As you may remember from previous articles and reviews (see links at the end of this posts), I’m a big fan of the official LEGO storage and display solutions made by the Danish company, Room Copenhagen. Most of the LEGO-branded minifig display cases, storage containers (that look like giant LEGO bricks), sorting and storage boxes, lunch boxes, water bottles, etc. that you can find at official LEGO stores, the Online LEGO Shop, and various LEGO retailers are made by Room Copenhagen. The quality of these products is top notch, and the colors match LEGO’s own color-palette perfectly. 🙂
Last year, I mentioned that Room Copenhagen was coming out with new versions of their storage bricks (see: LEGO Brick Storage Drawers & More!). While the previously released storage bricks come with lift-off lids, the new storage bricks have drawers! This made them a whole lot more practical as a regular LEGO storage solution, because now you could stack the bricks on top of each other and still open the drawers! The new storage brick drawers are fully compatible with the original storage bricks, as well as the smaller LEGO storage heads (also made by Room Copenhagen). The size of the storage bricks (both the lift-off lid and drawer version) are as follows; the 2×2 brick is 250 x 250 x 180 mm / 9.8 x 9.8 x 7.1 in, and the 2×4 brick is 500 x 250 x 180 mm / 19.7 x 9.8 x 7.1 in. And the bricks are available in ten colors.
The LEGO storage brick drawers were announced last summer, and I couldn’t wait for their release! I managed to get a few of them last fall just to try them out, but they were still quite expensive (the regular price is $25 for the smaller 2×2 brick with one drawer, and $35 for the larger $2×4 brick with two drawers). However, as soon as I tried them, I knew I wanted more. I was able to get a few more for slightly reduced prices, but the big break came when Toys’R’Us offered them for half price during their closeout sale. I was finally able to build my entire LEGO storage solution from the LEGO brick drawers (see picture below).
All in all, I’m super happy with the LEGO storage brick drawers, but like with all storage solutions, there are plusses and minuses. I will share some of my experiences with this LEGO storage brick drawers below, listing both the positive and negative aspects I found.
The LEGO storage brick drawers are stackable. In fact, you can build with them just like you would build with regular LEGO 2×2 and 2×4 bricks. The LEGO storage brick drawers are also fully compatible and stackable with the previously released LEGO storage bricks with lift-off lids, and the smaller version of the LEGO storage heads. On the negative side, the storage brick drawers are not as sturdy as the original storage bricks, due to having a hole on one side to accommodate the drawer. While you could sit on top of the original storage bricks, I wouldn’t recommend sitting on the storage brick drawers, because the top could get deformed and even crack. However, just stacking the bricks on top of each other – even when filled with LEGO bricks – is not a problem, as the load is distributed more evenly.
The LEGO storage brick drawers come in the same colors are regular LEGO pieces, so if you want to have a LEGO-themed room, they are a perfect match in both shape and color. On the negative side, such bright colors may not fit with everyone’s decor. I opted for using mostly yellow, as it is a fairly neutral color, or you can go even more neutral and muted with the pastel colors. While available, I don’t recommend getting the white storage drawers, as they have a tendency to discolor just like white LEGO pieces.
The LEGO storage brick drawers can hold a lot of bricks! The inside measurement of each drawer is 8.5 inches wide, 8.5 inches deep, and just shy of 4 inches tall. This gives you a large storage container, but not too deep for pieces to get too buried. For dividing your collection further inside each drawer, you can use storage bags or smaller containers, like I have demonstrated on the pictures. However, the drawers are still quite large, so if you have a smaller collection, or if you prefer more granular sorting, the standard Stack-On and Akro-Mils type storage cabinets might be a better option for you.
The LEGO storage brick drawers have a cutout section at the front that works as a handle for pulling out the drawers. Behind this cutout, there is a little “shelf” that can perfectly accommodate a 2×12 stud plate horizontally, or a 4×12 stud plate vertically. The studded surface of the plates can be used for attaching LEGO pieces to identify the content of each drawer. Or, you can even use printed LEGO tiles to spell out the name of the pieces. I don’t think this feature was a conscious decision by the designers, as I haven’t seen it demonstrated on any of the promotional pictures, but it’s a nice little coincidence that turns out to be very useful. Instead of using 2×12 plates, you might also consider the popular and widely available LEGO tape.
The drawers of the LEGO storage bricks work flawlessly. They have a couple of notches at the back, so even when you pull them out all the way, they won’t slide out or tip over even when fully loaded with LEGO pieces. If you do want to remove the drawers completely, you can easily do that by lifting them slightly to disengage the notches. There is nothing negative I can say about the drawers, and they work as they should. The only thing I might point out that if you intend to put the drawers on a carpeted floor like I did, you may need to slightly raise the bottom drawers so they don’t get caught on the carpet (I simply placed a thick cardboard piece under them).
The storage brick drawers are only available in two configuration; 2×2 brick with one drawer, and 2×4 brick with two drawers. The drawers in both configurations are the same size. While I’m very happy with the drawers as they are, I would be even happier if Room Copenhagen also added 1×2 drawers to the selection, and perhaps even large 2×4 drawers. Right now, I keep LEGO train tracks in a 2×4 storage brick with lift-off lid, because they won’t fit in the drawers. And I also like to keep some unique small pieces separately in 1×1 and 1×2 bricks (only available with lift-off lids).
One of the greatest strengths of the LEGO storage brick drawer system is that you can expand it pretty much unlimitedly both vertically and horizontally. In addition, you can arrange the bricks in all kinds of shapes, just like when you build with regular LEGO bricks. The storage bricks interlock with studs, so if you stack them correctly, no other support or mounting hardware is needed. Notice how I arranged mine in an L-shape, and staggered the 2×2 and 2×4 bricks. Those drawers are solidly locked in and aren’t going anywhere. While the LEGO storage brick drawers are high quality, keep in mind that they are fully plastic, so warping and discoloration due to age and exposure to sunlight can eventually happen. However, under normal use, and with some basic care, they should last many years.
The LEGO storage brick drawers are more expensive compared to the standard drawer cabinets LEGO fans often use. The larger 2×4 LEGO storage brick with two drawers (cost $35) can roughly hold the same volume as one standard size Stack-On cabinet (cost $20-$30), or Akro-Mils storage cabinet ($25-$35). However, the standard drawer cabinets are more widely available and often go on sale, while the LEGO storage brick drawers are more of a niche item with limited distribution and availability (and thus less likely go on sale).
Another comparison worth mentioning between standard drawer cabinets and the LEGO storage brick drawers is that the LEGO storage bricks provide a fully enclosed storage solution. If you need to move your entire collection, simply close the drawers, perhaps put a piece of tape over them so they don’t slide out, and you are ready to go. Standard drawer cabinets usually have an open back and no walls between the little sliding drawers, so any movement will make the content of the drawers to fall out.
In summary, I would say that if you have a smaller collection that can fit within 1-8 standard drawer cabinets, the smaller drawers are likely a better solution, because you can organize the pieces neatly into small compartments. However, if you start to acquire larger volumes of piece-types and colors, and the small drawers are no longer sufficient to hold them, then the LEGO storage brick drawers can be a good alternative. If you are interested to check them out, I found that The Container Store, Staples, the Online LEGO Shop, and Amazon carries them pretty consistently.
What do you think? How do you like these LEGO storage brick drawers? Do you have any of the original LEGO storage bricks? Are you planning to try out the drawers too? Or, do you have some already? Feel free to share your thoughts and own reviews in the comment section below! 😉
And you might also like to check out the following related posts:
- LEGO Brick Storage Drawers & More!
- LEGO Minifig Storage Heads Are Back!
- The LEGO Batman Movie Sorting & Storage
- New LEGO Storage & Sorting Boxes Review
- LEGO Sorting & Storage Boxes – New Version
- LEGO Suitcase Sets – Great for Storage!
- LEGO Minifigure Display Cases – New Version
- LEGO Storage: LEGO Sort & Store Head (review)
