In this buyer’s guide article, we’re going to be discussing the best-rated flow hives for sale that exist. We’ve created this guide to help beekeepers (both aspiring, new & experienced alike) to make a more informed decision on the best options which are available to them when it comes to choosing a flow beehive.

However, before we jump into the top-rated flow hives for sale, we want to briefly make sure everyone’s on the same page (metaphorically speaking that is) and quickly talk about some commonly asked questions that we get… If you’re aware of all of the answers, feel free to skip this section.

What are flow hives?

Flow beehives are simply beehives that have auto-flow (an automated flow) honey functionality. This means that it’s as easy as turning on a tap for you to extract honey from your hive, eliminating the need for you to buy a honey extractor. And whilst you might not need to go into the hive itself to extract your honey, we do advise that you still use a beekeeper suit for protection.

How much does a honey flow hive cost?

Flow hives vary in price because they exist in many shapes, sizes and colony capacities. Therefore, the price will depend on your size and other requirements. However, it’s generally known that flow beehives are more expensive in comparison to traditional beehives for sale, and the reason for this is because of the specialist flow patented technology needed for operation in addition to the convenience for the beekeeper for having auto-flow honey functionality.

How do I know these are the best flow hives around?

At EbeeHQ, we do an extensive amount of research from varied sources, looking at the overall reviews and ratings of each Flow Hive that exists on the market. Once we’ve compiled a large list of these flow beehives, we then go ahead and use a number of sources to choose the best and eliminate the worst. This leaves us with the Top 9 honey flow hives that you can see further below.

Where can I buy a flow hive?

The best place to buy a flow beehive is Amazon, why is this? Because it comprises of the most reputable sellers on the market, and these sellers have to maintain their reputation and customer satisfaction ratings as it directly affects and impedes on their sales if they don’t address customer issues. Meaning that the top-rated products are of the best quality, and the sellers provide the best support.

Now that we’ve discussed some of the frequently asked questions relating to flow hives, let’s now talk about the actual products featuring in this list.  What are the best flow hives?

Best Honey Flow Hives – Top 9

• BestEquip Beehive Auto Flow Wooden Beehive – $ – Skip to section
• Happybuy Bee Hive House 3 Layers (Beehive Only) Honey Flow Compatible Bee Hive – $ – Skip to section
• Goplus Beehive Frames Flow Honey Wooden Beehive  – $$ – Skip to section
• Beekeeping Wooden Auto Flow Beehive – $$$ – Skip to section
• Lang Wooden Honey Auto Flow Beehive – $$$ – Skip to section
• Flow Official Hive Classic Araucaria 6 Frame Langstroth Style Beehive  – $$$$ – Skip to section
• Flow Official Hive Classic Cedar 6 Frame – Langstroth Style Beehive – $$$$ – Skip to section
• Flow Official Hive Largest Wooden 7 Frame or 10 Langstroth Style Frame Bee Hive House – $$$$ – Skip to section
• Official Flow Hive 2 Cedar 6 Frame Langstroth Style Beehive – $$$$$ – Skip to section

BestEquip Beehive Auto Flow Wooden Beehive – $

Specifications

• Material: Pinewood
• Type: 1 layer auto flow hive with 10 frames
• Size: 24.8″ x 21.7″ x 9.45″
• Weight: 16.4 kg (36 lb)
• Package Content:
  • 1 x Telescoping top/cover
  • Need to purchase the auto-flow frames separately
  • 1 x screen bottom board with entrance reducer
  • 1 x inner cover
  • 1 x Deep brood boxes
  • 10 x Deep brood Langstroth pinewood frames
• Warranty: N/A

Review Ratings

Read all of the product reviews – Look for colour ‘1 layer beehive 10 frame’, as they have multiple product reviews on this page, the ‘1 layer beehive 10 frame’ product is the one that we’re showing above.

Description

The Happybuy bee box kit is the most affordably priced unit featured on the list.

However, make no mistake, this autoflow hive is made from high-quality pine wood. It meets the international moisture standards of 5% after exposure to drying equipment, which means that it’s very unlikely to crack/deform as the wood drys out after being wet.

As far as the assembly of the unit goes, it has been noted in reviews that the unit was easy to assemble, and the quality of wood was good.

We imagine like most beekeepers, that you’ll be housing this unit outdoors, and hence it will be exposed to the outer elements such as rain, sun, wind and even snow during the winter months. With that being said, applying a surface coating to the pinewood will help keep the wood preserved and in tip-top condition for years to come.

We recommend using a natural wood protector such as Thomson’s WaterSeal Advanced Natural Wood Protector, which is a waterbased, maximum strength protection with a coating that prevents mildew and UV damage. Not only this, but it also has a low VOC/Odor, so your bees won’t be repelled by it. Additionally, it’s very quick to dry and can even be removed by applying soap, if for some reason you wanted to do so.

Overall, you’ll need to purchase the auto-flow frames separately, in addition to the cost of the hive itself, so when factoring in this cost, we think that it might be better to purchase a larger sized hive which comes with autoflow hives instead… The Beekeeping Wooden Auto Flow Beehive is an example of an affordable unit that comes with auto-flow combs as standard.

Happybuy Bee Hive House 3 Layers (Beehive Only) Honey Flow Compatible Bee Hive – $

This autoflow honey beehive by Goplus is an ideal unit for those beekeepers looking for an autoflow hive, for a more affordable price, with the catch being that you’ll need to use your DIY skills to assemble this unit… We’ll explain more further below.

The hive can support a capacity of around 60,000-80,000 bees at one time, before they split, so you have more than enough space to support a large colony and get a large harvest of honey for the season.

Although we would like to say that everything is great about this unit, that wouldn’t be true. Reviews state that the joints and panels were somewhat challenging to fit, with one review even stating that he hired a carpenter to assemble the unit, to sand down and slightly re-shape the dovetail joints and certain other sections… Therefore, if you’re not one for DIY, you can either find someone who is, or potentially take a look at another unit, since we have plenty to choose from.

As always, we recommend that you look at adding a preservative to the hive, to help ensure that it ages well, such preservative that we recommend is Thomson’s WaterSeal Advanced Natural Wood Protector, which is a waterbased, maximum strength protection with a coating that prevents mildew and UV damage. Not only this, but it also has a low VOC/Odor, so your bees won’t be repelled by it. Additionally, it’s very quick to dry and can even be removed by applying soap, if for some reason you wanted to do so.

Overall, the only negative aspect to this hive from what we’ve read directly relates to the assembly of the unit, not to its functioning once assembled. So if you have the DIY skills, you can get an affordably priced autoflow hive right here. Otherwise, potentially take a look at the next hive we’ve featured on the list.

Beekeeping Wooden Auto Flow Beehive – $$$

Specifications

• Material: Pine
• Type: (unassembled) Autoflow Beehive with 7 frames
• Size: 20″ x 16″ x 10″
• Weight: N/A
• Package Content:
  • 1 x Unassembled Pine hive
    • Top cover
    • Bottom board
    • Frames
    • Screen board
    • Queen excluder
  • 7 x auto-flow honey hives
  • 1 x instructions
  • Warranty: 100% Refund/Exchange if not satisfied

Description

This unassembled Autoflow hive set by Feiuruhf includes everything that you’ll need to begin your large bee colony and extract plenty of honey. It’s a little smaller than the previous Happybuy beehive, but none-the-less you’ll be able to fit a relatively large colony of bees in here.

The unit comes with 7 pc frames and each frame can harvest roughly 6.5 pounds of honey. Alongside this, because the frames have autoflow functionality, it means that you can just turn on the tap and the harvesting process is done for you, no centrifuging, no mess and with minimal invasion of your bees’ space.

We’ve featured it because of the functionality, affordability, and because of the fact that it has a 100% refund policy if you’re not satisfied for any reason. So you’re taking a near-zero risk by purchasing this hive.

As always, we recommend that you look at adding a preservative to the hive, to help ensure that it ages well, such preservative that we recommend is Thomson’s WaterSeal Advanced Natural Wood Protector, which is a waterbased, maximum strength protection with a coating that prevents mildew and UV damage. Not only this, but it also has a low VOC/Odor, so your bees won’t be repelled by it. Additionally, it’s very quick to dry and can even be removed by applying soap, if for some reason you wanted to do so.

Overall, if you have the time and are open-minded/curious about trying this unit out, leave a review and let others know what you think about it.

Lang Wooden Honey Auto Flow Beehive – $$$ 

Specifications

• Material: High-grade fir wood
• Type: (unassembled) Autoflow Beehive with 7 frames [No frames are included for the brood box]
• Size: 25.6″ x 16.5″ x 9.1″
• Weight: 52.9
• Package Content:
  • 1 x Unassembled hive
    • 1 x brood box
    • 1 x brood bottom
    • 1 x bottom board
    • 1 x super box
    • 1 x gable roof
    • 1 x inner cover
    • 1 x queen excluder
    • 7 x auto flow honey frames (Food-grade, BPA Free)
    • 7 x tubes
    • 1 x key
• 1 x instructions
• Warranty: N/A

Description

This auto flow honey beehive by Lang is a mid-priced unit and has received an accolade of positive reviews, which is partly why we’ve featured it within this list.

The unit itself comes unassembled, but has everything you’ll need to get started beekeeping, with it including 7 autoflow honey frames for the super box, with 7 tubes and 1 key for operation.

It doesn’t include frames for the brood box, however,  this provides extra & potential room for if and when you decide to expand your hive and its honey-making capacity.

It also includes an inner cover, queen excluder, gable roof, brood box, brood bottom, supper box and instructions.

The only negative aspect of this unit is the assembly, as the instructions are apparently very vague. Therefore, we recommend that you either purchase this unit if you’re somewhat skilled in DIY (or know someone who is) or you’re patient enough for a nice summer project.

As always, we recommend that you look at adding preservative to the hive, to help ensure that it ages well, such preservative that we recommend is Thomson’s WaterSeal Advanced Natural Wood Protector, which is a waterbased, maximum strength protection with a coating that prevents mildew and UV damage. Not only this, but it also has a low VOC/Odor, so your bees won’t be repelled by it. Additionally, it’s very quick to dry and can even be removed by applying soap, if for some reason you wanted to do so.

Overall, if you’re looking for a summer DIY project, or know someone who’s particularly talented in putting beehives together, then this may be the ideal unit for your needs.

Flow Official Hive Classic Araucaria 6 Frame Langstroth Style Beehive  – $$$$

Specifications

• Material: High-grade fir wood
• Type: (unassembled) Autoflow Beehive with 6 frames
• Size: 19.9″ x 14″ x 9.7″
• Weight: 41.2
• Package Content:
  • 1 x Unassembled Complete Flow Hive & all required equipment
    • 6 x auto flow honey frames (food-grade, BPA and BPS-free plastic)
    • 6 x tubes
    • 1 x key
• 1 x instructions
• Warranty: 12 months warranty

Description

This Official Classic Araucaria 6 Frame Langstroth Style Beehive by Flow Hive is a complete beehive solution manufactured and designed in Australia.

It’s ideal for anyone, from those who are just starting out and are complete beginners, to those who are a little more experienced, although expect to pay a more premium price tag.

The unit includes Flow Hive’s revolutionary Flow technology, which for those that don’t know changed the beekeeping industry, as they were the company that pioneered this way of honey extraction without having to manually open up the beehive and disturbing/disrupting your bees. It can harvest up to 40lbs (18kgs) of honey when the super at full capacity, with each flow frame holding approximately 6.5lbs (3kgs) of unprocessed honey.

they include a 12-months warranty with each of their products, so you can rest assured knowing that you have a manufacturer’s guarantee in case anything is unsatisfactory.

As always, we recommend that you look at adding preservative to the hive, to help ensure that it ages well, such preservative that we recommend is Thomson’s WaterSeal Advanced Natural Wood Protector, which is a waterbased, maximum strength protection with a coating that prevents mildew and UV damage. Not only this, but it also has a low VOC/Odor, so your bees won’t be repelled by it. Additionally, it’s very quick to dry and can even be removed by applying soap, if for some reason you wanted to do so.

Overall, given that Flow Hive created the auto-flow technology and provide a 12-months warranty, this is a great hive to choose. However, one potential downside is the premium price that you’ll need to pay to get this unit.

Flow Official Hive Classic Cedar 6 Frame – Langstroth Style Beehive – $$$$

Specifications

• Material: High-grade, sustainable Western Red Cedar Wood
• Type: (unassembled) Autoflow Beehive with 6 frames
• Size: 19.9″ x 13.9″ x 26″
• Weight: 18.7
• Package Content:
  • 1 x Unassembled Complete Flow Hive & all required equipment
    • 6 x auto flow honey frames (food-grade, BPA and BPS-free plastic)
    • 6 x tubes
    • 1 x key
• 1 x instructions
• Warranty: 12 months warranty

Description

Link to video of the beehive in action

This Official Classic Cedar 6 Frame Langstroth Style Beehive by Flow Hive is another complete beehive solution manufactured and designed in Australia.

It’s ideal for anyone, from those who are just starting out and are complete beginners, to those who are a little more experienced, although expect to pay a premium price tag.

The unit includes Flow Hive’s revolutionary Flow technology, which for those that don’t know changed the beekeeping industry, as they were the company that pioneered this way of honey extraction without having to manually open up the beehive and disturbing/disrupting your bees… Feel free to refer to the video demonstration above to see exactly how the flow technology works.

As for the reviews of this high-quality auto-flow cedar hive, it’s clear that the reviews justify that some bees like Flow Hive’s supers whilst others just don’t, experimentation will be needed here. Also, some reviews state that the wood can begin to crack after 1 season… This is why you’ll need to use a preservative almost immediately after you purchase the hive, we recommend Thomson’s WaterSeal Advanced Natural Wood Protector, which is a waterbased, maximum strength protection with a coating that prevents mildew and UV damage. Not only this, but it also has a low VOC/Odor, so your bees won’t be repelled by it. Additionally, it’s very quick to dry and can even be removed by applying soap, if for some reason you wanted to do so.

Overall, we find that some people love Flow Hive’s beehives, and some people hate them. They are expensive, there’s no doubt about that, so if you decide to get one, you NEED to use a preservative. Otherwise, why not choose another hive with a full refund policy which is half of the price, such as the Beekeeping Wooden Auto Flow Beehive.

Flow Official Hive Largest Wooden 7 Frame or 10 Langstroth Style Frame Bee Hive House – $$$$

Specifications

• Material: High-grade, Australian Araucaria Wood
• Type: (unassembled) Autoflow Beehive with 7 frames
• Size: 19.9″ x 14″ x 9.7″
• Weight: 60.7
• Package Content:
  • 1 x Unassembled Complete Flow Hive & all required equipment
    • 7 x auto flow honey frames (food-grade, BPA and BPS-free plastic)
    • 7 x tubes
    • 1 x key
• 1 x instructions
• Warranty: 12 months warranty

Description

This Official Classic Cedar 7-frame (Flow frames) or 10-frame (Langstroth frames) Langstroth Style Beehive by Flow Hive is another complete beehive solution manufactured and designed in Australia.

It’s built with Australian Araucaria Wood and is ideal for any experience level of beekeeper, from those who are just starting out/complete beginners, to those who are a little more experienced, although expect to pay a premium price-tag.

The unit includes Flow Hive’s revolutionary Flow technology, which for those that don’t know changed the beekeeping industry, as they were the company that pioneered this way of honey extraction without having to manually open up the beehive and disturbing/disrupting your bees… Feel free to refer to the video demonstration above to see exactly how the flow technology works.

As for the reviews of this unit, it looks as if there Amazon store is new (newish) as their products don’t have nearly any reviews. However, they include a 12-months warranty with each of their products, so you can rest assured knowing that you have a manufacturer’s guarantee in case anything is unsatisfactory.

As always, we recommend that you look at adding a preservative to the hive, to help ensure that it ages well, such preservative that we recommend is Thomson’s WaterSeal Advanced Natural Wood Protector, which is a waterbased, maximum strength protection with a coating that prevents mildew and UV damage. Not only this, but it also has a low VOC/Odor, so your bees won’t be repelled by it. Additionally, it’s very quick to dry and can even be removed by applying soap, if for some reason you wanted to do so.

Overall, given that Flow Hive created the auto-flow technology and provide a 12-months warranty, this is a great hive to choose. However, one potential downside is the premium price that you’ll need to pay to get this unit. Otherwise, why not choose another hive with a full refund policy which is half of the price, such as the Beekeeping Wooden Auto Flow Beehive.

Official Flow Hive 2 Cedar 6 Frame Langstroth Style Beehive – $$$$$

Specifications

• Material: High-grade, Western Red Cedar
• Type: (unassembled) Autoflow Beehive with 6 frames
• Size: Not specified
• Weight: 37.4
• Package Content:
  • 1 x Unassembled Complete Flow Hive & all required equipment
    • 7 x auto flow honey frames (food-grade, BPA and BPS-free plastic)
    • 7 x tubes
    • 1 x key
• 1 x instructions
• Warranty: 12 months warranty

Description

This Official Classic Cedar 7-frame (Flow frames) or 10-frame (Langstroth frames) Langstroth Style Beehive by Flow Hive is another complete beehive solution manufactured and designed in Australia.

It’s ideal for anyone, from those who are just starting out and are complete beginners, to those who are a little more experienced, although expect to pay a premium price tag.

The unit includes Flow Hive’s revolutionary Flow technology, which for those that don’t know changed the beekeeping industry, as they were the company that pioneered this way of honey extraction without having to manually open up the beehive and disturbing/disrupting your bees… Feel free to refer to the video demonstration above to see exactly how the flow technology works.

As for the reviews of this unit, it looks as if there Amazon store is new (newish) as their products don’t have nearly any reviews. However, they include a 12-months warranty with each of their products, so you can rest assured knowing that you have a manufacturer’s guarantee in case anything is unsatisfactory.

As always, we recommend that you look at adding a preservative to the hive, to help ensure that it ages well, such preservative that we recommend is Thomson’s WaterSeal Advanced Natural Wood Protector, which is a waterbased, maximum strength protection with a coating that prevents mildew and UV damage. Not only this, but it also has a low VOC/Odor, so your bees won’t be repelled by it. Additionally, it’s very quick to dry and can even be removed by applying soap, if for some reason you wanted to do so.

Overall, given that Flow Hive created the auto-flow technology and provide a 12-months warranty, this is a great hive to choose. However, one potential downside is the premium price that you’ll need to pay to get this unit. Otherwise, why not choose another hive with a full refund policy which is half of the price, such as the Beekeeping Wooden Auto Flow Beehive.

In Conclusion

Flow hives and hives with flow-patented technology are few and far between, which is why this article has been particularly difficult to write. However, based on the information that we’ve found and the chosen products on Amazon display, we’ve managed to provide 9 top-rated flow hives for our readers.

With that being said, we don’t like to make a one-fits-all recommendation, and so we’ve supplied some more refined recommendations below, which are based on key-criteria that we think are important to most beekeepers who are looking for a flow hive.

Beekeepers who are looking for a cheaper unit, with everything included – Goplus Beehive Frames Flow Honey Wooden Beehive  – $$ – Buy on Amazon

Beekeepers who are looking for an affordable beehive with a full refund policy – Beekeeping Wooden Auto Flow Beehive – $$$ – Buy on Amazon

Beekeepers who are looking for a unit with great reviews – Lang Wooden Honey Auto Flow Beehive – $$$ – Buy on Amazon

Beekeepers who are looking for a premium-priced unit with a 12-month warranty – Flow Official Hive Classic Cedar 6 Frame – Langstroth Style Beehive – $$$$ – Buy on Amazon (Link to video of the beehive in action)

• Author
• Recent Posts

Follow me

Steve Cruise

Beekeeper & Founder at EbeeHQ

Steve Cruise is an experienced beekeeper with over 20 years of hands-on expertise in the field. He began his beekeeping journey as a hobbyist and quickly developed a passion for the craft. Over the years, Steve has honed his skills and expanded his knowledge, becoming a trusted expert in the beekeeping community.

Steve's experience in beekeeping is extensive, having managed numerous hives and colonies of bees throughout his career. He is well-versed in all aspects of beekeeping, from hive management and bee behavior to honey production and bee health. Steve is also an advocate for sustainable beekeeping practices, using natural and organic methods to maintain healthy hives and protect the environment.

As a seasoned beekeeper, Steve has also shared his expertise with others by teaching workshops and classes on beekeeping. He is a sought-after speaker and has been invited to speak at conferences and events across the country.

With his wealth of knowledge and experience, Steve is a valuable resource for anyone interested in beekeeping. Whether you are a seasoned beekeeper or just starting out, Steve's insights and advice can help you become a successful and responsible beekeeper.

Follow me

Latest posts by Steve Cruise (see all)

• Are Bees Active At Night
• Are Bees Born Fully Grown
• Are Bees Clean