Sports Ball Garage Organizers that Fix Wasted Space

Storing sports balls can waste a lot of garage space. Round things don't like to be stacked. Sports ball bags are portable but not secure. Cages are secure and portable, but can't be mounted off the floor. Baskets are convenient, but not portable. And Butlers are convenient to the court or field, but are not secure.

What is the best sports ball garage storage that fixes wasted space? Nylon mesh bags do the best job of conforming to the balls inside, and wasting the least amount of space. Baskets waste a little bit of space but offer easy access in the garage. Cages leave space around the balls but can be secured with padlocks. Wall-mounted nylon bags  free up valuable garage floor space. 

7 Facts You Need to Consider Before Buying a Sports Ball Storage Solution

Each ball storage solution has its pros and cons. We need to rank your concerns before deciding on a solution. Are you more concerned with portability? Accessibility? Carrying weight? Here are the seven facts you need to consider before deciding on a sports ball storage solution.

1. Ball shapes/sizes: Are you storing handballs, baseballs, tennis balls, footballs, soccer balls, or a combination of ball types?
2. Bottom and back access: How do you access the balls? Through the top, the side, the bottom of the enclosure? Are the balls different sizes? Will it be annoying to have to reach to the bottom or back to get the ball you need?
3. Exposure: Do the balls need to be kept away from garage exhaust, snow or rain?
4. Location: Will you have to use up floor space? Or can you take advantage of mounting the storage accessory to the wall or ceiling?
5. Number/weight of balls: How many balls are you storing? Are you storing 10 soccer balls or 100 tennis balls?
6. Portability: Should the ball storage solution fold up into a carrying case? Is it ok if it's too big to fit in the car?
7. Security: Do you need to safeguard the balls with a lock?

What are the Ball Storage Options?

To store the sports balls, choose from nylon sports ball bags, semi-rigid mesh baskets, wheeled locker cages and the Basketball Butler on-court storage.

Sports Ball Bags

Nylon sports ball bags are usually made from rip-stop fabric and have extra pockets. This makes them portable, efficient and good at fixing wasted space. But bags are not secure. It's as easy for a thief to pick up a bag of balls as it is for you to carry it. A sports ball bag left outside will expose the balls to rain and snow. And balls deep inside a sports ball bag will be hard to reach. Sports bags will take up floor space, or can be stored on a shelf, a ceiling rack, or hung from the wall.

Sports Ball Bags Fast Facts

1. Exposure:  Nylon mesh bags offer a little bit of protection from the weather, but not much.  bag in the garage exposes balls to car exhaust. A bag outside exposes balls to rain and snow.
2. Location:  Store a nylon sports ball bag on the garage floor, a shelf, or in a ceiling storage area.
3. Portability:  Bags usually have handles. If the balls are heavy or bulky, it's harder to carry a bag of sports balls.
4. Security: Bags are as insecure as baskets. Bags can't be secured that well as they're easily cut open. Bags don't offer much security from theft.

Best Portable Sports Ball Storage Nylon Mesh Bag

My favorite portable sports ball storage bag is the Fitdom Heavy Duty XL Ball Bag.

The Fitdom Bag stands upright, which makes loading and unloading easier. It also stops the balls from falling out.

This bag is huge. It can hold 10 basketballs or 13 soccer balls. I like the side pocket for storing air pumps and gloves.

You can easily see what's inside the bag through the nylon mesh. The material is double-stitched strong and waterproof.

Carry the bag by its wide shoulder strap or by its reinforced handle. The bottom has a drainage hole in case the bag gets wet or you are storing wet swimwear.

There are some nice ball bags out there, but this is hands down one of the nicest ones. Check the latest price on Amazon.

Sports Ball Baskets

Nylon sports ball baskets are efficient ball holders. They waste a little bit of space because they don't conform to the ball shapes the way sports ball bags do. Baskets hang in the garage, meaning they're convenient. They're not portable. A nylon sports all basket is as secure as your garage itself. If a thief can get into your garage.  Baskets can sit on the floor but are meant to be hung from the wall, where they save valuable garage floor space. If you mount a few baskets you can sort your sports balls into small, medium and large. This will make it much easier to find like-size balls.

Sports Ball Baskets Fast Facts

1. Exposure:  Inside the garage, balls inside baskets are exposed to car exhaust. If you do dismount a basket and carry it, the balls can be exposed to rain and snow.
2. Location:  Many slatwall and track organization systems include sports bag accessories.  Sometimes sports-ball-specific slatwall baskets are less efficient than the system's generic storage basket. Often the sports ball baskets are too small or contain too many compartments.  Ensure the bag is big enough for the balls before investing. Mount baskets at hip height for easy access to the tops.
3. Portability: Baskets that sit on the floor are portable. Usually baskets mounted to the wall will be inconvenient to dismount and mount again. These baskets are portable if you're comfortable removing them from the wall. Slatwall wall storage system baskets are easy to mount and dismount. If you do carry a basket of balls around, the balls might fall out the top. Semi-rigid baskets help prevent spills.
4. Security: Baskets are as insecure as bags. Securing a basket is almost impossible. Locking a basket would be pointless since baskets don't have lids. Baskets are usually mounted in the garage. So they're as secure as your garage is.

Rolling Wheeled Cage Lockers

Wheeled cages (or “rolling lockers”) are usually made from rust-resistant metal. They are about as efficient as baskets at storing sports balls as they don't conform to the ball shapes inside. Rolling lockers take up garage floor space because they are too large and heavy to hang from the wall. You could use a ceiling lift to get them off of the floor. Rolling lockers are secure. You can lock the lid to the cage, and you can lock the cage to a pole or bleacher. The open wire design of a rolling locker exposes the sports balls to rain and snow. The nice thing about a portable cage is how it distributes the weight over the wheels. A nylon bag can get heavy but a wheeled cage is easy to move.

Rolling Wheeled Cage Lockers Fast Facts

1. Exposure: The locker is an open design. In the garage, balls will be exposed to car exhaust. Outside, balls will be exposed to rain and snow.
2. Location: You store a wheeled cage on the garage floor. They're not mountable by design, but you might want your ball cage off the garage floor. You can create a mount or have a carpenter create one for you. Design the wall mount so that the full cart is simple to mount and dismount. This means keeping the wall mount pretty close to the floor.
3. Portability: Wheeled cages are super easy to use. Even large ones are easy to push. But, large ones DON'T fit in the car.
4. Security: Wheeled cages excel at securing the balls from theft. You can lock the lid to the cage, and you can lock the cage to the bleachers or a pole.

Ball Butler

The Ball Butler is a specialized ball holder you install near the field or court. The Butler holds two or four basketballs, depending on the size you get. You can also store volleyballs and soccer balls in a Butler. They're very efficient at conforming to the ball shape, wasting very little space. Butlers don't take up any floor space because you mount them outside. Ball Butlers are not secure, and they expose the balls to the weather. Use a Ball Butler to keep some basketballs near the court, or soccer balls near the field. If security is a concern, then in between games, keep the balls in a nylon bag stored in the garage.

Ball Butler Fast Facts

1. Exposure:  Balls in the Butler are exposed to the rain and snow.
2. Location:  Mount the Butler near the basketball court, volleyball court or soccer field.
3. Portability:  Butlers are not portable. If you want to bring the balls in between uses, get a nylon mesh sports ball bag in addition to the Butler ball carrying station.
4. Security: A Butler offers no security. The balls are exposed and outdoors.

Team Sports or Mixed Ball Storage?

Team sports ball storage is a little easier than mixed sport ball storage. With team sports ball storage, all of the balls are the same size and weight. With mixed sports ball storage, the balls are as small as a handball and as large as a basketball. When you reach into the basketball storage, the first one out will be just as good as the last one out. But with mixed-ball storage, bigger balls will hide smaller ones. You really have to see the storage contents to get to the ball you want. So what works best for team sports ball storage will not necessarily be the best solution for mixed sports ball storage.

The Best Baseball, Tennis Ball, Basketball, Volleyball and Soccer Team Sports Ball Organizers

When all the balls are the same shape, size and weight, all of the sports ball storage organizers work well. Drill down to your other needs to decide which is best for your ball storage needs. Consider weight, portability and security. Basketball, volleyball and soccer ball storage can get heavy. For example, a basketball weighs about 22 ounces. That means 10 basketballs weigh about 13.5 lbs. Wheeled cages work much better to reduce bulk and help you push heavier balls. If you're OK carrying 13.5 lb. of bulky basketballs, then a nylon bag might be better. You can store the bag on a shelf rather than use up valuable garage floor space. If you don't need portability, a semi-rigid basket works well. A basket can be stored on the floor or a wall and offers easy access to the balls inside. If you want near-court ball storage, then you should consider the Basketball Butler.

Pros and Cons of Nylon Mesh Bags For Team Sport Ball Organization

Bags for Team Sports Balls

1. Ball Shapes and Sizes: Nylon mesh bags reduce the most wasted space. This advantage is also what makes nylon mesh bags bulky to carry. Nylon mesh bags can be awkward when full of heavy, large balls.
2. Number of Balls: Bag storage can be as big as you can comfortably carry.  Multiply the ball weight times the number of balls stored. Decide if you want to carry 5, 10 or 20 lbs. Add the bulkiness that will occur when the balls transform the bag's shape.
3. Bottom and Back Access: Bags are good storage when all the balls are the same weight and size. For single-sport balls, bags are as accessible as cages and baskets.

Pros and Cons of Semi-Rigid Baskets for Team Sport Ball Storage

Baskets for Team Sports Balls

1. Ball Shapes and Sizes: Semi-rigid baskets do not conform to the ball shapes. While this wastes some space, it means the baskets don't change their shape while you are carrying them. Baskets are less bulky and awkward than bags. Generally baskets are not intended to be portable, but you can use them that way. They won't have lids to keep the balls inside.
2. Number of Balls: Baskets max out at around 10 basketballs or 15 volleyballs.
3. Bottom and Back Access: For team sport ball storage, semi-rigid baskets work great. Baskets are always accessible from the top, and many are accessible from the side as well. To keep it easy, use one basket per sport.

Pros and Cons of Wheeled Cage Storage for Team Sport Ball Storage

Wheeled Locker Cage for Team Sports Balls

1. Ball Shapes and Sizes: A wheeled cage wastes some space because the sides don't conform to the ball shapes. Cages waste more space than bags.
2. Bottom and Back Access: For team sport ball storage, cages are fine. Last in, first out, all the balls are the same. Getting access to the bottom or back of the pile is not necessary.
3. Number of Balls: A wheeled cage can handle 15 basketballs or 25 volleyballs and still be portable. It's pretty easy to push heavy and awkward balls in a wheeled cage.

Pros and Cons of the Ball Butler for Team Sport Ball Storage

Ball Butler for Team Sports Balls

1. Ball Shapes and Sizes: Ball Butlers are designed for basketballs, soccer balls and volleyballs. They don't hold small balls. The large Butler will hold 4 basketballs and 5 volleyballs.
2. Number of Balls: Ball Butlers come in 2-basketball and 4-basketball sizes.
3. Bottom and Back Access: Grab a basketball from the bottom or top of the butler. Butlers are a very accessible solution.

The Best Mixed Sport Ball Organizers

If you're storing different kinds of balls, the balls are probably for individual use, and not for team sports. Is theft a problem? Is portability required? A homeowner might want accessibility whereas a coach might want security and portability.  The most convenient mixed sport ball storage solution is to hang three semi-rigid baskets, and sort the balls into small, medium and large. Many slatwall and rail storage solutions include good baskets. Gladiator offers a semi-rigid basket that's bigger or more popular for organizing sports balls than their own ball storage basket. Use a wheeled cage if you need to carry a lot of balls you need to move from place to place. Use a Basketball Butler for large ball near-court or near-field storage. Buy three semi-rigid baskets. Mark them “small,” “medium” and “large.” The separation will make it much easier to access balls on the bottom.

Pros and Cons of Nylon Mesh Bag Storage for Mixed Size Sport Balls

Bags for Mixed Sports Balls

1. Ball Shapes and Sizes: Nylon bags can carry all balls, from tennis balls to basketballs.
2. Number of Balls: Nylon bags can carry scores of tennis balls to about 10-15 basketballs.
3. Bottom and Back Access: Bags usually open from the top.

Pros and Cons of Three Semi-Rigid Wall Hanging Baskets Storage for Mixed Size Sports Balls

Baskets for Mixed Sports Balls

1. Ball Shapes and Sizes: Semi-rigid baskets waste about the same space as ball storage cages. They waste much less space than ball storage racks. Only loosely-formed nylon mesh bags really reduce wasted space.
2. Number of Balls: A semi-rigid basket can hold many different-sized balls.
3. Bottom and Back Access: If you put all of the balls in one basket, the smaller ones will be harder to reach. But if you separate the balls into three baskets, you can easily sort small, medium and large balls. Semi-rigid wall-hanging baskets are the most accessible solution. It's easier to pull a tennis ball out from a pile of tennis balls than from a pile of footballs.

Pros and Cons of Wheeled Cage Storage for Mixed Size Sports Balls

Wheeled Locker Cages for Mixed Sports Balls

1. Ball Shapes and Sizes: Portable locker cages can store lots of balls of different sizes. The smallest ball has to be bigger than the spaces between the bars. About the smallest ball you might store is a golf ball. Most ball cages can handle golf balls without losing them.
2. Number of Balls: Wheeled ball lockers can handle scores of tennis balls to about 10-15 basketballs.
3. Bottom and Back Access: Rolling lockers usually open from the top. Smaller balls can fall to the bottom, making them harder to see and reach.

Pros and Cons of Ball Butler Storage for Mixed Size Sports Balls

Ball Butler for Mixed Sports Balls

1. Ball Shapes and Sizes: The Ball Butler is designed for basketballs. You can also use it for volleyballs and soccer balls. Handballs, footballs, golf balls and baseballs are too small. They'll just pass through to the floor.
2. Number of Balls: Butlers hold two or four basketballs, depending on which you buy.
3. Bottom and Back Access: Grab the ball from the bottom or top of the Butler cage.

Conclusion

For team sports ball storage, use wheeled cages, portable nylon mesh bags, or wall-mounted semi-rigid baskets. For mixed sports ball storage, wall-mounted semi-rigid baskets work best. To keep balls near the playing area, basketball butlers keep the balls off of the ground and nearby. You will need to remember to bring the balls inside during bad weather.

People Also Ask

Do slatwall garage organization systems offer sports ball storage? Proslat's Extra Large Mesh Basket is actually a better ball storage solution than their dedicated sports basket. The Gladiator Mesh Sports Ball basket is an excellent sports ball wall basket.  The Gladiator has both top and front ball unloading, a great size and high quality materials. Check it out here.