Skip Plastic Storage: Walmart's Deck Box Doubles As Chic Outdoor Seating

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When you're on the hunt for better storage solutions for your outdoor living spaces, plastic deck boxes are often amongst the first products you'll come across. However, they're not always the best choice. They're big and bulky, and they occupy lots of visual space without doing much besides being oversized clutter bins.

A better product for your backyard might be the Zimtown Outdoor Cedar Storage Bench, which is currently selling for $100 on Walmart's website. It's much more multi-functional than your average deck box because it provides an equal balance of seating and storage. It has a high back and squared armrests on the sides with an easy-to-lift seat for accessing the storage. The design, though simple, is certainly more appealing from a visual perspective than your average plastic tub; the color and texture of the bench's wooden surfaces look much more in tune with the outdoors.

Walmart's bench and deck box combo measures 40⅕ inches across, and just over 33 inches tall. You could use it on your patio, set it up in your garden, or leave it on your front porch. In any of these arrangements, looking at it should call to mind chic, outdoor living rather than just practical storage. At the time of writing, the bench has a 4.1-star rating from Walmart reviewers, with just over 100 total ratings. Most are happy with the product, but some say the pre-drilled holes don't line up nicely during assembly. You may want to know how to drill perfect pilot holes if you're going to try out the bench for yourself.

Though the best aspect of Walmart's storage bench product is how multi-functional it is, there are a handful of ways in which you can easily upgrade both its storage and its seating. For starters, you might want to purchase a cushion or two for the bench, so that you don't have to sit directly on the wood. Comcaver waterproof outdoor bench cushions, or a similarly inexpensive product, should work perfectly. Just make sure that the cushion is easy to move so you can access what's stored in the deck box below the seat. If you're going to store anything valuable in this container, you may also want to add a hasp lock to your bench. You can buy the necessary hardware online; SANKINS swivel staple safety hasp, for example, should be easy to attach to the top of the bench's base where it meets the lid.

Walmart's storage bench works well as a standalone seat, but it can also be a key component in an outdoor seating arrangement. Put a coffee table in front of it, or perhaps a footstool, and you'll make lounging on it more comfortable. It may even pair nicely with a chic outdoor storage table from Costco. The more furnishings you place around your bench, the less noticeable its storage function becomes. It might be stuffed full with gardening supplies, pillows, or yard tools, but your guests might not even notice that it's actually one of the best types of backyard storage available.