Short answer
Recycled rubber edging is a flexible, heavy border that sits at or just into the soil and is held with spikes. It is quick to install, follows curves and will not rot or crack like wood or plastic. Downsides: it reads as imitation up close, and shallow styles do not stop grass roots. Material runs about $1.50 to $4 per linear foot (LawnStarter). EcoBorder is a known example, sold under the Vigoro name at Home Depot per its listings.
What rubber edging is
Rubber landscape edging is molded from recycled tire rubber into border sections or rolls. Most styles have a textured face that imitates shredded mulch, wood, brick or stone, and a wide base that lies on or just into the soil. Spikes or pins through the base hold it down. Because rubber is heavy and flexible, it hugs the ground and follows curves without stakes every few inches.
EcoBorder is one known example: Home Depot listings sell 4 ft EcoBorder sections under the Vigoro name. Rubberific is another name that comes up in searches for rubber edging. Product lines and sizes change, so read the current listing before you buy.
Pros and cons
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Does not rot, unlike wood | Looks like molded rubber up close |
| Flexible: follows curves easily | Shallow styles do not stop grass roots |
| Heavy enough to lie flat | May smell of rubber in hot sun |
| Quick install with spikes, little digging | Color may fade in strong sun |
| Made from recycled tires | Some gardeners avoid it near food crops |
The material choice is mostly about looks and effort. If you want something that reads as real from the street, consider brick or stone. If you want the cheapest edge, plastic costs a little less.
Where rubber edging works
- Mulch beds and tree rings: the wide border keeps mulch off the lawn.
- Curved beds: it bends without heating or kerfing.
- Play areas and paths: a soft edge with no sharp top, unlike thin metal.
- Not for: stopping spreading grass on its own, or holding deep gravel.
Rubber edging options
-
01Most common
Mulch-look rubber border
Best for: mulch beds and tree rings
- Material
- Recycled rubber
- Form
- Sections or rolls
- Install
- Spikes
- Example: EcoBorder 4 ft sections, sold under the Vigoro name per Home Depot listings
- Lies flat and follows curves
- Will not stop grass roots alone
-
02Look
Brick or stone-look rubber
Best for: a brick or stone look without the weight or base
- Material
- Recycled rubber
- Install
- Spikes or lay-on
- Look
- Brick or stone face
- Faster than a real brick border
- Reads as imitation up close
- Compare with real brick
-
03Long runs
Rubber edging rolls
Best for: long, curving beds with few joints
- Form
- Roll
- Install
- Spikes
- Joins
- Fewer seams
- Rubberific is a name seen in searches for rubber edging
- Fewer joints than short sections
- Unroll in sun to relax it
-
04Root barrier
Plastic coil instead
Best for: lawn edges where you need to block runners
- Height
- 4 to 6 in
- Install
- Trench
- Cost
- $1 to $3.50/ft (LawnStarter)
- Buried wall stops more grass
- Can sit behind a rubber border
- Full guide: plastic edging
How to install rubber edging
- Lay out the line with a hose and clear grass and weeds along it.
- Level the ground, or cut a shallow trench if the product calls for the base to sit partly below grade.
- Place the sections end to end, joined as the maker shows. Let stiff pieces warm in the sun first.
- Spike it down with a rubber mallet at the spacing in the instructions, with extra spikes on curves.
- Backfill and mulch on the bed side.
What you need
More install detail: how to install landscape edging. Similar surface-set edging: no-dig edging.
Cost
LawnStarter puts rubber edging at about $1.50 to $4 per linear foot in material, with pro labor about $1.50 to $10 per foot. That makes it a little more than plastic and less than most wood, brick, stone and metal. Compare in landscape edging cost and materials compared, and see more makers in landscape edging brands.
Questions people ask
Is rubber landscape edging any good?
For holding mulch and outlining beds, yes: it is heavy enough to lie flat, flexible enough for curves and does not rot. It is not a strong root barrier, and up close it looks like molded rubber rather than real mulch, wood or brick.
What is EcoBorder edging?
EcoBorder is recycled rubber edging sold in 4 ft sections. Home Depot listings sell it under the Vigoro name. Check the listing for the current height, color and what fasteners come with it.
Does rubber edging stop grass?
Not well. Most rubber edging is set at or near the surface, so grass runners can grow under it. For a lawn edge that blocks runners, use a buried steel or plastic strip, or set the rubber border behind one.
Is recycled rubber edging safe for vegetable gardens?
People disagree about using tire rubber near food crops. If that concerns you, use stone, brick, steel or untreated cedar around edible beds and keep rubber for ornamental beds.
How much does rubber edging cost?
LawnStarter puts rubber edging at about $1.50 to $4 per linear foot in material, just above plastic and below most wood, brick, stone and metal.
Sources
Last reviewed October 12, 2026. Products, sizes and listings change; check the product details before you buy, call 811 before you dig, and follow the maker’s instructions.