Bins that fit a closet shelf

Closet shelves come in two standard depths in American homes: 12 in (30 cm) for the shelf above a hanging rail, and 16 in (40 cm) for shelving in a walk-in or reach-in closet. Wire shelving is usually 12 or 16 in as well. Whatever bin you buy has to be shallower than that or it will tip forward.

The top shelf

The shelf above the rail usually has 12 to 18 in (30 to 45 cm) of space up to the ceiling. This is where bins with handles earn their keep: you pull them down rather than lift the lid in place. Fabric bins with a front handle, or lidded boxes with side handles, both work. Match the bin height to the space so you do not lose the top third to air.

Shelves in a walk-in

With 16 in of depth and shelves you can move, ordinary storage boxes fit. Measure the gap between shelves and the width of each bay, then decide how many bins per bay. Two bins of 14 in (35 cm) width fill a 30 in bay with a little room to grab them.

Wire shelves

Wire shelving has a lip at the front and bins can rock on the wires. Bins with a flat, rigid bottom sit better than fabric ones.

The search below is set to bins up to 16 in deep and 14 in high. Set the depth to 12 in for the shelf above the rail.