Industry Trends

How to Choose the Right Bankers Box for Your Office Storage Needs: A 7-Step Checklist

Office administrator for a 400-person company here. I manage all office supplies ordering—roughly $35,000 annually across 8 vendors. I report to both operations and finance. After 5 years of managing these relationships, you get a lot of the same questions from different departments. So, I'm putting together this FAQ on storage and organization, based on what people actually ask me.

1. What's the deal with "Bankers Box"? Is it a brand or a type of box?

It's both, and that's where the confusion starts. "Bankers Box" is a specific brand (owned by Fellowes) that's become the Kleenex of storage boxes. When someone says "grab a bankers box," they usually mean a standard-sized cardboard file storage box. The brand's big advantage is that its sizing became an industry standard. Everyone knows what you mean when you say you need a "Bankers Box size" for records retention or an office move. I don't have hard data on their market share, but based on our orders, my sense is they're the default choice for about 70% of our cardboard storage needs.

2. Should I get cardboard Bankers Boxes or plastic storage containers?

This is the classic question. I recommend cardboard Bankers Boxes for about 80% of office uses, but I'll be honest about the limitations.

Go with cardboard if: You need temporary or semi-permanent storage (like financial records you have to keep for 7 years), you're on a budget, or you need to store a lot of items cheaply. They're great for archives, moves, or seasonal decorations. The flat-pack storage is a huge space-saver before assembly.

Consider plastic if: You're storing items in a damp basement, an unheated warehouse, or anywhere pests might be an issue. Plastic is also better if you're constantly accessing the contents—the lids are easier to remove and replace repeatedly without the box degrading.

The most frustrating part of this debate? People often buy plastic thinking it'll "last forever," then get annoyed when the lids crack after a few years of rough handling. You'd think paying more means indestructible, but plastic gets brittle. Cardboard has a more honest lifecycle.

3. I see "Bankers Box literature sorter" on our order list. What is that?

It's one of those products you don't know you need until you see it. It's a sturdy cardboard organizer with angled slots, perfect for sorting magazines, catalogs, reports, or even large-format paperwork. We use them in our reception area for current periodicals and in the marketing department for competitor brochures.

They're not glamorous, but there's something satisfying about replacing a messy pile of magazines with a neat, labeled sorter. After struggling with clutter for months, finally having a system that works—that's the payoff. They're cheap, functional, and look more professional than a stack on a table.

4. Is "painter's masking tape" okay for labeling boxes, or do I need special labels?

You can use painter's tape in a pinch, and I've done it myself during frantic office moves. It tears easily and removes cleanly from most surfaces, which is great. But I wouldn't recommend it for long-term storage.

In my experience, the adhesive on painter's tape can dry out and fail over time, especially in temperature fluctuations. I learned this the hard way when we retrieved some archived files and half the labels were on the floor of the storage unit. For anything you need to identify for more than a year, use a proper packing list envelope or a sturdy, adhesive plastic label. The extra dollar per box is worth it.

5. We're making a "natural disaster poster" for our safety board. Any printing tips?

This is a great example of when to think beyond your standard office printer. For important safety materials that need to be durable and visible, you should probably get it professionally printed.

According to guidelines from sources like FEMA and the Red Cross, emergency information needs to be clear, legible from a distance, and resistant to wear. A flimsy piece of office paper won't cut it. Online printers like 48 Hour Print work well for this type of job: you can get a poster laminated or printed on rigid foam board, with standard turnaround of 3-7 business days or even rush options.

Consider alternatives to online printing only if you need same-day in-hand delivery (then you'd need a local shop) or a very small quantity where the setup cost isn't justified.

6. Where exactly do you put the shipping label on a box?

This seems simple, but wrong placement causes delays. According to major carriers like USPS, UPS, and FedEx, the label should go on the largest, flattest side of the box. Never place it over a seam, edge, or closure, as the scanners can't read it properly if it's bent or damaged.

Also, I always put a copy of the packing slip inside the box. The vendor who couldn't provide proper invoicing once cost us $2,400 in rejected expenses because a label got destroyed in transit and the contents were untraceable. Now, I verify labeling and documentation on both the outside and inside. It's a small step that prevents huge headaches.

7. What's the one storage/organization product you wish more people knew about?

It's not a Bankers Box product, actually. It's those heavy-duty, wheeled utility carts with multiple shelves. We use them for everything: IT moving equipment between floors, facilities for cleaning supplies, and events for transporting materials.

The value isn't the cart itself—it's the certainty it provides. Knowing your team isn't going to throw their backs out carrying bankers boxes full of paper is often worth more than the cart's price tag. Total cost of ownership includes the base price plus potential injury, inefficiency, and frustration. Sometimes the best organizational tool isn't for storing things, but for moving them safely.