feel good PT3 3x2x2m Polytunnel Cover Review: The Definitive Verdict on Reviving Your Garden Greenhouse

There’s a specific kind of sinking feeling every dedicated gardener knows. It’s the one you get after a particularly vicious winter storm, or simply after years of faithful service, when you walk out to your garden and see it: the rips, the tears, the brittle, sun-bleached plastic of your polytunnel cover finally giving up the ghost. The sturdy metal frame, the heart of your extended growing season, stands strong, but its protective skin is compromised. Your tender seedlings and overwintering plants are now exposed. For us, this moment came after a surprise late-spring gale. Our original cover, which came with the frame kit, was shredded beyond repair, and with it, our plans for an early tomato harvest were in jeopardy. The search for a replacement isn’t just about buying a piece of plastic; it’s about finding a worthy successor that can protect our investment and our horticultural ambitions.

What to Consider Before Buying a Polytunnel Replacement Cover

A polytunnel cover is more than just an item; it’s a key solution for any serious gardener looking to defy the limitations of the local climate. It creates a micro-environment, trapping solar heat, protecting plants from frost, wind, and pests, and ultimately extending the growing season on both ends. This means earlier spring planting and later autumn harvests. The main benefit is control—control over temperature, humidity, and exposure, allowing you to cultivate crops that might otherwise struggle in your region. Without a durable and effective cover, a polytunnel frame is just a metal skeleton, offering no practical benefit to your plants.

The ideal customer for a replacement cover like this is someone facing the exact scenario we did: you have a perfectly good, standard-sized 3x2x2m polytunnel frame, but the original cover has succumbed to UV degradation or physical damage. You’re looking for a cost-effective way to get your greenhouse back in action without the expense and waste of buying an entirely new kit. Conversely, this product is not suitable for those who are starting from scratch and need a frame and cover together. It’s also not for individuals with non-standard or custom-sized frames, as the fit is crucial for performance. For those needing a complete, all-in-one solution, exploring a full greenhouse kit would be the better path.

Before investing, consider these crucial points in detail:

• Dimensions & Space: This cannot be overstated—measure your existing frame meticulously. Check the length, width, and height at its highest point. The feel good PT3 3x2x2m Polytunnel Cover is designed for a very common size, but even a few centimetres of difference can lead to a poor fit, causing excessive strain or problematic sagging. A perfect fit ensures optimal tension and weather resistance.
• Capacity/Performance: The cover’s primary job is to manage the internal environment. Look for features like UV protection, which is vital for the longevity of the cover itself, preventing it from becoming brittle and failing prematurely. The material’s ability to diffuse light evenly and retain heat overnight are key performance metrics that directly impact plant health and growth rates.
• Materials & Durability: Most covers are made from Polyethylene (PE), often reinforced with a nylon grid for rip-stop strength. The feel good PT3 cover uses a blend of UPVC and PE, aiming for a balance of flexibility and toughness. Pay attention to the quality of seams, stitching, and especially the zippers, as these are common failure points. A heavier material, indicated by weight (this one is 4.11kg), often suggests greater durability.
• Ease of Use & Maintenance: A good replacement cover should be straightforward to install. Features like roll-up doors with ties, ventilation windows with insect mesh, and an extra-long skirt at the bottom for anchoring make a huge difference in day-to-day use. For maintenance, a smooth surface that can be easily wiped down to maintain light clarity is a definite plus.

While the feel good PT3 3x2x2m Polytunnel Cover is an excellent choice, it’s always wise to see how it stacks up against the competition. For a broader look at all the top models, we highly recommend checking out our complete, in-depth guide:

First Impressions: Unpacking and Initial Assessment

Upon its arrival, the feel good PT3 3x2x2m Polytunnel Cover immediately gave an impression of substance. The box had a decent heft to it, and the 4.11kg item weight listed in the specs felt accurate. Unfolding the cover, the material felt thick and robust, a noticeable step up from the flimsy, almost crinkly cover our original kit came with. The PE material is reinforced with a green grid pattern, a classic sign of rip-stop construction designed to prevent small tears from becoming catastrophic failures. The seams appeared well-stitched, and our initial inspection of the zipper revealed it to be sturdy with a smooth action. One interesting point, consistent with feedback from other users, was that the cover we received had three roll-up windows on each side, complete with insect mesh, and green zippers—a slight deviation from some product descriptions mentioning a single vent but a welcome upgrade in our view. This provided an immediate sense of enhanced ventilation and functionality before we even began the installation.

A Deep Dive into the feel good PT3 3x2x2m Polytunnel Cover’s Performance

A replacement cover is judged on three things: how well it protects, how easy it is to live with, and how long it lasts. We put the feel good PT3 through its paces over several weeks, encompassing blazing sun, heavy downpours, and gusty winds, to see how it truly performed in a real-world garden setting.

Material Quality and All-Weather Durability

The core of any polytunnel cover is its material, and the UPVC/PE blend used here is impressive for its price point. The integrated UV protection is the most critical long-term feature. We’ve seen unprotected covers turn yellow and brittle in a single season, but this material is formulated to resist that degradation. Throughout weeks of intense sun, we saw no signs of discoloration or weakening. The reinforced grid pattern proved its worth during a particularly blustery day when a stray branch scraped against the side; instead of a long gash, it left only a minor scuff, as the grid contained the damage. This is the kind of real-world durability that gives a gardener peace of mind. One of the standout features, echoed by fellow users, is the generously sized skirt that extends around the entire base of the cover. This isn’t just excess material; it’s a critical design element. We buried this skirt under a deep layer of soil and gravel, creating an incredibly secure anchor that completely prevented wind from getting underneath and lifting the structure. For the section under the door, where burying isn’t practical, a couple of heavy paving slabs did the trick perfectly. This anchoring system is far superior to covers that rely solely on a few flimsy pegs and makes the entire polytunnel vastly more stable in high winds. You can explore the full specifications and material details to see how it’s built to last.

Installation, Fit, and Structural Considerations

Getting the cover onto the frame was surprisingly painless. This is where the slightly “loose” or “generous” fit, as some have noted, becomes a major advantage. We’ve wrestled with replacement covers that were cut so precisely they felt a size too small, requiring Herculean efforts and risking torn seams just to get them on. The feel good PT3 3x2x2m Polytunnel Cover, by contrast, draped over our 3x2x2m frame with ease, allowing two of us to pull it into position without a struggle in under 20 minutes. The measurements were spot on. However, this ease of installation comes with a caveat that we, and other users, quickly discovered. The slack in the material, particularly on the roof, can create shallow depressions. During a heavy downpour, these depressions became pools of water. The weight of this water can stretch the cover and put undue stress on the frame. Our expert solution, which we highly recommend, was to install a simple central ridge pole (a length of wood or PVC pipe) running the length of the tunnel roof, propped up by two T-bars. This created a slightly higher pitch, ensuring all rainwater ran off immediately. It’s a simple, inexpensive modification that solves the cover’s only significant design flaw. While the cover itself is strong, we found the included tie-down straps for securing it to the frame’s poles were rather weak. We quickly substituted them with a set of durable bungee cords, which provided a much more secure and taut fit.

The Growing Environment: Light, Heat, and Ventilation

Ultimately, a polytunnel cover’s success is measured in seedlings and harvests. In this regard, the feel good PT3 excels. The material diffuses bright, direct sunlight beautifully, preventing leaf scorch while still allowing plenty of light for photosynthesis. The internal temperature on a sunny day climbed rapidly, creating a perfect hothouse environment that our tomato and pepper seedlings adored. As one user aptly put it, her “seedlings are doing brilliantly,” and our experience was identical. The real test is managing that heat. The model we tested, with its three roll-up windows on each side plus the main door, provided outstanding cross-ventilation. On hot afternoons, we opened everything up, and even a gentle breeze was enough to circulate the air, preventing the oppressive, stagnant heat that can lead to fungal diseases and plant stress. The insect mesh on the windows is a fantastic touch, keeping out cabbage butterflies and other pests while letting the air flow. The heavy-duty zipper on the door is a joy to use—it’s smooth, doesn’t snag, and feels like it will withstand thousands of cycles of opening and closing. This combination of excellent light transmission, heat retention, and superior ventilation creates a near-perfect, controllable growing environment, making this cover a feature-rich choice for serious gardeners.

What Other Users Are Saying

Our positive experience is largely mirrored by the broader user community. There is a strong consensus that the feel good PT3 3x2x2m Polytunnel Cover is a significant upgrade over the covers supplied with many original polytunnel kits. Phrases like “very good quality” and “much better quality than the original” are common. The ease of fitting it onto an existing frame is frequently praised, as is the effectiveness of the large anchoring skirt, which users have successfully buried or weighted down to combat wind.

The constructive feedback is also remarkably consistent and aligns perfectly with our findings. The most cited issue is the tendency for rainwater to pool on the roof due to the slightly loose fit, with several savvy gardeners adopting the same solution we did: adding extra internal support bars to improve runoff. The other common complaint concerns the “fairly useless and weak” tie-down straps, confirming our decision to replace them immediately with something more substantial. These critiques are not deal-breakers but important considerations for getting the best performance and longevity out of the cover.

How Does the feel good PT3 3x2x2m Polytunnel Cover Compare to the Alternatives?

It’s important to understand that this product serves a specific niche: replacing a damaged cover on an existing frame. The alternatives below are mostly complete kits, catering to different needs and spaces.

1. Sekey Walk In Greenhouse with Shelves

The Sekey Walk In Greenhouse is an all-in-one package for someone starting from scratch. It includes not just the frame and cover, but also integrated shelving, which is a huge bonus for organizing pots and seed trays. If you don’t have a frame and want a complete, ready-to-go solution with built-in storage, the Sekey model is a compelling choice. However, if you already own a perfectly good 3x2x2m frame, purchasing this entire kit would be redundant and more expensive than simply buying the feel good PT3 replacement cover.

2. CHRISTOW 3 Tier Mini Greenhouse

The CHRISTOW 3 Tier Mini Greenhouse operates on a completely different scale. This is a compact, vertical growhouse designed for patios, balconies, or very small gardens. It’s ideal for hardening off seedlings or growing a few herbs and smaller plants. It cannot be compared directly to a walk-in polytunnel in terms of space or capability. A gardener needing to cover a 3x2m plot for growing tall plants like tomatoes or cucumbers would find this mini greenhouse entirely unsuitable for their needs.

3. Outsunny Mini Greenhouse PE Cover Zipped Window

This Outsunny model is more of a low-profile cold frame or mini tunnel than a walk-in greenhouse. Its steeple shape and 90cm height make it excellent for protecting rows of low-growing vegetables like lettuce, carrots, or strawberries over winter. It’s a great tool for row-crop protection but lacks the height and internal space for a person to work inside or to cultivate vining or tall-growing plants. The feel good PT3 cover is for a structure that offers vastly more volume and versatility.

Our Final Verdict on the feel good PT3 3x2x2m Polytunnel Cover

After extensive testing, we can confidently say that the feel good PT3 3x2x2m Polytunnel Cover is an excellent investment for any gardener looking to breathe new life into an old, standard-sized polytunnel frame. Its material is robust and weather-resistant, offering a tangible upgrade in quality over many original covers. The generous fit makes installation a breeze, and thoughtful features like the large anchoring skirt and (in our case) multiple ventilation windows create a secure and highly effective growing environment. Yes, it has two minor, solvable flaws: the potential for water pooling and the flimsy included straps. However, these are easily remedied with a simple DIY roof support and a few quid’s worth of better ties. For the price, the quality and performance you receive are exceptional, saving you from the significant cost of a brand-new polytunnel kit. If you have a 3x2x2m frame in need of a new skin, we wholeheartedly recommend this cover. It’s a durable, practical, and high-value choice that will get your garden back to full productivity. You can check the latest price and give your garden frame a new lease on life today.