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Storage Guide
Storage Lockers: What They Are and What Actually Fits
The smallest space we rent, below a 5x5. What a locker holds, who it genuinely suits, and the honest test for whether you need one at all.
Other Space Types
Standard Unit Sizes
Section 01
What a Storage Locker Is
A locker is the smallest space we rent, below a 5x5. It is the product for people whose storage problem is measured in boxes rather than rooms.
Worth knowing before you go further: locker is not a standardised term in this industry. Different operators use it for anything from a small floor-level unit to a half-height compartment stacked two to a bay. Check the actual dimensions and whether it is at floor level before you book, here or anywhere else.
The Rule of Thumb That Matters
A locker works when you can name everything going into it in one sentence. "My tax records and two boxes of family photographs" is a locker. "The stuff from my spare room" is not, and will not fit.
Section 02
What Fits in a Storage Locker
Because locker dimensions vary, the useful way to think about capacity is by what you are storing rather than by floor area.
A Locker Comfortably Holds
- Business or personal records, typically several years of files
- Seasonal decorations, packed in totes
- A set of luggage, nested
- Off-season clothing in vacuum bags
- Sports equipment: clubs, skis, a helmet and pads
- Small electronics, a desktop computer, cables and peripherals
- Collections: books, records, cards, models
- Tools in a chest or a couple of cases
A Locker Will Not Hold
- Furniture of any size. Not a chair, not a nightstand. Furniture means a 5x5 at minimum.
- Mattresses, at any size.
- Appliances, including a mini fridge in most cases.
- Anything long: skis may fit depending on height, but ladders, rugs and bicycles will not.
- A room's contents. This is the most common misjudgement at this size.
The Honest Test
Pack everything into boxes first, then count them. Under about ten boxes and nothing larger than a box, a locker works. Over that, or anything that is not a box, look at a 5x5 instead. The price difference is small and the frustration difference is not.
And if the count is under ten boxes and you have a spare closet at home, the honest answer is that you probably do not need to rent anything at all.
Section 03
Who a Locker Is Right For
Small Businesses Archiving Records
Seven years of files in a secure space with 24/7 access, for a fraction of what the equivalent office square footage costs. The most common commercial use of this size.
Apartment Dwellers With One Overflow Problem
Holiday decorations, luggage and off-season clothing, and nothing else. If the list is longer than that, it is a 5x5.
Students Storing Between Terms
Books, bedding and a few totes. Note that once a dorm room includes a mini fridge and a fan, a 5x5 is usually the better call.
Collectors
Records, books, cards and models, where value per cubic foot is high and total volume is low. Consider temperature regulation for anything sensitive.
Anyone Already Over-Renting
If you are paying for a 5x5 that is a quarter full, a locker is a straightforward saving, and month-to-month terms mean there is no penalty for switching.
How Renting Works, and One Thing We Cannot Do
Our facilities are fully automated and unstaffed. You rent online, your gate code arrives by email and text, and you go straight to the space. There is no office visit and no appointment, and nearly all locations have 24/7 gate access. Every rental is month to month with no long-term contract, and a protection plan is required at checkout at all of our facilities.
Because nobody is on site, we cannot accept deliveries on your behalf. If your plan depends on someone receiving a shipment, this is not the right fit, and it is better to know before you book. More on how our facilities operate is on the why choose 10 Federal Storage page.
Storage Lockers, Frequently Asked Questions
The smallest space we rent, below a 5x5. It suits belongings measured in boxes rather than rooms: records, decorations, luggage, off-season clothing and small collections.
Lockers are not standardised across the industry and run from around 3x3 up to just under 5x5, with some operators using the term for half-height compartments. Check the specific dimensions and whether it is at floor level before booking.
Roughly ten boxes or fewer, plus items no larger than a box. Records, seasonal decorations, luggage, vacuum-bagged clothing, sports equipment and small electronics. No furniture, mattresses or appliances.
A 5x5 if you have any furniture, more than about ten boxes, or an inventory you cannot name in one sentence. A locker if your storage problem is small and specific, since it costs less.
No. Furniture of any size, including a single chair or nightstand, needs a 5x5 at minimum.
No. A free lock is included with every move-in.
Nearly all of our locations offer 24/7 gate access. Your gate code arrives by email and text when the rental is confirmed, and our facilities are unstaffed, so there is no office to visit.
Worth it for documents, photographs, electronics, records and collections, which is most of what goes into lockers. Note that our climate-controlled units regulate temperature only and do not manage moisture, so use sealed containers with desiccant for anything moisture-sensitive.
It depends on the specific dimensions, but a locker is best thought of as holding around ten boxes. For a larger archive, a 5x5 with shelving holds roughly sixty file boxes and is the more common choice for business records.
Yes. Every space we rent is month to month with no long-term contract, whatever the size.
Find a Storage Locker Near You
A locker is the right answer when your storage problem is small, specific and nameable: a few boxes of documents, seasonal decorations, a set of luggage, or the overflow from one closet. If your list runs past about ten boxes or includes any furniture, a 5x5 will cost a little more and save you a great deal of frustration.
