Compared with conventional artificial straw checkerboard barriers (ASCB) that degrade within 1-2 years, the mechanically manufactured and structurally optimized brush straw checkerboard barrier (BSCB) delivers a markedly extended service life of 5-6 years. Nevertheless, the differential soil improvement capacity between the two barrier types under identical durations, as well as the long-term ecological restoration potential of BSCB, remain poorly understood. In this study, soil physicochemical attributes and microbial community structure were compared among BSCB with restoration durations of 2, 4 and 5 years, 2-year-old ASCB, and bare sandy land. The objectives were to clarify soil amelioration discrepancies between the two sand-fixation measures over equivalent periods, and to elucidate the temporal dynamics of BSCB-mediated restoration performance across successive deployment years. The results revealed that, under identical sand stabilization periods, BSCB outperformed ASCB in elevating soil organic matter, total nitrogen, electrical conductivity and soil moisture content, while simultaneously enhancing microbial diversity and reorganizing community composition. Structural equation modelling verified that prolonged BSCB deployment progressively ameliorated soil physicochemical conditions, which further acted as a pivotal driver for the promotion of soil microbial diversity. Under the same 2-year restoration period, BSCB exhibited superior performance in soil amelioration and microbial effects compared to ASCB. Furthermore, along the 2- to 5-year age gradient of BSCB, soil properties and microbial diversity continued to improve Accordingly, BSCB serves as a more promising technique for large-scale desertification remediation. The present findings provide robust scientific references for facilitating long-term ecological rehabilitation and sustainable desertification control in arid sandy ecosystems.