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Anyone who has worked from home for a period longer than a few months knows exactly how quickly storage space gets taken up and sooner or later I found myself investing in a filing cabinet to help reduce the sorry state my home office was in, but an important question I had to ask myself before investing was how much weight can a filing cabinet hold?
The average weight limit of a file cabinet is 155.16 pounds (70.37 KG). Small file cabinets’ weight capacity is 112. 5 pounds (51.02 KG), medium file cabinets’ weight capacity is 146 pounds (66.22 KG), and large file cabinets’ weight capacity is 205 pounds (92.98 KG). The average cabinet or drawer can hold 52.18 pounds or 23.66 KG.
So which is the best size filing cabinet for you? Do these weight limits matter? And how much weight can individual drawers hold? Keep reading to find out more!
Now if you’re just interested in my recommendations for the file cabinets that have the best weight capacity limits you can check them out here (all links take you to Amazon):
- Small cabinet (2 drawers)
- Medium Cabinet (3 drawers)
- Large (4 drawers)
(Just a heads up a lot of people reading my blog are in the process of designing their own home office. If you want to save some of the painstaking time I did in designing my office, you can find my recommended products here)
How much weight can a filing cabinet hold?
So if you’re anything like me, at some point in your life you’ve had the pleasure (aka the absolute dread) of trying to move a filing cabinet.
File cabinets are an incredibly important part of everyone’s home office setup and yet not knowing the correct weight limit can leave you having to heave around a cumbersome piece of furniture regularly.
What even worse is that some file cabinets take up a lot of room but don’t have the right weight limit to hold all the files that you need.
So what are typical weight limits for file cabinets?
Luckily I’ve scoured the internet, found and compared 12 of the best selling file cabinets, and have compared there weight limits below, the key findings are as follows:
- The average weight limit of a filing cabinet regardless of size or number of cabinets is 155.16 pounds (70.37 KG)
- Small file cabinets’ weight limit 112. 5 pounds (51.02 KG)
- Medium file cabinets’ weight limit is 146 pounds (66.22 KG)
- Large file cabinets’ weight capacity is 205 pounds (92.98 KG)
Now before you decide to opt for the largest file cabinet money can buy because of the weight capacity limit it’s important to notes a few keynotes around the weight capacity limits on each of the drawers:
- Small file cabinets have a weight capacity of 56 pounds (25.4kg) per drawer
- Medium file cabinets have a weight capacity of 49.3 pounds (22.36kg) per drawer
- Large file cabinets have a weight capacity of 51.35 pounds (23,29kg) per drawer
- The average cabinet or drawer can hold 52.18 pounds or 23.66 KG
As you can see then, size does not always equal the largest weight capacity when it comes to filing cabinets with the lower center of gravity meaning cabinets with fewer drawers have better weight distribution and weight capacity load per drawer.
To help explain more I’ve made a table collating all the research I found:
| Size | Filing Cabinet name | Weight empty (pounds + KG) | Weight with items (pounds +KG) | Weight capacity
(pounds +KG) |
| Small | Lorell 14341
My recommendation) |
19 pounds
(8.6kg ) |
119 pounds
(53.97kg) |
100 pounds (45.35kg) all together
50 pounds (22.67kg) per drawer |
| Small | Lorell 16873 | 20 pounds
(9.7kg) |
120 pounds
(54.4kg) |
100 pounds (45.35kg) all together
50 pounds (22.67kg) per drawer |
| Small | Lorell Soho | 28 pounds
(12.69kg) |
148 pounds
(67.09kg) |
120 pounds (54.43kg) all together
60 (27.21kg) pounds per drawer |
| Small | Hirsh Industries | 35 pounds
(15.87kg) |
165 pounds
(74.8kg) |
130 pounds (58.96kg) all together
65 pounds (24.94) per drawer |
| Medium | Hirsh Industries 20 inch
(my recommendation) |
65 pounds
(29.47kg) |
155 pounds
(70.26kg) |
90 pounds (40.82kg) all together
60 pounds (27.21kg) on the bottom drawer, 30 pounds (13.6kg) on the top two drawers |
| Medium | Sandusky Lee | 138 pounds
(62.56kg) |
348 pounds
(157.75kg) |
210 pounds (95.25kg) all together
Or 70 pounds (31kg) per drawer or |
| Medium | Bush Furniture | 82.65 pounds
(37.47kg) |
202.65 pounds
(91.86kg) |
120 pounds (54.4kg) all together
60 pounds (27.2kg) per drawer |
| Medium | Lorell LLR17427 | 25.5 pounds
(11.56kg) |
127.5 pounds
(57.80kg) |
107 pounds(48.5 kg)all together
50 pounds on the bottom two drawers (22.67kg) 7 pounds (3.17kg) on the top drawer |
| Large | Fireking Turtle Fireproof File Cabinet.
(my recommendation) |
405 pounds
(183.59kg) |
605 pounds
(274.25kg) |
200 pounds (90.71kg) all together
50 pounds(27.2kg per drawer |
| Large | Cooper Drawer | 27 pounds
(12.24kg) |
207 pounds
(93.83kg) |
180 pounds(81.64kg)all together
60 pounds (27.21) per drawer |
| Large | Sandusky Lee LF8F304-09 800 | 168 pounds
(76.16kg) |
408 pounds
(184.95kg) |
240 pounds (108.86kg) all together
60 pounds (27.21kg) per drawer |
| Large | HON 4-Drawer Letter File | 102 pounds
(46.24kg) |
302 pounds
(136.90kg) |
200 pounds altogether (90.71kg)
50 pounds per drawer (22.67kg) |
Now filing cabinets have a lot of different variation and size, the last thing you want to be doing is moving these cumbersome bit’s of furniture up the stairs and into your home office only to realize that they are too heavy for your room so let’s explore how heavy the different sizes of filing cabinets are both with and without inventory ( yes that’s a big word for me) in them
How heavy are filing cabinets?
File cabinets on average weigh 92.92 pounds (42.14kg) when empty and 242.26 pounds (109.88kg) when full. Larger file cabinets that have more drawers will weigh the most at around 175.5 pounds (79.6kg). The heaviest file cabinets tend to weigh for a home office is 405 pounds (183.7kg) when empty and 605 pounds (274.42kg) when full.
To help explain more I’ve put together a table below:
| Filing cabinet name | Weight empty (pounds + KG) | Weight with items (pounds +KG) |
| Lorell 14341
My recommendation) |
19 pounds
(8.6kg ) |
119 pounds
(53.97kg) |
| Lorell 16873 | 20 pounds
(9.7kg) |
120 pounds
(54.4kg) |
| Lorell Soho | 28 pounds
(12.69kg) |
148 pounds
(67.09kg) |
| Hirsh Industries | 35 pounds
(15.87kg) |
165 pounds
(74.8kg) |
| Hirsh Industries 20 inch
(my recommendation) |
65 pounds
(29.47kg) |
155 pounds
(70.26kg) |
| Sandusky Lee | 138 pounds
(62.56kg) |
348 pounds
(157.75kg) |
| Bush Furniture | 82.65 pounds
(37.47kg) |
202.65 pounds
(91.86kg) |
| Lorell LLR17427 | 25.5 pounds
(11.56kg) |
127.5 pounds
(57.80kg) |
| Fireking Turtle Fireproof File Cabinet.
(my recommendation) |
405 pounds
(183.59kg) |
605 pounds
(274.25kg) |
| Cooper Drawer | 27 pounds
(12.24kg) |
207 pounds
(93.83kg) |
| Sandusky Lee LF8F304-09 800 | 168 pounds
(76.16kg) |
408 pounds
(184.95kg) |
| HON 4-Drawer Letter File | 102 pounds
(46.24kg) |
302 pounds
(136.90kg) |
How heavy is a small filing cabinet?
Small filing cabinets weigh 25.5 pounds (11.56kg) when empty and 138 (62.59kg) pounds when full. Small filing cabinets typically have 2 cabinets which can each usually hold around 56 pounds (25.4kg) of weight per drawer.
To help explain more I’ve compiled the data in the table below:
| Filing cabinet name | Weight empty (pounds + KG) | Weight with items (pounds +KG) |
| Lorell 14341
My recommendation) |
19 pounds
(8.6kg ) |
119 pounds
(53.97kg) |
| Lorell 16873 | 20 pounds
(9.7kg) |
120 pounds
(54.4kg) |
| Lorell Soho | 28 pounds
(12.69kg) |
148 pounds
(67.09kg) |
| Hirsh Industries | 35 pounds
(15.87kg) |
165 pounds
(74.8kg) |
How heavy is a medium file cabinet?
Medium filing cabinets weigh 77.78 pounds (35.28kg) when empty and 208.28 pounds (94.47kg) when full. Medium file cabinets typically have 3 drawers which can each usually hold around 43.5 pounds (19.73kg) of weight per drawer.
To help explain more I’ve compiled the data in the table below:
| Filing cabinet name | Weight empty (pounds + KG) | Weight with items (pounds +KG) |
| Hirsh Industries 20 inch
(my recommendation) |
65 pounds
(29.47kg) |
155 pounds
(70.26kg) |
| Sandusky Lee | 138 pounds
(62.56kg) |
348 pounds
(157.75kg) |
| Bush Furniture | 82.65 pounds
(37.47kg) |
202.65 pounds
(91.86kg) |
| Lorell LLR17427 | 25.5 pounds
(11.56kg) |
127.5 pounds
(57.80kg) |
How heavy is a large file cabinet?
Medium filing cabinets weigh 175.5 pounds (79.6kg) when empty and 380.5 pounds (172.59kg) when full. Large file cabinets typically have 4 drawers which can each usually hold around 51.25 pounds (23.24kg) of weight per drawer.
To help explain more I’ve compiled the data in the table below:
| Filing cabinet name | Weight empty (pounds + KG) | Weight with items (pounds +KG) |
| Fireking Turtle Fireproof File Cabinet.
(my recommendation) |
405 pounds
(183.59kg) |
605 pounds
(274.25kg) |
| Cooper Drawer | 27 pounds
(12.24kg) |
207 pounds
(93.83kg) |
| Sandusky Lee LF8F304-09 800 | 168 pounds
(76.16kg) |
408 pounds
(184.95kg) |
| HON 4-Drawer Letter File | 102 pounds
(46.24kg) |
302 pounds
(136.90kg) |
Do file cabinets with more drawers carry more weight?
So now you know how much weight your file cabinets can hold your probably thinking to keep your home office future-proofed, why not opt for the largest option. I mean the longer your spend working from home the more likely it is your files will add up, right?
Not exactly true…
Whilst larger file cabinets with more drawers will be able to hold more weight, the weight per cabinet tends to reduce the higher up you go on a cabinet by cabinet basis. Small file cabinets can typically hold 56 pounds (25,4kg) per drawer when compared to 51.25 pounds (23.24) for larger file cabinets.
If you feel as though then that you won’t necessarily use more than two or three drawers in total, it might be best to opt for a smaller file cabinet
What items take up the most weight in filing cabinets
Now while file cabinets are typically used for, well, storing files a lot of us ten to use these cabinets as general storage items.
This can cover everything from folders and books to items like clothes!
Items that take up the most amount of weight in file cabinets, are the ones that people use commonly in home office environments including computer equipment, books, large ring binder folders, camera equipment, and other items you may not want to leave exposed.
That being said it is rare for items weighing over 30 pounds in total to be stored in an angle file cabinet drawer.
How to decide what file cabinet size you should opt for?
So you know how much weight a file cabinet can hold, and you know how much weight your file cabinet can hold. How do you decide which size is best for you?
I’ve found the following tips worked best for me:
- What is your budget – larger cabinets typically cost more
- Will you be moving your cabinet often – if so larger cabinets may damage your flooring
- Is your home office upstairs or downstairs – if your office is upstairs – can your floor hold the amount of weight it needs to with a couple of loaded file cabinets – check out this post to find out more on that
- Decide on the items that will go in your file cabinet before you put them in – This will save you a lot of time and hassle and ensure you don’t fill up empty cabinets for the sake of it.
What are alternatives for file cabinets?
So if you’ve decided that file cabinets don’t hold enough weight or you don’t have enough room for file cabinets, what are some good alternatives?
I found these file storage boxes to be just as good and can be stored easily on top of one other – you can check them out here on Amazon.
Alternatively have a look at my recommended and essential storage items every home office needs on my recommended gear page here.
On top of that, there are a few other blog posts I would recommend having a lookout if you are worried about heavy items in your home office:
- How much weight can a standing desk converter hold
- How much weight can a home office chair hold?
- How much weight can an office desk hold?
Finally a lot of people reading my blog want to know what products I recommend for a home office/remote working. You can find out my recommendations here and learn how I make money whilst working remotely on the side here.
The content on this on this site has been written by Fehed Nicass who has over a decades worth of experience in sales and has worked remotely for the past 2 years.