Best Vinyl Fence – Buyer’s Guide

Vinyl fences are a popular choice among homeowners for their durability, low maintenance, and attractive appearance. Unlike wood fences, vinyl fences do not require staining or painting, making them a practical and cost-effective option for those looking for a long-term fencing solution. With a wide range of styles, colors, and sizes available, choosing the right vinyl fence can be a daunting task.

In this blog post, we will explore the best vinyl fences on the market, taking into consideration factors such as quality, design, and affordability. Whether you’re looking to increase your home’s curb appeal, improve your privacy, or secure your property, we’ve got you covered. So, sit back, relax, and let us guide you through the world of vinyl fences.

1. Zippity Outdoor Products Manchester – Best Semi-Permanent Vinyl Fence

Zippity Outdoor Products offers the Manchester, an exceptional semi-permanent vinyl fence that stands out among its competitors. Although relatively new in the industry, Zippity Outdoors has gained a reputation for its expertise in outdoor vinyl products. The Manchester, in particular, has garnered recognition as the top choice for a semi-permanent vinyl fence. However, it should be noted that compared to other options, the Manchester may not provide the same level of stability and should be reinstalled periodically rather than used continuously over an extended period. Nevertheless, after conducting our thorough review, we confidently affirm that the Zippity Outdoor Manchester is indeed the best semi-permanent vinyl fence available.

Ease of Installation and Portability

The Manchester vinyl fence distinguishes itself primarily through its superior quality and effortless installation process. Its semi-permanent design eliminates the need for steel anchor rods, replacing them with 16″ molded vinyl spikes that can be effortlessly inserted into the ground. However, it is important to consider the soil conditions in your area, as the vinyl spikes may exhibit reduced durability in tougher soil and may bend or flex under pressure. Nonetheless, the Manchester’s notable advantage lies in its remarkable efficiency, enabling users to install and transport the fence with unparalleled ease. This feature is particularly appealing to landlords, as it facilitates swift installation and relocation when necessary.

2. WamBam Premium Vinyl Classic Picket Fence – Best All-Around Value Vinyl Fence

WamBam’s name may not necessarily make it seem like all that serious of a company, but they do at least specialize exclusively in quick fencing products. While this vinyl fence does not necessarily top our list in any meaningful category, it does offer a solid blend of features at one of the more reasonable prices on our list. That said, it should be noted that this is also a traditional type of vinyl fence, though it does at least come with the necessary infrastructure per panel. Either way, we feel this is the best all-around value vinyl fence that we reviewed.

Solid Specs

First, this fence is 4’ tall and 6’ wide, both of which are the second most for each on our list and fits the standard picket fence design better than most. On top of that, the WamBam Traditional vinyl fence also features an omnidirectional post which allows you to not only position the panels where you want but to further section the property off further. Of course, being a traditional type of vinyl fence means that this is more stable than some of the others reviewed and is further reinforced with UV inhibitors to prevent the vinyl from yellowing over time out in the sun.

3. Zippity Outdoor Products Newport – Best Budget Vinyl Fence

While vinyl fences were designed to make putting up a picket fence easier and less expensive, but sometimes you need the absolute least expensive option you can find. While the Zippity Outdoors Newport is not the cheapest on the market, strictly speaking, it is the least expensive that still passes the baseline of value. Not only that, the Newport vinyl fence is able to accomplish all of this while still offering a solid no-dig design. This is why we feel the WamBam Newport is the best budget vinyl fence on our list.

Value Beyond

While a budget-friendly product is nice, it is important to know what you are giving up in the exchange for a lower cost. Thankfully, the Newport does not actually sacrifice any performance, though it is easily the shortest vinyl fence on our list at only 3’. It also features the smallest panel width at only 6’ meaning you will need more panels for the same size lot than with others. On the other hand, this vinyl fence comes with a lifetime warranty on parts and includes UV inhibitors. To add even more value, WamBam also includes the necessary infrastructure for installation.

4. WamBam Nantucket – Best No-Dig Vinyl Fence

One thing that WamBam prides itself on, and even serves as one of the founding principles, is that their products are designed for DIYers. A WamBam fence should not require a garage full of specialized tools or a crew of trained professionals to put up. With the WamBam No-Dig vinyl fence, the company went a step further to ensure that not only do you not need many tools or professional help, but you can work quicker than most to get the fence up. This is why we consider the WamBam No-Dig to be the best no-dig vinyl fence on our list.

One Man Band

While a number of the vinyl fences we reviewed are reasonably easy to put up, the WamBam might be the easiest–even compared to the semi-permanent types. A big part of this has to do with the fact that the included infrastructure is legitimately well-made and durable. In fact, this is the only no-dig vinyl fence that we found which includes the leveling donut as part of the original purchase. Even better, the WamBam No-Dig vinyl fence also features the lightest panels we saw, making it much easier for a single person to assemble.

5. Veranda Linden Vinyl Pro Privacy Fence – Best Vinyl Fence

Veranda is actually a house brand of the Home Depot hardware store chain, so they may not truly be a specialized company. That said, they do have the backing of a global company behind them which allows them to provide one of the best performing vinyl fences that we came across. Of course, when you consider that the Veranda comes from a reputable brand and performs better than most, it only makes sense that it would also be the most expensive product we reviewed. Still, the difference in price is more than accounted for with enough of a performance advantage over the competition.

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Buyer’s Guide

Type

Though all vinyl fences are made of the same materials, that does not mean they are all designed in a similar fashion. In fact, there are a few different ways to design a vinyl fence with each having their particular strengths and weakness better or worse suited to a particular situation. As such, you should not really consider one type to be superior to another, simply better adapted to a specific set of needs. While it may seem at first blush that the most stable and durable type of vinyl fence would obviously be superior, that principle is challenged if the fence must be taken down. Likewise, each distinguishing characteristic of a vinyl fence type merely serves to further define and refine its niche more than anything else.

Traditional

This, as the name would suggest, is the first type of vinyl fence to be widely used by consumers, though it is quickly being outpaced by newer designs. The traditional type of vinyl fence features vinyl fence panels held in place by evenly spaced poles fixed two or more feet underground. This type of vinyl fence requires a significant amount of preparation and assembly time, but it is also by far the most stable and durable type. That said, the level of strength and stability provided by a traditional vinyl fence often goes well above and beyond what you actually need. On top of that, some climates can actually present unexpected difficulties if the vinyl fence cannot flex or move.

Semi-Permanent

This was the next type of vinyl fence to be developed and followed shortly on the heels of the traditional type. This type of vinyl fence has a wide range of uses, but as the name suggests, is meant primarily for a shorter period of time. People who do not actually own their home and property would be a good example of someone who might want a temporary vinyl fence. Likewise, someone who owns a large number of properties could probably find a use for a temporary, portable vinyl fence that could be used at different properties. Of course, the main disadvantage of a semi-permanent vinyl fence is its lack of stability and durability. This is due to the fact that semi-permanent vinyl fence panels have stakes molded to the fence posts for quick installation. The stakes are generally less than a foot long and will eventually burrow out the post hole until the fence is no longer firmly fixed.

No-Dig

This is the most recent type of vinyl fence developed and is likely the best option for most people who own their permanent residence. That said, the name is a bit of a misnomer as each panel is still firmly fixed to the ground as with a traditional vinyl fence. The main difference between this type of vinyl fence and the traditional comes with the assembly process. Basically, No-Dig vinyl fences rely on anchors and braces to provide leverage so you can force the pole into the ground below. This makes putting up a No-Dig vinyl fence much quicker and with far less damage done to the surrounding ground. On the other hand, it can be difficult to actually force the pole into the ground depending on the soil composition, so make sure you live in a region amenable to this process. It is worth noting that No-Dig vinyl fences are generally less expensive than the traditional type, but they are also a bit less stable and durable too.

Assembly

This is actually one of the more important considerations to make when choosing a vinyl fence since many of them are otherwise relatively similar. However, the difference in terms of the assembly from one to the other is just as different for each step, though it is not as simple a matter as getting the easiest to install. This is because the easier it is to install a vinyl fence, the less stable the fence’s anchors will be. Basically, if you dig a pole 3’ or more into the ground, it is going to be far more stable than if you merely stick in 6” spikes. Of course, it will take you considerably longer to dig the holes for a 3’ anchor compared to the ease of a 6” spike.

Durability

This quality can get a bit tricky since all fences reviewed are ostensibly made of vinyl, but that material can come in a variety of plastic mixtures. That said, few manufacturers divulge their actual vinyl composition, so a standard approach to durability will not work. Still, there is a fairly standard line of progress when it comes to vinyl fence durability and it follows semi-permanent, No-Dig, and Traditional. It is worth noting that the difference between No-Dig and semi-permanent is much wider than the difference between No-Dig and Traditional. While traditional requires a more involved process that leaves the anchoring pole deeper in the ground, making it more stable, the No-Dig technique is still more than serviceable for all but the softest of soil. On the other hand, while vinyl is fairly resilient on its own, including being waterproof, but some manufacturers go the extra mile by providing a wide range of protections and resistances in the form of mixtures and coatings. The most common of these include UV protection and resistance to mold and other microorganisms.

Style

Though this is clearly a personal choice, it is worth noting that vinyl fences come in a wide variety of styles which either often come from an architectural style or are made to complement one. As such, if you found a product in a niche that you need, check the company’s other models to look for the matching style. Of course, there is no hard and fast rule that says the styles must match, outside of a rigid Homeowners’ Association, which is arguably one of the better qualities of a vinyl fence. Unfortunately, vinyl fences are not actually less expensive than wooden fences and hinge more on their durability against the elements than a strict value comparison.

That said, your options for style are quite often a bit limited to the 19th and 20th centuries, though most architecture also follows suit. Because of the nature of cultural geography, most of these styles originated on the East Coast before moving westward to Middle America.

Conclusion

In the end, the best vinyl fence will mean different things to different people, but the deluxe model in our opinion is the Veranda. Aside from the fact that the Veranda is the largest panel on our list, it also features a privacy style for a comfortable, enclosed space. Of course, it is also the most expensive and permanent vinyl fence as well. That said, if you are looking for something that you can take with you when you go, the Zippity Outdoors semi-permanent vinyl fence is a great option. For those of you needing a more budget-friendly option, the Zippity Outdoors No-Dig takes our top spot.