SOHL Furniture Rectangular Storage Ottoman

Last Updated on January 4, 2024

EDITOR’S NOTE: This ottoman sold for $19.99 in January of 2024 and September of 2023. Aldi also sold this storage ottoman for $24.99 in January of 2023 and in the spring of 2022 and for $19.99 in September of 2021. 

After the holidays are done, Aldi rolls out an array of products to help you get your home organized for the new year. There are the standard shoe cubbies, clothing racks, and storage bins — the kinds of things you use to organize a closet or set of shelves. However, Aldi also sells a handsome storage ottoman that looks great in a living room, family room, bedroom, or wherever you want a spot to stash things.

The SOHL Furniture Rectangular Storage Ottoman is $19.99 at the time of publication, and you can purchase similar ottomans for $30 or more on Amazon, but I bought mine from Aldi on clearance for only $9.99 last year. I wasn’t necessarily looking for a storage ottoman, but when I saw it discounted to half price, I thought surely I could find some place in my house to put it. That’s often how the Aisle of Shame works, right?

Remember that this item is an ALDI Find (Special Buy), which means it’s only in stores for a short time. Aldi does not offer online ordering for its specials, so once this sells out at your local store, it’s gone until the next year.

Our ottoman in our basement family room, next to our Aldi exercise bike. Cat not included.

The 2020 ottoman appears to be available in gray or tan, and features include:

• Measures 30.7″ x 15.7″ x 15.7″
• Tufted lid
• Easily unfolds for quick set-up; no tools required
• Side pocket allows for easy access to items
• Foam cushion top supports up to 240 pounds

The ottoman is ideal for storing and organizing toys, books, or whatever other items you need to find a spot for. I considered using it to house some of my daughter’s gigantic stuffed animal collection, or as storage for American Girl Doll clothes and accessories. It also would look good in a bedroom as storage for extra blankets or sheets.

The one I purchased ended up going in our basement family room/television area/library, where it sits in front of the couch and looks like a coffee table, but with a softer top surface than a traditional coffee table. I store half a dozen or so throw blankets inside it, making it perfect for times when we’re watching movies downstairs.

Blankets inside the ottoman.

It makes a nice footrest if you’re sitting on the couch (and the foam top makes it comfortable on your heels). The foam top has enough firmness that it can hold a drink on a coaster, although I recommend using a cup with a secure lid, and be aware that it won’t be easy to clean up anything that spills on the ottoman because it has a fabric surface. We generally don’t eat or drink much in our basement family room, so this is not a big concern with our ottoman. Mostly we put remotes, books, phones, and similar small items on top.

It has a small storage pocket on one side, but we don’t use it, and I’m not sure what I’d put in it, other than maybe a television remote or a small book.

A couple of other observations:

One, it is easy to set up. It is sold folded in a flat package, and you simply unfold it and place the lid on. It takes only a minute.

Two, for being such an inexpensive piece, it’s sturdy and — referencing its claim that it supports up to 240 pounds — it really can support an adult sitting on top of it, which my husband and I sometimes do when other seating options in our basement are in use, and the foam top makes it a comfy seat. We’re not large people and we have never had more than about 155 pounds on the ottoman at once, so we can’t speak to how well it does over the 200-pound mark, but it’s plenty strong for our purposes. Our kids and our cat also perch on it from time to time.

Overall, it’s been a good purchase, and I’m glad I was able to pick it up for such a good price.

The Verdict:

The SOHL Furniture Rectangular Storage Ottoman is ideal for holding blankets, toys, books, or whatever else you need to stash, and it looks good in a living room, bedroom, or just about anywhere. Despite its simple design, the top surface also holds a surprising amount of weight and can serve as extra seating in a room in a pinch.