Palram Sheds

Who makes Palram sheds?

Palram is a plastics company best known for polycarbonate sheet, the same tough, clear material used in greenhouses and roof lights. Canopia is the name it uses for its garden buildings, which is why most UK shops list them as Palram Canopia. You'll also see the Canopia name on a Palram greenhouse, gazebo, carport or door canopy. A Canopia greenhouse uses the same panels and frame as the sheds, but on this page we stick to the garden storage sheds.

Every Palram Canopia shed is built the same basic way. Polycarbonate panels slide into a powder-coated aluminium frame, and the roof is made of Skylight panels that let soft daylight through while staying opaque from outside, so nobody can see what you keep in there. That mix gives you a durable Palram plastic shed that won't rot, rust, peel or need painting in any weather. It's lighter than timber and far brighter inside than a metal or wooden shed, which makes it pleasant outdoor storage to work in.

• No maintenance. The plastic is UV protected, so it won't fade or go brittle in the sun, and there's no annual coat of preservative.
• Daylight inside. The Skylight roof means you rarely need a lamp for daytime jobs.
• A floor in most kits. If you want a shed with floor included, the Voyager, Skylight and Rubicon all have one. Some Yukon listings do and some don't, so read the name.
• Long guarantees. 10 years on the smaller ranges, 12 on the Rubicon and 15 on the Yukon.

Palram Canopia shed ranges compared

There are four ranges, and they're quite different once you look past the grey panels. Here's each one side by side, using the specs on each listing. The price of each model moves often, so each range sits in a price band. The grid above always shows today's price, and delivery terms are on each product page.

The quick version: the small pent model and the Canopia Skylight shed are the entry-level storage sheds with thin 1mm walls. The Rubicon steps up to 10mm multi-wall panels, which are stiffer and better insulated. The Yukon is the big, heavy-duty range with commercial-grade panels, built-in guttering and the longest guarantee.

Palram Canopia Voyager: the small one

The Palram Canopia Voyager 5x3 is a low pent-roof store, just 1.47m tall, made to sit against a wall or fence. It's ideal for tools, a hose and a strimmer where there's no room for a walk-in shed. It has wide double doors with a pad bolt, 1mm walls and an ABS floor, all in dark grey. The whole kit weighs 23kg, so one person can carry the boxes round the side of the house. For other compact sizes, browse our small plastic sheds.

Palram Canopia Skylight sheds

The Skylight is the range most people mean when they search for a Palram shed. It's an apex walk-in shed with 1mm UV protected walls and the shingle-style roof that gives the range its name. Sizes run from 4' x 6' to 6' x 12', in grey or tan. Tan is Palram's brown, so pick a tan apex shed if you want something that blends into a border. A grey shed looks more modern next to grey slabs or fencing. The 4x6 models have a single door. The rest have low-threshold double doors you can wheel a mower straight through.

Each Canopia Skylight shed has a non-slip floor. The 4x6 has vents front and rear, and the grey 6x3 and 4x6 listings come with a Hilti screw anchoring kit and a galvanised steel perimeter base. At 2.04m to 2.17m tall, every Skylight size fits under the 2.5m limit for a shed near your boundary. Medium sizes are compared on our 6x10 plastic sheds page.

Palram Canopia Rubicon sheds

The Rubicon is where Palram sheds get serious. Its walls are 10mm multi-wall polycarbonate panels, the twin-skin board you see on conservatory roofs, in dark grey on a reinforced frame. That makes it stiffer than the Skylight and it handles temperature swings better. The 8ft-wide models are rated to 115km/h wind and 80kg/m² snow.

All nine sizes have a grippy floor, wide double doors and a ramp, so bikes and wheelbarrows roll in rather than bump over a sill. They run from 6' x 8' up to 8' x 20', and the long 15, 17 and 20ft versions suit a narrow garden that goes back a long way. Most Rubicon listings include an anchor kit. If you want a square shed, see our 8x8 plastic sheds, and for bikes in a row, our plastic bike sheds.

Palram Canopia Yukon: the largest polycarbonate shed

The Yukon is 11ft wide and comes in 9, 13, 17 and 21ft depths, so the biggest gives you over 21 square metres. Its dark grey walls are commercial-grade 10mm panels, the apex roof has integral guttering and the double doors are 1.47m wide with a low ramp. It's the most premium Palram shed, with a 15 year warranty, the longest of any Palram Canopia model.

Watch the floor. Each Palram Canopia Yukon is sold two ways. The cheaper listings come with a galvanised steel perimeter base and no floor, so you'll need to stand them on a concrete pad or slabs. Listings with "WPC Floor" in the name add a waterproof wood polymer composite floor on that steel frame. If you'll store a ride-on or a heavy workbench, the WPC version or a solid concrete base is the one to choose.

The Yukon's ridge is 2.52m, just over the 2.5m limit near a boundary, so plan to set it at least 2m back from the fence (more on that below). For other big sheds, including Keter's, see our large plastic sheds and heavy duty plastic sheds.

Which size of Palram shed do you need?

Measure the outdoor space first, then check the base size on each listing as well as the name. Palram quotes sizes with the roof overhang, so the walls sit a few centimetres inside it. Leave about 60cm round the sides so you can reach to build it and clean the panels later.

1. Tool storage and a hose: the Voyager 5x3 or a Skylight 6x3.
2. A mower, a few tools and the garden chairs: a Skylight 4x6 or 6x10, or a Rubicon 6x8.
3. Two or three bikes plus the garden kit: a Rubicon 8x10 or 8x12.
4. A ride-on, a workbench or a whole garage's worth of storage: a long Rubicon or a Yukon.

Buy one size bigger than you think. Shelves eat floor space fast, and a shed you can walk round is far easier to use than one you have to unpack to reach the back.

Bases, anchoring and assembly

Even a Palram shed with a floor needs a flat, level garden base. The floor is the inside surface, not a foundation, and on lawn or soft soil it'll sink unevenly. Then the shed twists and the doors stop lining up. Good options are a concrete pad, paving slabs on compacted sand and hardcore, or a plastic grid kit filled with gravel. Make it the same size as the shed's footprint or a touch bigger, and lay it before delivery day. Compare kits on our shed bases page, or for the bigger sheds our 10x8 shed bases. On a slope, use one of our adjustable shed bases.

Anchor it down too. A polycarbonate shed is light, and wind can get under the doors. Several kits include anchors or Hilti screws for durable fixing in rough weather. If yours doesn't, buy a set for your base. The boxes are heavy on the big sizes, with the long Rubicons at 113kg to 143kg and the WPC Yukons up to 384kg packed, so plan two people for the build and a dry, calm day.

Condensation, light and security

All plastic and metal sheds can drip with condensation on cold mornings. Palram's twin-wall Rubicon and Yukon panels help, and some smaller Canopia models have vents. Keep the shed raised and dry, leave a gap at the back for air and don't store wet cushions in a closed shed. The Skylight roof means you'll rarely need a lamp in the day, but for winter evenings see our shed lighting page.

Every model has a lockable handle or pad bolt, but no padlock in the box. Fit a closed-shackle padlock and, on the larger sheds, an alarm. Locks and alarms are on our shed security page.

Do you need planning permission for a Palram shed?

Usually not. In England most garden sheds are permitted development, and the key rule is a 2.5m maximum height when the shed is within 2m of a boundary. Every Voyager, Skylight and Rubicon shed is under that, so they can go against a fence. The Yukon's 2.52m ridge means it should sit at least 2m back, where the limit is higher, unless your council agrees otherwise. Sheds also can't go in front of the house or cover more than half the garden. The full rules are in the government's permitted development technical guidance. Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland have their own rules.

Palram vs Keter, wooden and metal sheds

Keter is Palram's main rival in plastic sheds. Keter uses wood-effect resin walls, which look more like a painted timber shed and take a shelf more easily. Palram Canopia panels let light in and are lighter to move. See our Keter sheds and resin sheds to compare. A wooden shed is easier to screw into but needs treating every year or two. A metal shed is cheap and secure but dents, can rust at cut edges and often has no floor. For the full pros and cons, read our plastic vs wooden shed guide. Tight budget? Try our cheap plastic sheds.

Specs, assembly videos and parts are on the maker's own site at Canopia by Palram.

Palram shed FAQs

Are Palram sheds any good?

Yes, for low-maintenance garden storage. The panels won't rot or fade, the frame won't rust and the guarantees run 10 to 15 years. The thin-walled Skylight and Voyager are fine for tools. For heavier use or an exposed garden, pick the Rubicon or Yukon.

Do Palram sheds come with a floor?

The Voyager, Skylight and Rubicon all come as a shed with floor in the box. The Yukon is sold with or without, so buy a listing with "WPC Floor" in the name if you want it included.

What's the difference between the Skylight and the Rubicon?

Wall thickness and toughness. The Skylight has 1mm polycarbonate walls and a 10 year guarantee. The Rubicon has 10mm multi-wall panels, a ramp, higher wind and snow ratings and a 12 year guarantee.

Do Palram sheds come in brown?

Yes. Palram calls it tan. On this page the Skylight 4x6, 6x3 and 6x12 come in tan. Every other Palram Canopia shed here is a grey shed, either light grey or dark grey.

Can you put shelves in a Palram shed?

Yes, though you can't screw a shelf into the panels like timber. Use a free-standing shelf unit or brackets made for the frame. See our shed shelving page.

How long does a Palram shed take to build?

The panels slide or click into the frame, so a small one is a morning's job. Allow a full day for two people on a Rubicon 8x10 and longer for a Yukon. Have the base laid before the shed arrives.