- Best assembled stack: Hoover Hives 10-frame, 2 deeps + 1 medium, 30 frames, beeswax-dipped fir.
- Best to build yourself: Mann Lake KD150, dovetail pine made in the USA, 30 frames with waxed Rite-Cell foundation and a 1-gallon ProFeeder.
- Best 8-frame: Hoover Hives assembled 8-frame deep with queen excluder.
- Standard 10-frame deeps list as 16-1/4 x 19-7/8 x 9-5/8 in and mediums as 6-5/8 in tall, so parts from these brands should stack, but check each listing.
The best Langstroth hive is the one that matches the rest of your apiary: same width (8 or 10 frames), standard box depths, and a finish you can live with for years. Lorenzo Langstroth's movable-frame design is more than 150 years old and is still the default in the US, which is why nucs, frames, feeders and excluders are easy to find for it.
We compared nine Langstroth hives and kits from six brands by listed specs: number and depth of boxes, frames and foundation, wood species, joinery, finish and included parts. If you are brand new, start with our best beehive for beginners; this page is for choosing among Langstroth options specifically.
Our picks
Hoover Hives 10-Frame Langstroth, Assembled, 2D+1M
- Frames
- 10 (30 NZ pine frames)
- Boxes
- 2 deep, 1 medium
- Material
- Fir exterior
- Finish
- Dipped in 100% beeswax
Hoover Hives' fully assembled stack has two deeps (16-1/4 x 19-7/8 x 9-5/8 in) and one medium (6-5/8 in), all fir with dovetail joints, dipped in 100% beeswax. Hoover says fir is more durable and less prone to warping than pine (maker claim). It comes with 30 New Zealand pine frames on beeswax-dipped CellTech plastic foundation, a solid bottom board, telescoping cover, inner cover and entrance reducer.
Best for: a complete 10-frame stack that is ready on arrival
Skip if: you enjoy building and want to save by assembling
- Fully assembled, 30 frames installed
- Beeswax-dipped fir, dovetail joints
- Standard box dimensions listed
- No queen excluder listed
- Plastic foundation
- Solid (not screened) bottom board
Mann Lake KD150 10-Frame Hive Kit, 2D+1M, Unpainted
- Frames
- 30 unassembled
- Boxes
- 2 deep, 1 medium
- Material
- Dovetail pine, made in USA
- Finish
- Unpainted; waxed Rite-Cell foundation
Mann Lake's KD150 is two deeps and a medium in dovetail pine, made in the USA, shipped unpainted and unassembled. It includes 30 unassembled frames with yellow waxed Rite-Cell foundation, a solid bottom board, a metal-capped telescoping cover and a 1-gallon cap-and-ladder ProFeeder. Rite-Cell is beeswax-coated plastic, not pure wax.
Best for: DIY-minded beekeepers who want US-made pine and a feeder
Skip if: you don't want to assemble 30 frames and paint three boxes
- Made in USA, dovetail pine
- 1-gallon ProFeeder included
- Metal-capped telescoping cover
- Everything needs assembly
- Unpainted: you must finish it
- Waxed plastic foundation, not pure wax
Hoover Hives 10-Frame Beeswax Kit, 2D+1M, Unassembled
- Frames
- 10 wooden
- Boxes
- 2 deep, 1 medium
- Finish
- Beeswax-coated
- Includes
- Heavy wax-coated foundation, screws
This is Hoover Hives' original beeswax-coated kit in unassembled form: two deeps and a medium with wooden frames and heavy wax-coated foundation. Boxes are pre-drilled and screws are included. You get the same pre-dipped finish as the assembled stack, with a few hours of assembly in exchange.
Best for: beekeepers who want the beeswax finish and don't mind screws
Skip if: you want it ready on arrival
- Beeswax-coated boxes
- Pre-drilled with screws included
- 2 deeps + 1 medium
- Assembly required
- Frame count per box not itemized clearly
- Cover details not itemized
BeeCastle 10-Frame Waxed Langstroth Hive, 2D+1M
- Frames
- 10
- Boxes
- 2 deep, 1 medium
- Material
- Cedar boxes, pine frames
- Finish
- Beeswax-coated
BeeCastle's 2 deeps + 1 medium kit uses cedar boxes and pine frames, beeswax-coated, with pre-cut dovetail joints and pre-drilled holes. The listing gives standard dimensions: deeps 16-1/4 x 19-7/8 x 9-5/8 in, mediums 16-1/4 x 19-7/8 x 6-5/8 in. Frames and waxed foundation are included.
Best for: cedar fans who want a full stack without painting
Skip if: you need fully assembled boxes
- Cedar boxes, beeswax-coated
- Standard dimensions listed
- Dovetail, pre-drilled
- Some assembly
- Foundation is waxed plastic
- Cover and bottom details not itemized
Goodland Bee Supply GL-2B2SK Double Deep Hive Kit
- Frames
- 10 (30 wooden frames)
- Boxes
- 2 deep, 1 medium
- Material
- Kiln-dried pine
Goodland Bee Supply's GL-2B2SK is a double-deep kit (2 deeps + 1 medium) in kiln-dried pine with 30 wooden frames and 30 pre-waxed foundations compatible with Pierco black plastic, plus a metal queen excluder, ventilated inner cover, telescoping outer cover, solid bottom board and entrance reducer. It ships flat-packed.
Best for: beekeepers who want every hive part in one flat-pack order
Skip if: you don't want to paint pine
- Metal queen excluder included
- 30 frames and foundations
- Ventilated inner cover
- Ships unassembled
- Pine needs exterior paint
- Black plastic foundation
GarveeLife 10-Frame Beeswax-Dipped Kit, 1D+1M
- Frames
- 10 (20 frames)
- Boxes
- 1 deep, 1 medium
- Material
- Cedar
- Finish
- Beeswax-dipped
GarveeLife's kit is one deep and one medium, beeswax-dipped, with 20 frames on beeswax-coated plastic foundation, a metal top cover, queen excluder and entrance reducer. The listing says cedar. One deep plus one medium is a common way to start lighter and add boxes as the colony grows.
Best for: a smaller first stack with an excluder included
Skip if: you want two deeps for the brood nest
- Beeswax-dipped boxes
- Metal top cover, queen excluder
- 20 frames included
- Only one deep
- Newer brand with less track record
- Assembly status not clear
Mann Lake HK170 Traditional Complete Hive Kit, Painted
- Frames
- 10 assembled
- Boxes
- 1 deep (9-5/8")
- Material
- Radiata pine, made in USA
- Finish
- Painted; beeswax-coated plastic foundation
Mann Lake's HK170 Traditional kit is one painted 9-5/8 in deep in New Zealand radiata pine, made in the USA with finger joints, plus 10 assembled frames with beeswax-coated plastic foundation, a telescoping outer cover, notched inner cover, bottom board and entrance reducer. Use it as a single-hive start or as the base for a stack built from Mann Lake parts.
Best for: adding a painted, ready-to-use deep to a 10-frame apiary
Skip if: you want a full stack in one order
- Painted and assembled
- Made in USA
- Covers and bottom board included
- One deep only
- No super
- Plastic foundation
Hoover Hives 8-Frame Deep Hive Kit, Assembled
- Frames
- 8 with foundation
- Boxes
- 1 deep
- Material
- Fir
- Finish
- Wax-coated
Hoover Hives' assembled 8-frame deep is wax-coated fir with frames and foundation, top cover, queen excluder, bottom board and entrance reducer. Eight-frame boxes hold two fewer frames than 10-frame boxes, so they are lighter when full. Buy matching 8-frame boxes for the rest of the stack.
Best for: beekeepers who want lighter boxes
Skip if: your local suppliers and club use 10-frame gear
- Assembled wax-coated fir
- Queen excluder included
- Lighter 8-frame format
- Single deep
- 8-frame covers and boxes don't fit 10-frame
- Inner cover not listed
Little Giant 10-Frame Complete Hive, Made in USA
- Frames
- 10 wooden with black foundation
- Boxes
- 1 deep
Little Giant's 10-frame complete hive has precision-milled interlocking box joints, wooden frames with black foundation, a telescoping outer cover, vented inner cover and a screened bottom board with a grid for counting mites. The listed overall size is 21.875 x 18.25 x 14 in. Made in USA.
Best for: a single deep with built-in mite monitoring
Skip if: you want a full stack in one order
- Screened bottom with mite grid
- Vented inner cover
- Made in USA
- Single deep only
- Finish not stated
- Black plastic foundation
Langstroth hive specs side by side
| Product | Frames | Boxes | Material | Finish |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hoover Hives 10-Frame Langstroth, Assembled, 2D+1M | 10 (30 NZ pine frames) | 2 deep, 1 medium | Fir exterior | Dipped in 100% beeswax |
| Mann Lake KD150 10-Frame Hive Kit, 2D+1M, Unpainted | 30 unassembled | 2 deep, 1 medium | Dovetail pine, made in USA | Unpainted; waxed Rite-Cell foundation |
| Hoover Hives 10-Frame Beeswax Kit, 2D+1M, Unassembled | 10 wooden | 2 deep, 1 medium | — | Beeswax-coated |
| BeeCastle 10-Frame Waxed Langstroth Hive, 2D+1M | 10 | 2 deep, 1 medium | Cedar boxes, pine frames | Beeswax-coated |
| Goodland Bee Supply GL-2B2SK Double Deep Hive Kit | 10 (30 wooden frames) | 2 deep, 1 medium | Kiln-dried pine | — |
| GarveeLife 10-Frame Beeswax-Dipped Kit, 1D+1M | 10 (20 frames) | 1 deep, 1 medium | Cedar | Beeswax-dipped |
| Mann Lake HK170 Traditional Complete Hive Kit, Painted | 10 assembled | 1 deep (9-5/8") | Radiata pine, made in USA | Painted; beeswax-coated plastic foundation |
| Hoover Hives 8-Frame Deep Hive Kit, Assembled | 8 with foundation | 1 deep | Fir | Wax-coated |
| Little Giant 10-Frame Complete Hive, Made in USA | 10 wooden with black foundation | 1 deep | — | — |
Specs as listed by the maker or seller; check the listing before you buy.
Frames included (where the listing gives a count)
A full 10-frame stack of 2 deeps + 1 medium takes 30 frames.
Which Langstroth hive size should you buy: 8 or 10 frames?
Both widths use the same frames. The 10-frame box is the US default, so nucs, used equipment and club loaners are usually 10-frame. The 8-frame box is narrower, so a full box weighs less. Neither is "better" for the bees; it is about your back and your local supply.
8-frame vs 10-frame Langstroth
| 10-frame | 8-frame | |
|---|---|---|
| Frames per box | 10 | 8 |
| Weight of a full box | ~ heavier | ✓ lighter |
| Nucs and used gear easy to find | ✓ | ~ less common |
| Boxes per season | ~ fewer | ~ more boxes for the same space |
| Mix with the other width | ✗ | ✗ |
Source: Hive & Frame summary; frame counts from maker listings
More detail in 8-frame vs 10-frame hives.
Deep, medium and shallow boxes explained
Langstroth boxes come in three common depths. The listings in this guide give the standard sizes: deep 9-5/8 in tall (frames 9-1/8 in), medium 6-5/8 in tall. Shallow supers are shorter still and are often used for comb honey.
Many beekeepers run two deeps for brood and mediums for honey. Others run all mediums so every box and frame is interchangeable and no box is too heavy. Either works; just be consistent.
Wood, finish and foundation: what matters
- Fir vs pine vs cedar. Hoover uses fir, Mann Lake and Goodland use pine, BeeCastle uses cedar. Any of them works if the outside is protected.
- Beeswax-dipped vs painted vs raw. Dipped and factory-painted boxes are ready to use. Raw pine needs exterior paint on the outside only; leave the inside bare.
- Joinery. Dovetail and finger (box) joints are stronger than butt joints. Hoover, BeeCastle and Mann Lake KD150 list dovetail joints; Little Giant lists interlocking box joints.
- Foundation. Every kit here uses wax-coated plastic. If you want pure wax or foundationless frames, see plastic vs wax foundation.
How to set up a Langstroth hive
- Choose one width
Decide 8 or 10 frames for your whole apiary and buy matching boxes, covers, excluders and bottom boards.
- Build and finish early
Assemble frames, check that they hang square, and paint any raw wood weeks before bees arrive.
- Start with one brood box
Install a package or nuc into a single deep. Add the second deep when the first is nearly full.
- Add supers on time
Put on a honey super when the brood boxes are nearly full and a nectar flow is on.
- Keep spare frames
Have extra assembled frames on hand for splits and swarm control.
Still deciding? Read how to start beekeeping, Langstroth vs top bar and Mann Lake vs Hoover Hives.
Common Langstroth mistakes
- Mixing widths. 8- and 10-frame parts don't fit each other.
- Leaving gaps. Too few frames in a box lets bees build wild comb. Always fill the box.
- Painting the inside. Paint only the outside.
- Supering too late. A crowded brood nest is a swarm trigger. See how to prevent swarms.
Browse every Langstroth box in the hives category, frames in frames and foundation, or start from your first hive.
For a ready-to-use stack, the Hoover Hives assembled 10-frame Langstroth is the easiest choice. If you want to build your own and save, the Mann Lake KD150 gives you US-made dovetail pine, 30 frames and a feeder. For lighter boxes, the Hoover 8-frame deep is the cleanest start. Whatever you pick, stay with one width and standard depths so every box and frame fits.
We compared Langstroth hive listings by box count and depth, frame count, foundation type, wood species, joinery, finish and included parts, using the dimensions each maker lists. Where a listing does not give a figure, we say so. We did not assemble these hives or keep bees in them. Hive management guidance comes from Penn State Extension and other extension publications listed below.