On a busy day in a shared-desk office, people arrive with laptop bags, lunch boxes and folders of client work, and the desk they booked has no drawers. A mobile caddy fixes that. It is a wide storage unit on castors that holds one person's things and rolls to whichever desk they use that day.
This guide explains what a caddy holds, how it compares with a mobile pedestal or a locker, which locks and sizes are on offer, and how many to plan. Browse caddies and under-desk drawers in our pedestals and drawer units range.
What a mobile caddy is and what it holds
A caddy is roughly a mobile pedestal and a small cupboard joined side by side. The Go Steel Mobile Caddy - New Version 2022 ($596) pairs two personal drawers and one filing drawer with a tambour cupboard section that has an adjustable shelf. The filing drawer takes foolscap files front to back and A4 files side to side. The whole unit is fully lockable, with a key supplied.
It measures 615mm high, 1050mm wide and 500mm deep, and rolls on heavy duty hard floor castors with a fifth wheel for extra support. Choose the tambour door on the left or right, in black or white. Its page suggests it for users with a permanent workstation as well as offices that need hot desk storage.
The Steelco Trimline Mobile Caddy (from $719) is the same 615mm x 1050mm x 500mm size, with two box drawers, one suspension file drawer and a pencil tray. The side storage comes with or without a tambour door, and the drawers and door have barrel exchange locks. Lockable castors hold it in place, and a fifth castor wheel adds anti-tilt stability. It works as under desk storage or as an extended workspace storage unit.
Bookshelf sides and seat cushions
Not every caddy has a cupboard. The Axis Storage Caddy - 1 x Bookshelf, 1 x Mobile ($586) combines one bookshelf with one mobile in a single piece. The open side suits books, binders and reference files that people reach for all day. Its page suggests it for open-plan offices, team areas and home offices.
A cushion on top turns a caddy into a perch for quick desk-side conversations. The Seat Cushion To Suit Mobile Caddy Unit - 460mm W x 460mm D x 40mm H ($136) is an upholstered pad. Its page gives a total height of 610mm with the cushion in place. Measure the top of your caddy against the 460mm square pad. The Go Steel page also notes that a seat pad is available as an extra, sold separately.
Mobile caddy vs mobile pedestal vs locker
A mobile pedestal is the narrower option that tucks under a single desk. The Steelco 3 Drawer Classic Mobile Pedestal ($289) is 630mm high, 470mm wide and 515mm deep, with two box drawers and one file drawer. It has barrel exchange locks, with the option of digital locks, plus lockable front castors and a fifth castor wheel for anti-tilt stability.
A locker suits people who carry their laptop home and only need a safe spot for a bag. The Steelco Mini Locker ($140) is 720mm high, 350mm wide and 460mm deep, with a key lock, two adjustable shelves with a 20kg shelf capacity and a pre-cut cable hole. Pre-drilled holes let you fix it to the wall. Compare larger banks in our office lockers range.
| Product | Type | Size (H x W x D) | Drawers or doors | Lock | Castors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Go Steel Mobile Caddy | Caddy | 615 x 1050 x 500mm | 2 personal drawers, 1 filing drawer, tambour cupboard | Fully lockable, key supplied | Hard floor castors plus a fifth wheel |
| Steelco Trimline Mobile Caddy | Caddy | 615 x 1050 x 500mm | 2 box drawers, 1 suspension file drawer, side storage | Barrel exchange locks | Lockable castors plus a fifth castor |
| Axis Storage Caddy - 1 x Bookshelf, 1 x Mobile | Caddy with bookshelf | Not stated | 1 bookshelf, 1 mobile | Not stated | Not stated |
| Steelco 3 Drawer Classic Mobile Pedestal | Mobile pedestal | 630 x 470 x 515mm | 2 box drawers, 1 file drawer | Barrel exchange, digital option | Lockable front castors plus a fifth castor |
| Steelco Mini Locker | Personal locker | 720 x 350 x 460mm | 1 door, 2 adjustable shelves | Key lock | None listed; wall mountable |
For a closer look at under-desk drawers, read our guide to choosing mobile pedestals that fit.
Where a mobile caddy suits, and how many to plan
Caddies earn their place in three spots. In a hot-desking office, each person keeps their own caddy and wheels it to the desk they book. In collaboration zones, a caddy doubles as a side table or a seat. Beside a fixed workstation, it adds a cupboard and a second work surface.
Plan one caddy or locker for every person who keeps things in the office, not one per desk. Leave a parking area for caddies near the entry, so they stay out of walkways when nobody is using them. People who only need a bag spot can share a bank of lockers instead.
Caddies in Australian shared-desk offices
Many Australian offices run shared desks for hybrid teams, with people in on different days, so one desk may serve several people across a week. Shared-desk offices often ask staff to clear their desks at the end of each day. A lockable caddy or locker gives everyone somewhere to put things before they leave.
Deliveries go to the ground-floor entrance. The Steelco caddy, pedestal and locker arrive pre-assembled, and the caddy weighs 40kg, so plan who will move it upstairs. All six product pages list delivery to metro Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth and Adelaide.
Both Steelco drawer units are AFRDI approved. AFRDI, the Australasian Furnishing Research and Development Institute, is an independent body that tests and certifies furniture for Australia and New Zealand.
Mobile caddy — frequently asked questions
What is a mobile caddy in an office?
A mobile caddy is a wide storage unit on castors that combines drawers with a cupboard or bookshelf, so one person's things can roll to any desk. The Go Steel and Steelco Trimline caddies are both 615mm high, 1050mm wide and 500mm deep.
What is the difference between a caddy and a mobile pedestal?
A pedestal is a narrow stack of drawers that fits under one desk, while a caddy adds a cupboard or bookshelf beside the drawers. The Steelco Classic pedestal is 470mm wide, against 1050mm for the Steelco caddy.
Do mobile caddies lock?
The two steel caddies in this guide do. The Go Steel is fully lockable with a key supplied, and the Steelco Trimline has barrel exchange locks on its drawers and tambour door, plus lockable castors.
Can you sit on a mobile caddy?
Yes, with a seat cushion made for it. The Seat Cushion To Suit Mobile Caddy Unit turns a caddy into an extra seat for quick desk-side conversations.
Shop the range
Every product in this guide is listed below in the order it appears. Our office storage collection has more cupboards, pedestals and caddies.
- Go Steel Mobile Caddy - New Version 2022 ($596): a fully lockable caddy with drawers and a tambour cupboard for hot desks
- Steelco Trimline Mobile Caddy (from $719): a lockable steel caddy with lockable castors that stays put beside a desk
- Axis Storage Caddy - 1 x Bookshelf, 1 x Mobile ($586): a caddy with an open bookshelf side for binders and reference files
- Seat Cushion To Suit Mobile Caddy Unit - 460mm W x 460mm D x 40mm H ($136): an upholstered pad that turns a caddy into a desk-side seat
- Steelco 3 Drawer Classic Mobile Pedestal ($289): a lockable three-drawer pedestal for people with their own desk
- Steelco Mini Locker ($140): a compact key-locked locker for staff who only need a bag spot
Metro delivery is a flat $75 per order, and prices include GST.
