IRIS USA 19 Quart WEATHERPRO Plastic Storage Box with Durable Lid and Seal and Secure Latching Buckles, Weathertight, Clear with Black Buckles, 6 Pack

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This amount includes seller specified domestic postage charges as well as applicable international postage, dispatch, and other fees. If you live in a temperate climate you can probably get away with using these in a garage or unheated part of the house. If you do plan on packing one of these full to the brim, be mindful of weight (we’d recommend things like clothes and decorations over documents and dry goods). If a container survived those tests, we filled it with household goods to see how much it held, if it closed when overstuffed, if it stacked securely, and how comfortable it was to carry. Some popular bins were hard to find, so we focused on containers sold by multiple retailers or sellers with reliable inventory.

Our plastic picks are made with polypropylene (labeled PP, the most common plastic we found) or high-density polyethylene (HDPE, for heavy-duty containers). If the ActionPacker is sitting outside for long periods, water will run off, so the lid won’t turn into a putrid pool (where bacteria and bugs can fester). Long-term test notes: I’ve used the test samples for three years, and they do a solid job of keeping everything inside clean. Long-term test notes: In three years of long-term testing, we haven’t had any problems with the plastic degrading, although we have seen at least one reader comment noting that this happened to their bin. But if you live in a mild climate or aren’t worried about years-long durability we recommend them for garages and basements.The Iris Weathertight Totes we recommend will also work in your clothes closet and they’re clear, so you can see what’s inside, but we prefer the iWill’s zippered closure to the Iris’s heavy latches, which can feel like overkill when you just want to grab something. We looked for bins with closures that were easy to use and worked consistently, as well as bins that were widely available. Though the container would probably need to be replaced after a major fall, your stuff would stay inside. Polypropylene can become brittle at just below freezing, which is why we don’t recommend PP bins for storage in an unheated basement or garage. The clear material allows for easy viewing of contents while the durable plastic construction keeps contents protected from moisture and other damage.

Over the years we’ve simulated flooding and water leaks by hosing the bins down, submerging them in a kiddie pool, and leaving them out in the rain overnight.Flaws but not dealbreakers: The iWill doesn’t have a slot for a label and because the container is opaque identifying what’s inside is difficult.

LATCHING BUCKLES - Multiple latching buckles secures to the durable lid making it ideal for clothes storage, document storage, food storage, hunting gear storage, camping gear storage, tool storage, trunk storage and other items. In addition, one Wirecutter staffer says that at her previous job people used these bins to haul AV equipment back and forth to various locations, and they were durable and comfortable to carry. If you need something more accessible, the butterfly lid of the Akro-Mils bins we recommend might work better. Not every bin needs to withstand heavy abuse, so we also considered some that were less durable but highly practical for storage.Holds a lot: We considered bins that would neatly and securely hold a variety of items and stack without wobbling. We filled clothing boxes with sweaters and hoodies, noting how much the boxes held and how easy they were to pack and empty. Long-term test notes: I’ve used these bins to pack away all of our family’s holiday decorations for four seasons now, and the wheels, handles, and latches have held up to an increasingly large amount of stuff packed inside, in addition to surviving being dragged up and down a hill and across our gravel drive (our storage room is outside). Like most bins we tried, the Brutes didn’t let water in, although in our tests, the deeply grooved lid collected a lot of water, which can attract bugs and bacteria.

For this guide I spoke to professional organizer Beth Penn, owner of Bneato Bar and author of The Little Book of Tidying: Decluttering Your Home and Your Life. For everyday use inside the house, these tightly latching, clear containers are the most versatile we’ve found for storing clothes and other gear. We also tried the Sorbus Foldable Bags but they were so floppy that filling them was a challenge—the iWill’s rigid sides were much easier to pack. These inexpensive, breathable boxes are better than plastic bins for clothes storage and they were the easiest to load and unload. Why it’s great: The extra-large Sterilite 40 Gallon Wheeled Industrial Tote is helpful for anyone who struggles to carry heavy containers or for those who want to save multiple trips by filling one giant bin instead of several smaller ones.

Why it’s great: If you want bins for your garage, attic, or basement that can take a lot of abuse, we recommend the Rubbermaid Brute Totes.