Whether you like working on cars, building furniture, or doing handyman tasks around the house, chances are, you’ve accumulated a sizable stash of tools. If you’ve been at it long enough, there’s even a good chance a single tool box or tool bag won’t be enough to fit every hand tool, power tool, and accessory you’ve piled up in your DIY forays. When that time comes, it’s usually a good idea to consider buying a tool chest.
Tool chests are the logical storage upgrade for individuals who end up with a few more tools than they’ve anticipated. It’s the most sensible solution when you regularly find your garage littered with wrenches, pliers, and power tools of all sorts, with no room in your drawers or shelves to accommodate them. These cabinet-like storage fixtures offer plenty of room to fit in a large number of your utilitarian implements, all while offering enough compartments and dividers to organize them in a neat and tidy manner.
What do you look for in the best tool chests for your needs? The primary consideration is always the amount of storage it offers, so make sure you pick one that won’t just accommodate your current collection of tools, but any pieces you are looking to purchase in the immediate future. Some tool chests offer large drawers that can fit in sizeable tools, while others specialize in slimmer ones that are ideal for many hand tools and smaller supplies. We prefer chests that offer a mix of both, with the slim drawers making ideal places for wrenches, pliers, and similar tools, while the larger ones give us room for our rotary burrs, drill-drivers, and other power tools. Of course, your own choice in tool chests will depend on the kind of tools you need to store yourself. There are also modular tool chests that are designed to be expanded as you go along, as well as wheeled and stationary options. Suffice to say, there’s a decent selection out there, so it’s a good idea to look at what’s available to see what perfectly suits your needs.
These are the best tool chests to tidy up your garages and workshops.
Performance Tool W85025
It’s not the thickest, most hardwearing tool chest you’re going to find, but this compact wheeled storage is an excellent one for guys who simply like working on their car in the garage. It’s, basically, a work stool with a cushioned seat that you can plop down on when checking up the engine, fiddling with your tires, or detailing the car, all while coming with three drawers for keeping all your tools out of sight. Need your tools within easy reach while working? Not a problem, as it also gets two fold-out tool trays (one on the side and one on the back) where you can lay out tools for easy grab-and-go function as you need them. Features include a reinforced steel seat rated at 350 pounds, full-bearing casters that let you move around, and EVA foam cushioning.
Tankstorm Tool Chest
Another affordable option, this tool chest gets you two slim drawers on top and a spacious two-door cabinet at the bottom, allowing it to stash both small hand tools and larger tools alike, making it a great option for those who don’t have a ton of tools to store at the moment. The drawers come with non-slip rubber mats to make sure your tools stay in place at all times, while the cabinet can be locked down with a key, in case you don’t want the kids messing with your dangerous power tools. It also gets a non-slip rubber mat at the top, so you can use it as a mini-workbench, as well as a tool tray on the right side and a steel handle on the left. Other details include a maximum load of 350 pounds, 40 pounds max capacity for each drawer, and four swiveling casters for easy maneuverability.
Craftsman 2000 Series 51.5-Inch 8-Drawer Steel Tool Chest
This stationary tool chest measures 51.5 inches wide while standing just 24.7 inches tall, so it’s short enough to place on top of a table (or another tool chest) if you need the floor space for something else. It gets eight drawers, namely four slim ones and four deeper ones, so you have adequate space for both small and large gear, while the top can be lifted to reveal a handy work bench that can pull double duty as additional storage space sized to fit even larger power tools. The lid, by the way, comes with pegboard walls along the back wall, so you can add additional accessories there if you like for even more storage options. It has a total 14,014 cubic inches of storage, so it’s great for those who’ve accumulated a pile of tools, while the 18-20 gauge steel frame ensures it can hold up to the hassles of the garage or workshop.
Craftsman 2000 Series 52-Inch 10-Drawer Steel Rolling Tool Cabinet
Another piece in the Craftsman 2000 Series, this one can actually be paired with the tool chest above in a modular configuration, essentially serving as the bottom piece with that one at the top. This one gets 10 drawers, with the two at the bottom looking tall enough to fit different types of power saws and other larger power tools, with the whole thing providing a generous 18,532 cubic inches of storage space. Like the one above, it gets full-extension drawers that support 100 pounds each, 18-20 gauge steel frame construction, and drawer liners all throughout. This one, though, comes with full casters for mobility, toe-locking brakes to keep it in place, and a 1,500-pound load rating, so it should fit a pretty large tool collection.
Sunex 8035 Compact Slide Utility Cart
We like the design of this cart-style tool chest, which combines a pair of slim drawers with spacious top-access storage and a large open tray at the bottom. We love the slide-out work top, which can be split and slid out on either side to access the top storage, giving you a pair of functional workspaces on the sides of the chest, which can really prove pretty handy. The deep top storage makes a great spot to stash larger tools, too, while the bottom tray can even accommodate bigger vehicle parts that you need to keep around the garage. Other features include 18-gauge steel construction, four casters (two swivel and two locking), EVA foam liners, and a total 6,244 cubic inches of lockable storage (not including the tray). It’s a really nice tool chest, although we do feel it’s a bit expensive for the size, since you can get much bigger tool chests with decent build at the same price or less.
Seville Classics UltraHD Rolling Cabinet Workbench
We’ll admit, this looks more like a media cabinet than a tool chest for the workshop. However, the latter is exactly its intended function, as it even comes with wooden workbench on top. This 77-inch wide tool chest has generous storage slots, too, with nine slim drawers on the right side, four taller drawers on the left, and a cabinet smack in the middle. It looks really nice, too, although it’s not quite as heavy-duty as its all-steel construction might suggest, since the drawers can only hold 30 pounds each and the whole thing is only rated for 500 pounds. If you need an all-around storage solution in the garage or workshop, though, this might do the trick, especially if you don’t really deal with too many heavier tools.
US General 56 in. x 22 in. Roll Cab Series 3
US General’s tool chests arguably offer the best balance of price and quality. They’re big, strong, and feel incredibly good to use (those drawers slide smooth), while coming in at prices that you won’t lose a lot of sleep over (maybe just one or two nights). This 56-inch wide model, for instance, gives you a massive rolling tool chest with 23,500 cubic inches of space spread out across its eight drawers, all while supporting a whopping 4,400 pounds of weight, so you can fill it with two tons’ worth of tools and gear. We particularly love the two large-width drawers on top for accommodating extra-wide gear, as well as the deep drawer on the bottom side for more unusual tools that won’t fit anywhere else. There’s also an in-drawer charging system that gives you access to five 120V outlets and a few USB outlets, so you can power up your cordless tools while they sit safely inside. Even better, it’s compatible for modular use with other US General Series 3 items, so you can build out your workshop or garage storage over time without any piece looking out of place.
New Age Pro Series 42 in. 7-Drawer Tool Cabinet
Sadly, this tool chest doesn’t have casters like many of the others in the list. However, it’s still an absolute unit worthy of keeping your tools neatly organized. Measuring 42 inches wide, this storage cabinet comes with six full-width slim drawers and one deeper drawer at the bottom, giving all your tools a proper place fit for their individual sizes. Each drawer, by the way, comes with soft-closing, full-extension slides that are durable enough to support up to 1,000 pounds each, so you can pile on your heavy tools on this thing without any worries. Other details include two horizontal and two vertical dividers on each of the six slim drawers, fully-welded double-walled steel construction, and cushy foam liners to keep your tools scrape-free. In case you decide you want to use this thing on casters, by the way, the feet can be removed and replaced with most standard casters in the market, so you can turn it into a rolling tool chest in no time.
Husky 9-Drawer Mobile Workbench
This 52-inch wide tool chest comes with a handy inch-thick wooden workbench on top, allowing you to do your work right on the same rig that houses your tools. It has three wide slim drawers, three narrower slim drawers, one wide deep drawer, and one narrower deep drawer, so you get a variety of storage options for accommodating different types of tools and gear. We like the feel of the drawers, too, as they extend out fully and close pretty softly, so you won’t have any frustration putting things in and out of its compartments, all while supporting a total weight of 100 pounds each. It even comes with six 120V outlets and two USB sockets, so you can charge your cordless gadgets when you store them, ensuring they’re ready to go to work any time you take them out. Other features include 21-gauge steel construction, five-inch casters (two swiveling with brakes), and a tubular steel handle on the side.
Snap-On 40” Sliding Lid Eight-Drawer Shop Cart
If you’re willing to fork out the cash for the best tool chest, there are probably few options better than Snap-On’s selections. We’re talking about fully-welded, double-walled construction here, with rolled edges, rear flange on drawers, and plenty of other thoughtful elements that just set it apart from the pack. This 40-inch wide chest, for instance, gets six standard drawers (five slim, one deep), a slide-out split top that reveals more spacious storage (with pass-through holes for charging), hidden drawers on each of the split top lids, and even a 4-inch Speedrawer for organizing small parts. It has nylon corner bumpers to protect nearby objects, 20,659 cubic inches of storage, a 2,400-pound total capacity, and even a 120-pound capacity for each side of the split lid, making them suitable for use as individual work surfaces. Yes, it’s expensive, but it’s the brand people get when they want the best and they typically don’t regret it.
