This Melissa & Doug wooden toy chest is the toy box I didn't know I needed — it's sturdy, safe for tiny fingers, and looks great

Alicia Betz

A toy box is a must to keep kids' spaces organized, especially if you don't have a designated playroom. 

The Melissa & Doug Wooden Toy Chest ($90) holds 8.25 cubic feet of toys, so a lot of my daughter's toys fit inside, and it keeps our living room looking at least somewhat organized. 

Little fingers won't get pinched with a lid that stays open on its own and a small gap between the lid and the chest. Much like our favorite Melissa & Doug toys, the box is high-quality and well-designed.

Last Christmas, my daughter was almost 6 months old, and when my dad asked if it would be a good idea to get her a toy box for Christmas, I honestly wasn't sure. She hadn't accumulated too many toys at that point, but I knew that her toy collection would only grow, so I said yes. Now a year and an overflowing toy box later, I realize that it was one of the best Christmas gifts she could have gotten. Toy boxes help kids keep their play space organized so they aren't so overwhelmed with all of their play options. 

The toy box I didn't know I needed

My dad ended up buying her the Melissa & Doug Wooden Toy Chest in espresso. It's also available in honey and white, so there is a color to match most decor. The toy box measures 33 inches long, 24 inches high (including the decorative bar at the top), and 19 inches deep. It provides 8.25 cubic feet of space inside for toys, and it weighs 25 pounds. Assembly was painless and took less than an hour.

The decorative bar across the top in the back makes it look more like a piece of furniture and less like a plain box. Since I don't have a playroom in my house, the subtle decorative touches look great in my living room. 

The weight of this toy box is perfect because it's light enough for me to easily pick it up by the handles on the sides without being so light that my daughter can tip it over. She's also not able to push it around, so it stays exactly where I want it to be. 

Parents might be afraid to choose the white toy box for their kids because well, kids. No matter what color you choose though, the finish is smooth and extremely easy to clean and wipe down both inside and outside the box. 

I'm impressed by the durability and safety features Alicia Betz

The best thing about this toy box is that it's so incredibly sturdy and well made. My daughter has it packed full of toys, and there are no signs of the bottom giving way. The real test of its durability is my 95-pound German shepherd who has jumped onto the box on more than one occasion. Aside from a few scratches from his nails, you would never know he even touched it. 

Not only is it durable, but the lid of the toy box has a safety hinge so it doesn't slam shut or pinch little fingers. Some toy box lids need to be held open, propped open, or they only stay open once they reach a certain height. This lid stays open on its own even if it's only opened an inch. It even has an extra protective measure of a gap between the lid and the box in the front so even if someone does slam the lid shut while little fingers are holding onto the box, they won't get hurt. 

Be careful: The toy box looks a lot like a seat, but the lid is not meant to bear weight

The only real complaint I have about this toy box is that it looks so much like a piece of furniture that belongs in our living room that visitors often mistake it for a bench. It's strong enough to hold my 23-pound daughter when she climbs on top of it, although that is obviously not recommended. Toddlers will be toddlers, though.

According to the instructions, it is not supposed to be used as a seat, so officially, no weight on top of the box is safe. Nobody that has sat on it has ever broken it, but it's frustrating to always tell guests they can't sit on it. 

The bottom line Alicia Betz

Melissa & Doug makes quality kids' products, and they did it again with this wooden toy chest. A toy box isn't just something that a kid will play with for a few months before it gets forgotten and eventually donated or thrown away. It will be a staple in your home for as long as your kids play with toys. 

I've only had this toy box for about a year, but it still looks and functions just as well as it did on the day I got it. I wasn't so sure about receiving it as a first Christmas present for my daughter at first, but if I had known what I know now, I would have put this toy box at the top of her Christmas list.