Compartment Depth

Small drawers suit resistors, capacitors and headers. Dev boards, display modules and sensor breakouts with pins soldered need deep cups of 3 inches or more.

Sealed Lids

Cheap boxes let tiny parts slide over dividers when carried. Organizers whose lid presses down on each cup keep 0805 parts and screws exactly where you left them.

Modularity

Removable cups and drawers let you carry only what a project needs. Interlocking cases and wall-mount cabinets grow with your collection.

Labelling

Drawer fronts and cup lids with room for a label turn storage into an index. Label by value and package, for example 10k 0805, so you can restock at a glance.

ESD and Moisture

None of these boxes are ESD-safe, so keep chips in shielding bags. Gasketed cases (IP53 or IP65) help in a damp garage or a field kit.

The 10144 uses the same frame as the 64-drawer model but swaps some small drawers for large drawers about 6 x 4-9/16 x 2-3/16 inches. Those bigger drawers are the sweet spot for ESP32 work: they swallow tactile switch assortments, Dupont jumper bundles, small breakout boards such as BME280 or INA219 modules, and bags of M2 and M3 standoffs, while the small drawers handle passives. Akro-Mils includes 4 large and 8 small dividers.

Short on shelf height? The 10126 is only about 10-1/4 inches tall, so it sits under a monitor shelf or on top of a bench power supply. It mixes large and small drawers of the same sizes as the 44-drawer model, which is enough for a starter collection: a resistor kit spread over the small drawers, plus large drawers for sensors, LEDs, buttons and jumper wires. It also makes a good second cabinet dedicated to one project family, such as all your LoRa or Ethernet parts.

Stanley’s long-running 25-compartment organizer is a low, wide case with removable cups in three sizes. The clear lid interlocks with the cups, which is the key feature for electronics: tiny SMD resistors, header pins and M2 screws cannot hop between compartments when you carry it. It is shallow at about 2-3/16 inches, so treat it as a kit for passives, connectors, crimp terminals and screws rather than for boards. The extra-wide handle and flat shape slide neatly onto a shelf. Several retailers now list this model as discontinued, so check the Amazon listing before buying.

If your ESP32 projects end up in sheds, greenhouses, vehicles or outdoor weather stations, you need a kit that survives the trip. The Milwaukee PACKOUT Compact Organizer has 4 small bins and 1 large bin inside a case about 15.2 x 9.8 x 4.6 inches, with an IP65 weather seal and impact-resistant shell. The large bin holds a USB power meter, a spare DevKit and a cable, while the small bins carry fuses, terminals and spare sensors. It locks onto other PACKOUT boxes if you already use that system.

7. Plano ProLatch 3700 StowAway 4-Pack

Fishing tackle boxes are a maker favourite, and the 3700 size (about 14 x 9 inches) is the classic. This pack gives you four clear boxes with Plano’s ProLatch closures, which resist popping open in a bag. Use one box per project or per part family: one for sensors, one for displays, one for power modules, one for connectors. Check the listing for the divider layout before buying.

8. ArtBin Super Satchel Double Deep

A craft box that works well for electronics. The Double Deep version has 8 removable compartments (per the listing) that are deep enough for dev boards in ESD bags, small displays and coiled USB cables, with a carry handle and latching lid. It stacks with other Super Satchel boxes, making it an easy way to give each ESP32 project its own box.

You have a big pile of passives

Get the Akro-Mils 10164 and give every resistor and capacitor value its own labelled drawer.

Your boards and modules are the mess

The DEWALT Deep Pro has cups deep enough for DevKits with headers, displays and camera boards.

You are just starting out

The Akro-Mils 10126 is small, cheap to expand and fits under a monitor shelf.

You install projects in the field

The Milwaukee PACKOUT Compact is IP65 sealed and built to be thrown in a truck.

What is the best way to store SMD components?

Keep cut tape strips in labelled small drawers or sealed cups, one value per compartment, and write the value and package (for example 100nF 0603) on the front. For reels or moisture-sensitive ICs, keep the original bag with desiccant and store it in a deeper box.

Are plastic drawer cabinets safe for ESP32 boards?

The plastic itself is not ESD-safe and can hold a static charge. Leave ESP32 modules, bare chips and sensors in pink or silver anti-static bags inside the drawer, and handle them on an ESD mat. Passives, headers and connectors are fine loose.

How do I stop small parts mixing when I carry an organizer?

Choose a design where the lid presses down on the top of each cup, such as the Stanley 25-compartment or the DEWALT Deep Pro, and always carry it flat. Drawer cabinets should stay on the bench or wall.

How should I label my component drawers?

Label by value and package, and add a colour dot per category, such as resistors, capacitors, ICs and connectors. A small label maker makes this fast, and a printed inventory list taped inside a cabinet door helps when restocking.

Should I store parts by project or by type?

Do both. Keep a permanent library sorted by type in a drawer cabinet, and pull what a build needs into a project box such as a Plano StowAway or ArtBin satchel. When the project is done, return unused parts to the library.