Which Brand Has The Best Garage Shelf Storage System?

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A cluttered garage is a near-universal issue for homeowners. Somehow, there is never quite enough space for everything you own, making it next to impossible to fit a car inside. Clutter builds up, gets dusty, and all of a sudden, it becomes easier to ignore the mess than to tidy things up. You can always toss a few commonly stored items. Maybe start by liquidating bigger items, like the canoe that hasn't touched water in 15 years or that ATV needing a new engine. Consider a yard sale or donating to charity. But now that you've gotten rid of the excess, you're faced with the task of organizing what you decided to keep. This is where you might consider storage shelves — and Craftsman, CX, and Fleximounts are brands that come out on top.

While it may sound counterintuitive to add more stuff, shelving units can help by maximizing the vertical space in your garage. Of course, you'll eventually have to declutter your shelves, but at least those smaller items won't be scattered across the floor. Shelves will provide more space to keep your vehicles out of the elements or even to walk through, trip hazard-free. You can repurpose some of that extra space for recreational uses, such as a weight bench or a ping pong table.

There are several features to consider when selecting shelving units. First of all, you want a unit that is relatively easy to put together, because you don't want to waste half the day sweating over an assembly manual. You also need something sturdy to protect yourself, your children, and your pets from injury by falling objects. Lastly, you want a shelf that is affordable.

Start by checking out the CX Black & Yellow 4-Tier Garage Shelves. They sell for $100 and support about 200 pounds per unit. If you're worried about it falling over, the shelf comes with brackets that connect to the wall. With over 9,000 Amazon ratings, the product has an average rating of 4.3 out of 5 stars. One satisfied reviewer stated, "It's heavier duty than I imagined and was so easy to put together. It does not require tools and everything snaps into place." (via Amazon)

The Craftsman Stackable Garage Storage Rack is also a hit among customers. This product sells for just under $255, but the extra cost may be worth it for buyers who need something a little more heavy-duty than the resin designs. The four steel shelves, which support up to 1,500 pounds total, come with wall mounts so you don't have to worry about the product tipping over. Out of 259 Amazon reviews, the shelf received 4.6 out of 5 stars. One otherwise positive review did mention the unit is sturdy and adaptable, but that the assembly process was complicated, saying, "Assembly was a little more complicated than I expected, and the instructions weren't very detailed." (via Amazon)

If a lack of floor space is your main problem, and you don't even have room for a floor shelf, try the Fleximounts Floating Garage Shelf, which offers a set of mountable shelves for $130. These heavy-gauge steel shelves each support 400 pounds. The one downside is that installation will require you to get up on a ladder and screw the pieces into the wall. Out of 5,000 Amazon reviews, the product received 4.7 out of 5 stars, with one reviewer stating, "I installed these shelves in my garage and they've turned out to be a really solid storage solution. They hold quite a bit of weight and free up a lot of floor space." (via Amazon)

The process of researching products online and determining which ones are the best is heavily reliant on the writer's preferences and is only intended to offer recommendations. While this process can't be boiled down to an exact science, there are a few things that were prioritized when selecting the featured products. The first step was to read other reviews and articles to see which shelves were the most popular on the market. It was also helpful to simply search through Amazon for its highly-rated options.

While looking at products, the writer aimed to imagine the needs of the everyday homeowner. What types of things do they need to store, and how much space will be required? Some shelves were simply too small and flimsy for most people's purposes, so those products were eliminated from consideration.

The last step was to select a diverse range of products to suit varying needs. Some households don't require expensive, heavy-duty storage shelves, but they also don't want subpar materials. That's where the resin options are helpful. Other people need a steel storage shelf because they have heavy equipment that a weaker shelf might not withstand, possibly cracking their garage floor or, even worse, injuring a person. Lastly, there are plenty of people who just need to clear their floor space of camping equipment and golf gear, which is why the mounted shelves were recommended. The aforementioned shelves seemed to be the best for each category. But if you continue to struggle to find options that suit your needs, you can always build a garage storage shelf.