Resource for size-specific plastic storage boxes?

September 20, 2014 7:38 AM

I have a semi-fragile object for which I would like to find a 16" x 16" x 16" plastic (rubbermaid-type) storage box/tote/bin. Googling for specific sizes is frustrating. Anyone know where I could find or cross-reference specific sized boxes?
posted by sarajane to Shopping (7 answers total)

How about these or these? Or these or these (Heavy Duty Plastic Tote Boxes)?

Besides food storage, I don't think I've seen a square plastic storage container, and never one that big. There's probably a reason they are rectangular, but I can only guess. (Best use of shelf space? Optimal pallet stacking?)
posted by hydrophonic at 8:15 AM on September 20, 2014

I think you're going to have a hard time finding a square plastic storage container that large. For starters, it's larger than the various cube shelving systems out there (usually 13" or 15"). I did find this fabric storage cube in that size. Is there any reason why a rectangular pin that is at least 16" in all dimensions won't work? If it helps at all, 16x16x16 is about 66 liters/18 gallons/70 quarts.
posted by drlith at 9:18 AM on September 20, 2014

I don't know about a plastic bin that size, but you might be able to find a wooden crate (old milk crate, etc) or just make one. A friend of mine who works at a gallery is always making custom-sized wooden crates for the art...so it definitely protects whatever's inside. If you have basic construction skills, it would be easy to make, and also probably look better than a plastic box.
posted by three_red_balloons at 11:04 AM on September 20, 2014 [1 favorite]

A single-drawer file cabinet might work too. For example, this one may or may not be 16" square (a little unclear from the page).
posted by three_red_balloons at 11:14 AM on September 20, 2014

ULine is a hassle to search through, but I'd bet money they carry the size you're looking for. Call their customer service department and make them search their inventory.
posted by PorcineWithMe at 11:37 AM on September 20, 2014

Best answer: The canonical resource for this kind of stuff is The Container Store, and this page has a 20x20x18 plastic box that looks like it fits the request.
posted by yclipse at 7:09 PM on September 20, 2014

Response by poster: Well damn. I looked at Container store before posting, but clearly, did not search as well as yclipse.
posted by sarajane at 3:30 PM on September 22, 2014