Menu
 

BestReviews is reader-supported and may earn an affiliate commission. Details

Best Hanging Closet Organizers

Updated August 2022
Bottom line
Pros
Cons
Best of the Best
ZOBER 9-Shelf Hanging Closet Organizer with Drawers
ZOBER
9-Shelf Hanging Closet Organizer with Drawers
Check Price
Great for New Parents
Bottom Line

This unique design has premium perks and plenty of options when it comes to organizing smaller accessories.

Pros

Features three large compartments and five soft drawers. Made from breathable woven polyethylene that won't dry out clothes or leather. Incredibly well-made and durable.

Cons

Shelves aren't designed to hold heavy loads. Arrives with an industrial smell.

Best Bang for the Buck
ZOBER 5-Shelf Hanging Closet Organizer
ZOBER
5-Shelf Hanging Closet Organizer
Check Price
Simple Yet Solid
Bottom Line

An affordable option for families wanting a five-shelf organizer to hold clothes and larger items.

Pros

Available in black, brown, or gray. Three mesh pockets for smaller items on each side of organizer. Can be hung from two stainless steel hooks.

Cons

A few customers had issues with the product arriving damaged.

Simple Houseware 6-Shelf Hanging Closet Organizer
Simple Houseware
6-Shelf Hanging Closet Organizer
Check Price
Most Durable
Bottom Line

An exceedingly popular product recognized for its attractive look and helpful features.

Pros

Comes with six shelves and six smaller mesh pockets on the sides. Two hooks atop product allow for hanging on closet bar or wire rack. Holds a decent amount of weight.

Cons

Frame can bend under heavy use and weight. Could be reinforced with cardboard.

Whitmor Hanging Shoe Shelves
Whitmor
Hanging Shoe Shelves
Check Price
Ideal for Footwear
Bottom Line

This inexpensive closet organizer offers plenty of space for customers needing to store shoes or other small belongings.

Pros

Includes 10 organizer shelves. Offered in white or gray. Two metal hooks connect organizer to closet bar or rack. Customers appreciate sleek and tidy design.

Cons

Shelves are smaller in width than many customers anticipated.

StorageWorks Hanging Closet Organizer with Garment Rod
StorageWorks
Hanging Closet Organizer with Garment Rod
Check Price
Best for Small Spaces
Bottom Line

A genuine space-saver with cubicles for bulky garments and a rod for hanging tops and bottoms.

Pros

Spacious cubicles are ideal for storing towels, bedding, or bulky garments. Has a 40-pound weight capacity. Rod maximizes overall storage space. Shelves won't sag or buckle.

Cons

Some consumers felt the 40-pound weight capacity was a generous estimate.

Why trust BestReviews?
BestReviews spends thousands of hours researching, analyzing, and testing products to recommend the best picks for most consumers. We only make money if you purchase a product through our links, and all opinions about the products are our own. About BestReviews  
BestReviews spends thousands of hours researching, analyzing, and testing products to recommend the best picks for most consumers. We only make money if you purchase a product through our links, and all opinions about the products are our own. About BestReviews  
BestReviews spends thousands of hours researching, analyzing, and testing products to recommend the best picks for most consumers. We buy all products with our own funds, and we never accept free products from manufacturers.About BestReviews 
HOW WE TESTED

We recommend these products based on an intensive research process that's designed to cut through the noise and find the top products in this space. Guided by experts, we spend hours looking into the factors that matter, to bring you these selections.

30
Models
Considered
60
Consumers
Consulted
22
Hours
Researched
Category cover

Buying guide for Best hanging closet organizers

Simple in design, hanging closet organizers can take your closets from jumbled and crumpled to neat and tidy. Regardless of the size of your closet, there’s a hanging closet organizer that will fit the space, whether it’s a basic hanging box or a bag of fabric shelves and pockets.

Combating clutter using a hanging closet organizer means weeding out your closets, seeing which items you can store in an organizer, and selecting the best size organizer for your needs. Hanging closet organizers also help kids manage their closets. For the young fashionista, there are plenty of colorfully designed hanging closet organizers that make getting ready for school in the morning refreshingly easy.

Content Image
Using one or two hanging closet organizers can be enough to eliminate a bureau in a bedroom and let you open up more space in the room.

Key considerations

Weight load

It is possible to overstuff a hanging closet organizer. Look for durable frames that won’t bend under heavy weight. For example, for a hanging closet organizer with five shelves, you might be able to pack in about 50 pounds without collapsing the frame or shelves. It’s always best to follow the manufacturer’s suggested weight load.

Tiers/shelves

Choose a hanging closet organizer with tiers or shelves that will hold your items comfortably. A unit with five tiers or shelves, for example, is likely to be wide with more room between the shelves to hold bulkier items, such as thick sweaters and high boots. A unit with 10 tiers or shelves is likely to be long and narrow and able to hold pairs of shoes in each slot.

Materials

The frames of most hanging closet organizers are covered in heavy-duty polyester or canvas with reinforced stitching for durability. For extra stability, organizers with horizontal shelves are often constructed of cardboard covered in a heavy-duty material. Regardless of the materials, hanging closet organizers are generally easy to spot clean.

Size

If you live in a house with small closets that have little depth, you’ll need to carefully choose a hanging closet organizer so that it will fit. On the other hand, if your closets are spacious, you’ll want a larger organizer that won’t get lost in the closet. A small, narrow hanging closet organizer is usually ideal for storing shoes. A large hanging closet organizer works best for folded sweaters, T-shirts, and trousers. Some models have zippers or clips that let you modify and adjust the organizer’s length.

Features

Hangers

Hanging closet organizers have hangers for hanging from a closet rod. Hook-and-loop closure hangers fit around most closet rods. Hook-and-loop hangers vary in length. The more space the hanging closet organizer takes up along the closet rod, the more secure it will be. Many models come with two durable hook-and-loop closures for balance. Hook-and-loop closures are designed to stay closed even if the organizer holds its maximum weight load.

Other models incorporate traditional metal hangers. A wider unit with two or more metal hangers will be better balanced when hanging on the closet rod. Metal hangers can also be used on wire closet shelving if the shelves are well-anchored to the wall.

Foldable

Lightweight, collapsible hanging closet organizers are easy to store when not in use. A foldable model is also ideal for packing in your suitcase when traveling. Many people take hanging closet organizers on cruises to fit more into small onboard closets.

Pockets

A hanging closet organizer with additional outer mesh or plastic pockets is ideal for holding smaller items, such as scarves, belts, socks, small purses, and undergarments. Some units have pockets on one side. Other models have pockets on both sides. If you have a cramped closet, remember that packing the outer pockets will make the unit a few inches wider in your closet.

Storage bins

The addition of lightweight fabric storage bins with handles can turn a hanging closet organizer into a hanging mini bureau. Most of the time bins are sold separately. They’re a great solution for holding smaller items, such as socks and undergarments, that aren’t heavy and won’t weigh down the organizer.

Backing

Sometimes our clothing has a mind of its own and ends up on a shelf one day and on the floor the next. To prevent that consider a hanging closet organizer with three closed sides. A backing will stop any sweaters or other items from slipping through the back of the shelf onto the floor.

Hanging closet organizer prices

Inexpensive

In the $9 to $13 range, you’ll find basic, functional, and narrow hanging closet shelves and bags. The shelves on basic hanging closet organizers are usually wide enough to hold shoes or purses. Narrow units for kids also fall in this price range. Most inexpensive hanging closet organizers have metal hangers.

Mid-range

From $13 to $22, you’ll begin to see wider hanging shelves with additional mesh pockets. Specialty hanging closet organizers designed for hats or handbags are found in this price range as well. You’ll also find double-sided hanging bags that are slim enough to easily slide into closets. Most organizers in this price range have hook-and-loop closures or multiple metal hangers.

High-end

From $22 to $40, you’ll find wide hanging closet organizers that come with matching fabric drawers with handles and outer mesh pockets. Pricier hanging organizers also come in more stylish fabrics with a linen-like look in elegant neutral colors that blend into your closet.

Tips

  • In the event you need to thoroughly wash a hanging closet organizer, first make sure you don’t have one with any cardboard inserts. Place the organizer in a bathtub with a couple of inches of lukewarm water and gentle dish detergent. Swish around in the water, rinse, and then hang outdoors so the organizer is completely dry before hanging it back in your closet. Otherwise, it’s best to spot clean your organizer.
  • If your hanging closet organizer is a few inches too long for the space you need to put it in, you can let the bottom bin simply collapse into itself as it rests on the floor, and the unit will still function properly. You can also use binder clips to hold the bottom bin or two up from the floor or away from the structure you need to clear. Cutting the bottom bins off may cause the hanging closet organizer to fray.
  • Many hanging closet organizers are designed to hold more than just shoes. There are organizers specifically designed to hold purses. There are other organizers that are constructed with multiple mesh pockets to hold undergarments, specifically bras and stockings. If you have room, you can hang an organizer that rotates 360 degrees and is built to hold shoes or accessories. For the laundry room, look for hanging mesh laundry organizers that fit over a rod.
Content Image
Use a hanging closet organizer in a baby’s room to hold unboxed diapers, baby blankets, burp cloths, and onesies that you need to access quickly.

FAQ

Q. What other ways can I use a hanging closet organizer?

A. If you’re a crafter, sewer, knitter, or quilter, fill the organizer with skeins of yarn and piles of fabric to keep everything neat and orderly. Hang an organizer on the back of a door hook in your bathroom to hold washcloths and skincare and beauty items. Hang an organizer with pockets on a hook in your pantry to hold seasoning packets and other items that tend to get lost in the fray. If you have room for a unit with tiers of shelves, horizontally store your paper towel rolls for easy access. Have a workshop in the basement or garage? Hang a pocket organizer on your wall or peg board to hold small tools or loose nuts and bolts.

Q. How can I prevent dust from getting on my clothes and shoes stored in a hanging closet organizer?

A. There are a few styles of hanging closet organizers that protect against dust. You can choose a hybrid garment bag/hanging closet organizer that is slim enough to fit into your closet but functions like a garment bag with a vinyl front. Other models have a vinyl front and tiered shelving. A hanging organizer with fabric covering the top of the unit can also do a decent job of protecting your items from falling dust.

Q. Can I hang a hanging closet organizer on a tension rod?

A. Even a heavy-duty spring tension rod can only hold between 10 and 20 pounds on average. Tension rods are meant to hold lightweight curtains and shower curtains. But it’s possible a lightweight closet organizer holding only undergarments and scarves, for example, could hold up on a tension rod.

Our Top Picks