Whitmor has been in the organization, laundry accessories, and storage solutions business since 1945. I have come across a few of its products, mostly laundry accessories, since 5 years ago, the latest of which is the Double Rod organizer kit for which I would like to share my experience.

Around two years ago, as I was looking for a storage and organization system for the tiny laundry area at the apartment we were staying at Lakeland, Florida, I was keen on getting something that would just be lightweight and movable. Since my family was always moving, I was itching to get something that I could take along whenever we move into another apartment in another state. This Whitmor product caught my eye as I found it online because of its less than a hundred bucks price tag considering its size which I find more than adequate for my intended use of it. To make the long story short, I managed to buy one at the local Big Kmart store located just around three blocks from our apartment.

At the first look at the package and the installation guide that came with it, I instantly knew that I can handle the assembly singlehandedly. Though Randolf, my husband, obliged to lend a helping hand, I turned him down this time despite his insistence to help me with it. Well, he gave a grinning look at me. By that grin, I can already discern that he was thinking that I would eventually ask for his help. Hah, he was wrong this time. Without wasting any time, I read the installation guide for 10 minutes, looked at the pieces of the closet organizer package, and then commenced with the assembly. Believe it or not, I was done in 28 minutes flat (yes, I used a timer for this). However though, I didn’t realize that I had assembled the product outside of the laundry room. I was caught in utter surprise that it wouldn’t fit right through the laundry room’s doorway when I tried to slide it in. What happened next? I felt like a stupid dolt disassembling the product and reassembling it again only this time, I’ve done the assembling inside the laundry room where it is to be used in the first place. That was a lesson well learned during a practical exercise so to speak. I could never forget that moment. Nonetheless, after sliding it in place between our washing machine and dryer, it looked like it really was meant to be in that place. The entire assembly felt stable and balanced. Seems like it was made for my intended purpose.

Fast forward from that day up to now, it’s been more than two years already, and this Whitmor is still standing and serving its end of the bargain. Although the end connectors are a little bit slackened up right now due to wear and tear, the entire assembly is still fairly stable even if in full capacity. If I were to rate this product based on my experience with it, I’d give it 9 out of 10 stars.

Features

Pros and Cons

Cons
• Much better if it had wheels for easy moving
• Center hang rod usually stands in the way of long dresses

Gallery

Features

Pros & Cons

Cons
• frame needs reinforcement for added stability and balance

Gallery

What’s more appealing with this closet organizer is its high-quality hand-stained finish available in cherry, espresso, and maple. An all nickel hardware that comes packaged with the system enhances the overall elegant and classy looks of this system.

Features

Editorial Review Summary

Cons
• Extra assembly hardware will be needed for a more stable system

Image Gallery

With the center tower made from solid wood, this Lancaster closet organizer system is noted for its aesthetically pleasing style well-suited to those who prefers traditional-looking designs. Even with its solid construction and the close attention to design details, this product is still comfortably priced within the mid-range. Although mainly intended for use as a stand alone system, this product can be fitted together with the Sauder Lancaster Narrow Wood Closet Organizer system for a much bigger closet storage capacity and a more functional system perfect for larger bedrooms and master closets.

Features

• Fits closets up to 10 ft.

• Coach cherry finish

• Antique brass hardware

• Three hanging rods adjustable up to 48″

• Three fully extending drawers

• Three adjustable shelving units

• Frosted and tempered glass doors

• Two angled shoe shelving units with banded edge

• Two 48″ top shelves

• Assembly required

• Dimensions: 79″ width x 15″ depth x 83″ height

• Weight: 177 lbs.

Editorial Review Summary

Pros

• good value for money

• made from durable wood

• elegant appearance

• sturdy and stable

• can be fitted with the Lancaster Narrow for larger storage needs

Cons

• very heavy

• needs heavy duty anchors for more stability

Image Gallery

]]> http://closetorganizershowroom.net/sauder-lancaster-wood-closet-organizer-wide/feed/ 0 http://closetorganizershowroom.net/premier-wood-closet-organizer-system-jlh-529/ http://closetorganizershowroom.net/premier-wood-closet-organizer-system-jlh-529/#comments Tue, 21 Jun 2011 07:11:00 +0000 Lani McMarsh http://closetorganizershowroom.net/?p=711

Product Highlights

• 100% crafted from solid wood (pine)
• fits closets up to 10 Ft wide
• suitable for reach-in and walk-in closets
• 12 inches shelf depth
• up to 22 Ft of shelf space
• up to 16 Ft of hanging space
• ventilated adjustable shelves
• configurable up to 8 options
• cut to fit
• with integrated 6 Ft shelf tower
• metal hanging bars
• assembly required
• satin nickel finishe all metal hardware
• ready for addon accessories (sold separately)

Our Experience

We’ve been quite skeptical with the quality of this solid wood closet organizer system at first because of its low pricing as compared to other wood closet systems of comparable features and dimensions. As per our experience, comparable solid wood systems of this size and dimension would usually cost beyond the $700 mark though these expensive systems are usually heavily customized in accordance to the customer’s desires, needs and wants.

Being so, our good friend, Roger, who lives with his wife and two children at Oregon, knowing that we are closet enthusiasts, gave us a call and asked for our comments regarding the JLH-529 in red mahogany finish before he pulls out his credit card. His wife, Becky, after sifting through other comparable solid wood closet sytems for two days, finally wanted to try this closet our for their newly renovated kids room. Now we didn’t had any first hand info for this product then, but after scouring through several online reviews and doing some asking to friends and relatives, we finally gave Roger a green light, provided that he won’t mind us helping in the installation so we could acquire a first hand experience with the product. Long story short, we ended up at his house a couple of days after he gave a text message informing us that the JLH-529 package he ordered has arrived.

At first, when we opened up the package, everything seemed to be in order. Components and mounting hardware were intact to include the assembly manual. We then prepped up the necessary tools for the installation and then promptly jumped to work. All in all, there were three of us doing the installation including Roger himself. After some minor glitches, especially during the cutting, the closet organizer system was finally up after 5 grueling hours of doing measurements, cutting, drilling holes and a few misunderstandings relative to the interpretation of the assembly instructions.

Here’s what we have to say in a few words:

Pros
- overall elegant design and looks with its red mahogany finish
- reasonable price for a solid wood closet organizer system
- very stable system
- expandable to accommodate more addon accessories

Cons
- amateur DIYers may find it hard to assemble

Product Highlights

• up to 8 configuration options (cutting required)
• wood hang bar
• fits closets up to 10′ wide (cut to fit)
• up to 18′ hanging space
• up to 24′ shelf space
• 100% solid wood
• ventilated shelves
• assembly required
• 12″ deep shelves (non-adjustable)
• open-sided tower shelf
• red mahogany stain finish
• satin nickel hardware
• Online User Reviews: Amazon, Google Products

While the JLH-523 Standard closet organizer may look good and elegant, getting it up really requires a lot of patience and effort. In our case, it literally took us the whole day getting this system assembled. Some people have stated that this is very easy to install. Well, for us, that is just overrated. In our opinion, this is something that isn’t that easy to assemble unless you are already an experienced DIYer. The assembly instructions are just overwhelmingly technical though they could be deciphered. Before doing any cutting, it is highly imperative that you already have your chosen configuration in place before proceeding with the measurements. Once that is done, you have to carefully do the measurements and then do it again just to be very sure. Then you can already commence cutting the components into pieces. There are 8 configurations that are included in the assembly instruction manual.

Most negative statements that we got, aside from our own, usually revolves around the difficulty level relative to the installation. There are just many people (like us) that are not so technically savvy enough to get to understand the assembly instructions and the diagrams in a layman’s view. But at the end of the day, the finished product was well worth it despite the hassles in getting it up.

Pros
- stable and sturdy
- elegant finish
- wholesome looks
- does a good job organizing clothes and stuff

Cons
- type of wood not known (our best guess – North American pine)
- hard to assemble by a single individual
- installation instructions quite hard to understand

Product Highlights

• 2-door junior sized wardrobe closet doors
• contemporary white finish
• Medium Density Fiberboard with melamine laminate
• nylon glides and built-in safety stops for drawers
• drawers can be removed for cleaning
• assembly needed (screw dowel and cam lock included)
• removable hanging rod
• weight: 109 lbs
• dimensions: 30″ width x 60″ height x 20.5″ depth
• brand: Prepac
• origin: Canada

The Prepac Model JWD-3060 Juvenile wardrobe closet is designed for use as an added closet storage system in small bedrooms or a stand alone closet unit for a small child. This product’s design makes it versatile enough to be also used as a TV armoire or a storage unit for other bedroom accessories such as reading materials or kids’ toys.

During one of our Thanksgiving gatherings, our aunt Rosie, who lives just about 30 minutes away, happened to tell us that she’s going to have one delivered by the guys from the nearby Kmart store. With that, we then jumped at the opportunity to get a first-hand look and feel of the Prepac unit as it got delivered. The installation guide was quite straightforward and easy to decipher. After all, it was just a plain and simple rectangular armoire that is easy to get into one piece. All in all, it took us just one hour to get everything up. Though we pointed out some negatives about the unit and hinted that we were not pleased with the product, our aunt Rosie, nevertheless, was quite satisfied with her purchase.

Pros
- 3 drawers can easily be lifted out ( a good configuration especially when cleaning up the drawers)
- overall appearance is quite pleasing

Cons
- very heavy for its size
- MDF isn’t as sturdy as expected
- storage capacity not as big as expected
- easily dented
- paper laminate finish easily gets scratched

Product Highlights

• Will fit closets having width of 4’ to 8’
• Expandable or configurable to your needs
• Sturdy and stylish
• Adjustable shelves and telescoping hanging rods
• Easy to install with no cutting necessary
• Includes all mounting hardware
• Steel material coated with long lasting White epoxy
• Perfect for walk-ins and reach-ins
• 12 Feet of hanging space
• 14 Feet of shelving space
• Large shelves with 2 Ft. depth
• Online User Reviews: (Walmart, Amazon, Google Products)

This wire closet kit is based on Rubbermaid’s trademarked Configurations system making it highly customizable in terms of layout. This can be achieved by simply adding other Configurations system accessories or components into the kit’s assembly. In addition, this can be a practical alternative to those high-end solid wood closet systems that usually cost a fortune. If you need just a simple closet organizer without the high price tags and flashy looks then this kit would be a very good choice.

Pros
True enough, the assembly and installation process went swift and smooth. The telescoping rods easily locked into their respective places and the shelves were easy to mount on the rails. From unpacking the kit to the installation of the last component, it took us only 40 minutes.

More so, the straightforward design of this kit makes it so easy for even an average individual to figure out how to configure it or expand it more in order to create more storage space.

Cons
Though the 3G59 closet kit is already a good choice for anyone’s closet storage needs, it still has its own limitations. For one, the provided anchors that come packaged with the kit may be good enough to achieve a fair degree of stability to the entire assembly. However though, it appeared that those anchors will need some reinforcement by purchasing additional anchors, especially if you want the kit’s storage capacity be maximized by adding more Configurations system accessories.

Second, after we tried to stuff more and more clothes and accessories into the kit until it seemed to reach its full capacity, we noticed that the kit cannot handle more than one person’s clothing and stuff. Being so, this kit would be appropriate for individuals not having much amount of clothing and other closet stuff such as kids and single individuals.

Product Highlights

• Adjustable to fit closets of 3Ft. – 6Ft.
• Quick assembly – no cutting needed
• Suitable for reach-in and walk-in closets
• Adjustable hanging rods and shelves
• 10 Ft of hanging space
• 12 Ft of shelf space
• All mounting accessories included
• Keeps away rust with its titanium finish
• Customizable with more components
• Online User Reviews: 4.9 / 5 (Walmart, Rubbermaid, Amazon, Google Products)

One of the best features of a closet organizer system is its capability to be customized and expanded as may be deemed fit. This is because of the fact that wardrobe sizes will grow over time or some people just might want to reconfigure the closet to make it look a bit different. Whatever the reasons, the Rubbermaid 3H11 closet kit can be can be reconfigured and expanding by just adding components or accessories.

Upon close scrutiny of the online reviews of those who were able to buy and use this kit, we found that almost all had a positive review of this product. Being so, we then headed to a local Walmart store and was able to buy one at exactly $55 due to an ongoing Walmart promo at the time of the purchase. Assembly time took us exactly 3 hours and 43 minutes. Though there were glitches along the way, especially with the installation of the shelves, we managed to get over it and had the entire framework assembled.

Pros

Rubbermaid has once again come up with a stellar product with the 3H11 Adjustable Closet Kit. What make this product more enticing is its price considering the huge value you get out of it. More so, despite its expandable design, this closet kit would be best for small to medium sized applications (i.e., single person use or kids closets).

Cons

Wire closet kits such as this one may look nice, but it still can’t beat the aesthetic elegance that wooden systems possess. Though we encountered some few glitches during the assembly, a main part of it was due to us not fully understanding the instructions in the installation guide that came with the package. That said, maybe Rubbermaid can consider placing in more details in the installation guide that comes with the kit. At least, even the technically illiterate individual or a DIY wannabe would find it easier and quicker to get a hang with the installation process.

Product Highlights

- Rigid steel frame
- Fits closets between 5ft and 8 ft
- Up to 10 feet of hanging space
- Up to 19 feet of shelf storage space
- Up to 3 feet of shoe storage space
- Venilated Wire Shelving
- Vinyl-Coated
- Easy on the wallet
- Easy cleaning by just wiping it with cloth
- Perfect for kids closets
- Appropriate for reach-in and walk-in closets
- Online User Reviews: 4.3 / 5 (Amazon)

The Model 1608 is considered to be among the widest selling economy-type closet organizers from Closetmaid. This sturdy kit has been in Closetmaid’s product line of wire kits since 2007. Furthermore, it has also been recognized by many happy users as a good alternative for high-end closet systems. What makes this kit stand out is its rigid frame designed to handle larger amounts of load than any other economy Closetmaid wire kit models.

Pros
A good value for your money considering its price, versatility, and functionality. Even with its not so exotic appearance, the kit can very well create adequate storage space for an average-sized wardrobe.

Cons
Despite the rigid frame of this kit, it tends to sag especially when we placed a filled suitcase on the shelf. Being so, this kit would be suitable for small to medium types of loads. Furthermore, this kit would be better off had other types of bolts designed for different types of walls. Pins and anchors that come with the package are not designed for much heavier loads. To get the most out of this closet organizer kit, one has to purchase different types of bolts or screws.