What 880 Litres Of Plastic Actually Looks Like

Before getting to the value question, the spec. The Store It Out Nova is 132 cm wide, 71.5 cm deep and 113.5 cm tall, which gives you 880 litres inside. It is light grey with a darker grey lid, has wood-effect panels (a polite way of saying moulded plastic with a wood texture), and opens two ways, lifting from the top or swinging open at the front through twin doors. There is a lockable hasp for a padlock (you supply the lock) and the floor is reinforced for shelving you can buy or cut yourself.

Keter sells this as a tool store, a BBQ store, a cushion store, and a bin store for two 120 litre wheelie bins. Three of those four uses come up constantly in the review pool. The fourth, bin storage, is where most of the disappointed reviews land, and we will get to why in a moment.

Other useful numbers from buyers: most build it in around 30 to 60 minutes with an electric screwdriver, two pairs of hands make it noticeably easier even though plenty of solo builders manage, and the warranty is five years. Shelves are not included in the box despite the floor being designed for them, which is a recurring complaint that catches buyers out.

The £130 Question: Is It Worth The Money?

This is the single most common debate in the review pool. Multiple buyers, even ones giving four or five stars, openly say they think the price is wrong for what arrives in the box. One four-star reviewer writes, "Probabaly worth around £80-£90 rather than £130 to be honest." (sic) Another three-star reviewer puts it at £90 once they had assembled it. A long four-star review on April 11 sums the case up: "For the storage space its good, but for the quality and flimsiness of this product it is most definitely overpriced, I am to purchase again I would wait for the price to go down, a lot!!!" (sic)

Why so much value pushback on a product that still scores 4.4 stars overall? The answer is that the Nova does the storage job perfectly well, but the plastic feels cheaper than buyers expect from the Keter brand and the price. People remember earlier Keter sheds being more substantial. One buyer who has owned several writes, "this one is markedly smaller and made from cheaper materials, it just doesn't have the quality build than previous sheds. No hydraulic lid anymore either." That last detail (no gas-strut on the lid) is a real downgrade and shows up in several reviews where the lid drops back down on someone's head during a build or in a gust of wind.

Our read on price: if you can grab it on a sale (around £90 to £100) it makes a lot of sense. At full £130, you are paying a Keter premium for a box several reviewers feel does not deserve the markup.

Bins Inside The 'Bin Store': The Awkward Truth

Keter markets this as a home for two 120 litre wheelie bins. The product page literally shows wheelie bins inside it. Several buyers have something to say about this.

One blunt one-star reviewer writes, "The pictures show waste bins inside unfortunately waste bins DO NOT fit inside." A two-star reviewer adds, "Does not fit the wheelie bin in!" A three-star review explains, "You can only fit 1 bin in it at an angle." Another three-star buyer reports, "Hard to build looks good but only fits one wheelie bin in sideways."

So what is going on? UK wheelie bins vary by council. Many UK 120L bins measure roughly 50 cm wide by 55 cm deep and the Nova is 122 cm internal width by 61 cm internal depth. On paper two bins should slot in side by side, with very little wiggle room. In practice, taller 240L bins, slightly oversized 120L bins, or any bin that needs to roll up over the front lip cause problems. The lip at the front of the base also gets called out by one detailed reviewer who warns that pulling full bins in and out repeatedly will batter it.

The takeaway: measure your specific bins (width, depth and height) against the 122 x 61 x 108.8 cm internal dimensions before you buy. If your council uses anything bigger than a standard 120L bin, look at a larger storage option instead.

Where The Nova Actually Pulls Its Weight

For all the value grumbling, the Nova has a clear sweet spot. Look at the five-star reviews and the same use cases keep coming up: cushion storage, garden tool storage, bike storage for kids' or smaller adult bikes, and lawn mower / strimmer storage. These are the jobs where buyers consistently say it works.

On cushions and outdoor furniture protection, one five-star reviewer writes, "I put several large outdoor cushions in, and checked the next day as we had heavy showers. It was completely dry inside. A very good choice." Another reports, "Excellent storage box: well made & plenty of space for my extra large patio cushions with room for more."

On tool storage, a five-star buyer says, "Great Storage shed, Quick and Easy to assemble, ideal for storing Lawn mower Strimmer and other Garden tools would easily fit kids and adult sized bikes too." Another five-star: "easily fit your children bikes and scooter in there, plus have space for alot more." One five-star buyer even reports fitting a half fridge and a chest freezer inside, and another uses it inside a horse's stable with a plastic drawer unit, grooming box and rugs.

The pattern: medium-sized stuff that needs to stay dry and a bit more secure than the open garden, where you do not need professional-shed levels of build quality. Park your lawn mower in here, the kids' bikes, the BBQ, the cushions. It will do that job.

How Sturdy Is It Really? The Lid And Wind Story

The single most repeated criticism (more than even the price grumbling) is that the Nova feels flimsy until it is fully assembled and weighted down. Words like "flimsy", "thin plastic" and "not very strong" appear in dozens of reviews across all star ratings.

The most worrying flimsiness reports are weather-related. One five-star buyer notes the lid "sprung open in a storm and the lid blew off, breaking the plastic and also the bolt, so it can't be fixed." That same buyer recommends the cheaper flat-lid version of the Keter range over this one. Another two-star reviewer reports a "gentle breeze blew it across my garden" before they had loaded it. A three-star buyer on April 22 writes about the lid lifting in wind: "Wouldn't trust this to keep out the rain as lid lifts slightly in wind."

That said, plenty of the same reviewers note that once you load the Nova and weigh it down, it is fine. A January five-star buyer says, "Good quality and has withstood high winds so far, we use it all of the time." A six-helpful-vote reviewer on January 9 reports it "fantastic" with four bikes inside.

Two practical fixes from buyers: bolt the unit to the floor or ground (one reviewer skipped this only because they did not want to damage their flagstones, but it is the proper fix), and add a wooden batten across the top of the doors as several reviewers have done to stiffen the front. One four-star buyer writes, "I have put a brace in which has mage a huge difference. Keter should look into designing a brace to fit this problem." (sic) That is good user-discovered advice that does not need to be in the box.

Damaged On Arrival: A Pattern To Plan For

One uncomfortable cluster in the review data: a notable share of the one-star and two-star reviews are about the unit arriving damaged or with parts missing. From the most recent 100 reviews, we can count at least eight buyers reporting cracked panels, broken hinges, snapped corners, or two-back-panel-shaped holes in the box.

Examples: "2 main back parts missing." "Item arrived as broken." "Box undated but on closer inspection one of the back panels had its corner snapped off." "Parts of it split and snapped off during delivery." "Item arrived broken, flimsy materials, poorly thought out construction."

The good news is that buyers who reported damage and asked for a replacement seem to have been looked after, with one four-star buyer noting "Item arrived promptly, however damaged once taken out of the box. I requested another one, which arrived the next day, with a courier picking up the damaged one a few days later." The packaging on a unit this size is clearly the weak link in the chain. Inspect every panel as soon as it arrives and start a return immediately if anything is cracked, because trying to repack and return after it is half-built is its own punishment, as one buyer warned: "It was so disappointing and difficult to repack them. We really struggled."

Assembly: Easier Than The Furious Reviews Suggest

Reviews split sharply on assembly difficulty, but the pattern is mostly explained by tools. Buyers using an electric screwdriver consistently report 20 to 60 minutes. Buyers doing it by hand or with poorly aligned holes report multiple hours and frustration.

Quick wins from the assembled-it-easily camp: a five-star buyer writes, "Easy to put together, takes 30 minutes tops, I recommend using an electric screwdriver to get the self tapping screws in easier." A seventy-five year old female reviewer manages it (with an unaligned screw or two) in over an hour and describes it as "not as difficult as expected." A 24-year-old solo female builder did it in about an hour and rates the experience as easier than expected.

Hard-mode reports tend to involve missing instructions (one buyer needed YouTube), misaligned holes, or back panels that do not slot in cleanly. One detailed three-star review notes "the reason it said it takes two to assemble is that you need a second opinion that you are interpreting the instructions correctly, and for someone to pick up the screws when there are no holes for them to match up."

The right setup: an electric screwdriver, a flat and level surface (this comes up over and over, do not assemble on uneven ground or the doors will misalign forever), and a second pair of hands at least for lifting the lid and back panel into place.

Waterproofing: Mostly Yes, But Watch The Lid

The Nova is sold as all-weather resistant and most reviewers back this up. "Sturdy and waterproof" appears repeatedly. "Waterproof as well. Doors shout snug." (sic) "Water tight and very durable." "Totally waterproof." One buyer specifically used it for a half fridge and chest freezer and reports them "100% protected."

The exceptions concentrate on one part: the lid. Because the lid hinges and is not a flat closure, in heavy wind it can lift just enough to let driven rain in, and a couple of reviewers have warped lids after a few months. A three-star reviewer writes, "Wouldn't trust this to keep out the rain as lid lifts slightly in wind. I store cushions from loungers in it, Will definitely need to empty it for winter." One April reviewer reports, "Lid has already warped after less than 4 months."

For most UK weather, including normal rain and standard wet winters, the Nova holds up. For exposed sites with frequent strong winds, treat the lid as the weak point. Bolt the unit down, do not site it in a wind tunnel between buildings, and avoid leaving anything inside that absolutely must stay dry through the worst of January storms.

Security: A Padlock Helps, But Manage Your Expectations

Lockable closure is one of the headline features. Several reviewers do use a padlock on the hasp and report the unit feels reasonably secure for everyday use. One five-star buyer writes, "It's good for keeping your valuables secure for theiving scum." (sic) Another describes it as "ideal for storing bikes and scooters" with a good lock added.

The reality check is in the structure. This is plastic, not metal. A two-star reviewer is direct: "It is certainly weather-proof, but I am not convinced that it would be robust enough to withstand a fairly simple attack by a thief with a crowbar." A five-star buyer who is happy overall agrees: "Wouldn't put high end tools in it as it looks like a determined thief would have much trouble getting into it but for lawn mower, garden furniture it's ideal."

The right mental model: this stops opportunistic theft and keeps things out of sight, which already deters most casual garden burglary. It will not stop someone with proper tools and ten minutes. Do not park your most expensive bike, your professional power tools, or the expensive new lawn mower in here unsupervised. For cushions, a basic lawn mower, hand tools, garden hoses, BBQ stuff, kids' bikes and bin storage, the lock is a fair deterrent.

Final Verdict: A Solid Useful Box At The Wrong Price

The Keter Store It Out Nova is a useful 880-litre outdoor box that does the medium-storage job most UK gardens actually need. It keeps cushions, tools, BBQ kit and kids' bikes dry and reasonably secure. The two-way opening (top or front) is properly handy. The lockable hasp deters opportunistic theft. Most buyers can build it in under an hour with an electric screwdriver. For a lot of buyers it is a recommended purchase, and the 4.4-star average is real.

What stops it being a clear five-star recommendation from us is the price-to-quality gap. At £130 you are paying full Keter brand premium for a box that several long-term Keter customers say feels markedly cheaper than older models in the range, with no gas-strut lid and a structure that needs weighing down or bracing to feel properly sturdy. Multiple reviewers, some of them four and five-star buyers, openly call this an £80 to £90 product at heart. Add in the recurring damaged-on-arrival reports and the bin-fit issues that contradict Keter's own marketing photos, and the picture sharpens.

Buy it if: you need a reliable, attractive medium-sized garden store for cushions, tools, BBQ, kids' bikes or a single wheelie bin, you can install it on a flat solid surface, and (ideally) you can grab it on a sale below £100. Look elsewhere if: you have two larger council bins to store, you live somewhere very exposed to strong winds, or you want professional shed-level build quality.