Best garage shelving ideas for garden and DIY tool storage

The only guide you need to find the right shelving ideas for the garage.

Best garage shelving ideas

by Jack Barrell |
Updated on

Tackling the garage is one of those jobs that is always on the to-do list, but something we all never quite get around to sorting. Change a habit of a lifetime thanks to these garage shelving ideas that will help to tidy up your space.

From being home to the petrol lawn mower that you've had for forever to the ever-growing collection on your shoe racks, the garage can often become overwhelming with junk instead of essentials, right?

However, here at What's The Best, we've spent days researching and investigating garage shelving ideas, so that you can choose the best garage shelving for you. And, get rid of all the unwanted items in the process.

Best garage shelving at a glance:

The best 5-tier shelving storage unit: G-Rack Garage Shelving Units - View at Amazon
The best storage shelving on wheels: Amazon Basics 5-Shelf Medium Storage Unit on 4-inch Casters - View at Amazon
The best budget tool rack storage: SWANLAKE 64 Inch Adjustable Storage System - View at Amazon

Garage shelving ideas:

Want to ensure you utilise your space better? We've left no stone unturned and searched what feels like the whole internet to bring you the best garage shelving ideas so that you can create storage that is functional and stylish. Here are some of the best garage shelving ideas.

Before you start browsing our top picks of the best garage shelving, don't forget to check out our guide to shed and garage organisation ideas to make life easier.

The best garage shelving ideas for garden and DIY tool storage:

The best 5-tier shelving storage unit

G-Rack Garage Shelving Units
Price: $99.99
Alternative retailers
Walmart$12.00View offer

Simple shelves like these work so well in garages because they offer so much storage and take up so little space. This unit may look fairly standard but it can hold 150kg per adjustable shelf. Easy to assemble and made using high-quality steel and 5mm thick wood it'll easily hold whatever you keep in the garage.

Pros

  • Fully adjustable shelves
  • Sturdy
  • Easily assembled

Cons

  • Some components appear slightly flimsy
Dimensions45.72 x 180.34 x 88.9 cm
Colour‎Black
Wall mounting?No
Item weight16.5kg
Weight capacity750kg
  • Customer review: "Purchased specifically to gain storage in a small study type interior room, this shelving unit does its task really well, and I recommend it heartily."

The best tool rack storage

StoreYourBoard Tool Storage Rack Plus Overhead Shelf
Price: $149.99

A very clever way to make the most of your space, this option combines hanging storage with a traditional shelf for a fantastic way to make the most of limited space. Able to hold over 400kg and has six hanging mounts, this is great for smaller spaces.

Pros

  • Smart storage
  • Space saving
  • Easy to mount

Cons

  • You need the right tools to assemble easily
Dimensions39.37 x 116.84 x 30.48 cm
ColourBlack
Wall mounting?Yes
Item weight11.1kg
Weight capacity135kg

The best storage shelving on wheels

Amazon Basics 5-Shelf Medium Storage Unit on 4-inch Casters
Price: $67.15

A stylish option if you need some storage but you don't have a load of space then buying a storage shelf on wheels may be a good option. This five-shelf option from Amazon Basics has four caster wheels and can hold up to 300kg making it ideal for storing tools and sports equipment.

Pros

  • Wheels are so useful
  • No tools needed to assemble

Cons

  • Needs maintaining, prone to rust
Dimensions76.2 x 35.56 x 164.47 cm
ColourChrome
Wall mounting?No
Item weight12.6kg
Weight capacity136kg with levelling feet, 80kg with casters when not in motion or 60kg with casters when in motion with evenly distributed weight
  • Customer review: "Well packed, easy to assemble by myself. Lightweight enough to move into position by myself, but not flimsy. Fits perfect into hallway cupboard. Practical, no nonsense."

The best budget 5-tier shelving unit

You shouldn't immediately discredit plastic shelving options. They're still sturdy enough to hold most of the stuff you'd find in a garage but they're easier to put together and lighter too. This five-tier plastic shelf from Argos can hold 150kg and is exceedingly good value.

Pros

  • Great value
  • Lightweight
  • Strong build

Cons

  • Not the prettiest
DimensionsH170, W71, D38cm
ColourBlack
Wall mounting?No
Item weight6.1kg
Weight capacity150kg
  • Customer review: "Considering it is pretty cheap and made from plastic, it's surprisingly sturdy when it's constructed. It's not the prettiest thing, nor the strongest - but for a cheap set of shelves to go in my cupboard it absolutely does the trick."

The best budget tool rack storage

SWANLAKE 64 Inch Adjustable Storage System
Price: $20.32

This nifty option is great for mounting to your garage wall and storing your tools on. Coming with 14 steel hooks this option is a clever and space-saving option.

Pros

  • Perfect for tools
  • Solid value for money

Cons

  • Not idea for big, heavy tools
Dimensions45.49 x 12.6 x 8.89 cm
ColourBlack
Wall mounting?Yes
Item weight7kg per hook
Weight capacity1.45kg
  • Customer review: "Do you want to get your yard tools off the ground? Well friend, this will do that. This will do that well and despite a few irritating setup needs, it works great!"

The best multi-purpose tool board

Get all your small tools and trinkets in one place. The VonHaus 44-piece tool board is the right one for the job. 44 pieces gives you plenty of options, including bolt boxes, hooks, pegs, and more. You'll need a fair amount of screws to get it up, but once it's up, it looks great and does a hell of a job.

Pros

  • Easy to assemble
  • 44 pieces
  • Stylish

Cons

  • A lot of screws required to fit
Dimensions22D x 54W x 48H cm
ColourBlack/orange
Item weight3kg
Weight capacity36kg
  • Customer review: "This is an attractive array of storage units designed for garages and sheds, ideal for accommodating small items such as nuts, bolts, nails, washers and screws."

The best garage storage cabinet

Keter XL Garage High Indoor Garage Utility Multi purpose Cabinet
Price: $174.99

Keep all your tools and kit safe, secure, and locked away with this Keter XL Garage High Indoor Garage Utility Multi purpose Cabinet. It's super stylish and it can hold up to 135kg. It can also be locked up giving you that extra peace of mind.

Pros

  • Totally lockable
  • Stylish
  • Tall cabinet

Cons

  • Cheaper options have a higher weight capacity
Dimensions45D x 56W x 89H
ColourBlack
Wall mounting?No
Item weight25.6kg
Weight capacity135kg
  • Customer review: "The cupboard is of reasonable quality and the shelves supplied are sturdy and would take, I think, the 35kg claimed weight with ease."

The best bin panel rack

 KCT 32 Pcs Wall Mount Storage Board Organiser Garage DIY Bin Panel Rack
Price: $52.30
https://redirect.viglink.com?key=349f95720ce5cc9591e15152a710dbb3&prodOvrd=PCR&opt=false&u=W0BNFkoPGB1HFBIbFAJVWFhDER9WXlgdCEceZwUODh55VhNXQVJWHScsbE4wTVpLUAJUGHZUQABQVB0rEAVSWlAcXEcYAwFVVgdUUgsHDgc%3D&x=v1&prdId=11071980762&barcode=AwEJUAkABwAFUF0DV1E%3D
Alternative retailers
Overstock$82.98View offer

Got a garage that's flooded with nails, bolts, cable ties and god knows what else? A bin panel rack can change everything and totally level up your organisation. This one's cheap, stylish, and comes with 32 individual storage pots.

Pros

  • Great for mini storage
  • Easily assembled
  • Stylish

Cons

  • Flimsy plastic
Dimension34.6 x 23.4 x 14.4 cm
Colour‎Red,black
Wall mounted?Yes
Item weight2.1kg
Total storage containers32
  • Customer review: "Product serves its purpose as a budget option but does feel a bit flimsy. Can imagine the back board deforming if holding any significant weight. I had to bend some of the tabs so the boxes fit on to the back board. However, for most uses it does the job. Would recommend for the price."

The best extra heavy-duty shelving storage

Is your garage filled with a ridiculous amount of clutter that you want to sort? With these near-industrial-grade shelves, you can simply fill them up thanks to an unbelievable weight limit of 400kg per shelf. Made from steel and fitted with 15mm thick chipboard shelves it's a durable option.

Pros

  • Super durable
  • Easy assembly

Cons

  • Need a lot to store in order to get your money's worth
Dimensions60D x 120W x 180H cm
ColourBlue and orange
Wall mounting?No
Item weight400kg
Weight capacity400kg per shelf
  • Customer review: "Easy construction, quality materials - sad that I don't need any more of these racking systems! The garage looks very tidy and the racking looks like it'll outlast me."

The best garage hooks for storage

 Remiawy Garage Hooks
Price: $19.99
Alternative retailers
Walmart$46.19View offer

Garage hooks are a brilliant sollution to any cluttered space. Store a range of tools on these Remiaway Garage Hooks, with a range of hook sizes, there's a hook for everything. You'll have total freedom on where you want to stick your hooks, they're suitable for almost every kind of wall too.

Pros

  • Suitable for all wall types
  • Different sizes for different purposes

Cons

  • Not a lot of uses for the smaller hooks
Dimensions18.03 x 6.1 x 15.49 cm
ColourBlack
Item weight454g
  • Custome review: "We lost some expensive electrical tools in the recent floods and would not have if they were hanging on the wall rather than lying on the floor. Bought these and they are perfect for the job. Chainsaw, Strimmer etc. all now out of harm's way."

FAQs

How to organise tools in a garage

There're so many ways you can organise your tools in your garage. There's no excuse anymore to have garden equipment laying on the cold ground of your garage. You can get your hands on affordable shelving units and cabinets, and you can also find yourself high quality wall mounts and hooks too.

Where to store garden tools

Garden tools are likely to take up the most space in your garage compared to everything else. So, it's important that you account for storing them correctly. Mounted storage rails are great, they come with strong hooks capable of holding those heavy duty tools.

How to hang tools in a garage

No matter what shape or size of your tools, there are so many options out there when it comes to hanging them in the garage. One one hand you can pick up a wall mounted tool rack, where your tools can sit safely until you need them. Let's say you don't have space for an entire wall mount, you can just grab yourself some individual tool hooks, meaning you can secure your tools on any and all surfaces.

How to build garage shelving

Keeping on the DIY theme, if you're looking to upcycle wood you have lying around the house or want to take up a new project, creating your own garage shelving is a great shout. But, what do you need to install garage shelving?

Tools:

• Tape measure

• Pencil

• Wood

• Cordless drill

• Saw

• Screws

Instead of us outlining step-by-step of how to install shelving, this incredible video from YouTuber, Ana White, runs down an easy, cheap and fast way to build garage shelving:

Now you have all the information you need to turn your garage shelving idea into a reality.

Jack Barrell is a Tech and Fitness Writer for What’s the Best. He is invested in all things entertainment and keeps well up to date with the latest sports and exercise trends too. On his off days Jack can usually be found doing one of two things; lifting heavy weights – or watching his favourite Star Wars for the thousandth time.

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