The Best Railing Planters for Decks, Balconies, and Porches

An easy way to add greenery to a deck, balcony, or patio is with a railing planter. These pots can house colorful flowers, herbs, or vegetable plants for convenient backyard gardening. Quick and easy to mount, they attach via a cutout in the planter, an adjustable arm, brackets, or hooks. With so many options available, I embarked on a journey to find the best. I started by researching more than a dozen highly rated options, then tested seven across a variety of railing sizes. 

I tracked each planter’s assembly process, stability, durability, drainage, and value. At the end of testing, the Voxor Heavy Duty Iron and Coco Liner railing planter came out as the clear winner. Not only did it drain beautifully and look nice on my deck railing, but it was unmatched in stability.  

I also interviewed a landscape architect and horticulturalist to get the low-down on which plants thrive in these planters and what to know before you buy. Keep reading to find out what features to consider when selecting a new railing planter, and check out some of the best railing planters by material, size, and style below.

1. BEST OVERALL: Voxor Heavy Duty Iron and Coco Liner
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2. RUNNER UP: Root & Vessel Countryside Rail Planter
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3. BEST BANG FOR THE BUCK: Emsco Group Bloomers Railing Planter
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4. BEST EASY SETUP: Dahey Metal Iron Hanging Flower Pots
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5. BEST WITH COCO LINER: HFHome 24-Inch Window Deck Rail Planter 
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6. BEST OVERSIZED: Veradek Pure Series Railing Planter 
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7. BEST VERSATILITY: LaLa Green 16-Inch Wall Planters
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Best Railing Planters Compared

Our Top Picks

Flower boxes for railings come in many sizes, materials, and styles. This list features some of the best options on the market and is organized by category to make selecting the best railing planter easier.

The Voxor Heavy Duty Iron and Coco Liner planters come in a pack of two and require some assembly. Fortunately, putting them together was simple. Each planter came in two pieces and included all necessary screws along with a small screwdriver. The brackets are customizable, with assembly instructions based on railing size, and they fit railings from 0 to 6.5 inches wide.

I tried these on two railing widths: a 1-inch and a 5.5-inch. During testing, I quickly found that stability is one of the most important factors when choosing railing planter boxes. And thanks to the customizable brackets and adjustable bottom support rod, the Voxor planters were unmatched. They didn’t tilt forward and didn’t budge during heavy winds or when critters climbed across my railings. They feature a clean design that matches most homes, as well as coco liners to aid in proper drainage. 

What our tester says: “I love how customizable the mounting brackets on the Voxor planters are. These planters sit securely on my rails, and I don’t have to worry about a large gust of wind or an animal knocking them over.”—Katie Barton, Product Reviews tester and writer

Get the Voxor railing planter at Amazon or Walmart.

Gardeners looking for a railing planter with easy installation may prefer one with bottom cutouts, like this option from Root & Vessel. In theory, these types of planters should be able to sit snugly over a railing and stay in place without additional reinforcements. And that is exactly what I found to be true of this planter. 

Available in five colors and two sizes, the Root & Vessel planter is made of sturdy plastic and features removable drainage plugs on both sides. It only fits flat railings that are 3.5 or 5.5 inches wide. I placed it on a 5.5-inch railing, and it stayed secure, even during heavy thunderstorms. Plus, at 24 inches long, it gave me plenty of planting space and felt durable enough to last for seasons to come. 

Get the Root & Vessel railing planter at Amazon or Walmart.

The Emsco Group Bloomers planter is an affordable option with bottom cutouts that can fit railings from 1.25 to 3.875 inches. It’s made of weatherproof resin, has predrilled drainage holes, and is available in 11 colors. When this planter first arrived, I was impressed by its looks, especially for the price, but I did run into a few issues during installation.

I tried it on multiple railing sizes, including 1.5-inch and 3.5-inch options. While it would sit on the rails without falling over, a strong burst of wind, or in my case, a stray cat, could easily knock it off. I found the best solution was to drill extra holes in the bottom and secure it to the rail with zip ties. (Although you can optionally screw it directly into wood rails.) So while it’s a nice-looking planter for the price, be aware that extra reinforcements will likely be needed. 

Get the Emsco Group railing planter at Amazon, Tractor Supply Co., or The Home Depot.

These metal hanging rail planters from Dahey come in a pack of three, four, or five. They feature two hooks per pot that gardeners can hang on top of a fence, or on deck or porch railings. Each planter is 10.5 inches long, making it large enough to accommodate a variety of plants, including colorful flowers or herbs. They’re available in black, green, or white and have predrilled drainage holes.

Hanging these porch rail planters was a breeze. All I had to do was insert the included hooks into the slots on the backs of the pots and position them on my railing. While they won’t fit rails over 2.7 inches wide, they worked well on our 1.5-inch deck rail, though they tipped forward slightly. I appreciated that the hooks were detachable, allowing me to use them as tabletop planters if desired. 

What our tester says: “The Dahey metal railing planters are as cute as can be and effortless to set up. Simply insert the hooks, then hang them on any rail up to 2.7 inches wide.”—Katie Barton, Product Reviews tester and writer

Get the Dahey railing planters on Amazon. 

The HFHome Planter features an open-weave “X” design and a coco-fiber liner. This balcony railing planter measures 24 inches in length and features adjustable brackets that accommodate various-sized railings. Sold in a pack of two, they come with an optional support rod that, when installed, can prevent them from tipping forward. They’re also available in 30-inch-long versions and a few different design options. 

I installed these over the deck railing planters on two rail sizes: 3.5-inch and 5.5-inch. They proved to be stable on both. Setup was pretty easy, taking me only about 10 minutes in total. The metal construction felt durable, and I appreciated the coco liner, which helps retain moisture while also allowing proper drainage. These planters can also be used as window boxes, providing a good amount of space for planting flowers or herbs. 

Get the HFHome railing planters on Amazon. 

Veradek offers a railing planter with a simple design, available in four color choices: white, gray, black, and espresso. These planters are made of all-weather-resistant commercial-grade plastic and rated for use in temperatures from -20 to 120 degrees Fahrenheit. As soon as they arrived, the quality was apparent. These planters looked sleek and felt incredibly durable.

The Veradek planters for porch railings feature predrilled drainage holes and adjustable brackets that accommodate railings up to 5.5 inches in width. Since they’re fairly large at 36 inches long, they can become heavy once filled with dirt and then watered. Because of this, I chose a super sturdy 5.5-inch deck rail to attach them to. The setup involved configuring the brackets to fit my railing size, installing them, and adding the leveling bar to keep the large outdoor planters from sagging. Throughout testing, they remained stable and gave my deck a nice, clean look.

Get the Veradek railing planter on The Home Depot, Wayfair(2-pack), or Walmart.  

The LaLa Green flower containers for railings feature notches on the back that allow them to be easily installed via screws, hooks, twist ties, or zip ties. They don’t come with mounting hardware, but the design offers plenty of ways to secure them to your railing, whether that’s flat wood rails, round metal rails, or even a wall. They feature a coco-liner for drainage and come in a pack of two. 

These railing planters were among my favorites for their versatility. They can be installed on just about any size rail. I first tried attaching them to a rail with zip ties, but they leaned forward a little too much for my liking. So, I drilled two screws into my wooden fence rail and attached them that way. Once screwed in, they sat perfectly upright. 

Get the LaLa Green railing planter at Amazon.

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How We Tested the Best Railing Planters

Outdoor planters for railings come in many shapes and sizes, and with different mounting hardware. For testing, I looked for planters that can securely attach to railings and support the weight of the soil and plants. Since not all railings are the same width, I sought products that accommodate railings ranging from 1 to 6 inches wide. After researching and reading through reviews of more than a dozen top-rated options, I chose seven deck planters for railing to put to the test. 

For hands-on testing, I installed the planters on multiple railing widths, when applicable, using 1-inch, 1.5-inch, 3.5-inch, and 5.5-inch rails. I noted the difficulties with assembly, stability, drainage, durability, and overall value. To test for stability and drainage, I thoroughly watered each planter, and, thanks to changing weather patterns during the test period, each was subjected to heavy thunderstorms. Results were recorded using a tailored rubric survey, and at the end of testing, I tallied each planter’s ratings to determine the winners.

Our Testing Scores

How to Choose the Best Railing Planter for Your Yard

Like the PopUp Garden, railing planters are a great way to make the most of limited outdoor space. However, choosing a railing planter requires more consideration than design alone. Mounting hardware, size, material, and drainage are all important factors to weigh in. 

• The size of railing planters ranges from small railing flower pots to extra-large, 36-inch-long options. Larger planters hold more flowers but are heavier due to the weight of soil, so affix them only to sturdy rails.
• Rail planters may be mounted via bottom cutouts, adjustable brackets, hooks, zipties, or even screws. Brackets and cutouts suit flat rails, while hooks and zip ties work best to secure planters for round railings. 
• Common railing planter materials include weather-resistant plastics and metals, sometimes paired with coco liners. Even wooden railing planters are available. Since all are made for outdoor use, the best material often comes down to your preferred look and maintenance needs. 
• Proper drainage is important in any type of planter. If the model you choose doesn’t have drainage for water to escape, you’ll need to add your own drainage holes. For forgetful gardeners, self-watering deck rail planters and automatic plant waterers are also available.  

Tips for Securing Railing Planters

Before purchasing a railing planter, ensure the brackets are compatible with your railing width. Also, take note of the maximum weight the planter can hold. The mounting hardware won’t offer proper support if the planter is too heavy. Unstable or improperly installed deck railing planters can fall off the rail, spilling your plants and posing a safety risk. 

Gardeners can add extra security to their planter by using zip ties. Depending on the planter’s design, zip ties can be added to the bottom of the pot and secured underneath the railing, so they’re out of sight.

Here are some tips for keeping a railing planter secure:

• Make sure the mounting bracket is compatible with the width of the railing.
• Stabilize wobbly railing planters by adding zip ties through the planter and under the railing.
• Don’t fill a planter with rocks or other heavy material. Many brackets won’t be able to support the weight.

FAQs

Deck railing planters add beauty to outdoor spaces and provide a place to grow container plants for shade, bright blooms, or even an herb garden. They are easy to install as long as their mounting hardware is compatible with the railing width. Here are some of the most frequently asked questions about railing planters.

Q. How do you install and secure railing planters?

Railing planters attach via mounting brackets, adjustable arms, or bottom cutouts. Follow the installation directions based on the type of mounting hardware. Gardeners can stabilize the planter by adding zip ties.

Q. How do you protect deck railings from planters?

Consider small planters that hang rather than large planters to protect a deck railing. Also, keep planters lightweight and occasionally move them to different spots.

Q. What can you plant in a railing planter?

Railing planters are suitable for window box flower arrangements. “They can also allow you to grow edibles like herbs, lettuce, or strawberries that have shallow root systems in small spaces,” says Michael Clarke, a landscape architect and founder of the online nursery YardWork. 

Q. What can you put in the bottom of an outdoor planter for drainage?

Create a drainage hole in an outdoor planter by drilling into the bottom of the pot. Consider adding a coco-fiber liner if the planter has an open weave.

Q. How do you fill deck railing planters?

Fill your planters for a deck railing with the best potting soil before adding your plants of choice. If the planter is especially deep, consider adding a coco-fiber liner, wood chips, leaves, or sticks to the bottom before adding potting soil to fill up space and improve drainage.

Meet the Tester

Katie Barton is a home improvement writer, editor, and hobby gardener. She values railing planters that securely attach and will last for seasons to come. 

 

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