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Resin or wood garden storage bench

Updated: 22 October 2026

The photo looks like timber, the bullet says wood-effect or rattan-effect, and you are about to plan a yearly oil that this box does not need. For the eight listings kept on amazon.co.uk, every one is resin or polypropylene. A real timber bench is a different upkeep job, and this comparison does not price it. The [garden bench with storage comparison](/hub/garden-furniture/garden-bench-with-storage) is the product table. Who should buy which plastic shape is on [best garden storage bench](/hub/garden-furniture/garden-bench-with-storage/sub/garden-bench-with-storage-best). This was written on 21 October 2026 from the listings, Wickes, the RHS, and Which?. We did not weather a bench through a winter. A qualifying purchase can earn us a commission at no extra cost to you.

The photo looks like timber, the bullet says wood-effect or rattan-effect, and you are about to plan a yearly oil that this box does not need.

Our top picks

Keter Keter Kentwood 190 L, brown

Best overall

Keter Keter Kentwood 190 L, brown
8.9/10about £44.45
View offer
Keter Keter Eden 265 L, grey

Rank 2

Keter Keter Eden 265 L, grey
9.1/10about £139.00
View offer
Olsen & Smith Olsen & Smith 265 L

Rank 3

Olsen & Smith Olsen & Smith 265 L
8.0/10about £119.99
View offer
On this page
  1. 1.What these eight listings are made of
  2. 2.Upkeep on the plastic you can buy here
  3. 3.What a timber bench asks for instead
  4. 4.When timber is outside this comparison

What these eight listings are made of

Read the material line, not the photograph. The grey Eden is listed as plastic. The beige Eden is resin. The Signature is plastic and resin with a DecoCoat finish. Olsen & Smith is polypropylene with a rattan effect. The patio seat chest is plastic. A frame line that also says wood is not a timber carcass. Both Kentwoods are resin, and the rosewood colour adds a DecoCoat line stated as 70% recycled. The Marvel+ states 65% recycled. Those shares are claims on those two rows only. A wood-effect panel does not take Danish oil, teak oil, or a fence stain. Oil can leave a film that collects dirt. Rattan-effect is a texture in polypropylene, not woven cane. Format and the lock stay on the garden storage bench buying guide. In this set the photo is not timber, including the rosewood and beige finishes.

Upkeep on the plastic you can buy here

What the shops support is a wipe. Wickes says plastic is low-maintenance and describes it as resistant to rain, frost, and UV, with mild soapy water. That is a category line, not a measured test of these eight ASINs. Keter’s Eden pages say fade-free resin and weather-resistant. Those are maker claims. The Eden care sheet is the practical limit: a stiff brush or an abrasive cleaner can damage the box. Use a cloth and mild soap. You do not sand, stain, or oil, because there is no timber grain to protect. Which? notes that plastic garden furniture can warp in extreme heat. That is a general point, not a fault recorded against a named ASIN here. BS EN 581 does not include a weathering test for a British winter, and these listings do not state an EN 581 test. A resin bench on a UK patio is not certified for winter by that standard.
Keter Keter Kentwood 190 L, brown

Testsieger

Keter Keter Kentwood 190 L, brown
8.9/10about £44.45
View offer

What a timber bench asks for instead

Leave this set and the job changes. The RHS splits hardwood from softwood. Teak can stay outside and wants a yearly wash with a brush and soapy water. It greys unless you apply a protector. Treated softwood such as pine wants a stain or paint that contains preservative, ideally each year, in dry weather, especially on horizontal surfaces and where wood meets damp. Do not collapse both into oil it every year. Teak can be a wash. Pine is a coating. Which? says wood needs annual maintenance and costs more, while plastic is the lower-maintenance option, and that other materials can be more durable. None of that is a lab result for a hinged storage bench. It is the upkeep you take on if you want real timber. Horizontal seat boards and the joint where a leg meets wet paving are where a missed year shows first. A resin lid does not have that joint.

When timber is outside this comparison

There is no timber price beside the £44.45–£162.50 resin shelves from 19 October 2026. A remembered £300–£400 bench is not a market. A joiner is for a made-to-length timber bench, not a cracked resin panel, and not a Kentwood that is 82 cm when you wanted 140 cm. If you want the stain calendar, this table is the wrong shop. If you want the wood look without it, wipe the resin and do not oil it. None of these eight is a bench you stain as timber.

Common questions

Are any of the eight kept benches actually timber?
No. The materials on the listings are plastic, resin, or polypropylene, including DecoCoat and rattan-effect finishes. The patio seat chest’s frame line that mentions wood is not a timber carcass. If you need a bench you can stain, you are outside this comparison.
Does a wood-effect or rattan-effect finish need oil or stain?
No. The grain or the weave is moulded into the resin or polypropylene. Oil does not feed it, and a fence stain is the wrong product. Wipe with mild soapy water and a cloth. A stiff brush or an abrasive cleaner can damage an Eden panel, which is the care limit in the maker’s sheet.
What upkeep should you expect if you buy a softwood bench instead?
The RHS says treated softwood such as pine wants a stain or paint that contains preservative, ideally each year, in dry weather. Pay particular attention to horizontal surfaces and to places where wood stays damp. That is a seat-and-table routine, not a test of these resin ASINs. It is the job you accept if you leave the set.
Is teak the same yearly job as treated pine?
No. The RHS treats hardwood such as teak as a yearly wash with a brush and soapy water, and notes that teak greys unless you use a protector. Treated pine is the preservative coating. Do not use one phrase, oil it every year, for both.
Is there a timber price to set beside the £44–£162 resin prices?
Not from this comparison. The resin shelves are the 19 October 2026 amazon.co.uk raw, from £44.45 for the brown Kentwood to £162.50 for the beige Eden. A remembered £300–£400 timber bench is one person’s figure, not a band. Price the timber bench you are actually considering, on the day, from its own listing.

Related pages

How to assemble a storage bench

Storage bench for cushions

Garden bench with storage

Best garden storage bench UK: which listing fits the job

Garden storage bench buying guide: format, size, lock

Sources

Public UK sources used for this comparison, last checked on 22 October 2026. Listing prices, stars and review counts are the amazon.co.uk lines saved on 19 October 2026. There is no laboratory test.

  1. Keter UK, Eden 265 L storage bench (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  2. BS EN 581-1:2017 general safety requirements (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  3. BS EN 581-2:2015 mechanical safety for seating (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  4. BS EN 581-2:2026 page, dated 31 October 2026 (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  5. General Product Safety Regulations 2005 (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  6. Consumer Rights Act 2015 (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  7. Eden storage bench care notes (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  8. DIY Garden, garden storage bench litre guide (retrieved 22 October 2026)