Have you ever tried to fit your car in the garage and just found your bikes, shovels, and other tools piled up and threatening to fall? Whether you’re a woodworking geek or an average homeowner with a messy backyard, you can free a lot of needed space with a garage tracking system.
In a breeze, your cluttered garage can be your next favorite thing to show off. A Grage track system is all you need to organize this mess. Today, we’ll help you choose the best garage track system.
Best Garage Track Systems – Our 4 Top Picks
They save space, organize clutter, and improve the overall appearance of your garage. Here’s our shortlist of the best garage track systems.
Your Best Option: Rubbermaid FastTrack
- LONG-LASTING DURABILITY: Constructed of heavy-duty steel for optimal strength
- PROVEN STRENGTH: Holds up to 1,750 lbs. when mounted using standard stud spacing
- ENDLESS ACCESSORIES: Countless FastTrack Rail accessories to accommodate every storage need within your garage to add to the rail system.
- SIMPLE AND CONVENIENT DESIGN: Hooks conveniently snap into place on the Rubbermaid FastTrack Rail in seconds
- STUD FRIENDLY: Works with standard 16" for dry wall and 24" stud spacing for open studs
What distinguishes FastTrack among other systems is its easy installation. Once you stabilize the metal channels to the wall and add the plastic covers, it’s as simple as snapping the hooks and moving them to another spot on the rail!
Rubbermaid offers a wide variety of accessories that caters to all needs. The track system consists of horizontal metal rails held together by a vertical rod. However, they might be challenging, depending on your garage configuration (if only a portion of the wall is available).
On the downside, there are no end caps for the plastic covering. So, the insides of your channels might look dusty.
Pros
- Durable
- Extensive range of accessories
- Easy to install and to adjust the hooks’ locations
- Neat design
Cons
- Not flexible
Most Efficient: Gladiator’s GearTrack
- 18-1/2" wide x 6-1/4" high when cut to length for 48" Or 60" wide heavy duty rack shelving
- 24-1/2" wide x 6-1/4" high when assembled as shown on 77" wide heavy duty rack shelving
- Scoop Hook and Twin Hook hold up to 25 lbs each.
- GearTrack channel holds up to 75 lbs per linear foot
- Use any Gladiator hook on the GearTrack channel
GearTrack is super flexible and can be customized to whatever length you’d like. It’s made of heavy plastic panels that can be screwed to the walls. The channels by themselves are really cheap to start with, and you can get more accessories as you need and as your budget allows. GearTrack accessories, however, didn’t prove very useful. Some accessories, like the bike hook, are awkward to deal with. You may find it troublesome to attach some hooks to your items.
Also, the Sports GearTrack case starts to bulge after hanging a bit of weight. We didn’t like that.
Pros
- Great build quality and design
- Affordable
- Flexible
Cons
- Limited storage capacity
Budget Choice: Wall Control 30 PegBoard
- More than ten times stronger than conventional pegboard and 32in Tall x 16in
- Galvanized steel pegboard panels accept slotted, stable, and more secure hooks, pegs, brackets, and shelves
- Steel panel prevents the pegboard holes from fraying and wearing out over time. For mounting into concrete, we would recommend using Blue TapCon screws or equivalent
- Steel pegboards are constructed with a pre-formed 3/4-inch flange that separates the panel storage surface from the wall
- Pegboard panels mount directly into studs or sheet rock with no framework required
Although pegboards were created back in the eighties, they definitely work greatly. PegBoards are an affordable solution for organizing equipment, especially tools and hammers.
We love this pegboard from Wall Control because it’s made of sturdy galvanized steel that’s both durable and corrosion-resistant. Besides, it covers a large area of your garage wall (32” x 16”).
Its main disadvantage is that there’s no depth in the pegboard, so it’ll be inefficient if you want to store a ladder or a bike, for example.
Pros
- Practical
- Easy to mount on the wall
- Most affordable
Cons
- No depth
- Limited accessories’ variety
Also Great: Gladiator GearWall
- Compatible with all Gladiator wall products
- UL classified and rated as a Class A material
- Screw track makes it easy to install
- Ideal for storing tools, ladders, hoses, sports gear, and more
- Easy to reposition on GearWall panels and GearTrack channels (sold separately)
GearWall is basically a Gladiator Slatwall. It’s your best option if you have clear concrete walls, and you want to brush off the “unfinished walls.” Large Slatwall blocks can transform what people call an “under construction garage” into a neat tool gallery.
These panels can hold up to 50 pounds per square foot, which is a lot! It’s a little overpriced, but if you eliminate the drywalling and framing costs, it can end up more affordable than other systems.
Pros
- Easy to reposition
- Handles heavy items well
Cons
- Pricey
Choosing the Perfect Garage Track System: What to Look for
Using the vertical space by hanging your stuff on the walls instead of having them taking all your horizontal space may seem like an easy task at first glance. The truth is that it can get overwhelming when you check all the options available online.
Don’t worry. We did the research for you. Here are the criteria that would guarantee you make the right call.
Fitting Your Space
According to your garage’s configuration and space, you may need to rule out a few storage systems. For example, if your wall has only a small portion of it available, you’ll want to go with a track system that you can cut to a custom length.
In this case, you’ll want to rule FastTrack out and use GearTrack instead.
Appearance
Our main goal is to store tools efficiently, but you can’t deny that getting a smart-looking garage track system is a huge plus.
You don’t want to put much money and effort in the process of organizing your garage and then find it looking outdated and crusty. Use the variety to your advantage and choose something that fits nicely into your garage.
Accessories
Accessories are the base of any efficient track system. Their quality and functionality determine how efficient and accessible your items are going to be stored. Almost all garage track systems come with sets of bins or hooks for the most common purposes, like gardening.
For instance, default J-shaped hooks are beneficial, but getting Rubbermaid FastTrack 2-Handle Hook (S Hook), Space Saving, Garage Organization System to grab go-to items such as brooms is a horizon-opener.
Installation
Not all of us were born handymen that can mount and install any structure in 10 seconds. So we have to consider how easy it is to install the garage track system and how convenient it’d be to rearrange the hooks and pins afterward.
Cost
Cost is a major concern when you decide to make a significant change to the style of your space. Luckily, purchasing a garage storage system can be as cheap as chips. We recommend starting by, for instance, a 4-section GearTrack and a few hooks.
Then, you can add more accessories and starter kits as you need.
Wrap up
A garage track system is essential to get all your bulky items out of the floor and utilize space wisely.
Evaluate any track or wall system according to its flexibility, appearance, available accessories, installation process, and cost.
We’d recommend you use Gladiator’s GearTrack system for customized space and the Gearwall for hiding concrete walls. If you need something durable and long-sustained but also cheap and good looking, you’d better go with Rubbermaid FastTrack.
