Cheap metal lockers: what to check so they don't end up costing more

A cheap metal locker is a good buy if it stands up to daily use and someone answers when something goes wrong. To find out before you pay, check five things: the steel, the lock, assembly, the guarantee and delivery, returns included. And look at the finish too: cheap lockers don't have to be ugly.

What makes a cheap locker expensive usually turns up after you have bought it: a door that dents at the first knock, a lost key with no spare, an afternoon of assembly with parts that don't line up, or a return you pay for yourself. Prices change, so we don't quote them here. What follows is what to ask at each point and what we offer.

What should you check before you buy?

How can you tell the steel is too thin?

Using less steel is the easiest way to make a locker cheaper, and the door is where it shows first. It opens and closes several times a day and takes the knocks from rucksacks. If the sheet is thin, the door dents, stops closing flush with the frame and the key starts to stick.

You can't see any of that in a photo. Ask what steel it is made of and, when you assemble it, look at how each door closes: it should sit flush with the frame and the key should turn without forcing. TwinThink lockers are made of high-strength steel, and all of them except the single-column model stand on 12 cm legs that keep them off the floor when the changing room is mopped. If you're still weighing up materials, read metal, wood or plastic lockers.

Does a cheap locker have to look cheap?

Not at all. What makes a locker look shabby is usually paint that chips at the edges, or a single grey meant for the back of a warehouse. In a factory changing room that matters less than in an office where clients walk past, or at home, where you see it every day. Ask what paint it has and which colours it comes in.

Ours are steel, with an electrostatic powder coat and straight lines. Five finishes are on sale: Urban Grey, Polar Black, Lunar White, Eclipse (black and white) and wood effect, with anthracite coming soon. The steel and the lock are the same whatever the finish.

How many keys come with each lock?

If the seller doesn't say how many keys you get, assume one and ask what happens when it goes missing. That seems minor until someone loses theirs: with a second one kept somewhere else, the door opens without being forced.

On ours, every door has its own lock and every lock comes with two keys. A 12-door locker arrives with 24, so it's worth putting the spares on a separate ring before you hand the rest out. Which kind of lock suits which changing room is covered in lockers with or without a key.

How long will assembly take?

Assembly isn't on the price tag; you pay for it in hours. A locker that turns up without a manual, or with one whose drawings look nothing like the parts, can eat a whole afternoon. Before you buy, ask to see the manual or the assembly video, and ask how long it takes.

Ours go together with screws in under 15 minutes per locker. The screwdriver and the manual come with it, and the manual has QR codes that open the assembly video. The order of the parts, step by step, is in how to assemble a metal locker.

Will what you need to store actually fit?

The cheapest locker turns out expensive if what you need to store won't go in. Our entry model is a single column 33 cm wide and 165 cm high, with no legs, four doors and compartments 41 cm high. A helmet, a small bag or a phone and wallet fit; a coat or work overalls don't. It has the same 3-year guarantee and the same two keys per lock as the rest of the range.

Full-length clothing needs a full-height compartment, like the one in the 2-door locker, while a rucksack and a jacket only need one 82 cm high. Every compartment is 28 cm wide. What fits behind each door, model by model, is in 2, 4, 6 or 12-door locker: which to choose. And if the question is how many, work out how many lockers you need and which type from the number of people and what each of them stores.

What guarantee does it have, and who stands behind it?

Check how many years it covers and who answers for it: a company name, an address and a phone number or email that someone replies to. If you're buying for a business, also check that the period is the same as for a private buyer.

TwinThink lockers carry a 3-year guarantee, the same for individuals and businesses in every country we sell to. The terms are on the returns and guarantee page, and who is behind the brand is on about us.

Who pays if it arrives damaged or you change your mind?

A locker travels in a large, heavy box, and that is where a cheap purchase can cost you twice: if it arrives damaged and nobody responds, or if you want to send it back and the return carriage is on you. Before you buy, ask how many days delivery takes, whether you'll get a tracking number and who collects a return.

We deliver in 2-3 working days from our UK warehouse and send you the tracking number as soon as the order leaves. It travels protected by inner panels, impact-resistant corner guards and double-wall cardboard. If a part is missing or arrives damaged when you open it, message us with your order number before you assemble anything; what to do in each case is on the delivery and tracking page. Returns are free: you have 14 days and we collect from wherever we delivered.

What if you're buying several for a business?

With several units, the saving comes from volume: the basket takes off 5% automatically from 15 units and 10% from 30. Take a workshop with 30 staff who change completely into work clothes. It needs 15 two-door lockers, taking up 9.75 m of wall. That order qualifies for the 5%, goes together in under four hours (under 15 minutes per locker) and arrives with 60 keys, two per door: each worker keeps theirs and the spares stay in the office.

If you're fitting out a changing room, ask for a quote for your lockers with the number of people and what each of them will store. We usually reply the same working day, and on WhatsApp, at +34 614 39 49 16, straight away.