Artificial or real? It is the question nearly every garden owner weighs up at some point, usually while staring at a patchy, waterlogged lawn in February. Both have a genuine place, and the honest answer is that neither wins outright. It depends on how you use your garden and what you want from it. This guide lays out the real differences, costs and trade-offs so you can decide which suits you.
The short answer: which is actually better?
If you want a green, usable lawn all year with almost no effort, artificial grass wins. If you love gardening, want something soft and natural underfoot, and do not mind the upkeep, a real lawn is hard to beat. Most people fall somewhere in the middle, and the right choice comes down to time, budget and how much the garden gets used, particularly by children and pets.
So this is not a case of one being plainly right. It is about matching the surface to your life. The sections below give you the detail to make that call.
Which costs more to buy, and which costs more to run?
A real lawn is far cheaper to start with. Turf is only a few pounds per square metre, and seed is cheaper still. A fitted artificial lawn, by contrast, costs roughly £50 to £90 per square metre, nearer £65 to £110 in London and the South East, because most of that price is the groundwork underneath, not the grass on top.
The picture flips once the lawn is down. A real lawn needs mowing, feeding, watering in dry spells, weeding and the odd re-seed, which costs money and time year after year. Artificial grass needs almost nothing, just an occasional brush and a rinse. Over ten to fifteen years the running costs close much of the gap (our cost guide breaks the figures down), and for a lot of people the hours saved matter as much as the pounds.
Which looks better day to day?
A healthy, well-kept real lawn, in full growth on a summer evening, is lovely, and nothing synthetic quite matches it. The trouble is that few lawns look like that for long. By late summer they scorch, in winter they turn to mud, and in heavy shade they thin out to patches.
Artificial grass trades that peak for consistency. It stays the same tidy green in January as it does in July, in shade as in sun. Modern grasses with mixed pile colours and a few brown “thatch” fibres look convincing from a normal distance. Up close, and underfoot, you can tell. It does not have the give or the smell of the real thing. Whether that matters is a personal call.
How much maintenance does each one really need?
This is where the two differ most. A real lawn is a small ongoing job:
- Mowing every week or two through the growing season
- Feeding, scarifying and aerating to keep it healthy
- Watering in dry spells and dealing with weeds and moss
- Patching bare spots and re-seeding
Artificial grass asks for a fraction of that. A brush against the pile to lift it, clearing leaves before they rot, and a rinse now and then is about the size of it. It is not completely hands-off, and our maintenance guide covers the small routine, but it is minutes a month rather than hours a week.
Is artificial grass bad for the environment?
This is a fair question and deserves an honest answer. Artificial grass is a plastic product, it is made using oil, and at the end of its life it is hard to recycle, so most of it still goes to landfill. It also supports none of the insects, worms and birds that a living lawn does, and the ground beneath it is sealed off.
A real lawn, on the other hand, is living habitat, though a closely mown, fed and watered lawn is not especially rich for wildlife either, and it uses water and petrol along the way. Neither is a clear environmental hero. If this weighs heavily with you, the greenest option is often a real lawn left a little wilder, or mixing a smaller artificial area with planted borders.
Which is better for pets and children?
For a lot of families this is the deciding factor. Artificial grass gives children a clean, dry, mud-free surface to play on all year, and it does not wear into bald patches where they run and scuff. For dogs it drains well, it will not dig up into holes, and urine rinses through a free-draining base, though it does need regular rinsing to stay fresh, which we cover on our artificial grass for dogs page.
A real lawn is softer to fall on and cooler in full sun, which counts for toddlers and sunbathing dogs. The downside is mud, worn patches and the fact that dog urine yellows and kills living grass over time. Both can work; it comes down to whether you would rather manage mud or manage rinsing.
How to decide what is right for your garden
Start with how you actually use the space. A shaded, boggy garden that never grows a decent lawn, or one that takes a hammering from kids and dogs, is a strong case for artificial. A sunny garden you enjoy pottering in, where you like the feel and the wildlife, leans towards real.
Think too about the long view. The higher upfront cost of artificial grass makes most sense if you plan to stay put and want years of low-effort use. If you move often or like to change the garden around, the cheaper, more flexible real lawn may suit you better. There is also no rule that says you must pick one: many of the best gardens use a tidy artificial area for play and seating, with real planting around it. If you want a figure for your space, request a quote and weigh it against the lawn you have now.
Frequently asked questions
Does artificial grass increase or lower the value of a house?
It can go either way, and it depends on the buyer. A neat, well-fitted lawn that needs no upkeep appeals to busy households and older owners, and a tidy garden always shows better in photos. Some buyers, though, specifically want a real lawn and soil to plant in. It rarely makes or breaks a sale on its own.
Can you lay artificial grass straight over an existing lawn?
You can, but you usually should not. Laying it over living turf traps moisture, invites weeds up through the pile and leaves a soft, uneven surface that soon dips. A proper job lifts the old lawn and builds a compacted stone base first. That groundwork is what keeps the surface flat and draining for years.
Is fake grass noticeably hotter than a real lawn?
Yes, on a hot, sunny day the surface warms up more than living grass, which cools itself through moisture. It is rarely a problem in the British climate, but it is worth knowing if you have young children or a dog that lies out in full sun. A quick splash of water cools it down fast.