Garage Shelving in Video: Dimensions and Weight Capacity per Shelf

A garage doesn't feel small due to its square footage; it feels small because of unused vertical space. In the video above, Mario Rack guides you through the garage and storage unit range in eighty seconds. Below are the details that a video can't pause to explain: dimensions, weight capacity per shelf, which depth to choose, and which regulations apply – and which don't – in a residential setting.

Actual Dimensions of the Garage Range

What are the dimensions of a garage shelf from the URBAN range?

The primary format for our garage and storage unit shelving is 180 cm high by 90 cm wide, with five levels, available in two depths: 30 and 40 cm. Surrounding this are four variants:

• Straight metal 180x90 cm, 30 or 40 cm depth, five levels: the base format, from which L-shaped, U-shaped, and corner versions extend. Available from one to four modules.
• On wheels 180x90x60 cm, five levels: the deepest option in the range, in a single module.
• With MDF shelves: galvanized 150x70x30 cm with five levels, 160x80x40 cm with four, and white 180x90x40 cm with five. Available from one to four modules.
• Wire mesh shelving: chrome-plated in 150x75x30, 180x90x40, and 180x120x45 cm; black, in 150x75x30 cm. Available from one to four modules.

The heights in the range are 150, 160, and 180 cm. With a low ceiling, 150 cm provides clearance; in a standard garage, 180 cm utilizes the full wall height.

What Actually Fits in a 30, 40, and 60 cm Depth

This is the decision most regretted later, as it can't be corrected without changing the shelving unit:

• 30 cm: paint, hand tools, cleaning supplies, binders, and small boxes. Fits behind an open door and minimally obstructs car passage.
• 40 cm: standard moving boxes fit front-on, as do stackable plastic containers.
• 60 cm, only in the wheeled version: deep items, large suitcases, and anything that would overhang on shallower shelves.

Measure what you intend to store first: a box with 45 cm sides will protrude from a 40 cm shelf.

How Many Kilos Does Each Shelf Support?

• 175 kg per shelf for the 180x90 cm metal units. With their five levels, the product sheet indicates a total of 875 kg per module.
• 150 kg per shelf for galvanized MDF units (150x70x30 cm and 160x80x40 cm) and wire mesh shelves.

Two clarifications change the meaning of this figure:

• The data is per shelf with evenly distributed load, as declared by the manufacturer. This is not a regulatory requirement: European standards for metal shelving design expressly exclude manual handling storage systems, so this criterion is internal. A compact 100 kg block in the center doesn't exert the same force as 100 kg spread across 90 cm.
• The module's total capacity is the sum of the five levels: it does not authorize placing 875 kg on a single shelf.

Are the 175 kg per shelf or for the entire unit?

Per shelf. Each of the five levels can hold 175 kg with the load evenly distributed, which leads to the 875 kg total stated on the product sheet: this is the arithmetic sum of the five levels, not a capacity that can be concentrated on a single shelf.

Tool-Free Assembly, and Why the Manual Matters

The shelf slots into the upright and is leveled by hand; a rubber mallet secures the fittings. No drilling or screws are needed, and nothing loosens over time.

This system isn't regulated by any standard; it's described in the manufacturer's manual, which is why it's not a document to be discarded. When purchasing as a private consumer, Regulation (EU) 2023/988 on general product safety, applicable from December 13, 2024, considers assembly and usage instructions among the elements evaluated for product safety.

Stability: The Depth Rule and When to Secure to the Wall

A tall, narrow shelf unit is more prone to tipping than a low, deep one. For shelves loaded and unloaded manually, there's a common-sense stability criterion: they are considered stable when the height of the topmost loaded shelf does not exceed five times its depth. It is advisable to secure them to a wall or a fixed structural element. This is not a regulatory obligation but an installation guideline. Applied to our range:

• 30 cm depth: five times this is 150 cm. At 180 cm height, the top level is above this threshold; place lighter items there, or secure the unit to the wall.
• 40 cm depth: five times this is 200 cm, exceeding the total height. A module loaded to the top remains within the criterion.
• 60 cm depth for the wheeled version: there's ample margin, but mobile units should be immobilized before loading, and heavier items placed lower down.

Connecting modules helps: they share an upright and are more difficult to move.

What Regulations Apply to a Shelf Unit in a Residential Garage?

None of the technical standards commonly cited in the industry apply, and it's important to state this because catalogs often mix them: in a residential setting, general product safety and the manufacturer's manual are paramount. One by one:

• EN 15635, concerning the use and maintenance of storage equipment, excludes systems intended for domestic storage from its scope: it is written for installations where handling equipment operates very close to the shelving.
• The design standard, EN 15512:2021+A1:2024, applies to conventional pallet racking and is not relevant for manual handling shelves. The industry code for such products, FEM 10.2.06, is published by a manufacturer's federation and is for sale.
• Industry guides address conventional metal shelving for palletized loads; these guides are advisory tools whose indications are applied contextually.
• Work equipment and occupational safety regulations in each country govern situations involving an employment relationship. There is no such relationship in your home garage.

What *does* apply at home is general product safety and the manufacturer's instructions. If the same shelving unit is moved to a workshop or warehouse where someone works, the framework changes: it then becomes work equipment, subject to risk assessment.

How to Distribute Load: Heaviest Items Below

Material storage guidelines, even when written for workplaces, translate their criteria directly to a garage: respect the maximum permissible load, avoid overloading, place heavier items on the lower levels and lighter items on the upper levels, and avoid excessive stacking heights. In practice:

• Heavy items go on the bottom two shelves: toolboxes, large containers, batteries.
• Frequently used items go between hip and shoulder height: this is where your arm works without strain.
• Items used once a year go on top and should be light.
• Never stand on the shelves: standing on shelving is not permitted in a work environment, and the reason holds true at home. A shelf is a surface for distributed load, not a step.

And a practical rule for shelf spacing: decide this during assembly, leaving ample space at the bottom for a lawnmower or bicycle, and distributing the remaining space into closer shelf intervals.

Difficult Corners: L, U, and Corner Units

A real garage isn't a straight wall. Our range handles corners without any cutting: L-shaped versions with the corner on the right or left, U-shaped, and corner units, all with the same 175 kg per shelf capacity and five levels. L and U versions are available from one to four modules, allowing you to cover a long wall with a single continuous run.

Galvanized, Black, White, or Wire Mesh

The finish isn't just decorative in environments prone to humidity and temperature fluctuations. Galvanized is the most resistant to corrosion, making it the default choice for garages, basements, or storage rooms with damp walls. Black and white finishes are best suited for dry indoor environments, as is wire mesh, which allows airflow and prevents dust accumulation. White MDF shelving fits well in a room within the house.