Choosing the right greenhouse material is one of the most important decisions for any gardener. Should you go with polycarbonate or glass? Each option has its advantages and drawbacks, and the best choice depends on your budget, climate, and long-term gardening goals.
While researching this topic, I came across a fantastic YouTube video by Eli and Kate, where Eli shares her journey of choosing a greenhouse and the lessons she learned along the way. Her insights are both practical and relatable—fellow greenhouse owners will likely nod in agreement, while those considering their first greenhouse will find her advice incredibly helpful.
About Eli
Eli and Kate are passionate gardeners based in a small suburban Scottish garden, where they grow an abundance of fruits, vegetables, and flowers. Eli, the main voice behind their channel, has been recognized for her expertise with The Royal Caledonian Horticultural Society's Certificate of Merit for her work as an online gardening teacher. Their mission is to make gardening accessible, fun, and stress-free, especially for beginners. Through their informative and engaging videos, they create a welcoming space where everyone can learn, grow, and enjoy the beauty of gardening together.
Eli's Greenhouse Journey
In Eli's video, she'll show you the key differences between polycarbonate and glass greenhouses, covering durability, insulation, cost, maintenance, and performance in different weather conditions. Whether you're a beginner looking for an affordable start or an experienced gardener searching for a long-term investment, this article will help you make an informed decision.
Let’s dive in and explore the pros and cons of each greenhouse type!
You guys know the whole story about all of my gorgeous Rhino greenhouse. For those of you who don't, I originally started in this garden as a completely novice, no gardening experience whatsoever. This is my very first garden. So when I bought my first greenhouse, I was a bit wary about would I really stick to this. You know, would I go and spend a fortune on the greenhouse because they're not cheap and then I decide it's not for me. It would have been a waste of money. So I started off with a polycarbonate greenhouse and not one of those kind of like lightweight frames with some poly over it. It was an actual metal structure proper greenhouse this size but instead of glass, it's polycarbonate. I have to say if you are just starting out or if you don't have a budget for a glass greenhouse, they are fantastic and it did the job. I had it six years and I grew tomatoes and peppers and all sorts and it was brilliant, but it had one flaw. Being that polycarbonate is super light. Being a cheap greenhouse, it wasn't the most sealed shall we see. So it let the wind in and let the rain in. It got pretty horrible and disgusting. The main thing with the wind was because it was lightweight and because there were gaps, the wind could get in. Every time it was properly windy, I spent the next morning going around the neighborhood trying to retrieve bits from the greenhouse and I'm not just saying that for a fit. That genuinely is what happened and there's a car park not far over there and I used to be terrified that something the roof usually would fly out and go that way. Nice to be terrified it was going to hit a car. Yeah, so polycarbonate versus glass. Just the wind factors alone I would say glass is way better. It copes better and obviously if glass gets smashed, it's really expensive to replace. Polycarbonate is really cheap to replace those panels when the wind blows them out and you lose them. So let's look at the positives and minuses. Polycarbonate is much much cheaper. My polycarbonate greenhouse which was the same size as this one was about 350 pounds and this one the glass greenhouse this one was 1100. Big difference. The panels the polycarbonate panels themselves if one of these got broken, polycarbonate would cost me 10 pound to buy a new panel. I would cut it with a knife and fit it myself. Obviously, the glass gets broken, it's going to e a lot more expensive. Touchwood, I haven't had that problem yet and this is very good. This is toughen safety glass so hopefully I won't ever have that issue. Luckily, I don't have any trees around here that are likely to fall on it during these ones so that's a good thing. Now polycarbonate greenhouse companies that sell them the websites have looked at. They talk about this and they tell you that polycarbonate heats up faster then glass does. So it lets the heat in and holds onto that heat much much better. Glass lets the heat dissipate much quicker. So whether that's a plus or a minus depends I suppose on where you live and it's probably a plus here because at night it gets quite cold here and I might want some that I might want it to stay warm for longer and dissipate slower. However, the thing to watch out for is if it's a single wall polycarbonate. That's not true the single wall stuff actually lets the heat out much faster than glass does because it's just one thine sheet of plastic. If you like polycarbonate and you get the dual wall stuff. My old one, the roof was dual wall and the walls were single. So the dual panel or dual wall stuff actually has a gap between. It's like double glazing. So that holds onto the heat much better so it's something to watch out for they're not all the same. Durability wise, the polycarbonate might be cheaper but this came with a 25 year guarantee. So if there's any parts that wear out faster than expected or aren't right or whatever, there's a 25 get your guarantee and it's also incredibly sturdy. You have no idea. I don't think on a video I can show you just how sturdy this is. It's awesome. So yeah, there's a thing now points about glass that are better obviously. It's crystal clear. It's beautifully cleared and easy to clean. It lets the light in and much much better than polycarbonate when it was new like that but after probably just a few months definitely after a year, it had gone a kind of slightly foggy. Let's call it foggy. When it was no longer that clear even when you were giving it a good clean, it was never back to being the same again. It got worse as the years went on. So that's something to think about. In terms of cleaning, I've just done my first winter clean of this greenhouse and I can tell you it is night and day compared to how it was like to clean the polycarbonate greenhouse. That thing was disgusting. The dual wall used to get all sorts of inside that just grow green stuff inside and I couldn't get it to clean it. It was just horrible. It was so lightweight and flimsy, it was hard to even just like clean it with a sponge because it would go when you put pressure on it. I'd say it's much easier to maintain and in terms of growing last year. What have I done in this so far? Previous spring, I grew tomatoes and peppers and chilis and herbs. I'm going round in my head around the greenhouse to see what was where. They all grew brilliantly. The seedlings grew faster, too, quicker. I don't know if that's to do but it's better light. It was warmer or whatever but I did find that things came on a lot quicker in here than they did with the polycarbonate. I do find it's much easier to use because it's sturdy I'm not always worrying and having to be careful with stuff. I think it comes down to your budget and what you want to get out of it. I'm not going to say that you shouldn't. I mean I'm going to say I prefer the glass greenhouse okay. I think this one is awesome. I can't talk about different brands because this is the only one I've ever used. But I will say that I wouldn't go back to polycarbonate and much prefer this one. However, If polycarbonate is where your budget sits, I think it is a really good thing for your money and I would say to with polycarbonate rather than nothing definitely. Yeah, so I'm really really happy I just really want to get started on getting planted up. That's all. I just want to get greenhouse going again now.
What's the Verdict?
When it comes to choosing between polycarbonate and glass greenhouses, there’s no one-size-fits-all answer. Polycarbonate greenhouses offer affordability, lightweight construction, and decent insulation, making them a great choice for beginners or those on a budget. However, they can be less durable, harder to maintain, and more susceptible to wind damage. Glass greenhouses, on the other hand, provide superior durability, better light transmission, and easier maintenance, making them a long-term investment for serious gardeners.
Eli’s experience highlights the practical pros and cons of each option, and ultimately, the right choice depends on your needs. If you want a sturdy, reliable structure that lasts for years, glass may be the better option. But if cost is a major factor, polycarbonate can still serve you well—just be mindful of wind resistance and long-term maintenance.
No matter which greenhouse material you choose, the most important thing is to start growing and enjoy the process. A greenhouse—whether glass or polycarbonate—can transform your gardening experience and open up new possibilities for what you can grow.
What are your thoughts? Do you have experience with glass or polycarbonate greenhouses? Share your insights in the comments below!
