What Sizes Do Storage Bins Come In?

You've probably been looking for ways to organize your things at home, trying to keep everything in place. For some home organizers, it can be a bit overwhelming to look for the right storage bins to use. Fortunately, we've looked into everything about storage bins and organizing in this post.

There are many different sizes of storage bins. We can group the sizes of storage bins into four standard sizes:

  • Small (6-12 quarts)
  • Medium (21-40 quarts)
  • Large (53-106 quarts)
  • Extra Large (37-120 gallons)

All of these sizes are generally used for the home and can keep items both indoors and outdoors.

Organizing your home can be quite tedious and using storage bins can help you organize and fix your belongings in no time. If you are having trouble thinking of what storage bins you should obtain to get your things organized, you've come to the right place, so do keep on reading this article to learn more.

Large orange bulk containers with lids, What Sizes Do Storage Bins Come In?

What Sizes Do Storage Bins Come In?

Assorted brand of plastic storage box on shelf rack display in the Tesco store.

Keeping things packed and organized is one of the hardest things to do at home. Fortunately, this gets easier with the use of storage bins. These plastic boxes come in different sizes, ready to keep all the bits and bobs that you'd like to organize in your home.

Storage bins come in many different styles. Some of them are transparent to help you see the contents easily. It also comes in opaque or solid colors for those who prefer to keep their items completely covered.

When using storage bins in organizing, it is important to have a general knowledge of the sizes and the capacity that they can handle. This will make it easier for your to segregate and separate your items for storage.

Most storage bins available come in sizes ranging from small 6 quart bins to bigger ones that can carry up to 52 gallons. We can group the storage bins into four standard sizes:

Small (6-12 quarts)

Most small storage bins fall between the 6-10 quart capacity. These small-sized storage bins typically have a handle on their covers to make it easier to carry around. This makes the bins perfect for storing items that need to be constantly carried around like art supplies or small kids' toys.

A 6-quart storage bin is about the size of a shoebox. They also have latches on the sides to ensure that the contents won't spill all over the place in case you drop the bin. Most storage bins of this size are also transparent so you can easily see the contents inside.

Get this 6-qt storage bin on Amazon.

For those who need storage bins that are a little bigger, you might find a 12-quart container better for your organizing needs.

These storage bins can also be stacked together with the base of the container sitting neatly atop another container. This is perfect for keeping bigger items like clothing or snacks in the pantry.

Check out this 12-qt storage bin on Amazon.

Medium (16-40 quarts)

The medium-sized storage bins typically have a 16-25 quart capacity and they are perfect for storing bulkier items. Because these storage bins are much bigger than the 6-12 quart sizes, they are best placed inside closets or under furniture.

A 16-quart storage bin can usually fit under most beds without risers. You can keep commonly used items in it and slide them under the bed with no problem for more storage in your bedrooms. This size is also perfect to take with you in the car because it fits perfectly in the trunk.

See this 16-qt storage bin on Amazon.

The much bigger 40-quart storage bins are perfect for use in your home office or attics. This size storage bin can fit a lot of items and they are stackable, making it easier for you to group items by type.

If you are planning to put storage bins on your shelves, this size is perfect because this size can still fit most metal shelf units.

Check out this 40-qt storage bin on Amazon.

Large (53-106 quarts)

Venturing into the larger-sized storage bins, you should be able to find ones that can hold anywhere from 53-106 quarts. These storage bins are perfect for keeping bigger, heavier items like comforters and duvets. They are also big enough to keep items for long-term storage in your attics or basements.

Get this 106-qt storage bin on Amazon.

Extra Large (37-120 gallons)

Of all the storage bin sizes, these storage bins are the heaviest and you will often find that they have wheels. This makes moving the bins a lot easier and you can stack smaller-sized storage bins on top of them. These extra-large storage bins are perfect for transporting big bulky items to different places.

Check out this 37-gallon storage bins on Amazon.

Some of the extra-large storage bins are perfect for outdoor use. These 120-gallon-sized storage bins can be used as deck or pool storage and they are water-resistant. This is great as added storage for your outdoor spaces.

Get this 120-gallon outdoor storage bins on Amazon.

Which Storage Bins Should I Buy?

Side view close up of unrecognizable woman labeling plastic bins at home while managing storage and waste sorting at home, copy space

Now that we've tackled all the different storage bin sizes, you're probably raring to go and organize everything at home. However, seeing all that clutter, you're probably thinking—which storage bins should I get? Will all of this fit in this size?

To make it easy for you, we've listed down the items you can store in storage bins to help you pick and choose the right ones for your home.

Accessories and Small Items

Small storage bins are great for keeping accessories and small items nice and organized in your dresser or closet. Keep smaller-sized items like neckties, socks, or undergarments in storage bins to separate them from your clothes in the closet.

Small-sized bins are also perfect for keeping accessories like your kids' ribbons and headbands.

Files and Documents

If you are looking to effectively organize your home office, storage bins are perfect for this job. Try to look for storage bins with rails included where you can attach your file folders. This will make keeping documents and other paper documents easier to organize in your office.

Check out this file box storage on Amazon.

General Clothing

If you have limited space in your closet and you have a set of clothes that are regularly used, you can use storage bins to keep these items easy to reach. A medium-sized storage bin can be utilized to handle general clothing that is used daily like plain shirts, tank tops, or other similar clothing items.

Seasonal Clothing

These storage bins are also perfect for keeping clothing that is needed only for a few weeks or months in a year. Large-sized storage bins are great for keeping seasonal clothes like winter jackets, scarves, and other cold-weather gear.

If you are looking to make use of less space, use vacuum storage bags to compress your items before putting them inside the storage bins.

Get these vacuum storage bags on Amazon.

Seasonal Decor

Seasonal decors are also great if kept inside storage bins. This will ensure that you won't have to buy decorations for every occasion. It will also help you keep sentimental and fragile items from breaking by keeping these decors inside specially marked storage bins.

Kitchen Supplies and Pantry Supplies

To keep your kitchen and pantry organized, utilize your small-sized storage bins to hold all the loose items in the kitchen. The lids on your storage bins can also prevent insects from getting into your food items, helping them last longer.

Are There Storage Bins That Fit In Shelves?

Colourful plastic bins at shelf for storage spare parts

If you have metal shelves at home that you regularly use, you can put them in shelf bins to help keep the items organized. These shelf bins can be stacked together to separate the items. They are also open and you can quickly grab whatever it is that you need inside.

Shelf storage bins also come in different colors and sizes to make organization easy.

Check out these shelf storage bins on Amazon.

Final Thoughts

Background texture pattern of stacks of empty colorful plastic containers as used in fishery, wholesale, storage of fresh produce, cargo and retail transportation

Storing a lot of items in the home can be a tedious and laborious process. However, using storage bins to organize these items can surely make organization a lot easier. Make use of different sized storage bins for different parts of your home to effectively keep your items together for a cleaner, organized home.