The 6 Best Backyard Sheds for 2023

From storing yard and gardening supplies to pool toys and sports equipment, backyard sheds free up space in the garage so you can actually use it for its intended purpose – parking your car.

Rather than spending time scouring the internet, take a look at our ideas for the best backyard shed, and use your spare time to start cleaning out that garage. Then store the garbage cans in your shed too and free up even more space.

Our Top Picks

Best Overall:
Lifetime 60079 Outdoor Storage Shed

Best Garden Shed:
Rubbermaid Resin 5×4

Best Budget:
UMax Outdoor Storage Shed

1. Best Overall: Lifetime 60079 Outdoor Storage Shed

Starting off our list of best backyard sheds is the Lifetime 60079. Lifetime sheds have great reviews because of their low-maintenance, UV-protected siding and steel-reinforced, dual-wall panels.

As far as sheds go, they’re fairly easy to install. Just make sure you have help and more time than you think you need because we all know nothing ever goes as planned.

The Lifetime 60079 tops our list because of its size. This nice big 15’x8′ shed is large enough to hold your tractor and gardening supplies in the same building.

This backyard shed has two entry doors which means you don’t have to trip over the tractor to get to the gardening supplies in the back. One set of doors is on the end of the building, so you can drive your tractor right in and park it. No more looking like Austin Powers trying to maneuver a golf cart when parking your tractor in this backyard shed.

This kit is made in America and includes corner shelves, a long back shelf, and a small peg shelf with hooks for your tools. Of course, you can order additional shelving to customize this shed to your specific needs.

With the added bonus of skylights and windows, you don’t need to worry about your shed feeling like a black hole where tools go to be lost forever. As for the windows, they’re shatterproof so you don’t have to worry about them breaking.

You do, however, need a level surface to place this backyard shed. It comes with a floor that the sides lock into, and if that’s not level, your building will not go together properly.

Another bonus about the Lifetime 60079 is that it can be disassembled and moved. Just be sure to keep track of all the pieces and parts. If you’ve lost your instructions, you can download them from the Lifetime website, or there are YouTube videos.

As you can imagine, this shed is heavy! It will arrive in more than one box via a trucking company, and delivery will have to be scheduled. This is not an Amazon package that your local UPS driver is going to bring up to your front door, so be prepared.

2. Best Garden Shed: Rubbermaid Resin 5×4

The second on our list of best backyard sheds is the Rubbermaid Resin. If you’re looking for something smaller to house just a few garden tools, a weedeater, a small pushmower, or maybe even some outdoor toys for the kids, this is the shed for you.

At 5’x4′, this backyard shed is substantially smaller than the Lifetime 60079, and at 155 pounds, weighs significantly less.

However, don’t let the small size of the Rubbermaid Resin shed fool you. Though it’s not steel reinforced, it is double-wall lined for sturdiness. The double walls also allow for customization with accessories to hang your tools that can be purchased separately.

Like the Lifetime, the Rubbermaid shed has a floor and will have to be assembled on a level surface for all of the pieces to fit together properly.

This is a Rubbermaid product, so you have about 100 years of storage expertise behind it, and most of their products are made in America.

At 155 pounds, this is just over the maximum weight UPS will deliver. So, this shed will probably also come via a trucking company.

3. Best Budget: UMax Outdoor Storage Shed

So far, the backyard sheds on our list have been made out of plastic. The UMax Outdoor Storage Shed is a metal shed, which makes it more budget-friendly.

This 5’x3′ shed is similar in size to the Rubbermaid shed. The UMax does not have a floor, but it’s still a good idea, as with all buildings, to install it on a level surface.

Because this shed is made out of metal, be sure to wear gloves while assembling as the edges can be very sharp. You’ll also want help. Metal sheds are more difficult to assemble because the panels are not as rigid as the plastic sheds and harder to hold in place while tightening the screws at the same time.

Speaking of panels, this backyard shed comes with wider panels than most, which means there are fewer panels to assemble. That’s a big help.

A few things to keep in mind with this backyard shed. First, it is a lightweight metal shed. You might want to consider finding a way to anchor it to the ground to keep it from blowing away if you get hit by a wind storm. More about that below.

Second, other than the screws being tiny, the major complaint about this shed is that the pieces are all covered in shrink wrap. Removing the shrink wrap is very time consuming.

Even though there are a few negatives with this backyard shed, overall it’s a great little shed if you’re looking for something budget-friendly to store items and get them out of the house or garage.

4. Rubbermaid Resin 7×7

And we’re back to the resin/plastic sheds. This backyard shed is again made by Rubbermaid and it’s just a little bit larger than our other Rubbermaid pick. So, why is it on the list too?

Because, just look at how stylish it is! This shed would look great in any backyard. It even has gutters!

This shed is over twice the size as our pick for the best garden shed, which is why it’s just a little farther down the list. It will definitely hold more than just your gardening tools.

If you’re not quite ready for something as large as the Lifetime shed, but the smaller Rubbermaid shed is just a bit too small, this is the pick for you.

In fact, this shed is large enough to hold your tractor and pushmower. It has two large doors that swing all the way open for easy access.

It has all the features that the other Rubbermaid shed has, with upgraded features, like fewer panels to install. The wall panels also click into the floor so you know you have a good connection.

One problem that was mentioned a couple of times was warped panels or roof, kind of like Rubbermaid lids get when they’ve been left in the microwave too long.

If you have that issue, you can call the company for replacement parts. Or, rather than wait, you can try what one reviewer did and just leave the pieces to sit out in the sun for a few hours to become more pliable.

5. Veikou Galvanized Steel Storage Shed

One last metal backyard shed option for the list. As you probably noticed in the description, this shed is galvanized steel. So what does that mean?

Galvanized steel is dipped into molten zinc as coating for extra protection against corrosion. This means your Veikou shed will stand up to the elements better.

This metal backyard shed is a nice 10’x12′ size, which means it can handle your lawn tractor with ease. It also has two large doors on the front for easy access.

Again, you’re working with metal, so be sure to wear gloves and look for sharp pointy edges.

As stated above with the Outdoor UMax, keep in mind that metal sheds are harder to build. In fact, this manufacturer literally says it’s “always a pain”. So, they’ve upgraded the Veikou to include fewer panels and better instructions.

6. Barn Style Shed Framing Kit

The last item on our best backyard sheds list is not a shed at all. Instead, it’s a framing kit for the person who wants a classic wooden outdoor shed.

If you’re a pretty handy DIYer, but trying to figure out angles sends you over the edge sometimes, this is the kit for you. It comes with a miter template to make your job so much easier and save your sanity.

Just keep in mind, this is a framing kit, not a shed kit with all the parts and pieces in a box. That means you’ll have to purchase separately all the framing lumber, screws, roofing material, and whatever material you want to use to finish the outside.

The good thing about this framing kit is that you can customize the finishes and paint color to your liking. You can even purchase multiple kits to make your shed longer than 7’x8′.