Garage Basics is an American online shop specialising in garage storage and organisation. The Ulti-MATE page showcases the Ulti-MATE Garage 2.0 range of cupboards, spread across more than ten product pages. The collection includes basic, wall-mounted and tall cabinets, plus worktops, shelves and fitting accessories.
The range is presented as award-winning, and one of the product pages also features the 'Best Buy' award from Consumer Digest. The cabinets have a rounded, workshop-style profile and can be combined as required. The system is modular, much like LEGO bricks: you start with a few modules and add more later.
What actually fits into an Ulti-MATE garage?
The base units have four drawers on full-extension ball-bearing slides. The drawer slides out fully, so that screwdriver you've left at the back won't get lost there. The units are 21 inches deep (around 53 cm) and can be placed on the floor or mounted on the wall. For wall mounting, the kits include a mounting rail, and the website recommends using a professional to ensure a secure fit.
The tall two-door cupboards are 82 inches (almost 2.1 m) high and 35.5 inches wide, which is almost 90 cm. Their shelves are one inch thick and have a load capacity of 200 lb (approximately 90 kg) each. A cable management system provides easy access to the sockets at the back of the cupboard, a useful feature for chargers and cordless tools.
Wall-mounted cupboards are shallower, at 14 inches (approximately 35 cm), and leave space above the worktop. A separate wall-mounting kit is available for the tall cupboards. The collection also includes 36-inch shelving kits, sold as a set, and mounting brackets.
If you'd rather not do the maths yourself, you can start with a ready-made set, comprising between 3 and 14 pieces. The nine-piece set, for example, includes three base units, two tall units, three wall-mounted units and a worktop. Once assembled, it is about 3.6 metres wide and nearly 2.1 metres high. Each kit displays its overall dimensions, so you know straight away whether it will fit on your wall.
What are they made of?
The units are made from 3/4-inch (approx. 19 mm) MDF and chipboard, covered with textured PVC laminate. The fronts of the doors and drawers are made of MDF with a glossy, metallic PVC laminate. The panels comply with CARB regulations, the Californian standard for formaldehyde emissions from wood-based panels.
The doors have adjustable, almost silent soft-close hinges and locks. The door pulls itself shut over the last few centimetres, just like modern kitchen drawers. The handles are made of brushed chrome, 3/4 inch thick, and easy to grip even when wearing work gloves. The cupboards stand on 6-inch (approx. 15 cm) adjustable aluminium legs, which are useful on a garage floor that is rarely perfectly level.
There is a wide range of colours: Starfire White, Graphite Grey, Midnight Black, Ruby Red and Stardust Silver, all metallic. The filters on the page also show two-tone combinations with a grey frame. Ruby Red seems designed for those who already have a car to match in their garage.
Bamboo or grooved worktop?
The worktop is the choice that changes the look of the whole unit the most. The bamboo version is described as solid and eco-friendly. The grey MDF worktop has grooves in its surface, is fitted flush between the cupboards and can support 300 lb (approx. 136 kg). Some kits are also available without a worktop, for those who already have a workbench.
In my opinion, the worktop says the most about how you use your garage. Bamboo resembles a kitchen worktop and suits a garage that doubles as a hobby room. The grooved worktop is clearly geared towards a workshop, where you can drop a spanner on it without a second thought.
How do you find the right item?
The page has filters for product type, colour, material, worktop type, width, depth, height and availability. Results can be sorted by popularity, alphabetically or by date, and can be viewed as a grid or a list. A comparison tool displays up to three products side by side. Each product displays its availability, and a separate filter also shows out-of-stock items.
As a reviewer, I'd use the comparison tool just as I would when choosing a mobile phone: you place the product details side by side and can immediately see how they differ. The product details provide the dimensions of each item in the kit, the SKU code and the UPC code. You can use these to measure your wall with a tape measure before ordering.
Delivery, warranty and support
Products in the collection are in stock and usually dispatch within 1 to 5 working days. Delivery is carried out by a freight carrier, kerbside, with a hydraulic platform for unloading. The wardrobes are supplied unassembled, and the manufacturer offers a 10-year limited warranty on parts.
The contact page lists a dedicated support telephone number, an email address and opening hours for weekdays and weekends. The footer links to the delivery, returns and sales policies, a newsletter and the company's accounts on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, LinkedIn and Reddit. Customer reviews are collected via Shopper Approved.
