Home Styles 5661-25 Montego Bay Deck Box, Eucalyptus Finish

This is a great box. it went together easily and the top worked perfectly - after I got it on a flat surface and adjusted the end caps. What I mean is, don't assemble it twisted and then complain the top does not work! It has a beautiful wood and color and seems water will not go in unless raining or sprayed sideways. I got a LOT of complements on this from my landscape architect and friends as well. I did break a couple of the chrome screws that come with the top gas-lifts. I suggest using the extra screws for the hinges or get others. They are not seen so it does not matter.

I purchased this deck box to store my gardening tools, tiki torches and other outdoor equipment items. This bench particularly appealed to me because in addition to its storage space, it was attractive looking and would provide an overflow seating area during large gatherings on my apartment terrace. In those regards, it's been a great purchase. However, anyone considering purchasing this bench should be aware that, as many reviewers have noted, it's too small to hold most standard patio cushions. Also, the hinges that regulate the opening and closing of the bench broke almost immediately after I first set it up. (It still opens and closes, except without the hinges it now slams closed instead of gradually closing like it was designed to do.) Finally, the wood lid of the box should be given one or two coats of stain or sealer at least once a year. Rain and snow does take a toll on the wood, as can be seen from the pictures I attached. Despite those problems, I've been pleased with the purchase. The bench itself is high quality and quite sturdy. People sit on it all the time and it's held up very well. And it keeps everything stored inside almost completely dry, even during major rainstorms or snowmelt. The top slats are tongued and grooved, so roughly 97-98% of water is kept out -- enough to keep things from getting moldy. Assembling the box was not too difficult. (No engineering degree required!) I was pleasantly surprised to have it all set up and ready to go within 45 minutes of opening the cardboard shipping box.

Wow, this box is deluxe! Luxurious hard wood, smells like fresh linseed oil. Packaged safely and beautifully! It took about 5 minutes to put together with another person. Two gas hinges help keep the lid up when you want it up. I just hope this box with withstand the elements. I am using it to store solar equipment (batteries, inverter, and charge controller). The slatted wood is perfect for ventilation and it is designed to keep the water out. I will add a lock to this box to keep thieves out of it. I hope it lasts, because it is very pretty. The only negative I can think of is that it is not quite thick enough to use as a bench or seat. A heavy adult would probably break the thin wood beams on top.

As a woman with no power tools who orders lots of furniture I have to assemble, THANK YOU to the manufactures for actually lining up the pre-drilled holes perfectly & providing all of the necessary hardware (plus a couple of spares in case one rolled away). It looks exactly as pictured, it arrived completely undamaged, and the measurements are exact (I do own a tape measure). As to all of the reviews about the wood weathering, what I'm essentially hearing is that you don't like the basic properties of wood. I oiled mine to help stave off the inevitable, but wood weathers outdoors - all wood, period. There are synthetic woods, metal, and plastic (each with their own drawbacks) if you don't like the fact that wood is wood & will do what wood does. As to the lid not being strong enough for adults, you would need to be one hefty human not to be able to sit on this. For those not paying attention to the fine print- the bottom is not solid & the sides are slatted (like a shutter). I was aware of this when I purchased it, and it's better in a humid environment if the items stored inside can "breathe" a bit. Order & enjoy!

We bought two of the deck boxes last summer (9 months ago) and have not been impressed with how the hinges, closing mechanisms and the metal screws have rusted and broken multiple times. We had to call the company to get a replacement hinge after 4-5 months of use! Another hinge broke two weeks ago and the company has not returned our calls/emails to try to get another replacement hinge. Very frustrating. This is a deck box which is designed to be used outside: why would the metal screws rust after only a few months of use? Do not purchase this deck box if you are looking for something that is rustproof or intend to use it heavily, as we have. I'm giving it two stars (not one) because the actual box is sturdy and attractive.

8/22/2016: Deducting points because it hasn't held up well outside. The screws have rusted, the lid pistons no longer work, and the wood is warping in a way that teak never would. Good if it's going to be in a sheltered area, but definitely not for long-term exposure to the elements. I was really surprised by the quality of this box. It is very well constructed, good quality parts, well packaged, and looks great. Only issue, and I saw this in another review, it is too small for cushions. It fits 2 small ones (barely), but 4 won't even come close. I'll be posting a picture in the Customer Photos section as well. If you don't need to store cushions, this box is well worth the money as I've seen other similar units costing more than twice as much.

We purchased this for use as a storage ottoman/coffee table. This is made of solid wood, and it's pretty and very sturdy. The top is slightly bowed so it doesn't sit completely flat when closed, but it didn't bother us enough to return it. The arms that hold it up are pretty nice, but we had one of the wood screws break in the predrilled hole. After that, we changed out all the wood screws with better ones we had at home. We also thoroughly oiled it as the wood was dry. The finish was also applied somewhat unevenly, but we can fix that ourselves, so again, it wasn't a big issue. Overall, this is a nice piece and the cosmetic flaws are minor and easily fixed. However, I would highly recommend buying good quality wood screws and not using the supplied ones.

This was way easier than I thought to put together. They make it super clear. Only needed a 2nd person for 1 minute. Super sturdy, clean looking, and functionally nice with the hydraulic.