With that in mind, let’s take a look at the features being offered now in a solid portable closet which make them stand out above the rest.

A convenient way to hang clothes. This one is a no-brainer. Of course a good portable closet will offer an easy way to hang your clothes!

Protection from dust, bugs, allergies. Many portable closets are designed to protect the clothes using a vinyl cover, or similiar material, to keep dust, dirt, bugs and other insects away from your clothes. This is especially important if clothes are being relegated to the portable closet for long term storage.

Breathability. Since portable closets often end up being used to store clothes for months or even longer, it’s important that if they are covered or in a “closed” closet system, that the clothes are able to “breath”, and by this we mean that there is some level of air flow which prevents the clothes from becoming musty or otherwise just gross. Portable closets now offer designs which will protect and cover your clothes but allow them to stay clean and fresh.

The ability to store shoes. Many portable closets now offer a side hanging shoe rack, which allows for shoes to be placed vertically on the side of the closet. So get those Vans men’s shoes off the floor and into a rack!

Room for dirty laundry. Now we are getting into the features that truly make a portable closet like a real closet. The ability to store your (dirty) laundry in a compartment is a great add-on feature, one which guests whom are using the portable closet as a “real closet” will certainly appreciate!

Being truly portable. Lastly, despite the marketing name of “portable closet”, some models are not really all that portable, especially once loaded down with clothing and other items! A great portable closet will be able to easily hold up to the weight of jeans, sweaters, and so on, and be able to move easily through the use wheels or offer hand rails of some sort for easy pick up and transport around the house.

Good question. Mainly for the extra space, don’t you think? We’ve addressed this question here by taking a look at the most common usages and reasons for a portable closet.

How portable are portable closets?

Ironically, this varies with the model. If you need a portable closet that you will, say, take with you traveling, then something small that unfolds and then allows for clothes to hang by adding a bar into the design will be much more portable than a full scale portable closet on wheels that is more suited for a spare guest room. Most portable closets are light and weigh only a few pounds. However, once they are packed with clothes, the weight will make a big difference in the portability. If you are only using the closet around the home, weight isn’t really an issue so long as the closet is equipped with wheels and you need not take it to a different floor of the house.

What is the price rang for portable closets?

Like most products, there is a huge price rang for items sold as portable closets. On the most simplistic low-end, you can purchase a simple portable closet for hanging clothes for $20-30 US. For a full scale portable closet that offers many features of a real closet, expect to look into the $100 range. For portable closets that you’d want to see as a nice piece of furniture, consider the cost to start at $100 and go up from there.

What about my shoes? Also, what about socks and underwear? Dirty laundry?

Nicer portable closets will actually have spots to organize your shoes, create a sock and underwear drawer, and store your old laundry. Lower end models are more likely to just allow you to hang clothes. The best compromise between the two is a portable closet which allows for hanging extra clothes and also storing extra shoes, as these two items – shoes especially – can easily create a mess if there is no place to properly store them.

Where are some good places to purchase a portable closet?

Shopping for one online from Amazon.com is the most popular option. The only problem with this is that you obviously cannot see it in person! Big box stores such as Target carry a few models (and the prices aren’t bad), but for the real deal, try going to a home improvement or interior design shop, talk to the clerks, and take a look at a few models. This will give you a great idea of what’s out there and at what price range. It will also be a lot easier to assess the quality of the closet in person than over the internet.

This FAQ is a living document. Add your questions via the comments section below and we will address it for you!