Nestera Large Lodge vs Snap Lock Big Coop
The Nestera Large Lodge scores 1.0 higher than the Snap Lock Big Coop; here is where each one earns its place.
- Head-to-head · prices checked Nov 14, 2026
- Official brand pages only
- Public scoring formula
- Links disclosed
Short answer: Nestera Large Lodge wins this one, 8.9/10 against 7.9/10, mainly on room per hen and predator protection. Snap Lock Big Coop answers with price.
What really separates them?
Two plastic coops, $176 apart, and here the dearer one is the bigger one: the Nestera has 11.9 sq ft against the Snap Lock's 17.3. Formex gives you more floor, four laying boxes and 9 ft of roosts, and assembles without tools. Nestera gives you a 25-year guarantee and a stated return policy, where we could read neither for the Snap Lock, and a house raised off the ground. Neither page describes a lock. The gap in our scores is paperwork: if Formex confirms its warranty to you, the Snap Lock is a lot of coop for $965.
Which one is for you?
Choose the Nestera Large Lodge if
- You want to spend less: $789 against $965
- You keep 5 hens or fewer and don't need the extra house
- You want more room per hen: 2.4 sq ft each at the brand's count, against 1.4
- Predators worry you: closed plastic house raised 8.9 in
Choose the Snap Lock Big Coop if
- Your flock is bigger: sold for 12 hens against 5
Nestera Large Lodge vs Snap Lock Big Coop: the numbers
Add a third one| Product | ||
|---|---|---|
| Price per hen (brand's count) | $158 per hen | $80 per hen |
| Hens, says the brand | 5 hens | 12 hens |
| Hens at 3 sq ft each | 3 hens | 5 hens |
| House footprint | 11.9 sq ft | 17.3 sq ft |
| Material | Plastic | Plastic |
| Run | Not included | Not included |
| Predator protection published | Raised house | None published |
| Cleaning | Tray, hose-clean plastic | Tray, hose-clean plastic |
| Weather | Vents, no insulation figure | Vents, no insulation figure |
| Roost length | Not stated | 108 in |
| Nest boxes | 2 | 4 |
| Assembly, says the brand | Not stated | Not stated |
| Warranty | 25-year | Not stated |
| Returns | 30 days, at your cost | Not stated |
| Sold by | Nestera | Formex |
| Where to buy | Check price at Nestera | Check price at Formex |
✓ marks the better figure. "Not stated" means the brand doesn't publish it. Prices checked November 14, 2026 on each brand's own US store.
How many hens does each one really hold?
Nestera Large Lodge: 5 large hens, 8 medium or 12 to 15 bantams (Nestera, size Large); house of 11.9 sq ft, so 3 hens at 3 sq ft each. Snap Lock Big Coop: "12-15 average size birds" (Formex); house of 17.3 sq ft, so 5 hens at 3 sq ft each. The brand's number counts hens that sleep inside and spend the day in a run. The 3 sq ft figure is the minimum indoor space extension services publish for birds that also sit out bad weather in the house. See how big a chicken coop should be.
Which one keeps predators out better?
Nestera Large Lodge: 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. Snap Lock Big Coop: formex's product text lists no lock or latch; ask how the lid and doors are secured. We count four protections a brand can publish: locking latches, welded mesh or hardware cloth, a barrier against digging, and a closed house raised off the ground. No coop is predator proof without a door shut at dusk.
Which is easier to clean, and to live with in winter?
Nestera Large Lodge: removable roof, large rear hatch, detachable nest boxes, plastic that hoses clean; droppings trays are a $39 to $79 option; adjustable ventilation; Nestera says "superior thermal insulation" without a figure. Snap Lock Big Coop: removable litter tray and plastic you can hose; Formex calls it "maintenance free"; adjustable ventilation, water- and UV-resistant panels. Run: Nestera Large Lodge, no run; none listed for the Lodge on the US store; Snap Lock Big Coop, no run: Formex sells one for $1,354, wire not included.
Which one costs less to own?
On November 14, 2026, Nestera Large Lodge was $789 and Snap Lock Big Coop $965, each on its brand's own US store. That is $176 between them. Warranty: Nestera Large Lodge, 25-year guarantee (Nestera); Snap Lock Big Coop, no length stated on the pages we read. Returns: Nestera Large Lodge, 30 days, only if not assembled or used; you pay the return shipping; Snap Lock Big Coop, no window stated.
Where to go from here
Full reviews: Nestera Large Lodge review and Snap Lock Big Coop review. Both appear in our ranking of the best chicken coops, cheap chicken coop, chicken coop for 6 chickens, chicken coop for 10 chickens.
Other head-to-heads: Omlet Eglu Cube vs Nestera Large Lodge, Omlet Eglu Go Up vs Nestera Large Lodge.
Still deciding what you need? Read how big should a chicken coop be.
Hen counts, dimensions and warranty terms are each brand's own figures. City codes and HOA covenants decide whether you can keep hens: check yours before you order. This page helps you buy; it isn't legal or veterinary advice.
By Hannah Prescott, editor, backyard chicken coops · updated November 14, 2026