Not Brick, Not Pavers: Amazon Has A Durable, Rubber Alternative For Driveway Edging

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Bricks and pavers are good options for marking the edges of your driveway and maintaining a put-together appearance, but there's another alternative on Amazon that might catch your eye: Tierra Verde Stomp Rubber Edge Stones. Retailing for $59.99, these rubber edging pieces are sold as a 12-pack, each measuring 12 inches long and 4 inches high. Unlike pavers or bricks that generally require ground prep to position properly, these rubber edging pieces are advertised as taking only minutes to place and press into their permanent spot.

The edging is also designed to be durable year-round, resisting damage from frost or impact from lawn equipment, while delivering a crisp appearance to the edge of your driveway (though, driveway edging is also more than just for looks). With one curved edge that is designed to interlock with the end of another piece, you can place the edging in a straight or curved line.

At the time of writing, customers had given the product, on a scale of 1 to 5, an average 3.6-star rating from over 30 reviews. Feedback is somewhat mixed, with some customers praising the edging effusively and others stating that the product didn't work well and that it was overpriced. It's worth noting that a number of five-star reviews came from customers who had received the edging free of charge in exchange for a review.

Although you might be tempted to use this edging around your vegetable gardens, this is strongly discouraged. Since rubber edging — and rubber mulch, for that matter — is made from recycled tires that contain dangerous chemicals, there's the possibility that these substances could leach into the soil. In fact, some of the compounds found in tires have been shown to bioaccumulate over time, which would wreak havoc on surrounding soil.

This brings up an important question: Should you be using rubber edging in your yard at all? While this material looks nice and can bring durable performance, at least some experts are sounding the alarm against this landscaping choice.

Horticulturist Linda Chalker-Scott, Ph.D., says that we should be pumping the brakes, so to speak, when it comes to using recycled tires in yards. In a paper titled "The Myth of Rubberized Landscapes," Chalker-Scott explained, "If rubber products have been exposed to contaminants during their useful lifetime, such as lead or other heavy metals, they will absorb these metals and release them as well."

This particular rubber edging product states that it's eco-friendly because it recycles materials and keeps them from landfills. However, as Chalker-Scott pointed out: "[I]t is not a solution to simply move the problem to our landscapes."

If you're interested in the long-lasting nature of rubber edging but want something that's a safer option, you can check out these driveway border ideas to boost curb appeal. For garden beds, try your hand at some natural landscape edging ideas to elevate your yard.