A freestanding coat stand suits a hall corner or a rented home where you cannot drill. Wall-mounted racks and hooks suit narrow hallways. Look for a height of 170 to 190 cm, a heavy, wide base and enough hooks for every coat, bag and hat in daily use.
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Buying guide
Coats tend to land on the banister or the end of the stairs when there is nowhere better to put them. The right hanging space by the front door stops that, and it can be as simple as a row of good hooks.
A freestanding stand needs a floor space of about 40 to 50 cm across, so it suits corners and wider halls. It moves with you and needs no drilling. Wall-mounted racks and hooks take almost no floor space, which makes them the better choice in a hallway of a metre or less.
Tall stands of 170 to 190 cm keep long coats off the floor. Hooks on two levels make room for bags and scarves as well as coats. On the wall, hang a rail at 160 to 180 cm for adults and add a lower row at 100 to 120 cm for children. Allow about 15 cm between hooks so heavy winter coats do not overlap.
A loaded stand can carry several kilograms of wet coats, often more on one side than the other. Choose a wide, heavy base or splayed legs, and avoid overloading the hooks on one side. In homes with young children, fix the top to the wall if the maker provides a bracket.
Use fixings rated for the load and the wall: cavity fixings or the timber studs for plasterboard, and wall plugs for brick or block. Check for pipes and cables before drilling, and keep a rail clear of the door swing so coats are not caught every time someone comes in.
Wooden stands bring warmth to a period hallway and are kind to coats, since smooth, rounded hooks do not snag wool. Black or brass metal suits modern and industrial interiors and takes up less visual space. A coat stand with a ring or tray at the base doubles as an umbrella holder, catching drips before they reach the floor.
If you have the room, a hall tree combines hooks, a bench and a shoe shelf in one tall unit about 30 to 40 cm deep. It brings everything together by the door, but it is heavy and must be fixed to the wall. In smaller homes, a row of hooks above a separate bench gives a similar result with more flexibility.
170 to 190 cm keeps long coats off the floor; wall hooks go at 160 to 180 cm for adults.
Wall-mounted racks or hooks, as they take almost no floor space. Freestanding stands need a corner of about 40 to 50 cm.
Choose a heavy, wide base, spread the weight across the hooks and fix it to the wall if a bracket is supplied.