Nothing beats coming home to peace and quiet, especially after a crazy day at work. Sometimes, all you want to do is have a nice refreshing bath, throw on something comfortable, and chill in front of the television with a glass of wine or a can of beer, whichever works for you. This would be nice indeed; in fact, very nice. Particularly if the process isn’t interrupted by a 10-minute, and sometimes nerve-frazzling, search for that favorite nightshirt. An unnecessary endeavor if you ask us, but one that’s all too often seen when one has to live with a pea-sized closet space or, in some cases, completely without.
If you’re in a job that constantly has you moving quite a number of clothes from place to place or setting up clothes displays, you’ll appreciate the confidence that you get from knowing that you can conveniently transport them and have them beautifully shown without having to worry. If you can relate with any of these, you would agree that a garment rack is a wise investment.
For the non-initiates, a garment rack is a mobile, freestanding storage unit for clothes; think of it as a
portable closet on wheels. It comes in different colors and can be made with wood, metal, or plastic. Its versatility makes it an item that’s constantly in demand, as it can be used as a space-saving closet option. There’s usually a hanging bar or two (it’s not unusual to find more than two hanging bars as well), and on these bars, you can organize your clothes on
hangers. Many of them are designed with shelves in which accessories and off-season clothing can be stored;
shoe storage boxes can also be used to organize footwear on these shelves.
There are many garment racks out there and they come in various designs, but one thing they do have in common is their provision of convenient space to store or display clothes. There are garment racks that are collapsible for space-maximizing storage, making them suited for small apartments and the professional who’s constantly on the move. Some of them are adjustable for a more customizable experience.
At the end of the day, you’re the one with the most information on where the shoe pinches, which gives you the final say on the best garment rack for your needs. We would, however, want to advice that you let nothing come between you and a good, quality garment rack—nothing.
Price
Let’s talk about the all-sensitive issue of price. The garment racks we reviewed have a price range that’s snugly nestled in the neighborhood of $40 to $80. Why the difference? Well, if you consider the fact that a garment rack can be made from a number of materials, are available from different brands, and come in different designs, you might just have the answer to that question.
Take a garment rack that has been made from stainless steel and topped off with a chrome finish, for instance, and one that features a plastic/metal combination in its construction; you wouldn’t need a sage to tell you which would cost more. Here’s another instance: we have a bamboo garment rack with 3 shelves and another bamboo rack without a shelf; it’s no doubt that you’ll be shelling out some more dollars for the former.
Here’s the thing: so far as the quality and the features are a great fit with what you’re looking for, don’t be a scrooge, because trust us when we say that those many cheap garment racks out there will tear holes in your pocket in the long run.
Features
By now, you’re probably wondering how to choose a garment rack that you’ll be pleased with, and we won’t leave you hanging. There are a number of features that you’re to consider when looking at garment racks, and you won’t have to sacrifice your style as they are available in a lot of style options as well. There are some with all the extras, and there is also the utilitarian one; the purpose for which you’re garment rack shopping will determine which of these you’ll need.
In light of this, what we’ll do is give you the core features to look out for when the garment rack search is on. Here they are:
- Design: Number of bars, adjustability, with or without casters, etc.
- Size: This refers to its dimensions.
- Material: This is what it’s made from.
- Capacity: This is the recommend weight limit.
- Assembly: Does it require assembly? How easy is it to assemble?
With greater understanding of these features, picking your garment should be easy-peasy.
Construction and Design
In the manufacture of garment racks, a number of materials can be used. Steel is a commonly-used metal for garment racks. It can be used to create the entire body of the rack or to make rods that will be connected to each other by plastic. When it comes to aesthetics, the all-steel garment racks add a modern, industrial touch to a space. They are the go-to racks when there’s a need for commercial-grade garment racks such as the ones used in retail stores or warehouses for clothing display. Plastic is usually incorporated into a metal garment rack, and we’re yet to find one that’s made entirely from plastic.
The wooden racks are usually a beauty to behold; they’re more like art pieces than storage items, but this doesn’t make them any less efficient. They’re a more suitable option for home and office use as they exude a charming feeling of comfort and romance.
There are many uses to which a garment rack can be put and this multi-functionality is one reason why their designs vary. First of all, a garment rack is a unit, with one or more hanging bars with a vertical support pole on each end and a base to which the whole setup is attached. They can be used with accessories such as storage boxes and baskets that may be sold with it or separately. Further, most garment racks that are intended for home use as a supplementary closet space usually have shelves for these accessories. The more utilitarian ones are more suited for display of merchandise and for use in the hospitality industry.
A large percentage of garment racks come with swivel or multidirectional casters that make it easy to move about by rolling it from place to place. Some of these casters have been fitted with brakes and bumpers for a more practical user experience. That way once the locks are in place, you don’t have to worry about the rack rolling off at the slightest nudge.
The sizes of these units vary and can go from as low as 39 inches to as high as over 70 inches. They also come in designs that allow you to adjust the heights of the pole for a more personal fit. If we’re looking at a double-rod rack with a side-by-side orientation, there’s usually a gap of 22 inches between them; there are double-rod garment racks with an up-and-down orientations as well, and these usually have enough space for a short dress or a large shirt between them. The length of a hanging bar can be 36 inches to over 60 inches, though some have hanging bars that can be extended to have an overall length of up to 70 inches.
Performance and Ease of Use
The good thing about most garment racks is that you don’t have to experiment to determine just how many pounds—in clothing weight—to put on it. Not that we expect you to pull out a scale and begin to calculate how much your clothes weigh, but it’s possible to make an educated guess about how much clothing is too much for a particular weight limit. Some manufacturers are thoughtful enough to go the extra mile by listing the weight limit for each part of the rack.
Putting together a garment rack doesn’t have to remind one of rocket science and this understanding has made rack-making brands create garment racks that are quite easy to assemble. As a matter of fact, many a manufacturer includes tools for assembly in their garment rack packages to facilitate the process. If you don’t have time to spend poring over an instruction manual, it’s good for you to read other users’ experiences before making a purchase.
Just as there are garment racks with adjustable heights, there are also others with a collapsible function that allows the rack to be folded away in a compact pack for less-bulky storage and portability. You may even find some that are both adjustable and collapsible. Ensure that such racks are easy to knock down and set up again; it should also facilitate easy assembly.
Many of them are sold without covers; this is good as it allows you to easily assess your stuff and access it just as easily. But if you’d rather have your stuff kept away from prying eyes and the invasive dust, you can get a cover that’ll fit from the manufacturer or your go-to store.
The best garment rack is one that will hold up your clothes or display them with integrity, one that won’t let them down (literally and figuratively), and one that will keep them beautifully organized for a long time to come. Well, you’ve read our buying guide and determining which rack fits this description shouldn’t be much of a hassle as you enjoy the review.
Features
Since its inception in 2012, Deco Brothers has committed itself to making life simpler for everyone by creating a beautiful array of products that will make keeping your stuff organized more like a pleasant pastime than a bothersome chore. Its collection of modern-looking pieces includes inventive racks for your closet, kitchen, and office. The rave reviews it receives are a testimonial of its focus on satisfying the customer; its responsive customer support attests to that too.
The Deco Brothers Double Rail Garment Rack features a chrome finish on a stainless-steel construction; this is not only a good-looking combination, but a functional one as well. The steel tubes are of a strong quality that’ll keep the rack from breaking under the weight of your clothes, and its finish enhances the corrosion-resistant quality of the steel, giving you longer service for your money.
This Deco Brothers rack stands at an impressive height of 60 inches, which can be adjusted to about 70 inches at its highest extension. Further, it has two bars for hanging clothes. The top bars are not a single piece; each of them is composed of 2 bars, with one sliding into another and locking in place. Does this reduce its efficiency as a garment rack? No, it doesn’t, as there isn’t a difference when it’s compared with a single-piece rack carrying the same weight. The racks can be extended from their 51-inch length to 75 inches for an increased storage space, but you may have to go light on the extension rods to avoid overloading them.
The 4 casters on this baby are of heavy-duty construction and are about 4 inches high, with ball bearings for smooth movement of this rack even when it’s fully loaded. It requires assembly, and that is so simple a process that it can be done in a matter of minutes. It can also be taken apart just as easily to make a compact package for ease of storage.
Features
Whitmor is a family-run, fourth generation company that was established in 1946 by Charles Whitman as a groundbreaker in the production of garment bags. Its desire to succeed has seen it transition from a vertical manufacturing operation that carried out all its activities locally, to a brand having partnerships with a long list of Asian factories. This same zeal has seen it through a catastrophic tornado that destroyed its global distribution center located in Earle in the year 2008. For Whitmor, the greatest pleasure comes from the knowledge that it’s able to integrate value, integrity, innovation, customer service, and the highest ethical standards to meet, and exceed, the expectations of not just its customers, but its retail partners as well.
Whitmor’s Double Rod Closet could be just the garment rack that’ll help you get rid of the clutter and turn your closet or bedroom into a more organized space. With this baby, you don’t have to worry about the sturdiness of your rack; neither would you have to tread gently when you want to use it, because it’s made of steel coated in silver for an attractive look. Further, it features industrial-grade resin connectors, which grip the steel tubes tightly, giving this rack a stability that doesn’t waver even when the rack is fully loaded. Talking about load, it’s designed with a carrying capacity of 150 pounds—that’s a lot of clothes.
There are 5 wire shelves, which include the top and bottom shelf, and 2 rods. These shelves, in spite of their looks, aren’t sissies; they have a 10-pound weight limit and accessories can be kept here in appropriate-sized storage bins as well as folded blankets, towels, or clothes. The top shelf can be used to store clothes or other items that aren’t in use; it’s built to hold up to 20 pounds. Other stuff such as bags, boots, shoes, etc. can be stored on the bottom shelf which also has a capacity for 20 pounds—mind that these are just our ideas though, and its organization is completely up to you.
The Whitmor Double Rod Closet, as its name implies, has a double-rod feature. It has 2 hanging rods: one above and another directly below that. The lower rod can be removed to make room for an upper rack full of full-length garments and clothes—nice, isn’t it? The open design of this rack means that you don’t have to waste precious seconds searching for an item as it’s all in the open; all you need to do is reach out and grab it. If you’d prefer a cover, it’s available too. This is a freestanding piece; it doesn’t require attachment to any sort of support as it’s designed to stand alone. Finally, it has a height of 68 inches and measures 45.25 inches across, with a depth of 19.25 inches; this makes for ample clothing storage space.
Features
Honey-Can-Do is a company that firmly believes its customers don’t have to break the bank to afford a home that’s well-organized and beautiful. For this reason, it has based its operations on three simple principles which are: to provide people with what they desire, to do so at a reasonable price, and to employ a sense of responsibility and integrity in the process of doing so. A great deal of this company’s resources has been committed to the gathering of useful data from the users of organization and storage products. It uses this data in its production process to deliver merchandise that are trendy, high-quality, and affordable—just the way you want them.
The Honey-Can-Do Collapsible Garment Rack has a look that sort of reminds one of several things: an aseptic living space, a professional’s garment rack and, most interesting of all, it reminds one of a sci-fi movie set in a future millennium. Its construction is completely of metal and those slender bars shouldn’t fool you, as they’re able to hold a decent amount of clothes. Its chrome-finished steel frames are resistant to the damage that exposure to the elements can wreak, thus assuring you of a long-lasting use—in style.
Its swivel casters can be used to move this unit on any type of flooring, and they have a locking mechanism with which they can be locked in place so that the rack doesn’t roll off when it’s bumped into. One feature we can’t seem to get enough of on this rack is its folding design. If you have a job that requires constant moving and setting up of a garment rack, this one just about fits the bill. It can be quickly folded into a compact pack that’s only 1.5 inches tall. What’s more, it can be just as quickly unfolded and set up for use. This is also a great feature if you’re trying to save space in your home.
This 68-inch tall garment rack is a functional piece that will find use in your closet, laundry room, and a host of other places (thanks to its foldable feature). It has a limited warranty for a lifetime—so maybe it does intend to be around when the era of flying automobiles arrives.
We hope you found the garment rack that will make your storage problems go away. You did? Great! Go on and make that order then. If not, these companies have more garment racks on offer that you’re welcome to check out.
