5-tier steel shelving, 72 in

StorageBest value

Holds tubs or boxes floor to ceiling in a small footprint.

Typical price

$40 to $90

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Why we pick it

Typical price: $40 to $90
Works with

Floor space runs out first, so build up instead. Number the shelves and give each item an address you can pick from.

Good for

Small rooms with wall space
Holding bins and boxes

Not for

Hanging clothing

Our approved alternative for the same job: Clear stackable 32 qt bins, 4 pack

The guide

Each step in the order you'll need it.

A 72-inch steel unit suits you if

A five-tier steel unit suits you once your inventory has spilled onto the floor. Put it against one wall of a spare room or garage and number the shelves for your tubs, boxes and supplies.

It works from a few dozen orders a week up to a few hundred. 300 vintage pieces in tubs, or 60 boxed pairs of sneakers, fit on one or two units.

Use a rack for hanging inventory. A unit still holds your mailers and tape.

Load rating, depth and shelf spacing

Pick a per-shelf load rating that clears your heaviest tub with room to spare. Boltless garage units quote 350 to 600 lb per shelf. Check the listing for your model's figure.

Match the depth to your tubs. Check each model's depth: units at 16 to 18 inches take a 32-quart tub lengthwise or a shoebox front on. Measure your containers before you buy.

Adjustable shelf heights let you drop a shelf to fit a short tub, or raise one for a tall box.

Building and placing it

Assemble on a flat floor and tap the joints home with a rubber mallet. Anchor the top to the wall with a bracket, and do it for certain if children use the room.

Load heavy inventory low and light inventory high. Keep your fastest sellers at waist height so picks take seconds.

Give each shelf a code from the top, such as A to E, and each tub a number. Write the code in the listing's SKU field so you know where to pick from when an item sells.

Racks, card boxes and tubs alongside it

Hang dresses and shirts on a heavy-duty double clothing rack, since folding wrinkles them.

3,200-count card storage boxes suit trading card singles, and several fit on one shelf of this unit.

Clear stackable 32-quart tubs, 4 pack, are the natural partner: the unit holds them, and the tubs keep dust and damp off the inventory.

Kit for this step

Level floor, air gap and a re-tighten

Check the floor is level, or use the adjustable feet that many units include. Do this before you load the unit. A loaded unit that leans keeps leaning, so level the floor or adjust the feet before you stock it.

Leave a gap from the wall in a garage so air moves and damp stays off the back row of boxes.

Re-tighten or re-seat the shelves after the first month, once the frame has settled under load.

Common mistakes

Each one costs you money or reviews, and each has a fix.

Keep heavy books off the top shelf, which makes the unit top heavy. Load heavy items on the bottom shelves.
Anchor the top to the wall; without the bracket, a loaded unit can tip.
Measure your containers before you buy, or the shelf depth may not fit them.
With unlabeled shelves, you hunt for every item that sells. Code each shelf and tub.
Leave an air gap behind a garage unit. Against a cold wall, damp collects in the back boxes.