Cheaper Alternatives to Omlet: What You Gain and Give Up
Most people find Omlet, fall for the design and the “just hose it down” cleaning, then see the price. This page lays out honestly what an Omlet setup costs, what you genuinely give up by going cheaper, and where a metal walk-in run plus a wooden coop — for roughly a third of the money — is the better call.
The short version: Omlet is genuinely easier to clean, more resistant to red mite, and better insulated, and it comes with a 10-year warranty. A metal walk-in run plus a wooden hen house gives you more space for the money and room to expand, in exchange for anchoring it yourself, sealing the wood once a year, and a shorter lifespan. If cleaning effort and a mite history are your main worries, buy Omlet. If budget and flock size are, build the value setup.
What does an Omlet coop cost?
Omlet’s plastic coops are priced well above wood or metal equivalents:
- Eglu Go — from around $700, for 2–4 hens.
- Eglu Cube — around $800 for the coop alone, $1,000+ with a run, and up to about $1,800 for a fully kitted setup; rated for 6–10 large hens (the enclosed house is for sleeping and laying — it’s compact for that bird count).
- Omlet walk-in run — about $1,349.
Source: Chicken Fans — Eglu Cube review (“around $800… prices go well over $1000”); pricing for the Go and walk-in run via retail listings and reviews, 2026. Check omlet.us for the current figure.
What Omlet does better than a cheap setup
Give Omlet its due — these are real advantages, not marketing:
- Cleaning. The twin-wall HDPE plastic can be wiped, hosed, or even pressure-washed, and the coop has a removable droppings tray. A wooden coop takes a scraper and a scrub.
- Red mite. “The fewer nooks and crannies there are, the fewer hiding places these parasites have.” Wooden coops have joints and end-grain where red mite live and breed; smooth plastic doesn’t.
- Insulation. The double walls “work like double glazing,” holding body heat in winter and keeping the coop cooler in summer. A single-skin wood or metal coop doesn’t.
- It won’t rot. No annual sealing, no warped panels, no soft floor in year four.
- Warranty and resale. A 10-year warranty, and used Omlet coops hold their value well.
- One integrated system — coop, run, and accessories all designed to fit.
What you get for a third of the price
A metal walk-in run for the daytime space plus a wooden hen house for roosting and laying covers the same job for far less:
| Omlet | Metal walk-in run + wooden coop | |
|---|---|---|
| Typical spend | $1,000–$1,800 | $300–$600 |
| Day space | Attached run, fixed size | 10 × 13 to 10 × 26 ft walk-in run you can stand up in |
| Enclosed house | Compact plastic Eglu | Wooden coop with nest boxes and a roost |
| Expandable | Add Omlet run sections (at Omlet prices) | Join a second run, add expansion panels |
| Repairs | Replace a moulded part | Replace a panel or a latch from a hardware store |
For example, our 10 × 20 ft galvanized walk-in run is about $310 — against roughly $1,349 for Omlet’s walk-in run — and gives a similar or larger footprint. Add a wooden coop with nest boxes and a perch inside it, or a larger wooden coop rated for 10–15 hens, and you have a full setup for $500–$650.
The honest catch on the value route
Going cheaper isn’t free — here’s the work Omlet does for you that you’ll do yourself:
- Anchoring and a dig barrier. Omlet’s run includes anti-dig skirting. A metal walk-in run ships as a frame you need to stake down against wind and add a hardware-cloth apron to against diggers — a couple of hours of work. See how to anchor and predator-proof a walk-in run.
- Sealing the wood. A wooden coop needs a coat of pet-safe exterior sealant once a year, and you have to watch for red mite in the joints. See rabbit hutch problems for the same wood-care principles (they apply to coops too).
- More assembly. A walk-in run is a few hours with two people; an Eglu clicks together in under an hour.
- Shorter lifespan. A metal run typically lasts 5–8 years vs Omlet’s 10-year warranty; a well-maintained wooden coop lasts longer but needs the upkeep above.
Which should you buy?
| Your situation | Better choice |
|---|---|
| Small urban flock, you hate cleaning, or you’ve fought red mite before | Omlet — the cleaning and mite resistance are worth the premium to you |
| Bigger flock, tighter budget, don’t mind an afternoon of setup and annual maintenance | Metal walk-in run + wooden coop |
| You want to start small and scale up cheaply | Walk-in run — join a second one or add panels later |
| Cold climate, birds indoors a lot in winter | Omlet’s twin-wall insulation is a real edge — or add insulation to a wooden coop |
| You want it to look tidy and matched, and budget isn’t the constraint | Omlet |
The Omlet-alternative setup we’d build
For a flock of 8–12 hens, on a budget:
- A 10 × 13 or 10 × 20 ft metal walk-in run ($225–$310) for secure daytime space.
- A wooden hen house ($210–$640) set inside it, with nest boxes and a roost — or build one.
- An automatic coop door ($25–$41) on the hen house so the flock is shut in at dusk.
- A weekend to anchor the run and add a hardware-cloth apron.
Total: roughly $500–$700, versus $1,300–$1,800 for the equivalent Omlet system — and easier to make bigger next year.
Not sure what size run your flock needs? See the chicken coop & run size guide.
Frequently asked questions
Is there a cheaper alternative to an Omlet coop?
Yes — a metal walk-in run for the daytime space plus a wooden hen house for roosting and laying does the same job for $300 to $600, versus $1,000 to $1,800 for an Omlet setup. You trade some cleaning ease, insulation and red-mite resistance for the lower price and more space.
Is the Omlet Eglu Cube worth it?
It’s worth it if easy cleaning and red-mite resistance matter to you and the price isn’t a barrier — the twin-wall plastic hoses down, won’t rot, and comes with a 10-year warranty. If budget and flock size are your priorities, a walk-in run and wooden coop give you more for less.
Omlet walk-in run vs a metal walk-in run — what’s the difference?
Omlet’s run (about $1,349) includes anti-dig skirting and matched accessories and is built to a high finish. A metal walk-in run (about $210 to $380) gives a similar or larger footprint for a quarter of the price, but you anchor it and add a dig barrier yourself.
Does a metal chicken run keep hens as warm as an Omlet coop?
No — Omlet’s double-walled plastic insulates like double glazing. A metal run is daytime space, not a sleeping house; the warmth comes from the enclosed wooden or insulated coop you put inside it.
How long does a metal walk-in run last compared to Omlet?
Typically 5 to 8 years for a galvanized metal run, against Omlet’s 10-year warranty on the plastic. A wooden coop can last longer than either with annual sealing.