What Real Reviews Reveal About Costco's Mini Greenhouse

Gardeners in the market to extend their growing season have a lot of options to choose from. Whether you build the large-scale glass greenhouse for thousands of dollars or pick up that $30 shelf with plastic sheeting over it, you'll have to weigh the pros and cons, with budget being a major factor. The Juwel Biostar 1500 Premium Cold Frame mini greenhouse from Costco is one such product on the market, so we took a closer look at what customers are saying about it.

On trend with the growing popularity of mini greenhouses, this relatively affordable option gets generally good marks from real customers. Costco customers overall like the Juwel Biostar 1500, giving it an average of a 4.4-star rating, with 378 saying it's worth 5 stars. Since the main purpose of a greenhouse is to insulate plants from the cold, it's a good sign that most say it does a great job of doing just that, praising it for its temperature regulation and automatic venting features. Plus, several customers felt the $339 price tag was a good value for the structure, especially since they felt the polycarbonate panels were well-made. A DIY greenhouse shed could even cost more! 

The size was another common topic in the Costco reviews. Customers liked the size of the mini greenhouse (59 inches long, 36 inches wide, and 21 inches tall). Customers noted that the cold frame sits directly on the soil, on the deck or patio, or fits perfectly into their raised aluminum garden beds. Some used it to cover potted plants, while others put it over flower beds and grew varieties of lettuce or other cold-weather vegetables. One said they appreciated the extra help the cold frame provided in the summer, too, protecting plants from slugs and other pests.

There were a lot more pros than cons with this product, at least according to the reviews. Along with everything above, Costco customers said they especially liked that the Juwel Biostar 1500 helped regulate heat, solving a common disadvantage of a greenhouse by preventing it from getting too hot. The middle door automatically opens to vent air when the inside gets too hot or closes when it gets too cold. You can set the temperature for the automatic opener based on the plants you want to grow. One customer called this a very clever design.

But the only downside seems to be putting the thing together. Many reviewers referenced the fact that the Juwel Biostar 1500 comes in a box and needs to be assembled. Some said it was relatively easy to build, with several saying they did so in less than an hour, while others complained about the poor assembly instructions. The directions were called "confusing," and some said that they didn't have enough detail. More generous reviews said that it's best to take your time because it's easy to mix up which panels go where. One recommendation was to seek out installation videos available online to solve this problem. 

Assembly was the true sticking point for most of the reviews that were two stars or less. It's important to note that these bad reviews account for less than 10% of total feedback, though. Overall, the vast majority of customers who left reviews were satisfied with the Juwel Biostar 1500 and said it was worth the investment. Several said they planned to purchase another.