Is the Nestera Large Lodge worth buying?
Nestera's pitch is simple: thick recycled plastic, a roof that lifts off, and a 25-year guarantee, the longest of the 12 coops we compare. The Large Lodge was $789 on November 14, 2026, with 11.9 sq ft of floor for 5 large hens, which makes it the roomiest plastic coop per hen here. It ranks just behind the three Omlets for two reasons: the page we read describes no lock, and returns are only accepted unassembled, at your cost.
Buy it if
- You already have a fenced run or plan to build one
- You want to buy one coop and stop thinking about it
- You keep four or five hens and want them to have elbow room at night
Skip it if
- You want locks and a matching run from the same brand: see the Eglu Cube
- You want to try before you commit: Omlet takes its coops back for 180 days, built or not
What does the 25-year guarantee tell you?
Mostly that Nestera trusts its material. The panels are 3/8 in thick, 70% recycled plastic and UV-protected, according to the brand. Plastic doesn't rot and doesn't need paint, so the usual reasons a coop dies at year six don't apply.
In our formula, warranty counts for 15% of a coop's score, and 25 years earns the full 10 out of 10. It's the main reason a $789 coop with no lock on its page still scores 8.9/10.
Read the terms on Nestera's site before you rely on it, like any guarantee: we read its length, not its small print.
How big is the Large Lodge, really?
Nestera's diagram gives 54.5 in wide by 31.5 in deep and 39.4 in high, standing 8.86 in off the ground, for 112 lb. That's 11.9 sq ft of floor.
Nestera counts 5 large hens, 8 medium or 12 to 15 bantams. Five large hens get about 2.4 sq ft each, closer to the 3 sq ft extension rule (UGA, backyard flock guide) than any other plastic coop in our list. By the rule alone it's a three-hen house; with a run, five is honest.
The same page sells the Large as a House on the ground ($739) and as a Penthouse raised 17.7 in ($899). The Lodge is the middle one: high enough to keep the floor dry, low enough to lift the roof off without a step.
How do you keep predators out of it?
This is where you'll do some of the work yourself. The house is closed and raised, which we count. But the page we read on November 14 describes no latch or lock, so our formula gives it 4 out of 10 for predator protection, the lowest of the plastic coops after the Snap Lock.
Two fixes. Nestera's own automatic door opener was $179 that day. And any automatic coop door that fits a flat panel closes the pop hole at dusk. Then put the coop inside a run with a buried or skirted mesh: extension advice is hardware cloth buried at least 12 inches (Extension, predator management).
Video: "Nestera Coop Review by Damsons & Lavender", Nestera - The Easy Cleaning Chicken Coop on YouTube. Not made by us; chosen because it shows the product or the topic clearly.
What's in the box?
The Large Lodge panels in recycled plastic, two perches, two nesting boxes and the ramp. Droppings trays, the wheel set ($89) and the automatic door opener are extras.
How long does assembly take, and what do you need?
It ships in boxes from Cincinnati, Ohio, with assembly instructions; Nestera gives no build time. In-stock orders leave within 2 business days. Open the boxes and check the panels before you build anything: once assembled, the coop can no longer be returned.
What does it really cost once it's in the yard?
Budget for a run first, since none is listed for the Lodge. Then the droppings trays ($39 to $79), the wheel set ($89) and, if you want one, the automatic door opener ($179). A return within 30 days means paying the shipping back, on 112 lb of coop.
What do we like, and what should you know?
- 25-year guarantee, against 10 years for the best of the rest
- 11.9 sq ft for 5 large hens: about 2.4 sq ft each
- Removable roof, large rear hatch and detachable nest boxes for cleaning
- 3/8 in panels in 70% recycled plastic, UV-protected (Nestera)
- Two nesting boxes and two perches for five hens
The catch: No run is sold for the Lodge on the US store, so you build or buy one. Nestera's page names predators as a problem its coops solve but describes no lock; its automatic door opener is $179. Droppings trays are a $39 to $79 option. And the 30-day return only applies if the coop hasn't been assembled, with return shipping on you.
Are you allowed to keep hens where you live?
Before you order, check your city or county code and, if you have one, your HOA covenants: they decide whether hens are allowed, how many, and how far a coop must sit from the property line (Extension, urban poultry rules). Can I have chickens in my backyard shows where to look, and how big should a chicken coop be does the space math for 3 to 20 hens. This isn't legal advice.
Nestera Large Lodge specifications
| Type | Coop |
|---|---|
| Hens, says the brand | 5 large hens, 8 medium or 12 to 15 bantams (Nestera, size Large) |
| Hens at 3 sq ft each | 3 hens |
| House | 11.9 sq ft of floor. 54.5 in wide x 31.5 in deep x 39.4 in high, 8.86 in off the ground, 112 lb (Nestera's diagram) |
| Material | 3/8 in thick panels, 70% recycled plastic, UV-protected (Nestera) |
| Roosts | Two curved perches (length not stated for the Large) |
| Nest boxes | Two detachable nesting boxes |
| Run | No run; none listed for the Lodge on the US store |
| Predator protection | Closed plastic house raised 8.9 in; Nestera names predators as a problem its coops solve but describes no lock on the page we read; an automatic door opener is $179 |
| Cleaning | Removable roof, large rear hatch, detachable nest boxes, plastic that hoses clean; droppings trays are a $39 to $79 option |
| Weather | Adjustable ventilation; Nestera says "superior thermal insulation" without a figure |
| Assembly | Ships in boxes with assembly instructions; no time stated |
| Wheels | Wheel set $89 (optional) |
| Weight | 112 lb |
| Shipping | Ships from Cincinnati, OH; in-stock items dispatched within 2 business days |
| Warranty | 25-year guarantee (Nestera) |
| Returns | 30 days, only if not assembled or used; you pay the return shipping |
"Not stated": not on the pages we read on November 14, 2026. Every figure is Nestera's own.
Why 8.9/10? The score, criterion by criterion
Each criterion is scored out of 10 from what Nestera publishes; what isn't published scores 2. This product rounded to the same figure as the one ranked just above it; the published tie-break (lower price, then longer warranty) places it one step below, so that no two products share a score. A coop's price is judged per hen the brand says it houses, against the median of the coops. The full method is public.
| Price per hen the brand says it houses (15%) | 7.8/10 |
|---|---|
| Room per hen (15%) | 7.0/10 |
| Predator protection published (15%) | 4.0/10 |
| Warranty (15%) | 10.0/10 |
| Cleaning (10%) | 10.0/10 |
| Weather (10%) | 7.0/10 |
| Run included in the price, and its size per hen (10%) | 2.0/10 |
| Return window, minus fees and return shipping (5%) | 5.0/10 |
| Assembly time stated by the brand (5%) | Not published: 2.0/10 |
How much is the Nestera Large Lodge, and where do you buy it?
$789 on Nestera's own US store on November 14, 2026. Price of the Lodge in size Large. The same page sells the Large House (on the ground) at $739 and the Large Penthouse (raised 17.7 in) at $899; sizes Small start at $539.
If that is more than you planned, the Omlet Eglu Go Up costs $639 and scores 9.0/10. Next in price, the Snap Lock Big Coop is $965 for 7.9/10.
What should you ask Nestera first?
- How does the pop door lock at night without the automatic opener?
- What exactly does the 25-year guarantee cover, and what does it exclude?
- Which run do you recommend with the Lodge in the US?
What should you compare it with?
The two coops closest in price: Omlet Eglu Go Up ($639, 9.0/10) and Snap Lock Big Coop ($965, 7.9/10).
Head-to-heads: Omlet Eglu Cube vs Nestera Large Lodge, Omlet Eglu Go Up vs Nestera Large Lodge, Nestera Large Lodge vs Snap Lock Big Coop.
Rankings with this coop: best chicken coops, all ranked, cheap chicken coop.
Guides that mention it or help you decide: how big should a chicken coop be, how to winterize a chicken coop.
Where do these figures come from?
- nestera.us/products/chicken-coop, read November 14, 2026
- nestera.us/pages/returns-refund, read November 14, 2026
