Tiger Penthouse – Expert Review

The Tiger Penthouse Summerhouse is one of those buildings that doesn’t immediately try to impress you — and that’s very much part of its appeal.

At first glance, it’s clearly different from most traditional summerhouses. But the more time you spend thinking about whyit’s been designed the way it has — and who it’s actually meant for — the more the logic behind it becomes apparent. This isn’t a generic summerhouse with a few tweaks. It’s a deliberately considered design, aimed at a very specific type of use.

Understanding that intention is the key to deciding whether this is the right building for you.

How We Approach Reviews (And Why That Matters Here)

Over the years, we’ve reviewed a very large number of summerhouses, and one lesson comes up again and again: two buildings can look almost identical on paper, yet feel completely different once you step inside.

Those differences rarely come from headline specifications alone. More often, they come from dozens of small decisions — slightly thinner framing, fewer bearers under the floor, reduced internal height, smaller doors, less thoughtful bracing. Individually, those changes are easy to miss. Collectively, they completely change how a building feels and behaves.

That’s why our reviews are always grounded in real-world comparison. Where possible, we inspect buildings in person, walk them, lean against walls, pay attention to how the floor responds underfoot, and try to explain why something feels calm, solid, or well judged — not just state that it does.

With the Tiger Penthouse, there’s an important point of transparency to be clear about.

Inspection Transparency (Said Plainly)

We haven’t physically inspected the Tiger Penthouse Summerhouse itself at a Tiger show site.

That isn’t unusual. Even though Tiger operates more show sites than most retailers, it simply isn’t practical for every model to be permanently erected. However, we have inspected multiple Tiger pent-roof summerhouses of comparable size and identical construction, built using the same wall build-up, floor system, roof method, doors, and glazing.

Because Tiger’s manufacturing approach is highly consistent across their higher-quality summerhouses, that gives us a very reliable understanding of how this building will behave once assembled and in use. Everything that follows is grounded in extensive first-hand experience of equivalent Tiger buildings, not assumption.

First Impressions: A Design That Breaks the Usual Rules

What immediately sets the Tiger Penthouse apart is that it doesn’t follow the standard summerhouse formula.

Most summerhouses place the entrance centrally, directly into a glazed front elevation. The Penthouse does something quite different. The door is positioned to the side, while one long wall is given over to large expanses of glazing. The internal layout prioritises outward views and internal calm rather than symmetry.

That single design choice changes the entire character of the building.

Instead of feeling like a space designed to face outward from a fixed seating position, the Penthouse feels more observational in nature. It’s a building you occupy alongside the garden rather than presenting yourself to it. The effect is quieter, more contemplative, and — for the right person — more rewarding.

Construction and Materials: Why It Feels So Settled

From a construction standpoint, the Tiger Penthouse follows Tiger’s established, higher-quality summerhouse formula.

The walls are built from 12mm shiplap tongue-and-groove cladding, tightly machined and cleanly finished. Internally and externally, the timber is smooth to the touch and well controlled, with minimal knots and no roughness. On other Tiger pent summerhouses we’ve inspected in person, this cladding has consistently shown very good rigidity, with no sense of hollowness or flex when pressed from inside.

One of the reasons comparable Tiger pent summerhouses feel so settled is the framing behind that cladding. Tiger use 28 × 44mm framing, which strikes a very good balance for a summerhouse of this type . It’s not oversized for the sake of it, but it’s substantial enough that the walls don’t feel reactive or flimsy. This is exactly the sort of detail you feel rather than see — and it plays a big role in why these buildings feel calm rather than rattly.

Underfoot Feel: Quiet Confidence Rather Than Show

Another area where quality quietly shows itself is the floor.

The Tiger Penthouse uses a 12mm tongue-and-groove floor, supported by a proper bearer system. On other Tiger pent-roof summerhouses of comparable footprint that we have physically tested, we’ve carried out walk tests, weight-loading tests, and laser-measured deflection tests using roughly 75kg placed centrally.

What we consistently found on those buildings was minimal movement — typically around 2mm of deflection, roughly the thickness of a pound coin. In practical terms, that means no bounce, no springiness, and no creaking under normal movement.

Because the Penthouse uses the same floor specification and support system, those findings translate directly here. It’s the sort of floor you stop noticing after a few minutes — which is exactly what you want in a building designed for sitting and spending time.

The Pent Roof and Internal Atmosphere

The pent roof is doing more than just shaping the exterior.

On comparable Tiger pent summerhouses we’ve inspected, this roof format has proven to be rigid, well supported, and free from noticeable flex. Pent roofs are structurally efficient when built this way, and Tiger don’t aggressively shave internal height to save material — something that becomes apparent once you’re inside.

On paper, the internal height figures don’t look dramatic, but in practice they make a noticeable difference. Even in similar-sized Tiger pent summerhouses, you never feel hunched or pressed down by the roofline. That extra breathing room contributes significantly to the calm, observational atmosphere the Penthouse is clearly designed to create.

Windows, Doors, and Why Installation Care Matters

The Penthouse makes generous use of toughened glass, and that glazing is central to its appeal. Light enters the space laterally rather than directly in front of you, reinforcing that sense of sitting with the garden rather than performing for it.

It’s worth reinforcing one practical point here. Tiger are very clear in their own installation guidance that all glazing must be sealed both internally and externally with silicone, and that window beading is not supplied as standard unless specified . When this is done properly, we’ve seen this glazing system perform well on other Tiger buildings. It does, however, mean that care during installation matters.

This isn’t a flaw — just a reminder that this is a building that rewards patience rather than rushing.

Doors and ironmongery on comparable Tiger pent summerhouses we’ve inspected have consistently been smooth in operation, well hung, and free from sticking or swelling in everyday use. The Penthouse uses the same components, so expectations here are reassuringly familiar.

Internal Feel and Day-to-Day Use

Inside equivalent Tiger pent summerhouses, the internal feel is calm, light-filled, and free from unnecessary visual interruption. Because the Penthouse isn’t modular in the same way as some TigerFlex buildings, you get cleaner internal wall runs and more uninterrupted wall space.

That makes it particularly well suited to seating, quiet retreat use, reading, or simply watching the garden change throughout the day. It’s not a space that encourages clutter or over-furnishing. It works best when allowed to breathe.

Final Expert Verdict

The Tiger Penthouse Summerhouse is a quietly intelligent design.

It won’t appeal to everyone — and that’s part of its strength. It’s aimed at people who value light, outlook, and calm over symmetry and tradition. People who want a discreet entrance, a strong connection to the garden, and a space that feels contemplative rather than performative.

While we haven’t physically inspected this exact model, its materials, framing, construction method, and layout are extremely familiar to us from extensive hands-on inspection of equivalent Tiger pent-roof summerhouses.

Based on that experience, this is a solid, well-made summerhouse with a distinctive and thoughtful layout — not a gimmick, and not a compromise.

If you’re looking for a quiet, observational retreat with plenty of light and a refined sense of enclosure, the Tiger Penthouse is one of the more considered designs in Tiger’s range — and one that genuinely rewards a closer look.