Rubbermaid Medium Resin Outdoor Storage Deck Box (73 Gal), Weather Resistant, Brown, Deck Organization for Home/Backyard/Pool Chemicals/Toys/Garden Tools/Porch/Patio Cushions

Usually when I think of making a purchase I read the negative reviews first. That way I get an idea of what trouble I might be getting into, or at least an idea of what to look for if I purchase the product. After reading the reviews I decided to purchase the product and deal with the negatives to have it meet our needs. The specific complaints were that it does not stay together, it is not water proof, flimsy design, falls apart when lid opened, sides "pop" together but don't stay... I could go on and on about all the negatives so I was prepared to address them because we wanted to store all our pool toys, games, life jackets for kids, etc... So when the package arrived there were six sturdy pieces of molded plastic and a small plastic bag with 4 screws and two plastic strips, and of course a sheet of directions. Now being red blooded american male of course I did not read the directions and attempted to assemble the box with my wife. You can say I think I hit every negative aspect of this box that was written in the reviews. However, my underlying thought was nobody would sell something as stupid as this! So I began inspecting each piece and the first thing we realized is the sides were not lined up right. They do not "pop" into the front and back they are put into the wide part of a slot and then slid down into the narrow slot area which "locks" them into the front and back of the box. So we connect the front, back and each side and put it on the bottom of the box. It lined up right but it was not sturdy and as soon as you moved anything the sides would slide up and out of the slots. Again we looked at the box and then I noticed on the bottom inside it said "This Side Down", DOH! So we flipped the bottom over and lined up the sides again and it would still fall apart. So I looked at the tabs on the bottom of the sides, front and back and it was clear that they were not "locking" into the base. Now I am thinking is this a bad design? Who ships out a plastic molded product where the parts don't lock? Ok, I guess it is time to read the directions to see if I am missing anything... That is where I found that you are supposed to take a block of wood, hammer and screw driver and punch out the tabs that are keeping the box from locking together. Huh? They injection mold this product using a mold that requires purchasers to slam the plastic with a hammer and screwdriver? Well I have hit enough plastic in my life with a hammer to know that a hammer will crack, damage or shatter a piece of plastic if you miss your target (i.e. the screwdriver) and hit the plastic. So instead I got my utility knife and put the blade in the thin part of the plastic between the tab and bottom frame piece. If you hold the bottom up to the sun you can actually see where the sunlight brightens the thin plastic. So I cut out all the tabs, which was actually very easy, and then tried assembling again. Every single tab "snapped" into place and the box was very sturdy and did not come apart no matter how we moved it, slid it or even flipped it upside down. We were pleased with this. Next came the lid. This had molded hinges with a pin that needed to slide through the molded hindge in the base unit to connect the lid to the base. It was actually quite simple. When the lid closed there was a small snap, not a sound snap but more like you could feel it snap. It was very sturdy and my wife, daughter and I all sat on the bench and it held together just fine. The way it is manufactured it is NOT water proof, if you submerge it, water will get in. It is water resistant and water will not enter the box from rain, pool splashing or a hose. It is intended to let the water run off the box and not into the box. We had heavy rain a couple of days and when we opened the box the contents did not get wet from the rain. So my final review of this product is 5 stars because it does everything it claims to do and all of the negative aspects reported are a result of user error (my opinion of course) because if everyone assembles it the way I did you will not need liquid nails, it will not fall apart and it will be water resistant. One final note, mine did NOT come with the dividers or lid net. I was told by Amazon that according to their fulfillment center it was supposed to come with them. They were going to send me a new one but I would have had to somehow take apart the box I had to return it and I do not believe I could do that without damaging it so I just kept it and they sent me a partial refund to buy the net and dividers separately. Very pleased with the product and Amazon.

I've already got a couple of Rubbermaid storage units, and while the reviews for this one were mixed, went ahead based on my previous experience. it was relatively easy to assemble. A couple of bits on the base that had to be punched out made me work for it, but I won! And to get the sides to really fit flush, had to sit on the thing. The top required an extra pair of hands. Now, is it waterproof? To me, that means you could throw it into the pool and it would float. That wouldn't happen. You can look down into this and see the ground through the openings where the sides snap in. You are protected from rain and spray, but if water were to get deep enough on the deck (or it falls into the pool), water will get in. That also means spiders or ants or lizards can climb up into the space. For my use, that is of no consequence, but some might find it a negative. I'm storing garden stuff - Large pots, wall-o-waters, miscellaneous stuff that was just a messy pile in the back yard. This is PERFECT. It holds a tremendous amount keeping the area looking neat. and it makes a good place to sit and relax and enjoy the garden. At 230lbs, it almost seems to be too flimsy when you first sit down, but it isn't. No sagging, denting, or other problems so far. Know the other Rubbermaid products I own withstand our Arizona sun and high temps, so have no doubt this will too. It blends in, colorwise. BUT IT IS BIG! So don't get it if you are looking for something discreet, that will be unobtrusive.

Pros: -It shipped in a smaller package than anticipated, which makes it possible to sell such an item and have it delivered from the internet. -It was easy enough to put together, and the process was quite efficient and ingenious - it's strength is mostly derived from leverage; the leverage coming from each and every side (imagine folding the flaps over one another with a cardboard box). -There is a solid amount of space; much bigger than I thought it would be when I first got the pieces out of the box. Quite deceptive, even in person! -It's probably reasonably durable, though it's winter here now, and I'm not sure how much that durability is dissapated in the cold. -It can be locked. Cons: -It's probably not completely waterproof considering how easily it was assembled - all the sides slide into one another and have edges that snap into the bottom; that's it... I'm mostly concerned about water getting in from the bottom, as I have it stored in an area that has a potential to flood slightly. I fear that if water reached a level higher than the bottom (flat) panel it would probably seep in from all sides. I can't say this for sure, yet. Only time will tell, and I'm not really willing to wait and find out. I plan to lay some pieces of wood underneath to keep it off the ground. -While it can be locked, ultimately it is entirely made of plastic. My particular concern is the hinges, which are cheap plastic tubes that are tapped/hammered through the hinge. Basically, if someone really wanted something stored in one of these, it wouldn't take much effort to penetrate the "security." -The price - even at ~$150, which is $30 less than my original purchase price, it's quite an expense for some pre-fabricated hollow plastic panels. Honestly, I think that $60 would be a fair price for what is actually being sold. And this has nothing to do with Amazon, nor Rubbermaid. I compared this to other similar boxes by other manufactures, with size in mind, and it seemed to be close enough to the going rate while meeting all my needs. -As far as the "seat" goes, I don't know why that's even advertised. I'm sure it would hold me, but I can't imagine I'd ever make a habit of sitting on it. I could sit on the top of my desk as well, but it was never mentioned in the benefits as to why I should buy it... Overall: In my case, I have very limited storage. I am on the ground floor of a condo with a patio and no outside storage. I'd rather not keep something like my hockey bag inside because it stinks. It's also not a bad place for some tools and fluids I use on my car. However, I'm not sure that I'd recommend this for someone with more options mainly because of the price. I feel I could probably have something made of wood, etc. and customized for at least half the price. Of course, that might require a bit more effort than a few clicks! ****05-01-2012**** Update: Well, I've had the chance to pull some of my stuff out after the winter (lack of snow), and plenty of rain over a period of months, and I was pleasantly surprised to find everything has remained clean and dry and mold free! I'm also happy to find no bugs in my hockey equipment! I had anticipated that water could easily find its way in through the bottom because the panels do not seem to fit together air-tight, and the four walls all rest just an inch or less off the ground on the base. The area where I have this stored tends to flood a bit during heavy rain. I figured, it was only a matter of time before my things got soaked, moldy, and likely ruined. I was happily proved wrong, and for that, I've improved my rating to 4 stars (from 3 stars), with the biggest drawback still being the price, IMO.

I received this item on March 2 2022 and assembled this morning March 3 2022. I'll admit I had the benefit of the various reviews that pointed out the correct way to assemble, but the instructions were perfectly clear to me even without that knowledge. THe hardest part of assembly was attaching the straps to the lid and side panels. The diagrams associated with that were not very clear where the straps should be screwed down and the location on the side panel was quite difficult to get the screw in, it seems to be much harder plastic there than on the lid. If you have another person to help with assembly, I recommend that person holds the lid in the open position when knocking the hinge pins into position. With the lid open, it's very easy to see the hinge assembly and line it up correctly whereas with the lid closed, it's hard to get everything aligned. The box seems very robust and looks much better than some of the other ones I tried and returned. There hasn't been any rain since I assembled it so can't comment on how weatherproof it is but the joints on it appear to be quite tight. I would definitely recommend this to anyone looking for a good quality deck bos that looks good and is reasonably priced.

Was very easy to set up and is a fantastic product

Three stars for the deck box itself, 5 stars for Amazon customer service - please see below. Positives: + Easy construction - only took about 15 minutes and a screwdriver. + Large size - easily accommodates a full set of six thick deck chair cushions, bottoms and backs, plus two throw pillows. Some room left over for small odds and ends. + Sturdy - withstands a 250lb adult sitting on it. + Has been through a couple of rain showers already and there have been no leaks. Negatives: - At time of this posting the Extra Large deck box shows a set of organization nets (one attached to underside of lid, two dividers) that are not included. Also, no notice on page explaining that these items are not included, sold separately, etc. - Sharp edges on corners, could lead to a cut/slice so these are being removed before one of the kids gets hurt (see picture) - One edge had cosmetic damage (see picture). All in all, a nice box but for the price I would have expected no damage and better finishing of the edges. The big bummer for me was the lack of organization nets as pictured as I like to keep all the nick-nacks organized. But, a cursory 5 stars to Amazon Customer Service for helping out, and they offered a discount refund due to the damage and inaccurate information. Final thought: box is light and can be easily moved around which can be nice. But strong winds could also blow it around so please be advised.

I purchased this deck box years ago and recently purchased a second. I use one for storing cushions, pillows, etc. belonging to an outdoor swing. And when not using the patio furniture covers I also toss those in the box. The second box I use for storing grilling equipment and supplies (charcoal, utensils, rotisserie, extension cords, etc.). As noted, I have had the first box, which I use for storing cushions and pillows, for years and have NEVER had a problem with leaks. Yes... the occasional bug or frog but nothing more. I leave both boxes outdoors on my deck year-round exposed to all the elements (rain, snow, sun, winds, etc.). This year we have been pounded with snow. No problems. I use a plastic bin within the box to store some of my grilling equipment. Works great. I can't say why others have had problems with leaks. Is it possible they received a box that got thru "quality control?" I can't say. But I can say that my experience has been very positive. Assembly is quick. Takes about 15-20 minutes if you follow instructions. 30 minutes max if you have problems following instructions. You know who you are! ;-) This box also serves as extra seating! Very stable. The box supports two adults within a reasonable weight range - no problem. See the photo of woman sitting on the box. In other words, my wife and I can take a sit and be comfortable but don't expect two 300+ lb dudes to do well on this baby. I give this box two thumbs up. You will not regret the purchase.

The TLDR: Buy something else. Very disappointing for brand-name and price point. I do not recommend buying this; I'm generally a friendly five-star general when it comes to Amazon reviews, but this deck box was a huge disappointment considering the brand name and price. My reasons for one-star: • I bought in 'new' condition, but box arrived absolutely thrashed - did not seem to have anything to do with UPS, but more like these are stored at the Rubbemaid factory with zero care for what shape they're in. All pieces were included, but most panels appeared warped to some degree. It appeared to be a return that was resold as new. • Directions are pretty lacking, which is stated in many reviews and is basically the status quo for any 'some assembly required' products. The directions start off with a great OCD label for each part, but make no references to these letters in the step-by-step instructions. With some time set aside to noodle it out and a large enough area to lay everything out it's not too difficult to figure out how to put this together. • Pieces do not at all 'snap' together; I had to use a small & light rubber Dollar Tree mallet to coax pieces into place, a majority of which never totally popped in. I couldn't pound them very hard because the plastic pieces started to bend on the verge of breaking off, so this turned into a lengthy, tedious process. Nothing fits together correctly, and the pieces don't do a Lego snap when they're in. • Gaps in sides after assembly are impossible to avoid due to the panel warping - I live in Washington state, and on average we have 12 minutes of dry, sunny weather per year, so this doesn't work well with my plan to store patio chair cushions outdoors. I have some leftover Great Stuff foam (search for "Great Stuff 99108824" on Amazon) I plan to squirt into the seams and see if it helps weather-proof this thing and keep it held together. • Every few times I open/close the lid one or more of the walls pops out of place forcing me to pop them back in. • This was slightly too small for what I want to use it for - this isn't a 'demerit' - the description is very clear what the dimensions are - just a note to make sure you don't flake out like I did on checking a storage box's dimensions before buying one. I would've returned this (Amazon has been very good with returns I've done in the past), but I was too frustrated to make a futile attempt to re-box the parts. If my foam doesn't work I'm going to go back in time and buy a Sterilite (or something classy like large Hefty bags) for my outdoor cushion storage, and will likely get something that is molded as a single piece with a lid. I attached a few pictures to show what I'm whining about.