Keter Solana 70 Gal Outdoor Storage Bench for Patio and Pool Accessories

Why it's worth it

The Solana is a storage bench first and a deck box second: about 55 inches wide, seat height, with a back and arms and a 551-pound rating. The 70 gallons under the seat swallow cushions, towels and delivered packages, and it takes a padlock.

If your patio is small, a box you can't sit on is wasted floor space. The Solana fixes that. It's a real bench for two or three people, with a back and arms, and everything you store lives under the seat. On a balcony, a narrow side yard or a covered entry, that's the difference between usable space and clutter you walk around.

The interior is shallow, and that's the catch. You get about 50 inches of length and 20 of width, but only 15 inches of depth. Flat things do great: cushions, furniture covers, towels, sports gear, shoes. A stack of pool floats or a leaf blower won't go in. Check the height of what you're storing before you check anything else on the spec sheet.

From our review of 8 outdoor deck boxes, by Genevieve Dubois, Home & Living Expert

What we like

• +If your patio is small, a box you can't sit on is wasted floor space
• +The interior is shallow, and that's the catch
• +Owners keep finding uses beyond cushions
• +It's plastic, and it feels like plastic while you're carrying panels around; the whole thing runs about 35 pounds

What to know

• –Missing hardware turns up in owner reports more than it should, usually screws or instructions absent from a carton that arrived…
• –Fifteen inches of interior depth rules out a lot of what people want to store