Keter Eden

After moving from a big house to a small apartment, my every day life got really messy.I spent a lot of time looking for storage items that served multiple purposes... ie. storage boxes that were decorative and could be DISPLAYED (instead of thrown in a closet), a sofa table that held lamps and speakers AND had drawers.. etc. But none of those things could fit bigger items like my boxing gloves, lawn chairs, house cleaners. Then I discovered the storage bench.There are SO many of these options all over the web and can very easily be $$$$. Water proof, water resistant, plastic makes it look ugly, needs to be treated, weight limitations etc etc. I chose this one because it fit my budget and did not appear to be super ugly. My only concern was that it would look too plastic-y thus look CHEAP.Low and behold, it doesn't. But note, I am also not a fancy-pants decorator. This sits out on my patio and is very visible from my living / dining room / kitchen but looks pleasant and nice. I keep it relatively clean so it stays in excellent condition. I love that it holds so much stuff and I can comfortably sit on it with my dog without worrying I'll break the darn thing. Also, the lock option is great. I don't use it regularly but I like the option.Only small drawbacks are...- assembly. It was difficult for me to piece it all together alone as the parts were fairly large and awkward to move around. One part was half-way assembled incorrectly which meant I had to grunt and sweat to UNdo it, then redo it the right way.- bottom. The bottom of this bench that all my crap sits on feels like just sturdy cardboard with not much support under it. Thus there is no way I would attempt to move this bench unless it was empty. Also, I am careful with what items I toss in there as I don't want to damage it.

This bench was more than I expected. It was quite easy to set up and is sturdier than expected. My Dad and I are both 200 lb. and we sat down together and leaned against the back with no problem. I couldn't picture how much 70 gallon capacity would hold. However, I put in 2 folding chairs & table, small toolbox, dog dummies, sprinkler, kneeling pad, etc and it isn't even half full. It really cleaned up my patio and allowed me to keep some things handy that I used to go inside to get. I was concerned about how water-proof it will be, and it hasn't rained in the week since I got the bench. There is a channel beneath the back seat hinge that should capture water, but I'm not sure where that will drain when full (maybe I'll put the hose to it and find out). If there is a weakness it may be the floor. It is a corrugated plastic which sits off the ground about 1/2". I may put a thin board underneath it for added support. The floor was the only difficult part to install. I could have used a second person for that. I had one small part arrive defective ( a foot cap) and the company immediately sent out a replacement. After considering many different patio storage options, I am most satisfied with this choice. It has plenty of room, is functional as a bench and looks nice.

Received promptly as usual with Prime. Opened up and assembled in about 20 minutes by myself using only two sizes of screwdrivers and a box knife to trim about 1/2" of plastic. Seems solid enough except for the interior bottom panel, but I knew going in what it would be so that's not a minus. I may replace it or add a thin sheet of plywood over top so it can better resist items being tossed in. I plan to use this in my garden to hold misc tools and supplies so I don't always have to walk over and back to the shed just for some quick gardening activities. And of course this bench will be a great place to take a break and rest my back.My bench only had one or two very small untrimmed pieces of plastic from the mfg process so that was a pleasant surprise. The bench looks ok up close, not fancy or high end by any means, but is much more comfortable than you'd expect. I'm more about function than fashion anyway so this met my needs perfectly. It's a great deal for the price and minimum effort to assemble. It'll be spending winters out in the yard so I'll keep an eye on it over the coming years and update this review if necessary.Why did I buy this one? A bit cheaper, water shedding reviews seemed pretty good, but a big factor was the back wasn't solid.Either to tie on seat cushions or to not block the garden view I didn't want a 'wall' in my way. The next best option imo would've been to just get a storage box but, as I mentioned above, my back needs frequent breaks and I'd prefer to be able to lean back on something when needed.

This is my second one! Because I totally loved my first one. So they are easy to put together. One person took only about :30 minutes. They are totally weatherproof nothing inside has gotten wet in the feirest of rain storms. However if the bench is wet on the seat and you open the lid rapidly some water will splash in. To avoid this just open it slowly to let the water drain to the back of the unit.I personally have not had any mice problems but I can see that mice could slip in or chew their way in if they desired. Certainly not the fault of the manufacture or design. They hold a ton of stuff and they do seat two people easily and comfortably but do adhere to the weight limitation. This is one area these units could be improved as it would be simple for the manufacturer to add a steel strap or tubing underneath the lid which would greatly strengthen the lid/seat. One of mine we did exceed the weight and there was a snapping sound and I noted a section of the plastic skeleton did crack but other than that it still works and looks just fine and the lid was not compromised in any way. I would describe them as medium weight but they are so functionable as outdoor storage and the price is so good and they look so great that I highly recommend them. I am very happy I have them.