How to Choose Lockers: UK Buying and Selection Guide

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

Ready to compare products, specifications and prices? Browse commercial lockers for schools, workplaces, leisure facilities and other UK sites.

This guide explains how to choose lockers by storage requirement, environment, user pattern, material, size, configuration and lock type. Use it to define what your site needs before comparing individual 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 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 exposed locations	Plastic and wet-area lockers	Water exposure, corrosion resistance 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. The value of a locker system depends on how well it supports the people and environment around it.

• 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 obstructing circulation or access.
• Hygiene and cleaning: keep belongings off floors and support suitable cleaning routines.
• User convenience: make storage accessible without creating queues, door clashes or congestion.
• 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 locker types
• Decide between assigned and shared use
• Choose the locker material
• 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. This determines the usable space required and helps 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 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 different space requirements from one used for a coat, work boots and PPE. Measure the largest items, including bags and protective cases, before choosing the compartment.

Choose Lockers for the Environment

The surrounding environment affects locker material, construction and long-term maintenance. A locker suitable for a dry office should not automatically be assumed suitable for a pool changing area, washdown environment or exposed outdoor 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. See the workplace locker guide or compare 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, cleaning requirements and the way temporary users gain access can be more important than in a conventional staff area. Compare leisure lockers and read the 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 standard personal locker.

Devices and Powered Equipment

If laptops, tablets, phones, tools or batteries need to be stored and charged, use a purpose-designed system rather than treating a standard storage locker as an electrical enclosure. Check device size, charging compatibility, ventilation, power supply and site management. Read the charging locker guide or compare 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.

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 and higher-specification interiors	Durable doors with a wider choice of visual finishes
Plastic lockers	Wet, humid and 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	Secure 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 and garment lockers for operational staff.

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 the available space is 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

Some sites benefit from a mixed arrangement. Permanent staff may have assigned lockers while visitors, contractors or hybrid workers use a shared bank. See the 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 it will operate.

Material	Typical environment	Main advantage	Check before ordering
Powder-coated steel	Dry internal workplaces and schools	Strength and broad configuration choice	Moisture exposure and the 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 level
Wire mesh	Industrial and operational storage	Airflow and clear visibility	Privacy, security and stored-item size

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

Choose the Locking System

Lock choice should follow 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 system that does not require physical keys to be issued and recovered every 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
Digital keypad lock	Shared-use and managed environments	Administrator access, batteries and override procedures
RFID or contactless lock	Managed sites using cards, tags or wristbands	Credential compatibility and user cancellation

Select the user model and administration process before choosing a lock. For detailed advice, read the locker locking systems guide. For existing installations, view 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 no advantage 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. Measure internal dimensions and the clear door opening, not only the external cabinet size. Read the 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?
• 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 layout should work when the room is busy, not only when it is empty. Use the locker layout planning guide and locker room design guide for more detailed planning.

Installation and Ongoing Locker Management

A locker project does not finish when the product has been chosen. Installation, identification, key control, access procedures, cleaning and the availability of replacement parts affect how well the system performs over 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
• Availability of replacement locks, keys, doors and other parts
• Responsibility for reporting damage and arranging repairs

Follow the instructions for the selected product and the site’s risk assessment. Read the locker installation guide and locker maintenance guide for further guidance.

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.
• Maximising locker quantity without leaving enough usable space.
• Ignoring door opening, benches, circulation and cleaning access.
• Assuming every user needs the same storage configuration.
• Planning only for current numbers without considering future changes.
• Ignoring replacement keys, locks and ongoing maintenance.
• Failing to check the complete delivery route before ordering.

A Practical Locker Selection Process

1. Define what needs to be stored.
2. Identify the environment: dry internal, wet, humid, washdown or exposed.
3. Decide who will use the lockers and whether use is assigned, shared or mixed.
4. Choose the appropriate material and locker format.
5. Choose the locking method and management procedure.
6. Determine compartment size and required user capacity.
7. Plan the room layout, door clearance and circulation.
8. Check the delivery route, installation and ongoing management.
9. Only then compare individual locker products.

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
• Smart and electronic locker systems
• Locker maintenance and ongoing support

Ready to Compare Lockers?

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

If you are ready to compare products, view the locker range for schools, workplaces and commercial sites. For help with a project, call Total Locker Service on 01284 749211 or email sales@totallocker.co.uk.