The Affordable, Double-Duty Storage Solution That Hides All My Bulky Sweaters and Is Perfect for Small-Space Living

Even when I lived in Texas with its mild and brief winters, I was something of an outerwear hoarder. These days, my winter wear obsession is just as strong — though it makes a lot more sense now that I’m facing brutal, seemingly endless Northeastern winters. My jacket and sweater collection was pretty robust to begin with, but now that I’ve been firmly planted on the East Coast for a few years, it’s gotten… slightly out of control. Given a dreadfully tiny closet in my previous studio apartment, I started draping them on the back of every available door. As you might expect, it made everything look chaotic, no matter how much I cleaned.

The situation isn’t quite so dire now that I’ve upgraded to an apartment with more than one bedroom — and an extra closet. (I know, it’s a major luxury in NYC.) However, my winter clothes have still found a way to overflow somehow, and I decided that it was finally time to do something about it. Enter: Songmic’s space-saving storage bench.

What is the Songmics Folding Storage Ottoman Bench?

Underneath its linen fabric, Songmics’ storage bench is made of strong wood with a metal cross on the inside for added support — so you can be sure that it won’t collapse on you. It can bear a whopping 660 pounds, so you can even use it for extra seating for multiple people when the situation calls for it. The sponge padding ensures that they’ll be able to sit on it comfortably for a decent amount of time, too.

The bench even folds down to under 3 inches if you need to move it or store it away. But most importantly, there is an enormous amount of storage space on the inside — 120 liters, to be exact. You can take a page out of my book and shove winter coats and sweaters inside, but you can also use it for bedding, books, or anything else that you want to keep out of sight but have easy access to.

Why I Love the Songmics Folding Storage Ottoman Bench

With how long I’ve been dealing with my overflowing coats, I definitely should’ve tried this solution sooner, but it’s better late than never! It was difficult to land on one that checked all the boxes: the right color, the perfect size and height for the foot of my bed, sturdy, not too bulky, spacious on the inside. Most of all, I wanted something that I knew, without a doubt, would last for years. After testing out Songmics’ small-space-friendly, three-compartment trash can and reading other editors’ reviews of their products, I knew that the brand’s offering would hit all of those points, and I haven’t been disappointed so far.

After an easy set up — it really does fold as flat as it claims — I was shocked at how solid this bench was. I always thought that foldable storage benches couldn’t be nearly as sturdy as they claimed to be (after all, they’re foldable) but this option has proved me wrong. I’ve sat on it while putting shoes on and while doing makeup, and I have had zero problems so far. I’d even go as far to say that it feels pretty comfy. The true test, though, was how much it could hold, and I’m happy to report that this baby finally tackled my winter wear problem. I was able to cram at least four long, bulky coats and nearly 10 sweaters — I opted to remove the middle divider, which attaches with Velcro, but it’s handy to keep in, if you’re dealing with smaller items, I’m sure.

Considering its low profile design, spaciousness, and strong build, you really can’t beat Songmic’s folding bench if you’re in need of a space-saving storage solution. Plus, if you stack the codes GIFT10 and GIFT12 at checkout, you’ll get over 20% off. If you’ve been on the fence about adding a storage bench to your space, this is your sign: Do it!

Buy: Songmics Folding Storage Ottoman Bench, $62.99 (normally $82.84)