We Tested Holiday Storage: Here Are the Best Ones

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Stay neat, organized, and ready for next year’s festivities.

Kat is a writer, editor, author, SEO specialist, and mother based in the UK. She has over 10 years of commerce writing experience and has written for a variety of publications, including InStyle, Real Simple, Food & Wine, Southern Living, Shape, Better Homes & Gardens, Parents, and Parenting.

In This Article

Real Simple / Alexander Huang

We may all enjoy the food, mingling, fun, and games of the holidays, but you would be hard-pressed to find someone who claims to enjoy the cleanup. Packing away the artificial tree, baubles, ornaments, lights, and gift wrapping paraphernalia is a whole job unto itself, and unless you’ve got the best holiday storage options in your arsenal, it can turn into a tangled and careless mess fast.

That's why we tested 16 of the most popular holiday storage options on the market to come up with a list of the best four, testing each item for durability, convenience, ease of opening/closing, lifting, and carrying, and overall value for money.

We also spoke to Amelia Pleasant Kennedy, clutter coach, organizing expert, and the CEO and Founder of A Pleasant Solution, and Jan Arkwright, CEO of Before & After Organizing by Jan, for expert advice on holiday storage shopping.

The firm, sheer plastic exterior is flexible enough to pack and unpack ornaments, and its removable dividers accommodate oddly shaped ornaments.

It’s not sturdy enough to stack multiple boxes on top of each other.

The reasonably priced Sattiyrch Plastic Christmas Ornament Storage Box is an easy and efficient way to store up to 64 Christmas tree baubles. It has a secure hinge lid and handles on the side for easy maneuverability, and even though it’s semi-transparent so you can see what’s inside, there’s a label pocket on the outside so you can write down exactly what’s in the box.

During testing, we found that it was super easy to add and remove the ornaments from the box—the basic shape and perfectly fitting cardboard dividers made it easy to get the ornaments out and add them to the box. The dividers were easy to pull apart in case you needed to store longer ornaments, although it would be hard to accommodate large ornaments that were too tall for the level of the container (there are four levels separated by one large piece of cardboard).

The material is durable and thick enough to protect from moisture, dust, and bugs; the plastic feels very sturdy and the zipper is protected, so it closes very securely. The box felt sturdy when we were packing it, too, as the sides held up nicely, stood on their own, and didn’t feel like they would rip.

Dimensions: 12 by 12 by 12 inches | Material: Plastic | Capacity: Up to 64 ornaments

Good quality, generous capacity, and lots of compartments to organize items as you see fit.

The zipper doesn't go all the way around, and the kickstand doesn’t hold the container upright when it’s full.

When it comes to convenience, this interesting gift wrap craft station is right up there. It’s made from a durable polyester, finished canvas material that’s far from flimsy (though not too heavy), and it has a secure zipper that keeps it firmly shut and all items inside safe. We managed to fit 20 rolls of gift wrapping paper, 13 gift bags (small and medium), two pairs of scissors, a box of ribbon, loose ribbon, and two strings of lights—and there was still plenty of room for other small bits and bobs.

We loved how accessible this item was. There are lots of different compartments, so you can get creative with how you want to store your items. The handles are sturdy and comfortable, and there are two wheels for easy transport. This craft station felt very sturdy, but for some reason, the zipper doesn't go all the way around, leaving a hole near the bottom that pests could potentially get into.

There are also mesh pockets which are ideal for putting lights in (these would otherwise surely get tangled up during transportation). It sports a kickstand to keep it upright, as well, and although that sounds like a good idea, it didn’t actually do anything, especially when we packed the container to capacity. The item is a little too tall to fit under a bed, and we also wish there were more zippered see-through pockets.

Dimensions: 14 by 10 by 42 inches | Material: Polyester | Capacity: Up to 14 (40-inch) rolls, 6 XL size ribbon rolls, multiple pens and scissors

It offers generous capacity, is durable, has a high-quality construction, and the large main compartment is versatile for a variety of storage needs.

It could use a more thoughtful design for the organization of other items, and the exterior Velcro pockets don't protect the contents as well as the zippered parts.

The ProPik Christmas Storage Organizer initially feels a little flimsy, but once we started to fill it with holiday knick knacks, it gained and retained its structure and was easier to stay upright and fill up. We liked its Velcro pockets in the front that made it easier to add and remove items. The zippered compartments were also convenient for smaller bits and easy to access and open or close. Once it was full with wrapping items, it wasn't very heavy, either.

The box has a top handle and two side handles, so there are plenty of options to carry it comfortably. We found that the way this box is designed makes it perfect for storing gift bags. Even larger bags (up to 20 inches in height) could be stored in it upright safely. Although it isn't meant for ornament storage, you could totally use it for that.

That said, there's no organization or structure inside to keep your stuff from shifting around during transportation, so anything you put into it will have to be already fairly protected already with bubble or plastic wrap. That said, the box comes in four different colors and is reasonably priced for what it offers.

Dimensions: 20 by 20 by 10 inches | Material: Polyester | Capacity: Assorted gift boxes, gift bags, ribbons, bows, pens, tape, scissors

Its magnetic closures at the side that make it easy to access ornaments, and weighted magnets that keep the cardboard inserts more secure.

It only fits standard-size, round ornaments.

If you are committed to safekeeping sentimental ornaments that are not shatterproof, Santa's Bags 3-Drawer Christmas Ornament Storage Box is a great find. Although assembling any Tetris-like ornament cardboard holders is usually a pain, this one was surprisingly a breeze to put together. We love this box’s cute and convenient design that has a single compartment for safely storing 72 ornaments.

There are three drawers that easily slide in and out, and the side has a magnetic closure for easy access. We appreciated that the cardboard compartments have an innovative weighted magnet to help them stay in place. Only standard-sized, globe and other round-shaped ornaments fit the honeycomb enclosures, so your other special ornaments would likely need a box of their own. Anything wider than the standard-sized ones would disrupt the closing of the storage box.

This storage box was sturdy and didn't feel at all flimsy. The cardboard was thicker than some other options we tested, and this helped keep the box’s shape and sturdiness. When we drop-tested the box—yes, filled with ornaments—the ornaments did not fall out of place, and only the top of the box came off slightly. It’s a little more expensive than your standard box storage, but the design, dividers, and magnet closing make it great value.

Dimensions: 20 by 14 by 9 inches | Material: 600D polyester fabric | Capacity: 72 ornaments

Since they’re all designed for different purposes, there wasn't just one clear winner on our list of the best holiday storage options. If you need of the best holiday storage for Christmas ornaments, opt for the durable and roomy Sattiyrch Plastic Christmas Ornament Storage Box, but if you’re in desperate need of organizing your gift wrapping paper and supplies, you’ll love the convenient Treekeeper Gift Wrap Craft Station.

Real Simple / Jessica Juliao

To come up with our list of the best holiday storage options, we tested 16 of the most popular storage containers on the market over a period of a couple of weeks, evaluating each container’s effectiveness, durability, ease of use, convenience, and overall value.

First, we took into consideration how many items each container could store, tested out all zippers, buttons, and other inside storage compartments (like pockets) to test the ease of opening and closing.

Next, we carried the storage unit around the lab space to see how easy it was to lift up and down stairs, lift up to/bring down from higher storage shelves, as well as the comfort of any handles. We evaluated how well each item stayed closed and rolled any storage with wheels around the lab to test how well they moved. We also tested low-profile items by seeing how easy they were to place under beds and bring back out again.

For gift wrap storage, we considered any other storage capabilities the item had, such as a place for pens, tape, scissors, etc., and tested out these features using props. For lighting storage, we took out two strings of lights one at a time and considered how tangled or untangled they were when removing them. Finally, we dropped each container when full to see how well the items inside were protected.

Real Simple / Jessica Juliao

Choosing the best size and capacity for your needs will depend on not only what you need to store but also whether you can safely handle them once they’re full.

Arkwright suggests asking yourself these questions for determining what size holiday storage to opt for: How many items can be accommodated? Will the person or people handling these bins be able to do so safely (i.e. are the containers too heavy or too large for them?)

Kennedy suggests keeping in mind that storage can get heavy if the container is too big, so it might be better to get a couple of smaller options and share the contents between them so that they’re easier to maneuver.

Holiday storage containers come in an array of materials. There are hard boxes, typically made from plastic, that are durable, waterproof, and potentially air-tight to protect against dust and other nuisances like mold. Softer, bag-type storage containers could be made from canvas or 600D polyester fabric.

“Before you shop, knowing where you plan to store the items (garage, basement, or attic) determines the type of material the storage container should be made of,” Arkwright says. “If the containers will be housing delicate items and will be stacked, stay with sturdier products such as those made of heavier plastic versus cardboard, which is easily crushed.”

If you’d like to be able to easily see your holiday items so you know what you have, storage that’s made from a clear plastic is easily stackable and airtight with a well-fitting lid is your best option.

Primode Wrapping Paper Storage Container: This option has a thoughtful design with straps to secure wrapping paper rolls and a removable organizer to accommodate taller rolls. The downside was that the gift bag pocket didn’t manage to secure the contents very well. Although it’s well-priced, we found it to be a little flimsy, and it only maintained structure when it was completely full.

Zober Christmas Ornament Storage Box: This large box can home 80 ornaments with plenty of room for other things. It’s priced reasonably, and we also liked the festive design options. However, we ultimately found its lack of structure inconvenient—it's basically just a bag that takes the shape of whatever is inside it.

“The goal for storing decorations is to make sure the items are protected from dust, breakage, and the elements, and that they are stored in an organized way to make putting them up and taking them down as easy as possible,” Arkwright says. “Whatever containers accomplish these goals within your space and budget are the best way for you.”

Aim to select a storage area that’s cool and dry, Kennedy adds. “Be mindful to place lighter, delicate items separately or on a top shelf to prevent crushing,” she says. “Clearly label the outside of the container for easy retrieval next year.”

For those ornaments that don’t fit the grid layout inserts in ornament boxes, one option, Arkwright says, is to remove the cardboard inserts and line the bottom with bubble wrap. Our best for ornaments pick, the Sattiyrch Ornament Storage Box, comes with these removable dividers that can accommodate oddly shaped ornaments. Also, if the ornament came with specialty packing, sometimes it's best to leave the ornament in the original box as it was designed specifically to hold it.

“Metal holiday tins and plastic shoe boxes are also great for odd-sized ornaments, especially smaller items that can get lost in a larger box,” Arkwright says. “Egg cartons are another option to corral small items. For kids’ homemade craft ornaments, zipper storage bags work well for flatter items. As with all ornaments, always store the heavier ones at the bottom with lighter ones on top.”

Real Simple / Jessica Juliao

This article was written by Kat de Naoum, who has over 10 years of commerce-writing experience. Kat is also the commerce editor-at-large at Thomas-Xometry, the leading U.S. online platform for supplier discovery and product sourcing. For this article, we tested and reviewed 16 holiday storage options in our lab, taking into account the container’s size, material, style, durability, ease of use, and overall value for money. Kat also spoke to clutter coach, organizing expert, and CEO and founder of A Pleasant Solution, Amelia Pleasant Kennedy, and Jan Arkwright, CEO of Before & After Organizing by Jan LLC.