Straight answer: a 120 L box fits about 2 seat cushions; a 270 L unit takes a full tool set, hoses and small planters; a 420 L box swallows four folding chairs plus an entire cushion set. The one spec people forget: many lids double as benches with a rated load of 100–150 kg — but only if the lid locks flat, so check the rating before hosting a sitting-on-the-lid party.
Shop the pieces in this guide
Think in litres, not centimetres
Cushions are fluffy and non-negotiable about volume: a typical 60 × 60 × 12 cm seat cushion eats roughly 35–45 L of box space, and it won't compress politely like clothes in a suitcase. That's why the 120 L class — the small deck boxes around 90 × 45 × 55 cm — realistically holds two. Squeeze in a third and the lid bows, then rain finds its way in, then you're drying foam on the radiator like a sad laundry day.
The 270 L sweet spot
Boxes in the 270 L class (typically ~120 × 56 × 62 cm) fit a hand tool set, a 15 m hose coiled, plant food, gloves, and still have room for the pots you swear you'll reuse. If your garden life is tools-first and cushions-second, this is the size. It also fits through a standard 76 cm garden gate without angling lessons.
| Capacity | Typical footprint | What actually fits | Lid seat load |
|---|---|---|---|
| 120 L | 90 × 45 × 55 cm | 2 seat cushions | up to ~100 kg |
| 270 L | 120 × 56 × 62 cm | Tools, hose, small pots | ~100–150 kg |
| 420 L | 130 × 65 × 62 cm | 4 folding chairs + cushion set | ~150 kg (benching OK) |
Waterproof vs water-resistant
Most resin boxes are water-resistant, not waterproof: rain won't pour in, but ground moisture wicks and condensation happens anyway. Leave a finger's width of air gap at the top, crack the lid open on dry days, and store cushions in a breathable bag inside the box. Gardening writers at Gardeners' World have made the same point for years — sealed boxes trap humidity and turn cushions into biology experiments.
Placement matters more than you think
Put the box on paving or deck boards, not bare soil: soil settles, and a tilted 420 L box warps its lid seal within a season or two. Keep it out of the day-long afternoon sun if you can — UV is what turns lids brittle at year 3–5, exactly when you'll be opening them daily. And if the box doubles as patio seating, a 420 L bench-height lid (about 60 cm) sits at a genuinely comfortable height, right between standard chair (45 cm) and bar stool (65 cm).
Assembly and security notes
Most resin boxes click together in 20–40 minutes with no tools — the panels interlock like a model kit, and the gas struts on the lid are the only fiddly bit. For security, some models take a small padlock through the lid hasp; realistically, that deters the opportunistic neighbourhood cat more than a determined thief, but for garden tools it does the job. Lift carefully when full: a 420 L box loaded with wet cushions can top 60–80 kg, so slide it on its base rather than hero-lifting it, and save your spine for actual gardening.
Winter storage is where capacity maths changes: cushions and fabric want to come indoors or into a dry garage, while the box itself stays out filled with the weatherproof stuff — planters, stakes, pots. That means the 420 L class earns its footprint twice a year: bench and cushion home in summer, tool shed in winter. If you can only justify one size, buy for the winter job, because tools tolerate less damp than the marketing on any box will admit.
Keep reading
More dimension guides are in the collection, and the full index is on the furnolio journal.
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