How to Choose a Garden Dome

Decision 1: Size

Start with the space and the purpose:

• Measure your garden and picture where the dome will sit: allow room around it and a sensible spot for light and view.
• Think about use. A reading nook or two-seat retreat needs far less than a dining space for eight or a hosting dome. Size to the busiest use you realistically have in mind, not the smallest.
• Know the three sizes. They run from the 2.7 m Mini to the 5 m Large:

UK GBP dome prices checked on 21 October 2026; confirm the selected size, specification and any live offer on the current product page.

If you're torn between two sizes, people more often wish they'd gone slightly bigger than smaller: the space fills up fast once you start using it. Our sizes guide walks through this in detail.

Check the planning position for your spot, too. A dome is a garden room, not a dwelling, and a garden structure of this size is usually permitted development, but check with your local planning authority, especially for a listed building, a conservation area or a spot near a boundary, where height matters (the Mini and Standard are 2.1 m tall, the Large 2.5 m). Rules differ in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, and commercial use usually needs permission; our planning permission guide explains more.

Decision 2: Specification, the key choice

This is the decision that matters most for UK weather, and it's refreshingly simple. All three use solid, UV-protected polycarbonate, a material around 250 times more impact resistant than glass; what changes is the panel thickness, the fixings and the warranty (1, 3 or 5 years depending on the specification). The Mini and Standard come in three:

• Original: the accessible entry point, ideal for sheltered gardens where exposure isn't a concern.
• Ultra: the one most people should choose. Panels 30% thicker than Original plus stainless steel bolts, nuts and anchors, comfortably enough for most UK gardens, including windy ones. It's the right balance of strength, weather margin and value, and our most popular specification.
• Extreme: our strongest home and hospitality specification, with 3 mm panels (twice as thick as Original) and stainless steel bolts, nuts and anchors. Choose it for the highest specification and 5-year warranty; we recommend it for exposed, coastal or high sites and commercial use (glamping, hospitality, constant letting).

The 5 m Large comes in one specification, with maximum-thickness panels and a 5-year warranty.

For a typical home garden, start with Ultra; choose Extreme when you want our strongest specification or your site and use call for it. Our Original vs Ultra vs Extreme guide compares the three side by side.

Decision 3: Use

Let the intended use fine-tune your choices:

• Office, studio, gym or occasional guest room: for a room you'll rely on year-round, in all weathers, the extra margin of Ultra or Extreme is worth having. Plan heating, ventilation and power from the start (mains electrics by a registered electrician).
• Dining, hosting, hot tub: size up for the number of people and the furniture. For a hot tub, check its footprint against the floor area and that the base can carry its filled weight.
• Commercial or letting: Extreme, our strongest specification, for durability under constant use and the premium feel guests pay for.

Decision 4: Base and budget

• Base. Every dome needs a level, firm base, anchored with the brackets included. The Mini and Standard can sit on your own level surface (a patio or prepared pad) or on our Hexa or Natural platform bases, which pair with Ultra and Extreme domes; our wooden decking base suits the Standard and Large with every specification, and the Large sits on its decking base. Plan this before delivery (bases can arrive separately and may take longer); our foundations and bases guide covers each option.
• Build. Individually numbered panels bolt together with no specialist tools, and most owners finish in an afternoon or a day (two people make it easier). If you'd rather not, our Built for you installers can build and anchor it for you.
• Budget. Remember the GeoDomeX price includes the sliding door, windows and roof vents, a free Ambient LED lighting kit and free next-day delivery from UK stock to eligible UK destinations for orders placed by 2pm, Monday to Friday, so compare on the finished, delivered price, not headline figures that leave those out.

A simple way to land on the answer

Most buyers end up with a size that suits their garden and main use, in the Ultra specification, on a level base, budgeted as a finished, delivered dome. Upgrade to Extreme for our strongest home or hospitality specification, particularly on exposed, coastal or high sites; drop to Original for a sheltered garden on a tighter budget. That covers the vast majority of decisions.

Frequently asked questions

Sources: polycarbonate material data from A&C Plastics, Piedmont Plastics and KASTLITE.