Husky recently sent over a couple of their new “Latch and Stack” tote bins, and I’ve been trying to find the words to describe them.
I have varied storage needs, and have bought many different types of totes and bins over the years. I have tried Rubbermaid Roughneck storage totes, with disappointing results, Sterilite Ultra totes with reasonably good results, Akro Mils and Quantum hinged lid (flip-top) totes with great results, and some large “industrial utility” Sterilite totes that have held up pretty well.
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I also use a lot of Quantum dividable grid containers.
These new Husky Latch and Stack totes aren’t my favorite storage bins. The smallest size is a little too small for my liking, and you lose more space than I would have expected, due to the sloped sides.
I have one of each of the sizes, and so I can’t really test out how well they might stack together, but they seem to stack pretty well with different sizes, as shown in this Husky product photo.
Sizes
- 5 gallon
- 15 gallon
- 25 gallon
- 35 gallon
- 45 gallon, with wheels
If I were to buy more, and I just might during my next trip to Home Depot, it’ll likely be for the 15 gallon and 25 gallon sizes.
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25 gallons seems to be the sweet spot when it comes to bulk storage needs. I can fill a box of this size better than I can arrange items on a shelf.
The 35 gallon tote is larger than I typically like. It’s hard to carry a fully-loaded 30+ gallon tote or storage box, regardless of brand or design. The wheels on the 45 gallon tote is a great idea.
The 15 gallon tote has a 100 lbs capacity, and the 25 gallon tote 200 lbs. There’s no mention of how many you can safely stack, or the total weight capacity of a stack, and so I would consider the load ratings of the individual totes to be practical limits.
Each features heavy duty latches, reasonably comfortable handles (above average), and they’re lockable, although I don’t think any of my locks would fit.
These Husky Latch and Stack tote storage boxes are not the “best” I’ve seen. But their pricing and high “bang for the buck” does make up for that. These are good storage totes at very economical prices.
- 5 gallon: $5.47
- 15 gallon: $8.47
- 25 gallon: $11.47
- 35 gallon: $16.97
- 45 gallon: $19.97
All of this is my early opinion on these totes. It will be a while before I can come to any solid conclusions or recommendations.
What I can tell you is this – these are very competitively-featured and aggressively-priced storage totes. I am unsure as to whether I can really recommend them yet, but I have yet to see any reason to recommend against them.
I do know one thing – I will likely buy more. Hopefully that serves as a good indicator as to whether I could recommend them or not.
The boxes are fairly rigid and easy to carry, and they do seem to stack nicely.
A few months ago I bought some Sterilite 27 gallon “industrial” totes, and I like them a lot. They’re regularly $12.99 at Target, compared to $11.47 for the Husky totes at Home Depot. I think I like the Sterilite totes better than the Husky ones, especially the boxier shape that might make loading just a bit easier.
Home Depot also has HDX 27 gallon totes for $8.97, but they look uncomfortable to lift and carry. A big advantage of larger latch-style totes, such as Husky’s, is that they have large handle recesses for sturdy gripping. You don’t need that for moving small loads, but it’ll make a big difference when moving more heavily-loaded totes.
I mentioned liking Sterilite heavy duty totes available at Target, so why will I likely purchase more of these Husky Latch and Stack totes from Home Depot? There is a price advantage, but not enough to move me.
While I do like the shape of the Sterilite totes better, but the Husky ones seem like they could hold more weight.
The big reason for willing to buy a slightly less preferred tote box is that Home Depot is MUCH better when it comes to stocking and selling things like this.
I have purchased storage bins at Target when shopping for something else. But I have also went to Target with the intent to buy storage bins, and it’s usually a mess. Either they don’t have what I’m looking for, the online inventory counter is wrong, or they have bins but no lids.
I have been meaning to get more of the Sterilite storage totes that I like, but it’s not an easy experience.
Right now, Home Depot’s seasonal product section is featuring these and other storage products. That seems to be the mid-winter trend – for stores to focus on home storage product sales.
So the choice is this – do I drive around several towns trying to buy the totes I prefer, with most stores carrying more than one or two if I’m lucky, or do I opt for the almost as good and less expensive Husky totes that are more widely available and easier to buy in the quantity I want (maybe 10)?
I hope you can understand now why I said I was having difficulty trying to find the right words to describe these new Husky storage totes.
They’re good, although not my current favorites (yet?), and I’m going to buy more. Check them out the next time you’re at Home Depot.
Please let me know if you have questions about any of the other sizes. 25 gallons is the sweet spot for my current needs, but I have the other sizes presently available.
Buy Now(via Home Depot)
Thank you to Husky and Home Depot for supply review samples of each size (one each).
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mikedt
I like the clear Hefty storage containers with the “air tight” gasket. Keeps the wife and daughter from worrying about spiders making it into their stuff. It’s one of their top 3 fears.
processwrench
Shape is the key, too much slope wastes space. By slope i mean they have a trapaziod shape top to bottom. Also a large flange at the top wastes space. The squarer the better! Cardboard boxes are great for space effiecency but suck on durability. Basically if you unload a similar sized carboard box into one of these totes you can’t fit as much. I’ve done quite a bit of searching, and really haven’t a great match. The HDX and some of the rubbermaid container either have too much of a slope or too large a top flange. I haven’t seen the Sterilite style you’ve mentioned but i’ve had good luck with the front to back latching ones at home depot like these. ( https://www.homedepot.com/p/Sterilite-70-Qt-Ultra-Storage-Box-19888604/204606576 )The industrial Akro-Mills flip top are very square but also super expensive i think around $70 a piece.
I’d be interested to see if anyone has found anything better out there.
smee
The Akro-mils flip tops, like this one:
https://smile.amazon.com/Akro-Mils-39120-Distribution-Container-21-5-Inch/dp/B000189CSC/
show up “on sale” at Amazon every so often. Just a couple days ago they were 6 for around $99. Currently, they are 6 for $133. It’s also worth checking the different colors. Sometimes one color is a lot cheaper than the others, even when they are all from Amazon.
Ray S.
I’m partial to a flip lid box as that makes it difficult to lose the lid. I have a fair number of these from different manufacturers, including Akro-Mills. One difference about the Akro-Mills line is that they different capacities with the same footprint – the height varies. So that makes them easy to stack intermingled. Perhaps other manufacturers have this feature also.
For those that would care about such a thing, there are Sketchup models of the Akro-Mills totes in their 3d warehouse.
Jehremy
I have a couple of the Rubbermaid ActionPacker totes. They’re pricey but I don’t have to ever worry about them breaking down or getting worn out. I was wondering how these might compare to the new Husky Latch and Stack?
Rubbermaid 1172 ActionPacker Storage Box, 24 Gallon
https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B00002N6SQ/
Stuart
I have 35 gallon ActionPackers and they’re very hard to move when loaded. I bought mine for a little more than half they’re selling for now. They’re okay, but unwieldy. They also bulge a little and don’t stack well.
Davida1
You probably meant to write, these are NOT the “best” …. but best bang for the buck.
Stuart
Sorry – yep! *fixed*, thanks!
Kevin McKenzie
Hi, Stuart. I think you’re missing some words: “are the ‘best’ I’ve seen” I think should be “are not the ‘best’ I’ve seen”, and “What I can you is this” I think should be “What I can tell you is this”.
As for the topic, I’ve been quite happy with Ziploc WeatherShield Boxes, at least so far. Pricy as well, but for things I worry about, they seem worth it.
Stuart
Thanks! Not sure what happened there.
Those Ziploc boxes look interesting – I’ll check them out, thanks! They look like they could be good for home use.
I’ve had mixed experiences with clear storage containers – some are more prone to cracks and breakage.
Blythe
I played with these in the store, but like you said they aren’t very space efficient, not only the sloping sides but the “strength ribs” on the sides too. I ended up with more of the yellow top bins, which I keep in my work vehicle year round and do very good with extreme cold, plus they are much more square and about the same price
https://www.homedepot.com/p/HDX-17-Gal-Storage-Tote-in-Black-HDX17GONLINE-6/205808350
Stuart
Those are economical, but you won’t want to lift or move them when really loaded up.
Blythe
I don’t follow Stuart? What makes the husky or any other brand easier to move when loaded. Especially if you stick to the 17 gallon they don’t get that bad. I bought a few tiny 5 gallon ones and I believe they may have a 12 also
Stuart
The handles on latch-container tote boxes are often deeper and easier on the hands.
When moving less weight, it’s not a big deal. But when carrying heavily-loaded tote boxes, small handles will be far less pleasant to deal with.
Those HDX bins look good – I spotted them at my local HD and might buy a few of those too.
But I don’t think they’ll be as comfortable to carry, at least not with what I’d be putting in them.
Blythe
Thanks for the clairification, I was wondering if other brands had an anti gravity feature or something!
Matt the Hoople
A little late to the party here. I have several of the yellow top bins. Both the HDX from HD and the Commander from Lowe’s. They are very similar. Here’s my experiences….
The lids of the HD bins with the diamond pattern seem to hold up better to rough handling than the checkerboard pattern lids of the Lowe’s product. I’ve had the lids on both of my Lowe’s bins (two different sizes (like 27 and 35 ish) crack from people trying to pull them open from a corner rather than undo the ends properly. The HD bins have held up to the same abuse so seem a little better.
For stacking, there is an issue with at least the large ones that are like 45 inches long when stacking. The way they stack, the bottom of the top box is completely inside the lip of the box. Because of the design of the recess in the lids, this creates a lot of leverage on the flange and the top lip of the bottom box twists inward. I use 2 of those to store the Christmas tree in sections. It’s not that heavy and does this. My solution was to place some 1×4 planks on the top of the bottom box lid that span all the way to the outer edges. This solves the problem.
One last issue is that the slots in the perimeter of the lid serve as good attachment points for bungees. The down side is that it makes them not rain proof is storing outside. We use while camping and my solution was a piece of gorilla tape over the top of each slot. It looks like the latching bins would have this same issue if storing outside.
Despite the few downfalls, The yellow top ones do make for a reasonably rugged storage solution at a pretty good price when compared to some of the less robust options out there. Especially in the smaller sizes.
smee
We decided to use the 27 gallon size for “long term” storage like holiday decorations. They pack pretty well (despite having sloped sides so that they nest). We had one lid break (we don’t know how – it was just broken one day). We only stack them 2 high (they fit well in our basement crawl space that way).
I agree with Stuart that they can be a pain to lift and move when they are heavily loaded.
Right now, the crawl space has these down one side and Akro-mils flip top boxes down the other side. I’m going for a “Raiders of the Lost Ark” feel.
Tim B.
I use these ones, too.. picked up about a dozen of them last year. They definitely are strong, and VERY sturdy when stacked, because of the design. But yes.. a royal pain when fully loaded to move them. Would definitely still recommend for long-term storage, though.
Brian
these are my go-to, I must have a dozen of them.
https://www.irisusainc.com/store-it-all-weathertight-tote-gray
Available from amazon in a four-pack http://a.co/bkz01ZW and i believe I have found them cheaper in target (on on their web store).
I use them for general storage and thought that the weather resistant design would be good for storing tools with VCI paper / blocks here in the Southeast US. I have broken a lid when dropping a loaded box from a ladder onto concrete but other than that, they are solid.
Tim
I’ve always been partial to the black/yellow 27 gallon totes from Costco for $8.50. They’re probably similar to the HDX ones that Home Depot has and whatever brand Lowes calls them.
These Huskys have the benefit of the handle that flips over the lid, but I haven’t had an issue with the lids coming off of mine.
firefly
A great source for these sort of container is well “The Container Store”. No pun intended :))). They are great about keeping a good amount of stock on hands. Their employees are also well paid and definitely well trained. It’s one of those brick and mortar store that are pleasurable to shop at.
The clear weathertight Totes are mine favorite. They come in all sort of side and shape. They stack together well. They have a few stack configurations with clear illustration of which can be stack against which. The clear can be a plus or minus depending on your use. It’s usually a plus since content inside can easily be identified. I love the fact that I can give them a quick hose whenever they become dusty. They are also reasonably priced and hold up very well overtime.
Travis
I’ve tried a bunch of different containers over the years and never really found anything I loved. Honestly, the best solution I have found is good ol’ milk crates. I throw a cardboard box in them if I need to but they are my favorite solution. Tough, easy to stack and roomy. I found a local factory that actually produces them and I picked up entire pallet of them for $7 per unit. Cannot beat that! I even screw a piece of plywood to the tops of a few of them for a good step stool.
C. Shields
So far, the best bulk storage container I’ve used at home and work has been the black and yellow 17 – and 27-gallon totes from Lowes. Made in the USA, snapping lids stay snapped, and very sturdy when stacked. Advertised capacity is 400 pounds – I’m not sure how they managed that, but I’m pretty rough on these things and they’ve held up very, very well. Had about 250 pounds of boxed ammunition in a 27-gallon tote on top of a floor dolly for a few years, never had an issue with the lid fitting or sides/corners breaking.
Best part – it’s like $12/ea for the 27-gallon totes, sometimes (like right now) on sale for $9/ea. And made in the USA, like I mentioned earlier.
https://www.lowes.com/pd/Centrex-Plastics-LLC-Commander-27-Gallon-Black-Tote-with-Standard-Snap-Lid/3551290
Stuart
Thanks! Those look identical to the HDX totes on sale at Home Depot.
I visited the local store again, and they feel like decent boxes. The handle recesses could be bigger, but they’re not bad. The smaller containers have much smaller handle grip areas, but the 27 gallon boxes weren’t as bad as I remembered. Maybe I only checked the smaller ones at my last visit.
smee
The newest 27 gallon ones we have are slightly different from the older ones. I haven’t really compared them closely but it’s possible the handle areas have changed from before.
C. Shields
I have both the HDX and Centrex totes – there’s a noticeable quality difference. Walls and lids are slightly thicker on the Centrex, and the plastic feels slightly more flexible (not quite the right word – less brittle, maybe? Generally just feels more durable). I had several stacks of 4-5 fully-loaded Centrex totes in storage for 18 months with no issues, and I’m still using those totes today. The HDX totes would probably have done as well, but I don’t think they’d be in the same condition afterward.
The biggest visual difference is the lids – the Centrex lid has a cross-hatch stiffening pattern that runs along and across the major dimensions of the tote, while the HDX lid’s cross-hatch stiffening pattern runs at diagonals.
MattyD
I just purchased the Husky small sized box to store extra pieces of tile used for our house. Works perfectly. I hate those dusty pieces of tile and dont know when/if/ever they will be used.
Nice to have it locked up in a tight box and stored away. It was only 20 or 30 cents more than a cheaper, less sturdy non-latching alternative and Im glad I came across it as i was checking out…I happily put the other box back.
Neil Heuer
I recently started contemplating moving and in that process bought a bunch of these yellow lid HDX storage boxes from Home Depot. I have the 17 and 27 gallon varieties. I was a big fan of the rubbermaid 18 gallon roughneck. The problem with the rough neck is that it has softer sides so I worry about the contents and stacking height is limited because of the overall weight. The problem with the HDX product is the sizing. It just isn’t good. For some reason the 17 gallon HDX just doesn’t seem to have a lot of room. The 27 has more room but it isn’t very deep so you are limited what can fit. Finally the biggest problem with the HDX is that its so large that it doesn’t fit well through a doorway! These might be fine for the garage (thats actually what I originally bought them for but in the house its a bear with your hands on the sides to get through the doorway. Just a word to the wise to think ahead because the HDX seems to be bad proportions. Now I just need to find a similar dimensioned 18 gallon rough neck with a sturdier build quality.
John
Hello, I’m a little late to this party. I’m looking for a storage tote to store coco coir (soil) in. Which do you recommend? Not looking for a clear bin. I was in Home Depot last night and picked up two of the 25 gallon Husky totes. What I do like about the 25 gallon Huskys is they weigh about the same as the 27 gallon industrial Sterilites at a little over 8 pounds each. The 27 gallon yellow top HCX and Centrex/Commander totes are a little over 5 pounds so they may not be as strong. This says something about the strength of the Huskys but I don’t like that there’s holes where the handles insert because I was looking for something a little more air tight (but not completely) for soil storage. I’m going to take a look at industrial Sterilites at target to see if I like them. What else would be good for soil? I’m looking in the 25-27 gallon range. Too bad the Rubbermaid Brute is 20 gallon max and expensive. Thanks. Great article.
John
To add. A trash can or something tall won’t be good because I’ll use these for mixing and amending soils as well.
Stuart
I was going to recommend the Brute. If you’re just looking for (1), maybe keep it at the back of your mind unless something better and cheaper comes up.
https://toolguyd.com/rubbermaid-brute-garbage-bins/
There are other types of products, such as storage drums, but the prices go up past what you’d spend on a Brute. If in your shoes I would look at industrial supply and maybe even restaurant supply companies, but I still don’t think you’re going to find anything lower-priced than a Brute.
Target has similarly-styled tote boxes to the Husky and of decent quality too, but I can’t seem to find a link.
John
Thanks Stuart. The brute trash bin looks nice but like the industrial and restaurant supply places, they’re too expensive. Another thing I realized about these Huskys is the lids don’t lay perfectly flat or fit flush to rim. Because I was going to take the handles off and cover the holes with electric tape. I can always use making tape to secure them. The snap-on yellow tops look good in this regard but the lids are not opaque to light like the Huskys. Today, I’ll take a look at the industrial Sterilites at Target. I’m willing to buy something that’s a little more flimsy if it’s fairly air tight and opaque… and at lease 25 gallons. Thanks again.
John
To update. The 27 gallon Industrial Sterilites at Target weigh about a pound less than the 25 gal Huskys. (I brought my scale in with me. LOL) And the handles of the Sterilites are mounted in the same fashion. Looks like the Husky totes are the best/cheapest option for me. Thanks.
Jeanne
The latch on my BRAND NEW 45 gal Husky w/wheels snapped in half on the wheel end when I accidentally lifted the top without opening that end by mistake. Now the top opens on that end when it’s being hauled. I’d rather just get a replacement handle than try to return-nearest HD is 45 mins away, and it’s a hassle. Any ideas? Can’t seem to find replacement handles for it anywhere on line. It seems to have broken very easily, too easily- but it’s full of stuff so I just want a handle!!! Lol.
Stuart
Unfortunately, I’m drawing a blank. As bad as it sounds, returning it for a replacement is probably going to be the only recourse.
Jeanne D
Hi,
Thanks for your quick response. Much appreciated. Sorry just getting back. I can’t find my receipt but I will try to return. Thought about just bringing the broken handle and asking if I could just take one off of one at the store-they can send that one back. Lol! We’ll see.
Thanks again.
Your reviews are very helpful!