Reviews
Perky-Pet 217 window feeder review
The cheap window feeder that does the one thing a window feeder has to do: come apart completely.
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A good cheap window feeder. Eight ounces, three tapered ports, three detachable perches, shatter-resistant plastic, 8.4 by 5.5 by 3.5 inches, and Perky-Pet says outright that it comes apart completely for cleaning. It mounts with a suction cup or hangs from a nail. Skip it if you want glass, or if the window in question is a hot south-facing one where suction cups have a hard life.
What we recommend here
| # | Product | Best for | Score | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | No product photo yet Perky-Pet 217 Window Mount 8 oz Fully disassembles, perches included | Best cheap window feeder | 7.9 out of 10 | |
| 2 | No product photo yet Aspects Jewel Box Window Feeder 8 oz Hinged lid and deck-mount hardware in the box | Better window feeder | 8.9 out of 10 | |
| 3 | No product photo yet Perky-Pet 455-2 Window-Mounted Glass 14 oz Tempered glass at 14 oz, two ports | The glass option | 8.1 out of 10 |
Scores are our own editorial ratings from the criteria on our methodology page. They are not customer ratings and they are not test results.
What it is
A small window-mounted feeder in shatter-resistant plastic. Eight ounces, three hollyhock-inspired flower ports that are soft and flexible, three detachable perches, and two mounting options — the suction cup, or hanging from a nail if you decide the window is not working out.
Perky-Pet describes the ports as tapered to keep bees out of the nectar, and the feeder as coming apart completely for easy cleaning.
Why “comes apart completely” matters more here
A window feeder is the one you look at from two feet away, every day, backlit. Any residue in the ports or film in the reservoir is not just a welfare issue — it is directly in your eyeline, which is oddly useful. The visual check that most people rely on to decide when to wash a feeder actually works on a window feeder.
Which makes it worse if the thing cannot be properly washed. Detachable perches and removable ports mean nothing here is sealed shut. On a feeder this cheap, that is the selling point. The method.
The suction cup problem
Suction cups are the weak point of every window feeder and this one is no exception. They fail on residue and on heat cycling, and a feeder full of nectar coming off a window is a mess at best.
- Clean the glass with rubbing alcohol before mounting, then dry it.
- Press the cup down hard and re-check after the first hot week.
- Think about what is underneath. Plastic over a flowerbed is a different risk from glass over a patio.
- If the cups keep letting go, the 217 hangs from a nail instead — which is genuinely useful and not every window feeder offers it.
If you want a bracket rather than a cup, the Aspects Jewel Box ships with deck-mount hardware.
Bees, ants and the window
The tapered ports are a real if modest bee measure — narrower openings make it harder for a bee to reach nectar. It is not the same as a fitted Nectar-Guard tip. Bees.
Ants are the awkward one. A window feeder is mounted against a surface, which means an ant moat — which only protects a free-hanging wire — does nothing. Ants walk across the glass and the frame. There is no clean answer here beyond keeping the feeder and the surrounding glass genuinely clean, which is another argument for a feeder that fully disassembles. Ants.
Who should not buy this
- Anyone who wants glass at close range. Plastic hazes, and on a window feeder you will see it. The Perky-Pet 455-2 is tempered glass at 14 oz.
- Anyone with a hot south-facing window. Heat cycling is what breaks suction cups, and 8 oz of nectar has to stay up there.
- Anyone who wants the easiest possible refill. The Jewel Box’s hinged lid means filling without unmounting, which the 217 does not offer.
Where it fits
As a second feeder, at a window you use, for very little money. Eight ounces is honestly sized for that role — you will empty it before the nectar turns, which is the right relationship between capacity and the change cycle. More options in the window feeder roundup.
Recommended for this
What we’d buy
1. Best cheap window feeder
Perky-Pet 217 Window Mount 8 oz
Eight ounces, three tapered ports, three detachable perches, and it comes apart completely — a window feeder that does not punish you for putting it where you have to look at it every day.
photo yet
- Type
- Window mount
- Capacity
- 8 oz
- Feeding ports
- 3, tapered
- Perches
- 3, detachable
- Material
- Shatter-resistant plastic
- Dimensions
- 8.4"H x 5.5"W x 3.5"D
- Mounting
- Suction cup, or hang from a nail
Our score: 7.9/10 — an editorial rating, not a customer rating or a test result.
Cleaning access
Perky-Pet's own description is the selling point: it comes apart completely. Detachable perches and removable ports mean nothing is sealed shut, which matters more on a window feeder than anywhere else — it is at eye level, so a grubby one is impossible to ignore.
What works
- Fully disassembles, perches included
- Tapered ports are shaped to make it harder for bees to reach the nectar
- 8 oz is honestly sized for a window feeder — you will empty it before it spoils
What doesn’t
- Suction cups let go in heat and cold; check it after the first hot week
- A feeder on the glass raises the collision question — see our placement guide
- Plastic, so it will cloud over a few seasons
Specifications from Perky-Pet — Window Mount Plastic Hummingbird Feeder (217) and Amazon — Perky-Pet 217 Window Mount Hummingbird Feeder. We have not handled this feeder — here is what we did instead.
2. Better window feeder
Aspects Jewel Box Window Feeder 8 oz
The saucer logic applied to a window: 8 oz, three ports, a hinged lid you flip open to fill, a detachable ant moat, and a lifetime guarantee behind it.
photo yet
- Type
- Window mount, saucer
- Capacity
- 8 oz
- Feeding ports
- 3
- Material
- Polycarbonate
- Dimensions
- 8.5"L x 6"W x 2.2"H
- Mounting
- Suction-cup bracket; deck-mount hardware included
- Ant moat
- Detachable
- Ports
- Accepts optional Nectar-Guard tips
- Guarantee
- Lifetime guarantee (Aspects)
Our score: 8.9/10 — an editorial rating, not a customer rating or a test result.
Cleaning access
The best cleaning story of any window feeder here. The hinged lid opens for filling without unmounting anything, and the body is a shallow dish rather than a bottle — so the weekly wash is one bowl and three ports, not a reservoir you cannot see into.
What works
- Hinged lid means refilling does not involve taking it off the window
- Shallow dish shape is the easiest thing in the category to actually clean
- Accepts optional Nectar-Guard tips, so the bee fix is available if you need it
- Deck-mount hardware included if the suction cups disappoint you
What doesn’t
- 8 oz, and only three ports
- Nectar-Guard tips are an optional extra, not fitted
- Suction cups on a hot south-facing window are still suction cups
Specifications from Duncraft — Aspects Jewel Box Window Hummingbird Feeder and Amazon — Aspects 407 Jewel Box Window Hummingbird Feeder, 8 oz. We have not handled this feeder — here is what we did instead.
3. The glass option
Perky-Pet 455-2 Window-Mounted Glass 14 oz
A tempered-glass window feeder at 14 oz with two ports. The glass is the point — a window feeder is the one you see closest, and plastic looks tired fastest exactly where you notice.
photo yet
- Type
- Window mount
- Capacity
- 14 oz
- Feeding ports
- 2
- Material
- Tempered glass and plastic
- Dimensions
- 10.73"H x 6.37"W x 5.13"D
- Mounting
- Suction cups; also hangs on a screw or nail
- Bee guards
- None specified
Our score: 8.1/10 — an editorial rating, not a customer rating or a test result.
Cleaning access
The bottle twists off and the flower ports pull out with a gentle tug, so you reach every surface. Perky-Pet's own guidance is to clean it at least once a week with a mild soap and water solution, and more often in a very warm climate.
What works
- Tempered glass stays clear where plastic clouds
- Bottle twists off and ports pull out — no trapped surfaces
- Moves off the window onto a screw or nail without buying anything
What doesn’t
- Only two ports, so it is not the feeder for a crowd
- No bee guards specified — pair it with a saucer elsewhere if bees are a problem
- Glass on suction cups above a hard surface deserves a second thought
Specifications from Perky-Pet — Window-Mounted Glass Hummingbird Feeder (455-2). We have not handled this feeder — here is what we did instead.
Common questions
Frequently asked
Does the Perky-Pet 217 come apart for cleaning?
Yes — Perky-Pet describes it as coming apart completely, including the three detachable perches. That is the main reason to choose it over other feeders at this price.
How do I stop the suction cup falling off?
Clean the glass with rubbing alcohol first, press the cup down firmly, and re-check after the first hot week — heat cycling is what breaks the seal. The 217 also hangs from a nail if the window does not work out.
Does it keep bees out?
Partly. Perky-Pet describes the ports as tapered to keep bees out of the nectar, which helps, but it is not the same as a fitted bee guard.
Can you use an ant moat with a window feeder?
Not effectively. A moat protects a free-hanging wire, and a window feeder is mounted flush against a surface that ants simply walk across. Keeping the feeder and surrounding glass clean is the main defense.
Sources
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By Scooter M.
an enthusiast who's genuinely into this. I read the manuals, compile the published specs, and do the math. No lab coat.
Published September 1, 2026