The Complete Office Storage & Filing Buying Guide

Storage is one of those categories people shop for reactively: a closing office, a records backlog, a supply closet that's out of control. That makes it easy to buy the wrong unit. The right choice comes down to three questions: what are you storing, does it need to lock, and how much floor space do you actually have. Here's how to work through them.

Start With What You're Storing

• Paper records and files: a lateral filing cabinet or a combo unit like our Lateral Filing Cabinet with Bookcase, built specifically around letter and legal hanging file rails.
• Books, binders, and reference material: our Classic Series Laminate Bookcase comes in 30", 47", and 71" heights; the taller units hold significantly more without taking any extra floor space.
• Supplies and mixed materials: an adjustable-shelf storage cabinet is the most flexible option, since shelf spacing can change as your needs change.
• A little of everything in a small footprint: our Personal Storage Tower and Combo Filing Cabinet pack file storage, a locking shelf, and drawer space into one unit, useful for a single office rather than a dedicated storage room.

Lateral vs. Vertical Filing

Lateral filing cabinets (wide and shallow, with file drawers that open along the long side) are the standard in most offices today. They take up less depth, are easier to access from a seated position, and can double as a credenza surface. Vertical file cabinets (narrow and deep, with drawers that open on the short side) still make sense where floor space is tight and wall length is limited. If you're not sure which you have room for, measure the wall length available before the cabinet depth: that's usually the deciding factor.

Open Shelving vs. Locking Cabinets

If what you're storing is sensitive (HR files, financials, client records), make sure the unit actually locks. Our Combo Filing Cabinet, Lateral Filing Cabinet with Bookcase, and Personal Storage Tower (roughly $465 to $700) all include locking storage and are the right fit for anything that shouldn't be accessible to just anyone. Our glass-door storage cabinets (from about $693) are a nice option when you want contents visible and organized, like reference material or a display area, but they don't lock, so keep those for non-sensitive material. Open shelving and bookcases without doors are the most economical option and, like the glass-door cabinets, are best reserved for anything that doesn't need to be secured.

Sizing and Placement

A few things to check before you order:

• Ceiling clearance and tip-over risk: 71" bookcases and tall cabinets should be anchored if they'll sit near walkways or in a room with foot traffic.
• Door and drawer clearance: lateral file drawers need their full width to open. Measure the path in front of the cabinet, not just the wall space it sits against.
• Weight loading: fully loaded lateral files are heavy. If the unit is going on an upper floor, check your building's floor load guidance, especially for multiple units in a row.

Matching Finishes

Our storage line shares a finish program with our desks and conference tables, so a filing cabinet, bookcase, and desk in the same office can be specified to match rather than approximated. Our finish options change as we add manufacturers, so check the current range with our planning team before you order.

Budget Planning

Storage spans a wide range depending on capacity and security. Open shelving and basic bookcases start around $138 to $370, mid-tier locking cabinets and filing combos run about $465 to $700, and larger glass-door or wall-mounted storage systems run roughly $900 to $1,400 and up. If you're outfitting more than a few offices at once, a quantity quote is worth requesting before you buy piece by piece.

Browse the full range in our storage collection, or get help matching units to your space with free planning support.