This usually means you can stack and nest different sizes as well as sharing lids between them. Single-size lids – If you’re building a collection of storage containers to fully organize your life, it can be handy to have bins with same-size openings. Stackable designs – Nearly any bin can stand on top of another, but some designs are able to neatly mix and match small and large bins while creating a topple-resistant tower. A totally sealed lid (like our top pick) will also keep out humidity, though damp items can mildew quickly if you’re not careful about what you put in the bin. Those holes also mean an entry point for moisture and insects.Ī waterproof seal – If you just need a bin to shed rain, almost any will do: with one exception, the lids we tested cover the edge of the bin, which means water will roll off without getting inside. If you put too much strain on latches, though, they’re prone to pop out of the mounting holes. Latching lids – A flip-up latch will hold your bin closed even if you over-stuff it, which is handy for things like bulky sweaters and puffy blankets. Our testers have seen far more polypropylene bins fail in long-term storage, especially in cold climates, but in a baking-hot attic you’d want to be very careful about how much weight stack on an LDPE bin. LDPE is always tougher, but it gets very soft at temperatures above 110 degrees fahrenheit and melts in boiling water. Polypropylene can be made see-through, and it’s much more heat resistant - all the way up to boiling temperatures. It also won’t become brittle at freezing temperatures the way polypropylene does.Įach material has some advantages. polypropylene – Low-density polyethylene (stamped on the bottom as LDPE, recycling group number four) is more flexible than stiff, cheap polypropylene (recycling group five), so it won’t crack as easily if you drop a loaded bin on the garage floor. We did pick up a Rubbermaid – Brute commercial-grade container, to see just how much tougher it is to justify the big price jump over Roughneck bins.įor long-term storage and a way to maximize your space with compression, consider vacuum storage bags for organizing and stashing away clothing. Other large freight-quality shipping containers are a neat idea, but also too expensive for garage or closet storage. We looked into sealed roto-molded containers from brands like Pelican and SKB, but the prices aren’t justifiable unless you’re transporting delicate devices to the field or on flights every day. We also sought out the most affordable containers we’d still trust to keep in storage and found a few options that have compelling features to make up for reduced durability compared to tough polyethylene bins. We dismissed other imitators that look more similar to Roughneck’s construction, but with the same availability issues and poor reviews. We found one other affordable polyethylene bin, the Sterilite – Ultra, with better in-store availability and some design trade-offs. In a few cases the polypropylene imitators had cracked while they were still on the store shelf. Sadly, most retailers are now mostly stocking alternatives that only look similar to Rubbermaid’s styling. The downside we saw immediately to the Roughneck is that many retailers have stopped keeping them on store shelves and require you to buy sets of six or eight tubs to justify the not-exactly-free shipping. Rubbermaid – Roughneck containers are made of flexible, tough polyethylene, and most discussion board posts we read agree that they’re the gold standard for rugged and reliable storage. We carefully examined lids and materials on all the bins we could find at four different retailers, and cross-referenced with online reviews from sites like Wirecutter, Art of Cleanliness, and Reddit. Some have served faithfully for decades in storage sheds, while some were only good for a year before cracking. Over the years, our testers have bought numerous brands and styles of storage containers for different applications. Our test team has been using storage containers to organize nearly every part of their eclectic lives: In homes, on the farm, at warehouses and even for travel. If you’ve got less demanding needs, the Ziploc – Weathershield containers let you see what’s inside, they’re water-tight and they come in stackable combinations. These polyethylene tubs are tough, so they won’t shatter in cold storage or when dropped like most bins will. After testing seven different types of containers side-by-side and taking a close look at materials, we’re confident that the classic Rubbermaid – Roughneck bin is still the best storage container.
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