5 Best Garage Track System to Tidy Up Your Garage

Looking to organize your garage a little better? Here are the best garage track systems money can buy right now!

Let’s not deny it; garages can be messy from time to time, especially when using it partly as a storage unit for your equipment and supplies or if you completely disassemble and rebuild cars in there. However, did you know that you can actually do both — use your garage as a storage space AND have some work done in there? Yep, Simply declutter your garage with a garage track system!

A garage track system is a space-saving solution for organizing tools and equipment on your garage wall, similar to a garage pegboard but for bigger stuff. It’s a great way to tidy up the mess and clear up some floor space, making your garage feel airier and more comfortable to work in (nobody likes to work in a garage where you can never find the tools you need when you need them, right?). Best of all, they’re pretty affordable, compact, and in some cases, may even be strong enough to hold a full-size ladder or bicycle.

However, if you were planning to finally get yourself a decent garage track system and deal with that messy garage for once, you may have been a bit confused with all the options out there (I sure was at first). Not to worry, though; we tested a bunch of them and cherry-picked the top five garage track systems available on the market today to give you a headstart. We’ll tell you everything you need to know about each, discuss their pros and cons, and even added a complete buying guide to help you find the right model for your specific setup.

Let’s go!

Garage Track System Reviews

1. Rubbermaid FastTrack Garage Storage All-in-One Rail & Hook Kit — Budget Pick

The Rubbermaid FastTrack is one of the best-selling garage track systems on the market, offering everything you need to start organizing your workspace at an affordable price. This particular kit includes one 32.9-inch track and five hook accessories — not much but it’s a good start and you can always add to it later.

Rubbermaid tracks are made of powder-coated steel, making them durable and rustproof, which is especially useful if you live in a location covered in snow half of the year and frequently store wet tools (yeah, I know we shouldn’t do that but it is what it is). The clean design attaches securely to the wall studs in your garage and can support up to 1,500 lbs — so yeah, no matter what you were planning to store up there, it should be good enough. And best of all, the metal hooks feature a quick-locking mechanism, allowing them to be snapped into place and moved around easily.

In terms of accessories, the kit comes with a few basic hooks but the Rubbermaid FastTrack system covers a massive library of add-on accessories for more specific uses like hanging a bike, power cords, hoses, shelves, bins — name it, they have a hook for it!

Overall, the Rubbermaid FastTrack carries plenty of value for quite a budget-friendly price. Hence, if you are on a tight budget, it’s by far the best garage track system to kickstart your decluttering journey.

Key Features

• Material: Powder-coated steel
• Size: 32.9” x 6.4”
• Included accessories: 1 utility hook, 2 handle hooks, 2 scoop hooks
• Hook locking mechanism
• Max. load: 1500 lbs.
• Installation hardware included
• Color: Black
• 1-year warranty

Pros

• Clean design
• Affordable price
• Easy to relocate hooks
• Plenty of accessories available

Cons

• Warranty could be better
• No end caps

2. Husky Garage Wall Track Starter Kit

Husky’s garage track system is up to a promising start. It’s made of rust-resistant steel measuring 36 inches in length, strong enough to hold up to 100 lbs. per linear foot (so about 300 lbs. per track). Thus, you’d be getting a durable rail to hold a couple of your weighty garage tools at a very reasonable price.

There are pre-drilled holes on the back of the track compatible with 16- and 24-inch stud spacing, and you should be able to install it in minutes. The rail looks clean and dapper, especially with its two-tone white/black color. However, the kit could’ve used some end caps, so you don’t hurt yourself on the sharp edges — but in this price range, you can’t hope to have everything either.

Regardless, it comes with four practical hook accessories and Husky isn’t short of add-on accessories either. Indeed, it offers a wide range of specialized hooks, bins, and baskets compatible with the rail.

In short, if you’re looking for a reasonably priced garage track system looking a little better than the previous one (although you’ll need to lower your expectations on load capacity), the Husky Garage Wall Track kit is definitely worth a look.

Key Features

• Material: Powder-coated steel
• Size: 36” x 5.7”
• Included accessories: 1 6″ quad hook, 1 S-hook, 2  J-hooks
• Holds up to 100 lbs. per linear foot
• Installation hardware included
• Color: White/black
• Lifetime warranty

Pros

• Excellent weight capacity
• Dapper two-tone look
• Inexpensive
• Nice warranty

Cons

• Short on built-in accessories
• No end caps

3. Gladiator GearTrack Pack — Editor’s Pick

It’s no secret that Gladiator makes some of the best garage organizing solutions, and many DIY’ers favor its GearTrack rail kit over more basic ones.

Indeed, this kit has everything you need to take your garage organization to the next level. It comes with two bold rust-resistant steel tracks, each measuring 48.5 inches in length and strong enough to hold up to 75 lbs. per linear foot per track (so about 300lbs. each, similar to the previous model). The interesting point here is that you can cut them into shorter pieces to fit your garage like a glove. And this model does come with four end caps, reducing the risk of hurting yourself or finding tons of spiders in there after a while.

However, the real party pieces are the accessories included, providing a wider range of practical hooks, capable of holding items between 5 and 50 lbs. Moreover, the hooks come with rubber paddings for better grip and scratch protection.

Don’t find the accessory you’re looking for? Take a look at Gladiator’s add-on accessories collection. It offers everything from S-hook and small bins to very specific vertical/horizontal bike hooks, fishing rod hooks, boot racks, and so on.

All in all, the Gladiator GearTrack Pack is one of the best garage track systems on the market. Despite being a bit costlier than the previous two, the high-quality track, load of accessories, and the opportunity to expand its utility more than make up for the higher price tag.

Key Features

• Material: Powder-coated steel
• Size: 48.5” x 6.25” (2 pcs)
• Included accessories: 1 utility hook, 1 scoop hook, 1 tool hook, 1 twin hook, 2 J-hooks, 2 L-hooks, 4 end caps
• Holds up to 75 lbs. per linear foot
• Variety of hooks holds items from 5-50 lbs.
• Installation hardware included
• Color: Light gray
• Lifetime warranty on hooks, 10-year warranty on the track/rail

Pros

• Bold and sturdy design
• Decent weight capacity
• Plenty of accessories available
• Great warranty

Cons

• A bit pricey

4. Gladiator 4’ GearWall Panels

If you want to play in the Big League, take a look at this one. Slightly different from its GearTrack counterpart, the Gladiator GearWall Panels offer a Slatwall design with multiple tracks instead of just one rail. The innovative configuration provides much more flexibility to place the accessories and allows you to maximize your walls as a complete storage system.

The 4’ GearWall Panels consists of two pieces of 48 x 12 inches composite, each holding up to 50 lbs. per square foot, good enough to handle a ladder, bicycle, and even heavy power tools without breaking a sweat. Also, the composite panels are robust and built to withstand extreme temperatures, so even if you don’t heat up your garage or frequently work with the garage door open in winter, it won’t be a problem at all.

Unfortunately, GearWall Panels don’t come with any hook or bin accessories aside from the installation hardware. Hence, you’ll need to add a couple of bucks on top of the already-pricey panels to get those accessories separately. On the other hand, since a full wall provides much better versatility, and what works for you might not work for me, the ability to hand-select the hooks and whatnots you want is actually a blessing — no need to pay for hooks you’ll never use here.

In essence, the Gladiator GearWall is perfect if you have a clear wall in your garage and want to maximize it for storing bigger items and making up some serious floor space. By having multiple rails in a panel, these large Slatwall blocks can transform your empty garage wall into an impressive tool gallery.

Key Features

• Material: Composite
• Size: 48” x 12” (2 pcs)
• Holds up to 50 lbs. per square foot
• Installation hardware included
• Color: Light gray
• 10-year warranty

Pros

• Super capable for heavy items
• Flexible hook positioning
• Hooks, bins, and add-ons are plenty to choose from

Cons

• Premium price
• Accessories not included

5. Craftsman VersaTrack Starter Kit — Premium Pick

Craftsman has been assisting DIY-ers for 95+ years by offering excellent garage and outdoor solutions, so it doesn’t come as a surprise to see the manufacturer make its way to the top of this list.

In a nutshell, the Craftsman VersaTrack is very similar to the Gladiator’s GearTrack Pack, also including two rust-resistant 48-inch steel rails, sturdy enough to hold up to 75 lbs. per linear foot. However, that’s pretty much as far as the similarities go. Indeed, Craftsman’s model comes with 14 different rubber-padded steel hook accessories to help you organize the tools and equipment you have lying in your garage.

Moreover, another perk of this rail is the impressive range of VersaTrack accessories. Craftsman developed unique add-ons that attach directly to the rail, such as a wire shelf, toolbox tower, and enclosed storage cabinets. Specific purpose hooks are also available, such as vertical/horizontal bike and ladder hooks.

Thus, if you ain’t short on budget and want a complete garage track system allowing you to store pretty much anything you can think of, the Craftsman VersaTrack won’t disappoint.

Key Features

• Material: Powder-coated steel
• Size: 48” x 5.5” (2 pcs)
• Built-in accessories: 2 short hooks, 1 long hook, 8 snap-in hooks, 2 pivot hooks, 1 outdoor power equipment hook, 4 end caps
• Hook locking mechanism
• Holds up to 75 lbs. per linear foot
• Installation hardware included
• Color: silver
• Lifetime warranty

Pros

• Decent weight capacity
• Loaded with hook accessories
• Flexible mounting area
• Made in the USA

Cons

• Premium price

Garage Track System Accessories

Of course, how useful a garage track system is will depend on the available accessories. While basic hooks are included with every kit mentioned above, it’s the specialized accessories you’ll buy on the side that will make a difference.

Here are a few examples:

Vertical Bike Hooks

A bike hook like this one immediately snaps into the rail and allows you to mount your bicycle vertically. It’s a typical add-on hook offered by most rail manufacturers.

While it may seem small, the model made for the Rubbermaid FastTrack displayed above can handle bikes with 12” to 26” wheels and hold up to 50 lbs. Added to that, the hook has a soft rubberized grip to prevent nicks and scratches.

Finally, no excuse for the kids to just park their bike in the middle of the garage and potentially scratch your beloved classic!

Baskets

Sometimes, you just need a couple of baskets to store random items like spray cans, oil canisters, and whatnots Thus, a snap-on steel basket like this is super convenient to have hanging on the rail. This specific model from Husky measures 15 inches long and can hold up to 25 lbs. a piece but most garage track manufacturers offer something similar so you should be able to find one no matter the model you choose to go for.

S-Hooks

Another common accessory you may find helpful and offered by many rail manufacturers is the S-hook, made to hold brooms, hockey sticks, squeegees, shovels, rakes, and basically anything that doesn’t really have some kind of hole and won’t fit on regular J-hooks.

This S-hook from Gladiator snaps immediately onto its GearTrack and GearWall products, can hold up to 25 lbs. and is covered with vinyl padding to prevent your stuff from being scratched or dented.

Wall Cabinets

While it’s not an everyday accessory available for most garage track systems, a wall cabinet is something you can add to your Craftsman VersaTrack.

Not only does this cabinet look pretty attractive thanks to the red/black palette, but it’s also packed with features, including magnetic doors, a keyed locking system and a 200 lbs. load capacity — what’s not to like?

Buying Guide: What to Look for in a Garage Track System

Size

Size does matter when choosing a garage track system, and will actually depend on the available wall space and what you plan to store up there. Remember that storing larger items such as ladders, bikes and large hoses will require a bit of spacing.

Fortunately, the length of garage track systems varies from 32-48 inches, and some can even be cut to the required length. Still, planning ahead is essential here. Otherwise, you could start with only one or two tracks but then add more and more, to the point where you would have been much better going for something like GearWall’s Panel System from the start.

Weight Capacity

Planning to store heavy items like a ladder, folding chair, or even a bicycle? Then you better get a strong unit with sufficient weight capacity.

The good news is that most heavy-duty garage track systems are made of steel and each hook is capable of holding between 25 and 50 lbs. However, you should still watch out not to overload the rail to minimize the risk of bending it.

Moreover, it’s also important to keep in mind that no matter how sturdy the garage track system you choose to go for is, the load capacity will always depend on how well the tracks are secured to the wall. If you plan on going heavy, I would highly suggest you leave those included drywall anchors aside and screw the tracks directly in the wall studs instead.

Built-in Accessories

No matter the garage track system you’ll buy, it will most likely come with a bunch of accessories, including basic hooks. Though most of them will look similar, some will be better suited for your specific needs.

Twin hooks offered with most kits are among the most versatile types and are suitable for power tools, like impact guns, air sanders, leaf blowers. Meanwhile, L-hooks and J-hooks are perfect to store smaller tools like shears and wrenches. 

However, if you can’t find the exact hook you need for a specific use, you can always look for add-on accessories (like those mentioned in the previous section). Just make sure to check for compatibility as some are interchangeable while others are not.

Installation

Most garage track systems have a pretty straightforward installation process, and are more often than not, a one-person job. The package will usually come with a couple of screws and drywall anchors but as I said before, I would probably ditch those and go for something a little more “industrial,” especially if you plan on hooking up some heavy items or that Craftsman cabinet for instance.

Worth noting — you should use as many screws in as many studs as possible to make it as sturdy as can be, and for that, you’ll need a good stud finder.

Oh, and you should probably prepare a couple of hand tools, including an electric drill, too.

Verdict

A garage track system is one of the best solutions to assist you in sorting out the items cluttering your garage. It should make finding your tools easier and clear up some significant floor space, which you can never have enough of, right?

If you skimmed through the article, let me summarize it in a couple of lines.

If you want to kickstart your organizing journey with a simple and affordable garage track system, the Rubbermaid FastTrack should easily get the job done. It’s cheap, includes everything you need to start sorting out your garage tools, as well as a bunch of practical hooks — it’s not the best one out there, but at this price, it’s sure worth a look.

Meanwhile, if you want more accessories and have a slightly bigger budget, the Gladiator GearTrack Pack brings a bit more to the game (it’s actually the model I chose for my own garage). But that being said, if you have even deeper pockets and won’t settle for anything but the best of the best, go for the Craftsman VersaTrack — trust me; you won’t regret it!