The Best Organizers to Get That Messy Closet in Check

If you’re sick of stepping into a closet where you can’t find the shirt you’re looking for or the scarf you swore you put away a few weeks ago, then it’s probably time to get a little bit more organized. Regardless of how big or small your closet, the right methods can make a huge difference. Here are the best closet organizers to make the space cleaner and easier to navigate.

How To Organize Your Closet

Organizing your closet is about more than just sorting clothes and putting things on shelves. Set aside a day to go through everything and follow the tips below to really make things cleaner.

• Throw things away. Go through everything in your closet and make two piles: one to keep and one to toss or donate. There’s no need to hold onto clothing you haven’t worn in over a year, things that no longer fit, and accessories that you no longer use.
• Give everything a home. Instead of just throwing things in the closet or putting them on shelves when convenient, give everything a specific home. Shoes should go in one spot, handbags should have another place, and even clothing on shelves should be organized into categories.
• Sort by season. Don’t mix summer and winter clothes—it’s pointless and confusing. Instead, put winter clothes in one spot and summer clothes in another, with transitional clothing somewhere else. If you don’t have space, pack up and store the seasonal clothing you aren’t wearing at the moment.
• Make good use of shelf dividers. Shelves are nice, but can quickly become a huge mess if not set up correctly. Shelf dividers keep things much more organized.
• Take advantage of every space. Even a tiny closet can be more organized. If you have floor space, optimize it with racks or boxes. Add two racks instead of just one, with one higher than the other. Hanging organizers and over-the-door organizers are also great ways to add space.

Best Shoe Organizer Rack: Seville Classics 3-Tier Stackable Shoe Storage Rack

Shoes can easily mess up your closet. If you toss them in without stacking or putting them on a rack, they create a huge clutter on the floor, and it’s not only annoying but can also ruin them. This Seville Classics 3-Tier Stackable Shoe Storage Rack is an excellent buy if you have a lot of shoes to organize. It comes with two racks that, combined, hold up to 18 pairs of shoes.

These racks can be stacked one on top of the other, or they can be placed side by side, depending on your closet space. They make it easy to find the exact pair you’re looking for, and they feel sturdy and durable.

Best Handbag Organizer: Zober Hanging Purse Organizer

Anyone who owns a lot of handbags knows how annoying they can be to store, especially if they’re large and structured. Instead of having them take up a ton of valuable shelf space, use an organizer like this one from Zober Hanging. It hangs on a rack and holds up to eight handbags so that they stay together and out of the way.

The slots are clear plastic, so it’s easy to see what’s in each one, and are spacious enough to handle both small or larger purses. Even if you don’t have eight bags to hang, you can always use this for other bulky items, like folded blankets or towels.

Best Shelf Organizer: Evelots Closet Wood Shelf Divider

Shelf dividers do precisely what they sound like: they divide your shelves so that you can easily separate things and keep the chaos to a minimum. This pack of eight Evelots Wood Shelf Dividers couldn’t be easier to use and feels sturdy and durable thanks to the support brackets for stability. The easy setup means that no tools are required—just slide them onto the shelves as needed.

The nice thing about them is that you can easily see everything on the shelf from any angle, but they come up high enough to keep stacked clothing from falling over. You can also opt for a set of six if eight is too much.

Best Accessories Organizer: Rubbermaid Fast Track Tie and Belt Holder

Smaller accessories like ties, belts, and scarves might seem like they’re easy to store, but it’s not always simple to find space for them. To organize these kinds of accessories, try the Rubbermaid Fast Track Tie and Belt Holder. It hangs on your rack, so it doesn’t take up a ton fo space and has 28 hooks for ties, belts, scarves, or anything else that can fit on them.

This one isn’t an actual hanger but has to be installed and comes with support brackets. That means once it’s in place, it stays there. This can be a positive or a negative, depending on how you want to store everything, but it’s something to consider either way.

Best For Hangers: House Day Black Magic Hangers

If you need more hanger space but can’t install another rack, then you need these House Day Black Magic Hangers. These cascading hangers allow you to put more clothing items on one hanger to maximize space. Each Magic Hanger can hold up to five pieces at a time, and the entire set holds up to 50 items. They’re durable and easy to use, and you can add them and take them away as needed.

Best Hanging Organizer: StorageWorks 6-Shelf Hanging Closet Organizer

A hanging organizer doesn’t take up too much extra space, and it can hold a bunch of stuff that has no other home. The StorageWorks 6-Shelf Hanging Closet Organizer is made of a nice canvas that holds up to 45 pounds without starting to bend. It has open shelves, as well as drawers that are ideal for items that would otherwise easily fall out.

This one also has side pockets that can hold a few extra items to really maximize space. There’s a hook on either side that lets you hang lighter items as well. And if you don’t need to use it anymore, it folds up and can be easily stored.

Best Over-The-Door Organizer: Magicfly Over Door Organizer

Don’t ignore your door when you’re searching for storage. An over-the-door organizer is a great way to add space when it feels like there is none. This Magicfly Over Door Organizer has five large pockets that can hold a bunch of smaller items as well as folded clothes.

The transparent pockets make it easy to see what’s in each one, and they go up high enough to hold taller items as well, like beauty products or taller handbags. It’s sturdy and strong, so it doesn’t feel like everything is just going to fall out.

Best Boxes: Storbus Storage Bins

When you want to store clothes for another season, storage boxes or bins are great. They hold a lot, can be easily stored out of the way, and are generally just great for items you don’t use regularly.

These Storbus Storage Bins keep your clothes sealed up and protected. The transparent windows make it easy to glance and see what’s inside, and there are a top and a side zipper that allows you to open it either way. They’re also stackable for even easier storage.