Clothes Racks

What a clothes rail is

A clothes rail is open hanging storage: a rail on a frame, with nothing enclosing it.

• Open by design : everything hangs in view rather than behind a door.

• A small footprint : it takes far less floor than a wardrobe of the same capacity.

• Light to move : most can be shifted by one person, some are on castors.

• Quick to assemble : a frame and a rail, rather than a carcass.

• Often with a lower shelf : shoes or boxes under the hanging space.

Where a rail beats a wardrobe

A rail is not a cheap wardrobe; it does a different job.

• In a rented flat : it comes with you and needs no fixing to the wall.

• In a small bedroom : where a wardrobe door has nowhere to swing.

• As an overflow : seasonal clothes that will not fit in the main wardrobe.

• In a dressing area : part of the appeal is seeing what you own.

What to look for

Rails vary more in load capacity than they look like they should.

• Rail diameter : a thicker tube sags less under a full load of coats.

• The joints : where the rail meets the uprights is what usually fails first.

• Castors or feet : wheels help if it moves, feet are steadier if it does not.

• Height adjustment : useful for long coats and dresses.

Keeping it tidy

An open rail is honest about how much you own, which cuts both ways.

• Matching hangers : the single biggest difference to how a rail looks.

• Do not overload it : a packed rail creases clothes and strains the frame.

• Keep it out of sunlight : hanging clothes fade faster than folded ones.

• Shoes below : a lower shelf stops the floor under it becoming a pile.

For enclosed hanging space, our wardrobes run from a single door to nearly three metres wide. To keep footwear off the floor, see our shoe cabinets.