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In this guide
SAMLA is the plain clear tote in IKEA's storage aisle, and the 12 gallon size is the one that fits a coat closet shelf. IKEA lists the box with lid at $9.99 under article number 694.407.61, which is the box at $6.99 and the lid at $3 added together. There is no bundle discount, so the choice is only whether you want the lid now.
Cheap plastic storage tends to be judged on feel, and feel is exactly what a page cannot supply. What the page does supply is a set of dimensions, a material, a stacking limit and three explicit restrictions. Those are enough to decide whether this box belongs on your shelf or whether the job calls for something rated for food, weather or weight.
Our verdict
Good value for dry, indoor storage on a shelf, as long as you count the lid as a separate three-dollar decision and keep the stack under IKEA's height limit.
- A good fit for
- Closet or garage shelving where seeing the contents beats matching decor, and where several identical boxes will be bought over time.
- We would skip it if
- You want to store food, leave boxes outside or in a damp space, or need a published load rating before stacking heavy items.
Reasons to consider it
- Box and lid carry separate article numbers, so a lid can be added to a box bought years earlier
- IKEA states that the series is dimensioned to fit IVAR and BROR shelving and that the sizes nest one inside another
- Polypropylene wipes clean with water and mild dish soap, per the care note
The compromises
- IKEA marks the box as not approved for food contact and recommends indoor use only
- No maximum load is published, only a 35-inch stacking height and advice to keep heavy items at the bottom
- A closed box is airtight by IKEA's own warning, which is a safety point around small children
What we have not verified: Wall stiffness under load, how many stacked full boxes the lid tolerates, clarity after years of sun, and whether the click lock loosens with repeated opening were not checked.
The things in this guide
A closer look at the products, who they may suit, and what to check before buying.
SAMLA Box with Lid · 12 Gallon
Transparent walls and a lid that clicks shut turn a shelf of mystery boxes into labeled inventory without labels, at a price that makes buying six of them reasonable.
Before you buy: Dry indoor goods only. Not for food, not for the porch, and not stacked above 35 inches.
Price checked September 11, 2026. Retailer prices can change.Two article numbers, one price, no discount
The combined listing at $9.99 is a two-package bundle, the box under 301.029.74 and the lid under 704.550.87. Buy them separately and the total is identical, $6.99 plus $3. The only reason to use the bundle page is convenience, and the only reason to skip the lid is a shelf where open-top access matters more than dust.
The lid page states that it fits all 12 and 17 gallon boxes in the series, including ones already at home. The separate SKU pays off there: a household that bought open SAMLA boxes earlier can close them for $3 each. The lid's package is listed at 22¼ by 15½ by ¾ inches and 14 ounces, so it is thin enough to store flat when not in use.
Check the shelf depth before the volume
IKEA gives the closed box as 22½ inches wide by 15¼ inches deep by 11 inches high, with the box alone at 22 inches wide; the lid adds the extra half inch. The volume is stated as 12 gallon. On a 15-inch-deep closet shelf the box will overhang by about a quarter inch, which is fine for a bottom shelf and less fine at eye level where the lip catches a sleeve.
The product text says the SAMLA series is dimensioned to fit IVAR and BROR shelving and that all sizes are dimensioned to each other. That second claim means the 6 gallon and 3 gallon boxes share a footprint logic with this one, so a mixed stack lines up. IKEA does not mention KALLAX on any of the three pages, so anyone hoping to slide this into a cube shelf should measure the opening against 22½ by 15¼ inches before assuming it fits.
Three restrictions IKEA prints in plain text
In the care notes, both box pages say the product is recommended for indoor use only and is not approved for food contact. The second point separates SAMLA from a kitchen canister: it is fine for bulk paper towels and wrong for flour. The first rules out a covered porch or a shed where temperature swings and sun exposure work on polypropylene over seasons.
The safety section adds two more lines. When the lid is on, the box is airtight, and IKEA warns against letting young children play with it. For stacking, the recommendation is a maximum height of 35 inches with heavy things at the bottom; at 11 inches per box, that is three high. No load figure per box is published, so the description's line about durable storage even for heavier items has no number attached.
Polypropylene, wipe-clean, weight known only for the package
Both parts are polypropylene, and the care instruction is a soft cloth with water and mild dish detergent or soap when needed. That covers dust and the occasional spill; it does not say anything about dishwashers or solvents, so treat the instruction as the whole permitted range. The box's package weight is 2 pounds 11 ounces, which is the closest the page comes to telling you how substantial the walls are.
Clarity is the selling point and also the wear point. Transparent polypropylene shows scuffs and can cloud with age, and IKEA offers no statement on UV or long-term clarity. For a closet that stays dark this hardly matters. For a garage window shelf it is the property most likely to disappoint once a few years have passed, and it is the one nothing on the page lets you predict.
Where this box is the wrong answer
Skip it when the contents are edible, when the box will live outdoors or in a damp basement corner, or when the plan involves stacking heavy tools higher than three boxes. All three run into a restriction IKEA states outright, and the price does not change the plastic.
Skip it as well when the shelf is a cube unit or anything shallower than 15¼ inches, and when a lidless bin would do the same job for $6.99. The lid justifies its $3 only if dust or stacking is the actual problem. For a single box holding wrapping paper on a top shelf, the open version is the same product minus a part you would never click shut.
How we put this together
Built from the product pages and listings below, without test scores or results we have not measured. Specifications and prices change, so check the original page for the exact model, current price, delivery, and returns.
- IKEA US: SAMLA box with lid, clear, 22½x15¼x11 in / 12 gallon, 694.407.61 (opens in a new tab)
- IKEA US: SAMLA box, clear, 22x15¼x11 in / 12 gallon, 301.029.74 (opens in a new tab)
- IKEA US: SAMLA lid for box, 12/17 gallon, clear, 704.550.87 (opens in a new tab)
