Plastic Office Filing Cabinets vs. Metal or Wood

No matter how organized a person is, almost everyone has been challenged to find a good place to store their growing mountain of paperwork. Television shows about home organization are popular as consumers look for ways to simplify their lives. File Cabinets offer a great way to storage papers and documents – and are available for home, office, (or home office) use.

Plastic file cabinets have become a trendy way to store your stuff. They also tend to be less expensive than their metal counterparts. These cabinets often have lockable casters for ease of movement from one room to another. One style features one deep and two shallow drawers that might be suitable for a dorm room.

Lighter than metal storage pieces, they are portable, but not as durable as traditional metal file cabinets. Many of the plastic ware found in stores are portable file boxes, useful for storing old tax returns in your basement or for temporary files you want to keep nearby for easy reference.

Plastic File Cabinets vs. Metal

Traditional metal file cabinets continue to be consumers’ top pick for document storage. Some stores offer cabinets in an array of custom colors beyond the usual putty or gray – brick red, olive green, brown and blue. Custom-colored file cabinets in a two-drawer style cost about $200. Used metal cabinets can also be sanded, primed and spray-painted the color of your choice.

Families who require a more permanent means of storing their paperwork and desire more security and privacy opt for metal. Stacked vertically or horizontally, metal cabinets can store thousands of pages of documents safely and securely. Cabinets come in standard letter size (8.5X11) or legal size.

Some file cabinets have doors that hide shelving useful for stackable items. Offices usually need ample storage space for documents. Since metal file cabinets can be stacked or stored side-by-side, metal cabinetry is also a suitable choice for them.

Plastic File Cabinets vs. Wood

Wood file cabinets and built-in units are also available for those who want to disguise their storage pieces. This option can be beautiful in a home setting, but there are some drawbacks: wood can be expensive, noisy to use and not very durable in an office environment. Because of its weight, wood is not an appropriate choice for someone who desires portability.

Fireproof file cabinets may be useful for storing very important documents. They have a UL Class 350 rating, which means they are insulated to withstand a one-hour fire. They’re especially durable – they can withstand a 30-foot fall from a window – but they’re heavy, weighing in at more than 250 pounds. Plastic file cabinets are not fireproof; this is a big consideration for those storing important documents.
Safety Concerns for Plastic File Cabinets, Metal and Wood

When purchasing file cabinets, look for a cabinet with drawers that have good extending sliders that will support the weight of heavy files without jamming. Some file cabinets have a safety feature that prevents certain drawers from opening when a bottom drawer is extended to prevent the cabinet from toppling forward.

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