. It's best if you're growing plants up the arch, as they'll cover any imperfections. It's a good product overall and it's extremely chap, plus you can move it around easily as it's lightweight.
Here's a lovely decorative arch with a gate on the front. You can use it to separate different areas of a large garden. This arch even comes with fixing pegs to make sure it securely stays rooted in the ground, making it particularly good for use in windy areas.
One thing to note is that the gate and the frame don't align perfectly, making it tricky to put together. On a positive note, the gate does look attractive with delicate metalwork that gives it an ornate feel.
If you're looking for an arch on a budget, this is a great choice! Some arches can be difficult to put together, but not this one. You'll have it assembled quickly and it comes with full instructions. It's also weather-resistant, so it'll last a long time without developing damage from rust.
Owing to its budget nature, the steel piping is quite thin, so don't use it in windy areas or put more than 18 kilograms on it. As long as you use it sensibly, the arch is a brillant buy. It's also quite big, so it's perfect for large gardens.
This arch has a clever double-gated design that opens in the middle for easy access. The gate also has added decoration, with metalwork shaped like hearts that are also on the sides. The arch is sturdy as the metalwork is fairly thick, and it's finished with a black powder coating to protect against rust.
Some customers have noted that the joints can be a bit flimsy and cause the arch to tilt when the gate opens. Even with this slight problem, this gate arch is a lovely choice. It's a good size, so it will comfortably fit most paths and openings.
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!
No. 1: TecTake|Garden Arch With Bench
No. 2: BIRCHTREE|Metal Garden Arch
No. 3: Selections|Wooden Garden Arch
No. 4: Outsunny|Garden Arbour With Bench
No. 5: Parcel in the Attic|Oleiros Rustic Garden Arch
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