File size is the spec that decides everything

Filing cabinets are sized by the paper they hold, and letter and legal are different widths. Letter is 8.5 by 11 inches and legal is 8.5 by 14 inches, so a legal folder will not sit in a letter-only drawer. Most filing cabinets at Two Seventy Nine accept letter, legal and A4 hanging folders, and every listing names the sizes its drawers are built for. Buying on drawer count without checking file size is the mistake that leads to a return.

Lateral, vertical and mobile

A vertical filing cabinet is deep and narrow, with drawers that pull out toward you along the long axis, which suits a wall where width is short. A lateral cabinet is wide and shallow, holds files side to side, and doubles as a surface at the right height. A mobile cabinet on casters rolls under a desk and out when needed, which is the format that suits a home office where the cabinet cannot have its own wall.

Locks and what they are for

Most filing cabinets in this range lock, and each listing states whether it does. A cabinet lock is a privacy measure rather than a security measure: it keeps documents away from casual view and out of reach in a shared house or an open office. It is not fire protection and it is not a substitute for a rated safe. Where documents need protecting from fire, an office safe is the right product.

Size and anchoring

Filing cabinets here run from 17.7 to 72.1 inches tall and from 11.8 to 35.4 inches wide. A full-height cabinet with an open loaded drawer is front-heavy, which is why many include anti-tip hardware and why anchoring a tall cabinet to a wall stud matters. Only open one drawer at a time on a tall vertical cabinet. Under-desk cabinets are short enough that tipping is not the concern, but check the height against the desk knee clearance before buying.

Locking file cabinets, and what a lock is worth

Most filing cabinets in this range lock, which is why a locking file cabinet is not a separate category so much as the normal case. The lock is usually a single cylinder on the cabinet front driving a bar down the inside, so one key secures every drawer at once rather than one lock per drawer. Treat it as a privacy measure: it keeps documents out of casual reach in a shared house or an open office. It is not fire protection, and the cylinder is replaceable if a key is lost.

Metal file cabinets versus wood

Most filing cabinets in this range are steel, which is the reason a metal file cabinet is what most people picture. Steel carries drawer weight without the frame racking over years of use, takes a knock without marking, and wipes clean, which is why it dominates working offices. The alternative here is engineered board panels with a wood-look surface, or in a few cases solid wood, which suit a room where the cabinet sits in view of living space and needs to read as furniture. Construction is stated plainly on every listing next to the dimensions.