The 10 Best Coat Racks
Editor's Notes
March 25, 2019:
When choosing a coat rack most buyers are looking for something attractive as well as functional because it's often one of the first things their guests will see. So we included choices for a wide variety of decorating styles, but also a few more utilitarian options like the Homfa 3-Tier that might be more at home in a mudroom or back entrance. The Kings Brand Contemporary took the top spot for being a sturdy option that offers decorative interest to your space when not in use.
A Place To Hang Your Hat — Or Your Coat
Though this may complicate the buying process, adding a new furnishing that enhances the ambiance of your living space can be quite rewarding.
The coat rack: is it a functional tool for organization, or a stylish piece of home décor? Many owners will tell you it’s both.
Sure, it’s easy enough to walk in the door and flippantly toss your jacket onto the couch or over the back of a chair. If you live alone and rarely host guests, this is no big deal. But for those with families, roommates, and frequent visitors, that strategy will lead to the clutter piling up quickly.
Before even considering the aesthetics of the coat rack, you’ll want to assess the amount of room available in your home and the number of items you plan to hang. If you can spare the floor space, a sturdy standalone model is probably your most versatile option.
Many of these feature hooks of various sizes at different heights, allowing you to hang an array of jackets, hats, bags, and miscellaneous items like umbrellas on a single structure. Some are even built with extra shelves near the base, which you can use to store shoes, briefcases, and any other accessories you may want to grab on your way out the door.
Wall-mounted coat racks have their place, as well, particularly for those who are starved for space or prefer a minimalist style. Standard models come in a range of lengths, providing you with plenty of options depending on how many articles of clothing you need to hang.
While serving as a storage solution is its practical function, many think of their coat rack as an extension of their home’s character. Though this may complicate the buying process, adding a new furnishing that enhances the ambiance of your living space can be quite rewarding.
When evaluating your options, ask yourself what you’re trying to accomplish in terms of décor. Are you looking for a centerpiece? If so, you’ll probably want to focus on finding an elegant freestanding rack with a unique, eye-catching design. Interested in a more complementary piece? In this case, a subtle yet handsome wall-mount rack should work nicely.
Ditch The Clutter For A Healthier Lifestyle
You may covet a coat rack because you’ve grown weary of tripping over jackets and hats all over the house, and no one can blame you for that. But have you ever considered that the impact of constant clutter in your life may extend beyond the mild irritation that results from a chaotic or disorderly home?
Clutter can have adverse effects on your health, and not all of them are readily apparent. They can be emotional, psychological, and even physical.
It can lead to greater productivity, as well, since you’ll spend less time attempting to multitask and more time focused on worthwhile activities.
It causes frustration, which can drain your energy, though it may actually be a more substantial drain on your time. Imagine living in a thoroughly disorganized home — how much time might you spend searching for essential everyday items like shoes, keys, wallets, phones, notebooks, purses, and articles of clothing? Even when you’re only missing one or two of those items, if this is occurring daily, all that wasted time will add up fast.
Clutter also leads to stress. Each time you encounter it, you’re staring down a reminder that cleanup is another task on your to-do list. Each time a guest sees it, you may feel embarrassed or ashamed. It’s also distracting — if you’re often worrying about clutter in the back of your mind, you’ll lose focus on important tasks that require your attention.
The simplest method for halting this downward spiral is to make a commitment to decluttering. Organizing your home and your belongings will reduce stress, which will improve your energy and may even help you sleep better. It can lead to greater productivity, as well, since you’ll spend less time attempting to multitask and more time focused on worthwhile activities.
Physical items like coat racks and shoe bins are certainly useful, but you can take more abstract steps to remove the disorder from your life. For example, you may simply own too much stuff — try donating or throwing away one item each day, and you’ll eventually notice the clutter slowly disappearing.
If the gradual approach isn’t your thing, you can try to tackle the issue in one fell swoop. Some folks swear by the four-box method, which is pretty simple: you set out and label four containers as trash, give away, keep, and relocate. Once you complete the exercise and determine where the “give away” and “relocate” items are headed, you’ll discover that your space is noticeably tidier than it was prior to the project.
Don’t Tackle Clutter Alone
A nice new coat rack may help you win the first battle in your war on clutter, but you probably won’t achieve long-term success without reinforcements.
When you stop to think about it, clothing discreetly gobbles up an inordinate amount of our time and energy. If you handle laundry for your household, you know that baskets and bins for dirty clothes can steal valuable real estate in your bedroom or closet. With a hanging laundry bag, you can utilize empty wall space to free up room for additional furniture or storage structures.
With a hanging laundry bag, you can utilize empty wall space to free up room for additional furniture or storage structures.
If keys aren’t the most commonly misplaced household item, they’re near the top of the list. Once you pick up a key organizer, you’ll always know where to find the essentials — house keys, car keys, the keys to your best friend’s apartment — as long as you don’t lose the organizer itself.
Sprawling, archaic desks are going the way of the dinosaur anyway, so why not invest in a space-saving wall-mount desk? They’re far less bulky then their four-legged counterparts, and they help create a stylish, modern vibe in your office or family room.
Speaking of your living room — right now, can you recall the exact location of your TV remote control? If so, congratulations. For the rest of us, the living room couch is a bottomless pit, regularly swallowing remotes, magazines, keys, and loose change like a catfish bottom-feeding on a riverbed.
That is, unless you own a couch caddy. These handy tools help you organize everything from mobile devices and reading materials to beverages.