It may only be the start of October, but my hallway is already working overtime. The damp mornings and drop in temperatures mean my soggy shoes and my (many) coats are cluttering up my entryway, and the narrow space desperately needs some organisation. And as I’m on a tight budget, the Living and Home 4 Tier Shoe Rack with Coat Hanger (£10 at Argos) naturally caught my eye.
I write about storage and organisation enough to know that people with consistently tidy hallways always have some shoe and coat storage. However, I’ve just moved house and am pretty strapped for money and space in my new, narrow hallway, so buying two separate items, a shoe rack a coat rack, doesn’t really make sense to me.
That’s why I’ve been looking for a small-space-friendly shoe storage solution that offers the best of both worlds and keeps my coats tidy, dry, and within reach when I need them, too. And I think Argos has nailed it.
Of course, the elephant in the room is that this shoe-and-coat-rack combo isn’t a thing of beauty like the many aesthetic shoe racks on the market. But in a hallway, I always think it’s better to favour practicality over prettiness.
Functional pieces like the Living and Home 4 Tier Shoe Rack with Coat Hanger are typically designed to solve the problems we all face in small, cluttered hallways, and they're often cheaper because they don’t have extra bells and whistles.
After all, for just £10, this clever Argos storage solution has four tiers for your shoes - or even your handbag and storage baskets - and then eight double hooks for you to hang coats, hats, bags, and keys.
In my home, the hooks are also perfect for hanging my dog’s harness and leads, so I can just grab them on the way out the door.
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If you have a few more people in your home and want to add an extra tier, you can also buy the slightly larger Living and Home 5 Tier Shoe Rack with Coat Hanger (£11 at Argos) for an extra pound.
Or if the black colourway is the issue, you can buy the exact same four-tier setup in white for £11, too. And, in my eyes, this is a bargain price for a storage solution that’ll disappear into the background - especially as you should be able to wipe clean the metal frame if your muddy shoes or wet coat dirty it up.
The beauty of simple-but-effective storage racks like this is that they’re also incredibly versatile and can be used in so many different areas of your home. You could use it to tidy up your under-the-stairs cupboard, or even pop it in a spare room to organise those excess coats, accessories and shoes that don’t quite fit in your main wardrobe.
But it’s worth noting that this shoe-and-coat-rack combo is new to Argos, so I can’t comment on its sturdiness or ease of assembly. So, if you’d rather buy an alternative with impressive reviews, I’ve popped some below.
Shop budget shoe-and-coat rack storage
This hallway rack is more expensive than the Argos option, but it offers lovely wooden accents and comes very highly reviewed from happy customers. It also comes in oak and cream if you prefer a lighter aesthetic.
If you want something a little more streamlined, this shoe-and-coat-rack combo is sleek and elegant but still offers space for your hallway essentials. According to reviews, it also only takes 5 minutes to assemble.
Coming in three colourways and with over 1,500 impressive reviews, this storage rack comes with two hanging areas - a larger middle section for longer coats, and extra hooks on the side for bags. Plus, three tiers for shoes.
Who says small hallways can't be organised?