Office & WFH · Head-to-head
Branch Small Filing Cabinet vs IKEA RÅSKOG Utility Cart
Which should you buy? Our verdict on both, pulled from our full The Best Office Storage Carts: 4 Compared (and One to Skip) comparison.
The Branch Small Filing Cabinet is the only unit here that locks and tucks under a desk, in coated steel with a file drawer for hanging folders, which makes it the pick for any desk that still handles paper. The IKEA RÅSKOG is the better first purchase for everyone else: open, narrow, cheap, and still in service years later.
Branch Small Filing Cabinet
Buy itA compact coated-steel pedestal that locks, rolls under a desk at 20 inches tall, and takes standard hanging folders.
- Coated steel construction that Branch says resists dirt and fingerprints, and the line is BIFMA certified
- Integrated lock with two keys, the only unit here that keeps documents genuinely private
- At 12 by 20 by 20 inches it sits under most fixed desks with room to spare
- Fits standard hanging folders lengthwise, with drawer dividers and locking wheels
- Branch backs it with a 1 year warranty, short for steel furniture meant to last a decade
- Branch does not say what the drawers run on, so the glide type is unknown
- Costs several times a plastic cart, and buyers only storing supplies will not use the file drawer
IKEA RÅSKOG Utility Cart
Buy itThe default answer for open, grab-it-fast desk overflow, and it has stayed the default for a decade for good reason.
- Three deep powder-coated steel trays hold notebooks, cables, and stationery without dividers or bins
- Compact 13 3/4 by 17 3/4 inch footprint squeezes into the gap beside a desk
- Lockable casters keep it still while you dig through it
- Assembles in minutes with the included hardware and nothing else
- Too tall to roll under most desks, so it lives beside the desk instead of under it
- Open trays mean nothing is hidden, private, or dust-free
- Rated for 13 lb per tier and 40 lb in total, so it is not the place for reams of paper or heavy tools
Side by side
The 7 criteria below are the ones our full comparison judged every product on, narrowed to these two.
| Branch Small Filing Cabinet Our pick | IKEA RÅSKOG Utility Cart | |
|---|---|---|
| Our verdict | Buy | Buy |
| Best for | Anyone who keeps real paperwork (contracts, tax records, client files) and wants a lockable drawer that lives under the desk permanently. | Desks that need visible, constantly-accessed overflow: chargers, notebooks, craft supplies, snacks. |
| Price tier | $$ · mid-range | $ · budget |
| Storage type | Lockable steel drawers, shallow over file | Three open steel trays |
| Locks | Yes, integrated lock, two keys | No |
| Main material | Coated steel | Powder-coated steel |
| Fits under a standard desk | Yes, 20 inches tall | No, 30 3/8 inches tall |
| Assembly | Minimal assembly | Light, about 15 minutes |
| Casters | Locking wheels | Four casters, lockable |
| Warranty | 1 year | None stated, 365-day returns |
Which one is right for you?
Pick the Branch Small Filing Cabinet if
anyone who keeps real paperwork (contracts, tax records, client files) and wants a lockable drawer that lives under the desk permanently.
Know before buying: branch backs it with a 1 year warranty, short for steel furniture meant to last a decade.
Pick the IKEA RÅSKOG Utility Cart if
desks that need visible, constantly-accessed overflow: chargers, notebooks, craft supplies, snacks.
Know before buying: too tall to roll under most desks, so it lives beside the desk instead of under it.
The bottom line
Our overall pick is the Branch Small Filing Cabinet - A compact coated-steel pedestal that locks, rolls under a desk at 20 inches tall, and takes standard hanging folders. Choose the IKEA RÅSKOG Utility Cart instead if desks that need visible, constantly-accessed overflow: chargers, notebooks, craft supplies, snacks.
Want the full picture, including the other options we compared and the popular one we'd skip? Read the complete The Best Office Storage Carts: 4 Compared (and One to Skip).