Toy Boxes Buyer's Guide 2026: The £99 Obaby Has No Lid at All, and That Matters More Than a £189 Cushion

COMPARISON · NURSERY & SLEEP

Most nursery furniture gets weeks of thought. The toy box usually gets about four minutes, often in the last week before the baby arrives, when somebody notices the cot bed range has a matching chest and adds it to the basket. That is a shame, because a toy box is the one piece of nursery furniture your child will open and close by themselves, hundreds of times, long before they are steady on their feet.

The thing that separates a good toy box from a bad one is not the wood or the finish. It is what happens when a heavy lid meets a small hand. Safety advice on toy boxes is consistent: children under two are most at risk from falling lids, and the safest designs are either lidless, have a light removable lid, or use a hinge that holds the lid open and lowers it slowly. A box you love the look of but that slams shut is a box you will end up policing.

So for this buyer's guide we picked one toy box from each price tier that is sold through BubsNest and in stock, and judged them first on how they open, then on how much they actually hold, and only then on looks and price. The result is a little surprising. The middle option, the £99 Obaby Stamford, is the only one without a lid at all, because it is really a big drawer. That one design choice does more for finger safety than anything the premium tier adds.

Prices are what we saw at our partner retailers this week, and they move, so check the card before you buy.

Lil' Bubba's verdicts

• Best Value: Tutti Bambini Modena Toy Box · 8.5/10 - the most storage for the money, with a soft-close hinge and finger holes on both sides
• Best for Under-Twos: Obaby Stamford Toy Box · 8.0/10 - a drawer instead of a lid, so there is nothing to fall on small fingers
• Best as a Bedroom Bench: CuddleCo Beaumont Storage Box & Cushion · 7.5/10 - a padded seat that outlives the toy stage, with a 5-year warranty

Quick comparison

	Tutti Bambini Modena	Obaby Stamford	CuddleCo Beaumont + Cushion
Price we saw	£70	£99 to £130	£189
How it opens	Lid, soft-close hinge	Drawer on metal runners	Lid, listed as anti-slam
Size (W x D x H)	60.5 x 37.5 x 56.5cm	78 x 40 x 50cm	76.5 x 43 x 46cm
Weight	18kg	20.65kg	Not listed
Capacity	About 87L	46L	Not listed
Doubles as a seat	Yes, add a cushion	No, solid play top	Yes, padded cushion included
Warranty	Check retailer	2 years if registered	5 years
Our rating

How we picked the 3

We started from every toy box and storage chest in the BubsNest catalogue that is in stock at a partner retailer, then set aside fabric baskets, nappy caddies and toy hammocks, which are different jobs. That left solid chests from roughly £70 to nearly £200. We split them into thirds by price and took the strongest option from each band, keeping one brand per tier so you are comparing three different approaches rather than three colourways of the same box.

For each one we checked the retailer listings and brand specifications for dimensions, weight, how the lid or drawer works, what safety features are named, and the warranty. Where a listing did not say something, such as whether a hinge is soft-close, we say so instead of guessing. We also looked at what parents most often raise about toy boxes in general: slammed fingers, lids left propped on a toddler's head, boxes too deep for a small child to reach the bottom of, and furniture that looks babyish by year four.

What to look for in a toy box

How it opens, first and always. A lid is the risk. Look for a hinge described as soft-close, slow-close or lid-stay, which holds the lid at any angle and lowers it gently rather than letting it drop. "Anti-slam" usually means the same thing in practice, but test it in a shop if you can. If a lid has no such hinge, it should be light enough that it would not hurt if it fell. A drawer avoids the problem entirely, at the cost of some capacity.

A gap when closed. Good lids sit on small stoppers that leave a gap of roughly 1.5cm when shut, so fingers are not crushed and air can get in. If you are choosing a chest with a closing lid, check there is no way for it to latch, and that a child inside could push it open.

Depth versus reach. A big, deep chest sounds generous, but a two-year-old cannot reach the bottom of a 50cm-deep box without climbing in. Shallow and wide is easier for small children to tidy into, and to find things in, than tall and narrow.

Weight and stability. Heavier boxes are harder to tip and harder to drag into a doorway, which is good. They are also harder to move when you redecorate. All three here weigh 18kg or more once built, which is reassuring.

Second life. The toy box stage is shorter than you think. A chest that doubles as a seat, a blanket box at the end of a bed, or a hallway shoe bench will earn its price for a decade. A cartoon-printed box rarely survives the first growth spurt in taste.

1. Tutti Bambini Modena Toy Box / 10 · Best value

The Modena is the budget tier on price only. At £70 direct from Tutti Bambini (we also saw it between about £85 and £89 at other partner retailers), it is the cheapest of the three and, on paper, the most spacious. Its listed internal capacity is about 0.087 cubic metres, which works out at roughly 87 litres, close to double the Obaby's drawer, in a footprint of 60.5cm wide by 37.5cm deep and 56.5cm tall.

Tutti Bambini fits a soft-close hinge to all of its toy boxes, specifically to stop slamming lids and trapped fingers, and the Modena has a finger hole cut into each side so a child can lift and lower the lid without hooking fingers under the edge. With the lid fully open it reaches about 86cm, so it will clear a windowsill but may catch a low shelf above. Built, it weighs around 18kg, and it arrives flat-packed with an assembly time of about 15 to 20 minutes.

What parents love

• Soft-close as standard. The hinge is part of the design rather than an upgrade, and it is the main thing you want from a lidded chest.
• Most space per pound. Roughly 87 litres for £70 is the best ratio here, and enough for a full set of blocks, soft toys and a play mat folded on top.
• Doubles as a seat. The flat lid sits at a good height for a toddler to sit on with a cushion, which makes it a reading corner as well as storage.
• Plain finishes. Oak or Grey Ash in clean lines, so it suits a nursery now and a child's bedroom later.

What to know before you buy

• It is deep. At 56.5cm tall, a young toddler will be leaning right in to reach the bottom. Put the toys they want most on top, or use a basket inside.
• Engineered wood. It is a board construction rather than solid timber, so treat corners and edges kindly when moving it.
• Still a lid. Soft-close lowers the risk a great deal but does not remove it. Supervise very young children until they get the hang of it.

Best for

• Families who want the most storage for the least money
• Children from about 18 months who can manage a slow lid
• Playrooms where the box also serves as a low seat
• Anyone matching the wider Tutti Bambini Modena range

2. Obaby Stamford Toy Box / 10 · Best for under-twos

The Stamford changes the question. Instead of a lid, it has one large drawer on sturdy metal runners, under a solid fixed top. There is nothing to lift and nothing to fall, so the most common toy box injury simply cannot happen. The top becomes a surface at about 50cm high, which is a good height for a toddler to stand at and play, or to set a lamp or a stack of books on.

It is a sleigh-style piece designed to match the rest of Obaby's Stamford range, and it comes in warm grey or white. It is the heaviest box here at 20.65kg, 78cm wide and 40cm deep. The trade-off is space: the drawer holds about 46 litres, roughly half the Modena, because a drawer box needs its frame and runners. We saw it at £99 at one partner retailer and £130 at another, so the card below is worth checking. Obaby offers a free 2-year guarantee if you register within 28 days.

What parents love

• No lid to drop. The single biggest safety upgrade you can buy in a toy box, and the reason it wins for babies and young toddlers.
• Easy for little ones to reach. A drawer brings everything forward, so a crawler or new walker can see and grab toys without climbing in.
• A play surface on top. The solid top works as a small table for puzzles, a stand-up activity spot, or a display shelf.
• Feels like furniture. The sleigh shape and weight make it look like part of a bedroom set rather than a playroom extra.

What to know before you buy

• Half the capacity. About 46 litres goes quickly once bulky soft toys arrive. Families with lots of large toys may need a second store.
• Drawers trap fingers too. Less violently than a lid, but a child pushing it shut can still pinch. Teach "hands on the handle" early.
• Price varies a lot. £31 separates the cheapest and dearest listings we saw, so do not buy without comparing.

Best for

• Babies and toddlers under two, when lid accidents are most likely
• Parents who want toys stored where a crawler can reach them
• Nurseries already furnished in the Obaby Stamford range
• Rooms that need a play-height surface as well as storage

3. CuddleCo Beaumont Storage Box & Cushion / 10 · Best as a bedroom bench

The Beaumont is the premium tier, and it is built for a different job. It is part of CuddleCo's period-style Beaumont range, made by Boori, and it is designed to sit at the end of a bed or under a window as a storage bench. The set adds a padded bouclé cushion on top, which is removable, so it reads as a seat first and a toy box second. CuddleCo lists the lid as anti-slam to protect little fingers, and the furniture carries a 5-year manufacturer's warranty, the longest here.

The box measures about 76.5cm long, 43cm deep and 46cm high before the cushion, so it is wider and lower than the Modena. That lower height makes the bottom easier for a small child to reach. At £189 for the set it costs more than the Modena and the Stamford together, and most of the extra money is going on the cushion and the finish rather than on more storage or extra safety features. One partner retailer runs a deposit system for Boori-made pieces, where you pay part at checkout and the balance directly to the manufacturer, so read the terms before ordering.

What parents love

• A real seat. The padded cushion makes it a comfortable spot for putting on shoes, reading stories or feeding, not just a box.
• Lasts beyond toys. It is styled as bedroom furniture, so it moves easily into blanket box or hallway bench duty at age five or fifteen.
• Longest warranty. Five years of manufacturer cover is reassuring on a piece this price.
• Low and wide. At 46cm high, the contents are easier for a toddler to reach than in a tall chest.

What to know before you buy

• Anti-slam, not confirmed soft-close. The listings we checked describe the lid as anti-slam but do not say whether it holds open at any angle. Test it or ask the retailer.
• You pay for the look. £189 buys a cushion and a period finish, not extra safety over the £70 Modena.
• The cushion has to come off. Every time a toy goes in, the cushion moves first, which young children find fiddly.

Best for

• Parents who want a bench at the end of the bed that also hides toys
• Nurseries matching the CuddleCo Beaumont cot bed, dresser and wardrobe
• Children aged three and up who can manage a lid and cushion
• Buyers who value a long warranty on furniture they plan to keep

What about plastic toy boxes and fabric baskets?

Moulded plastic toy chests with lift-off lids are a popular budget choice and avoid the hinge problem completely, because the lid is not attached. We do not currently carry one in our catalogue, so we have not rated them here. If your priority is the lowest price and you do not mind the look, a lift-off lid is a perfectly safe design. Fabric baskets are lighter still and great for shelves, but they will not take a toddler sitting on them, so they solve a different problem.

If you like the Modena but want a different look, Tutti Bambini's Rio toy box uses the same soft-close approach in other finishes, and CuddleCo's Clara storage box offers a soft-close lid at about £99, though CuddleCo lists it for children aged three and over.

How to choose

Choose the Tutti Bambini Modena if you want the most storage for the least money and your child is past the earliest toddler months. A soft-close hinge as standard and roughly 87 litres for £70 is very hard to beat.

Choose the Obaby Stamford if you are buying for a baby or a child under two. Swapping the lid for a drawer removes the main risk entirely, and it is worth giving up half the space for that peace of mind in the first couple of years.

Choose the CuddleCo Beaumont Storage Box & Cushion if what you really want is a piece of bedroom furniture: a padded bench that happens to store toys now and blankets later. Just check how the lid closes before you commit.

Add it to your Nest

A toy box is a lovely gift for grandparents to club together on, because it is practical, lasts for years and nobody else will buy one. Add your favourite to your free BubsNest registry and let family know exactly which one fits your nursery.