A classroom has a lot to hold: backpacks, books, art supplies, devices, paperwork, and the materials students use every day. Start with a quick inventory. What needs to stay within students’ reach? What belongs near the teacher? What can go behind a door or in a locked unit? Those answers help you choose storage that keeps supplies easy to find without crowding the room.
Match the container to the contents. Cubbies give each student a place for personal items, while tote trays and plastic bins sort small supplies. Open shelves put books and shared materials in view. Cabinets make sense for bulk supplies and staff-only items; a device cart can add secure storage and, on compatible models, charging.
Think about who uses each item and how often they need it. Low cubbies, short cabinets, and book displays give younger students a better chance to put away and retrieve their own materials. Taller shelves and cabinets keep more supplies in one place, but reserve their upper sections for items that adults handle. For devices, valuables, or supplies that require staff access, look for a unit with a lock and confirm that its compartments fit what you need to secure.
Then consider how the room works throughout the day. A mobile cart can move books or shared supplies between classrooms, while casters can help you clear space for a new layout. If storage stays in one spot, compare its footprint with the wall space and walkways you have. Material matters, too: metal suits heavy-duty use, wood offers a sturdy option, and particleboard and plastic can cost less and weigh less. Check each unit’s capacity and construction rather than assume that every model of the same material can hold the same load.
Measure your available floor space and check each unit’s height, width, and depth before you choose.
Plan a clear route through doorways and around desks for any cart you expect to move.
Follow the manufacturer’s placement and anchoring instructions for tall units.
Keep up to date.
Join the School Outfitters mailing list and be the first to know about new products and promotions.
Product Types
Classroom cubby storage units are a convenient way to store and retrieve items quickly. Depending on the size of the unit each cubby can hold games, toys, backpacks, coats and more. Assigning cubbies to students can give them a sense of ownership and begin teaching them responsibility. With different colors available, it’s easy to add cubbies to any classroom design. Most cubbies feature rounded corners and are specifically designed to prevent tipping, making them ideal for busy classrooms.
Organizing a classroom library can be simple with the right pieces of furniture to help. Some educators make use of seating with book slots, which are convenient and comfortable. Book browsers and book display stands are low to the ground and hold plenty of books so that students can easily pick their next read. Book shelves and towers are tall enough to offer tons of books to students. Designed with rounded corners, durable materials and stable bases these book storage solutions are ideal for K-12 classrooms.
Shelves are the simplest way to organize a classroom. Useful not only for books, shelving units can hold toys, games, tools and more. Standard bookcases are ideal for storing lots of items, but shelves are also available in round and even folding units that can add a stylish touch to your classroom décor. Different heights can make it easier for students to browse or keep them from reaching fragile or valuable items. Optional cabinet doors for the topmost shelves can further protect students from potentially dangerous supplies without taking up more space.
Totes are extremely helpful to organizing a classroom. With a wide selection of sizes, shapes and colors, tote trays can hold just about anything. Organized storage of markers, paper, toys and more is simple with just a few classroom storage bins. These bins can be stored on shelves, on teacher rolling carts, in cabinets or even built into tables. Clear trays make it easy to quickly find exactly what you need, while colorful trays are fun and make labels pop. Utilizing tote tray storage is an affordable way to maintain classroom organization.
Safe storage is important to extending the life of laptops, Chromebooks and tablets being used by students. Laptop storage carts offer security with locking doors while charging the devices inside. Other options offer students classroom iPad and cell phone storage that keeps devices charged during lessons or study sessions, reducing distractions in classrooms and libraries. Laptop and device storage carts and trolleys also allow IT teams to conveniently monitor devices while troubleshooting or repairing them.
While they do make for excellent bookshelves, mobile book carts are much more versatile than their name suggests. Ideal for toys, construction paper and totes, these rolling storage carts can hold and organize almost anything. There are a variety of styles available from carts with tops that can hold additional supplies to ventilated carts perfect for transporting electronics. Typically made of metal or wood, these highly durable carts are designed to roll smoothly throughout schools on a daily basis, withstanding the wear and tear of supporting busy libraries and classrooms.
Classroom wardrobes typically feature a combination of shelves and a hanging rack, making them the perfect place to keep bags and coats during class. The extra shelving is ideal for classroom supplies such as paper and markers. Add locking doors to secure items and keep them out of the hands of small children. These wide cabinets are built with durable materials and are designed to store everything educators need.
Metal cabinets keep bulk supplies behind doors and free up open shelves for materials students use every day. School Outfitters offers steel cabinets with adjustable shelves and lockable doors. Check the cabinet depth, shelf layout, and lock options against what you need to store.
Plastic bins give art materials, manipulatives, and shared supplies a place of their own. School Outfitters offers translucent bins and mobile bin storage, so you can see what you have or move supplies where you need them. Check bin dimensions and the unit's capacity before you choose a setup.
Filing cabinets keep lesson plans, forms, and other paperwork sorted and close at hand. School Outfitters carries wood and metal filing cabinets, including vertical, lateral, mobile, and lockable options. Choose a drawer layout that fits your files and a footprint that fits your room.
Ready for the next step?
Talk to a School Outfitters furniture expert today and get assistance on everything from product selection and room designs to purchase compliance and delivery.
Related Resources
Blog post
How Flexible Classroom Seating Benefits Students
Learn three big benefits of flexible classroom seating and how different seating options ...
Read Now
Blog post
How to Choose the Best Classroom Chairs for Your School
Does your school district need new classroom chairs? Here’s how to choose the best chairs ...
Read Now
Blog post
Mobile, Modular, Made to Last: How We Redefined the Reading Nook
The Sprogs Mobile Camper Nook started as a custom solution to a unique mix of concerns. ...
Read Now
