I am posting this review for BOTH the Advantus 4 x 6 Inch Photo Keeper Box, and the IRIS Photo and Embellishment Craft Keeper (each in the size that holds 4 x 6 inch photos).
I have roughly 10,000 old photographs. As I took those photos, I put them in photo albums; so they were all in chronological order, rather than being grouped by subject. That made finding specific photos very difficult. Consequently, my photo albums just sat on the shelves collecting dust. I finally decided to buy some of these photo boxes to reorganize my photos by subject.
With as many photos as I have, I debated between buying the small cases (which have six inner cases) and the large case (which has sixteen inner cases). I ended up choosing the small cases; and I'm glad I did. I think the large cases would have been too heavy and bulky once they were filled with photos; but that's just my personal opinion.
Each of the cases holds up to 600 photos. That's roughly the same number of pictures I had stored in 2.5 of my photo albums; and these cases take up less space.
At the start, I said this review is for both the Advantus Photo Keeper Box, and the IRIS Photo and Embellishment Craft Keeper. Overall, I'm happy with my purchases of both products; but they do have some minor differences, which may or may not be important to you.
First, let's compare PRICE ...
Earlier this month, I purchased four of the IRIS cases. At that time, Amazon had them as an Add-On item; and the price was only $5.34 each. I quickly filled up those cases and decided to purchase some more of them; but when I went to do so, Amazon's price had gone up to $10.34 (i.e. almost double) each. What's up with that Amazon?
As for the Advantus cases, Amazon's prices is currently $8.09 each.
Despite Amazon raising their price, I went ahead and bought two more of the IRIS cases. (That gave me six matching cases, which fit perfectly on one bookcase shelf.) I also bought 4 of the Advantus cases. (Since they'll be on a different shelf, I really didn't care if they matched the IRIS cases; and they were less expensive.)
If you're only organizing a small collection of photos, the price difference is fairly negligible; but if you need a dozen of these boxes, that's a different story.
Both products are available through Amazon Prime; and since I'm an Amazon Prime member, I don't pay for shipping. As a matter of fact, the shipping charge doesn't even show up when I view the product page. If you're a non-Prime members, the shipping cost would be something else to take into consideration.
Next, let's compare SIZE ...
On Amazon's product description pages, the outer dimensions of these cases are listed as:
8 x 7.5 x 5.2 inches for the Advantus product; and
8.60 in L x 7.40 in W x 5.50 in H for the IRIS product
IMHO, neither size description is accurate.
From my personal observation (i.e. looking at the two products side by side), they appear to be the exact same size.
From front to back (listed as the product's length) these boxes area actually 9.25 inches. That's the true measurement when you include the rear hinges and front latch. Depending on your shelf space, or other intended storage space, this may or may not be important.
The width measurements were accurate; but the height of each box is 5.5 inches. I don't know how the Advantus box was measured at 5.2"; but it is actually 5.5" tall. Again, this discrepancy is minuscule; but it could make a difference if you plan to stack them on a bookshelf that has fixed-height shelves.
Product Design ...
Both products are made from non-rigid, acid-free, plastic. The plastic is slightly opaque; but the Advantus product is marginally clearer than the IRIS product. Also, the plastic used for the Advantus product is slightly more rigid than the IRIS product.
The outer case for both products has a non-removable lid. They have hinges in the back; and have a front latch that snaps under a small lip. The inner boxes (both products) also have attached lids. They don't have an actual hinge. Instead, the plastic is just thinner; so as to be bend/fold easily. As for the front latch, it is hinged the same way and has a hole that snaps over a small peg.
Due to the more rigid nature of the Advantus product, the cases (both inner and outer) are slightly harder to open and close. I think they would be less likely to accidentally come opened; but I'm also concerned that they might wear out more easily due to requiring extra force to open/close them. Since I just purchased these boxes, I can't evaluate or compare their actual durability yet.
Next, when stacking these cases, the IRIS products stack more securely on top of each other than the Advantus product. This has to do with the way the feet and lid line up with each other.
Also, the outer IRIS cases have a small recessed fingertip area in the lid. This makes them easier to grab onto than the Advantus case. With the Advantus case, I find myself grasping it by the front latch; and that's probably not a good thing since it puts more wear and stress on the latch.
Summary:
All things considered, both products are very good. I give a slight advantage to the design of the IRIS cases; but I can't say they are worth the higher cost (i.e. $2.26 more per case).
If the hinges and latches (on both products) were a bit better quality, I wouldn't hesitate to give both products a 5-star rating. But, given the way they area actually made, I have serious doubts about their durability. Consequently, I gave both products a 4-star rating.
Beyond expectations........I'm going to order more!!
These are great for picture organization! They are very sturdy and I have found that the individual cases will hold more than 100 photos. Not significantly more (maybe 10 to 15) but the 100 advertised will fit easily and you can even get away with putting a few more in there. I ordered two and now I'm going to order 2 more!
These photo boxes are amazing. They are great quality. They do not feel cheap. They dually protect the photos in the double plastic containers. I have had a cluster of loose pictures in Tupperware tubs for years. I have tried to buy photo albums and then get the pictures in them, but then the albums are out of order, it takes so long to organize after so many years of not, and it is so expensive to buy as many albums as I need. I decided to try this method. I was able to go through 3 huge tubs of pictures and easily put into piles, and then into the individual containers (6 individual containers in bigger storage container). Then I was able to label them with white stickers to what they were; whether it was a specific person or a family trip somewhere. I bought 6 of these, and so far have only maxed out 4 of the containers. I am buying more because life isn't over yet, and now it will make it easy to organize and get physical copies of all our pictures that are digital. This has made my life super easy, and they are affordable to use. I would recommend to anyone that has a mess of pictures they want to organize.
I love the transparent photo keeper box to easily store my 4x6 photos. I shoot a lot of photos on my iPhone and even more so when on vacation. Afterwards, I transfer the digital version of the photos to my computer and decide which photos I like the best. I have these photos printed by an online service. I am just amassing photos right now and I am not placing them in any type of photo album, so these six individual transparent boxes are great for storage and organizing your photos. Simply write on the container or print out a label and stick it to the box, and then it is easy to later reference what is in any container. Each clear container comfortables holds between 80-100 4x6 photos. With six containers you can hold up to 600 photos at a time. It is important to note, despite the fact that these six containers line up next to each other in the main box and the latches are on the top, you must pull the containers out of the main box to open them fully. I prefer this design because you have better access to your photos and it is easy to flip through them while they still remain in the container. I plan on purchasing another of these boxes because they are so handy. It should also be noted that this type transparent box is also available to hold 5x7 photos. Finally, since we are discussing photos, I would like to highly recommend an album that I found on Amazon. It is called a rustic style handmade 4x6 leather photo album that beautifully showcases 96 photos. In case anyone is interested in seeing this album, I will provide the link No.96 Rustic Handmade 4x6 Leather Photo Album
Feature Product
- Protect and organize photos, ephemera, craft embellishments, historical memorabilia, and other precious memories
- Includes outer case and 6 individual photo cases; holds 600 photos
- Durable and easy to clean acid-free plastic construction with secure snap closures
- Outer Case Internal Dimensions: 8"L x 7"W x 5.5"H
- Internal dimensions of each individual case: 6.5"L x 4.5"W x 1"H
Description
Protect and organize photos, flash cards, index cards, craft supplies, paper embellishments and more with the Advantus Photo Keeper Box. This durable storage system includes 6 individual photo cases giving this container a 600 4 x 6 inch photo capacity. Sort and organize your pictures, beads, children's puzzles or any small craft supplies by occasion, date, season and holiday. Acid-free polypropylene plastic makes this product archival safe.
I cleaned out a closet recently and came across a huge storage bin full of loose photos & albums full of pictures from when my kids were little, plus all the photos from my husband's late parents. At the time, I was too busy with the kids to properly store most of my pictures after I had them developed, hence the bin they got tossed into with a promise that someday I would get them organized. Well, I'm finally doing it 10+ years later. I naturally turned to Amazon to find some method of storing them neatly & safely. I felt that albums would take up too much room & wouldn't hold enough so considering I have over 5,000 pictures to organize, I decided to try boxes instead. These boxes looked to be just what I needed: they're small, hold quite a bit, and are acid-free. I ordered two just to try them and loved them so much I'm back for 10 more. Literally my only complaint about them is the closure on the smaller boxes seems a little flimsy, hence only 4 stars. I'm not sure if they would stand up to a lot of opening/closing, but since these boxes will probably only be opened/closed a couple times a year at most, I'm not too worried about it. However, if you're buying these to store craft supplies or something you will be going into frequently, you should be aware of that. Other than that, they're great and I'm anxious for my shipment to arrive so I can get these dozens of piles of photos off my dining room table.
I really needed to find a way to organize my loose pictures, I had been keeping them in one of those acid free photo boxes for a long time, but whenever I needed to find something in the box it took forever. Why I like these organizer is that I was able to group my photos into six categories and it makes it so much easier to find what I am looking for. Each box holds a significant amount of pictures, and I really love that they fit into a larger box so they are all centralized. All in all this was a great purchase for me and I would recommend it to anyone who needs to find a way to organize pictures.
In this digital age, I didn't have many printed pictures but then my daughter was STUDENT OF THE WEEK and we needed pictures. So to avoid going through 3,000 digital pictures to find the best ones for her poster, I printed a bunch and now I will save them for (gulp!) graduation when we'll need them for a memory board. And I'm printing pictures for my other kids too, so when that day comes we will be ready. This was the perfect solution - each kid gets a box and then one for family/group pictures. PERFECT! Now all the pictures are in one place when we need them. Super small too for storing up in the closet.
I shopped a bit on the larger photo holders such as this one. I was seriously thinking about one that holds 1,600 photos until I read a review of how heavy it becomes. That's why I read reviews, for things I haven't thought about & need to know. This is made with quality construction at a very reasonable price. Photo albums are so nice to flip through, but when hundreds and hundreds are now laying around, it becomes a project that never gets done. Just be sure to label your photos for future generations to know who/what they are looking at. Albums also get dusty, the pages will yellow with time, there isn't enough space, etc. I purchased 2 but will probably buy another 2 for my daughter Christmas gift. I am currently editing hundreds of photographs to print of my granddaughter as a surprise.
Purchased one to hold die cuts for scrap-booking. Loved it so much purchased a second one. Holds all my embellishments. thinking about getting a third, just to organize craft space even more. I really love these. Also this brand is better than others available on Amazon as the internal boxes do NOT have a "dip" at the closure....they are perfectly rectangle.
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