For a changing room, a gym or a garage, a metal locker is usually a better choice than a wooden one: it copes better with knocks and daily use, and needs less looking after. Wood looks warmer and suits a dry room where appearance comes first, but damp gets to it. Plastic is cheap and water does not bother it, while HPL or compact laminate lockers are built for wet areas such as pools and spas, at a higher price. Below we compare all four materials on five points: durability, security, cost, appearance and maintenance.
What is a TwinThink metal locker like?
Ours are made of high-strength steel and are all 40 cm deep. The two-column models (2 or 4 doors) are 65 cm wide and the three-column ones (6 or 12 doors) are 97 cm; on their 12 cm legs they stand 177 cm tall. The single-column, 4-door locker is 33 cm wide and 165 cm tall, because it sits straight on the floor.
Every lock comes with two keys. The lockers assemble with screws in under 15 minutes each, using the screwdriver supplied with the locker, and carry a 3-year warranty whether you are buying for your home or for a business. If you are weighing one up against a wooden or laminate locker, ask the seller for the same details (dimensions, keys, assembly and warranty) before you look at the price.
The four materials at a glance
| Metal | Wood | Plastic | HPL / compact laminate | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Durability | Takes knocks and daily use | Suffers from damp and insects | Unaffected by water; can be weaker against knocks | Handles water and heavy use |
| Security | Usually fitted with a key lock | Depends on the lock | Basic | Depends on the lock |
| Cost | Mid-range | From budget to high end | Lowest for basic models | High |
| Appearance | Several colours and finishes | Warm; can be varnished or painted | Few finishes | Many colours, including wood effect |
| Maintenance | Little; watch for rust if scratched | High | Minimal | Minimal |
Strength and durability
- Metal lockers: They take knocks and daily wear well, which is why they are the usual choice in busy corridors and wherever security matters.
- Wooden lockers: The look is warm and easy on the eye. Durability is the trade-off, since damp and insects can both damage them.
- Plastic lockers: Light, and damp does not bother them, though they may cope less well with knocks and the colour can fade over the years.
- HPL and compact laminate lockers: The board does not rust or swell when wet, and it stands up well to heavy use.
Security
- Metal lockers: A key lock usually comes fitted as standard, which makes theft and vandalism a good deal harder.
- Wooden lockers: Less secure unless the lock fitted to them is up to the job.
- Plastic lockers: Generally a basic level of security, enough where nothing of value is stored.
- HPL and compact laminate lockers: The board is hard, but security comes down to the lock. Ask which one is fitted before you buy.
Cost
- Metal lockers: They can cost more than plastic, but they normally last longer, and that makes up for it.
- Wooden lockers: Prices run from the cheap end to the high end, with everything in between.
- Plastic lockers: The simplest ones are usually the cheapest to buy, though they may not last as long.
- HPL and compact laminate lockers: Expect to pay a good deal more than for a metal locker with the same number of doors. What you are paying for is a board that water will not ruin.
Before paying extra for any locker, look at the warranty. TwinThink's runs for 3 years, and what it covers and how to claim are explained under returns and warranty. And if you want a metal locker that does not cost more than it should, our guide on what to check so a cheap locker does not end up costing more goes through the steel, the keys, the assembly and the warranty.
Appearance and customisation
- Metal lockers: A range of colours and finishes, and some manufacturers will customise them with a logo. What makes a metal locker look good at home or in an office is explained in our guide to stylish lockers.
- Wooden lockers: A more traditional look, and they can be varnished or painted to match the decor.
- Plastic lockers: Fewer options for customising, though several colours are available.
- HPL and compact laminate lockers: The board comes in plenty of colours, and some finishes imitate wood.
Maintenance
- Metal lockers: Easy to clean and easy to look after. Neglect them and they can rust.
- Wooden lockers: More upkeep, since damp and everyday wear both take their toll.
- Plastic lockers: Very little to do, beyond cleaning often enough to keep stains away.
- HPL and compact laminate lockers: They can be washed down with water and cope with the daily cleaning of a shower area.
What about HPL and compact laminate lockers?
These lockers are made from phenolic board: layers of paper soaked in resin and pressed under high pressure. Strictly speaking, HPL is a thin sheet bonded onto another board, while compact laminate (also sold as solid grade laminate) is phenolic all the way through, and that is the one used in wet changing rooms. Suppliers and search results tend to use the names interchangeably. If the locker is going next to a pool or showers, ask whether the board is compact.
They make sense where water is always around: a swimming pool changing room, a spa or the showers at a sports club. There, painted steel suffers once the paint is scratched and water reaches the metal, and wood fares even worse.
You pay for that resistance to water. In a gym without a pool, a staff changing room, a school or a garage, a steel locker does the same job for a good deal less. We only sell steel lockers; even so, if your changing room is right next to the pool, a compact laminate locker is the better buy.
Which one should you choose?
If the locker will take knocks and daily use and has to last for years, go for metal. Wood makes sense in a dry room where looks count for more, and plastic when the budget is tight and nothing of value goes inside. HPL or compact laminate is for the changing room with water in it, if the budget stretches that far.
TwinThink lockers are steel and range from 2 to 12 doors, and our guide to choosing between 2, 4, 6 and 12 doors explains what fits behind each one. If you are not sure how many doors you need, whether for your home or for a whole team, the locker calculator works it out from how many people will use them and what each one keeps inside.