Extra-large storage baskets buying guide

Extra-large is the size people either love or return, and which one usually comes down to what they put in it.

Bulky and light, not heavy

The rule that decides whether a big basket works.

A large basket full of duvets is easy to move. The same basket full of books is immovable, and lifting it is how backs and basket handles both get damaged.

So extra-large is for volume without weight: bedding, blankets, cushions, coats, soft toys, laundry. Heavy things want several smaller containers instead.

The large baskets guide covers judging capacity.

What genuinely needs one

• Spare duvets and pillows - the classic case, and nothing else holds them neatly.
• Throws and blankets in a living room, where they come out every evening.
• Winter coats out of season.
• Large toys - ride-ons, soft toys, anything that defeats a normal box.
• Laundry for a household doing several loads a week.

What does not need one: paperwork, tools, tins, books, anything small. A big basket of small things is a rummage, and you will end up emptying it on the floor to find anything.

Check the footprint before the volume

The mistake people make.

An extra-large basket takes the same floor area empty as full, and in a small room that is a permanent cost. Measure where it is going before you buy, including whether a door still opens past it.

Height is often the better dimension to buy in a small room. A tall narrow basket holds a lot and takes less floor than a wide low one - though it is harder to see into.

Compression is often the better answer

Worth considering before buying something enormous.

Bedding and winter clothing compress dramatically. A duvet that fills a large basket will fit in a fraction of the space in a compression or vacuum bag, which then slides under a bed.

A zipped duvet bag does this without a vacuum cleaner, and a compression box handles seasonal clothes.

Use the extra-large basket for the things you want accessible, and compression for the things you genuinely put away.

Handles matter more at this size

A big basket gets moved, and the handles take the whole load.

Look for handles that are part of the structure rather than attached to it - stitched through, woven in, or moulded. A handle glued or riveted to a soft side will tear out eventually.

Two handles on opposite sides beat one, because you can carry it level and with two hands.

Structure, or it slumps

The larger a soft-sided basket is, the more it needs help holding a shape.

A large fabric basket with no rim wire or stiffener will slump the moment it is less than full, and a slumped basket looks worse than no basket. Look for a reinforced rim or a rigid base.

Alternatively use it somewhere it is always full, which is why laundry baskets get away with soft sides - the extra large range covers the options.

Where to put something this big

In a corner, which is usually dead space anyway.

Beside a sofa, where it doubles as a side surface if it has a flat lid.

At the end of a bed, which is the traditional place for a blanket box.

Inside a wardrobe base, where it is invisible.

What does not work is the middle of a room or anywhere it blocks a route, because at this size it is furniture rather than storage - the living room guide covers placing them.

Lid or no lid

At this size a lid is worth more than at smaller sizes, because the contents are bulky and visible.

A flat lid also gives you a surface, which in a small room is genuinely useful. The trade-off is airflow, so avoid a sealed lid for anything that might go in damp - the lidded baskets guide covers that.

Filling a big basket well

Large baskets become rummages faster than small ones, so how you load them matters.

Keep one category per basket, and put the thing you reach for most on top rather than at the bottom. If you find yourself digging, the basket is holding two categories and wants splitting.

Rolling rather than folding helps with textiles - rolled blankets and towels stand upright, so you can see every one instead of only the top one - the same trick the bathroom guide uses for towels.

Moving one when it is full

The point at which handles and structure get tested.

Slide rather than lift where you can, especially on hard floors. If it must be carried, use both handles and keep it close, and empty some of it out first if it is genuinely heavy.

A basket that is regularly moved full is a basket that will fail at the rim within a couple of years, whatever it is made of - rigid plastic handles that better than anything soft-sided.

Browse extra large baskets, under-bed storage and living room and blanket storage.

The short version

• Extra-large suits bulky light things; a large basket of heavy items cannot be moved.
• It takes the same floor space empty as full, so measure the spot before buying.
• Compression bags often beat a huge basket for anything you genuinely put away.
• Handles must be part of the structure - glued or riveted ones tear out at this size.
• Large soft-sided baskets need a reinforced rim or rigid base, or they slump.

Frequently asked questions

What should go in an extra-large storage basket?

Bulky but light things - spare duvets, blankets, cushions, winter coats, large toys and laundry. Heavy contents such as books or tools make a large basket impossible to move and put strain on the handles.

Do extra-large baskets suit small rooms?

Only where you have measured the spot, because they take the same floor area empty as full. In a small room a tall narrow basket often works better than a wide low one, though it is harder to see into.

Is a big basket better than compression bags?

For things you want accessible, yes. For things you genuinely put away, compression wins easily - a duvet that fills a large basket fits in a fraction of the space in a zipped or vacuum bag that then slides under a bed.

Why do large fabric baskets slump?

Because soft sides need help holding shape at that size. Look for a reinforced rim or a rigid base, or use the basket somewhere it is always full, which is how laundry baskets get away with being soft-sided.

Where should I put an extra-large basket?

In a corner, beside a sofa, at the end of a bed or inside a wardrobe base. At this size it behaves like furniture rather than storage, so anywhere it blocks a route through the room will quickly become annoying.