IKEA Has An Outdoor Storage Solution To Tackle Porch Or Patio Clutter

Your porch should be a place to rest, relax, and enjoy good weather with family and friends. Few things disrupt the tranquility of a space quite as much as patio and porch clutter. Whether it's toys that have been left outside or extra cushions from your patio furniture, seeing items strewn across your deck or patio table will trigger action rather than relaxation. You may want to invest in an outdoor storage box, like IKEA's the VÄTTERSÖ Storage box, which can help tackle porch or patio clutter (it's even one of our 10 favorite IKEA finds for patio storage).

The VÄTTERSÖ Storage box retails for $199.99 and offers concealed storage for whatever you wish to put inside. Its measurements are 28⅜ inches deep by 31⅛ inches high by 30¾ inches wide, and there is a weight limit of 22 pounds. Since it is designed to use in a location that is at the mercy of the weather, IKEA designed it with weather-resistant features. It shields your items from water, whether the rain or hose, but has been designed with ventilation slots, which will prevent trapped moisture inside. The material covering the VÄTTERSÖ is fade-resistant, too, making it capable of standing up to sunny conditions. With a handle on either side and wheels on the bottom, the VÄTTERSÖ is easy to maneuver around your space, or even wheel into the garage when you want to make more space on the patio. Customers had given the product a 4.5-star rating at the time of writing.

If your patio's clutter could use some order, the VÄTTERSÖ might be worth considering. While the price tag may be considered steep, its versatile design should make it easier to care for over the years. It's designed to be rinsed with water if it gets dirty and while it is quite sturdy, you should keep it indoors during off season for the best results. The product's information also states that the VÄTTERSÖ's lightweight design could make it susceptible to being blown by strong winds unless it is sufficiently filled, so bear that in mind if you live in a windy locale. 

While the product's photos show it being used exclusively for storing patio cushions, customer reviews include more inspiration for what to put inside. One five-star review on IKEA's website states, "I now own 2 of them!! I keep them in my parking spot in the underground garage to store my collapsible bike, rolled up patio rug, [and] outdoor decorations." You could also use this IKEA item to keep your yard and garden organized, filling it with pots and gardening tools.

For IKEA customers who are confident assembling the company's items, the VÄTTERSÖ should be doable, although numerous reviews mention that it is a challenging build. A well-rounded customer review on the IKEA website both praises the piece's functionality and states the difficulty of putting it together: "[T]he installation instructions can and should be improved significantly to help the DIY customers from frustrations of difficulties of putting rigid rods inside the flexible box." If you need to add more outdoor storage to your patio or just want something that requires no assembly whatsoever, you can check out IKEA's outdoor coffee table that doubles as stylish storage.