Everything in Its Place: Best Garage Cabinets, Tested

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Sometimes, a little "out of sight, out of mind" can go a long way—especially in our junk-collecting garages. There are many ways to do this, with garage storage options such as shelving, cabinets, storage racks, and more. In this article, we'll focus on the cabinet side of garage storage systems. Whether you need a big option or something more compact, we've whipped up all the info you need to make the right purchase.

How We Approached This Test

Rather than pitting individual cabinets against each other to find the best, we instead compared the various types of garage cabinets to discover the pros and cons of each to help you make a more informed decision about what kind of garage cabinet is right for you. Wall-mounted cabinets are great for garages with limited floor space, floor cabinets are sturdy and compact, rolling cabinets can be moved at will, and free-standing cabinets offer tons of storage space.

We called in an example of each of these cabinet categories to compare and contrast to see which types excelled and which fell short in any given metric. Along with our results from each cabinet we tested, we also included some highly rated examples of each type.

Types of Garage Storage Cabinets

Garage cabinets come in a few different shapes and forms, with each type catering to certain usage situations.

Wall-Mounted Cabinets: Wall-mounted garage cabinets keep your stuff off the floor and out of the way. Installation is a bit of a larger chore, which includes drilling anchors into your garage's frame studs. If that sounds like something you're comfortable with, the benefits of mounting a cabinet to the garage wall are substantial. To start, you'll save valuable floor space, and if you install them at chest height, access to the contents is simple and doesn't involve bending over or lifting heavy items. Many garage cabinets offer wall mounting as an optional installation method.

Floor Cabinets: These squat, sturdy cabinets typically measure just a few feet tall. Great for storing things that you occasionally use, they're also typically quite affordable. Most are relatively square, but some are wider and can double as workbenches. The downside, of course, is a floor cabinet's footprint, which takes up valuable floor space.

Rolling Cabinets: These are essentially floor cabinets with wheels, a.k.a. casters, making them able to move to wherever you need them. These casters often come with a locking mechanism, so the cabinet stays put when desired. The price jumps up on these, though, as quality wheels designed to support hundreds of pounds while rolling can be expensive. But the portability can be helpful, as these also gobble up floor space and aren't as sturdy or sure-footed as floor cabinets.

Freestanding Cabinets: These are the big ones. Resembling lockers, they typically feature doors rather than drawers and are great for storing large or oddly shaped items. Utilizing their footprint vertically, freestanding cabinets are quite efficient. Of course, they're big, heavy, and pricey—but if you're serious about garage storage, you'll need one (or five!).

Things to Consider When Buying Garage Cabinets

Footprint

Before you purchase any garage cabinets, it's important to scope out the potential location beforehand. How much floor space do you have to play with? Will you need it on the wall instead? How tall can it be? Once you determine the amount of space you have versus the amount of storage you need, it's easier to decide which type of cabinet to buy.

Assembly

Garage cabinets usually require assembly, and typically, the larger they are the more work is involved. Wall-mounted cabinets require careful installation on wall studs, while freestanding cabinets may require an additional person to assemble.

What's Being Stored

Determining what you plan to store can also aid in your decision process. Is it something that can easily fit on smaller shelves or do you need a cabinet that can store something larger such as golf clubs? While many cabinets have adjustable shelves inside, figuring out if your things can fit beforehand can save you a headache later on.

Durability

Like anything in a garage, durability is an important consideration. You'll want a sturdy cabinet to withstand some bruising to protect its contents. If aesthetics are also something to keep in mind, you'll want a cabinet constructed with a scratch- or dent-resistant material.

Cost

The rabbit hole of garage organization can become expensive very quickly, and cabinets are no exception. You'll want a quality product to protect whatever you need to store, so cheaping out might turn into a nightmare later on. As always, you tend to get what you pay for.

Our Garage Cabinet Recommendations

The first cabinet in each category was tested as a benchmark to uncover and evaluate the pros and cons of owning and using each type of garage cabinet. The rest of the products in each category are trusted examples of each kind.

Wall-Mounted Garage Cabinets

If you're low on precious floor space in your garage, it might be worth considering mounting your cabinets to the wall. "Out of the way and out of your hair" is the motto for this type of cabinet, but installing them properly does take some additional work.

The biggest disadvantage to wall-mounted cabinets is the installation process, which requires extra work to make sure they stay mounted to the wall. First, if your garage is drywalled, you'll need to find the wall studs, which can be done with a stud finder (hold your dad jokes, please). Mark the stud's locations, determine the height you want the cabinet to be, and install it with fasteners strong enough to hold the cabinet and its contents. Check everything with a level as you go for the best results.

If you're short on floor space, nothing tops a wall-mounted cabinet. If you're willing to do the extra legwork to install them properly, the benefits are numerous. The drawbacks are mainly related to how much weight they can hold, but this is most often due to the mounting method rather than the cabinet itself. Here are a few highly rated options, including the wall-mounted cabinet we tested.

Wall-Mounted Cabinet

Since we already had a set of these Gladiator Steel Wall-Mounted Cabinets on the wall, we decided to use them as our test model. Over the last couple of years of consistent use, they've held up well, resisting scratches and dings. Aesthetically, they look pretty darn sharp with those diamond-plated doors. The shelves are solid and quite simple to adjust, but metal cabinet doors sound a bit tinny and can be noisy as you're closing them.

Wall Cabinet

Proudly assembled in Sedalia, Missouri, these cabinets feature a crisp Craftsman red featured in countless garages nationwide. The steel construction claims to hold up to 200 pounds and comes with a 10-year limited warranty.

Garage Wall Cabinet

This cabinet from Amazon features a nifty half-closed-half-open design, perfect for displaying stuff you're proud of while offering closed-off storage for the rest.

Floor Garage Cabinets

Probably the most basic and sturdy option, floor garage cabinets are a totally reasonable garage cabinet of choice. While they do take up floor space, they're typically easy to assemble and on the more affordable side.

Floor garage cabinets are excellent for storing things that you only need occasionally, as bending down to remove contents repeatedly may hasten a trip to the chiropractor. They're quick and easy to assemble without breaking the bank, while maintaining the durability and sturdiness you need for a garage.

If this sounds like what you need, here are a few good options.

Heavy-Duty Resin Cabinet

The floor cabinet we tested was the Suncast Heavy-Duty Resin Cabinet, with nine cubic feet of space. Assembly was a cinch, save for the pesky foot lock, which we had some problems installing. It's manufactured from multiwalled resin panels that snap into each other, with metal bars that screw in for extra support. We wish it had handles on the sides to help move it around, but everything else makes for a great cabinet.

Storage Cabinet with Doors

It doesn't get much more recognizable than a Rubbermaid garage cabinet. The unique design is made from a durable plastic that won't rust.

Floor Cabinet

With an attractive wood top, this cabinet also features a handy pegboard above the doors from which to hang items. Inside, the steel shelves are built to handle 44 pounds each.

Rolling Garage Cabinets

If floor cabinets could evolve, they would turn into rolling cabinets. Fitted with casters on all four corners, these are the ultimate option if you're looking for portable garage storage. When you don't want it moving around, simply lock the wheels for a cabinet that will stay in place.

While the price of rolling cabinets jumps up compared to floor cabinets, the portability can be invaluable. They still eat up floor space, but the ability to move them around at will makes it sting a bit less. Also compared to floor cabinets, roller cabinets aren't as sturdy—as caster locks can be annoyingly wobbly.

If you're looking to store items that can be easily moved around, a roller cabinet is the cabinet for you. Here are some top-rated options.

Fortress Rolling Cabinet

For this category, we ordered this rolling cabinet from Manhattan Comfort. We found that it was quite simple to assemble, despite an abundance of nuts and bolts. While the side panels feel a bit flimsy, the rest of the cabinet feels solid. It's worth noting that you'll need at least a Philips-head screwdriver to put the cabinet together. It also came with a wall-mounting kit, but we went the roller route.

Rolling Garage Cabinet in Blue

This rolling cabinet from Kobalt includes a wood top and an adjustable shelf. If you need even more space, this cabinet fits in with a matching collection to contain all of your garage stuff.

Metal Rolling Storage Cabinet

Rather than doors that open, this rolling storage cabinet features drawers with a claimed 120-pound capacity each. While we're not familiar with the brand, it comes in an impressive amount of sizes, styles, colors, and configurations.

Freestanding Garage Cabinets

Freestanding garage cabinets are the epitome of garage storage, utilizing a vertical footprint efficiently. Looking like something from your high school's hallway, these locker-style cabinets feature doors that open, rather than drawers.

Yes, they're big, heavy, and pricey—but worth it. There's an amazing amount of stuff you can store with these. If you're serious about organizing your garage, these are a must-have. You might as well get a couple! Here are some good options.

Freestanding Steel Garage Cabinet

We picked up a Kobalt Freestanding Steel Garage Cabinet for this category. We quickly realized that assembly was a two-person job. The instructions were great, and unpacking the individual pieces was simple—thanks to a handy numbering system. However, once we needed to put the pieces together, we ran into some issues.

Like many large metal cabinets, getting the fastener holes to line up perfectly was tricky, and we recommend a cordless drill for some extra oomph. The doors were especially fiddly, and even after adjusting them, they were slightly misaligned. A few scratches and dings adorned the outside, and we'll only take the blame for a couple. However, once it was moved into place, we realized how helpful a freestanding garage cabinet truly is.

Steel Freestanding Garage Cabinet

If you're partial to Husky, here's a great freestanding garage cabinet option. We love the Husky brand, as it's available at any Home Depot store. It's similar to the above Kobalt option, so it's purely down to brand preference.

Resin Double Door Cabinet

Constructed with Rubbermaid's trademark durable plastic, this double-door cabinet could potentially last forever. Assembly is designed to be simple, and the listed weight rating of 690 pounds is quite impressive.

How We Tested Garage Cabinets

Rather than pit 10 freestanding cabinets against one another or test one type of garage cabinet, we tested to see the pros and cons of each cabinet type by ordering, building or installing, and testing an example of each.

There are four main types of garage cabinets: wall-mounted, floor, rolling, and freestanding. We unpacked them in our Gear Team garage, assembled them, and loaded them up—all while taking detailed notes in the process. Here are the main criteria we checked:

• Materials

• Weight capacity per shelf

• Assembly

• Notes on usability

After observing the pros and cons of each type, we were able to articulate which cabinets work best for certain situations. This should help you make a more informed decision about which storage solution you need to organize your workspace.

FAQs

What are the benefits of installing garage cabinets and storage systems?

Garage cabinets maximize space, hide junk, and give your garage a refreshed, organized look. Because of this, your garage quickly becomes much more usable and inviting.

What are some common materials used in garage cabinets?

Steel, aluminum, resin, and wood are common. Steel and aluminum offer durability, resin typically lasts longer, and wood can be a budget-friendly option.

Are garage cabinets and storage systems customizable?

Yep, many systems are modular. You can adjust shelves, sizes, and even build out entire walls of cabinets to suit your needs. The customization options can be whatever you like, able to store even the chunkiest junk.

How do I choose the right garage system for my space?

Measure your space first. Decide if you want floor cabinets, wall-mounted ones, or both. If mounting, hit the studs for safety. Then shop with your measurements, and voilà—organized garage.

What weight can garage cabinets typically hold?

It varies from 50 to around 600 pounds. It's worth double-checking the weight specs for your cabinet before loading it up with stuff.

The weight capacity of wall-mounted cabinets relies more on your mounts than it does the quality of the cabinet you bought; even the sturdiest constructed cabinet will fall to the ground if it's not correctly mounted into wall studs. Don't overload wall-mounted cabinets unless you enjoy them ripping out of the wall.

Can I install garage cabinets myself?

Smaller garage cabinets are usually easy enough to warrant assembly by yourself, but larger freestanding cabinets might require extra help. For wall-mounted cabinets, you'll definitely want an extra set of hands to help mount it properly.

Why Trust Us

This test was conducted in an environment that provided equal testing procedures for each product: the Gear Team garage. Upon tallying our findings, we agreed that our test provided enough information to recommend picks to our readers.

Hearst Autos combines the talent, resources, and expertise of three of the largest, most influential automotive publications in the world. The Gear Team has tested a wide variety of automotive products, parts, accessories, and gear, such as car covers, dash cams, and portable tire inflators.

We get our hands on each and every product we test. Most products are purchased; some are supplied by manufacturers. We don't need to game search engine algorithms for traffic or promote lousy products solely to make a sale. We're more concerned with our legacy, our reputation, and the trust that our readers have in Autoweek, Car and Driver, and Road & Track to deliver honest opinions and expert evaluations.

Visit our Tested & Trusted page to see the very best in automotive gear. Read more about our product testing and evaluation process here.

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