MUJI Storage Lines: Which Bins, Baskets, and Shelves to Buy in the US

MUJI's storage is sold as a set of lines rather than one-off products: a soft plastic case, translucent polypropylene drawers, handwoven rattan baskets, and a metal unit shelf built to hold them. The pieces share a small set of footprints, which is why so many Japanese homes mix them on one shelf. The hard part from the US is working out which line suits which room, and which sizes muji.us actually has in stock.

This guide uses the sizes, load limits, prices, and stock shown on muji.us on September 18, 2026. The photos are Japanese homes using these lines. They show how the pieces get combined and what goes inside them, not how common any line is or which one lasts longest.

Quick answer

• Bathroom, laundry, kids' toys, anything that gets wet or grabbed: the Soft Polyethylene Case. It is the cheapest line and wipes clean.
• Open shelves in a living room or kitchen, where the container is on show: the Rattan Rectangular Storage baskets.
• Folded clothes in a closet, or small items you want to see through the front: the polypropylene drawers. We cover their sizes in a separate MUJI polypropylene drawer guide.
• You need the shelf itself: the SUS Shelving Unit, which starts at $150 for the Mini and runs to $450 for the largest stainless, oak, and walnut sets.
• Before you check out: most of these carry a per-piece oversized handling fee, and several sizes were sold out on September 18.

How the four lines compare

Our picks

Pick #1: Soft Polyethylene Case, Full Size - Large

If you buy one MUJI storage item to see whether you like it, make it this one. At $11.90 it is W10 x D14.2 x H9.4 inches, deep enough for rolled towels, cleaning bottles standing upright, or a bin of toys, and MUJI rates it for about 30.9 lbs. The polyethylene flexes rather than cracks, has no sharp edges, and wipes clean with a damp cloth, which is why it turns up in bathrooms and playrooms more than on bookshelves.

Best for: towels, bath and laundry supplies, toys, and anything a child will be pulling in and out.

Avoid if: you want to store loose food or keep it near a heat source. MUJI lists the case as not suitable for food storage and says to keep it away from heat and sharp objects.

Main drawback: MUJI lists a stack of only two at this height, and only with the $2.90 lid, which is sold separately. Add the $5 oversized handling fee and one case costs about $20 delivered.

Pick #2: Rattan Rectangular Storage - Medium

The Medium is the rattan basket to start with, partly because it is the size muji.us had in stock: on September 18 the Small and Large were sold out, while the Medium at $34.90 and the Extra Large at $59.90 were available. It measures W14.2 x D10.2 x H6.3 inches outside, and MUJI lists a stack of up to six, so a column of them works like a set of open drawers.

Best for: open shelves in a living room or kitchen, where a plastic bin would look out of place: remotes, chargers, stationery, a cleaning kit.

Avoid if: you need exact dimensions for a tight built-in. MUJI notes that color, height, and size vary between baskets because each is handwoven.

Main drawback: the $10 oversized handling fee per basket, on a $34.90 item. Lids are also sold separately.

Pick #3: SUS Shelving Unit - Light Gray - Wide - Medium

The unit shelf is what lets MUJI containers line up in neat rows. The Wide Medium in light gray is W33.9 x D16.1 x H47.2 inches, about 4 feet tall, with 31.5 inches of inside width and shelf positions every 6.5 inches. MUJI rates each shelf for about 66 lbs and the whole unit for about 165 lbs. It is $300; the same frame is sold in a 22.8 inch regular width from $200, and in stainless steel or with oak or walnut shelves for more.

Best for: a kitchen or laundry wall where you want open storage you can reconfigure, and a row of MUJI cases or baskets on each shelf.

Avoid if: you only need room for a few boxes. The regular-width Small at $200, or the $150 Mini, takes up less wall than this 34 inch frame.

Main drawback: price. At $300 plus a $15 handling fee it is the most expensive line in this guide, before you buy anything to put on it. If you want casters, MUJI's $10 set fits some sizes but not the Large and Extra Large heights.

Soft polyethylene in bathrooms, laundry rooms, and the fridge

MUJI describes the soft polyethylene case as cold- and water-resistant and easy to wipe down, which makes it the line to use anywhere things get damp. Above a washer or under a sink, a lid on the top row keeps dust off what you use least, while open cases below stay quick to reach into.

The fridge is where MUJI's own wording needs reading closely. The half-size listing says it can be used in the refrigerator as an organization system, while the product details on every size say it is not suitable for food storage. Use it to group packaged items, such as yogurt cups, drink cans, or condiment bottles, and keep loose food in food-safe containers.

Choosing a soft polyethylene size

Every full-size case shares the same W10 x D14.2 inch footprint, so the choice is height: Small at 3.1 inches ($6.90), Medium at 6.3 inches ($8.90), Large at 9.4 inches ($11.90), and Deep at 12.6 inches ($13.90). The half sizes are about 7.1 x 10 inches, so two half cases take up roughly the same shelf space as one full case, which makes it easy to mix big and small items on one shelf.

Lower cases stack higher. MUJI lists six for the Small, three for the Medium, and two for the Large, all with lids on. If you plan to stack, buy the lids at the same time.

Rattan: the line you leave on show

Rattan is the line for shelves you see from the sofa or the dining table. Because the rectangular baskets share a 14.2 x 10.2 inch footprint across four heights, a mixed column still lines up at the front. Anything small is easier to find if it sits in an inner box, since the basket has no dividers of its own.

Two limits are worth knowing before you order a row. Each basket is handwoven, so MUJI warns that height and size vary slightly; and stock moves by size, so check the exact size you need before planning a shelf around it.

Making the boxes fit the shelf

The reason to buy MUJI containers and a MUJI shelf together is that the published sizes line up. On paper, two full-size soft polyethylene cases (about 20.1 inches together) fit across the 20.5 inch inside width of a regular SUS unit, and three (about 30.1 inches) fit across a wide unit at 31.5 inches. Two rattan baskets, about 28.4 inches together, also fit across a wide unit.

Those are MUJI's approximate figures, and the clearance is small, especially with handwoven rattan. Measure the inside of the shelf you actually have before ordering a full row, and remember that shelf positions move in 6.5 inch steps, so plan box heights against the gap between two shelves rather than the step size.

Where polypropylene drawers and pine shelving fit

Polypropylene is the line for closets: translucent drawers that stack on a floor, in four footprints with their own load and stacking limits. It has the most stock gaps of the four lines right now, and we cover the sizes in detail in the MUJI polypropylene drawer guide.

If metal shelving feels too utilitarian for a living room, MUJI's Pine Shelf Units ($150-$250) and oak or walnut Stacking Shelves ($200-$800) hold the same boxes and baskets in wood. For how these fit into a whole room, see our guides to small-bathroom storage and small-bedroom closets.

Frequently asked questions

Ready to buy?

Prices below are the muji.us listings checked on September 18, 2026. The buttons go to Amazon search results, where third-party sellers list MUJI storage at their own prices, so compare both before ordering.