How to Choose Lockers: UK Buying and Selection Guide

Choosing the right lockers starts with understanding how they will actually be used. The best locker for a school corridor may be very different from one required for a factory changing room, hybrid office, swimming pool, leisure facility or equipment store.

If you are ready to compare products, specifications and prices, browse our commercial locker range for schools, workplaces, leisure facilities and other UK sites.

This guide explains how to choose lockers by storage requirement, environment, user pattern, material, ventilation, accessibility, size, configuration and lock type. Use it to define what your site actually needs before comparing individual locker products.

Quick Answer: Which Locker Do You Need?

Requirement	Suitable starting point	Important checks
School bags, books and coats	School lockers	Pupil age, compartment size, corridor space, durability and lock management
Staff belongings, uniforms and PPE	Workplace lockers	Item size, shift patterns, ventilation and clean-and-dirty requirements
Gyms, pools and changing rooms	Leisure lockers	Moisture, cleaning, user turnover and access method
Wet, humid or selected exposed locations	Plastic and wet-area lockers	Water exposure, corrosion resistance, construction and exact product specification
General durable internal storage	Metal lockers	Compartment layout, dimensions, colour and lock type
Laptops, tablets, phones or tools	Charging lockers	Device dimensions, electrical requirements, ventilation and access control
PPE requiring visibility or airflow	Wire mesh lockers	Privacy, security, drying requirements and stored-item size

What Should a Locker System Achieve?

Lockers provide controlled storage for personal belongings, clothing, workwear, PPE, bags, books, devices, tools and other items that should not be left loose in a workplace or shared facility. A successful locker system is not simply a row of cabinets. It should support the users, the building and the way the site is managed.

• Security: provide an appropriate level of controlled storage for the items and setting.
• Organisation: give users an allocated or managed place for belongings, workwear and equipment.
• Space management: use vertical storage efficiently without unnecessarily obstructing circulation or access.
• Hygiene and cleaning: keep belongings off floors and support suitable cleaning routines.
• User convenience: make storage straightforward to access without creating avoidable queues, door clashes or congestion.
• Accessibility: consider reach, mobility, dexterity and the usability of the selected lock system.
• Long-term management: allow keys, codes, credentials, numbers and replacement parts to be administered effectively.

Locker Selection Guide

• Start with what needs to be stored
• Choose lockers for the environment
• Compare the main locker types
• Decide between assigned and shared use
• Choose the locker material
• Consider ventilation, hygiene and accessibility
• Choose the locking system
• Choose locker size and configuration
• Plan capacity and layout
• Plan installation and ongoing management
• Avoid common specification mistakes

Start with What the Locker Needs to Store

Do not start by choosing a locker size or door configuration. First define what users need to put inside it. The contents determine the usable space required and help prevent both over-specification and compartments that are too small for their intended purpose.

• Coats, bags and everyday personal belongings
• Workwear and uniforms
• PPE, boots, helmets and protective equipment
• Books, school bags and sports equipment
• Phones, tablets and laptops
• Power tools, batteries and chargers
• Clean and dirty garments
• Valuables and small personal items

A locker used only for a phone and wallet has very different space requirements from one used for a coat, work boots and PPE. Measure the largest items that will be stored, including bags, helmets and protective cases, before deciding on the compartment.

Also consider how the items are used during the day. A worker who changes into protective clothing may need hanging space, boot storage and separation between clean and dirty garments. A pupil may need sufficient space for a school bag, books and coat. A hybrid worker may only need a smaller compartment for personal belongings during a single visit.

Choose Lockers for the Environment

The surrounding environment affects locker material, construction, locking system, cleaning requirements and long-term maintenance. A locker suitable for a dry office should not automatically be assumed suitable for a swimming pool changing area, wash-down environment or exposed position.

Workplaces and Offices

Workplace lockers may be required for personal belongings, coats, bags, uniforms, PPE, laptops or day-use storage. Offices may favour compact or shared-use arrangements, while factories and warehouses often need larger compartments for clothing, boots and equipment.

Read our workplace locker guide or compare the available workplace lockers.

Schools and Education

School lockers need to withstand frequent use while remaining straightforward for pupils and staff to manage. Consider pupil age, books and bag sizes, corridor space, supervision, compartment numbering and the school’s preferred locking method.

Read how to choose school lockers or view the school locker range.

Gyms, Pools and Changing Areas

Leisure and changing environments often have high user turnover and may involve humidity or direct exposure to water. Material choice, ventilation, hygiene, cleaning requirements and the way temporary users gain access can be more important than in a conventional staff area.

Compare leisure lockers and read our guide to wet-area and outdoor lockers.

Industrial and Operational Sites

Factories, warehouses, engineering sites, depots and workshops may need storage for workwear, PPE, tools or separated clean and dirty clothing. Garment lockers, wire mesh lockers, heated lockers or specialist compartment layouts may be more appropriate than a conventional personal locker.

Devices and Powered Equipment

If laptops, tablets, phones, tools or compatible battery-powered equipment need to be stored and charged, use a purpose-designed charging system rather than treating a standard storage locker as an electrical enclosure. Check device size, charging compatibility, ventilation, power supply and how access will be managed.

Read the charging locker guide or compare our charging lockers.

Compare the Main Locker Types

Locker type should follow the storage requirement, environment and user model rather than being selected purely by appearance or the maximum number of doors that will fit into the available space.

Locker type	Best suited to	Main reason to choose
Steel lockers	Schools, workplaces and general internal storage	Strong, versatile construction with numerous configurations
Laminate-door lockers	Offices, education, leisure and higher-specification interiors	Durable doors with a broad choice of visual finishes
Plastic lockers	Wet, humid and selected exposed environments	Resistance to moisture and corrosion
Z lockers	Changing rooms and staff areas	Hanging space for more users within a locker bank
Wire mesh lockers	Factories, warehouses and operational sites	Visibility, ventilation and robust storage
Garment lockers	Industrial and changing environments	Storage designed around workwear and clothing
Charging lockers	Schools, workplaces and technical environments	Controlled storage combined with equipment charging
Heated lockers	Sites managing damp workwear or equipment	Drying support combined with controlled storage

Locker categories can overlap. A workplace may use conventional steel staff lockers alongside charging lockers for shared devices, garment lockers for operational employees and wire mesh storage where airflow or visibility is important.

Assigned or Shared-Use Lockers?

Decide whether each locker will belong to one regular user or be available to different users at different times. This affects the number of lockers required, lock choice, administration and how efficiently available capacity can be used.

Consideration	Assigned lockers	Shared-use lockers
Use	One regular user	Different users at different times
Common applications	Schools, permanent staff and industrial workplaces	Hybrid offices, gyms, visitors and flexible workplaces
Main advantage	Consistency and accountability	More flexible use of capacity
Lock consideration	Keys, padlocks or personal combinations	Combination, digital or managed-access systems may simplify turnover
Administration	User allocation and key or code records	Reset, override and temporary-user procedures

Some sites benefit from a mixed arrangement. Permanent employees may have assigned lockers while visitors, contractors or hybrid workers use a shared bank. Read our detailed assigned versus shared lockers guide.

Choose the Right Locker Material

Locker material affects durability, appearance, corrosion resistance, cleaning and maintenance. Match the complete product specification to the conditions in which the locker will operate rather than choosing the material by appearance alone.

Material	Typical environment	Main advantage	Check before ordering
Powder-coated steel	Dry internal workplaces and schools	Strength and broad configuration choice	Moisture exposure and specification of the selected range
Laminate doors	Offices, education, leisure and design-led interiors	Durable door finish and appearance	Door, carcass and edge specification
Plastic	Wet, humid and selected exposed environments	Resistance to moisture and corrosion	Exact location, construction, dimensions and security requirement
Wire mesh	Industrial and operational storage	Airflow and clear visibility	Privacy, security and stored-item size

For a closer comparison, read steel, laminate and plastic lockers compared.

Ventilation, Hygiene and User Accessibility

Ventilation becomes particularly important where lockers are used for clothing, sports kit, workwear, PPE or other items that may be damp when stored. Trapped moisture can contribute to odours and make locker interiors harder to keep fresh, so airflow should be considered alongside locker material and cleaning.

• Ventilated doors, perforations or suitable openings can improve airflow around stored clothing and equipment.
• Wire mesh lockers provide particularly high airflow and visibility where privacy is not essential.
• Wet and humid environments require suitable moisture-resistant locker materials as well as an appropriate ventilation strategy.
• Heated lockers may be appropriate where damp workwear or equipment needs drying support.
• Ventilation does not replace routine cleaning or the need to dry heavily wet clothing and equipment correctly.
• Locker interiors, doors, handles and frequently touched lock components should be included in the site’s normal cleaning programme.

Accessibility should also be considered before the locker configuration is finalised. Not every user can comfortably reach high compartments or operate the same type of key, combination mechanism or electronic lock.

• Consider whether some lockers need to be positioned at more accessible heights.
• Check whether users can comfortably approach and open the locker door.
• Consider the reach required to operate the lock, handle and door.
• Choose locking systems appropriate to the users’ likely mobility and dexterity.
• Avoid creating unnecessary obstructions around lockers intended for users requiring easier access.

Accessibility requirements vary between buildings and users, so the locker arrangement should form part of the wider site design rather than being treated in isolation.

Choose the Locker Locking System

The best locker lock depends on the way the lockers are used. A keyed system can work well for permanently assigned staff lockers, while a site with changing users may benefit from a locking system that does not require physical keys to be issued and recovered each day.

Lock type	Useful for	Main management consideration
Key-operated cam lock	Assigned lockers and straightforward everyday use	Key issue, replacement and master-key control
Hasp fitting	Sites where users provide or are issued padlocks	Permitted padlock dimensions and lost-padlock procedures
Mechanical combination lock	Assigned or managed shared use	Forgotten-code, reset and override procedures
Coin lock	Leisure and temporary-use environments	Coin-return or coin-retain operation and override
Digital keypad lock	Shared-use and managed environments	Administrator access, batteries and override procedures
RFID or contactless lock	Managed sites using compatible cards, tags or wristbands	Credential compatibility, administration and cancellation

Select the user model and administration process before choosing a lock. For detailed advice, read our locker locking systems guide.

If lockers are already installed, browse replacement locker locks or order replacement locker keys.

Choose Locker Size and Configuration

Locker size should be based on the dimensions of the items being stored and the number of users requiring storage. There is little benefit in fitting a large number of compartments if users cannot fit the intended contents inside them.

• Single-door lockers: vertical space for coats, garments and larger items.
• Two-tier lockers: a balance between usable compartment space and user capacity.
• Multi-tier lockers: more individual compartments where users need smaller personal storage.
• Z lockers: hanging space for more users while using the available footprint efficiently.
• Large and XL lockers: additional room for bulky bags, helmets, PPE or equipment.
• Specialist compartments: layouts designed for laptops, tools, boots, workwear or other specific items.

Ask whether item size or user capacity is the greater priority. Check internal dimensions and the clear door opening, not only the external cabinet dimensions.

Read our locker size guide or compare large and XL lockers.

Plan Locker Capacity and Layout

Locker quantity is only one part of capacity planning. The installation must remain usable when doors are open, benches are occupied and several people are moving through the area.

• How many users need storage at the busiest time?
• Will lockers be assigned, shared or a mixture of both?
• Where are entrances, exits and fixed building features?
• Will open locker doors conflict with circulation routes?
• Are benches or other changing-room fittings required?
• Is there sufficient lighting around locker doors, locker numbers and locking mechanisms?
• Are suitable locker positions available for users who may have limited reach or mobility?
• Can users approach and operate the selected lockers without unnecessary obstruction?
• Can cleaners reach floors and surrounding surfaces?
• Is space needed for future users or expansion?
• Can lockers reach the intended position through gates, doors, corridors, stairs or lifts?

A good locker layout should work when the room is busy, not only when it is empty. Avoid positioning banks where open doors create unnecessary obstructions or where poor lighting makes locker numbers and locks difficult to use.

The maximum number of lockers that can physically fit into a room is not automatically the correct number. User movement, open doors, benches, access routes, cleaning space and the intended storage capacity all need to work together.

For more detailed planning, use our locker layout planning guide and locker room design guide.

Installation and Ongoing Locker Management

A locker project does not finish when the product has been chosen. Installation, identification, key control, access procedures, cleaning, inspection and the availability of replacement parts affect how well the system performs throughout its working life.

• Positioning, nesting and suitable restraint or fixing
• Access around doors, walls and fixed building features
• Numbering and user identification
• Master keys, spare keys and override procedures
• Forgotten combination and lost-credential procedures
• Cleaning and routine inspection
• Routine checking of locks, hinges, latches and door alignment
• Prompt adjustment or repair where doors begin to bind, drop or become difficult to secure
• Availability of replacement locks, keys, doors and other parts
• Responsibility for reporting damage and arranging repairs

Small faults are usually easier to deal with when identified early. A loose hinge, stiff lock, damaged cam or poorly aligned door should be investigated before it develops into a larger access or security problem.

Follow the instructions supplied for the selected product and the site’s own installation and risk-management requirements. Read our locker installation guide and locker maintenance guide for further information.

Common Locker Specification Mistakes

• Choosing the locker size before defining what users need to store.
• Selecting a lock before deciding whether use will be assigned or shared.
• Using a material that does not suit the surrounding environment.
• Ignoring ventilation where damp clothing, PPE or sports equipment will be stored.
• Maximising locker quantity without leaving enough usable space.
• Ignoring door opening, benches, circulation and cleaning access.
• Assuming every user needs the same storage configuration.
• Failing to consider accessibility and the usability of high or low compartments.
• Choosing a locking system without planning lost-key, forgotten-code or override procedures.
• Planning only for current numbers without considering future changes.
• Ignoring replacement keys, locks, hinges and ongoing maintenance.
• Failing to check the complete delivery route before ordering.

A Practical Locker Selection Process

1. Define what needs to be stored. Measure the largest items and consider whether hanging, shelving or specialist compartments are required.
2. Identify the environment. Is the location dry internal, humid, wet, wash-down or exposed?
3. Identify the users. Consider age, mobility, reach, dexterity and how frequently users change.
4. Decide whether use is assigned, shared or mixed.
5. Choose the appropriate locker material and format.
6. Consider ventilation and hygiene requirements.
7. Choose the locking method and management procedure.
8. Determine compartment size and required user capacity.
9. Plan the room layout, door clearance, lighting and circulation.
10. Check the delivery route and installation requirements.
11. Plan maintenance, replacement keys, locks and other parts.
12. Only then compare individual locker products and prices.

Compare Locker Requirements Before Ordering

Question	Why it matters
What is being stored?	Determines compartment dimensions, hanging space, shelving and specialist requirements
How many people require storage?	Determines capacity and whether shared-use arrangements may be practical
Where will the lockers be installed?	Influences material, corrosion resistance, ventilation and installation requirements
Are lockers assigned or shared?	Influences capacity, locking method and administration
What security level is appropriate?	Influences construction and lock choice
Will damp clothing or equipment be stored?	May make ventilation, wire mesh or drying solutions important
Who will use the lockers?	Influences compartment position, accessibility and lock usability
What is the available room space?	Determines locker banks, door clearance, aisle space and bench positioning
How will locks be administered?	Determines key, code, override or credential management requirements
How will the lockers be maintained?	Replacement locks, keys, doors and other parts affect long-term serviceability

Related Locker Guides

• Workplace lockers: staff storage, security and layout
• How to choose school lockers
• Charging lockers for laptops, tablets and tools
• Assigned lockers versus shared-use lockers
• Steel, laminate and plastic lockers compared
• How to choose locker size
• Locker layout planning
• Locker room design
• Wet-area and outdoor locker selection
• Locker locking systems: keys, codes and smart access
• Smart and electronic locker systems
• Locker maintenance and ongoing support

Frequently Asked Questions About Choosing Lockers

Ready to Compare Lockers?

The correct locker system is determined by the job it needs to perform. Define the contents, environment, users, accessibility requirements and access method first, then choose the material, size, lock and layout around those requirements.

Total Locker Service supplies commercial lockers for UK schools, workplaces, factories, warehouses, leisure facilities and other organisations, together with replacement locks, keys, parts and ongoing support.

If you are ready to compare products, view our locker range for schools, workplaces and commercial sites.

For help with a locker project, call Total Locker Service on 01284 749211 or email sales@totallocker.co.uk.