21-03-2025
The best closet organizers for 2025 — and the clever ways pros use them
Getting dressed is hard enough without having to pick through a jumble of pants and mountains of shoes. Tidying up your closet doesn't just make mornings easier. It can help you wear your clothes more often and prevent overbuying. "If you don't see it, you probably won't wear it," says Julie Bestry, owner of Best Results Organizing. That's where the best closet organizers come into play. And we're not just talking about whole-closet systems — though they can be a game changer. Space-saving, affordable items like clear storage bins, shelf dividers and rows of hooks will help you create more efficient storage in your existing space. The picks in this story come straight from professional organizers, but they didn't just give us their must-buys and call it a day. They also shared closet organizing tips and hacks to maximize every square inch.
Once you've controlled your closet, continue your organizing kick with the best kitchen organizers and expert-approved bathroom organizers. Order in the house is yours!
Closet organizer systems | Storage bins | Hooks | Shoe organizers | Other closet organizers | Hangers | What to look for when shopping for closet organizers | How we chose these closet organizers | How to organize your closet | Meet our experts
Julie Bestry, owner of Best Results Organizing
Aly Finkelstein, professional organizer
Shira Gill, organizing expert and author of LifeStyled
Marissa Hagmeyer, NEAT Method co-founder and author of The NEAT Method Organizing Recipe Book
Anne Mooney, professional organizer for TaskRabbit
Jakia Muhammad, owner of SoleOrganizer
Ashley Murphy, NEAT Method co-founder and author of The NEAT Method Organizing Recipe Book
Robyn Reynolds, owner of Organize2Harmonize
Katrina Teeple, founder of Operation Organization
Carly Tizzano, owner of Masterpeace Organizing
As a longtime home editor who has lived in New York City apartments for nearly 20 years, it's part of my job — and also very useful for my personal life! — to know and follow professional organizers. I consulted with the 10 experts listed above for their tips and product recommendations. If they suggest a specific organizer to their clients, we wanted to hear about it! We then researched each organizer, checking its materials, price and reviews from real-life shoppers. All the products here come highly rated and deliver great value for the money.
"I cannot over-emphasize enough how important a closet system is," says professional organizer Aly Finkelstein. Carly Tizzano, owner of Masterpeace Organizing, agrees: "Having a closet system installed can create a really cohesive look and make getting dressed in the morning feel like such an experience!" she says. Custom organizers are great, but prices can run well into the thousands. Instead, look for a semi-custom modular kit that comes with adjustable shelves and rods so you can move things around to best fit your space.
Clear or opaque, bins are helpful for all those seasonal items and accessories you don't often use, say our experts. "I like using them for accessories like scarves or hats — they keep everything from looking cluttered!" says Jakia Muhammad, owner of SoleOrganizer, who often works with ClosetMaid. Just make sure if you're using solid-colored bins to label them.
Nearly every organizer we spoke with mentioned how useful hooks are for adding extra storage — on walls, doors and in tight spaces where you might not be able to fit a shelf. "Hooks are one of my top organizing tools because they're small, sturdy and wildly versatile," says Shira Gill, organizing expert and author of LifeStyled. Anne Mooney, a professional organizer for TaskRabbit, points out that hooks let you put away items with a single hand. "This ease of use leads to far greater compliance with closet cleanup."
Bestry recommends storage that is uniform, makes it easy to see your shoes and has some kind of structure to it. "People are willing to spend all ranges of money on their clothing and accessories, but often won't spend money (or effort) for products that help care for these possessions. But good shoe storage helps preserve the lives of shoes," she says. And she advises skipping shoe storage furniture like the buzzy Ikea Stall cabinet. "They're enormous, and the other thing is, if you put your shoes away with any bit of dirt or schmutz inside a heavy piece of furniture, it's just going to get gross." Try these options instead.
Between purses, belts, jewelry, sunglasses and scarves, our closets need to hold a whole lot more than just clothes. Accessories can be especially tough to organize because they tend to land wherever you put them last — your sunglasses by your front door, for example, or your rings on your nightstand. Setting up a few simple, minimalist organizers for these items can help keep them in one place.
When it comes to the best hangers, Bestry says, "The short answer is, whatever hanger will get you to hang up your clothes instead of piling them on the treadmill or the bedroom chair is the best!" She does have a guideline, though: Aim for uniformity. "If you always buy the same brand and style, then everything in your closet will fall the same number of inches below the rod, and will appear more organized and tidy. Using all the same types of hangers, at least in the same clothing type/group (blouses, trousers, jackets, dresses) will keep the 'necks' of the hangers from tangling," she says.
When you're shopping for closet organizers, the pros say that the most important thing to keep in mind is your space and the type of clothing you need to organize. Make sure to measure your space — twice! — says Murphy. Your closet's dimensions will determine what kind of organizers you need: For example, if you have a closet with high ceilings, you'll want to take advantage of that vertical space. If it's especially deep, you may have lots of shelves that could benefit from shelf dividers and bins so things don't fall to the back out of sight. So take a few extra minutes to make sure what you buy works with your setup.
Also, look for durable, smooth materials that won't snag or pull at your clothing. For shoes, make sure you buy organizers made from sturdy metal, plastic and wood that can easily wipe clean. When it comes to the best brands for closet organization, many pros rely on The Container Store and NEAT Method. But a lot of them also mentioned how many affordable storage solutions are available at Amazon, Walmart, Target and The Home Depot.
We hate to say it, but there's not a one-size-all solution! "There really are no rules," says Finkelstein. That said, here are some top tips on organizing a closet from experts:
Declutter first: Take out all your clothing (break it into parts so this doesn't become an all-day affair) and really consider each item. You don't have to get rid of something if you haven't worn it in a year, says Finkelstein, as long as you really love it and it means something to you. But if it's a shirt you don't like or shoes that pinch, follow the wise words of Elsa from Frozen and "let it go!"
Let your space determine how you organize: For example, if you have a lot of hanging space, hang as much as possible. Finkelstein says she just did a project with a client who had a ton of rods, so she hung even workout tops. Got lots of shelves? Fold your pants instead of hanging them and use shelf dividers to help keep the stacks upright.
Group like with like: "To maintain a neat and organized closet, I find that creating designated zones and specific sections within the space is key. By dividing the closet into clear categories, it becomes much easier to locate and access items quickly," says Muhammad. In her own closet, she has sections for sweaters/dresses, pants/skirts and shirts. Because everything is grouped together, she's able to effortlessly return items to their right place after washing them.
