Choosing the right clothes hangers – Does it really matter?

Clothes Hangers

Simple enough items on the surface, until you realise there are about a million different variations of the things doing the rounds. There are generally two schools of thought on hangers – one being that there’s no difference other than the way they look and the other being that you must choose the right hanger for the garment.

As for the truth, technically it falls somewhere down the middle as while there are indeed different clothes hangers for different garments, you don’t need dozens of different shapes and sizes to get it right. In fact, no more than a handful will be fine – and the good news is that cheap coat hangers work just as well as the expensive types.

So in terms of the genuine differences to be aware of, what types of hangers should you be adorning your clothes rails with?

Children’s Hangers

Right off the bat, children’s hangers are designed specifically for smaller, lighter and more delicate garments. By using the appropriate hangers for kids’ clothing, you prolong the life of each garment by preventing it from becoming stretched, misshapen or in any way damaged. So as far as the little ones are concerned, this is one type of hanger you need in your life.

Wooden Hangers

Where heavyweight garments come into the equation, so too do wooden coat hangers. The naturally sturdy properties of wood make this kind of hanger perfect when heavy or bulky clothing needs to be hung, as the wood will neither break nor bend under pressure. The large frame also ensures no damage is done to the garment hanging on, plus it’s also worth noting from a purely aesthetic point of view that wooden hangers always look stylish and elegant.

Wire Hangers

Another entry to the list of superbly cheap coat hangers, wire hangers is…loosely speaking…the least friendly of all to your clothes. They bend under pressure, the thin wire itself can cause damage to the garments and with all manner of sharp edges in some cases, it’s best to think of wire hangers as temporary solutions only…VERY temporary.

Plastic Hangers

Is it wrong to fill your dress rails with simple plastic clothes hangers? Not at all – that is if you at least go for the upper-end variants that aren’t painfully lacklustre. Plastic hangers can be made to pretty much any and every imaginable specification, meaning they can be as strong as wood, as light as a feather and always cheap as chips. They’re waterproof, they last for years and depending on the design/colour chosen can also be very pretty to look at.

Custom Coat Hangers

And finally, if you really want to go to town for the sake of a retail store or maybe just an opulent bedroom wardrobe, there’s always the option of custom coat hangers. Here’s where you yourself decide on the size, the shape, the colour, the finish and the material right down to the finest detail, which can, of course, result in a hanger that’s as unique as it is stunning and functional.