SIMPLIHOME Avalon 54" Wide Linen Look Fabric Storage Ottoman in Slate Grey

Why it's worth it

A nearly 54-inch bench on a solid wood frame with slate grey linen upholstery. The lift-up lid uses child-safe hinges that close slowly, and it ships mostly assembled so you only attach the legs.

Solid wood frames matter more than the marketing suggests. Most ottomans in this price range are MDF panels held together with cam locks, and after a couple of moves they start to wobble. SIMPLIHOME builds the Avalon on a wood frame, and at nearly 42 pounds you can feel where that weight goes. If you're buying a piece you expect to keep through two apartments, that's the spec to look at.

The child-safe hinges are the reason to pick this over a lift-off lid. The lid eases down instead of dropping, so no small fingers get pinched. Good Housekeeping Institute testers found that soft-close mechanisms cut pinch-point risk compared with lift-off designs. If there's a toddler in the house who likes opening things, this is worth paying for.

From our review of 6 storage ottomans

What we like

• +Solid wood frames matter more than the marketing suggests
• +The child-safe hinges are the reason to pick this over a lift-off lid
• +At 53.9 inches wide and 16.5 inches tall, it works at the foot of a queen or king bed, along an entryway wall, or in front of a…
• +Setup is close to nothing

What to know

• –Linen fabric isn't the easy-clean choice
• –It's heavy. Nearly 42 pounds means you're not scooting it across the room casually, and it doesn't fold away for storage