Children often have lots of toys, and those toys need a place to go when not in use. A toy box can work well for larger items (costumes, large toy trucks, large stuffed animals, etc.) while smaller items get lost at the bottom.

Safety is always an issue when it comes to toy boxes—children can get caught inside, and lids can fall on them. Designers address these concerns in various ways. These boxes from Gary Moore have cut-outs on all four sides to keep children's fingers from getting caught; they also provide ventilation if somehow a child did get trapped inside. Furthermore, the lids are fitted with lid stays. The rope handles help with carrying the box.

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This toy box from Childs & Co. uses lift-off lids with big finger holes instead of a hinged lid; that's going to be easier for many children to handle. It's made from plywood from responsibly managed forests and uses environmentally friendly paint from The Little Greene Paint Company—things that will matter to a number of parents.

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Yam&Toast provides another design, using a drawer that's easily pulled out rather than using a lid. Amazon.com warns that this box has small parts and isn't appropriate for children under 3. If it does indeed have those small parts, that's a warning well worth heeding; it would be better to design a toy box with no such parts.

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Great Useful Stuff solves the problem of small toys getting lost in the toy box by providing mesh pockets around the sides. This is a lightweight box that collapses flat when not in use. It closes with a Velcro tab.

Although the lid on this toy box is very light, I’d be a bit worried about the potential for a child to get trapped inside if the lid closed and the Velcro latched. However, Great Useful Stuff assures me it has sold many of these toy boxes over the past five years with no issues.

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The Plantabox toy storage crates have nice features: optional wheels and rounded corners. However, if a user chooses to customize a crate with a child's name, the name will need to be painted over before it's reusable by another child in the family, and (unless the name is painted over) it will be harder to sell or give away. For people who won't want to bother with doing that painting, such customization might be better saved for smaller and/or less durable items, or for items the child might carry forward into adulthood.

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Another approach for toy storage is smaller bins that can then fit under a bench or a play table. These allow for more sorting by toy type, making it easier to find what's wanted, but these bins won't accommodate the largest of toys. The See-n-Wheel bins from Jonti-Craft have acrylic windows so users can see what's inside; that's a smart design. Like the Plantabox, these bins have wheels and rounded corners.

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ViaBoxes are modular, customizable solutions for many storage needs; in this case, three boxes were combined with a top piece to create a toy box. The different colors and shapes can provide cues to what goes where, and of course users can see in through the openings. As with any toy storage piece that is this open and close to the floor, the Via boxes may not work in a household with pets who like to chew on anything available. It might also be a bit awkward to see and to reach any smaller toys that get shoved to the back.

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The Nua Bubbles from Red Edition, created by Marie Macon and Anne Laure Lesquoy, are a "reinvention of the toy chest." They have the advantage of working well for many toys while also being usable for other types of storage as the children grow up. 

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The Toy Store from Oeuf has bins that can be positioned either flat or tilted. One smart design feature: The dividers are removable, so large sections can be created when needed.

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Stacking toy boxes save space, but may be hard for children to unstack; adults may need to help. The Alerce stackable toy boxes from Nonah! are the nicest ones I've seen, with cut-outs that work as handles to make unstacking as easy as possible. Also, when the boxes are turned over, they can serve as stools.

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This toy box from Childs & Co. is designed for under the bed—very smart, since that's a space that's often under-utilized, and it's easy for children to get to. There's a lid that can be turned over and used as a play table. 

This box would work well for the smaller items that get lost in larger toy boxes. The boxes come in two sizes and two heights, making it easier for users to find one that will fit the space they have.