So you’ve got a covered space to park your car. Make the most of your space with these storage options.
These high-strength steel garage cabinets mount to the wall for added stability. Office Conference Table
These floating shelves keep your garage organized without taking up valuable floor space.
Tuck away tools and seasonal items in this reliable shed from Rubbermaid.
We may earn revenue from the products available on this page and participate in affiliate programs. Learn more ›
Garages can quickly become a catchall space that gets out of hand, but a garage cabinet can help. These handy storage systems can help you organize your tools, gardening gear, sports equipment, paint cans, and more. They come in a variety of designs to serve a range of storage requirements. Here’s what to look for when shopping for the best garage storage cabinets and our recommendations of the leading options on the market.
Garage storage systems can range from budget-friendly open shelves to multi-piece units with dedicated workspaces that cost thousands of dollars. In putting together this guide, we assessed options from a range of manufacturers that designed solutions for minimal storage needs to full-on solutions for people who use their garage as a workspace. We also took into account the size of garages, mobility, the ability to lock, materials, and price. Finally, we weighed the comments of users who were happy and displeased with garage cabinets they bought.
Whether your garage barely has enough space for your car and a door-opening system or serves as an immaculately laid-out central storage location and workspace for a family, there’s a garage cabinet that can meet your needs. Here, we break down the sizes, dimensions, mobility, materials, and special features of our recommendations so you can find the best fit.
This comprehensive storage solution comes with lockers, wall cabinets, a rolling tool cabinet, and a base cabinet, plus a workspace. The 800-pound base is secured to the wall, but wheels on the tool-cabinet portion allow for more portable work to be done around the garage. The worktop is made of bamboo, which is easy to clean. This unit also features LED lights which make it easier to see. All doors are lockable so that you can keep children out of your workspace.
For people with more minimal storage needs, FLEXIMOUNTS storage bracket shelves are a simple solution. They are made to be installed solo and can be secured to wall studs or solid concrete. The components can be arranged in assorted ways—parallel, pyramid, staggered, etc.—to accommodate different design tastes. These are the way to go if you’re looking for overhead storage. Purchase hooks separately for extra hanging storage.
This large Rubbermaid storage unit features five shelves inside, which hold a maximum weight of 690 pounds. The high-density polyethylene will not deteriorate, rot, rust, or dent—unlike metal and wooden cabinets. This makes these cabinets perfect for storing messier items like soil, paints, or cleaning solutions. The unit snaps together, making setup a breeze. That said, the shelves cannot be adjusted or removed.
Power Tools’ storage organizer was designed with variety in mind. It can hold small objects like hammers and clamps, power drills, and hanging tools. The wood is aesthetically appealing, plus it’s moisture-proof and resists erosion. That said, this unit doesn’t have drawers or doors, so all of your tools will always be in plain sight.
Tipping the scales at a whopping 911 pounds, this 8-piece system comes with a 4-drawer base cabinet, 2-door base cabinet, two 2-door tall cabinets, and three 2-door wall cabinets. This Ulti-MATE System also features a bamboo workspace.
You’ll need a lot of space to house it, and there are no rollable parts, so once you decide on a location for it, be prepared to stick with it. No matter if you’re storing tools, paint cans, planters, or just need extra storage for household items, this substantial system can handle it.
If you’re looking for a garage cabinet that doubles as a spacious workspace, consider the Seville Classics UltraHD 12-Drawer Rolling Workbench. This attractive solution combines stainless steel, lockable drawers with one storage cabinet topped by a hardwood workspace that’s 72 inches wide and 20 inches deep. This unit will easily fit in with most garages. It does weigh 500 pounds, so the wheels will come in especially handy when you need to relocate.
This unit isn’t designed specifically for garages but can fit right into a space next to your vehicles. It’s two feet wide and one foot deep, so don’t think you’ll be storing your entire life in one of these. Still, it’s a great option for putting away tools and other smaller items, and at such a low price, you can get more than one to satisfy your storage needs.
The hunt for the best garage cabinets isn’t as simple as buying a few storage cubicles and calling it a day. Start with a checklist of questions. Once you figure out what you’ll be storing in your garage, you’ll have a clearer idea of what kind to get.
The first thing to think about when installing garage storage is what future remodeling you might be doing to the space. Permanent storage systems allow for less flexibility with future upgrades. Next, consider what you’ll be storing. While you may want to display sports equipment on an open shelf, paint cans and tools might work better in a closed cabinet and drawers.
If you or anyone else will be doing carpentry work inside the garage—and if there is enough space to accommodate such grand ambitions—you should consider storage that incorporates a workbench. For those who decide to get one that’s separate from the storage, it’s a good idea to get the workbench first and plan the cabinet or shelf storage around it.
Finally, don’t forget the primary purpose of this part of the house. Garage storage and organization should be secondary to the vehicles that will be taking up most of the space. Garage cabinet systems must allow for the easy opening and closing of both the garage door and the door leading into and out of the house. The point of the best garage cabinets is to make the space as functional as possible, not serve as a barrier to such essential activities.
There are myriad benefits to getting wall-mounted garage cabinets—namely that they are more permanent fixtures than free-standing cubbies that sit on the floor. Depending on your taste and the space, these units can either be in the form of enclosed cabinets with doors or wall-mounted shelves. They are typically raised above ground level, so they make it easy to clean underneath the cabinets, and they make the space they are in appear less cluttered. Wall-mounted garage cabinets are also sturdier, and garage storage shelves require less bending than most standalone models. Both are less prone to wobbling around.
This type of organizing system does come with a few downsides. They require installation, and they can’t be easily rearranged once they’ve been mounted to the wall. Also, they may not be as tall as standalone units, which may mean storing longer items elsewhere in the garage. And if you prefer things to be out of sight and out of mind when not in use, wall-mounted storage shelves won’t keep anything hidden.
If the cons of permanent garage storage outweigh the pros, and you aren’t good with a hammer and other tools, make sure you consider the cost of hiring someone to install garage wall cabinets when comparing their price to that of other types of storage.
As previously mentioned, free-standing cabinets are a popular option for garage storage and organization that come with several limitations. If they sit on the floor, you won’t be able to clean under them, and you’ll probably have to do a bit more bending to retrieve items and replace them after use. Although they may wobble around a bit, they’ll likely be tall enough to store anything inside, and they’ll be easier to move around if and when you decide to give your garage a brand-new look.
Steel cabinets work best for tool storage in garages. The drawers should be deep and fully extendable to permit the placement of bulky tools, and they should be padded to protect both the tools and the drawers and to stop the tools from moving around inside. Some come with convenience features like surge protectors, organizing trays, and USB charging ports.
If you are adding tool storage to an existing garage storage system, consider stackable chests that you can place on top. Toolboxes, tool bags, and tool belts are decent alternatives to bulky tool storage, as are peg boards with multi-tool hangers.
When choosing your garage storage, you can opt for individual cabinets or a full system. One of the big benefits of garage cabinet systems is that the slats or rails permit you to install them anywhere on the wall, rather than being limited to where the studs happen to already be placed.
If you go for a full system, just be sure it will more or less be suited for whatever storage needs you might have in the future. Of course, if necessary, you can always complement it with one or two individual cabinets.
If you want the ability to rearrange your garage storage without having to do any heavy lifting, garage storage cabinets on wheels are an excellent idea. If you go this route, though, you need to get a rolling garage cabinet with top-notch wheels that won’t break under the load of the storage space on top of them.
This may sound like a pretty convenient arrangement if you need to occasionally move things around, or even if you are working on a project and you want to have everything easily accessible from your workspace. You’ll just have to be more vigilant about keeping the floor space clean to prevent small items from getting jammed in the wheels.
You can spend hundreds or thousands of dollars on garage storage, depending on your preferences and requirements. Although you can splurge on garage furniture that’s as beautiful as it is practical, if you’re not willing to pay a four-digit price tag, you can still satisfy your basic storage requirements at a fraction of the cost and get something that won’t bring down the aesthetic value of the space. Best of all, you’ll have extra cash to spend on the car you’ll be parking in it.
Garage cabinets are off the floor to allow for easy sweeping and cleaning underneath and also to keep contents safe from flood damage. In addition to being more visually pleasing, a bit of height above the ground (four inches or so) means you’ll have to do less bending to reach things at the bottom, and it also makes garage storage systems easier to install and maintain.
You should mount your garage cabinets so that the distance between the surface of the floor and the top of the cabinets is about 96 inches. This height will allow you to reach the top either by standing on your toes or on a chair or stool.
You can use kitchen cabinets in the garage, including both the base and the upper cabinets. The installation process is pretty much the same, and the combination of drawers and cabinets allows for the convenient storage of larger and smaller items.
The best garage cabinets come in a variety of shapes and sizes. You can go with wall-mounted garage cabinets, free-standing garage cabinets, or garage storage cabinets on wheels, and individual cabinets and more expansive garage cabinet systems satisfy a wide range of storage needs. The latter can set you back thousands of dollars, but if you’re strapped for cash, you can find decent garage storage options for closer to $100.
Popular Science started writing about technology more than 150 years ago. There was no such thing as “gadget writing” when we published our first issue in 1872, but if there was, our mission to demystify the world of innovation for everyday readers means we would have been all over it. Here in the present, PopSci is fully committed to helping readers navigate the increasingly intimidating array of devices on the market right now.
Our writers and editors have combined decades of experience covering and reviewing consumer electronics. We each have our own obsessive specialties—from high-end audio to video games to cameras and beyond—but when we’re reviewing devices outside of our immediate wheelhouses, we do our best to seek out trustworthy voices and opinions to help guide people to the very best recommendations. We know we don’t know everything, but we’re excited to live through the analysis paralysis that internet shopping can spur so readers don’t have to.
Like science, tech, and DIY projects?
Sign up to receive Popular Science's emails and get the highlights.
Articles may contain affiliate links which enable us to share in the revenue of any purchases made.
Office Desk Chair Registration on or use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Service.