Gardening, farming, construction, and landscaping all require the help of a wheelbarrow. They make the job so much easier because you can haul things with ease. 

With a wheelbarrow, there’s no need to lift sacks of gardening soil from place to place one at a time. You can also get rid of the waste and excess materials in a less cumbersome manner.

To help you choose the right wheelbarrow, our team of gardening, landscaping, and construction equipment experts reviewed the best five excellent options available in the market. These are the most reliable, cost-effective, and convenient wheelbarrows you could ask for.

Once you are ready and have found the best choice, be sure to click the buttons below to see their best deals on Amazon! With that, here are five of the best options that we rounded up especially for you.

Best Wheelbarrows Comparison & Rating

Wheelbarrows

Features

Marathon Yard Rover – 2 Tire Wheelbarrow Garden Cart - Green/Black
  • two air-filled wheels
  • loop handles
  • five cubic feet capacity
Polar Trailer #8449 Cub Cart, 50" x 28" x 29" Hauling Cart
  • 400 pounds loads
  • high impact and thick tub
  • shielded ball bearings
Garden Star 70019 Garden Barrow Dual-Wheel Wheelbarrow/Garden Cart
  • six-bolt assembly
  • four cubic feet carrying capacity
  • handy loop handle
Rubbermaid Commercial Big Wheel Cart, 200 Pound Capacity, Black, FG565461BLA
  • high-density polyethylene
  • 20-inch diameter wheels
  • 3.5 cubic feet capacity
Draper DRA31619 Garden Wheelbarrow 65 Litre
  • galvanized steel
  • rigid, tubular frame
  • steel-rimmed wheels

1. Marathon Yard Rover 2-Tire Wheelbarrow

Marathon Yard Rover – 2 Tire Wheelbarrow Garden Cart - Green/Black
Specifications:
96% Overall

Dimensions

53.5 x 25.5 x 25.6 inches

Weight

25 pounds

Color

Green

Capacity

5 cubic feet

96%
Performance
98%
Durability
95%
Features
96%
Ease of use
Pros:
  • Features two air-filled wheels on the sides.
  • Comes with loop handles for a better grip and leverage.
  • Boasts a capacity of 5 cubic feet.
  • Made of a rust-proof tray.
  • Can accommodate up to 300 pounds.
  • Assembling it will only take a few minutes.
  • Weighs up to 25% less than other wheelbarrows.
  • Smoothly glides through the grass and easy to dump contents.
Cons:
  • Not intended to carry loads with sharp, pointy edges as the wheelbarrow's coat is quite delicate.
Final Take:

This is an excellent wheelbarrow to have at home. It’s incredibly lightweight, so you can easily cart it around even when you fill it up with soil or mulch. The compact body makes it easy to store or put away on the side. The wheels turn smoothly and can easily traverse grassy terrain. You will also not have to worry about this wheelbarrow becoming rusty.

2. Polar Trailer #8449 Cub Cart

Polar Trailer #8449 Cub Cart, 50" x 28" x 29" Hauling Cart
Specifications:
96% Overall

Dimensions

50 x 28 x 29 inches

Weight

36 pounds

Color

Black

Capacity

7 cubic feet

98%
Performance
95%
Durability
94%
Features
96%
Ease of use
Pros:
  • Able to bear a load of around 400 pounds.
  • Offers a capacity of seven cubic feet.
  • Lightweight and easy to push at only 35 pounds.
  • The tub is high impact and thick.
  • Comes with wide, rugged rubber tires.
  • Features shielded ball bearings.
Cons:
  • The tires aren't very thick but durable enough to last for years.
  • Putting everything together can be quite challenging. 
Final Take:

This wheelbarrow is a lot tougher than its material might make it seem. Though it is composed of polyethylene, it is designed to withstand a lot of weight. You can use this to ferry huge piles of dead plants, sand, stones, and more. It can even be used to carry several sacks of soil or fertilizer if you want. The wheelbarrow is quite easy to maneuver, even in tight spaces, as well. Thanks to the design of the handles, you won’t have trouble getting a good grip to push this around, too.

3. Garden Star 70019 Garden Barrow

Garden Star 70019 Garden Barrow Dual-Wheel Wheelbarrow/Garden Cart
Specifications:
93% Overall

Dimensions

37 x 25.5 x 27 inches

Weight

20.1 pounds

Color

Green

Capacity

4 cubic feet

93%
Performance
94%
Durability
91%
Features
92%
Ease of use
Pros:
  • Easy to assemble with only six bolts.
  • The air-filled tires roll with very little resistance.
  • The design makes the wheelbarrow perfectly balanced.
  • The tray is resistant to impacts and substantial pressure.
  • Features a carrying capacity of 4 cubic feet.
  • Comes with a handy loop handle.
  • Compact and easy to store.
Cons:
  • The tray is quite thin but is still durable.
  • Easy to scratch with objects with sharp edges.
Final Take:

You can use this wheelbarrow as an excellent gardening tool for small areas. Due to its compact size, it won’t get in the way while you are working. It is also light enough that even those with weak hands can handle them with ease. The wheels are a big part of this due to their rugged designs. You can easily push, pull, turn, and pivot with the wheel and handle design, as well.

4. Rubbermaid Commercial Big Wheel Cart

Rubbermaid Commercial Big Wheel Cart, 200 Pound Capacity, Black, FG565461BLA
Specifications:
92% Overall

Dimensions

47 x 27.5 x 24.75 inches

Weight

47 pounds

Color

Black

Capacity

3.5 cubic feet

91%
Performance
93%
Durability
92%
Features
90%
Ease of use
Pros:
  • Made of high-density polyethylene.
  • Comes with 20-inch diameter wheels.
  • Resistant to water absorption and rot.
  • Does not rust or corrode.
  • Compact and easy to put away.
  • Comes with a capacity of 3.5 cubic feet.
Cons:
  • Though it is durable, its entire body is made of plastic.
Final Take:

This is a great farm cart or wheelbarrow to get for your home. You can transport anything in it, including pots, seedlings, bags of dirt, sacks of cement, and more. The tray is also resistant to scratching, puncture, and impact. The wheels and bottom are made thick to be able to carry heavy loads with ease. The large wheels are perfect for being able to move faster, even over uneven terrain.

5. Draper DRA31619 Garden Wheelbarrow

Draper DRA31619 Garden Wheelbarrow 65 Litre
Specifications:
90% Overall

Dimensions

32.28 x 24.41 x 8.66 inches

Weight

16.31 pounds

Color

Blue

Capacity

2.30 cubic feet

88%
Performance
92%
Durability
89%
Features
89%
Ease of use
Pros:
  • Made of galvanized steel for durability.
  • Designed with a rigid, tubular frame.
  • Comes with a 0.7 mm gauge tray.
  • Features steel-rimmed wheels that are fitted with pneumatic tires.
  • Good for general use in gardening, farming, and construction.
  • Comes with a sleek, ergonomic design.
Cons:
  • Its capacity is only 2.30 cubic feet.
  • The handles aren't very comfortable but very sturdy.
Final Take:

This is a good wheelbarrow for what it is. It’s a general-purpose tool that you can use for pretty much any job. This goes for when you are gardening, fixing a road, transporting goods, or whatever else. Although the tray is small and cramped, there is no denying that it is also durable. Assembling this wheelbarrow is fairly easy, as well, and won’t take longer than a few minutes. Its design is the most traditional on this list too and you can even use this as a unique planter.

Best Wheelbarrows - Buyer's Guide

capacity

Wheelbarrows can have capacities that can range from three square feet to nine. Their sizes will naturally correspond with their capacities, which will affect their bulk and weight. If you are going to buy a wheelbarrow, you need to consider just how much you will be carrying and for what projects. Some wheelbarrows can also handle 200 pounds of load and up, but this relies more on structural integrity and material quality.

style

You can choose from several types of wheelbarrows, which can differ in the number of wheels, the size of the wheels, the location of the wheels, the style of the handles, the shape of the bowl, and the extra accessories that it comes with. Single-wheeled wheelbarrows with two straight bars for handles and two triangular stands are the most common. However, you can choose other styles if you want, as well.

wheels

The wheels of the wheelbarrow can differ in size, material, quality, position, and shape. There are wheelbarrows where the wheel is just a circular piece of metal while others are made of rubber. They can also be placed in front, underneath, on the sides, or all of the above if there are more than just two wheels.

design

Some wheelbarrows are specifically designed for areas where mobility is a challenge like a small garden. There are also wheelbarrows that were intentionally designed to move large, heavy, and bulky objects with the maximum capacity being the main goal. These will be obvious in the depth of the bowl, the shapes of the front and sides, and the position of the wheels. So be sure to pay attention to those.

Materials

Wheelbarrows should be made of durable materials in order to withstand the load and pressure that it will encounter. Aside from soft materials like dirt and sand, you might also transport things like discarded pieces of metal or glass with it. As such, it would be best to aim for wheelbarrows that are made of tough kinds of synthetic material.

Best Wheelbarrows - FAQs

Do I really need a wheelbarrow?

If you are doing big landscaping or gardening projects, then you certainly need a wheelbarrow. It’s the default transport unit for excess materials like dirt, piles of dead plant parts, mulch, or whatever else you need to move around. It makes the job so much easier and you don’t need to exert as much effort in the process.

What kinds of things can I use a wheelbarrow for?

There is a reason why wheelbarrows are often used in gardening, farming, and construction. You can use it to wheel mounds of dirt, debris, sand, cement, and more. They are used for transporting sacks of supplies, bricks, blocks, metal, and the like for building, planting, and so on. Having a wheelbarrow is simply more convenient than going without it.

How big should my wheelbarrow be?

For most home wheelbarrows, a capacity of four or five cubic feet would usually be enough to get the job done. You only really need six or more cubic feet of space if you are operating on a larger capacity like for construction, farms, or large-scale landscaping projects. Smaller wheelbarrows can involve more trips, but they are easier to store. Larger wheelbarrows can reduce the number of trips but would take up more room.

Is a wheelbarrow better than a cart?

When you need more maneuverability in a limited space with lots of debris or obstacles, a wheelbarrow would be the better choice. You simply have more control when you only need to steer the front wheels rather than four wheels. This will then help you move around in a small garden or a cramped construction site with less hassle.

Author

Jessie is a landscape artist famous among folks in Los Angeles who are obsessed with keeping their lawns pristine and divine. He worked for BrightView Holdings, Inc. back in 2015 and now owns a brick-and-mortar business that offers all kinds of gardening tools and machines. Ask him all you need to know about your mower or your fertilizer, and he will answer you while sipping a cup of coffee.