Portable Closets: Affordably Functional

You have completely run out of space, haven’t you?  Your chests, dressers and closets are jam-packed with clothes.  Your shoes literally cover all of the floor space in the bedroom walk in.  I will bet you are even stuffing the winter coats in suitcases during the summer because there is no room in your front closet for all of them. 

If this sounds familiar, then you should be looking into purchasing a portable closet for your home.  These units are exactly what they sound like: a five or six foot tall rectangular frame of wood or plastic with a cover that zips or is held closed with Velcro.  They function just like a normal closet, including a clothes rod, but are very light and simple to set up and take down.  Plus, they are very easy on your bank account.

Let’s look at just a few of the advantages of portable clothes closets.

The first use that probably comes to mind for these units is storage of old or seasonal clothing.  Imagine how much space you would have in the bedroom and hall closets during the summer if you had someplace else to put the parkas, snow boots and stocking caps.

Portable closets also work well for storing unused items that you are not willing to part with, such as your wedding gown, that autographed football jersey, or the little black dress that is barely a size too little right now.

Perhaps your study or den has to double as a bedroom when you have overnight guests.  The problem with most of these arrangements is the lack of a closet.  Instead of having a contractor build one that take away some floor space permanently, why not just set up a portable wardrobe for a night or two? 

Even if you have a true spare bedroom, the built-in closet may be full of boxes, older clothes, and who knows what else.  Once again, a portable storage closet can come to the rescue, allowing you to make space available for your guests to hang up their pants and blouses.

One of the great aspects of portable closets is that they come in a wide variety of sizes.  Some are large enough to act as a functional replacement for a regular closet, while others only take up a few square feet, and are suitable for just getting a few items out of your way.

As a result, portable clothes closets can be kept just about anywhere.  You can set one up in the corner of the bedroom, in the attic, inside the garage, or even down in the cellar.  With a little bit of creativity, you can almost certainly find somewhere to put one.

Some portable storage closets are very basic: just an enclosed frame with a clothes rod.  Others, however, can be quite elaborate.  Some actually have shelving inside, and may include pockets for shoes.  Additional pockets and compartments in a variety of shapes and sizes are also quite common.

Wheels are another great feature on some portable wardrobe closets.  This allows you to move them while they are full, which can be very convenient when cleaning, rearranging the furniture, or getting those old children’s clothes out of the guest room before your in-laws arrive.

Lastly, do not overlook the fact that, if not needed, you can just take the closet apart and get it out of your way.

Cost is definitely one of the greatest advantages to getting a portable closet.  Many of the smaller types will set you back little more than $20, and even the most deluxe ones are seldom more than $75.  It sure beats the heck out of buying a heavy wooden wardrobe or paying hundreds to have a permanent closet put in.

Almost as good as the pricing is the fact that these items can be found at all kinds of different places, including discount retailers, hardware and home improvement centers, department stores, and many others.  Of course, they are available through many internet sites, as well.

Like most things, portable closets do have a few disadvantages.  For one thing, since the walls are often transparent, you cannot “hide” things inside them as you would with a permanent storage space.  Over time, they will start to show signs of wear, such as zippers jamming, tears in the fabric, etc.  You should also not count of them to be waterproof, so keeping them in damp areas is not a good idea.

Finally, most of these units do not have much going for them in the way of looks.  You will notice that the photo spreads in those home and garden magazines seldom include a portable clothes closet.

The bottom line with this storage solution is practicality.  If you are on a tight budget and are not too worried about looks or product lifespan, a portable closet may very well be the best way to prevent your next clothing avalanche.