This $15 Organizer Belongs in Every Small Apartment (It’s Like Having an Extra Closet)

I live in a small New York apartment, which means I’m pretty much incapable of looking at an empty space without wondering how I can use it for storage. I’ve exhausted the little closet space I have, so naturally I’ve moved on to the doors in my apartment. Particularly, the door to our second bedroom — which my husband affectionately calls “the garage,” because it’s where we keep a mix of our household essentials, and it’s where I work from home a few times a week. I knew I needed something to utilize the space behind the door, that would hopefully make the room feel less like a “junk drawer” that’s come to life. And the Gorilla Grips Over the Door Organizer is exactly that. 

Not only was the hanging door organizer the best use of the empty real estate behind my door, but it also created shelves where there were none and made the mixed-use room look so much tidier. Our small space (which was admittedly bursting at the seams) now has a bit more breathing room. Keep reading to learn why I’d recommend it to anyone. 

Made of heavy-duty fabric, the Gorilla Grips organizer hangs over your door for space-saving storage. It’s equipped with three padded, two-inch hanging hooks, so it fits over most doors without causing any damage. Featuring five spacious shelves (that are 6.5 inches deep and 15 inches wide) and six mesh side pockets to keep smaller items in check, it holds as much as a small closet, maybe even more. Plus, each shelf has a label slot for next-level organization. 

The organizer’s paneled design makes it super sturdy, so you can fill it up with anything from pantry items and school supplies to household essentials, clothes, and shoes (it can hold up to 50 pounds!). It’s available in four colors and multiple configurations to suit any storage situation. 

Right out of the gate, I was impressed by how easy the organizer was to set up. It arrived neatly folded, so I know it’ll be easy to store when it’s not in use. All I had to do was insert the hooks through the metal grommets, and place the paneled inserts inside each of the shelves (it’s what makes them stable). The metal hooks have just the right amount of tension, too, so they fit snugly on my door, and the padding keeps the whole organizer from slipping and sliding around. I can actually close and open the door with ease, which isn’t the case with other over-the-door organizers I’ve tried in the past. Once set up, it extends almost the length of my door at 58 inches long, and gives me tons of storage space to play with. 

Speaking of storage, the organizer gives all the miscellaneous household items that were crowding my small room a permanent place to live. We use its spacious sections to store extra toilet paper, paper towels, laundry detergent and dryer sheets, and cleaning rags. I even use the side pockets to hold my laptop charger and the wired headphones I use while working from home so they’re well within reach. And the mesh bottoms allow me to quickly find what I need (my days of ransacking the closet to find the last roll of paper towels are long over). Loaded up as it is, the organizer is holding up great. It’s not wobbling or caving in, and the durable fabric shows no signs of wear. 

Take it from me: The Gorilla Grips organizer will give even the most cramped spaces a considerable amount of storage space, which is why I’d recommend it to any apartment dweller. The collapsible design and durable material make it more than just a temporary fix, too — it’s something you’ll take with you from apartment to apartment. Not bad for less than $20! 

Buy: Gorilla Grips Over the Door Organizer, $15