DocSafe guide · 1 October 2026
Letter, Legal and Hanging Folders: What Fits Where
Three inches separate letter paper from legal. Those three inches decide which case you need.
Two paper sizes
Letter paper is 8.5 x 11 in. Legal paper is 8.5 x 14 in. Most household papers are letter. Deeds, some contracts and many court papers are legal.
Check what you own before you buy. One legal document is enough to change the answer.
What lies flat
A sheet lies flat when the inside of the case is longer and wider than the sheet. Our flat bag is 15.5 in long inside and the 6400°F box is 15.3 in, so a 14 in legal sheet lies flat in both. A binder pocket is 11.5 in long: enough for letter, too short for legal.
Inside size is smaller than outside size, since the wall has thickness. The 6400°F box is 16.7 in outside and 15.3 in inside.
- Document Bag with Travel PouchInside 15.5 x 11.5 inLetter lies flatLegal lies flat
- 12-Layer Document BoxInside 14.8 x 10.6 inLetter lies flatLegal lies flat
- 6400°F Document BoxInside 15.3 x 11.8 inLetter lies flatLegal lies flat
- Binder PocketsInside 11.5 x 9.3 inLetter lies flatLegal needs a fold
Hanging folders need rails
A hanging folder has hooks that ride on two rails. Bags and document boxes have no rails. File boxes do.
All five DocSafe file boxes take letter and legal hanging folders. Four close with a combination lock, and one rolls on four wheels.
| File box | Size | Capacity | Heat rating | Lock | Wheels | From |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DocSafe File Box with Lid | 15.55 x 12.2 x 10 in | 33 liters | 2000°F | No lock | No | $25.99 |
| DocSafe File Box with Lock | 16 x 12.5 x 10.5 in | 35 liters | 2200°F | Combination | No | $32.99 |
| DocSafe 5200°F File Box | 16.2 x 12.6 x 10.7 in | 35 liters | 5200°F | Combination | No | $36.99 |
| DocSafe Multi-Layer File Box | 16 x 13.8 x 12.2 in | 50 liters | 2200°F | Combination | No | $37.98 |
| DocSafe Rolling File Box | 16 x 13.8 x 12.2 in | 46 liters | 2200°F | Combination | 4, removable | $47.49 |
When to fold
Folding a document once does it no harm. If only one or two of your papers are legal size, fold them and choose the case that suits the rest.
If you have a drawer of legal folders, choose a file box and keep them hanging.
