The Best Drawer Organizer

Buying Guide

Whether you’re doing a mass spring cleaning or combating year-round clutter, one thing’s for sure: Your drawers are where the real battle takes place. It only takes a second to toss something into a drawer and deal with it “later,” but it takes hours to detangle the resulting mess of odds and ends when you finally get around to it. You can keep your drawers in fighting shape 24/7 with the right drawer organizers. 

There’s an organizer for every drawer in your house. Struggling to find your lucky socks? Honeycomb dividers give each pair its own cubby. Combing through dull pencils and paperclips to locate your good pen? Expandable dividers create organized heaven in every desk drawer. Trying to stash away scarves and sweaters until next winter? Linen storage cubes keep your soft items in shape.

Drawer organizers are made from different materials, depending on their intended job. Many clothing organizers are made from linen or other fabrics. Dividers for your bathroom or kitchen have a tougher construction. You’ll see a lot of tough plastic or lighter materials that have a little bend to them in these organizers. 

Many clothing organizers come with fun features, like sections specifically for bras or mold-proof materials. That might not sound like an essential, but it will prevent your organizer from developing a moldy smell if you put clothes away before they’ve completely dried. Many are also collapsible for easy storage — that’s handy if you’re packing them up for a move. 

Honeycomb-style organizers are popular for underwear and accessory drawers. They offer a space for each individual pair of underwear or socks, and they’re easy for kids to use.

Plastic kitchen or desk organizers are usually expandable and retractable to fit different size drawers. You can place them in your drawers running from front to back or side to side. Those customization options are useful if you want organizers that you can move from drawer to drawer.

Now that you’ve got a handle on your drawer organizer basics, check out our additional info in the Tips & Advice section.

• Measure your drawers before you buy. Organizers are designed to fit in most standard dresser or desk drawers, but they might not work in older or more eclectic furniture. You’ll want to pay special attention to your drawer’s height. May organizers are adjustable by length and width, but you can’t do much about an organizer that’s too tall for your drawer. 
• Soft plastic organizers can often be cut to size for a perfect fit. Go for these if you have smaller or irregularly-shaped drawers.
• Fabric dresser organizers will keep you sane when you’re rushing to get dressed in the morning, but they might not work out if you have larger clothes. Bra organizers are a trickier item. Nest your bras together and measure them out, then compare that to the size of the bra organizer in question.
• If you’re installing plastic organizers, make sure you push them hard against the bottom of the drawer so they don’t spring out when you’re not expecting it. 
• Plastic organizers sometimes come with drawer-protecting features, like foam ends or a locking mechanism. The highest quality organizers will have both of these. 
• Choose the right organizer for the job. You’ll want tougher plastic organizers for desk or kitchen drawers. They’ll hold up to pen and pencil marks or nicks from knives or other kitchen utensils. Soft organizers are better for clothing. They can expand a bit if you’re packing a lot of socks or shirts inside them, and they often come in sets that are designed for specific items of clothing. 
• If you buy a set of clothing organizers, you can remove individual boxes from the drawer on laundry day to maintain order from your drawer to your washer and back. 
• Properly cleaning your organizers will keep them in top shape for years. Plastic organizers usually clean up quickly with a few swipes of a disinfectant cloth. Fabric organizers can be spot cleaned with water or a stain-removing pen. You can also spritz them with an air freshener or Febreze to keep them smelling fresh. Drawer sachets with dried lavender or other flowers and herbs are another option.