Tiger Wooden Tool Chest – Show Site Review

Some products reveal their quality instantly. Others only reveal it over time.

The Tiger Wooden Tool Chest falls squarely into the second category — and that is exactly why our inspection at the Otley show site was so valuable. Unlike many display models that sit untouched, this particular unit was being used day-to-day to store wood preservatives and coatings. In other words, it wasn’t a pristine showroom prop. It was a working storage chest, exposed to the elements and accessed regularly.

From conversations on site and visual cues, it had clearly been in place for at least twelve months.

That mattered, because we deliberately timed our visit to Otley immediately after a winter storm, following a prolonged period of heavy rainfall. We’ve inspected a lot of outdoor storage products over the years, and we’ve seen more than a few that looked perfectly fine from the outside but told a very different story internally once the lid was opened.

So our objective was simple:

How well does this actually hold up in real conditions?

Format and Design Context

The Tiger Wooden Tool Chest is an unusual product within Tiger’s range, because it is one of the very few lidded timber constructions they offer. In fact, as far as we’re aware, it is the only lidded wooden chest Tiger currently produce.

It comes in three widths, while maintaining the same depth across the range:

• 4 × 2.3 ft
• 5 × 2.3 ft
• 6 × 2.3 ft

That design decision is significant. Because the depth and lid geometry remain constant, the lid construction — the most critical part of any chest — is identical across all sizes. Any conclusions about weather performance, rigidity, or longevity therefore apply to the entire range, not just the specific unit we inspected.

We tend to like tool chests and low-profile storage bins for a few reasons:

• They have fewer moving parts
• They’re structurally simpler
• They’re easier to site discreetly
• They don’t advertise valuable contents in the way tall cabinets or sheds can

This model does not include a lock, which is something buyers should be aware of. It’s a high-quality storage chest rather than a security product. But in many gardens, that’s actually a positive — it blends in rather than drawing attention.

First Impressions: Build Quality Above Expectation

Our first impression, both at Tong and Otley, was straightforward:

This is extremely well made.

The Tiger Wooden Tool Chest uses 12mm tongue-and-groove shiplap cladding, which it absolutely did not need to. Tiger could easily have used overlap cladding here and most buyers would never have questioned it. Instead, they’ve applied the same construction standard used across their larger sheds and workshops .

In fact, if you took a close-up photo of the corner of this tool chest and placed it next to a photo of Tiger’s largest 12mm tongue-and-groove workshop, you would struggle to tell the difference in construction method.

That tells you everything you need to know.

Despite the difference in scale, the materials, fixing density, and overall approach are identical. The cladding is properly interlocked, nailed into the frame at consistent spacing, and finished cleanly. There’s no sign that this is a “down-market” product built to a different standard.

Lid Construction: Where This Product Is Won or Lost

With any storage chest, the lid is the make-or-break component. It’s where water ingress occurs, where warping is most likely, and where cheaper products often fail.

This is where the Tiger Wooden Tool Chest genuinely stands out.

The lid is properly framed, with timber architrave along the sides and rear. That framing does two critical things:

1. It dramatically increases rigidity
2. It helps the lid maintain its shape over time

When you open it, the solidity is immediately apparent.

The handle itself is a simple metal fitting. Over a very long lifespan, you could imagine that handle eventually showing wear or working loose. In practice, though, it’s almost irrelevant. When we went to open the chest, we didn’t instinctively grab the handle at all.

Instead, we lifted from the generous front overhang — there’s a good couple of inches of lip to get your hands under. That’s exactly how most people will use it in daily life.

Once open, you’re met with three robust hinges, evenly spaced, and fixed into solid framing. The lid doesn’t wobble, twist, or feel top-heavy.

Crucially, this isn’t a lid that simply sits on top of the box. It’s designed to seat into the surrounding frame, becoming part of the structure when closed. That design dramatically reduces the risk of distortion and improves resistance to wind-driven rain.

From the internal framing visible during inspection, it’s clear that the lid has been designed to be properly supported, not just hinged on as an afterthought.

Materials and Weather Performance

The lid itself uses tongue-and-groove boarding, just like the walls. It sits flat, feels solid, and shows no signs of cupping or movement.

The floor is also tongue-and-groove, supported by multiple bearers . This is another area where cheaper products typically cut corners, opting for sheet material instead.

After prolonged heavy rainfall, there was no sign of water ingress inside the Otley unit. No damp patches. No swollen boards. No musty smell.

Given how exposed this chest had been — and how long it had clearly been in place — that is genuinely impressive.

Everything inside felt dry, stable, and exactly as you’d hope.

Craftsmanship and Attention to Detail

There’s a consistent sense that this product hasn’t been designed purely for manufacturing efficiency. It’s been designed by people who understand timber buildings.

Tiger are one of the oldest shed manufacturers in the UK, operating since 1913, and that experience shows. Over the years, they’ve manufactured buildings for several other “online brands” that present themselves as manufacturers but aren’t.

Tiger know how to build timber structures properly, and this tool chest is a small but very clear expression of that knowledge.

The fixings are consistent. The framing is square. The boards are well-matched. There’s no sense of anything being rushed or improvised.

And yes — the only moment of drama during inspection was disturbing a truly enormous spider, which you can see in the photos. That’s simply the reality of garden buildings. If spiders are a deal-breaker, outdoor timber storage probably isn’t for you.

Treatment, Maintenance, and Longevity

The tool chest is supplied with Tiger’s water-based Burnt Orange pre-treatment, designed to protect the timber during transit and installation .

As with all Tiger products, this is a factory treatment, not a long-term preservative. To validate the 20-year guarantee, Tiger are clear that the chest must be treated after assembly, internally and externally, and then maintained periodically .

That guarantee is notable for a product of this type. Many storage chests are treated as semi-disposable items. Tiger clearly do not see this one that way.

Based on what we saw in real use, that confidence feels justified.

Assembly: Straightforward and Sensible

Assembly follows Tiger’s standard approach for small storage products, with clear, step-by-step instructions provided in the INS05 guide .

The process is logical:

• Floor laid first
• Panels squared and fixed
• Lid aligned and hinged carefully
• Felt applied with proper overhang
• Barge boards fitted to seal edges

Pre-drilling is recommended to avoid splitting, and a firm, level base is essential. This is not a complicated build, but it does reward care and accuracy.

Who Is This Tool Chest Best For?

The Tiger Wooden Tool Chest is particularly well suited to:

• Gardeners storing tools, treatments, and accessories
• Households wanting low-profile, discreet storage
• Buyers who value longevity over price
• Anyone who prefers timber to plastic or metal

It’s not a security chest, and it’s not designed to store high-value items in high-risk locations. What it is, is a seriously well-built wooden storage chest that does exactly what it claims to do — and does it properly.

Final Verdict: Quietly Exceptional

The Tiger Wooden Tool Chest is one of those products that doesn’t shout about itself — and doesn’t need to.

• Tongue-and-groove throughout
• Properly framed, seated lid
• Excellent real-world weather performance
• No visible shortcuts
• No obvious weak points

From a build-quality perspective, there was nothing to criticise.

It feels solid, it behaves sensibly in bad weather, and it shows every sign of staying that way for a very long time.

In short: this is an exceptionally well-made wooden tool chest, and one we have no hesitation recommending.