Best Garden Carts to Hold Your Gardening Tools

Working in your yard and gardening requires moving around a lot of heavy items, and this can put a lot of stress and strain on your back, hands, and joints. This is especially true if you have a large yard or garden to tend, and garden carts are one nice way to help you complete all of your projects without worrying about the extra bodily strain. They allow you to quickly and easily carry everything you need in the garden cart from point A to point B quickly and effectively. 

When you start looking at all of the garden carts available, you’ll find out quickly that there are dozens of options in a huge range of sizes, shapes, and brands. This is why we did the research for you. We pulled the top ten garden carts available on the current market for you, and we’re going to summarize our findings to help you understand which cart will work best for your needs. 

At the end, the short buyer’s guide will outline the biggest considerations to keep in mind when you start shopping for garden carts and comparing products on your own. This way, you can immediately knock some choices off your list and make an informed decision that ensures you get the best cart available that will last season after season. 

Gardening carts come in a large variety of sizes and shapes, and this can make it challenging to narrow down which one will be best for your needs. Taking your time and looking through a select pool of carts can help ensure that you get one that matches your wants and needs. Cart by Kevin Walsh / CC BY 2.0

1. Gorilla Carts Garden Poly Dump Cart – Top Pick

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This heavy-duty garden cart by Gorilla Carts comes designed with a fast-release dumping feature, and this allows you to quickly and easily offload your potting soil into your desired area much quicker than other models. It has the ability to easily haul up to 1,200 pounds in a single load without straining any part of the cart, and the poly-based bed won’t crack or break under heavy loads, repeated use, or different weather conditions. 

You’ll get 13-inch all-terrain pneumatic tires with this gardening cart that allow you to effortlessly move over different types of terrain without getting stuck. The handle is both convertible and padded, and this makes it comfortable for you to load this cart up and pull it along with you while you’re working out in the yard. It works great for planting or yard cleanup projects, and the steel frame comes with a rust-resistant black finish to make it more durable. 

Pros: 

• Holds up to 1,200 pounds
• Quick-dump mechanism 
• Steel frame 
• 13-inch all-terrain tires 
• Padded handle 
• Deep bed
• Poly-based cart bed

Cons: 

• May have problems if you go over 800 pounds

2. WORX WG050 Aerocart – Step-Up Pick

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Worx put out their Aerocart, and this is a multifunctional gardening cart that will help you quickly and easily tackle a load of tasks around your yard. You can use it as a traditional cart, a dolly for moving heavier items liek your garden statues, and a wheelbarrow to haul dirt or debris around your yard. It has a sleek orange and grey color scheme that makes it easy to pick out when you lay it down, and it has a stainless steel bed that won’t rust or corrode with heavy use. This allows you to easily use it in a host of weather conditions without worrying about it breaking down on you. 

You’ll get flat, oversized tires on this garden cart that you won’t have to worry about reinflating between uses. It also comes with a center of gravity that makes it easier and more manageable to shift loads around your property without dumping the cart. It comes with several accessories to make gardening easier, including a flower pot strap, cylinder holder, rock remover, and a bag holder. Finally, it stores upright to help take up less space in your shed between uses. 

Pros: 

• Use as a cart, wheelbarrow, or dolly
• Has several accessoires
• Stainless steel bed
• Flat, oversized tires 
• 300-pound hauling capacity 
• Won’t rust or corrode 
• Stand by the handle

Cons: 

• Can be awkward with larger loads

3. Timber Ridge Camping Wagon – Mid-End Budget Pick

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This is a folding-style garden cart that comes suited for lighter duty projects around the yard like hauling around your smaller garden tools or picking up leaves or other light debris. You could also use it to transport your groceries to the house to avoid straining your body. You’ll get a 26-inch telescoping handle that is adjustable to different heights to allow a range of people to use it comfortably, and there is a locking system in place to ensure the handle doesn’t move once you set the height. 

There is a maximum capacity of 150-pounds on this garden cart, so it’s one of the lighter weight options on the list. There are fabric and mesh pockets all around the outer edges of the cart to give you more storage space, and it has larger plastic wheels that you don’t have to worry about breaking. Once you finish using it, you can easily collapse the cart flat for easy storage, and this makes it very portable too. 

Pros: 

• Has a fabric design 
• Lots of mesh pockets
• Handle telescopes 
• Lockable system on the handle 
• Hard plastic tires 
• 150-pound capacity
• Collapses flat for storage 

Cons: 

• Can get dirty or tear easily

4. Mac Sports Mac Wagon – Bargain Budget Pick

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This outdoor utility wagon comes available in a large range of colors that makes it easy to customize your choice based on your preferences. This garden cart is very sturdy while not adding a lot of additional weight to your loads, and it’s an excellent bargain budget pick for light-duty garden and landscaping projects. It can haul up to 150-pounds without a problem, and it has a 600-denier fabric holding area to ensure nothing accidentally escapes once you load it. 

There is no assembly required on this garden cart, and all you have to do is fold it up and it’s ready to go once you get it. There are two mesh cup holders included, and it has a sturdy powder-coated metal frame that resists rust, corrosion, and stress points or damage due to repeated use. The adjustable handle allows people of different heights to use it with ease, and you get durable tires that can roll easily over a huge variety of terrains without getting stuck. When you finish with it, you can easily fold it flat to make storage quick and easy in your car or shed. 

Pros: 

• 150-pound capacity
• Several colors
• Folds flat
• Sturdy metal frame
• No assembly required 
• 600-denier fabric 
• Two mesh cup holders 

Cons: 

• Can’t support a lot of weight 

5. Sandusky Lee Steel Utility Carts – Best for Big Debris 

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This durable gardening cart can easily transport up to 400-pounds of materials, equipment, and supplies like garden soil, landscape rocks, flowers, plants, garden statues, and more. You’ll get a steel mesh crate that comes with a powder coating on it to make it more durable, and this helps ensure that the cart doesn’t corrode or rust with use out in the elements. The crate sides easily fold down when you want to remove larger loads, and it turns the garden cart into a flatbed. 

The handle on this garden cart comes with a D-style ring that is easy and comfortable to grip, even if you’re carrying larger loads. You’ll get four pneumatic tires that can handle any terrain or flooring types without a problem, both indoors and out. There is a secure locking system on each side of the cart to ensure the sides don’t accidentally fall and dump your load as you’re moving from place to place. It’s easy to clean between uses, and it’s easy to store. 

Pros: 

• 10-inch pneumatic tires 
• Sides fold down
• Stainless steel with powder coating
• 400-pound capacity 
• D-style ring handle 
• Sides lock in an upright position
• Easy to store 

Cons: 

• Assembly can be time-consuming 

6. Polar Trailer Utility Cart – Best for Small Projects

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This is one of the most lightweight garden carts on the list, and it’ll hold up to 10-cubic feet of items like dirt or grass clippings. You can haul up to 400-pounds in this cart without worrying about it breaking down or having issues. It weighs in at just 49-pounds, and this makes it easy to move around your yard without a lot of strain on your body. It also has a nice lower center of gravity that makes it hard to accidentally dump whatever you’re carrying in the wrong spot. 

It uses standard spoke-style tires like a bicycle, and these are larger and located on either side of the garden cart to improve your balance. They’re a solid rubber tire that won’t go flat if you accidentally run over something sharp, and this keeps your cart moving longer. It has a rounded handle bar that has a powder coating on it to help prevent rust and corrosion, and this gives you plenty of space to grasp on when you want to pick up the cart and move it. It is larger, so you will have to consider where you want to store it between uses. 

Pros: 

• 400-pound capacity 
• Lightweight design 
• Holds 10-cubic feet
• Lower center of gravity 
• Solid rubber tires 
• Rounded handle 
• Powder coating on the metal components 

Cons: 

• Doesn’t stay tipped forward when empty

7. AMES Buddy Lawn and Garden Cart – Best for Temporary Storage

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If you have a full garden shed but you need a smaller amount of soil stored until you need it, this garden cart is a nice choice. With AMES’ cart, you can put up to two-cubic feet of material in and store it with ease until you need it. As a bonus, it comes with a sturdy lid that you can use to turn this garden cart into a handy bench to sit on while you work. You can roll it outside to give yourself quick access to your potting soil or other material as you work around your yard. It also works well for veggies or potato harvesting. 

You can safely put up to 300-pounds in this garden cart without worrying about straining it, and the handle folds down between uses to make it more compact for storage. The four wheels have a solid design that makes them more durable and easier to move through different terrains, and it comes fully assembled out of the box and ready to use. There are three compartments with a removable tray that allow you to easily sort and organize your items between uses. 

Pros: 

• Doubles as a seat
• Sturdy lid
• Three compartments 
• Removable tray
• Holds up to 300-pounds 
• Foldable hande 
• Solid tires 

Cons: 

• Plastic body

8. Suncast Poly Rolling Lawn Cart – Best for Indoor or Outdoor Use

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This is a two-wheeled garden cart that will easily hold up to 15.5 gallons on a single fill without spilling, and it’s one of the smaller carts on the list. It works for transporting small loads around the garden or  yard, unless you plan on taking multiple trips with it. The handle telescopes to fit different heights so you don’t have to hunch over when you use it, and you can collapse the handle flat for easy storage. The wheels are plastic, and this means that they do well on concrete or soft surfaces, but they can struggle with uneven or rocky terrain. 

This garden cart features heavy-duty plastic in the construction that allows you to use it in a host of conditions without cracking or breaking. Since the handle collapses, you can easily store it in smaller spaces without taking up too much room. It has a flat and wide bottom that makes it very stable when you sit it up, and there’s very little danger of accidentally tipping over. It weighs in at 11-pounds when it’s empty, so you don’t have to worry about it being too heavy to move. 

Pros: 

• Telescoping handle 
• 15.5-gallons 
• Easy to store 
• Sturdy bottom 
• 11-pounds empty 
• Solid tires 
• Handle collapses for easy storage 

Cons: 

• Challenging to dump your items out

9. Gorilla Carts Heavy-Duty Steel Cart – Best for Broad Project Ranges 

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If you’re going to take on large-scale projects like tree removal or something more simple like transporting your plants or flowers to your selected spot, this garden cart can help. This is an adaptable cart that allows you to remove the sides to give yourself a flat transport cart for lumber or large potting soil or compost bags. You can pop the sides back on to haul firewood or leaves, and you can easily drape a tarp inside to move larger loads of loose soil. It has heavy-duty steel mesh in the design that won’t rust or corrode with heavy use, and the frame is very easy to assemble. 

There are 15-inch pneumatic turf tires on this garden cart that allow you to tackle any terrain without getting stuck or having problems from rough and rocky soil to smooth concrete and flooring. It can hold up to 1,400-pounds without a problem, and you get a padded 2-in-1 handle to help keep you comfortable as you pull it. You can also tow the cart, and this cart has a one-year limited warranty against manufacturer defects or damage from the purchase date. 

Pros: 

• Very versatile
• Sides are removable 
• 1,400-pound capacity 
• Can pull or tow your loads 
• 1-year limited warranty 
• 15-inch pneumatic tires 
• Stainless steel mesh design 

Cons: 

• Powder coating can chip off

10. Best Choice Products Steel Garden Wagon – Best for Heavier Loads

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The final garden cart on the list comes from Best Choice Products, and it works well if you have heavier loads to carry around your yard like lawn equipment, large mulch or soil bags, or big planters. It quickly and easily converts to a flatbed using quick-release hinges on the sides, and this gives you a sturdy platform to put your heavier items on. The frame is very sturdy and resists corrosion, and it has very tough, rubberized wheels that won’t pop or deflate with harder use or heavier items. 

This garden cart is a comfortable height to help reduce strain on your body by allowing you to get your items without having to bend far, and it’s very easy to maneuver around your yard. This includes wide open or closed spaces, and you can transport up to 440-pounds of equipment and tools at one time without putting too much strain on the wagon. It’s easy to use around the house, farm, or landscape without it falling short, and it’s easy to store between uses. 

Pros: 

• Designed for heavier loads 
• Converts into a flatbed
• Sides have quick-release hinges 
• Corrosion-resistant 
• Comfortable height 
• 440-pound weight capacity
• Solid tires 

Cons: 

• Hinges can wear out

Best Garden Cart Buying Guide 

When you start comparing garden carts, there are several things you want to pay attention to when you start shopping. This can help ensure that you get the correct garden cart for your needs, and you can use this guide to help narrow down your final choices. 

Once you narrow down your choices, you can use this buying guide’s criteria to help make your final selection. Doing so will help ensure that you get a versatile cart that can tackle all of your projects without being too large or too small, and this will help you get the most use out of it possible. Decorated Cart by Michael Coghlan / CC BY-SA 2.0

Carrying Capacity

When you’re comparing your options, it’s essential to get a garden cart with the correct carrying capacity for your workload. There is a huge range of carrying capacities available. Some carts can only carry up to 150-pounds before you run into problems, but other garden carts can reach up to 1,500 pounds without breaking down. 

As their carrying capacity increases, so does the cart’s weight. Carts that can carry over 1,000-pounds will have larger and thicker tires, and the frame gets made from much more solid materials like steel. They’re also more challenging to move. If you need a smaller cart, pick one with a wide and deep bed to help maximize your space. Having removable sides is also a plus to help negate the smaller carrying capacity because it allows you to carry larger items like your weed trimmers without an issue. 

Cart Type

You have to decide which type of cart you want to get because there is more than one type available. Again, this choice will depend on what projects you have in mind that you want your garden cart to assist on, and the most popular options include: 

• Dump – Dump-style carts look like wheelbarrows for the most part. They can have two or four wheels, and they’re great for moving and pouring dirt, mulch, or other garden debris out in one specific location. If you want to move large quantities of items, this is a good pick. 

• Flatbed – This garden cart comes without sides to maximize the load size you can carry. It works well for moving bulky items, and it has a wide and long design. However, you will need to stabilize your loads to keep them in place. 

• Foldable – A foldable-style garden cart is very easy to store between uses if you have minimal space. They usually have a fabric basket that stretches over a metal frame, and they work well for lightweight projects. 

• Utility – These carts have four vertical sides on them, and they’re usually made out of stainless steel or another durable metal. The sides can collapse too, and they’re useful for moving large bags of leaves, garden clippings, soil, mulch, or compost. 

The type of garden cart you need will vary widely by which projects you need help with. Some projects require a smaller cart, but the majority of them will do best with a bigger cart because you can load up more items and move them around at one time. South end of Garden of the White Dove by moccasinlanding / CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

Tires

The tires on your garden cart will dictate how much you can carry at one time, and they’ll also have a direct impact on how easy the cart is to maneuver. For lighter loads, you may have plastic tires that can or may not have tread. There is less maintenance with plastic, but they can’t travel well over rocky or gravely terrain like out in your yard. 

Larger pneumatic tires are also very popular on garden carts, and they use reinforced rubber in the design. They’re filled with air to help absorb the shock of traveling over uneven surfaces, and they can accommodate heavier loads. However, they will need more general maintenance, and you have to avoid running over sharp objects and puncturing them. 

Bed Material

For the bed of your garden cart, the most durable material you can get is steel. They can work for years without any damage, but they’re much heavier. They can discolor or rust in wet environments too. Polyethylene is also popular, and it has the scratch and dent-resistance of steel without the weight. It also does well in wet environments. 

Plastic is the third material, and it’s the least durable. However, it’s very inexpensive and lightweight, and this makes it easy to move. The sun can damage it over time, and it can crack if you put too much weight in the cart. 

Bottom Line

Picking out garden carts can be a time-consuming process if you’re not sure which one will work best for your needs. We’ve picked out 10 high-quality garden carts and reviewed them for you, and you can use the reviews with the buying guide to narrow down your choices to the best one. Once you get it,  you can have it shipped right to your door and have it in plenty of time for your spring and summer projects.