The three main types of filing cabinets are vertical, lateral, and mobile pedestal cabinets — each built around a different drawer orientation and footprint to match specific workspace layouts and file volumes.
Vertical filing cabinets stack drawers front-to-back in a narrow column, making them a strong fit for tight spaces where floor width is limited. Lateral cabinets run side-to-side, offering a wider drawer that holds more files per pull without extending as far into the room. Mobile pedestal cabinets are compact, wheeled units designed to slide under a desk — practical for home offices where floor space and portability both matter.
- Vertical filing cabinets typically range from 2 to 5 drawers tall, with a standard width of 15–18 inches.
- Lateral filing cabinets accommodate letter, legal, and A4 files side-by-side in a single drawer, usually 30–42 inches wide.
- Mobile pedestal filing cabinets commonly include 2–3 drawers and fit under a standard 29-inch desk height.
- UNICOLY steel file cabinets use ball-bearing drawer slides rated at 29.5 lbs per drawer across the vertical cabinet line.