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If you are shopping for plastic bins, you will have to make a number of decisions regarding the shape, size, color and other attributes or those bins. Among those decisions is determining whether to buy plastic bins with lids or plastic bins without lids. To make your decision, it helps to evaluate the pros and cons.

Pros of Plastic Bins With Lids:

• A lid can contain the contents of you bin safely so that nothing falls out. In some cases, this is a must, so going without a lid would not be a good idea.
• A bin with a lid has a tidier look to it than one without.
• Bins with lids are much better than those without for reasons of portability. If you need to move
• You may not think that you need a lid now, but what if you end up changing your mind later, perhaps because you repurpose the bin? At least you’ll have the lid available if that time comes.

Cons of Plastic Bins With Lids:

• Bins which have lids on them are not stackable. Well, that isn’t exactly true—you can stack them, but they will not be very stable, and they will take up more space than empty lidless bins.
• You cannot find bins which have a “tip-out” design with lids. By definition, this is an open configuration.
• If you have no use for the lid, you may have a hard time figuring out what to do with it. You could recycle it of course, but what if you end up needing it later? You will probably just end up awkwardly storing it somewhere where it will take up space without providing any value (though there are some ways you can repurpose plastic bin lids—something else you can look into in our archives).

So the pros and cons pretty much even out for buying a plastic tote for storage with or without a lid. That means the best way to make your decision is to ask yourself some questions about how you intend to use your plastic containers with lids or without:

• Will your bins usually be in use, or would it be helpful to be able to stack them when they are empty?
• Will you be using your bins to transport items?
• Is a tip-out style important? Do you need to be able to reach in and easily grab what you need?
• What is important to you appearance-wise in a bin? Where will the bin be located? Would it look better if you cannot see the contents?
• Are you worried about objects getting lost or misplaced? Would a lid help you keep these items safe?

Once you know what your priorities are, you should be able to figure out whether it makes sense to buy plastic bins with lids or without them. This will ensure that you are selecting the best storage products for your needs.