Cardboard vs Plastic Bins: What’s Best for Storage? (2025)

Hey there,

So you’re finally tackling that garage or spare room, huh? I feel you. I once spent an entire weekend just staring at my clutter before I finally broke down and got a storage unit. Best decision ever. But then came the next big question: what do I actually put all this stuff in?

The cardboard versus plastic debate. It seems trivial until you open your unit a year later and find your favorite books are now a science experiment. Let me save you that grief. I’ve learned this the hard way, so you don’t have to.

Let’s Talk About Cardboard Boxes

Look, I love a free cardboard box. Who doesn’t? You get them from the grocery store, from work, and you feel like a champion recycler. For a quick move or storing stuff in your dry, temperature-controlled attic for a few months? Sure, they’re okay.

But here’s what nobody tells you about cardboard for the long haul:

• They have a secret love affair with moisture. And I’m not talking about floods. I’m talking about just… regular damp air. Cardboard is like a sponge. It pulls moisture right out of the atmosphere. I stored a box of my old vinyl records in a cardboard box once. Just once. When I opened it a year later, the covers were warped and had these little freckles of mold. My heart sank. The records were okay, but the artwork was ruined.
• Bugs think you’ve built them a condo. Silverfish and cockroaches see your stack of cardboard boxes and think, “Excellent. All-you-can-eat buffet and premium housing.” I opened a box of Christmas decorations that had been nibbled into confetti by some unseen pest. It was disgusting.
• They get tired. A cardboard box is like a weary traveler. After months under the weight of other boxes, it just gives up. The bottom bulges, the sides bow out, and the whole stack gets this precarious, Leaning Tower of Pisa vibe. You open the door and it’s a collapse waiting to happen.

Now, Let’s Get Into Plastic Bins

I’m not gonna lie, the first time I went to buy plastic bins, I had a little sticker shock. It feels like a lot. But let me tell you why I now own way more plastic bins than I’d like to admit.

• They are the superheroes of storage.
• They are a fortress against dampness. That time with my records was the last straw. Plastic creates a sealed barrier. Your photos, your important documents, your kid’s artwork, your winter clothes—they all stay bone-dry. It’s peace of mind in a 20-gallon container.
• You can stack them to the ceiling. And I mean that literally. The lids are designed to lock into the bottom of the bin above it. They become one solid, stable wall. No sagging, no buckling. You can actually use all the vertical space in your unit without that constant low-grade anxiety.
• Bugs can’t get in. Full stop. This was the clincher for me after the Christmas decoration incident. Knowing that my spare bedding and off-season clothes are safe from becoming a bug nursery is worth every single penny.

The downsides?

They are more expensive upfront. No way around it. And a pro-tip: don’t seal them airtight if what’s inside is even slightly damp, or you’ll trap that moisture in. Make sure everything is totally dry first. Also, they’re bulkier to store when you’re not using them.

My Final, No-BS Take

If you’re storing anything you genuinely care about—anything paper, fabric, sentimental, or valuable—for more than six months, you need to use plastic bins. Don’t even think twice. The cost of the bins is cheaper than the cost of replacing your stuff.

Use cardboard for the non-essential, tough stuff. Old pots and pans? Garden tools? That kind of thing. For everything else, go plastic.

A couple of hard-earned tips from my many trips to my own storage unit:

1. Get everything off the floor. I use cheap wooden pallets. Even the best plastic bin won’t save your stuff from a puddle if it’s sitting directly on concrete. The air flow underneath is a game-changer.
2. Label everything obsessively. On plastic bins, I put a strip of masking tape on the front and write in big, clear letters. “GRILL TOOLS + SUMMER CLOTHES.” “XMAS TREE & DECOR.” You will forget what’s where, I promise you.
3. Leave yourself a path. Don’t pack your unit like a solid block. Leave a little aisle so you can get to the stuff in the back. Future you will be incredibly grateful.

The Bottom Line

This is the kind of stuff we think about a lot at Accent Self Storage. We see people’s prized possessions come and go, and we know that a little smart packing makes all the difference. We want your experience to be so smooth that when you unlock that unit down the road, it’s a happy reunion with your things, not a nightmare.

Happy packing! You’ve got this.