Best Bedroom Storage

The problem this solves

A small bedroom has to hold a bed, clothes and often a desk, and the bed takes most of the floor. Clothes pile up on chairs because the wardrobe is badly used and the space under the bed is empty. Four zones fix most of it: under the bed, inside the wardrobe, behind the door and at the foot of the bed.

Try this before you buy anything

1. Sort your clothes into keep, store for the season, and go. Out-of-season clothes do not need prime space.
2. Measure under the bed (height and depth) and the inside of the wardrobe.
3. Fold, do not hang, knitwear, and hang everything else on matching slim hangers.

What to look for

• Closed storage under the bed, so the room looks calm and dust stays out.
• Adjustable wardrobe organizers that fit your rail.
• No drilling, so it all moves with you.

Our picks at a glance

The picks in detail

Under the bed

If the bed is too low, risers add a few inches; best storage beds compares the options, including ottoman beds.

Inside the wardrobe

Behind the door

At the foot of the bed

A storage ottoman or bench holds spare bedding and gives you somewhere to sit to put shoes on.

Mistakes to avoid

• Overloading hanging organizers. They sag and pull the rail.
• Storing daily things under the bed. You will stop putting them back.
• Piling clothes on a chair. Give the chair a hook instead, for the clothes you will wear again.
• Blocking the window with tall storage.

How we chose

These are research-based recommendations: we compared published specifications, maker documentation and the features that matter in a small home. We have not tested them hands-on. Most picks are types of product rather than single models, so the buttons open the retailer's results; compare a few listings before you buy, in your own country's store.

A bedroom that stays tidy

Storage only works if putting things away is easier than leaving them out. Give the clothes you will wear again a hook or a single chair, not the floor. Keep a laundry basket where you undress. Put a small tray on the bedside table for keys, watch and glasses. Store spare bedding in the room it is used in, under the bed or in an ottoman, so changing the bed is quick.

Seasonal swaps

Twice a year, swap out-of-season clothes into under-bed boxes or vacuum bags, and bring the new season's clothes into the wardrobe. As you swap, take out anything you did not wear in the season just gone. This alone frees a third of the wardrobe for many people, and it means the clothes in front of you are the ones you actually wear.

Small bedroom, small budget

Start with what costs nothing: clear the floor, move rarely used items elsewhere, and fit the bed with risers if you need more space under it. Then spend on the item that solves the biggest problem: under-bed boxes for overflow, an over-door rack for shoes, or a narrow chest of drawers that doubles as a bedside table.

Keep the room restful

Closed storage looks calmer than open shelves in a bedroom. If you must use open shelves, keep them to books and a few objects, and put everything else in matching boxes.

The bottom line

Use under the bed and the full height of the wardrobe first, then the door and the foot of the bed. For wardrobes specifically, see best closet organizers, and for under-bed options, best under-bed storage.