Are raised garden beds superior to flat garden beds?

If you have a two foot raised bed, that's two feet less you have to bend down to work on the bed. That's the only difference.

Only if you have problems with some critters that now can't get into the beds, physical problems that would keep you from caring for your plants without raising the height so you don't have to bend over or kneel, or if your soil is really bad, like clay that prevents roots from growing to get healthy plants. It is a persons choice as to raised or in ground gardens are used. You would need to build enough to have the plants you need, especially if you want a lot of veggies. The good thing with raised gardens, is that you can put them anywhere you want according to the plants you want in the different sun areas without having to prepare the ground and you probably won't get as many weeds either.

The good thing about raised beds is that you can control the soil better when it is contained within a specific raised bed. Also, it is much easier on your back (once you have the raised beds installed). Some handy people have even created storage for outdoor gear underneath their raised garden beds. A friend's hubby had raised beds installed in their backyard so she could garden at wheelchair height. She loves to garden and this made it possible for her to enjoy again.

They make it easier to take care of with far less bending. They do tend to dry out faster but you can rig up a watering system for them by placing 2 inch plastic pipe, with holes drilled into it, into the soil. You can plant them much earlier too as the soil would be warmer.

Raised garden beds provide a more contained area for the plants. One of the things that I think is most important is that you can set them high enough that bending is not as difficult.

I think it's mostly a matter of preference as well as ease of access.

Depends where you live, I'm in the south and they work better because they help maintain moisture. Also less difficult to amend soil year round.

Just love raised bed gardening, you have better control of the soil and ease of bending over or not.