Barrow Bags vs Bulk Bags of Logs: Which Is Better for Your Home?

You've decided to order kiln dried logs.

Now comes a question that's surprisingly important:

Should you order one large Bulk Bag or have your firewood divided into smaller Barrow Bags?

The amount of firewood matters, obviously. But where the delivery arrives and where you actually store your logs can matter just as much.

If your log store is ten feet from your driveway, a large Bulk Bag can be perfectly convenient.

If it's behind the house, down a narrow path and through a gate, that same Bulk Bag can leave you with a considerable amount of firewood to move by hand.

That's exactly where Barrow Bags come into their own.

What Is a Barrow Bag of Logs?

A Barrow Bag is a smaller bag of firewood designed to be more manageable than one large Bulk Bag.

Rather than receiving your entire order in one oversized bag, the firewood is divided between several individual bags.

At Armstrong Country Store, we currently offer:

4 Barrow Bags – approximately 1.2m³ of kiln dried firewood in total

6 Barrow Bags – approximately 1.75m³ of kiln dried firewood in total

The individual bags can be moved by hand or with a suitable trolley, making them particularly useful where the place you store your logs isn't immediately beside the delivery point.

What's a Bulk Bag of Logs?

A Bulk Bag contains a larger quantity of loose firewood in one large bag.

It's a simple and convenient way to have a substantial quantity of kiln dried logs delivered at once.

At Armstrong Country Store, our bulk options include different volumes, so customers can choose a quantity that suits their usage and available storage.

The big advantage is simplicity:

One bag. One delivery. A substantial supply of firewood.

But there's a catch people sometimes don't think about until the lorry has gone.

How are you getting all those logs from the bag to your log store?

The Question to Ask Before Ordering

Don't start by asking:

“Which bag is cheapest?”

Start with:

“Where will the firewood be delivered, and where am I going to store it?”

Walk the route.

Seriously.

Go from the likely delivery point to your log store and look at what's actually in the way.

Do you have:

• A narrow side passage?
• Steps?
• A garden gate?
• Gravel?
• A steep driveway?
• A long path?
• A log store behind the house?
• Limited space at the front of the property?

If you do, the packaging you choose could make a considerable difference.

When Does a Bulk Bag Make Sense?

A Bulk Bag can be the straightforward choice when you have good access and somewhere convenient to deal with the logs after delivery.

For example, if the bag can be delivered close to your garage, log store or another suitable area, you may be perfectly happy moving the logs from one large bag.

Bulk Bags are also useful if you want a large amount of firewood without paying for lots of individual packaging.

If access isn't an issue, there's no reason to make things more complicated than they need to be.

When Are Barrow Bags Better?

Barrow Bags start making much more sense when the delivery point and storage point are two different places.

A common example is a house where the delivery arrives at the front but the log store is in the back garden.

You might have to get your firewood:

off the driveway → down the side of the house → through a gate → along a garden path → into the log store.

Moving hundreds of loose logs individually isn't much fun.

With Barrow Bags, the order is already divided into smaller quantities.

You can move each bag separately rather than emptying one enormous bag and carrying the entire delivery log by log.

Are Barrow Bags Good for Narrow Garden Paths?

This is probably one of their biggest advantages.

If you have a narrow path down the side of your house, getting a large Bulk Bag anywhere near the back garden may simply not be practical.

The individual Barrow Bags are much easier to deal with.

They can be moved separately, either by hand or using an appropriate trolley where conditions allow.

So if you've got awkward access, don't just think about the quantity you're ordering.

Think about how you're going to move it after it arrives.

4 Barrow Bags – Approx. 1.2m³

Our 4 Barrow Bag option contains approximately 1.2m³ of kiln dried firewood in total.

This gives you a substantial supply while splitting it between four individual bags.

It can be a good middle ground for customers who want more than a smaller Builders Bag but don't necessarily need one of our largest quantities.

6 Barrow Bags – Approx. 1.75m³

For customers who burn more firewood, our 6 Barrow Bag option contains approximately 1.75m³ in total.

That's a sizeable supply of logs, but instead of arriving in one very large bag, it's divided between six Barrow Bags.

If you use your stove regularly through autumn and winter, this can be a practical way to stock up while retaining the convenience of individually manageable bags.

Are Barrow Bags Better Than Woven Bags?

Not necessarily. They're solving slightly different problems.

Our woven bags contain approximately 8-inch logs and are much smaller individual packs.

They're particularly convenient if you like bringing one bag at a time from your main storage area towards the house.

We offer them in quantities including:

24 bags
48 bags
72 bags
96 bags

Barrow Bags, on the other hand, give you the convenience of dividing a larger volume of firewood into a smaller number of larger bags.

Think of the options roughly like this:

Bulk Bag: fewer, much larger bags.

Barrow Bags: a large order divided into several more manageable bags.

Woven Bags: lots of smaller individual packs.

The right one depends on your property and how you prefer to handle your firewood.

Which Option Creates Less Work?

That depends entirely on your house.

If a Bulk Bag can be delivered exactly where you need the logs, the Bulk Bag may create less work.

There's no point paying attention to manoeuvrability if you don't need it.

But if the logs need to travel another 30 metres after delivery, Barrow Bags can become much more attractive.

This is why we wouldn't say Barrow Bags are automatically “better”.

They're better for the right property.

Don't Forget About Storage

Before ordering 1.2m³, 1.75m³ or any other substantial quantity of firewood, make sure you've got somewhere suitable to keep it.

Kiln dried logs should be stored somewhere dry, covered and well ventilated.

The aim is to protect your firewood from persistent rain while allowing air to circulate around it.

If you've only got room for half your order, buying more just because the unit price looks attractive isn't clever.

Buy a quantity you can store properly.

Does the Firewood Inside the Bags Differ?

With our Barrow Bag products, you're still buying the same type of kiln dried firewood produced by the Armstrong family.

Our firewood is Woodsure Ready to Burn certified and kiln dried to below 20% moisture content.

The logs come in mixed lengths with a maximum length of approximately 10 inches.

After kiln drying, they're triple screened to remove excess bark and dust before being packed.

The main difference between the options is therefore how much you're buying and how it's packaged, not a downgrade in the firewood itself.

Why We Offer Different Bag Sizes

It would certainly be simpler for us to sell one size of bag.

But houses aren't all the same.

Neither are customers.

Someone with a large driveway, garage and log store has completely different requirements from someone living in a property with a three-foot-wide side passage and a log store behind the house.

That's why we produce firewood in different quantities and packaging formats.

You should be able to choose the delivery that works for your property, rather than adapting your property to suit the firewood.

Produced by the Armstrong Family

Whichever packaging option you choose, the firewood itself is produced by the Armstrong family.

We locally source timber from FSC® 100% certified, well-managed forests before sawing and splitting it into practical firewood lengths.

The logs are then dried in our purpose-built kilns.

After drying, they're triple screened to remove excess bark and dust, packed and prepared for delivery.

So the process is:

Locally sourced timber → Sawn & split → Kiln dried → Triple screened → Packed → Delivered

We aren't simply buying finished bags of logs and putting them back out for sale.

Before Ordering: Check Your Delivery Access

This part matters.

Choosing Barrow Bags doesn't mean the delivery lorry will necessarily be able to put them wherever you want on your property.

Firewood orders are large, heavy deliveries, and the delivery itself is subject to access requirements.

Before ordering, check the route to your property and the delivery conditions, particularly if you have:

• Restricted vehicle access
• A narrow road
• A steep or difficult driveway
• Gravel or uneven surfaces
• Limited turning space
• A remote property

Don't assume the driver will be able to take a pallet or bag into your garden or place it beside your log store.

Check the delivery terms first.

For full information, see Armstrong Country Store's Delivery Terms & Conditions.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a Barrow Bag of logs?

A Barrow Bag is a smaller bag of firewood that allows a larger order to be divided into several more manageable bags rather than supplied in one large Bulk Bag.

How much firewood is in 4 Barrow Bags?

Our 4 Barrow Bag option contains approximately 1.2m³ of kiln dried firewood in total.

How much firewood is in 6 Barrow Bags?

Our 6 Barrow Bag option contains approximately 1.75m³ of kiln dried firewood in total.

Can I move Barrow Bags myself?

The bags can be moved individually by hand or with a suitable trolley, depending on the person, ground conditions and route.

Are Barrow Bags good for narrow access?

They can be particularly useful for homes with narrow garden paths, side entrances or log stores away from the delivery point, because your firewood is divided between several bags.

Are Barrow Bags better than a Bulk Bag?

Not always. If you have excellent access and can have a Bulk Bag placed conveniently, a Bulk Bag may be the simpler option. Barrow Bags become particularly useful when you need to move the firewood further after delivery.

Are the logs Ready to Burn?

Yes. Our firewood is Woodsure Ready to Burn certified and kiln dried to a moisture content below 20%.

What size are the logs?

Our Barrow Bag firewood contains mixed log lengths with a maximum length of approximately 10 inches.

Can the delivery driver take the Barrow Bags to my log store?

Don't assume this. The delivery itself is subject to the conditions and access requirements of the delivery service. Check our Delivery Terms & Conditions before ordering.

Barrow Bags or Bulk Bag: Which Should You Choose?

Here's the simplest way to decide.

If your delivery point is close to your log store, a Bulk Bag may be all you need.

If your log store is some distance from the delivery point, particularly if you have narrow access down the side or back of your property, Barrow Bags could save you a considerable amount of hassle.

And if you prefer very small, individually manageable packs, consider woven bags of kiln dried logs instead.

Don't choose based purely on which photograph looks biggest.

Think about quantity, access, storage and how you're actually going to move the logs once they're sitting outside your house.

That's the difference between a convenient firewood delivery and spending your Saturday carrying logs through the garden one armful at a time.