The Best Over-the-Toilet Storage We Tested

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Anyone with a small bathroom knows the lack-of-storage struggle all too well. Without enough space on the counter and under the sink, you’re left with toilet paper, towels, and toiletries without a home. With an over-the-toilet storage solution, you can utilize your vertical space to its full capacity and optimize every inch of your bathroom.

To find over-the-toilet storage units worth adding to your cart, we tested 15 options at home and narrowed them down to the best five. Our process involved looking at how easy they were to set up, how much they could hold, how durable they were, how nice they looked, and more. For added insight, we also spoke with Benjamin Fix, CEO and co-founder of sproos!.

There is space for plenty of items with room to spare.

The bottom shelf is supposed to be adjustable, but we couldn’t figure that out.

This storage unit held so much more than we were expecting. The bottom shelf comfortably fit eight rolls of toilet paper, and we used the other two for our makeup mirror, hand towels, wash clothes, a Q-tip holder, tissues, and decorative items with much more room to spare. We freed up a ton of counter space.

This organizer doesn’t come preassembled, but each part has a letter or number assigned to it, and the instructions are very clear on how to put them together. Just keep in mind that there are a lot of pieces and screws, so you may want to grab a buddy—it took us a while, even with two people helping. The package also came with covers to conceal the screw holes, which was a nice touch to make it seem a little more put-together.

We absolutely love this storage unit. The large shelves make it really easy to move things around, and the size of it did not impact accessibility to the toilet or toilet paper holder—we can comfortably remove the tank lid and fully open the toilet lid without interference.

This storage unit is also very sturdy; it even comes with parts to attach it to the wall so it doesn't move. We love that the shelf sizes aren't dramatically different so you can move things around easily, and we were more than happy with how it looks in our bathroom. The cherry on top was the price—it was well worth the value it added to our bathroom.

Our only caveats were that there were a couple chips when we took it out of the box— but luckily, they were so tiny that you couldn’t really tell—and the product description online said that the bottom shelf was adjustable, but we only found one place to put it. Neither of those were dealbreakers.

Material: MDF wood | Dimensions: 62 by 25 by 10 in. | Weight: 23 lbs.

It doesn’t require mounting to the wall and is easy to assemble for those who aren’t handy.

It might not have enough space depending on your storage needs.

For those who just need a little extra storage, this two-tier shelf might just be the perfect fit. We like that it’s easy to put together and gives you an extra two shelves of storage space; it’s also good for someone who isn't very handy or doesn't want to mount anything to the wall since all you have to do is set it on top of the tank.

We were able to assemble it alone in less than 15 minutes with the tools that came with it. While the instructions weren’t quite as helpful as we would have liked, the process was pretty intuitive, and once it was all set up, it didn’t impact our ability to lift the lid of the toilet. (Accessing the tank, however, will require moving it to another place for the time being.)

We also appreciated that it could fit in pretty much any bathroom because it's small and easy to move around as needed. It doesn’t provide nearly enough storage for all of our beauty and healthcare products, but we could easily store a few extra pieces that we may need to access from the toilet.

Because of this, we wouldn’t recommend this unit as the only storage option in a bathroom, but it works great for a small space and is renter-friendly. For the price of $40, it does its job. Also, keep in mind that because the unit sits on the top of the back of the toilet, it could easily be pushed off or fall down unless you choose to mount it to the wall.

Material: Alloy steel | Dimensions: 12 by 13 by 6 in. | Weight: 2 lbs.

It looks well-made, it's sturdy, and it holds a lot.

We had some issues with assembly, and only two screw hole covers are provided for four screw holes.

This storage unit looks well-made, is sturdy, and it holds a lot—more than we thought it would. The height of the two shelves inside can be adjusted, so we were able to fit full-size bottles of dry shampoo and hair spray. It can also easily hold small storage baskets, and there's enough clearance between the top of the toilet and the first shelf that you can store toilet paper rolls there too.

Setup was easy for two assemblers who aren’t always the best furniture builders, so we would say it's pretty foolproof to get a well-functioning piece. You’ll need a drill, but you wouldn't know that without thoroughly reading the instructions. There were a few sections where it took some trial and error to understand the images (there were no words), but overall, it was pretty comprehensive. You can also easily replace the knobs with a different pair, which we liked.

We only ran into one major problem: Following the instructions, we mounted the unit to the wall before adding the horizontal support beam, which made it impossible for us to screw it in since it was flush to the wall. The system still feels very stable without the support beam though, especially since we mounted it.

The bottom of the shelf comes a little close to the top of the toilet tank, but you can access and remove the tank lid—you just have to be careful to not get your fingers caught in the process. The toilet lid was able to completely open, and the shelving did not interfere with that at all.

This unit feels incredibly sturdy, which we were worried about given that we couldn't attach the bottom support beam, and we haven’t worried about it holding up at all during the testing period. The price is also right on the money of what we would expect this unit to cost for a unit that has shelving and doors.

Material: Engineered wood, pine, glass | Dimensions: 67 by 27 by 9 in. | Weight: 43 lbs.

It has four shelves—the most out of all the units on our list.

It still felt flimsy even after we mounted it to the wall.

Our bathroom was in desperate need of storage, and this unit was just the solution. It felt like one of the easiest and fastest ways of adding storage to a small bathroom that sorely needed it. Although the depth of the shelves isn't wide enough to accommodate full-size bath towels, it does fit washcloths and hand towels.

We added some baskets to the shelves to various health and beauty products, and on the top shelf, we added a potted plant and a reed aroma diffuser—products that would otherwise have wound up on the sinktop. It does have a toilet paper holder, but it wasn’t easy to reach, so we wound up using the hook on the unit to store a spare roll.

We were able to build this unit just fine on our own, though it was helpful to have an extra set of hands to actually move it into the bathroom. We thought the instructions were reasonably clear, and we appreciated that each part was labeled with a letter so we could make sure we weren’t confusing one for another.

We didn't need any extra tools (except to install the wall anchor), and we liked that there was a little sachet of spare screws in case the count was off. One drawback to this unit is that the shelf height is not adjustable, but it does come with screw-on adjustable feet.

As far as the design, it didn't impact the function of the toilet. There was enough clearance between the tank and the bottom shelf to lift the lid of the tank and adjust a valve. That said, it does feel a little flimsy, even when anchored to the wall, and we’re not sure it would last through a move. It’s attractive and nicely finished though, and it works as a relatively inexpensive storage solution.

Material: Engineered wood | Dimensions: 68 by 24 by 9 in. | Weight: 17 lbs.

It comes in colors like espresso and pink, and it quadrupled our storage space.

We wish there were adjustable feet, and it’s not as sturdy as we would like.

These shelves are extremely spacious—we were able to fit 16 rolls of toilet paper on just one. On the other two shelves, we were able to add plenty of products (including full-sized bath towels), and we still had room for more, like plants and decor. Compared to the basket we were using before this, it at least quadrupled our storage space.

It came with three metal hooks, one of which we used to hang our hand towel. A roll of toilet paper would not fit directly on these hooks, and we wouldn’t recommend hanging the toilet paper on them, since you’d have to reach backwards to get it, and it would feel pretty cramped.

We put this together by ourselves, and assembly was super straightforward. One thing to note: You need to put the bottom support bar on after you’ve put the shelf in place, which was a bit tricky since it was a tight space. There are two sets of holes for the bottom support bar depending on where your plumbing lies, and this was definitely helpful since the top set of holes lined up directly with our plumbing.

The shelves were not adjustable though, and while there were included stickers to cover the screw holes, there were two extra small holes that there weren't stickers for. The top shelf is just about 5 feet tall, so most adults shouldn't have any issues reaching it, and we never felt like the unit was in the way while we used the toilet. There are also 7 to 10 inches between the water tank lid and the bottom shelf, so you can easily remove the lid without moving the unit.

It’s not super sturdy, however—we noticed a bit of wobbling when we used our hand towels or placed heavier objects on the shelf, but we’re never worried it’s going to fall. (The more that’s on the shelves, the less wobbly it is.) If we could change anything, we’d get rid of the bottom support bar or make it so that we could move the shelf without unscrewing it.

Material: Bamboo | Dimensions: 67 by 25 by 10 in. | Weight: 90 lbs.

We love the UTEX 3-Shelf Bathroom Organizer because of its roomy storage capacity that comfortably fit all of our items with room to spare. It’s also incredibly sturdy. For a smaller, budget-friendly pick, we recommend the Godboat 2-Tier Over Toilet Storage. You can choose from one, two, or three tiers, it’s easy to assemble, and it doesn’t require mounting.

To find the best over-the-toilet storage, we started with 15 options and tested each one at home over a two-week period. For each unit, we timed how long it took to unbox and assemble the pieces before placing it in the bathroom.

Here, we tested how well we were able to open the toilet’s lid (and tank) and if the storage unit interfered at all. We then filled the shelves with all of our bathroom essentials, like toilet paper, towels, toiletries, and decor. We noted how many objects we were able to fit in our storage unit or if we ran out of space for all of the items we wanted to store. While we used the storage over the testing period, we paid attention to its sturdiness and if it ever felt like it was moving or tipping.

We also noted the ease of opening any cabinets or drawers, if applicable, and how well we were able to access all parts of the storage unit. The five we were left with on our list excelled in terms of quality, design, setup, capacity, and value.

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On our list, we included two types of storage solutions: open shelving and closed cabinets. Which one you choose really comes down to personal preference. Open shelving gives you easy access to your belongings, while closed cabinets give off more of a sleek and tidy appearance, Fix says. On our list, all but one of our picks have open shelving, with the exception of our best cabinet pick, the Spirich Home Over-the-Toilet Cabinet.

Before you start shopping, measure the area above and around your toilet to figure out the maximum dimensions that the storage unit can occupy. This includes the space between your toilet and any walls or vanities.

Fix says you should have at least 12 inches of clearance between the bottom shelf and the toilet, providing ample space for a comfortable and visually pleasing fit while also making sure you can still easily access the flush.

With the exception of our best budget pick, all of our picks have similar dimensions between 62 and 68 inches tall, 24 to 27 inches wide, and 9 to 10 inches deep.

If you only need to keep a few rolls of toilet paper within reach, a small unit like the Godboat 2-Tier Over Toilet Storage would work just fine. On the other hand, if you’re looking to store multiple rolls of toilet paper, bathroom essentials, decorative items, or extra bath linens, something with three tiers or more will likely have enough space for all your items. All of our picks besides our best budget pick meet this standard, and our best tall pick has the most with four.

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Fix says moisture-resistant materials provide durability while also being easy to clean and disinfect. “These materials can also withstand the humidity that builds up in bathrooms,” he says. If durability is your main concern, the Godboat 2-Tier Over Toilet Storage is likely your best bet since it’s made out of alloy steel.

Next on the list is bamboo, like the Homykic Bamboo Over The Toilet Storage, since bamboo is naturally resistant to moisture. Engineered wood or MDF, like the UTEX 3-Shelf Bathroom Organizer, Rolanstar 4-Tier Over-The-Toilet Organizer, and Spirich Home Over-the-Toilet Cabinet, can also work if it has a waterproof laminate or sealant.

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This article was written by Camryn Dilger, an associate editor at Real Simple with years of hands-on experience researching, testing, editing, and reviewing dozens of products. Home organization is one of her personal favorite topics, and while she doesn’t own any over-the-toilet storage, she is very passionate about her bathroom’s acrylic drawer and under-the-sink organizers.

Kat de Naoum also contributed to this article and interviewed Benjamin Fix, CEO and co-founder of sproos!, the first home improvement brand for renters.