Jackie Reeve is a writer who writes about all things bedding. She’s also covered towels, rugs, and chicken coops (with the help of the 20 pets she keeps in her backyard).
One of the products we recommend is the Iris Weathertight Tote, now renamed the Iris WeatherPro Storage Box. You may also find it for sale under the old name, but it will otherwise look exactly the same. We will retest soon to ensure there are no quality changes.
In the pursuit of order, storage containers will help you keep your home tidy and avoid cluttering your closets and garage with miscellaneous boxes.
To find the best, we threw 32 boxes and bags down the stairs into the rain and filled them with books and blankets.
We simulated flooding, water leaks and trash cans falling down stairs to see how they would perform in these tests.
We were looking for boxes that could neatly and securely store various items, preferably square in shape to make the most of the interior space.
We preferred trash cans with convenient handles and lids so that when filled, the cans would not pop out and press on our stomachs.
We were looking for containers with lids that were easy to use and worked reliably, as well as containers that could be used in a wide variety of ways.
All of the containers we recommend will keep your belongings secure and easy to carry (or roll). Our recommendations include: clear plastic storage bins for inside closets, heavy-duty garage bins, inexpensive storage boxes for large projects, large dumpsters on wheels, heavy-duty storage boxes ideal for camping, easy-access bins, and zippered fabric boxes for clothing.
I’m a regular textile writer at Wirecutter and have contributed to guides on closet organization and choosing irons and ironing boards. I’m also a published quilt designer and former librarian. I’m a natural organizer. My experience includes maintaining an entire school library, organizing hundreds of yards of fabric, and storing and sorting the many sheets and blankets I’ve tested for Wirecutter.
For this guide, I spoke with professional organizer Beth Penn, owner of Bneato Bar and author of The Little Book of Tidying Up: Decluttering Your Home and Your Life. I also reviewed a few white papers and articles to get an idea of ​​the durability of different plastics.
These clear containers close securely, making them ideal for everyday use at home and the best choice for storing clothes and other items. They are available in many stores.
Best for: Checking what you have in stock and storing a variety of everyday items around the house, from pet supplies to bedding.
Pros: Any closet will benefit from installing a few Iris WeatherPro storage boxes. They’re sturdy, easy to use, and available in more size options (12) than any other storage box we tested. They’re also the most airtight clear boxes we’ve ever tested, thanks to a foam gasket on the lid and extra latches along the edges (most boxes only have two on each end). Iris boxes also stack more securely, with the bottom of each box fitting snugly into the grooves on the lid of the next box. Plus, the Iris storage box has straighter walls than several other storage boxes we tested, making the most of the space inside.
The WeatherPro bins that Iris makes for The Container Store and Home Depot vary slightly in size and lid color, but you can use them interchangeably. Employees who have used these bins over the years to store and move countless items highly recommend them. In our closet organization guide, we also recommend using bed-sized storage bins.
WeatherPro storage boxes have received rave reviews from users, with an average rating of 4.6 out of 5 stars based on nearly 400 customer reviews on The Container Store. In particular, we’ve found that reviewers — from photo and document hoarders to small-apartment dwellers — rave about its waterproof design and neat stackability.
A downside, but not a deal-breaker: Like other polypropylene trash cans, they become brittle in cold temperatures; we don’t recommend storing them in a cold garage or basement. If you live in a temperate zone, you can store them in a garage or unheated room in your home. However, we don’t recommend taking a chance in cold climates. In our drop tests, they shattered and the latches fell off, so if you plan to handle them casually, consider our more durable containers.
Results from years of testing: Over the past three years, I’ve used Iris test units for everything from storing my daughter’s art in a closet to raising chickens (using the broken lid for ventilation) until they were big enough to fit in our coop. I’ve left some of these cases out in the rain for weeks at a time here in the Pacific Northwest, and they’ve remained waterproof, with the seals holding up even when one or two of the latches have fallen off (which happens often). Several other Wirecutter staffers have used these boxes for years, though several have noted that they can have a foul odor upon arrival. Because they’re so well sealed, the odor can soak into the clothes and sheets inside, so one senior staffer suggested throwing in a few cedar blocks.
Sizes: 19, 30, 41, 46, 62, 74 quarts (The Container Store); 6½, 19, 30, 41, 62, 74, 103 quarts (Home Depot); 16, 26½, 44, 60 quarts (Ziploc)
These durable boxes offer superior cold weather protection, are easy to stack, and feature comfortable molded handles for easy carrying of heavy loads.
Pros: If you need a durable trash can for your garage, attic, or basement, we recommend the Rubbermaid Brute Totes. Made of high-density polyethylene, these bins are stronger, more durable, and more heat-resistant than the clear polypropylene bins we tested, like the Iris WeatherPro bins. The Brute’s molded handle also makes it more convenient to use than the less expensive Home Depot HDX trash can, which we recommend. Like most bins we tested, the Brute is waterproof, though in our tests, the deep, slotted lid trapped a lot of moisture, which can breed bacteria and bugs.
The Brute comes in two sizes: 14 gallons and 20 gallons. We tested the larger model, which holds 59 books or 8 blankets. In our drop test (falling down a flight of stairs), the Brute was one of the few that survived intact—the lid came off, but the container itself remained intact.
On Amazon, the Brute has an average rating of 4.7 out of 5 stars and over 4,200 reviews. Reviewers praise the bag for its neat fold, durability, and tight-fitting lid.
A downside, but not a deal-breaker: The Brute’s lid is difficult to open when the bin is empty, but once it’s filled with heavy books, it becomes much easier. If you want a lid that’s easier to access books, the Akro-Mils Trash Can Butterfly Lid we recommend might be a better fit.
Long-term test results: After three years of long-term testing, we have not encountered any issues related to plastic degradation, although we have seen at least one reader comment that this happened to his bin. We store our bins year-round in our unheated workshop, and so far the bins look like new, keep the contents dry, and are rat and bug-proof.
These are the cheapest storage boxes we found. While they are not freeze-resistant, they are good for storing gear in moderate climates. They are also readily available at Home Depot.
Why it’s great: If you’ve decided it’s time to clean out your basement and stock up on storage space this year, consider Home Depot’s durable HDX storage bins. They come in eight stackable sizes and are inexpensive—you can buy a dozen HDX storage bins for the price of one or two of our more expensive recommended options. Unlike the heavy-duty Brute bins, the HDX bins are made of polypropylene, so they’re not as durable in extreme cold temperatures and are more likely to break if dropped. But if you live in a mild climate or aren’t worried about durability, we recommend them for garages and basements. We even saw them on Tidy Up in a newly remodeled garage.
While they could theoretically be used for closet storage, they are much larger than the Iris storage pockets and won’t fit into most interior spaces. Even the smallest 12-gallon capacity is nearly three times larger than the smallest Iris series. The HDX series storage bags are readily available at Home Depot (many of our other recommendations are sold primarily online), so you may want to check them out in person to determine what size you need.
The HDX suitcase has very high reviews on the Home Depot website, with an average rating of 4.7 out of 5 stars based on over 17,000 reviews. Common positive comments about these boxes include that they are easy to stack, durable, and reasonably priced.
A downside, but not a fatal one: During our drop test, the HDX cracked, sending a small piece of plastic flying off. Unlike the Brute Totes, however, the lid remained intact. While the container may need to be replaced after a serious fall, your belongings won’t fall into it.
Long-Term Test Results: The test boxes have been tested long-term in an unheated workshop for three years and are still intact. They also seem to be bug-proof: My family used to keep bags of pet food on the shelves, but since mice started chewing on the bags of food, we moved them into these HDX boxes and the mice have completely disappeared. Additionally, one Wirecutter employee told me that at her previous job, people used these boxes to move audio-visual equipment back and forth, and they were sturdy and easy to carry. I bought a few more containers in 2021 to store extra gardening and chicken supplies, and they now sit outside (under our patio) year-round with no signs of weather damage or animal wear.
This extra large wheelie bin is perfect for hauling bulky items or storing long, oddly shaped items that won’t fit in other bins. Just make sure you have enough space.
Pros: The Sterilite 40-gallon Industrial Wheeled Dumpster is a great choice for those who have trouble carrying heavy containers or who want to save time over multiple trips by filling one large box with their stuff instead of several smaller boxes. It’s the only wheeled dumpster we found that has a large, easy-to-use handle and can be folded flat when not in use. While our recommended HDX bins are available in a larger size (55 gallons), they don’t have wheels. In our testing, we stuffed three containers full of holiday decorations into the Sterilite and then rolled it into the pantry—it was quick and easy. This bin is probably larger than most people need (and larger than most cord-cutting crews we spoke to actually want), but if you have the space, it could save you a lot of back pain. It also didn’t leak when we hosed it down.
Sterilite has more than 200 customer reviews on Walmart.com, with an average rating of 4.6 out of 5 stars. Reviewers use it to store everything from camping gear to holiday decorations.
Cons: The Sterilite is too heavy to carry up and down stairs. The wheels fell off during our testing—we think it was due to the weight of something so big rolling down the stairs—but we had no trouble putting them back on. The bin itself was intact. Sterilite typically sells these in packs of two (Sterilite told us they sell the bins to retailers in pairs), which may be more storage than many people need. If you plan to fill the bin, be mindful of its weight (we recommend clothing and decor over paperwork and dry goods).
Long-term testing notes: I’ve used these boxes to pack all of our holiday decorations for four seasons, and the wheels, handles, and latches have held up to the ever-increasing amount of stuff inside, as well as being transported up and down hills and gravel roads (our storage room is outside). These boxes keep everything dry and safe, and make pulling out the holiday decorations that much more enjoyable each year. One note: I did notice that during the 2020 holiday season, when the bins were stored with only empty decorative boxes inside, a small animal got in and chewed through one of the smaller boxes. That’s the only issue we’ve ever had, but over the past few years I’ve overfilled the bin and the lid has bent up, leaving a gap for small items to crawl into. So it was caused by my own error in usage and not a fault with the bin itself.
Pros: Whether you throw it in the back of your truck or just toss it in the back of your truck, the ActionPacker 24-Gallon Outdoor Storage Box from Rubbermaid is the best outdoor storage box we found. Every storage box we tested, including both the large and small ActionPacker, outperformed the 24-gallon for strength, safety, and portability. In our drop test, it outperformed every other storage box we tested. After we dropped it down the stairs, the latch was intact and the lid stayed closed tightly, although a few corners were dented. It’s also the only storage box we recommend that has a lock.
The ActionPacker’s deep, rounded handles make it easier to access than the Brute, Roughneck, and HDX boxes we tested, and its 24-gallon capacity makes it easier to carry than its larger sibling, the 35-gallon ActionPacker.
We also prefer it to the Brute and HDX trash cans for long-term outdoor storage—they have raised lids that provide both secure stacking and water collection. If the ActionPacker is left outdoors for an extended period of time, water will drain away and the cover won’t turn into a pool of rot (where bacteria and insects can thrive). This trash can is made from durable high-density polyethylene (HDPE), so it can withstand the elements better than many other trash cans we tested.
On REI’s website, the ActionPacker has an average rating of 4.4 out of 5 stars based on over 100 reviews. Many reviewers seem to use this case for storage. We’ve seen several reviewers say they’ve been using the ActionPacker for years and it holds up to all types of weather.
Disadvantages, but not critical: Due to the thick plastic and bulky design, the interior space is not used efficiently, so we do not recommend it for everyday storage in the garage.
Long-term testing notes: We know these trash cans can take a lot of abuse. Over the years, employees have left them outside, where they’ve been exposed to a variety of weather conditions (one senior editor stores his newspapers outside in Los Angeles and Maine). One of the three-year-old trash cans we tested was attacked by a bear in 2020 and is still holding up well. The bear stole the can from my chicken coop by throwing it through the locked door so that the door swung open, then made off with the chicken feed. The only damage was a small hole from the bear’s claws. The latch was still intact, and if I’d locked the can (I bought a lock but forgot it at home), I’m pretty sure the bear wouldn’t have been able to find the food.
We like this bag because it’s easy to open, can withstand cold temperatures, and is cheaper than similar trash cans. But it won’t protect your belongings from water or insects.
Pros: For those with loose-fitting lids, the Akro-Mils KeepBox Lidded Trash Can is the most convenient option. Its lid doesn’t have a latch, and the two halves open at the same time, making it easier to open than any other trash can we tested. The hinged lid (also known as a butterfly lid) is attached to the bin, so it’s also ideal for those prone to losing lids. The KeepBox is just as sturdy as the other butterfly lid trash can we tested (the Quantum QDC2115-12), but it’s half the price and more affordable. We also like the KeepBox’s clear design, which makes it easy to see what’s inside at a glance. We’ve seen the KeepBox used to store everything from Legos to home birth supplies.
This type of container is suitable for industrial shipping because it is drop-resistant and can be neatly stacked. It is made from a blend of polypropylene and high-density polyethylene (HDPE), making it stronger than the Iris WeatherPro clear polypropylene crate. The plastic did not break during our drop test, but the unsecured lid did fly open. To ensure that the lids remain closed during long-term storage, these containers have grommets at the joints that securely hold cable ties in place. One of our employees has had several of these containers for years, so we know they will last.
The KeepBox has an average rating of 4.6 out of 5 stars from over 2,000 user reviews on Amazon. One reviewer used it to store Lego, and we saw quite a few users mention using it to store craft supplies. We did notice some users complaining about the case cracking easily, but the number of complaints was small.
A downside, but not a fatal one: This is the only plastic trash can we recommend, and it leaks after you hose it down. Water will leak in, and bugs can crawl in. This container is not designed to protect your belongings from the elements.
Long-term testing notes: We still think these bins are the best for easy access, and while they don’t close as tightly as our other recommendations, I was surprised to find that the Akro-Mils bins we tested remained dry, dust-free, and pest-free after a year in my pantry. We’ve since moved the bin indoors to store my 10-year-old daughter’s pelleted rabbit litter. She finds the lid easier to open than a latch-type bin, which helps prevent litter from spilling onto the carpet.
These inexpensive, breathable boxes are better for storing clothes than plastic boxes and are the easiest to load and unload.