Office Lockers for Modern Workplaces: Types, Dimensions and Procurement Guide

We had a client in Singapore last year — facilities manager for a 400-person tech company moving into a new building. They needed office lockers for every floor, but their procurement team kept sending over specs that were either too wide for the corridors or didn’t match the aesthetic of the fitout. Three rounds of samples, two rejected containers. All because nobody had sat down and written out exactly what “office locker” means in a commercial fitout context.

This guide does that. If you’re sourcing office lockers in bulk — whether for a corporate HQ, a co-working space, a healthcare facility, or a government building — here’s what you actually need to know before you sign a PO.

Why Office Lockers Are Having a Moment Right Now

Hot-desking killed the personal drawer. Once companies shifted to activity-based working — where employees don’t have assigned desks — people needed somewhere to put their coat, laptop bag, and the gym kit they’re not admitting to keeping in the office. Office lockers filled that gap.

It’s not just ABW spaces, though. Healthcare facilities need secure storage for staff valuables near clinical areas. Warehouses and manufacturing plants want sanduuqyada warshadaha at shift changeover points. Schools need them for staff as well as students — we covered the school-specific spec requirements in detail in our guide to sanduuqyada dugsiyada. The use cases multiplied, and with them the number of buyers trying to figure out what spec to order.

The short version: office lockers are no longer just a gym room fixture. They’re a standard furniture category.

The Main Types of Office Lockers (and When to Use Each)

Not all lockers are built the same. Here’s a breakdown by door configuration — which is how the industry actually categorises them.

Single-Tier (Full-Height) Office Lockers

One door per column, full height. Roughly 1,800 mm tall and 300–450 mm wide per door. This is the premium option — most storage volume, easiest to use with larger bags or hanging garments. Common in law firms, financial offices, and healthcare staff rooms where employees bring more personal kit. Our armaajo bir ah oo laba dabaq ah is a classic example: two full-height compartments side by side, each with its own cam lock.

Two-Tier Office Lockers

Two doors stacked per column, each compartment roughly 900 mm tall. This is the most common configuration for open-plan offices. You get twice the user capacity in the same floor footprint. Our 8-door steel locker units (4 columns × 2 rows) are the sweet spot for most corporate installations — enough capacity to serve 8 employees per unit, fits in a standard 900 mm corridor width.

Three- and Four-Tier Lockers

More compartments, smaller individual space. Three-tier gives roughly 600 mm per compartment; four-tier, about 450 mm. Right for co-working spaces and hot-desking environments where people are just stashing a bag and a jacket for a few hours — not storing a full wardrobe. Four-tier is also popular in hospitals for locating near wards where space is tight.

Five- and Six-Tier Lockers

Compact compartments, 300–360 mm each. Usually reserved for gym changing rooms, school corridors, or manufacturing facilities. Rare in white-collar offices unless the brief specifically calls for high-density storage.

Standard Office Locker Dimensions: What to Check Before You Order

Dimension mistakes are the most common reason a bulk locker order gets rejected on site. Here’s what matters:

One thing that surprises buyers: the door width listed in a catalogue is the door leaf width, not the clear opening. A 400 mm door has roughly 370–380 mm of usable internal width once you account for the frame. Check interior dimensions, not exterior.

Our standard 8-door unit (4 columns × 2 rows) ships at H1850 × W900 × D450 mm. Custom widths and depths are available from MOQ 10 units with a 7–20 working day lead time from confirmed order.

Steel Specification: What the Numbers on a Locker Quotation Actually Mean

Most commercial office locker quotations will list two steel thicknesses: door panel and body (frame/sides/shelves). Here’s the reference framework:

• 1.0 mm door panel: The commercial standard for office environments. Resists denting from daily use — bags, shoulders, the occasional frustrated kick. Below 0.8 mm and you’ll see oil-canning (the panel flexing visibly) within months.
• 0.8 mm body steel: The standard for body panels (sides, back, shelf). Structural integrity is fine at this gauge for freestanding units up to 1,900 mm.
• Powder coat finish: RAL 7035 (light grey) is the default for office environments because it photographs well, shows minimal scuffs, and matches most commercial interior palettes. RAL 9016 (white) and RAL 7016 (anthracite) are the next most common.

If a quotation doesn’t specify steel thickness — ask. Some suppliers use 0.6 mm on door panels and 0.5 mm on bodies to hit a lower price point. The units look identical in a catalogue photo but feel flimsy on site. We’ve covered how to read and verify these specs in our steel locker thickness guide.

Lock Options for Office Lockers: The Thing Nobody Tells You Before You Order

Lock choice is the most debated specification in any office locker project. If you want the full comparison before deciding, our dedicated guide on how to choose the best lock for a steel locker covers every option in detail. Here’s the quick version:

Qufulka Kaamerada Furaha ah

Standard on virtually every steel office locker. Simple, reliable, low cost. The operational downside: key management. In a 200-unit installation, lost keys are a recurring facilities headache. Some clients get around this by using a master key system — one key opens all locks, employees keep their own individual key. Worth specifying on the PO if you want it.

Qalabka Padlock-ka

No lock supplied — user provides their own padlock. Popular in environments where HR doesn’t want to manage key inventories at all (co-working spaces, construction sites, some schools). Hasp thickness matters; specify a minimum hasp hole diameter to be compatible with standard padlocks.

Digital Keypad / Combination Lock

The premium option. No physical key, user sets their own PIN. Higher upfront cost (roughly 3–5× a cam lock unit), but zero key management overhead. Battery-powered units typically run 12–18 months on AA batteries. Specify whether you want single-use or reusable codes.

A note on retrofitting: cam lock units can be upgraded to padlock hasps in the field relatively easily. Going from cam to digital is a door replacement — factor that into the spec decision upfront.

Bulk Procurement Guide: What to Specify on Your RFQ

If you’re sending a request for quotation to multiple suppliers, here’s the minimum information you need to include to get comparable quotes back:

1. Quantity and configuration: Number of units, door count per unit (e.g. “150 × 8-door units, 4 columns × 2 rows”)
2. Cabirka: Overall H × W × D, or confirm you’re accepting the supplier’s standard size
3. Steel specification: Door panel thickness (minimum 1.0 mm), body thickness (minimum 0.8 mm)
4. Dhamee: Powder coat colour (RAL number), interior finish colour
5. Lock type: Cam lock / padlock hasp / digital keypad; master key system yes/no
6. accessories: Coat hooks (number and position), hat shelf (yes/no), name card holder (yes/no)
7. Gaarsiinta: Port of destination or delivery address; whether installation is required
8. Lead time required: Your site ready date — work backwards from this

The more specific your RFQ, the more useful the quotes you’ll receive. Vague briefs produce vague quotes, and you end up comparing apples to watermelons.

Frequently Asked Questions About Office Lockers

What is the standard size of an office locker?

The most common commercial office locker stands 1,800–1,850 mm tall, 300–450 mm wide per door, and 350–500 mm deep. The exact dimensions depend on door configuration and the manufacturer’s standard range. Always confirm interior dimensions, not just exterior.

How many office lockers do I need per employee?

For fixed-desk offices: one compartment per employee. For hot-desking or ABW environments: one compartment per 1.2–1.5 employees (occupancy ratio). Adjust based on shift patterns — if you run two shifts, one locker serves multiple employees across the day.

What’s the minimum order quantity for custom office lockers?

For standard configurations, MOQ is typically 10 units. Custom dimensions, colours outside the standard RAL range, or non-standard lock configurations usually require a higher MOQ of 20–50 units to justify tooling and production setup.

How long does a bulk office locker order take?

For standard configurations: 7–15 working days from confirmed order and deposit. Custom specifications: 15–25 working days. Add 20–35 days for sea freight to most destinations. Order early — locker projects that miss their fitout window get very expensive very fast.

Are steel office lockers fire-rated?

Standard commercial steel lockers are not independently fire-rated. Steel is non-combustible, so they won’t accelerate a fire, but they’re also not tested or certified as fire compartmentation. If fire rating is a specification requirement (common in some healthcare and government applications), confirm with the manufacturer and request relevant test documentation.