A QR code holds a web link, not a list. Each 2Pack Storage label links to its own bin page, and the contents, photos and location for that bin live in your account. That's the whole trick: you can repack a bin, take things out, or move it to the attic, and you update the list from your phone without ever touching the label.
A written label tells you "Winter clothes." A QR label can tell you the bin holds 3 coats, 6 pairs of gloves and the kids' snow pants in size 8, shows a photo of the inside, says it's on the second garage shelf, and turns up when you search "gloves." That's why QR labels pay off most on bins you open rarely: garage, attic, basement, storage unit and moving boxes.
| Label option | Best for | Sizes | Label price (in the app) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard | Indoor closets, shelves, under the bed | 4" x 2" or 2.5" x 3" | $5.95 per 24 labels |
| Long Lasting | Garages, attics, basements, mild outdoor use | 2.5" x 3" or 2.25" x 1.25" | $6.95 per 24 labels at 2.5" x 3"; $5.95 at 2.25" x 1.25" |
| Long Lasting Water Resistant | Sheds, damp basements, outdoor and harsh conditions | 2.5" x 3" | $7.95 per 24 labels |
| Print-at-home PDF | Trying the system, or label sheets you already own | Your printer and sheets | $1.99 per order + $0.10 per label (24 labels: $4.39) |
Shipped orders under $25 add $3.95 shipping, and print-at-home orders under $25 add a processing fee of $1.00 or 30¢ plus 5%, whichever is more; larger orders have neither. Print-at-home prices are for plain black codes; colored codes (9 QR colors, 8 backgrounds) and sequential numbering cost a little more, and colors are only available on print-at-home labels. New accounts currently also get a few free starter labels as a print-at-home PDF, enough to label a handful of bins before buying anything.
Do this before you peel a single label. Give every bin one category, named the way you'd search for it: "Winter coats," "Camping kitchen," "Kids clothes 4T," "Tax records 2020–2024." A bin that holds "misc" will show up in every search and answer none of them.
Then decide where each bin will live: which room, which shelf. If you also color-code your bins, assign the colors now, because color is for grabbing the right bin at a glance and the QR code is for knowing what's in it. Seasonal bins have their own logic; the seasonal label categories list is a good starting set.
Where a bin lives decides which label survives there. Standard labels are made for indoor use. A garage, attic or basement swings through heat, cold and humidity, so use Long Lasting labels there. For a shed, a damp basement or anything outdoors, use the water-resistant labels.
Size matters less than you'd think, because nobody reads a QR code from across the room. Use the 2.5" x 3" size on standard totes, 4" x 2" where you want room for a written name, and the small 2.25" x 1.25" size on shoeboxes, photo boxes and small drawers.
Open your phone's camera, point it at the code, and tap the link that appears. The first time you scan a new label, it opens as an empty bin. Give it the name you chose in step 1 and save it to your account. Every later scan of that label goes straight to that bin.
With the bin still open, take one photo looking down into it. That single photo answers half of all "is it in here?" questions. Then add the items you'd actually search for, with quantities: "string lights x4," "tree topper," "extension cord." Add a tag or two for things that cut across categories, like fragile, cords or kids.
Don't list every sock. A list you can finish in a minute is a list you'll keep up to date; a 60-line list gets abandoned by bin five.
Set where the bin lives: "Garage, shelf 2, left" or "Attic, by the hatch." Now a search for "camping stove" tells you where to walk, not just which bin number to hunt for. When you put the same structure in every room, you get a per-room catalog of the whole house.
Took the camping stove out? Scan the bin and remove it from the list. Moved the bin to the attic? Change the location. You never relabel when the contents change, which is the main advantage over writing on tape: tape labels go stale the first time you repack a bin.
Bins are private to your account. If a neighbor, a mover or a houseguest scans one of your labels, they're told the bin is private and see nothing else. You can share bins with family members when you want them to see the contents.
Yes, and for a few boxes it works. Make a Google Doc or Sheet for each box, generate a QR code for its share link with any free QR generator, print it and tape it on. Scanning the box opens the document.
| DIY: QR generator + shared docs | QR labels + storage app | |
|---|---|---|
| Setup for 5 boxes | Fine | Fine |
| Search across all boxes | No; each box is its own document | Yes: "gloves" finds every bin with gloves |
| Photos of contents | Clumsy to paste in on a phone | Take a photo straight from the bin |
| Where each box is | Only if you type it in every doc | Location field, searchable |
| Privacy | Anyone with the link may see the contents if sharing is set to "anyone with the link" | Private unless you share the bin |
| Breaks when | A doc is moved, deleted or its sharing changes | Label is physically destroyed |
The DIY route is a fine way to find out whether you like the idea. Past 20 or 30 boxes, one searchable inventory beats a folder of documents.
| Mistake | What happens | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Label on the lid | Hidden when stacked; lids get swapped | Label the side that faces out |
| Indoor label in a hot garage or shed | Peels or fades | Long Lasting or water-resistant labels |
| Listing every item | You stop updating it | One photo plus the items you'd search for |
| No written name | Nobody can tell bins apart without a phone | One to three words next to the code |
| "Misc" bins | Every search returns them | One category per bin |
| Never rescanning | The inventory drifts from reality | Scan and edit whenever you take something out |
Say you have 30 bins. Two 24-label Standard packs are $11.90 in the app plus $3.95 shipping, $15.85 in all, and leave 18 spares for new bins. Printing 30 plain labels at home is $4.99 ($1.99 + 30 × $0.10) plus a $1.00 processing fee, $5.99 in all. The 2Pack Storage web app is free, with no subscription. For a full comparison of written, color-coded, label-maker and QR labels, see the best way to label storage bins, and if you're labeling for a move, how to organize moving boxes with QR codes.
Give each bin one category, choose a label suited to where the bin lives, and stick the QR label on the side that faces out. Scan it with your phone camera to link it to your account, photograph and list what's inside, and record the bin's location. When the contents change, scan the bin and edit the list; the label itself never changes.
On a flat, clean side that faces out when the bin is on its shelf. Avoid the lid, since lids are hidden when bins are stacked and get swapped between bins, and avoid ribs, handles and curved corners, where a code can bend and fail to scan.
No. The built-in camera on iPhone and most Android phones reads QR codes. Tap the link and 2Pack Storage opens in your browser, so there is nothing to install.
Yes. A free QR generator pointed at a Google Doc per box works for a handful of boxes but gets hard to search past a few dozen. 2Pack Storage also sells print-at-home label PDFs for $1.99 per order plus $0.10 per label (plus a processing fee of at least $1.00 on orders under $25), and each code opens its own bin in the free web app.
Not unless you share the bin. Bins are private to your account; anyone else who scans the label is told the bin is private.
Scan each bin and edit its list. The code only points to the bin's page, so the contents can change as often as you like without reprinting the label.
Label a bin once, find what's in it forever. Start free · See 2Pack Storage labels
Scan a label, snap a photo, list what's inside. Then find anything in the house by searching your phone instead of opening boxes.
Free web app · no subscription · 24-label packs from $5.95 in the app · already have an account? Sign in← Back to Blog | Color-coding storage bins | Seasonal storage guide