Affiliate Disclosure:This Old House’s Reviews Team is committed to delivering honest, objective, and independent reviews on home products and services. To support this business model, This Old House may be compensated if you purchase through links on our website.
Not only does an entryway bench give you a place to sit as you walk in the door, but it also offers storage for shoes, jackets, and other outdoor items you want to shed. To help you find the right seating and storage for your mudroom, the This Old House Reviews Team researched the best entryway benches. Here are our top recommendations.
Top 5 Entryway Benches
- Best Budget Bench: SONGMICS Shoe Rack Bench
- Best for Coats: Hombazaar Coat Rack With Bench and Shoe Storage
- Best Folding Bench: SONGMICS Folding Storage Ottoman Bench
- Most Decorative: IRONCK Storage Bench
- Best Drawer Storage: Haotian Storage Bench
Best Budget Bench: SONGMICS Shoe Rack Bench
SONGMICS Shoe Rack Bench
- $39.95
Prices taken at time of publishing.
Key Features
- Measurements: 27.6 x 11.2 x 17.7 inches
- Weight: 8.8 pounds
- Supports: 264 pounds
- Materials: Bamboo
- Features: Two shoe shelves
What Customers Are Saying
Positive reviews for this entryway bench mentioned that it offered seating and shoe storage in one compact piece of furniture. Despite the multiple tiers, it was easy to assemble. However, some users didn’t think the seat could hold as much weight as the manufacturer advertised. They also said that the shelves were too small to fit boots and other large shoes.
Best for Coats: Hombazaar Coat Rack With Bench and Shoe Storage
Hombazaar Coat Rack With Bench
- $169.99
Prices taken at time of publishing.
Key Features
- Measurements: 39.4 x 16.1 x 71.1 inches
- Weight: 40.5 pounds
- Supports: 265 pounds
- Materials: Metal and fiberboard
- Features: Two shoe shelves and seven coat hooks
What Customers Are Saying
Several customers liked this bench for its industrial-looking and durable wood and metal construction and its ample storage space. However, others found it to be challenging to assemble, noting that the directions were unclear. Reviewers also said the hooks weren’t strong enough to hold heavy coats.
Best Folding Bench: SONGMICS Folding Storage Ottoman Bench
SONGMICS Folding Storage Ottoman Bench
- $65.99
Prices taken at time of publishing.
Key Features
- Measurements: 43 x 15 x 15 inches
- Weight: 17.6 pounds
- Supports: 658 pounds
- Materials: Fiberboard, foam, and faux leather
- Features: One storage seat
What Customers Are Saying
This ottoman was popular among Amazon reviewers for its versatility and weight capacity. However, some users noted the flimsiness of the thin fiberboard frame. Other reviewers said that the faux leather had an odd smell.
Most Decorative: IRONCK Storage Bench
IRONCK Storage Bench
- $99.99
Prices taken at time of publishing.
Key Features
- Measurements: 33 x 12 x 6 inches
- Weight: 34 pounds
- Supports: 240 pounds
- Materials: Engineered wood and iron
- Features: One shoe shelf and one storage seat
What Customers Are Saying
Satisfied customers liked how compact this bench was and how much storage it provided. It also earned rave reviews for its sturdiness and elegance. On the flip side, some reviewers felt its confusing instructions made it difficult to assemble. Others said that it was smaller than they expected it to be.
Best Drawer Storage: Haotian Storage Bench
Haotian Storage Bench
- $149.99
Prices taken at time of publishing.
Key Features
- Measurements: 40.9 x 9.4 x 20.5 inches
- Weight: 39.7 pounds
- Supports: 330 pounds
- Materials: Engineered wood and foam
- Features: Two shoe drawers
What Customers Are Saying
Several customers were impressed with this bench’s size, as it offered ample storage space in a compact build. Others liked its mid-century modern design. However, some reviewers felt the drawers were more geared toward children’s shoes.
Buyer’s Guide for Entryway Benches
Your priorities may vary depending on whether you primarily use an entryway bench for storage, seating, or decor. To help you find the bench that meets your needs, we put together this buying guide. Learn about size, material, and other factors below.
Size
Entryways are typically narrow, so you need a bench that can fit along a wall or in a corner. However, a bench that’s too small won’t provide you with enough storage space or width to sit on.
Weight Capacity
Your entryway bench should have a weight capacity for its seat. This number is usually a few hundred pounds. The bench may have separate weight capacities for its shelves, drawers, hooks, and other storage options.
Storage
Entryway benches typically store your shoes, bags, coats, and other accessories. Common additions include:
- Shelves
- Cubbies
- Drawers
- Hooks
Material
Entryway benches are made from wood, metal, plastic, or fabric, but the material doesn’t matter as long as it’s sturdy. The material also needs to be water-resistant or waterproof in case you track in rain or snow from the outdoors.
Design
While your mudroom isn’t necessarily the first place you think of for home decor, there’s no reason why your entryway bench can’t be decorative. These benches come in numerous finishes and designs. No matter your personal taste, there’s an option to match it.
What To Put in Your Entryway
In addition to a bench, you can spruce up your entryway with numerous items, such as:
- Artwork
- Coat rack
- Cubbies/shelves
- Doormat
- Hooks
- Lighting or floor lamps
- Mail sorter
- Mirror
- Plants
- Rug
- Shoe rack
Frequently Asked Questions About Entryway Benches
What is an entryway bench?
An entryway bench is a bench that you put by your front door for seating, decoration, and/or storage.
Can you use an entryway bench in a different room?
Although it’s primarily meant for an entryway or doorway, you can put an entryway bench anywhere in your home. For example, if you keep your shoes in your bedroom, you can put an entryway bench by your closet so you have a place to sit when you put them on.
Can you build your own entryway bench?
Yes, you can build your own entryway bench. Our experts go over how to build a mudroom bench in this step-by-step guide. They provide a list of the tools and wood cuts you need.
Why Trust The This Old House Reviews Team
This Old House has empowered homeowners for more than four decades with top-notch home improvement content in the form of television programs, print media, and digital content on its website and social media platforms. The This Old House Reviews Team focuses on creating in-depth product and service review content to help inform your purchasing decision for just about any item or resource that you might need for your home. The This Old House Reviews Team has written over 1,000 reviews on products in the home space, from cordless drills to kitchen trash cans, lawn mowers, and dining room decorations.
We recommend products in each review using an intensive research process, spending hours combing through the best available models on Amazon. For a product to make our list of top picks, it must hold a solid sales record on Amazon, have consistently positive customer reviews, and offer unique features, among other factors. After narrowing down our list of recommendations, we conduct additional research and sometimes in-person testing to ensure that the products meet our standards. Once we conclude the research phase, we craft a well-rounded, user-friendly article that includes our recommended products and additional information to help homeowners like you make the right purchase.
To share feedback or ask a question about this article, send a note to our Reviews team at reviews@thisoldhousereviews.com.