The drawer wouldn’t open.
Not all the way, anyway. Just enough to catch your sleeve and spill half a tray of labeled slides onto the floor.
Welcome to the moment every lab manager dreads: when your storage system becomes a liability instead of a tool.
If your cabinets are aging out, pieced together from different eras (and probably different budgets), or just flat-out failing to keep up, it’s time to upgrade. But with so many shapes, specs, and price points out there, where do you even begin?
Here’s your no-fluff, lab-savvy guide to buying laboratory cabinets that won’t drive you—or your team—crazy.
Table of Contents
Capacity: Plan for the Collection You Haven’t Grown Yet
Spoiler: you’re going to need more storage.
Labs grow fast. Projects expand. Suddenly that “extra” drawer is housing a backup supply of pipette tips, microscope slides, and half a bottle of ethanol no one claims.
So don’t just replace what you had. Think three years ahead:
- How many samples will you archive?
- Are you going digital—or keeping physical backups?
- What’s your expansion rate across research or personnel?
Configuration: If It Doesn’t Fit the Workflow, It’s Furniture—Not Equipment
Your lab doesn’t run on theory. It runs on process.
So your cabinets need to serve your actual day-to-day:
- Constantly grabbing slide trays? Go for wide, shallow drawers.
- Storing chemicals or PPE? Tall vertical units with lockable doors.
- Housing sensitive tools? Add padded or reinforced drawers.
One-size-fits-all cabinets might look neat on paper, but in the lab? That’s how you end up stuffing beakers into drawers meant for gloves. (Don’t do that.)
Get cabinets that match how your team works—not how someone thinks a lab should work.
Cost: Don’t Just Count Dollars—Count Headaches Avoided
Look, we all have budgets.
But here’s the catch: buying cheap cabinets is like buying cheap lab coats. They look fine at first. Then a hinge breaks, a drawer sticks, or you discover they weren’t meant for chemical environments at all.
What should factor into your cost decision:
- Lifespan (How often do you want to replace these?)
- Construction materials (More on that below)
- Versatility (Can it adapt when your storage needs shift?)
- Downtime saved (How often will you be not cursing a drawer?)
Eberbach cabinets are built for labs, not office breakrooms. That means your investment doesn’t end up on the scrap heap in three years. It pays you back in sanity.
Construction: Particleboard Has Left the Chat
Let’s get serious: you can’t expect particleboard or off-the-shelf cabinetry to survive in a working lab.
You need:
- Cold-rolled or stainless steel for durability
- Powder-coated finishes to resist corrosion
- Reinforced glides and hinges for constant use
- Non-reactive surfaces that can handle your daily spills, splashes, and surprises
Especially if you’re working with chemicals, staining agents, or high-humidity environments, don’t compromise. Buy cabinets that were born in the lab.
Space Strategy: Flow Beats Footprint
It’s not just about what fits where—it’s about how it moves.
Before buying:
- Map drawer clearance—will they block access when fully open?
- Check if tall units disrupt sight lines or workflows
- Think vertically—stackables are your friends in tight labs
Cabinets that hog space or jam traffic flow? Instant regret. The goal is smart footprint, smooth function. Eberbach’s lab-ready cabinets are designed with that spatial logic baked in.
Final Thought: Your Cabinets Should Work as Hard as You Do
Here’s the thing: lab storage isn’t a side decision. It’s core infrastructure. It affects workflow, data security, compliance, even team morale.
When you invest in high-quality laboratory cabinets, you’re investing in fewer interruptions, cleaner processes, and equipment that actually supports your research.
So go ahead—measure twice, budget smart, and buy once. Your future lab self will thank you. Probably out loud.
