Believe it or not, Americans are not responsible for inventing the self storage unit, though they often get undue credit. Many argue that because America is so material-driven that it would only make sense for them to invent a space to store even more stuff. In reality, the storage unit wasn’t even invented by the West at all. Who invented the self storage unit?

It comes as a surprise to many that the idea of self storage was first invented by the Chinese. Much like fireworks and silk, the Chinese invented the storage unit with great aplomb. These early units were used to store family heirlooms, precious materials, and even furniture. At the time, storage units were always located deep underground and protected by guards. The first country to embrace the storage unit outside of China was Great Britain, who decided to take on storage units on a very small scale. Larger storage lockers didn’t become more mainstream or popular until they eventually reached America.

Despite being invented by the Chinese, there is no doubt that Americans certainly built upon the idea and modernized the unit itself. Now there are a variety of climate-controlled and spacious units to choose from.