Everything You Want (& Need!) to Know About HDX Storage Bins

Today, we’re diving deep into HDX boxes. You know…those black and yellow bins (well, now in other colors too!) that have seemingly taken over every home improvement store, garage, and campsite. We went ALL IN on these bins for our garage storage and learned a ton in the process. If you’ve been wondering if these bins are worth the hype, here’s everything you’ll want (and need!) to know before you make the switch!

Why We Upgraded

For several years now, we’ve stored most of our garage stuff in these 20 gallon tubs. When we first bought them, I loved how much they held and how they fit oh-so-perfectly on our storage shelves.

But over the course of 3-4 moves, we learned they weren’t quite as sturdy as we thought. Lids bent, sides warped; and every now and then, we’d end up with a cracked corner.

And while they certainly held a lot, Greg always felt like these tubs were actually too big. Inevitably, they became “pits of despair” that were too heavy and too hard to dig through.

When we moved to Southern California last summer, we found ourselves re-assessing. With no basement, attic, or shed, all of our storage had to fit inside our two-car garage only. 

Yes, we purged a ton. But we also had to get really strategic about where and how we stored every last item.

It became clear that we needed more than a “one size bin approach,” so we ended up where everyone else ends up: in the HDX aisle at The Home Depot.

What I’ve Learned About HDX Bins

So Many Sizes

If you think you’re going to waltz into THD and walk out with a bunch of bins without any pre-planning, you are likely mistaken.

There are now SO many different sizes of HDX bins (ranging from very, very large to quite tiny!) and figuring out what size you need for YOUR shelves and YOUR stuff will probably take some forethought. At least it did for us.

Like with any organizing project, I always recommend getting your stuff purged and sorted out first, so you know exactly what you need when you go shopping.

But beyond knowing WHAT you are storing (and how much space it will take up), you also need to know where the bins will go.

We found that the different size bins all fit differently on our shelves. And it was a true game of Tetris to figure out how to maximize every single inch AND get the tub space we needed for our specific items.

Bigger Isn’t Always Better

We ended up with the following sizes/quantities:

• (12) 14 gallon – Surprisingly, this is our preferred size. Although they don’t technically hold as much as the other sizes, these big-but-shallow bins hold things in the most usable way (as in: easy to get down off the shelf, rummage through to find what you need, put items back, and put the bin back up on the shelf.)

• (15) 17 gallon – My least favorite size. We originally bought them because they perfectly fit 4/shelf, but we had a hard time finding the right things to put in these bins.

• (6) 27 gallon – These are a great size and hold A LOT. But they get heavy, so they aren’t quite right for everything.

• (3) 40 gallon – These are huge. We like using them without the lids as large open tubs for balls and sporting equipment.

The Sunken Lid

One of the most unique characteristics of the HDX bins are their “sunken” lids. 

While these lids are definitely sturdy and lock onto the bins quite tightly, I actually find them a nuisance.

Because the lids fit into the bin (instead of sitting on top), you actually lose some vertical height in the bin itself. You cannot fill the bins completely, because a good 2” is taken up by the lid. I still have trouble gauging how high I can fill them, and I often have to re-pack the bins to get the lids to snap on fully.

The other frustrating aspect of the lids is that they are the precise thing that allows the bins to stack so nicely…the bins essentially nest into the lid underneath it.

But getting them to un-nest so that you can pull a single bin off the shelf? Practically impossible. I am frequently wrestling with the entire stack of bins just to get one item out, and it drives me more than a little crazy.

Not crazy enough to invest in the new shelves (that allow you to slide the bins out more easily), but enough that we are very strategic about what bins are above/below others.

More Affordable Than I Expected

When we made the decision to swap out ALL of our bins for new HDX ones, I was envisioning a huge financial undertaking. But I was actually pleasantly surprised how affordable they are.

The really big bins (40 gallon) is where the price seems to jump, so sticking to the 14-, 17-, and 27-gallon sizes kept the entire endeavor well within our budget.

Key Takeaway

Even though there are a few things I don’t love about the HDX bins (mainly just the lids), I am really pleased with this upgrade.

Pretty much everything in our garage is now stored in a bin that is perfectly suited for it. And the consistent bins (and labeling!) provide such a clean and streamlined look that we’ve never really achieved before.

For the first time (ever?!), I actually don’t mind keeping our garage door open!