I've never used freedom rail but have used Elfa extensively-
What's great about it is you just have the top track installed and you can freely switch out shelves however you need. The container store will even swap out and recut pieces for you YEARS after you purchase, and will design ( and re-design) for free. It's so strong, you can do pull-ups on the closet rods. Seriously.

You can go with basic metal, or fancy it up with wood accents ( although these pieces come in more standardized 2ft lengths).

I also like that you can easily re-use pieces in other projects- I turned what used to be CD shelving into a desk space, added kitchen baskets wherever I needed wanted, tried out a few things and easily returned what I didn't use. It's truly modular:)

Good luck!

I have freedomRail in all of my closets and I love it. I use my guest room closet when I swap my winter and summer clothes and I can adjust the shelves easily to accomodate my sweaters and boots. I also use the freedomRail in my garage. There is an over the door system which I use in my very small kitchen for extra storage. It is truley a great system.

I've used freedomRail in my pantry and closet and absolutely LOVE IT! I've switched shelves and o-boxes around and out as needed depending on the season. For example I move my shelves apart a bit more in the winter to accommodate my thicker sweaters and in the summer I stack them closer together for my tanks and shorts. It is so easy to adjust!! I especially love the o-box cubby, I use it in my closet for my shoes and as a wine holder in my pantry. When I was looking at closet systems I needed something I could take with me (I rent right now) and freedomRail was so strong and durable, so that's why I went with that one. I have had the freedomRail system for about 3 years now, in 2 different apartments and I have no complaints, it is so strong and it has adjusted to both my closets!

We just installed Elfa on Saturday. Bought it at ContainerStore. I am not a person who can visualize things very well, but my husband had the foresight to measure each wall of the closet, ceiling height, and little niches/cable box cutout etc before we went. They have a 3D design program that really helped me see what the end result would be. We really love the end product, and the versatility it allows for changes as we grow or want to do things differently. The product is solid. The installers were great. They just had 30% off sale too, not sure if it's still going on..

Thank you all. Does anybody notice any out-gassing smell from the drawers and organizational boxes for either product?

Not at all from freedomRail, I couldn't say about Elfa.

I have used FreedomRail commercially in our offices and quality control labs. Their versatility made it ideal for our office storage areas. They successfully hold a great deal of weight. The ventilated shelving works well for our lab sample bottles and makes it easy to keep our labs clean & organized.

We've used FreedomRail extensively in our closets, pantry, basement storage area and garage. I love it - it allows me to change the shelves to accommodate larger boxes, move closet rods as my children grow and allows air flow to the items in my pantry. The garage system is fantastic - tennis gear stays put, and my gardening tools are in an easy, lift-off basket that I take into the yard with me. Never noticed any smells from FreedomRail as noted by previous commenter.

Freedom Rail is an elfa knock off. It works exactly the same as elfa with everything mounted on a high rail. In fact the company used to be a contract manufacturer and make product for elfa. Its wood shelves are not nearly as nice, however. And its drawer units are small and come in very limited sizes. Elfa is more customizable and they can actually cut and customize the product for you at the local store. elfa has a lot of components available that are not mounted to the rails as well, adding to the customization potential for small or odd-sized spaces. Freedom Rail is a high quality product compared to big box stores stuff, but elfa offers more utility in my view. I think Freedom Rail is much cheaper though if you're on a budget.

I did all my closets with Freedom Rail years ago. It was the only system available locally at the time. There was a closet consultant in my local organization store who helped me with the design for each of my closets. The components were customizable...all hanging rails and shelving cut to size. They finished the cut ends of the solid shelving too.

That said, the local organization store is no longer in business, probably because we now have a Container Store. Someone mentioned that Schulte (Freedom Rail mfr) used to make products for elfa...can anyone confirm if I can use the elfa brackets and accessories with the vertical rails I already have from Freedom Rail? I've just renovated my master suite and need some additional components for my new, larger closet. I can order FR components online but would prefer buying locally to save on shipping costs.

Please contact me at customerservice@organizedliving.com and I will get you the parts and pieces you need and I will pay for your shipping.

I have done 3 closets with Elfa, but I think I will use FreedomRail for the master closet in my new home. The consultation I had at Elfa was less than useless -- I could have done it better myself. The closet I designed on Organizeit using FreedomRail is "driftwood" and costs 1/3 of what I was quoted at Elfa for "decor" shelving -- which is a honeycomb material with a wood veneer. $3000 vs $1000 is hard to argue with. At Elfa, this included four shallow wire baskets with roll-out brackets (no wood edging) for $200, if I use FreedomRai I can pay $360 for four wooden drawers with full-extension glides that mount on the brackets -- much more attractive.

We love to hear that! Were you able to get all of the parts that you need?

We have Elfa. In my experience, they are exactly the same as every similar system. Going with whatever is cheapest for my next closet. Pretty sure they are all manufactured the same.

My suggestion would be to find out if either one is green guard certified--formaldehyde is not our friend in the home!!