Why would I need a portable closet?

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!

A portable closet offers just about everything a physical closet would offer – racks for hanging clothes, shelves for folded sweaters, hanging shoe racks to place dozens of pairs of shoes, and even a laundry shoot for your dirty clothes. Except in its portable design, the closet is often on wheels and failing that, is ultra portable being very small and/or with easy braces to grab hold of and move. Priced anywhere from $30 to hundreds though, portable closets are gaining exposure for other purposes.

Portable closets offer all sorts of benefit not just for someone who needs a portable or transient space to place their clothes, but just for anyone who needs some space to organize their stuff. (And who doesn’t need that!)  Much as closets have become a spot to store much, much more than just your clothes, items sold as portable closets can be repurposed for your own needs. Here are some creative ideas we’ve seen people use their portable closet space for:

Merchandise Storage – This is something we’ve seen personally used by small record labels and bands who need an easy way to store not their guitars or instruments but instead all the bands hoodies, shirts and records of their label, but in such a way that makes all these items easily organized, accessible, and also, easy to put back into storage. The fact that portable closets are designs to be – well, portable! – is what makes this such a good use of the item. Nice.

Drama Stage Props and Character Clothes Storage – Definitely one of the best uses of a portable closet outside of the home is use by drama studios to store character outfits and accessories. This is when portability truly plays a big role as you can easily wheel outfits in and out of studios, dressing rooms, back stage, and so on, to wherever they need be.

Kitchen Stuff – You can hang a chefs cloth in the rack and store all sorts of utensils inside the built in shelving and whatnot. This repurposing works better with metal framed closets as you wouldn’t want cloth materials that some portable closets are made from to be around food, oil, or otherwise out and about in the kitchen. You can also store dishes, etc on the shelving units for easy access. Covering it all with cloth and sliding it in the corner of the kitchen and you’ve got a portable kitchen gear organizer.

How have you taken a portable closet and used it for your own needs, outside of it just being a closet? Add your own story using the comments section below. We’d be curious to see what our readers have come up with!