Short answer
For a few weeks in mild weather, usually yes; for a summer or winter, a climate-controlled unit is the safer choice. Heat ages batteries and discs, damp air corrodes circuits, and moving cold equipment into warm air causes condensation. Remove batteries and let gear warm up before switching it on.
You can, but it’s a gamble that depends on the season and the climate. Electronics are vulnerable to three things a standard unit can’t control: heat, moisture and condensation.
Heat and batteries
Lithium-ion batteries are the biggest concern. The U.S. Fire Administration says to store them at room temperature when possible, and to keep them out of direct sunlight and hot cars because “this is a fire risk.” An unconditioned unit under a summer sun is the same kind of hot, closed space.
Before storing laptops, tools, cameras, e-bikes or power banks, take the batteries out if you can and store them somewhere cooler.
Moisture and condensation
Damp air harms circuit boards. A Department of Energy case study on equipment rooms explains that too much moisture “allows for condensation, possibly leading to damage from short circuits”, while too little humidity lets static charge build up.
Condensation is the more common storage problem, and it happens when you bring things home. Cold equipment in warm air collects moisture, much like a cold glass on a summer day. The University of Illinois physics Q&A service explains that condensation can form on a cooled computer as the air warms, “just like dew forms on the ground in the morning.”
Discs, tapes and media
CDs and DVDs are more fragile than they look. A NIST guide warns that extreme conditions “can render discs useless in as little as a few days,” and that heat combined with humidity speeds up decay.
The Library of Congress recommends keeping records and tapes cool, at about 35% to 40% humidity, and stable, and says not to store magnetic tape below 46°F.
A checklist for storing electronics
- Remove batteries from devices, remotes and tools. Store lithium-ion packs at room temperature.
- Use original boxes or padded containers, and add silica gel packs to absorb moisture.
- Don’t wrap gear tightly in plastic in a non-climate unit. It can trap condensation against the device.
- Keep it off the floor and away from the door and outside walls.
- Stand screens upright, and don’t stack heavy boxes on them.
- Let it warm up before use. After cold storage, leave it boxed at room temperature for several hours.
On that last point, the National Park Service tells staff that boxes taken out of cold storage should sit for about 8 hours or overnight before opening. A Carleton College production guide gives the matching rule for gear: if there’s any chance of moisture inside, “don’t power it on.”
When a regular unit is fine
A regular unit is reasonable for a few weeks in spring or fall, for inexpensive or easily replaced gear, or in a dry, mild climate. For TVs, computers, audio equipment, game consoles and anything with a lithium battery stored over a hot summer, pay for climate control.
Desert heat is especially hard on batteries. If you’re in the Southwest, compare climate-controlled storage in Arizona or Nevada.