Closet shelf organizers compared by size

Six closet shelf organizers side by side, with the dimensions their makers list, so you can match a bin or basket to a shelf before you buy.

By Molly from Place for It All

A closet shelf is a tight space with a fixed size, and the wrong organizer turns it into a pile again. A bin that is a little too long won’t go in, and one that is far too small leaves a gap that swallows whatever you stack next to it. The simplest way to avoid both is to compare the sizes makers publish and set them against a measuring tape. This page lines up six shelf organizers from three makers by their listed dimensions, then goes through which numbers matter for which kind of shelf.

Dimensions below are reported exactly as each maker lists them, including the order of the letters. Not every page spells out which number is depth, width or height, so where that is unclear, check the maker’s page before you commit a shelf to it.

The sizes side by side

Two cautions about the table. The Home Edit numbers are interior dimensions, so the outside of each drawer is bigger than the figures shown. The Spectrum basket lists three measurements with no letters, so its order isn’t labeled. The centimeter figures are straight conversions of the listed inches, in the same order as the inches.

The products one by one

Small Open Front bin: for socks, scarves and small accessories

The Small Open Front Stackable Clothing Storage Bin is the smallest piece here, listed at 5.5”L x 6.7”W x 3”H (14.0 x 17.0 x 7.6 cm). Sorbus names socks, baby clothes, scarves, belts, undergarments and small accessories as what it suits. The front is open, so you can see what is inside without lifting anything out, and the bins are meant to be stacked vertically. They are made of heavy-duty plastic.

The listing offers sets of 5 or 10 in black or clear. With a bin this small, the thing to work out is how many you want in a stack, because the height of one is 3 inches (7.6 cm) as listed.

Large Open Front bin: folded clothes and towels

The Large Open Front Stackable Clothing Storage Bin is listed at 8.2”L x 14.7”W x 7”H (20.8 x 37.3 x 17.8 cm). That is how the Sorbus page prints it, and it is reported here without any rearranging. The maker points it at folded clothes, sweaters, jeans, towels, linens and wardrobe accessories. It has the same open front and stackable design as the small bin, in heavy-duty plastic, and comes in sets of 4 or 6 in black or clear.

Extra-Large Open Front bin: bulky items

The Extra-Large Open Front Stackable Clothing Storage Bin is listed at 16.5”L x 14.7”W x 7”H (41.9 x 37.3 x 17.8 cm). Compared with the large bin, the second and third numbers are the same, and the first number, the length, goes from 8.2 to 16.5 inches (20.8 to 41.9 cm). Sorbus recommends it for bulky sweaters, seasonal clothing, towels, blankets and linens, and says you can see and pull out what you need without removing the bin. It also comes in sets of 4 or 6 in black or clear.

Because the large and extra-large bins share two measurements, they are an easy pair to mix if you want some bins for small folded items and some for blankets along the same shelf.

Twill Rope Fabric bins: soft, collapsible baskets

The Twill Rope Fabric Storage Bins for Shelves are the only fabric option on this page, and the only one with handles. They are listed at 15” L x 10.75” W x 9.50” H (38.1 x 27.3 x 24.1 cm) and come as a set of 6. The shape is rectangular with rounded corners, made from a cotton and jute blend with an interior linen lining. There are two side carry handles and a collapsible frame, so the bins fold flat when you aren’t using them. They wipe clean with a dry or damp cloth.

Sorbus describes them as suited to closet storage, towel storage and shelf baskets. At 9.50 inches (24.1 cm) tall as listed, they are the tallest piece in the table, so the clear height above a shelf matters more here than for the plastic bins.

Spectrum Storage Basket Medium: steel and wood

The Storage Basket Medium from Spectrum is built from steel and wood, which the maker says holds its shape and finish under regular weight. It is listed as measuring 14” x 11.5” x 8” (35.6 x 29.2 x 20.3 cm), without labels for width, depth or height. The maker describes it as open storage for pantry items, bathroom supplies and laundry accessories, so it is not a closet-only product, but the open design makes it a shelf basket in any room. It comes in black, satin nickel, industrial gray or chrome.

The Home Edit Stackable Drawers: small things, in sections

The Stackable Drawers from The Home Edit are a different idea: small modular drawers, made of clear plastic, with pull handles. They stack, so you can build a custom arrangement. The maker lists interior sizes for four drawers: Large Shallow 6.36”w x 10.1”d x 1.17”h, Small Shallow 6.36”w x 4.76”d x 1.17”h, Large Deep 6.36”w x 10.1”d x 3.32”h and Small Deep 6.36”w x 4.76”d x 3.32”h. In centimeters, that is 16.2 wide for all four, 25.7 or 12.1 deep, and 3.0 or 8.4 high.

The maker suggests items from makeup palettes and accessories to hair clips, and mentions sewing tools. On a closet shelf, that points toward small accessories rather than folded clothes: 1.17 inches (3.0 cm) of interior height is shallow, and 3.32 inches (8.4 cm) is the deepest drawer listed.

Which measurement matters for which shelf

Start with the shelf. Before you read any listing, measure the shelf’s depth, its width and the clear height to the shelf above. Write the three numbers down. Everything else is arithmetic against them.

Counting bins across a shelf. Divide your shelf’s width by the width or length of the bin, whichever way you plan to face it. A 36 inch (91.4 cm) shelf, for example, holds two 14.7 inch (37.3 cm) sides with 6.6 inches (16.8 cm) left over: 36 minus 29.4 is 6.6. That leftover fits one small Sorbus bin at 5.5 inches (14.0 cm) on its listed length, with a little to spare. Because the makers’ letters may not match which side faces out on your shelf, do this sum with the orientation you plan to use.

Stacking. The Sorbus open front bins are described as stackable, and the heights listed make the sum simple. Three small bins are 9 inches (22.9 cm) tall as listed, and two large or extra-large bins are 14 inches (35.6 cm). Compare that to the clear height between your shelves.

Bulky items. For blankets, towels and heavy sweaters, the extra-large Sorbus bin at 16.5 inches (41.9 cm) in its longest dimension and the twill bins at 15 inches (38.1 cm) are the longest listed. The twill bins are also the only ones with handles, which is useful on a high shelf.

Small items. For socks, scarves and belts, the small Sorbus bin is the most direct match, and the Home Edit drawers suit smaller things still. The drawers’ interior depth is 10.1 inches (25.7 cm) for the large sizes and 4.76 inches (12.1 cm) for the small ones.

Seeing what is inside. The Sorbus plastic bins have open fronts, and are sold in clear as well as black. The Home Edit drawers are clear plastic. The twill bins and the Spectrum basket are not described as see-through, though the Spectrum basket is called open storage.

Care. The twill bins wipe clean with a dry or damp cloth, and they collapse flat when not in use. The makers of the plastic bins and the Spectrum basket don’t give cleaning instructions on the pages quoted here, so check them if that matters to you.

Before you buy

Measure the shelf, decide which side of each bin will face out, and run the sums above with the maker’s exact numbers. Where a page leaves the order of the measurements unlabeled, confirm it with the maker before you rely on it. Sizes and set options change from time to time, so check the current price and variants at the retailer.