5x10 vs 10x10 Storage Unit Calculator
Will it fit in a 5x10?
Special
Storage Unit Size Calculator
Count what you are storing — sofas, beds, appliances, boxes — and see its total volume, the smallest storage unit that fits it with room to pack, and how full each common unit size would be.
How it works
- Tap a starting point (studio to three bedrooms) or enter your own counts for each item.
- Add anything not on the list as extra cubic feet.
- Set how high you can stack and whether you want an aisle to reach items at the back.
- Read the recommended unit and compare the fill percentage of every size in the table.
Formula
Item volume = Σ count × typical cubic feet per item Usable unit volume = width × length × stacking height × packing factor Recommended unit = smallest size with usable volume ≥ item volume
Item volumes are typical moving-industry cube-sheet values (for example a 3-seat sofa ≈ 50 ft³, a queen bed set ≈ 60 ft³, a refrigerator ≈ 45 ft³, a medium box ≈ 3 ft³). Packing factors allow for gaps between items: 85% when packed tightly with no aisle, 75% for typical packing and 60% with a walk-in aisle. Units narrower than your longest flat item (such as a sofa or dining table) are marked too narrow.
Example
Someone moving abroad for a year stores a queen bed set, a sofa, a dresser, a dining table with four chairs, a washer and dryer, two bikes and 35 medium boxes, and wants a walk-in aisle to reach things.
Inputs
- Sofa (3-seat)
- 1
- Loveseat
- 0
- Armchair / recliner
- 0
- Coffee / side table
- 0
- TV
- 0
- Bookcase / shelving
- 0
- Twin or full bed set
- 0
- Queen bed set
- 1
- King bed set
- 0
- Dresser
- 1
- Nightstand
- 0
- Desk
- 0
- Dining table
- 1
- Dining / office chair
- 4
- Refrigerator
- 0
- Washer
- 1
- Dryer
- 1
- Bicycle
- 2
- Lawn mower
- 0
- Patio table set
- 0
- Small boxes
- 0
- Medium boxes
- 35
- Large boxes
- 0
- Plastic totes (18 gal)
- 0
- Packing
- With walk-in aisle
Result
Recommended storage unit10×10 ftAbout 77% of its usable space
Your items370 ft³
10×10 usable volume480 ft³
Spare space110 ft³
How the common unit sizes compare
With 8 ft stacking and typical packing, a 5×5 holds about 150 ft³ — boxes and a few small pieces. A 5×10 (about 300 ft³) suits a studio; a 5×15 (about 450 ft³) or 10×10 (about 600 ft³) a one-bedroom apartment; a 10×15 (about 900 ft³) two bedrooms; and a 10×20 (about 1,200 ft³) a three-bedroom home without the heaviest garage contents.
Those rules of thumb depend heavily on how much you own, so counting items is more reliable than going by the number of bedrooms.
Planning estimate, not a packing guarantee
The calculator compares volumes. It does not model the 3D shapes of your furniture, so irregular items, legs that cannot be removed and fragile pieces that cannot be stacked all use more space than their volume suggests. If the result is above about 90% full, the next size up usually makes loading and access much easier.
Frequently asked questions
What size storage unit do I need for a one-bedroom apartment?
Usually a 5×15 or a 10×10. A typical one-bedroom inventory fills about 80% of a 5×15; the 10×10 leaves room for an aisle, and one with appliances may need a 10×15. Enter your items for a specific estimate.
How much fits in a 10×10 storage unit?
About 600 cubic feet of packed contents at 8 ft stacking — typically the furniture and boxes of a one-bedroom apartment, or a bedroom set plus 40–60 boxes.
Will a sofa fit in a 5×5 storage unit?
Rarely. A typical 3-seat sofa is about 7 ft long, so it only fits a 5×5 if stood on end. The calculator marks units narrower than your longest flat item.
Should I leave an aisle in my storage unit?
If you will need to reach things during the rental, yes. An aisle costs roughly a fifth of the usable space, which the “with walk-in aisle” option accounts for.