Level Up Your Lawn: The Best Garden Rollers

Smooth out lumps and bumps on your lawn with our handpicked selection of garden rollers.
Tried & Tested: See Our Testing ↓
Written & Tested By: Archie Rich | Updated:
Best Garden Roller
Archie Rich/DIY Works
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A garden roller is the best tool for levelling soil and addressing uneven areas on your lawn through either pushing or pulling motions. Whether you opt for one that’s filled with sand or water, they come in various sizes to best suit your requirements.

To assist you in selecting a garden roller, our handpicked selection lists top-performing rollers, chosen based on our first-hand experience using them to level lawns, topsoil (as shown in the image above) and many other garden surfaces. Our testing and up-to-date research further ensure the quality of our recommendations.

Outsunny Steel Garden Roller
Best Overall: Outsunny Steel Garden Roller
Einhell GC-GR 57 Lawn Roller
Best Quality: Einhell GC-GR 57 Lawn Roller
Garden Gear Steel Lawn Roller
Best For Small Gardens: Garden Gear Steel Lawn Roller
Gardebruk Drum Roller
Best All-Rounder: Gardebruk Drum Roller
TANGZON Heavy Duty Metal Lawn Roller
Best Heavy Duty: TANGZON Metal Lawn Roller
MaxxGarden Lawn Roller
Best Budget: MaxxGarden Lawn Roller

How The DIY Works Team Tests & Rates Garden Rollers

Whether we are rolling soil ready to lay turf, flattening out bumpy lawns in properties that we manage, or even pressing grass seeds into topsoil, we have plenty of experience with rollers in various applications. This means that over the years, we’ve had the pleasure of testing out a variety of rollers on which to base our recommendations.

During our ongoing testing, we analyse the roller’s build quality, ease of assembly, scraper effectiveness and ease of filling and draining the drum.

best garden lawn roller

Archie Rich/DIY Works
best garden rollers

Archie Rich/DIY Works

To keep up our commitment to reviewing and testing the latest garden rollers (for this article), we are continually testing the latest offerings from top brands in the UK. This means that if we notice a brand has released a new and improved model, we will attempt to buy it and put it to the test where applicable.

As well as our testing and experience using multiple rollers, we also based our recommendations on the latest research and several factors. Some of the factors that we took into consideration included the roller’s build quality, working width, the total weight with sand or water, handle/grip, assembly, additional features, usability, warranty and value for money.

The Best Garden Rollers

At DIY Works, our content is 100% independent and we would never recommend a product that we wouldn't use ourselves (read our editorial standards and how we test products).

1. Best Overall: Outsunny Steel Garden Roller

(How We Review →)

One of the largest garden rollers within our roundup is by the Outsunny brand and it has a 60-litre capacity that’s suitable for both water and sand. Due to the larger capacity, it allows you to effortlessly even the lawn in your garden and also alter the amount of sand or water you wish to fill the roller with.

Pros
  • Perfect for medium to large lawns thanks to its 57 cm rolling width
  • Heavy duty steel construction
  • Steel components are coated to prevent rust or rotting
  • Wide and easy grip U-shaped handle
  • During testing, we found it very easy to assemble out of the box (only 3 parts to connect)
Cons
  • One of the most expensive rollers within our roundup

Although expensive, the Outsunny Drum is the best garden roller on the market that’s built to last with a sturdy steel construction. The large capacity also gives you the flexibility to use as much sand or water as you require, which is another great bonus when compared to other smaller garden rollers on the market

2. Best Quality: Einhell GC-GR 57 Lawn Roller

(How We Review →)

By far the most popular and highly rated garden roller is by the reputable Einhell brand. It’s a mid-range option with a 46-litre fill capacity and a roller width of 57 cm, which is more than ideal for most garden rolling requirements.

Pros
  • Easy to pour sand or water into the drum via the side filler
  • During testing, we really liked the dirt wiper whilst flattening topsoil
  • Coated metal construction
  • Backed by an impressive 3 year warranty
Cons
  • Relatively expensive when compared to the alternatives

To conclude, the Einhell GC-GR is an excellent all-round lawn roller that’s ideal for rolling out any imperfections in your garden. It’s also relatively wide without having to fill the roller too much, which is ideal for light to medium rolling tasks.

3. Best For Small Gardens: Garden Gear Steel Lawn Roller

(How We Review →)

The Garden Gear Lawn Roller is another popular option that comes with a 30-litre capacity and 42 cm rolling width. In terms of its design, it’s made from high quality galvanised steel and it also features a removable handle for easy storage.

Pros
  • Fillable with water or sand
  • Backed by a 12 month warranty
  • Scraper bar for debris removal
  • Weighs 60 KG when filled with sand
  • Requires minor assembly out of the box
Cons
  • Due to the smaller size, large rolling jobs will take more passes with the roller

Considering its affordability and the fact that it comes with a 12-month guarantee, the Garden Gear lawn roller is an excellent choice and it’s clear to see why it’s so popular.

4. Best All-Rounder: Gardebruk Drum Roller

(How We Review →)

Another popular lawn roller is Gardebruk’s large 60 cm option that’s constructed of heavy duty metal. As with many of the alternatives, it features the desirable scraper bar and it can be emptied for easy storage.

Pros
  • During testing, we liked the fact that it came with a large drain/fill plug
  • Large 60cm width
  • Easy to assemble out of the box in just a few steps
  • Robust metal construction
  • Can be filled with water or sand
Cons
  • Although easy to put together, the instructions were in German and you need to rely on the images

To conclude, the Gardebruk lawn roller is a great option to consider and its popularity is a clear indication of its quality. It really does tick all the boxes and features everything you need for rolling your lawn.

5. Best Heavy Duty: TANGZON Metal Lawn Roller

(How We Review →)

If you need to tackle a large garden or need an extra heavy roller, the TANGZON brand has the answer. Their roller can hold up to 113 litres of water or sand and has a rolling width of 90cm. This makes it the perfect solution for rolling large areas with ease but be warned, you’ll need to be strong to move it around at its max capacity.

Pros
  • Built to last with a powder coated metal frame and drum
  • At max capacity (113 litres), it's very heavy and will flatten most lawns
  • Features the desirable scraper bar
  • Available in black or green
  • Can be easily attached to a tractor/ride-on lawn mower by a latch and pin
Cons
  • Most expensive roller within our roundup

Although expensive, the additional weight and larger size of this roller make it a great option to consider for large gardens. When compared to similar-priced alternatives, the TANGZON roller is also built to a much higher standard too with a heavy-duty powder coating on all metal components to extend its longevity.

6. Best Budget: MaxxGarden Lawn Roller

(How We Review →)

One of the cheapest garden rollers that’s actually worth buying is the MaxxGarden Roller. It has a 38-litre steel construction with a rolling diameter of 33 cm and a width of 50 cm, which is more than ideal for most rolling tasks.

Pros
  • Heavy duty steel construction
  • Sand or water fillable
  • Foldable handles for easy storage
  • Clever dirt deflector on the drum
  • Easy to assemble out of the box
Cons
  • We felt that the build quality could've been improved (but it's fine for the price)

Overall, if you are only going to use a garden roller a few times a year and want something cheap, you can’t go wrong with this roller. It features many premium features but also benefits from being one of the cheapest too.

Conclusion

If you want to achieve the perfect flat lawn, you’ll need to get it level and the best way to do this would be to use a garden roller. Whether you fill the roller with sand or water, both have their separate benefits.

For example, if you fill it with water, it can be easily poured out and stored away when not in use. However, when filled with sand, the roller will weigh more, which can make flattening the lawn much easier.

If you require further information regarding any of our garden roller recommendations, feel free to get in touch and we will try to provide our assistance where possible.

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