Rubbermaid Plastic Medium Deck Box with Seat, 10-Cubic Feet, 1826712

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.

I gave this just 4 stars because instructions are poor, and it could be better designed to facilitate easier assembly. However, it does assemble into a very sturdy box, and I had no problems with the lock holes in the front aligning as some others did. I am a woman and I put this together on my own, though another pair of hands would definitely have made things easier. It took me about an hour total. Here are some assembly tips: 1) To cut the tabs out on the bottom piece, I used an exacto knife with a large blade. That went pretty easy, requiring only a little elbow grease here and there to cut through the plastic. 2) I noticed that some had tried to assemble this with the bottom piece wrong side up. The smooth side, without the deep troughs, is what goes up and faces the interior of the box. The deep troughs will face the outside/underside of the box. I think that is why some had problems with the stability of the box when they were done. 3) It's not all that clear where you are supposed to screw the straps in. But if you look closely, there are small indentations on both the cover and inside of the box where they go. The plastic is soft enough that you need not drill any pilot holes. Just start screwing right into the plastic where the indentations are. 4) The hardest part for me by far was attaching the cover. The head of a hammer is too big to go into the groove area where the head of the big hinge pin is. And I didn't have any wood to use as shown in the instructions. What I ended up doing is using a very heavy iron Fuller 10" pipe wrench to jam the pin into the hinge. The head of my pipe wrench is narrow enough to get into that groove so I could jam the pin in with short hard jabs. I would buy this box again, despite the poor assembly instructions and assembly design. Once it's put together, it really is pretty sturdy and it looks like it will last a long time. It's also nice and roomy. I will be putting an outside furniture cover over the box to protect its contents from the elements.

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.

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.

I've always loved the quality of Rubbermaid products so I felt this purchase would be a good one. I have a Rubbermaid deck box that is years old and it has performed beautifully. It was well-constructed and I'm sure will last for years to come. I've been in need of additional storage, so I ordered the same style deck box in a larger size. My husband put it together and stated it was an easy process. The only exception (and my primary complaint) is the lack of strength in the two small hinges. The plastic molding was so thin that when the pin was put through, the seam on the paper-thin hinges split. There is no way that the lid on this box will hold up. The other complaint I have is the thin plastic straps that connect the lid to the box. These too, are not enough to sufficiently support the lid. I'm in and out of my storage on a constant basis, so I depend on my storage choices to consistently hold up. I never thought Rubbermaid would sell-out on quality, but clearly, it has. I would strongly urge you to consider an alternate product.

I am so very impressed with this deck box. It was very well made, extremely easy to assemble and the direction were easy to follow. Went together quickly too. I have assembled several deck boxes and upright storage units. This was by far the easiest to put together. The best looking and the most sturdy. Love it do not be afraid to buy it

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.