36 square feet, 4 mm twin-wall, and the honest question of whether that is a greenhouse or a large cold frame.
Best for a Tight Plot Palram Canopia Mythos 6 x 6 Polycarbonate Greenhouse
~$622
A 36 sq ft aluminum-framed house on a galvanized steel base, glazed in 4 mm twin-wall polycarbonate, with a reversible hinged door and a built-in gutter.
Check price on AmazonSpecifications
| Footprint | 6 x 6 ft, roughly 36 sq ft of floor |
|---|---|
| Glazing | 4 mm twin-wall polycarbonate, over 70 percent light transmission |
| UV | 100 percent protection from harmful UV rays |
| Frame | Powder-coated galvanized steel and aluminum |
| Base | Galvanized steel with designated anchoring holes, anchors not included |
| Door | Single hinged, assembles left or right, magnetic catch |
| Water | Built-in gutter system for drainage and collection |
Specifications above come from Palram Canopia's published feature list for this model. Treat pricing as approximate, since Amazon pricing moves.
What it does well
- Over 70 percent transmission through 4 mm twin-wall is a reasonable middle figure, and the diffusion that comes with it is genuinely better for leafy crops than direct clear light.
- A galvanized steel base with designated anchor holes on a 36 sq ft house is the right priority, because small light structures are the ones that blow away.
- It is a real branded kit at a size normally served only by zip-cover frames, so you get published ratings and a parts channel where the alternative is an unnamed import.
- The square footprint suits an awkward corner, a courtyard or a side return where a 10 ft length cannot be sited at all.
- A reversible door lets you put the opening where the path is, which on a house this small is the difference between usable and annoying.
Where it falls short
- 36 sq ft is not much greenhouse. Two 2 ft benches and a 2 ft path is the entire floor plan, and there is no room for a growing bed as well.
- At roughly $17 per square foot it is poor value against the 6 by 10 Hybrid at about $12, and the Hybrid costs only around $90 more in absolute terms.
- 4 mm twin-wall is the thin end of insulating glazing. It insulates better than clear single skin and considerably worse than the 6 mm walls on the EcoGrow.
- Small volume means fast temperature swings in both directions. A 36 sq ft house heats and cools far quicker than a 96 sq ft one, so it needs more attentive venting, not less.
- Ventilation as shipped is minimal for the volume, and on a small house that bites sooner. An automatic vent opener is close to mandatory here.
What owners report
The consistent theme in owner reports on small Palram kits is that people wish they had bought the next size up. That is not a criticism of the Mythos, it is the standard greenhouse regret, and it is worth naming before you order rather than after. If the ground allows a 6 by 10, our Hybrid 6 x 10 review covers the kit that costs marginally more and grows substantially more. Size the house from the crop you intend to grow rather than the budget, using the greenhouse size calculator.
Where the Mythos earns its keep is on plots where nothing longer will fit, and there the comparison is not against a bigger greenhouse but against a lean-to or a film tunnel. A wall-mounted house borrows heat from the building and halves the light, which is a real trade rather than a free win, and our lean-to versus freestanding comparison works through when the aspect makes that worthwhile.
The other recurring point is thermal behaviour. Owners of small houses consistently report violent swings: 90 F by mid-morning on a clear spring day and close to outside air before dawn. Both directions are a function of low volume rather than poor construction. The fix on the hot side is venting, and on the cold side it is thermal mass or heat. Before you decide it needs heating, work out the number with the glazing heat loss calculator, because on 36 sq ft of twin-wall the answer is often a small unit run on a thermostat rather than anything expensive.
Who it suits
- Gardeners with a courtyard, side return or corner plot that cannot take a longer footprint.
- Growers of herbs, salad, chillies and pot plants rather than long rows of staked crops.
- Anyone who wants a branded aluminum kit with an anchorable base at the smallest sensible walk-in size.
Who should skip it
- Anyone with room for a 6 by 10. The next size up is better value and you will use it.
- Growers wanting a winter production house, because 4 mm twin-wall is thin glazing for that job.
- People who cannot get to it daily in spring, unless an automatic vent opener is part of the budget.
Alternatives worth considering
The Obvious Step Up Palram Canopia Hybrid 6 x 10 Polycarbonate Greenhouse
~$714
Two thirds more floor area for roughly $90 more, plus clear wall panels that transmit far more light. If the plot takes a 10 ft length, this is simply the better purchase.
Check price on Amazon
Budget Pick Glanzend 6 x 8 ft Polycarbonate Walk-In Greenhouse
~$144
48 sq ft with 8 mm panels and sliding doors for less than a quarter of the money. No published ratings and no parts channel, but if the choice is this or no greenhouse at all it is a serious option.
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If You Do Not Need to Stand Up Backyard Discovery Aggie 4 x 2 Cedar Cold Frame
~$299
Half the money and a wax-actuated self-opening lid. For hardening off and overwintering salad on a small plot, a good cold frame does most of what a tiny greenhouse does without taking the corner of the garden.
Check price on AmazonKeep reading
- Polycarbonate vs glass greenhouse
- Lean-to vs freestanding greenhouse
- Greenhouse size calculator
- Glazing heat loss calculator
- Palram Canopia Hybrid 6 x 10 review
- Glanzend 6 x 8 greenhouse review
- Backyard Discovery Aggie cold frame review
- Best walk-in greenhouse kits
This review draws on published specifications, manufacturer figures and the consensus of verified owner reviews. We have not tested this product ourselves, and we say so rather than implying otherwise. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.