Bin & Basket Size Calculator
Enter the width, depth and height of a shelf, a drawer or a cube cubby, and see which standard bins and baskets fit, how many, and how they line up.
Measure your space
In inches. Fractions work too, like 11 3/4. Nothing you type leaves your browser.
What fits
24 sizes fit a 30" × 16" × 12" shelf. Best fit: the narrow clear fridge and pantry bin, 7 of them.
Best fit
Narrow clear fridge and pantry bin
4" W × 14.5" D × 4" H
7 across × 1 deep = 7 containers
- 8" of room above it
- 0" left over side to side
Medium open-front pantry bin
13" W × 9.5" D × 5.25" H
3 across × 1 deep = 3 containers
- Turned sideways, so the long side runs front to back
- 6.75" of room above it
- 0.5" left over side to side
Tall woven-look basket
15" W × 12.25" D × 9.38" H
2 across × 1 deep = 2 containers
- Turned sideways, so the long side runs front to back
- 2.63" of room above it
- 4.75" left over side to side
Medium clear fridge and pantry bin
8" W × 14.5" D × 4" H
3 across × 1 deep = 3 containers
- 8" of room above it
- 5" left over side to side
6 x 9 drawer organizer tray
9" W × 6" D × 2" H
3 across × 2 deep = 6 containers
- 10" of room above it
- 2" left over side to side
3 x 9 drawer organizer tray
9" W × 3" D × 2" H
3 across × 4 deep = 12 containers
- 10" of room above it
- 2" left over side to side
How we calculate
- Each container gets 0.25" of room on every side, so 7 across need 7 × 4" + 8 × 0.25" = 30" of your 30" width.
- Front to back, 1 row needs 1 × 14.5" + 2 × 0.25" = 15" of your 16" depth.
- A shelf needs 1" above the container: 4" + 1" = 5", under your 12" height.
How to measure
Measure the inside of the space, not the outside of the furniture:
- Width: side to side at the narrowest point. On a shelf with a door, that’s usually the door opening or the hinges.
- Depth: from the front edge to the back wall. Stop at any trim, pipe or bracket in the way.
- Height: from the shelf to the underside of the shelf above. In a drawer, measure the inside of the drawer’s sides, not the drawer front.
Round each measurement down to the nearest quarter inch. A bin that fits with nothing to spare is hard to pull out. Under a sink, measure each side of the drain pipe as its own space, as the under-sink organizing guide shows.
Worked examples
A pantry shelf
Shelf, 30" wide, 16" deep and 12" high, for pantry goods.
Narrow clear fridge and pantry bin (4" W × 14.5" D × 4" H): 7 across × 1 deep = 7 containers.
- Each container gets 0.25" of room on every side, so 7 across need 7 × 4" + 8 × 0.25" = 30" of your 30" width.
- Front to back, 1 row needs 1 × 14.5" + 2 × 0.25" = 15" of your 16" depth.
- A shelf needs 1" above the container: 4" + 1" = 5", under your 12" height.
24 standard sizes fit in all.
A desk drawer
Drawer, 15" wide, 18" deep and 3.5" high, for office.
3 x 6 drawer organizer tray (6" W × 3" D × 2" H): 2 across × 5 deep = 10 containers.
- Each container gets 0.25" of room on every side, so 2 across need 2 × 6" + 3 × 0.25" = 12.75" of your 15" width.
- Front to back, 5 rows need 5 × 3" + 6 × 0.25" = 16.5" of your 18" depth.
- A drawer needs 0.25" above the container: 2" + 0.25" = 2.25", under your 3.5" height.
8 standard sizes fit in all.
Common bin and basket sizes
These are the sizes the calculator checks, as outside measurements. They vary by a fraction of an inch between makers, so check the listing before you buy.
| Container | Width | Depth | Height |
|---|---|---|---|
| Plastic cube bin for 11-inch cubbies | 11" | 11" | 10" |
| Fabric cube bin for 13-inch cubbies | 13" | 15" | 13" |
| Half-height fabric cube bin | 11" | 11" | 5" |
| Narrow clear fridge and pantry bin | 4" | 14.5" | 4" |
| Medium clear fridge and pantry bin | 8" | 14.5" | 4" |
| Medium open-front pantry bin | 13" | 9.5" | 5.25" |
| Large open-front pantry bin | 14.25" | 11" | 7" |
| 6-quart shoe box | 13.5" | 8.13" | 4.63" |
| 16-quart lidded storage tote | 17.13" | 11.88" | 6.75" |
| 25-quart shelf tote | 19.88" | 15.5" | 7.75" |
| 32-quart latching storage tote | 24" | 16.5" | 6.5" |
| Small woven-look basket | 11.5" | 8.75" | 4" |
| Tall woven-look basket | 15" | 12.25" | 9.38" |
| Small wire basket | 9" | 8" | 5.25" |
| Medium wire basket | 14" | 11.5" | 8" |
| Large stacking basket | 17.13" | 12.88" | 7.25" |
| 3 x 3 drawer organizer tray | 3" | 3" | 2" |
| 3 x 6 drawer organizer tray | 6" | 3" | 2" |
| 3 x 9 drawer organizer tray | 9" | 3" | 2" |
| 6 x 6 drawer organizer tray | 6" | 6" | 2" |
| 6 x 9 drawer organizer tray | 9" | 6" | 2" |
| 9-inch turntable | 9.45" | 9.45" | 1.55" |
| 11-inch turntable | 11" | 11" | 1.68" |
| Magazine file holder | 3.94" | 10.44" | 12.06" |
| Letter-size desk paper tray | 13" | 9" | 2.75" |
| Stackable vanity basket | 12.5" | 8.63" | 5.38" |
| Open-front stacking toy bin | 14.75" | 10" | 8" |
| Large stackable toy bin | 20.88" | 16.5" | 13.13" |
Tips for choosing bins
- Pick one size per shelf. Matching bins line up, stack and look tidy, and you can move them around later.
- Use clear bins where you need to see the contents, like pantry goods and spare toiletries, and closed bins or baskets for everything that looks messy.
- Put lidded bins up high and open ones at hand height, where you reach in every day.
- Label the front, so whoever puts things away knows where they go.
How we calculate
The calculator checks every standard size against your space:
- It leaves 0.25" of room on each side of every container and between containers, so they slide in and out.
- It leaves room above the container: 1" on a shelf, 0.5" in a cube cubby and 0.25" in a drawer. Folded clothes on a shelf or in a cubby get an extra inch, since you lift them out by the stack.
- It counts how many fit side by side and how many rows fit front to back, both the way the container is sold and turned sideways, and keeps the way that fits more.
- It lists the containers made for what you’re storing first, then the ones that cover the most of your shelf, so the least space goes to waste.
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Save to Pinterest(opens in a new tab)Frequently asked questions
How do I know what size bins fit my shelves?
Measure the inside width, depth and height of the shelf, then subtract a little room on each side so the bins slide in and out, and leave room above to tip a bin out. The calculator above does that math for every standard bin size at once.
How much space should you leave around storage bins?
The calculator leaves a quarter inch on each side of every bin and between bins, and room above it: an inch on a shelf, half an inch in a cube cubby, and a quarter inch in a drawer, with an extra inch on shelves for folded clothes.
Should bins face front or sideways?
Front facing is easier to read and to pull out, so the calculator keeps that unless turning the bins fits more of them. When it turns them, the result says so.
Are the sizes inside or outside measurements?
Outside measurements, as the containers are sold. That's what has to fit your space. Sizes vary by a fraction of an inch between makers, so check the listing before you buy.