Baskets are compared on how they look. None of the four questions below is about how they look.

How is the rim finished?

Bound over a core, with the stake ends tucked underneath and glued.

Trimmed flush is the cheap version and it is where the unravelling starts.

Where will they be stored?

Natural fibre goes brittle in a hot loft and mouldy in a damp garage.

Fabric minds neither. Answer this before choosing a material.

Do they nest?

Two hundred nested baskets occupy roughly the space thirty loose ones do.

Ask for the stack height against your actual shelf.

How heavy is it full?

A basket that suits a nine-year-old is the wrong basket for a nursery.

Size by carried weight, not by volume.

Then choose the colour

Enjoyable, and safely secondary to the four above.