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Short version: the Step2 Express Parcel Delivery Box is the best overall package lock box — the highest rating and deepest review base of any package box we track. The Architectural Mailboxes Elephantrunk is the heavy-duty metal option for buyers who want genuine tamper resistance. The LHBGO is the value pick with solid capacity at a lower price.
In Plain English
A package lock box is a sturdy bin that sits by your door so parcels are not left out in the open. Drivers drop a package in, and you take it out when you get home.
Boxes work in one of two ways. Some lock: a one-way slot or lid lets a package in, and only your key or combination gets it out, a bit like a bank’s night deposit slot. Others, like the Step2, simply hide packages from view without a lock.
Why it matters: most porch theft is someone grabbing a package they can see. Out of sight, or locked away, the easy grab disappears.
Material matters too. Plastic is cheaper and fine against casual theft. Metal resists a more determined attempt but costs much more.
The one thing to check: capacity. Compare the box’s size in gallons with how many parcels you get on a busy day, so a second delivery is not left outside.
Top Rated Picks at a Glance
The Ranked Field: Star Rating, Consensus and Price
Best for the deepest-reviewed and highest-rated package box tracked on this site.
- 37.6-gallon outdoor package bin.
- Weather-resistant resin construction.
- Removable, easy-open lid (not lockable).
- Over 5,500 verified owner ratings.
Why buy it: The single most-reviewed and highest-rated package delivery box we track, from an established outdoor storage brand.
Best for a genuinely heavy-duty, tamper-resistant metal drop box.
- Heavy-duty metal construction.
- Locking parcel drop design.
- Weatherproof, built for permanent outdoor installation.
- Nearly 1,000 verified owner ratings.
Why buy it: The most robust, security-focused build on this page, aimed at buyers who want genuine tamper resistance over a lightweight bin.
Best for solid capacity at a price well below the premium metal options.
- 48-gallon capacity.
- Lockable, secure design.
- Weatherproof construction.
- Over 500 verified owner ratings.
Why buy it: A strong capacity-to-price ratio for buyers who want genuine lockable security without the cost of a heavy-duty metal box.
Comparison Table
| Product | Best for | Buy |
|---|---|---|
| Step2 Express Parcel Delivery Box | Best Overall | Price |
| Architectural Mailboxes Elephantrunk Parcel Drop Box | Best Heavy-Duty | Price |
| LHBGO Package Delivery Box (48 Gallon) | Best Value | Price |
Package Lock Box Buying Guide: What to Look For
Capacity comes first. A box sized for one small parcel a week won't work for a household that orders daily. Check the current listing's stated volume, in gallons or cubic feet, against your typical order size and frequency. Locking mechanism matters next: a simple one-way delivery lid that locks a package inside once dropped in is the standard design, letting a carrier deposit a parcel without a key while keeping it secure until you retrieve it. Weatherproofing protects the contents from rain and sun exposure, especially important for anything left outside for more than a few hours. A visible, clear sign or label directing carriers to use the box meaningfully improves how often delivery drivers actually use it instead of leaving a package on the porch out of habit.
Plastic vs Metal: Choosing the Right Material
A plastic box is built to deter opportunistic theft: someone walking by and grabbing an easy, visible target. The Step2 Express does this by concealment alone — Step2 states it is not lockable and that adding a latch or lock voids the warranty — while lockable plastic designs like the LHBGO add a physical barrier. Plastic keeps cost and weight down, and most plastic boxes on the market are weather-resistant enough for daily outdoor use. A metal box, like the Architectural Mailboxes Elephantrunk, is the more genuinely tamper resistant option against a more determined attempt, at a meaningfully higher price and weight. Metal is the better choice in a higher-theft-risk area or for genuinely valuable deliveries. Plastic is the more practical choice for most households deterring casual theft.
Locking Mechanisms: How Tamper Resistant Is Each Design
Most package lock boxes use a one-way delivery slot or lid: a carrier drops a package in through an opening that then locks automatically, and only the homeowner's key or combination opens the main compartment to retrieve it. Some boxes add a secondary latch or a weighted, anchor-mounted base to work as a more tamper resistant anti theft package box against the entire box being carried off. That's a real risk with a lighter plastic box that isn't secured to the ground or a porch railing. Check the current listing for anchor points or mounting hardware if theft of the box itself, not just the contents, is a concern in your area.
Capacity: Sizing for Your Delivery Volume
A single-parcel household ordering occasionally can get by with a smaller box, roughly 20 to 30 gallons. A household with frequent deliveries, multiple people ordering separately, or regular larger packages benefits from something closer to the Step2's 37.6-gallon capacity or the LHBGO's stated 48-gallon volume. Oversizing costs more upfront but avoids the frustration of a box that's already full when a second delivery arrives the same day, a genuinely common complaint in owner reviews for undersized boxes during high-volume shopping periods.
Placement: Where to Put a Package Delivery Box for Your Porch
Visibility to the delivery path matters more than most buyers expect. A box tucked out of a carrier's normal walking route often gets ignored in favor of leaving the package on the doorstep out of habit. Position it clearly along the path from the street or driveway to your front door, ideally within sight of the door itself. A sign directing drivers to use the box, included with several listings or available as an add-on, meaningfully improves compliance according to owner reviews across this category. Anchoring the box to a porch, deck or the ground also prevents the entire box, contents included, from simply being carried away.
Weatherproofing and Durability
Every box on this page is marketed as weatherproof, but the degree varies. Look for a listing that specifically mentions sealed seams or a gasket around the lid, not just a general "weather-resistant" claim, if your climate sees heavy rain or snow. A box that lets water pool inside can damage the very packages it's meant to protect, which defeats the purpose. Check owner reviews specifically for climate-related complaints from buyers in a similar region to yours before assuming a stated weatherproof rating tells the whole story.
Package Lock Box vs a Video Doorbell: Do You Need Both
A video doorbell records who took a package. A package lock box prevents the theft in the first place. They solve different problems, and owners in high-theft areas often run both together: the box as the primary deterrent, and the doorbell as a backup record if theft happens anyway. See video doorbells for the camera side of this pairing if you don't already have one installed.
What Consumer Reports says. Consumer Reports' home test of delivery boxes found that drivers rarely used them, and concluded a box is only a good bet where each carrier's driver is usually the same person. Its test also flagged complicated or buggy smart features on some boxes, while the simplest design of the three it tried came out best.
Who Needs a Package Lock Box
Anyone who orders online regularly and isn't reliably home for deliveries is the core buyer for a package delivery box for home use. It's a particularly strong fit for a household in an apartment complex's shared entry, a home with a visible porch from the street, or anyone who has already experienced a stolen package. It's a lower priority for a household that's typically home during business hours or has a secure, hidden delivery spot like a fenced side entrance already. Renters should confirm with a landlord or property manager before mounting anything permanently, since a freestanding box is generally the safer default in a rental situation. A genuinely tamper resistant metal box is worth the added cost specifically for a household that has already experienced theft, rather than as a default first purchase for everyone.
How We Rank
We do not buy or physically install these boxes. Every star rating and review count comes from licensed Amazon data. Full method on how we rank.
Going Deeper: How Delivery Windows, Anchoring and Reporting Fit Together
A lock box is really a tool for shrinking the time a package sits exposed, and that is exactly what the U.S. Postal Inspection Service recommends. Its mail and package theft guidance advises not leaving packages at your door for any length of time, making another arrangement or using the USPS Hold Mail service if you cannot be home, using Hold for Pickup to collect a package at the local Post Office, and requesting Signature Confirmation for anything important. A box automates the “prompt pickup” part for the days you cannot be there.
Knowing a delivery is on its way helps you empty the box promptly. USPS says Informed Delivery is free and sends Daily Digest emails previewing mail and packages scheduled to arrive, with package tracking in one place.
Anchoring matters most on the lightest designs. Step2’s own product page lists the Express at 37.6 gallons and 30 lbs, says it can take sandbags or weights to keep it secure in the elements, and confirms it has no built-in latch or lock; Step2’s customer service says it cannot recommend adding one because that would void the warranty. That is why this page treats the Step2 as a concealment box and the LHBGO and Elephantrunk as the lockable options.
Federal law treats mail theft seriously. Under 18 U.S.C. § 1708, it is a crime to steal any letter, postal card, package or mail from a letter box, mail receptacle, mail route or other authorized depository, or from a mail carrier, and also to knowingly buy, receive or possess mail stolen that way; the penalty is a fine, up to five years in prison, or both. The statute is about mail, so it covers parcels in the postal system rather than every courier. The U.S. Postal Inspection Service, which investigates these cases, says Postal Inspectors arrested almost 9,300 suspects for theft of mail and packages from 2019 to 2024. If a package does disappear, USPS says to check tracking first and that a Missing Mail search request can be submitted starting seven days from mailing.
The Verdict
The Step2 Express Parcel Delivery Box is the right default for most buyers — the strongest combination of rating and review depth on this page. Choose the Architectural Mailboxes Elephantrunk if you want a genuinely heavy-duty metal box, and the LHBGO if price is the deciding factor.
Sources & References
- At-Home Review: Package Delivery Boxes to Deter Porch Pirates — Consumer Reports
- Express Package Delivery Box: Specifications and Q&A — Step2
- Mail Theft: Tips and Prevention — U.S. Postal Inspection Service
- Missing Mail and Package Help — United States Postal Service
- Informed Delivery — United States Postal Service
- 18 U.S. Code § 1708 – Theft or receipt of stolen mail matter generally — Legal Information Institute, Cornell Law School