I tested a pricey Omlet chicken coop with a run and an automatic door. Is the futuristic-looking Eglu Cube worth its weight in fresh eggs?
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When I brought home four fluffy chicks in 2020, I was a chicken-keeping novice. I had a couple of raised beds, I put up preserves and salsa in late summer, and I figured a small flock of hens would complete my mini-homestead.
I bought a cute wooden coop, more for its aesthetic than its function, and figured it would last the hens’ lifetime. Then, within 18 months, the cedar veneer started to peel, the nest box closure rotted out of the wood and the roof developed spots of mildew. I cleaned the wood and made some repairs, and I made do with that aging coop until this past winter, when the flock had a mite infestation. I was horrified—the wooden coop had to go.
Omlet’s popular chicken coops had been on my radar for ages, so I evaluated the Eglu coops along with some other options before deciding on the Eglu Cube. Here’s my honest experience with setup, functionality and cleaning.
The Eglu Cube is a chicken coop that comfortably holds six hens. It has smooth, plastic surfaces for quick and easy cleaning, plus two-step closures that keep raccoons out.
The Eglu Cube is an unusual chicken coop: a neon green plastic box with a spaceship hatch on one side. It’s definitely not Martha Stewart’s opulent henhouse, but I chose an Eglu for several important reasons:
I was a bit anxious about the price, since the Eglu Cube alone is $1,399. I added an automatic door and a run, which brought the cost up to a rich $1,928. But the Eglu Cube comes with a strong warranty. It guarantees free repairs and replacement parts or products for up to 10 years. I realized that if I could keep this coop ship-shape for a decade, it would be worth the expense.
I spent weeks researching coops before I ordered the Eglu Cube. I bought and assembled the coop in August, then paid careful attention to the coop’s performance from late summer through the end of December. I live in Milwaukee, where summer temps reach 90 degrees Fahrenheit and winter temps can be below 0 degrees, so I experienced all the weather during four months of testing. I took notes whenever I discovered something that would be interesting or helpful to another chicken owner.
For reference, I now have a flock of six medium-sized hens: five Dominiques and one Cream Legbar. The hens all weigh in at about 5 pounds each. (I don’t have any plans to grow the flock now, but we all know how chicken math works.)
The Eglu Cube comes in a lot of boxes. Like—six enormous flat-pack boxes. Fortunately, each box is labeled. Do not make the mistake I did and unbox everything upon arrival. The assembly manual frequently refers to pieces from Box B or Box F, so it helps when Box B is not already in the recycling bin.
I found it confusing that the assembly manuals for each component were different. I wound up using three different manuals to set up my coop: one for the coop itself, one for the run and one for the automatic door.
The assembly process for the coop itself was fairly straightforward. It helps if you have the size (I’m 5’4″) and flexibility to do some assembly from inside the Eglu itself, like tightening wing nuts and installing the automatic door.
Read the instructions carefully and avoid having to remove any screws, because the plastic isn’t forgiving if you attach the wrong piece and need to remove and replace it. The plastic components are all hollow, which is great for insulation; however, there’s a lot of flex in the plastic during assembly.
My partner and I decided to split up tasks: I’d work on the coop, and she’d piece together the run. Both of us quickly realized that it’s easier to assemble the Eglu Cube with two people. In fact, it’s kind of fun because the coop starts to take shape so quickly! The automatic door was simple to add on, though I did install the door upside down and backwards at first. Whoops.
Building the Omlet run was another story, though. Our fingertips hurt from having to snap on the plastic pieces that hold the wire panels of the run together. (And then unsnap and re-snap all of them after we discovered one panel at the beginning was placed incorrectly.)
Once assembly was complete, my birds finally got to check out their new digs. And yes, the hens have taken to the coop. Once the weather started to chill, and we regularly had nights below 30 degrees, all of the birds would be snuggled up together in the coop long before the automatic door was scheduled to close.
I love the sturdy plastic ladder that leads from the Eglu Cube down to the ground. I have a five-year-old hen with some nerve damage who can’t use her feet so well, and the large rungs on the plastic ladder are easy enough for her to grip.
This is where Omlet chicken coops stand head and shoulders above other brands. It takes me about eight minutes to deep-clean the Eglu Cube, thanks to its smooth plastic components.
In the summer, I’m able to remove and hose down the roost bar, which gets pooped on a ton. Unlike a simple wooden roost, the Omlet roost is grid-shaped. Hens settle in all over the place, and their butts aren’t always right over a gap in the grid. I’m not able to clean as thoroughly in the winter, but I do still remove the roost bar and knock off the frozen droppings to keep things hygienic.
Regardless of season, I line the droppings tray with newspaper, which I change out every day or two.
This is a review of the Eglu Cube, which holds about six hens. For smaller flocks, Omlet has the Eglu Go or Eglu Go Up, which each accommodate about three large chickens. Eglu Go rests directly on the ground, and Eglu Go UP is elevated atop a frame like the Cube, but otherwise, the coops are identical. In this starter coop, the nest box is integrated with the roost bar rather than being a separate space. This strikes me as odd, because hens will absolutely want to sleep in that nest box (and poop on the pine shavings). Other features are similar to the Eglu Cube.
If you have a larger flock, check out the Eglu Pro, which Omlet says will hold about 10 chickens. The Pro has some neat features that the Cube does not, like a hinged nest box door with holding straps. (The nest box door on the Cube is a hatch that I have to remove and set on the ground when I collect eggs.) The Eglu Pro also has a “LuxPanel,” a clear-ish plastic piece that allows sunlight into the coop. These are both features I’d love to have on the Eglu Cube—I hope someone at Omlet reads this!
I would buy the Eglu Cube again, no question. It delivers on all promises: This chicken coop is easy to clean, secure and comfortable in summer and winter. Though the cost is high ($1,399 for the coop alone) and the design is unusual, I’m pleased with the purchase. The coop is modular, and I can replace any components under warranty for the next decade. The customer service is top-tier, too—when you call Omlet, a real person picks up the phone to help.
I also can’t say enough good things about the automatic door (an extra $229). It’s well worth the convenience, because I never have to wake up at 5 a.m. to let the girls out. Purchase the Eglu Cube with the autodoor,
That being said, I would not buy the run that’s offered with the Eglu Cube. If I could go back, I would buy the Eglu coop and the automatic door, then add Omlet’s walk-in run ($1,349). The run connected to the Cube now is 3’10”, while the walk-in run is 6’8″. I want to be able to clean out the run without crouching. Both runs flare out at the base and have a six-inch apron to keep predators out, so I plan to attach some hardware cloth and sink it at least 6″ into the soil to prevent rats from tunneling underneath.
The Eglu Cube is expensive, which is the main hang-up. Fortunately, Omlet offers 10% off your order after you sign up for its newsletter. I’ve seen coops up to 20% off when Omlet has a sale, so wait for one to roll around if you’re able!
The Eglu Cube is a durable plastic coop that's virtually maintenance-free. You'll never need to replace shingles, deal with rotten wood, or paint the exterior.
The Eglu Cube and other Omlet coops can be purchased on Omlet’s website. Some coops and accessories can also be purchased on Amazon, but be careful there. I found more than one imitation product that looks like an Omlet chicken coop.
I can’t recommend this Omlet chicken coop enough. For people with a flock of six-ish hens, the Eglu Cube is a stateside Cluckingham Palace.
Buy the Eglu Cube and other Omlet chicken coops on Omlet’s website.
Yes, all of Omlet’s chicken coops are top-rated. In reviews, chicken owners rave about how the coops are weatherproof, easier to clean and predator-resistant.
No, the Eglu Cube is designed specifically to keep raccoons out. The Eglu Cube has two-step locks on its access doors (the back panel of the coop and the “Eggport” hatch on the nest box). You have to push in, then twist, which should stop curious raccoons from coming in to steal eggs. The Eglu run is made with welded steel wire mesh, which is stronger than chicken wire or hardware cloth. The lower panels of the run also have a tighter grid, so there’s not enough space for a raccoon to reach its paws through.
I’ve had a small flock of (mostly) Dominique hens since 2020. Since then, I’ve field-tested feeders, waterers, snacks (for chickens, not humans) and now coops to find the best gear. I look for products that are predator-proof and that will keep the chickens’ space clean and hygienic. It’s important that my chickens like new products, too.
