A tool cupboard is doing two jobs at once: it has to hold weight, and it has to control who gets at what is inside. Get either wrong and it stops being storage and starts being a problem — a cupboard that sags under a load of hand tools, or one that everybody has a key to. This page covers the lockable workshop tool cupboards we stock, what separates the two Bott ranges, and how to specify one that suits the way your shop floor actually works.
Bott Cubio or Bott Verso — the first decision
Cubio is the heavy-duty modular system. The reinforced steel housing carries up to 1.5 tonnes total capacity, the doors are lined with perfo panels so the inside of the door becomes tool-hanging space, and the whole range shares a footprint with Cubio drawer cabinets and benches so you can extend a workshop layout later without re-specifying. Standard tall cupboards run 1050 x 650 x 2000 mm and 1300 x 650 x 2000 mm, and kitted versions arrive with the shelves and full-extension drawers already fitted.
Verso is the lighter, more cost-effective range for the same job. Fully welded steel housing, stiffened double doors opening to 180°, 3-point locking, and adjustable galvanised shelves rated 75 kg UDL each. If the cupboard is holding hand tools, consumables and parts rather than heavy fixtures and dies, Verso is usually the right answer.
A useful rule of thumb: specify Cubio when the cupboard has to carry serious weight or has to sit in a modular bench run; specify Verso when the priority is secure, organised storage at a sensible price. Both ranges are covered in more depth on our Bott Cubio and Bott Verso pages.
Doors: hinged, perfo-lined or roller shutter
Door choice is an aisle-width decision as much as a security one.
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Hinged doors give the widest opening and the cheapest build. They need swing clearance — on a 1050 mm cupboard that is roughly half a metre of aisle in front of each door.
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Perfo-lined hinged doors are the same door with perforated panels on the inside face, so hooks and holders turn the door into usable tool storage. This is the standard Cubio cupboard door and the reason a Cubio cupboard holds more than its shelf area suggests. See perfo panel systems for the hook and holder kits.
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Roller shutter doors lift vertically, so the cupboard needs no swing clearance at all. In a narrow aisle or against a bench run this is often the only workable option. We list these separately under roller shutter cupboards.
Inside: shelves, drawers, bins — or all three
Shelves suit boxed and bagged stock. Drawers suit hand tools, because a drawer shows you everything at once and a deep shelf hides two-thirds of what is on it. Bins suit fasteners and small components.
Most workshops end up with a mix, which is why the kitted cupboards exist. The Cubio kitted cupboards combine perfo doors, shelves and full-extension drawers in one 2000 mm-tall unit. On the Verso side, the bin cupboards come pre-configured: the 1050 x 350 x 2000 mm unit carries 10 adjustable shelves and a 66-piece bin kit in a shallow, wall-mountable depth, while the 1050 x 550 x 2000 mm unit trades shelf levels for larger bins with a 21-bin kit. BottBox versions are also available. If small-parts organisation is the main driver, start at bin cupboards; if it is drawer capacity, start at drawer cabinets.
Specialist cupboards in the range
Several units in this collection are shaped around a specific task rather than general tool storage:
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Computer cupboards — welded steel housing with monitor housing and lockable keyboard tray options, for putting a PC on the shop floor without putting it at risk.
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Lectern cupboards — a sloping writing top over a lockable cupboard section and a drawer, for job cards, method statements and shift paperwork. Listed under lectern cupboards.
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Hazardous substance cupboards — welded steel finished in high-visibility RAL 1023 yellow for separated chemical storage. If COSHH storage is the actual requirement rather than a nice-to-have, work from hazardous storage instead, where the cabinets carry proper sumps and compliant labelling.
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Mobile workstands with cupboard or drawer — a compact 700 x 600 mm bench with 30 mm worktop options and industrial castors, for maintenance work that moves to the machine.
How to specify a tool cupboard
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Weigh the contents, honestly. Hand tools and consumables sit comfortably inside Verso's 75 kg per-shelf figure. Fixtures, dies, castings and cable drums do not — that is a Cubio job.
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Measure the aisle, not just the wall. If you cannot give a hinged door its swing, specify a roller shutter now rather than discovering it on delivery day.
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Decide the internal split before you order. Retro-fitting drawers into a shelved cupboard is possible but rarely as clean as ordering it kitted.
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Settle the key policy. One cupboard with one key is simple. Ten cupboards with ten keys is a lost afternoon every week — ask about master keying at order stage, when it is cheapest.
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Check the delivery route. A 2000 mm tall welded cupboard is a two-person lift at best and will not corner in a tight stairwell.
For the wider workshop picture, see workshop storage and the full Bott range. Our buying guides on tool cabinets and tool storage and steel cupboards versus lockers go into the decisions above in more depth.
Not sure what the load figures on the spec sheets mean? Our guide to UDL meaning, SWL and load ratings explains how to read them before you specify.
Tool cupboard FAQs
What is a tool cupboard?
A tool cupboard is a lockable steel cupboard for workshop tools, consumables and parts. It has to carry the weight of what goes in it and control who can get at the contents, which is why door type, shelf rating and locking matter as much as size.
What is the difference between Bott Cubio and Bott Verso tool cupboards?
Cubio is the heavy-duty modular system, with a reinforced steel housing rated up to 1.5 tonnes total capacity and perfo-lined doors that turn the inside of the door into tool-hanging space. Verso is the lighter, more cost-effective range, with a fully welded steel housing, stiffened double doors opening to 180 degrees, 3-point locking and adjustable galvanised shelves rated 75 kg UDL each.
What sizes are the standard Cubio tall cupboards?
Standard tall Cubio cupboards are 1050 x 650 x 2000 mm and 1300 x 650 x 2000 mm. Kitted versions arrive with the shelves and full-extension drawers already fitted.
Which tool cupboard door type should I choose?
Hinged doors give the widest opening but need swing clearance, roughly half a metre of aisle in front of each door on a 1050 mm cupboard. Perfo-lined doors add hanging space on the inside face. Roller shutter doors lift vertically and need no swing clearance, so they suit narrow aisles and bench runs.
How much weight can a tool cupboard hold?
It depends on the range. Verso adjustable shelves are rated 75 kg UDL each, which suits hand tools, consumables and parts. Cubio is rated up to 1.5 tonnes total capacity, which suits heavier fixtures, dies and similar loads. Weigh the contents honestly before you choose.
Do you have tool cupboards for small parts?
Yes. The Verso bin cupboards are pre-configured: the 1050 x 350 x 2000 mm unit has 10 adjustable shelves and a 66-piece bin kit in a shallow, wall-mountable depth, and the 1050 x 550 x 2000 mm unit has a 21-bin kit. BottBox versions are also available.
Can I store chemicals in a tool cupboard?
Only if it is built for it. The Verso hazardous substance cupboard in this collection is welded steel in RAL 1023 yellow for separated chemical storage. If COSHH storage is the real requirement, work from our hazardous storage collection, where the cabinets are designed for it.
Can I get master keying across several cupboards?
Ask at order stage, when it is cheapest to sort out. Ten cupboards with ten different keys is a time sink, so decide your key policy before you order.
Planning a tool wall, cupboards and benches together? Read our workshop storage ideas guide for layouts and published load ratings.
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