I loooooove Bosch’s L-Boxxes, which you might already know if you’ve read my complete L-Boxx review or guide to the best modular tool boxes. I’ve got plenty of these handy click-together tool boxes, and many more than my also-loved Dewalt ToughSystem cases and Festool Systainers.
The L-Boxx Mini is produced by BS Systems, which is a joint venture company of Bosch and Sortimo. It’s available in Europe, and there’s no word as to whether it will be available in the USA.
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It looks like the L-Boxx mini comes with (2) vertical dividers and (3) horizontal dividers, allowing for some customization options.
The L-Boxx mini is made from food grade plastic, and can hold tools, parts, or your lunch, up to 1.5 kg (~3.3 lbs). It comes with removable dividers, and you could also choose between an opaque or transparent lid.
Of course, as with Bosch L-Boxxes, L-Boxx Minis can be stacked and connected together for easy carrying.
Features
- Option opaque or transparent lid
- Up to 3.3 lbs loading capacity
- Exterior dimensions: 260 x 156 x 63 mm (10.24″ x 6.14″ x 2.48″)
- Food-safe plastic
- Smooth front surface area for label attachment
- L-Boxx Mini boxes can be connected together
- Compartment walls are flush with lid, to prevent part mingling when closed
- Top fold-down carrying handle
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L-Boxx Mini tool boxes can be stored inside larger L-Boxxes. An L-Boxx 1 can fit (2) Minis, with some extra space at the sides, and it looks like an i-Boxx 72 or LS-T 72 drawer can also fit (2) Minis.
Price: £11.72 ($18.34 given the current exchange rate)
Note About Variations
Another variation, with Sortimo branding, has a slightly different lid which lacks the ribs that meet the tops of the dividers, and seems to only come with (2) vertical dividers and no horizontal ones. All of the ones shown here are simply L-Boxx-branded, or rather unbranded. An optional foam insert is available for the Sortimo L-Boxx Mini.
First Thoughts
If I told you how many Festool and Tanos Systainer Mini T-Loc containers I have ($26 via Amazon), you’d cry a little. Although they’re small, they’re extremely versatile for storing small tools and parts collections that aren’t as at home in larger conventional tool, part, and supply organizers.
I think that these L-Boxx Minis would work almost as well. I say *almost* as well, because they have two latches and two connector latches, instead of the Systainer Mini T-Loc’s single easy-turn latch. I’ve got stacks of Systainer Minis on my workbench (I plan to eventually build an organizer for them), and it’s easy to open one while it’s still attached to other Systainer Minis on top and below. Well, except for ones at the very bottom of a stack.
The L-Boxx Mini looks to be a handy small parts organizer, and I like that it seems to come with dividers, as opposed to requiring them as a separate purchase. It’s also nice that there’s a transparent lid option, although it’s unclear as to whether that version will cost more or the same as the opaque lidded L-Boxx Mini.
To be honest, the latches look to be a little flimsy, and although looks can be deceiving, keep in mind that these boxes have a ~3.3 lb weight capacity.
$18 each, given current conversion rates, is reasonable when you consider the $26 price attached to Festool and Tanos’ Systainer Mini T-Loc boxes, but a little high when you consider that you could get a couple of plain Jane plastic organizers for the same price. Maybe $15 here in the states would be a better price point.
Maybe we’ll see these in the USA at some point, maybe not. I believe that they’ve been available in Europe since 2014.
Don
Even at $15.00 this is too high for me to just store hardware in. There are plenty of cheaper plastic organizers at Home Depot for a couple bucks a piece that I then built a cabinet out of scrap wood to slide them in and out of. Slap a couple labels on the front and I know exactly whats in each before I slide them out. I can do six of them for the price of one of these. They may look cool but that’s it.
Andy H
It looks like the ribbing on the lid hits the top edge of the dividers, without “scissoring” (overlapping) the dividers in any way — which means flat items, like thin washers, might still be able to sneak themselves between compartments.
I wish the ribbing of the L-Boxx Minis were done in a similar fashion to Stack-On’s SB and SBR series of multi-compartment organizers.
Also, the Stack-on organizers have bottoms that incorporate subtle curves to make it easier to slide and pull out small flat items that are sitting on the bottom.
Regardless, I think I’ll be buying a few of these L-Boxx Minis to carry inside my full-size L-Boxx organizers.
At the very least, I’ll be packing lunch or snacks in them!
Jimmie
I haven’t looked closely at these L-Boxx Minis but you might be able to mitigate this issue by attaching a strip of thin weatherstripping to the top of the dividers. The dividers appear to be fairly thick so there should be enough surface area for it to grab onto.
Reflector
There’s a non Bosch/non Sortimo branded LBoxx Mini version with a clear lid like the Sortimos:
http://www.amazon.de/Fischer-533069-Fixtainer/dp/B00PBHVKIS/
They’re significantly lower in cost (~$7) from exchange rate of the Euro.
John S
I just wish Sortimo would have all of its product line easily available in the US. There are many other parts that Sortimo offers that would be great to have. Alas, once again, NAINA.
Dan
I have 3 of the Fischer branded ones, they come filled with fixings and are decent small boxes. It seems the clear lids are available for the same money as the opaque lids, there are loads on ebay shipping from Germany for decent prices.
The Festool/Tanos ones are better boxes, stronger, better lids and catches but they cost much more, they don’t integrate with full size T locs as well as Sortimos system does.