apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

I usually love Bisley (especially because of the inserts), but I have to say I'm happy to see that PB picked up the 10-drawer unit from the late Hold Everything line. I'd bought a red one before they went out of business, and may actually consider buying another one in another color.

The IKEA's drawers are too deep for a flat file, and too shallow for general purpose. The win in the price category, but even in that tiny little picture, they look cheap. I'm sure the metal gauge is going to be half or a third as thick. They also have no label holder on the drawer pull.

I know Bisley is going to be quality.

I voted for the Pottery Barn based on being on wheels.

Otherwise it would have been a toss-up. Honestly, it would also depend on the home/office space. In some circumstances I would prefer to be wheel-less.

I mean, in terms of price, there's really no comparison. For $39, the IKEA one is totally acceptable. We have one and it's fine, though by no means perfect. While the others are obviously nicer and probably more functional, they are also 5X more expensive. They should be nicer and more functional. If I had all the money in the world, I'd always buy things that are 5X nicer and more functional. Haha.

I have the gray Bisley in the picture - I like the alternatives that the various drawer sizes provide. I bought it at The Container Store a few years back, and cheap too b/c it has a little dent in the side. Now that I know I could add casters, I'll look into getting some.

Every time I look at filing cabinets I always come back to that IKEA one. However, it's super thin guage metal and just seems really flimsy.

If you're on a budget, IKEA all the way, but if this cabinet is something you'd be going into every day, then I"d have to say either of the other units. I don't think IKEA's would stand up to normal daily wear and tear.

I love the Bisley...but have an Ikea budget. I bought the Ikea one and have been really happy with it.

I have an IKEA one, too, and it is perfectly acceptable. I'd probably rather have the Bisley, but there's really nothing wrong with the IKEA one. The drawers and casters work fine.

We had the Ikea ones in my workplace. They suck. Mine had only two drawers that opened, and those were so jammed that I had to hold the cart with my other hand and foot and pull the drawer with the other hand.

They had tossed the rest, although they were only a couple of years old.

For some reason, our R and B Parsons bed/mattress combo is unusually tall, and we couldn't find bedside tables that were both tall enough and and not ugly. We finally got two Helmers that we LOVE; they look cool and work better than any other bed tables we've had. Of course, I have loads of stuff I like to keep there, and all of the drawers come in very handy, and they are certainly sturdy enough for that use.

They do have label holders on the drawer fronts; we've had fun devising silly categories to put on each drawer.

I've had two Helmers for over 5 years, and even with regular use, my experience has been nothing like what Lilli K. describes -- I think they're great, especially given the price. I've never had a drawer jam, the metal has not dented, and the paint hasn't chipped. They were perfectly for my needs.

My only gripe with the newer models is that they include a slot behind the handles for inserting a paper label (the old ones do not). Some people may prefer that, but I like the plain front styling on my older ones better.

That said, I do like the bright yellow of the PB model. However, those clunky-looking black casters are a deal breaker for me!

We have two of the IKEA ones in the kid's room ... each of our boys has one for all his "treasures". If I were needing one for my office files, etc, perhaps we would have gone with one of the others. But for a set of 9 and 12-year olds ... IKEA is perfect!

I have two red IKEA Helmers. I left off the casters and put them at eye-level by our front door. They function as our "landing strip," as you say in ATLand. Each family member (including the dog) has a few drawers filled with essentials. As such, we open & close those drawers many times everyday and they're holding up just fine. I maybe wouldn't fill them with heavy papers--the weight might slow them down--but they're perfect for small odds & ends that you need to organize.

I'm sure the PB and Bisley are quite nice and far better. But I spent $80 on my two Helmers. My budget would not have allowed $400 for the others.

Both Bisley and IKEA's Helmer are great - but how can you really compare them when the prices are so wildly different? The only loser here is Pottery Barn's cabinet, on account of those hideous wheels.

I like the Pottery Barn one the most.

Actually I take it back, I just noticed the wheels as per gryt's comment..they are ugly.

Regardless, I'd never pay $200 for a filing cabinets...unless they were really fancy files....like gold ones....even then....

I have the Helmer and I love it. It has held up, survived a move, and is still going strong. One thing to keep in mind is that the drawers seem to glide better with load. My only gripe is that the drawers are not full extension and if you are not paying attention you can pull whole thing out.