We wanted something that was more elegant looking than an actual barrel, and this fits the bill. It's quite large in person; hard to get sense for its size online. The barrel is very light plastic. We will see how well it holds up over time. The hose connected to the bottom is a nice feature. Just know it only works well if you hold it close to the ground. I'm not sure what to do with the planter area. As others have pointed out, putting a plant in there is not very practical, as it tends to get flooded with water during a rain. I might just drill holes in it so it can drain the water through and leave it at that. I appreciate the design of the top, including the plastic strainer. We can easily remove it to look and see how much water is in the barrel.