Building Your Business Office Setup The 5 Best File Cabinets of 2023 Keep your papers organized and easily accessible By Hana Maeda Hana Maeda Hana Maeda is an SEO Content associate for Dotdash Meredith. Her work has been featured in Bustle, The Knot Worldwide, INSIDER, and Hawai'i Magazine. learn about our editorial policies Updated on August 22, 2022 We independently research, test, review, and recommend the best products—learn more about our process. If you buy something through our links, we may earn a commission. In any office, large or small, a lot is going on at any given moment. One of the most important things you can do to keep your well-oiled machine humming is to stay organized and keep the clutter to a minimum—for your sanity and your productivity. When you outfitted your office, way back when, you likely focused on desks, chairs, computers, and printers as the tools you need to get the job done, but chances are you forgot all about storage. The truth is, from contracts to invoices, businesses tend to generate a lot of paper, but once they're signed and paid, where do you store it all? Enter the humble file cabinet. While these silent office heroes have been around forever, they've changed relatively little over time simply because they really don't need to. Sure, simple design elements may have changed, casters have been added for mobility, and locks have been added for security, but the basic foundation of the design remains the same—a cabinet with large drawers you can pull out for easy access. Office storage solutions can't get any easier. So, if you're noticing that your files and documents are piling up faster than you can click "add to cart," here are the best file cabinets on the market for your consideration. Best Overall: Lorell Two-Drawer File Cabinet Courtesy of Amazon Buy on Amazon Buy on Walmart For a basic two-drawer vertical file cabinet that’s budget-friendly, you can’t go wrong with the Lorell 14341 2-Drawer File Cabinet. While it may not be the most stylish piece of furniture, this cabinet is spacious enough to house all your files, and each drawer locks to keep sensitive information secure. This simple black filing cabinet is just over 24 inches tall, 14.5 inches wide, and 18 inches deep. It features two drawers that are easy to open, thanks to their glide suspension. The Lorell cabinet has a handle on each drawer, as well as a lock, and there are tracks inside so you can use hanging files to easily sort paperwork. Reviewers have plenty of good things to say about this file cabinet, including that it’s lightweight, sturdy, and efficient. Most users agree that this is a great purchase for a home office, and you can’t beat its reasonable price. Best Lateral: Veda 2-Drawer Lateral Filing Cabinet Wayfair Buy on Wayfair This lateral file cabinet by Veda features an X-pattern accent on the drawer panels and a post-leg design, so if you’re shopping for a home office or an office where design matters, this file cabinet makes a handsome addition to any room. The Veda file cabinet features soft close/self-close drawers with full-extension ball-bearing slides for a smooth open and close. This file cabinet accommodates both letter and legal size documents as well as hanging files. It stands 30 inches high, 30 inches wide, and 20 inches deep, and the weight capacity tops out at 65.6 pounds. Users may want to take note that the back is not finished, so you’ll likely want it placed up against a wall, and it does require assembly. Related: The Best Work Notebooks Best for Small Spaces: Devaise 3-Drawer Slim Vertical File Cabinet Courtesy of Amazon Buy on Amazon While the Devaise file cabinet maintains a slim profile, it still offers plenty of room for files and documents, and it has an interlock system that secures three drawers at once. This file cabinet accommodates both letter and legal-size folders; it's designed with full extension drawer slides, allowing easy access to the contents in the back, and one drawer is equipped with a bar for hanging files. Additionally, there are two utility drawers and one free stationary tray for small items. What's more, the Devais file cabinet comes with five casters (4 for the corners and one middle caster to prevent tipping), so you can move the file cabinet with relative ease, and once in place, the casters are lockable. This file cabinet measures 11.8 x 17.7 x 23.2 inches, and the max weight tops out at 330 pounds. Best Vertical: Cavitt 4-Drawer Vertical Filing Cabinet Courtesy of Wayfair Buy on Wayfair When floor space is at a premium, the Cavitt 4-drawer vertical filing cabinet makes good use of vertical space and offers plenty of storage for your files and documents. This file cabinet has four drawers with metal slide glides, so they open and close with relative ease. The drawers are equipped with tracks to accommodate hanging file folders, and each drawer has a max capacity of 38 pounds. This file cabinet is taller than others on the list, and normally tipping would be a concern. However, the design preempts the likelihood of that as the drawers don’t extend fully. This Cavitt file cabinet is made of steel, which bodes well for its durability. It stands 46.38 x 14.25 x 18 inches, and while there are four drawers, only the top two are lockable. Best Mobile: Lorell Mobile File Cabinet Courtesy of Walmart Buy on Amazon Buy on Walmart Ideal for a small office or a home office setup, this two-drawer file cabinet by Lorell features two locking file drawers with smooth glide suspension for a smooth open and close. The embossed drawers add a nice design element to the cabinet, and while the drawers don’t extend fully, users should find no impediment to reaching the files in the back. The full high side drawers easily accommodate letter-sized files and hanging folders, as well as office supplies like extra copy paper, ink, etc. This mobile file cabinet comes with four casters, so it’s completely mobile, and with steel construction with a baked enamel finish, it’ll likely be durable enough for repeated cross-office trips. Lorell’s two-drawer file cabinet stands 24.5 x 14.3 x 18 inches. On its own, it weighs 20 pounds, so with files, you should still be able to move it around with relative ease. Related: The Best Office Supplies Final Verdict The Lorell Two-Drawer File Cabinet (view at Amazon) takes home the prize for the best file cabinet simply because it offers plenty of functionality (as far as file cabinets go) at a reasonable price. It’s a good size file cabinet for light storage, and while the drawers may not extend fully, there’s no loss of access to files and documents in the back, plus the 0.75-extension will likely prevent the file cabinet from tipping as well. And finally, with steel construction, you can bet it’ll be durable, and with one lock, both drawers are secure. What to Look for in a File Cabinet Size When you’re shopping for a file cabinet, the size of the cabinet should be one of your first considerations. Think about how much you need to store and the size of your documents and purchase accordingly. Most cabinets will accommodate standard 8.5 x 11 paper; however, if you work with legal-size documents, archival material, blueprints, etc., obviously, you’ll need to find a file cabinet that will accommodate these sizes. Security While plastic models may be less expensive, they can’t accommodate efficient locking mechanisms, so if you’re storing sensitive documents, you may want to invest in wooden or metal file cabinets. In addition to protecting your documents from prying eyes, you should also consider protecting them from other types of accidents. To that end, steel file cabinets tend to provide the maximum amount of protection; not only are they impact-resistant, but they can keep the contents safe from water damage as well. Cost Even a cursory search will reveal file cabinets come in a wide range of price points. They can run as low as $40, and well into the hundreds. For light storage and home offices, a $40 file cabinet will likely suffice and serve its purpose to clear away clutter and help you keep household documents organized. For a business, however, you may want to invest in something a bit more durable. Look for something that can handle the wear and tear over the years and one that offers a bit more security for sensitive information in a busy office. Meet the Expert This roundup was written by Sharon Brandwein, a lifestyle writer who specializes in commerce content and buying guides for The Balance SMB. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit Sources The Balance uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy. Lorell. "Lorell SOHO 18" 2-Drawer File Cabinet." Wayfair. "Veda 30'' Wide 2 -Drawer Lateral Filing Cabinet." Devaise. "Metal 3 Drawer Slim Vertical File Cabinet with Lock." Wayfair. "Cavitt 14.25'' Wide 4 -Drawer Steel Vertical Filing Cabinet." Amazon. "Lorell 16873 2-Drawer Mobile File Cabinet, 18-Inch Depth—Gray." Lorell. "Lorell SOHO 18" 2-Drawer Mobile File Cabinet."