The Best Garage Hanging Cabinets and Storage Solutions
Garage organization has been an ongoing pursuit of mine. Having all of my work tools, audio equipment, car detailing supplies, and other accessories in one central location fascinates me. I’ve been fortunate to take this passion I have and share it with the world. It makes this chase for the best garage storage solutions fun and worth the effort.
I remember getting my first real garage cabinet array back in 2018, where my Dad and I spent a day or two putting it all together. When I heard the delivery truck pull into the OGHQ parking lot, my initial reaction was sheer excitement. My brain was overloaded with a million different ways I wanted to set things up. I couldn’t wait to get this awesomeness together and get my hands on the Sonic Tools I ordered with it.
Cheap Garage Cabinets Aren’t OG
I’m not one to shy away from sharing my thoughts on a product, especially if it’s terrible. So, I will talk about some of these jank garage storage solutions that exist in the world. Many of them claim to be the best and what bothers me is how they position their products with the “best bang for your buck” ridiculousness. Get out of here—quality costs. You want the best; you pay for the best. Period.
Uncle Matty is here to tell you why you need to keep subpar cabinets like Husky, NewAge, and Gladiator out of your garage. They’re junk, and here’s why:
- Build quality. You may not notice it in the photos when you’re looking through these online catalogs but what you don’t see is the poor workmanship. Your better-quality garage cabinet brands will have no gaps between drawers and seams that align correctly. What we all want when it comes to quality cabinets is stoutness. Poorly constructed cabinets lack rigidity and strength.
- Fit and finish. These cheap cabinets will have several defects—specifically, the powder coating on the exterior and weld points.
- Lack of options. With many of these inferior garage cabinet brands, you’re limited to what you can get. For example, they only have a few drawer and door configurations. Our design team has worked with many customers who have bought into our brands’ philosophy, “chasing functional excellence,” and want the versatility that comes with our collection of garage storage cabinets. You’ll also find that these companies only have one width of lower and upper cabinets. What? I certainly can’t maximize the space in my cabinets being limited to the status quo. Give me options.
- Marketing fluff. The hype behind these cabinets is a joke. I’ve seen advertisements where they offer anywhere from 50% to 70% off, including free shipping. Does that sound great? Sure it does, to the novice shopper who sees saving money as value. Although this may be the cheapest option, the cabinets aren’t worth what they charge because these brands cover the cost to transport them. Don’t fall for this craziness.
Consumers like you have to navigate through mediocre garage solutions regularly. I’ve gladly taken the position that I will find and bring into our store what I know are the ultimate solutions for the garage space. Everything from wall shelving for the garage to overhead garage storage, our curation of products has been vetted and approved by me. Save yourself the hassle of scouring the web for these answers; my team and I have done that for you.
The Garage Cabinet Storage System You Want
We’re now shifting gears and transitioning into what I believe to be the cabinets you want in your garage. I get that what’s the best is subjective, but you’re talking to someone obsessed with this stuff and has a proven track record of people trusting my gut.
What makes for a quality set of garage cabinets is not just the way it looks but also the way it functions and the customizable options that come with it. You want to build your space out with a system that has multiple functionalities. Will it cost you? Yes. But, it’s worth the cost of buying something now that will give you everything you need plus many years of service. People have often heard me say that I’d rather save my money to buy the best rather than spend my money on what is feasible now. Why go through the headache of having a piece of junk you’re going to get rid of - figure out a way to get what’s best, even if you have to buy it one piece at a time.
This is where we dive into the good stuff. Part of my quest to find the best garage cabinets provided me an opportunity to visit Sonic Tools USA in Auburn, Alabama, back in 2019. I’m not even kidding you when I say I was enamored. I was surrounded by Sonic Tools, foam inlays, and cabinets. I could’ve spent the entire day in that place just playing with everything.
My fascination for the MSS and MSS+ line is inexpressible. They are honestly the ultimate garage cabinets to have. I’d categorize them as our top-tier options. We also have Saber cabinets that are legit. I’ve had them in some of my garages. These would fall into the entry-level, low-tier category but are still a solid choice, especially if you’re not looking to spend MSS money.
The Best Garage Cabinets
I’ve seen all the junk cabinets out there and I need to put an end to it. No matter what your vision is for your garage, we have the complete solutions below you’ll want and need. What I did was list them out from best to good. You’ve probably noticed that I’ve been harping on the Sonic stuff because they’re really good. You may cheap out on a pressure washer or even your tools, but I beg you not to cheap out with your garage cabinets.
#1 Sonic MSS+
- Crazy high capacity for the Sonic Foam System. The entire SFS Master Collection will fit 2.5 890mm 8 drawer cabinets.
- Deeper cabinets for higher capacity and larger counter space.
- Super high build quality and the highest tier fit and finish. It has a black powder coating with high-end silver handles.
- Dutch-made drawer slides. The shallow drawers have a 270lb capacity. The deep and extra deep drawers have a 520lb capacity.
- Bridge units allow for portable cabinet docking space or a desk seating spot.
- Multiple cabinet configurations with options for drawers, doors, reels, waste bins, a sink, lift controls, and more.
- Custom lift controls can be installed into a 360mm Cabinet.
- The 1540mm 12-drawer cabinet is the ultimate single cabinet with a single massive drawer up top, 890 sized drawers on the left, and 720 sized drawers on the right.
- Wall cabinets are taller and have higher capacity than MSS.
- Wire management pass-throughs are built-in. It allows for easy setup for under cabinet lighting.
- Mountings for Sonic power bars (sold separately) are built into all wall cabinets and the lower deep drawers.
- Vented deeper drawers for chargers and electronics storage.
- Self supporting with back panels and posts to support the wall cabinets.
- Easy to install in the final location without pushing the entire array back against the wall. All installation can happen from the front side of cabinets.
- Option for short back panels that have mounting holes for power bar brackets.
#2 Sonic MSS
- Perfectly constructed to work with the Sonic Foam System tools. It fits small (x3 in 26”), Medium (x1 in 26”), and Large inlays (x1 in 34”).
- This is a self-supporting system with the upper cabinets being supported by the wire pipes and back panel system.
- Feet behind the removable kickplate allow for perfect leveling.
- Plenty of drawer layouts to choose from.
- Two lower/upper cabinet widths to choose from. Either 26” or 34”.
- Two-tone powder coat scheme: Black housing with gray drawers.
- Drawer pulls are built into the folded steel drawer fronts.
- Pegboard back panels allow for more storage.
- Awesome fit and finish.
- Shallower depth (19.7”) allows configurations in more garage sizes.
#3 Saber
- Very industrial and solid.
- Simplistic look without any logos or branding.
- Utilitarian and no-frills, but really well built.
- The deeper drawers are exactly twice the depth of the shallow drawers and use two drawer slides. This means you could remove a deeper drawer and put two shallow drawers in its place. This opens up a bunch of drawer configurations if you want to switch things around.
- Come with feet but work best mounted to the wall.
- The 48” lockers are massive.
I see the garage as the cornerstone of the home. In most cases, it’s the entryway into and the exit out of the house. We want this space to be equipped with the essential tools to work on our cars and even the non-essential tools just because we want them. Cabinets, to me, are an absolute must-have and something you want to invest in, no matter the cost.