Kids Locker Storage
Buy the best kids locker storage selected and recommended by interior designers. By Tara Gosselin.
Kids locker storage can be a practical and fun way to store clothes, sports equipment, and toys in your child’s bedroom, playroom, or garage. Typically lightweight and compact, a kid’s storage locker allows young children or teenagers to keep their belongings organized and secure. The best storage lockers should also match your home’s décor, functioning as furniture such as a nightstand or end table. Discover six of the best kids storage lockers to help keep your home organized yet chic.
Kids Locker Storage
Buying Guide
Tara Gosselin
Interior Design Expert
Tara is a San Antonio-based award-winning landscape architect, writer and educator, passionate about eco-friendly solutions and growing her own food. She knows all it takes to help you create a sustainable backyard retreat that combines blissful charm with a modern take on landscaping.
Notwithstanding their generic name, school lockers are omnipresent across the entire domain of academic institutions. Today, students' belongings and essentials have become valuable, and that's why these lockers are a must in schools, colleges, and affiliated facilities. Apart from study materials, they safely store laptops, gadgets, and even expensive sports merchandise.
Are you thinking of buying lockers for your educational instituion? This guide will help you get to know the types of lockers and choose the right one, with the right features.
There are four main types of school lockers:
Junior/mini lockers
Today, kindergarten and primary education sections of schools have extended timings. This has created a need for junior/mini lockers. Trendy and bright, these lockers create a playful bond with children who love to use them.Since personal storage and not security is the primary objective of these lockers, they are made from molded or extruded plastic or light metal such as aluminum. They often don't have locks, just latches, magnetic door-closer, or similar easy-to-operate device.
Single units
These individual lockers are meant for students' exclusive use. The design may have a single door, but the interior can have different vertical and horizontal compartments. Often, they are adjustable so that the student can customize them according to their needs. There are two types:
- Wall-mounted lockers that can be operated in a standing position
- Floor models that require a bending or sitting position
Single units offer the benefit of centralized storage and are good for facilities that mandate a safe storage space for students:
- Schools with multiple extra-curricular activities
- Schools with residential facilities
- Day-schools
Towers
Typically, these are 'locker-room' lockersdesigned for community use and are banked together in rows. As such, they are ideal forthe storage of study materials and personal belongings, sports merchandise, and other essentials.
These lockers are sturdy steel-bodied units standing on stout legs. You will encounter dual, triple, or multiple lockers in a single unit. Individually, they have deep spaces with or without compartments.
If you are in charge of a school or college, or facilities such as sports, swimming, and outdoor activity centers, go for these towers. They are available in various designs and colors. If you are planning to place a large order, customization is also possible.
Activity lockers
Over 60 million Americans possess a health and fitness center's membership, and a significant number of them belong to the young demographic segment. Further, activities such as sports, gym, swimming etc. are common across educational institutes. An activity locker safely stores students' valuables and essentials while they are busy 'sweating out'.
Activity lockers have these features:
- Sturdy metal construction
- A deep and wide body that takes in various personal belongings, gym bag, laptop, and the like
- Tough reinforced door
- Combination lock or electronically operated lock
We advise that you pay attention to these features:
Locking systems. These are the reliable ones:
Deadbolts. They are concealed locks with just the keyhole frame on the outer side. You operate them by simply turning the key. The manufacturers usually supply spare keys with these locks.
Key barrel lock. This is the most common system for school lockers that has a barrel with an in-built latch. When you insert the key, this latch either slips in or comes out to open or lock the door, respectively. These locks have individual unique keys, but a master-key is available with the school authorities.
Cam locks. They have a cylindrical fastener with a metal plate that you can move up or down with the key to lock or open the door. The body is installed on the interior, so you just have the keyhole ring on the exterior of the door.
Keyless locks. These locks are operated by entering a series of numbers on a lock. There are manual or electronic models.
Ventilation
This is an important feature to stop bacteria formation inside the locker. Check if the locker has either of these:
- Raised slits in its body that act as air vent or louvers
- Perforations on its surfaces
Locker door hinges
A reliable locker will have one of these two types:
Knuckle hinges that have three and two screw slots and are made of strong 14-gauge steel. They are either welded or riveted to the locker body and the door.
Piano or continuous hinges that run on the entire length of the door. They are a better option than knuckle hinges and offer a smoother operation of the locker door.
Locker door reinforcement
Check if the locker has reinforcement bars on its interior body. These are meant to provide extra strength and prevent the door plate from sagging or deforming.
Banking or ganging facility
This is the process through which multiple locker units are joined together. It is an important feature if you are ordering lockers in bulk.
These are the two universal sizes:
- 12" W x 20" H x 15" D
- 15" W x 24" H x 18" D
Cold-rolled steel
It is the most standard material for school lockers. Lockers made from tough, 16-gauge steel, offer durability and reliability. Their other benefits:
- Easy to fit accessories such as locks, handles, and hinges
- Easily to paint. Anti-corrosion paint will increase their life.
- They can withstand rough use
However, metal lockers can dent and scratch.
HDPE plastic lockers
Many modern sizes use this material because it is lighter than metal yet highly durable. Plus, it is:
- Impact-resistant
- Dent and scratch-resistant
- Resistant to mold and other bacteria
- Available in many attractive colors - no need to paint them
School lockers are one of the bare essentials for educational institutions. Keep in mind the information provided in this article to make the correct choice.