Great size box and good design. However, lid design is not good. Easily cracked. Bought four bins and two lids cracked (quickly and just with removing them - not stacking or anything). I came to this site to see if I could replace them but it appears that I need to buy a whole new box?
Trying to purchase replacement lids for these containers that are practically brand new, with negative results from manufacturer Container is useless without the lid.
No, I would not recommend this to a friend.
Response from sterilite.comBy Sterilite, Marketing, January 10, 2022
Hello KenA, our apologies for the inconvenience caused by the broken lid. Customer satisfaction and product quality are very important to us. Please contact me directly at marketing@sterilite.com so we can further assist you.
When I first moved out of my parents house, more than 20 years ago, I like everyone else started with cardboard boxes and miss-matched plastic bins. I went through a few iterations of brands and bin sizes before I found this 70qt at a local store. Over the years I've gotten rid of any other storage container I have and replaced them all with these. I've purchased over 100 of these bins and they have moved across the country and to multiple houses. Both the older design with the bubble on top and the flat top design stack well and don't shift around while transporting them stacked. I went with these for all of my storage needs because I found that fully loaded with metal, or cables, etc I could still manage to get enough leverage on one to pick it up and I could stack them as high as I could reach. The tops can take about 5 more heavy bins worth of weight on top of them before they start to buckle noticeably. If I really need to stack something higher I usually put an extra lid on the bottom bin. I've never had a bin fail on its own under load, however I have had them break because they were dropped off a truck, or rolled down stairs fully loaded. I'm sure Sterilite does not recommend this, but I've also used them to stand on for various jobs, to hold up props, to barricade windows for a hurricane, and as a saw horse. I think every review should have some negatives listed so If I could change anything I'd go back to the old lids with the bubble. They weren't clear, which I really like from the new ones at some retailers, but they could take a little more weight and that extra bubble of space was often needed. As I've aged I've needed to stop carrying really heaving loads, so I've started dividing up some of my 70qt bins into the smaller 30qt and 18qt ones. I love the smaller ones just as much and they have brought much organization to my life.
The storage box is quite useful but unfortunately the latches are surprisingly fragile. One would think that the latch hinges would be sturdy enough to withstand carrying the boxes or stacking them but they snap off and break instead. The worst thing is that you cannot buy the latches separately and the only alternative is to buy a new storage box since they come attached to the box and not the lid.
I love these storage boxes and use them to store all of my holiday decorations. I have several for each holiday, but the most for all of my Christmas goodies! They hold oodles of stuff and you can see what is in each box. Makes it easy to locate that "one" item that you are looking for! They stack nicely, so they take up less room. I use many of the other sizes for many different types of storage too!
I love this storage box. We are starting a non profit and collecting clothes for children. This storage box has helped with keeping the clothes neat and organized, instead of keeping them in ugly black trash bags. Plus we use them at home for storing holiday items too.
We have been using these to organize our warehouse, purchasing, and prototyping. The Bins are solid and stout. the latch handles seem to be well thought out and preform well. the bins stack and nest very nicely. I wish they were a little more square so that I could utilize the space a little more fully, but these are solid bins.
I own over 100 of these 70 quart containers. I have purchased them over many years. I just bought 10 more of them. I use them to hold all of my Christmas decorations and ornaments. I have collected Hallmark ornaments since 1974, so I have over 1,000 ornaments. In the last fifteen years or so, I have begun using them for other holidays--Easter, Halloween, Thanksgiving, Valentine's Day. and St. Patrick's Day. I stack them on shelving units five high. They are wonderful because use can see inside them. I use post-it notes to label what is inside of the containers. They are the perfect size. They do not get too heavy because the are not huge. They are easy to carry up and down the stairs. These are the only containers I have ever purchased. Please do not ever discontinue manufacturing them.