By Erica Reagle and Stacey L Nash | Updated Oct 13, 2022 6:12 PM
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Choosing the right clothes hangers doesn’t just keep your wardrobe neat and in good condition; it optimizes your storage space and gives your closet an organized, uniform look. Hangers come in a variety of materials—including wood, velvet, or plastic—that are designed to hang different kinds of clothing.
Using the correct type of hanger helps maintain the shape of clothing, reduces wrinkles and creases, and prevents clothes from slipping off and falling to the floor. We tested each of the hangers on our list, looking for the quality of their construction and how well they worked for their designed purpose. Follow this guide to find the best hangers for your closet.
ALSO TESTED: Myfolrena Pants Hanger
To find the best hangers for any need, keep these important things in mind: space, intended use, material, shape, and special features.
When selecting the ideal type of clothes hangers, consider the size of the closet and the amount of clothing that needs to hang. Thin hangers work well for smaller spaces, and many hangers have a thin, lightweight build. For a large wardrobe with less closet space, look for a hanger with vertical tiers or a swivel organizer that hangs on a closet rod and has several “arms” for hanging smaller items, like scarves or ties.
Hangers are designed with specific uses in mind. Each type is well suited for hanging a certain type of clothing, such as pants, jackets, skirts, and even lingerie (which should be hung on a padded or velvet hanger to prevent any rips). Using the right type of hanger for each article of clothing helps keep clothing in good shape and prevents clothes from slipping off the hangers. Before purchasing new hangers, be sure to think about what kinds of clothing items will be hanging in the closet.
Clothes hangers are made of many different materials, including plastic, metal wire, wood, and velvet. Knowing which kinds of hangers work best for all sorts of clothes, from suits to delicates, is key to keeping all garments in good condition. Here are some considerations for choosing the optimal hanger material:
There are two main hanger shapes: flat hangers and curved hangers. Flat hangers work best for thin, lightweight items like T-shirts and are designed to save space because they are uniform and can line up next to one another. Curved hangers, also referred to as contoured hangers, are best for hanging delicate items, like suits and dresses, because the curvature of the hanger is similar to that of shoulders and helps these items keep their shape.
Many hangers have special features that help protect clothing, maximize space, and keep the closet organized, such as nonslip grips, crossbars, swivel hooks, and adjustable clips. Some hangers have multiple tiers that store several items on one hanger without taking up precious horizontal space on the closet rod. These extra features extend the use of hangers and optimize closet space.
Check out this list to find some of the best hangers for all sorts of clothing and closets. From simple plastic hangers to heavy-duty wooden ones, there are many options available for a variety of organizational needs.
These nonslip velvet hangers are thin and lightweight, which maximizes closet space. The notched shoulders provide extra hanging options for straps. There’s also a crossbar for hanging pants or skirts.
We put a sweater, T-shirt, dress shirt, and dress on the Zober hangers during testing. The contoured shoulder line retained the shape of the sweater and didn’t leave hanger marks. We also appreciated the 360-degree swivel hook that let us hang clothing from either direction. The velvet’s soft texture worked for delicate items. Although we found that the hangers were durable, their velvet clung to the clothing, making it more difficult to put clothing on and take it off. We also noticed that users could easily stretch out the necks of shirts if they pulled without carefully lifting the fabric off of the hanger.
These Zober hangers can support items that weigh up to 10 pounds, which makes them suitable for heavier items like jackets. They are sold in packs of 50.
Get the Zober velvet hangers on Amazon.
These affordable plastic hangers from Neaterize have a smooth, notch-free design, which allows for snag-free clothing removal. Made from stain-free plastic with reinforced edges, they’re a good pick for general clothing items like dress shirts, pants, and dresses. While they’re advertised as heavy duty, they’re a thin, lightweight plastic. None of them broke during our 2 weeks of testing, but they bowed under the weight of a heavy coat. In time, that kind of stress could lead to a break. On the other hand, their smooth construction didn’t snag or stretch the sweaters we put on them during testing.
These hangers also come with two multipurpose hooks for hanging delicate straps or accessories. The Neaterize space-spacing hangers come in packs of 20, 40, 60, or 100 and are available in a variety of colors.
Get the Neaterize hangers at Amazon, Sears, Neaterize, or Kmart.
Made out of smooth, sturdy, dark walnut wood with chrome accents and a sleek varnished finish to prevent snags, this wooden tie rack can help keep the closet clutter-free. The rack’s individual swivel hooks make it easy to organize a tie collection by color or pattern, providing easy access to preferred ties.
The hooks swivel out to load the ties and swivel back toward the hanger for storage. We compared this model to a similar design that had nonswiveling hooks, and the Richards’ swivel hooks made all the difference. Because the hooks swivel to lay flat against the hanger, it saves a considerable amount of storage space and keeps ties well organized. The Richards Homewares wooden tie organizer can also hang belts, purses, or scarves.
Get the Richards tie hanger on Amazon or at Sears.
The Neaties Plastic Hangers aren’t a standard plastic hanger; they’re made of thick plastic that doesn’t flex, even when holding a heavy coat. The textured crossbar successfully held pants in place during testing. They also have an additional belt or accessory hook so users can keep outfits or uniforms together.
We’ve had experience with many subpar plastic hangers, and the Neaties are ones worth investing in. The only thing we wished they had were notches or hooks for spaghetti straps. We also found that the hangers were a bit wide for narrow-shouldered clothing and could potentially leave divots in the fabric.
The Neaties hangers come in black or white and in packs of 12, 18, 24, 36, or 72.
Get the Neaties hangers on Amazon.
These Zober wooden hangers have a flat, slim design and are made of high-quality lotus wood with a splinter-free finish and a clear lacquer coating. They feature a contoured shoulder line to maintain the clothing’s shape; notches to prevent straps from slipping; a 360-degree chrome swivel hook; and a grooved, vinyl-covered bar for hanging pants, skirts, or scarves.
In testing, the combination of materials and design worked well for pants, suit jackets, and heavy coats. We liked the strength of these hangers for heavier items, and the only flaw we noticed is that the shoulder notches are a bit rough. None of our clothing snagged, but there is potential for it with delicate fabrics.
These sturdy hangers can hold up to 15 pounds each and are sold in packs of 20.
Get the Zober natural wooden hangers on Amazon.
These premium velvet hangers are designed to save space and keep clothing tidy. They feature a 360-degree swivel hook for hanging clothing in any direction, plus notched shoulders to prevent straps from falling and a crossbar to hang pants or skirts. The soft, velvet finish also helps prevent slips and creases.
They were deceptively strong and did well holding everything from a delicate dress to blazers and suit jackets. We also liked that they come in such a wide range of colors, which makes organizing the closet more fun. As the product description promised, the velvet kept a sweater in place and didn’t leave marks on the shoulders. However, we did notice that some of the hangers in our 50-pack had spots where the velvet had rubbed off.
These space-saving hangers hold up to 18 pounds each, come in packs of 50, and are available in several colors.
Get the Mizgi hangers on Amazon.
These multitiered hangers can conveniently hang multiple garments without taking up too much closet space. They come with a 360-degree swivel hook for versatile positioning, and the nonslip arms swing out one at a time, making it easy to hang up and select items.
The tiered design worked extremely well during testing. The swivel action made it much easier to take pants and sweaters on and off of the hanger without disturbing the other items on the hanger. We also really liked that the arms lock in place and swivel in both directions. We found it best to alternate which direction the pants hung to conserve space further and make it easier to get things on and off.
The foam pads did a good job of preventing wrinkles, though we had to make sure the fabric was smooth when closing the arm to prevent wrinkles. Suitable for hanging pants, skirts, scarves, belts, and ties, each hanger can accommodate up to 30 pounds, although the hanger can get heavy when fully loaded. These Meetu hangers are sold in packs of four.
Get the Meetu hangers on Amazon or at Kmart.
These versatile velvet hangers feature a crossbar and adjustable clips for hanging pants or skirts. Their velvet surface keeps clothes from slipping off, while the hangers’ grooved shoulders make it easy to hang delicate items or garments with thin straps. The clips accommodate clothing of different sizes, plus they have plastic ends designed to prevent leaving marks on clothing.
While we liked that the clips moved along the crossbar, adjusting to hold pants and skirts of different sizes, we noticed that the clips did leave impressions on more delicate fabrics. More impressively, the velvet did keep items in place so there wasn’t any stretching. Because the hangers did a great job keeping shirts and jackets in place, we found that they would also make a good option for hanging suits.
The Songmics hangers come in packs of 30 and are available in gray, black, white, or pink.
Get the Songmics hangers on Amazon or Songmics.
The Myfolrena Pants Hanger was another hanger we put through our test. This model didn’t meet our standards because it didn’t perform well for its intended purpose, namely pants. The four-tiered design requires sliding pants on and off from alternating sides. While that should work in theory, in practice it didn’t. When we tried to slide pants off, the hanger became unbalanced, causing other pants to fall off. The textured plastic grip on each tier wasn’t enough to keep the pants in place. We spent a lot of time picking up pants and rehanging them.
However, we did try using this hanger for lighter items like slips and shapers and had more success. But as far as pants hangers go, there are better designs like the Meetu hangers.
The Zober velvet hangers get the top spot for the overall durability and quality of the velvet. They’ve got a good shape, and the velvet holds clothes in place so they don’t slip or stretch. The Richards Homewares Wooden Tie Rack are a good deal for those who want to optimize their closet space. They’re lightweight and thin, and these hangers include clothing hooks for strappy items.
We tested the hangers on our list in real-world conditions, namely our own closets. Each hanger was used for 2 weeks. During that time, we did the rush test, pretending that we were running late and snagging something off the hanger in a hurry. We also did the heavy-duty test, which included putting a heavy hunting coat on the hanger to see if it could handle the weight.
Specialty models, like the tiered hangers and tie hangers, were tested using the designated clothing for which they were advertised. In other words, we didn’t hang a coat on the tie hanger.
From there, we scored each hanger in different performance categories such as:
Remember these helpful hints when shopping for and using new closet hangers. Then you’ll be able to store clothing neatly and maximize closet space.
It is possible to ruin clothes if you use the wrong type of hanger, which is why it’s important to choose hangers with useful features like notched shoulders, sturdy construction, and snag-free materials.
Hanging clothes correctly begins with the right type of hanger. Wooden, padded, or plastic hangers are suitable for hanging a variety of clothes and help prevent marks on the shoulders—a common result when using wire hangers.
T-shirts can be hung in a closet, folded, or rolled. Hanging them can help prevent wrinkles, but never use wire hangers. Those hangers can cause T-shirts to lose their shape or damage the shoulder areas.
Jeans can be folded or hung. Denim’s thicker material enables jeans to maintain their shape well when folded. When hanging jeans, fold them over the horizontal crossbar. Hangers with nonslip crossbars work best.
Folding sweaters, especially thick ones, is recommended. This helps maintain their shape and save on closet space.
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