Bloem 12-inch Recycled Planter vs RooTrimmer 5 Gallon Nursery Pots

Buy the Bloem if you want one finished-looking planter for a patio or entryway; its tapered shape and matte gray finish read as decor, and the molded rim holds up to sun. Buy the 5-pack nursery pots if you are potting up several plants, starting seeds, or moving plants into the ground later; the soft walls flex to release root balls, which rigid decorative pots cannot do. The Bloem is a single display pot with a fixed saucer-less base and drainage holes; the nursery pots are thinner, plainer, and sold in bulk. Owners of both report the plastic survives a few seasons outdoors, but the Bloem's color fades faster in direct sun than the green nursery pots.

• Choose the Bloem if you want one good-looking 12-inch planter for a single plant on a porch, deck, or by a door.
• Choose the 5-pack nursery pots if you are potting up several plants or plan to transplant and want flexible walls and extra pots on hand.