Lifetime 130-Gallon Deck Box Product Review

Lifetime 130-Gallon Deck Box Review

In this article, we look closely at one of the most popular and high-quality deck boxes available, the Lifetime 130-Gallon Deck Box, also known as the Lifetime 60012 Extra Large Deck Box [Amazon Link] [Wayfair Link].

This deck box is one of our favorite patio storage containers and won our runner-up choice on our best deck box roundup. It is top-rated on Amazon, Wayfair, and elsewhere, and Lifetime has just added a couple of new colors, which definitely makes this one a bit more appealing.

We will discuss in depth the advantages and disadvantages of this patio storage unit, what you should know before you buy, and how you can best use it in your patio or garden area.

Dimensions and Basic Specs

Exterior Length: 60″
Exterior Width: 24″
Exterior Height: 26.5
Weight: 55.75lbs
Capacity: 130 gallons or 16.4 cubic feet
Interior Length: 57″
Interior Width: 20″
Interior Height: 23″

The Lifetime 60012 Extra Large Deck Box has all the storage space you need to fit pillows, towels, outdoor cutlery, pool supplies, toys, etc. in a secure location. Its large footprint makes it a great choice for use as a bench, as well as for basic storage needs.

Here’s a quick video that shows the basics of this storage container:

Materials and Build Quality

This deck box is made of rigid dual wall HDPE or High-Density Polyethylene, and the fasteners are made of stainless steel. HDPE, or resin plastic, is weather, insect, and critter-resistant, though it’s not the most visually attractive material out there.

The Lifetime’s resin plastic finish is in line with many other deck boxes on the market, and, in our opinion, doesn’t look quite as nice as some of the more elegant resin wicker deck boxes available by other manufacturers.

Resin wicker tends to have a little bit more style and more of a furniture look. The Lifetime 60012 is very functional looking, and it gives off a really large cooler sort of vibe. It’s practical, and should not get damaged even in snow, cold, heat, rain, and hail.

The finish on the Lifetime 130-gallon deck box is UV resistant, so it should not fade in the sunlight. It is also water-resistant, with a seal to help protect against water and bug infiltration. The structure of the box is sturdy enough to be used as a patio bench, which is helpful, as it’s always a good idea to have extra seating available.

The Warranty

Lifetime offers a 10-year warranty on their deck boxes, which is a great positive aspect to Lifetime’s products and makes the decision to purchase of a Lifetime 60012 Deck Box relatively easy. If it goes wrong, you can reach out to Lifetime to get replacement parts.

Here is a link to the Warranty for your information.

Operating the Lifetime 130-Gallon Deck Box

This section covers the main features of this excellent deck storage container.

Hinge System

The hinge system on the Lifetime 60012 Extra Large Deck Box is extremely high quality and is one of the significant features of this deck box. The outer hinges are made of powder coated steel, and should not rust, and the inner hinge system has a spring system for easy opening and closing.

The Lid and Pistons

Lifetime 130 Gallon Deck Box Lockable Lid

The lid opens to greater than 90′ in angle, so if you need to get any particularly-large items out of the deck box, you can open the lid up and get it out of the way pretty easily.

Additionally, the hinges feature a gentle close mechanism that prevents the lid from crashing down if you let go of it too soon.

This sort of feature is always nice when you’ve got the pool cleaning hose in one hand and a bunch of towels in the other, and you are closing the deck box with your shoulder!

If you’re not careful assembling the unit, you may find that you have issues with the lid warping over time. The warping may be caused by UV overexposure, excess pressure on the box from inside, or perhaps from having too much weight on the box caused by people sitting on it, but once the lid is warped, it can be difficult to get the box closed.

Locking Hasp

The hinge also features a location for a padlock. Molded into the plastic of the outer frame is a hasp location that allows for a padlock for security. Of course, this padlock is only as secure as the resin plastic material surrounding it and is obviously not completely secure.

But the availability of a padlock can give peace of mind to those storing valuable Sunbrella pillows, sharp cutlery, or perhaps a few extra bottles of wine.

Molded Handles

The Lifetime 60012 Deck Box also offers molded handles, which makes moving the box around your patio easy. There are no wheels, so moving the box is still a two-person job, but the handles make it not particularly difficult to get the Lifetime 130-Gallon Deck Box where you need it to be.

Weight Capacity

This box has a flat top and can be used as either a table or a bench, though the height is more comfortable for use as a bench than as a table.

The lid can hold a couple of people without straining too much, and according to Lifetime is rated for a 900 lb capacity. We would suggest not going much over 2 medium sized adults, as more weight than that could warp the lid and lead to problems down the line.

Water Resistance

This unit is quite water resistant, though it is not waterproof. The Lifetime 60012 features a tight-closing lid with a seal to help keep water out of the box. This works well at keeping rain and snow off of the box, but it does not keep water vapor out.

Damp air can penetrate the box and can get mildewy and musty if you don’t get fresh air into the box from time to time.

Snow, ice, and significant rain should not be able to get into the box, but water vapor can do harm too, and you should occasionally open the box on a sunny day to let it air out, when possible.

For even more vapor resistance, you could consider running a bead of silicone caulking along the membrane in order to make an even tighter seal.

Interior Walls and Shelving

The design of the Lifetime 130 Gallon Deck Box allows for interior shelves and dividers to be built into the lifetime storage box! You can keep everything nicely organized and categorized as needed.

Note: these dividers are not sold by Lifetime, and you’ll have to either make them yourselves or purchase them as an after-market part. Stack-able bins work well and help keep everything nicely organized and ready for access.

Assembly and Use

Unfortunately, the Lifetime 130 Gallon Deck Box is not the easiest unit to put together. All of the pieces of this unit come detached, and the assembly process is not insignificant. It is more difficult than, say, a typical Ikea furniture piece, and the instructions are of poorer quality.

If you’re not skilled in putting furniture together, be prepared for a slog, and have a glass of wine handy in case of emergencies!

You’ll be screwing into plastic parts, and the holes are occasionally not properly lined up, with no tap holes to start you off. Many screw locations are right near the edge of the panels and can be difficult to get in proper place.

You’ll want a 3/8″ socket wrench, a rubber mallet, and a cordless drill with screwdriver and drill bit attachments to help start the holes. You should probably plan on screwing everything in by hand, though, because the drill could damage the plastic.

Accessories

There aren’t many accessories needed with the Lifetime 60012 extra large deck box, but a waterproof cover may be useful to many users.

The YardStash Deck Box Cover will help keep snow and ice off of the deck box and protect against UV degradation. Though the Lifetime Deck Box is already fairly resistant to these issues, the YardStash cover will only increase the resistance.

Sale

YardStash Deck Box Cover - Heavy Duty, Waterproof Covers for Outdoor Cushion Storage and Large Deck Boxes - Protects from Rain, Wind and Snow - XL - Green

−$0.80 $12.19

Last update on 2024-11-16 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

The Bottom Line on the Lifetime 130 Gallon Deck Box

The Lifetime 130-Gallon Deck Box is an excellent outdoor storage box, with great capacity, a quality build out, excellent operating mechanisms, and a top-notch warranty. If you can deal with the assembly, you’ll be quite happy with the results when it’s all built and ready to store your stuff!

This deck box is only water resistant, and not completely sealed against water infiltration, but for its price, it will keep your outdoor objects dry, protected from UV damage, and nicely organized for quick access when needed.

Be sure you check the price on Wayfair as well before you buy!