Your garage walls are one of the best places to store your tools or mount cabinets and shelves. Instead of adding different types of shelves bit by bit, the smarter option would be to get a wall storage system that can adapt and grow with you.
That’s a huge advantage of each of these wall storage systems. They let you start out as small or as big as you need and then add different pieces as you need to.
Since I bought my house and started accumulating all this stuff, I’ve had the opportunity to test out each of the top three systems.
I’ve written reviews on each and buyer’s guides on finding the Best Slatwall, Best Pegboard and Best Track System. This article compares the best of each type of system to see what’s the best overall wall storage system.
First, let’s talk about the differences between slatwall, pegboard and track storage systems.
Slatwall vs Pegboard vs Track Systems
At a high level, there are three major types of wall storage systems, other than basic shelves. These are slatwall, pegboards and track systems.
Each of them allows you to add hooks, hangers, small shelves or other customized accessories, depending on your specific needs. These are inserted into a panel and can be moved or removed as you need.
Where they differ is mainly in the size of the panel and how the hooks connect.
A track system is the smallest. Each track, or rail, is usually between 3′ and 4′ long and less than six inches high. Hooks and accessories attach directly to the track so only a small amount of your wall is covered. Examples include Gladiator GearTrack or Rubbermaid
Pegboard usually comes in a 24″ x 48″ panel made of either medium density fiberboard (MDF), plastic or metal. The surface is made up of evenly spaced holes that accessory pegs slot into. An example of well made pegboard is Wall Control‘s steel pegboard.
Slatwall is most commonly found in retail locations, but lately it’s finding a home in residential garages too. It’s made up of large panels of wood or PVC with aluminum rails for support. Examples include ProSlat and Flow Wall.
Each system has it’s uses and there’s actually one of each on this list. Let’s start with the overall winner.
Best Wall Storage System Overall: Gladiator GearTrack & GearWall
If you’ve been following along with some of my other articles, this shouldn’t come as a surprise. I’ve compared Gladiator GearTrack to all of the other wall storage systems. I’ve have it in my garage for a few years and I love it.
At first glance, it may look like all garage track systems are more or less the same. Where they succeed or fail is with their hooks and accessories.
That’s where Gladiator shines!
Gladiator makes over two dozen different types of hooks, holders, bins and accessories that work with both their GearTrack and
Whether you’re storing your lawn tools, your bike or even your golf clubs, Gladiator has a solution specifically designed for it.
Best of all, every accessory is compatible with both the GearTrack rail and the
The tracks themselves are made of durable PVC plastic that can take a beating. I’ve never had one of my GearTrack rails break, no matter what I’ve stored on them. The worst that’s happened is the odd minor smudge that’s you can easily clean up with spray cleaner.
Starter kits offer an easy way to get a small section of GearTrack and a bunch of different hooks and baskets, all at an affordable price point.
There are plenty of wall storage systems, but none of them give you the flexibility that Gladiator does. That easily earns them the top spot on this list. If you want to find out more, you can check out my Gladiator GearTrack review here.
Pros:
⦿ Two dozen different hooks, bins, accessories, bags, claws and holders to hang a variety of things from your wall.
⦿ Accessories work on both GearTrack and
⦿ Holds 75 lbs. per linear foot
⦿ 10 Year Warranty
Cons:
⦿ Some accessories can be pricey
⦿ Only available in white
Gladiator's GearWall is a heavy-duty, patented "slat-wall" style panel system designed to compliment their GearTrack system. Each panel is one ft. high by four ft. long and attaches easily to wood studs or drywall over wood studs. All Gladiator® Wall Accessories, Wall GearBoxes, and GearBox Cabinets can be used with GearWall® Panels
Best Runner Up: Proslat Slatwall
I fell in love with Proslat slatwall the moment I saw their brushed aluminum finish. It’s expensive, but it’s a thing of beauty!
The only reason why they didn’t take the top spot on this list is because the Gladiator system is a bit more flexible because they have both a track system and a slatwall option.
In general, you can use track systems in small areas if that’s all you need. However, slatwall doesn’t give you that option. People who install slatwall in their garages usually cover their entire walls.
Proslat has a variety of different hooks and shelves that work well with their wall storage system. They also have several styles of cabinets that can slot in and move around, so you never stuck in one configuration. They even have a wall-mounted vacuum cleaner that’s specifically designed for their slatwall.
If you like to change up your garage design every once in awhile,
I gushed about the brushed aluminum finish earlier, but that’s not your only option. Which is good. Even though it looks really cool it is pretty pricey.
So that’s where the PVC flat wall comes in. They come in four different colors and they’re a fraction of the price of the aluminum finish. All of the accessories will work the same, so you can even mix and match materials to create some great looking designs.
Pros:
⦿ Holds up to 75 lbs per square foot
⦿ You can literally hit it with a hammer and it won’t break!
⦿ PVC or Aluminum cleans up easily
⦿ Made in Canada
⦿ Lifetime warranty
Cons:
⦿ Only works with
The Mini Bundle is the perfect start to organizing your garage. It features the PROCORE PVC panel, promising twice the strength of a regular slatwall thanks to its aluminum core. This patent pending design uses PVC only as an aesthetic finish and relies on aluminum to support the weight.
Best Wall Storage System for Tools: Wall Control Pegboard
Do you have nice tools and want to show them off? Or, do you want to be able to easily reach the tools you use the most?
If that sounds like you, then Wall Control pegboard may be just what you’re looking for.
When I hear the word “pegboard”, I think of the ratty old, brown fiberboard junk that my father used in our garage growing up. It was easy to crack and dent, and it fell apart all the time. It just looked horrible.
Wall Control fixes that.
Their steel pegboard comes in eleven bright colors to fit any kind of garage color scheme. But the one I chose for my garage is the galvanized steel which just looks amazing above my workbench.
Normal pegboard needs spacers between the board and the wall, but they’re not needed here. The way that
They also solve the biggest problem I had with my dad’s pegboard: flying peghooks.
What frustrated me most about my dad’s old pegboard was when hooks would fly off the board whenever I pulled something off of them. But these peghooks have a really innovative design that locks the pegs in place. No more airborne peg hooks!
They have literally dozens of different shapes and sizes of hooks and shelves. But they also make some really cool pegboard accessories like wrench and screwdriver holders, magnetic strips and even a paper towel holder.
If you’re someone that wants your tools to be the focal point of your garage, then
For more information, please check out my Wall Control review where I talk about my installation process and what hooks I’m using in my garage.
Pros:
⦿ Durable steel pegboard doesn’t crack or fray like fiberboard
⦿ Available in a variety of different colors
⦿ Can use standard peghooks or
⦿ Super easy to install
⦿ Made in USA
Cons:
⦿ Can be expensive for large installations
Best Wall Storage System for Bikes: Steadyrack
The one thing that bugs me about most bicycle racks is that they take up a lot of space, even when the bike isn’t there. If you’re trying to store multiple bikes in your garage, you could easily lose as much as eight feet of storage space.
Hooks and claws are a popular solution. But many people struggle to lift their bikes up to get them to sit just right on the hook, especially children.
Steadyrack created a solution for both of those problems, which earns it a spot on this list.
It’s a low profile, wall-mounted bicycle storage mount that folds up when it’s not in use. That’s cool, but nothing too special, right?
When the bikes are being stored, though, each one can swing 180 degrees to get out of your way. That way you can stack the bikes close together and still be able to get to each one.
But what I really love is how easy it is to hang up your bike on it!
As long as you can pop your bike up on it’s back wheel, you can store if on a
With the bike on it’s back wheel, just give it a gentle push forward and the front wheel slides on to the rack and suspends the bike off the ground.
Each
Pros:
⦿ Super compact bike storage
⦿ No lifting required
⦿ Swivels out of the way
Cons:
⦿ May need a different sized rack depending on how thick your bike’s tires are
Best Wall Shelves
There’s a lot of competition for garage wall shelves and honestly not a lot of ways for each one to stand out from the pack. Fleximounts makes some awesome ceiling storage racks, but they make really good wall shelves for your garage as well.
What I like about Fleximount shelves is that they’re super easy to install and you don’t need a second person to help.
Each shelf is sturdy enough to hold 200 lbs per 4′, which makes it perfect to store raw materials in your workshop. If you go with deeper shelves, they’re more than enough to stack a few totes of winter clothes to get them out of your closet.
They do have a couple of hooks designed to fit their shelves and ceiling racks. However, your options here can be less than with either Gladiator or
I look at wall shelves as an addition to your storage system, not a system by themselves. Fleximount shelves will look great next to any of the wall storage systems we talked about earlier.
Pros:
⦿ Available in four sizes and two colors
⦿ Shelves can hold up to 200 lbs per 4′
⦿ Includes installation template to easily mark where the shelves go
⦿ One person installation
Cons:
⦿ Wire shelves are secured with Velcro so they can wriggle
The FLEXIMOUNTS 24 x 48-inch Wall Shelf is made of heavy gauge cold rolled steel and can safely hold up to 440 pounds. It comes with all the necessary hardware for installation.
Available in Black or White.
