# Best under-bed storage boxes for low and awkward gaps Canonical HTML: [Best under-bed storage boxes for low and awkward gaps](https://spacemadeuseful.co.uk/best-under-bed-storage-boxes/) Buying guide · [Bedroom](https://spacemadeuseful.co.uk/under-bed-storage/) · Compare three UK under-bed boxes by footprint, inside height and withdrawal space. Use our bay checker, scale diagrams and worked layouts to plan access. Space Made Useful · Updated November 2026 · 3 boxes compared · ![A clear box partly pulled out from under a low oak bed, with a tape measure on the floor](https://spacemadeuseful.co.uk/assets/images/under-bed-measuring.jpg) Quick answer ## Start with the height at the lowest point - Floor to the lowest point of your bed rail Compare the three box heights Leave space above the box to slide it past the rail. This checks height only. Check the width, bed supports, floor and room to open the lid before ordering. [Check opening and pull-out space →](https://spacemadeuseful.co.uk/best-under-bed-storage-boxes/#space-check) The boxes are 8.5, 16.5 and 18.5 cm high. Compare your gap with those heights, leaving room to move each box. ## Which box suits your bed? The shallowest box suits flat items, the medium box has room for folded linen, and the wheeled box helps with more frequent access. For very low beds ### Really Useful Box 10L Clear An 8.5 cm high box for flat puzzles, spare pillowcases or craft supplies. Its shorter footprint can work in the bay between a bed leg and a centre support. **Outside · cm**: 52 × 34 × 8.5 **Inside · cm**: 46 × 29.8 × 7 **Capacity**: 10 litres **Access**: Removable clip lid **What to check** The 7 cm internal height limits what you can put in it. Plan to pull the box far enough out to unclip and lift the whole lid. View on Amazon — Really Useful Box 10L Clear For folded linen ### Really Useful Box 33L Clear The 33 litre box has room for folded sheets and keeps the contents visible through its clear sides. The firm lid clips on when you put the box away. **Outside · cm**: 71 × 44 × 16.5 **Inside · cm**: 60.5 × 37 × 14.5 **Capacity**: 33 litres **Access**: Removable clip lid **What to check** At 71 cm long it needs a good-sized bay. Allow room to reach both clips and take the lid off once the box is out. View on Amazon — Really Useful Box 33L Clear For frequent access ### SmartStore Bedroller 60L The wheels and folding lid let you roll the box partway out to reach items near the front. Its wider footprint can take bulkier folded bedding if your bed has a large open bay. **Outside · cm**: 79 × 59 × 18.5 **Inside · cm**: 70 × 51.5 × 16.5 **Capacity**: 60 litres **Access**: Folding lid, wheels **What to check** Check the 59 cm side and 79 cm length against your supports, then check the wheel path and room for the lid to lift. View on Amazon — SmartStore Bedroller 60L ## Side-by-side dimensions Scroll sideways to see all columns. Centimetres, length × width × height | Box | Outside | Inside | Access | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Really Useful 10L | 52 × 34 × 8.5 | 46 × 29.8 × 7 | Removable clip lid | | Really Useful 33L | 71 × 44 × 16.5 | 60.5 × 37 × 14.5 | Removable clip lid | | SmartStore 60L | 79 × 59 × 18.5 | 70 × 51.5 × 16.5 | Folding lid, wheels | ## How much floor space does each box need? Litres describe capacity, but the outside rectangle decides how much of a bay a box occupies. We multiplied the listed outside length by width, then compared the inside height separately. The height difference includes the complete construction; it is not a wall-thickness measurement. Swipe the table to compare all columns. Published heights and our calculated rectangular footprints. Dimensions in cm; area in cm². | Box | Outside height (published) | Inside height (published) | Footprint (calculated) | Height difference (calculated) | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Really Useful 10L | 8.5 | 7 | 1,768 | 1.5 | | Really Useful 33L | 16.5 | 14.5 | 3,124 | 2 | | SmartStore 60L | 18.5 | 16.5 | 4,661 | 2 | **The space trade-off.** The 60L model uses 4,661 cm² of rectangular floor space, compared with 3,124 cm² for the 33L: about 49% more. Its published inside height is 16.5 cm rather than 14.5 cm. The larger box offers a wider interior too, but the extra footprint must clear your supports and opening. ### Really Useful 10L 20 cm 52 × 34 cm **1,768 cm²** ### Really Useful 33L 20 cm 71 × 44 cm **3,124 cm²** ### SmartStore 60L 20 cm 79 × 59 cm **4,661 cm²** Dimensional illustrations at the same scale: 2 drawing units per centimetre. Rectangles show the listed outside bounds, including covered protrusions, rather than the exact contact area or usable storage inside. ## Turn the box to change the space you need The side facing the room must pass the opening. The other side runs into the bay and sets the distance needed to withdraw the whole box in a straight line. These are different constraints: turning the 33L box reduces the opening width from 71 cm to 44 cm, but increases its depth and full-withdrawal distance from 44 cm to 71 cm. Swipe the table to compare both orientations. Nominal dimensions before extra clearance, assuming the box front starts flush with the bed edge. | Box | Side facing room | Opening width, cm | Bay depth and full withdrawal, cm | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Really Useful 10L | Long side | 52 | 34 | | Really Useful 10L | Short side | 34 | 52 | | Really Useful 33L | Long side | 71 | 44 | | Really Useful 33L | Short side | 44 | 71 | | SmartStore 60L | Long side | 79 | 59 | | SmartStore 60L | Short side | 59 | 79 | The wheeled box rows compare geometry. Check its permitted wheel direction before choosing an orientation. A folding lid can give access to near-end contents before full withdrawal; its rising space and reach still need checking. Full withdrawal is a useful planning comparison, not a universal minimum for opening every box. ### Long side facing the room Bay: 76 × 80 cmBed edge50 cmclear floor 44 cm to withdraw leaves 6 cm within the 50 cm clear floor. ### Short side facing the room Bay: 76 × 80 cmBed edge50 cmclear floor 71 cm to withdraw exceeds the 50 cm clear floor by 21 cm. Illustrative bay at the same scale in both drawings. Solid outline: stored position. Dashed outline: fully withdrawn position. Allow extra space for movement, hands and the lid. ## Compare the boxes with your own bay Measure one unobstructed bay and its narrowest opening. Enter centimetres below to compare both rectangular orientations. The four measurements are independent: a box can fit underneath but still need more floor space to come all the way out. ### Your space, in centimetres Use the orientation table above to compare each box with your height, opening, bay depth and clear floor. Positive margins mean nominal space remains, not a complete fit decision. Equality leaves no clearance. This assumes straight withdrawal with the front initially flush with the bed edge. Check supports, floor changes, lid rise, hand access and product instructions separately. Use the published dimensions, orientation table and three worked layouts on this page to make the same comparisons without the interactive checker. ## Three layouts that change the decision These illustrative spaces apply the same calculations as the checker. The remaining centimetres describe geometric differences, not a recommended movement allowance. ### 1\. A low bay with a nearby wardrobe **Height 12 cm · opening 60 cm · bay depth 45 cm · clear floor 40 cm.** The 10L box leaves 3.5 cm above it. With its 52 cm side facing the room, its 34 cm depth leaves 11 cm inside the bay and 6 cm of floor beyond full withdrawal. Turning it uses 52 cm of depth, exceeding both the 45 cm bay and the 40 cm floor space. The two taller boxes exceed the 12 cm height. ### 2\. Enough space underneath, less room outside **Height 18 cm · opening 76 cm · bay depth 80 cm · clear floor 50 cm.** The 33L box leaves 1.5 cm in height. Its 71 cm side can face the room: 44 cm of depth leaves 6 cm of floor beyond full withdrawal. Rotated, its 71 cm depth still sits within the 80 cm bay, but exceeds the clear floor by 21 cm. The 60L box is 0.5 cm taller than this gap. ### 3\. A narrow opening into a deep bay **Height 20 cm · opening 50 cm · bay depth 80 cm · clear floor 75 cm.** The 33L box becomes a dimensional candidate with the 44 cm side facing the room and 71 cm running into the bay. That leaves 6 cm across the opening, 9 cm behind the box and 4 cm beyond full withdrawal. Its 71 cm side cannot pass the 50 cm opening. Neither the 59 cm nor 79 cm side of the 60L box clears that opening. ## How to measure under your bed 010203 Measure the height, the opening and the route out. Illustrative drawing. 01 **Height at the lowest point** Measure from the floor or rug to the bottom of the rail. Check slats and brackets along the route, and compare with the assembled height including lid, wheels and handles. 02 **Opening between the legs** Measure the clear opening and the distance to any centre support. With a centre leg, check each bay separately and try the box footprint in both orientations. 03 **Room to pull it out** Measure from the bed edge to the nearest obstruction in the direction the box will move. Check that you can grip it, reach the clips and lift the lid. **Worked example.** A 71 × 44 cm box may fit beneath the frame but still be hard to open. With its long side facing you, it needs about 44 cm of pull-out to clear the rail completely, plus room for your hands and the lid. With its short side facing you, the pull-out becomes about 71 cm. For a step-by-step check around a centre leg or rug, use our [under-bed measuring guide](https://spacemadeuseful.co.uk/measure-under-bed-storage/). ## When wheels, drawers or bags make sense ### [Wheels](https://spacemadeuseful.co.uk/best-wheeled-under-bed-storage/) Useful for frequent access if the floor suits them. Check carpet edges, rug pile and the direction the wheels run. ### [Shallow drawer](https://spacemadeuseful.co.uk/best-under-bed-drawers/) Regular access without lifting a lid, provided it clears the frame with its castors fitted and pulls far enough out. ### [Soft zipped case](https://spacemadeuseful.co.uk/best-under-bed-storage-bags/) For compressible items. Measure after filling it, especially where fabric bulges above the zip. See the [under-bed hub](https://spacemadeuseful.co.uk/under-bed-storage/) for more ways to use the space, or [boxes and shelving](https://spacemadeuseful.co.uk/boxes-and-shelving/) for cupboard storage. ## Common fit questions ### Will an 8.5 cm box work under a bed with a 9 cm gap? It may, but half a centimetre leaves little space for uneven flooring, a raised rug edge or an obstruction behind the rail. Measure at several points and allow room to slide the box without catching. ### How much room is inside a 16.5 cm high box? For the Really Useful 33L here, the manufacturer lists 14.5 cm of internal height. Compare your folded stack with the inside dimensions and leave room for the lid to close. ### Does the footprint show how much will fit inside? No. Footprint here is the rectangular space bounded by the listed outside length and width. Compare the contents with inside dimensions, the usable shape and room for the lid to close. ### Which side should face the room? The long side needs a wider opening but less depth and full-withdrawal floor space. The short side needs a narrower opening but more depth. Check the exact wheel direction for a wheeled box before choosing an orientation. ### What does the expanded bay checker leave for me to check? It compares height and two rectangular orientations against your opening, bay depth and full-withdrawal floor space. Check the real route, supports, floor changes, grip, lid movement and product instructions separately. Equality leaves no clearance, and a positive difference is not a universal movement allowance. ## Where the dimensions come from We compared the published specifications for the exact Really Useful 10L, Really Useful 33L and Orthex SmartStore Bedroller 60L variants in November 2026. The catalogue supplies the dimensions used in the tables, diagrams, checker and downloadable data. Calculated rectangular areas and clearance differences are separate from the published size inputs. Confirm the selected variant and current dimensions before ordering. Footprint = listed outside length × width. Height difference = outside height − inside height. An orientation swaps the two horizontal dimensions. The checker subtracts the oriented box dimension from each entered space; it compares clear floor with the full oriented depth. A positive difference leaves nominal space, zero leaves no clearance and a negative difference exceeds the measurement. Values shown by the checker are rounded to two decimal places; the footprint percentage is rounded to the nearest whole percent in the guide. The diagrams use 2 drawing units per centimetre. The bay layouts use explicitly illustrative dimensions, a straight route and a box front flush with the bed edge. They do not account for a diagonal manoeuvre or derive lid movement, hand clearance, loading or wheel direction. A folding lid can allow partial access before full withdrawal. - [Really Useful 10L manufacturer specifications](https://www.reallyusefulproducts.co.uk/uk/html/onlineshop/rub/b10_0litre.php) - [Really Useful 33L manufacturer specifications](https://www.reallyusefulproducts.co.uk/uk/html/onlineshop/rub/b33_0litre.php) - [SmartStore 60L manufacturer specifications](https://www.orthexgroup.com/underbed-storage/1036-smartstore-bedroller-60-l-6411760609916.html) [Download the dimensions, calculations and assumptions (JSON)](https://spacemadeuseful.co.uk/data/under-bed-box-analysis.json). Source review: November 2026. Really Useful describes its outside dimensions as maxima including lid and handles, its inside dimensions as minima, and all sizes as approximate. [Read our source policy](https://spacemadeuseful.co.uk/source-policy/) **Space Made Useful** We compare documented dimensions, opening mechanisms and other details that help you choose storage for the space you have. 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