‘My Invention is Going to Change the Billion-Dollar Hanger Industry:’ Wisconsin Man May Have Built The Best Hangers on Walmart

Sturdy household materials are hard to come by these days. It’s almost as if companies want to churn out as many products for consumption and replacement. Plastic hangers are notoriously low-cost, resulting in mandatory trips to Walmart for replacements every few months. But an improvement made by Angus Willows, the man behind Kangaroo Hanger, might change the game.

“I think my invention is going to change the billion-dollar hanger industry,” Angus said on TikTok. He said that a billion plastic hangers end up in the landfill every year. To be precise, estimates suggest that more than 30 billion plastic hangers make their way to landfills every year. Since they’re made of low-cost materials and engineered in a way that is prone to snapping, it’s no surprise that most of these laundry essentials become polluters.

Angus showed a prototype of his Kangaroo Hanger made from cardboard. He claims that the actual product is made of “100% recycled materials.” Instead of a standard, straight hanger, his invention has wings that can fold like a butterfly knife. It could easily fit pockets like a paperclip and be extended when it needs to be used.

A unique design

“It actually clips in your spaghetti straps so that they don’t end up on the floor of your closet,” he said. Angust tested the integrity of the hanger by waving it around with the spaghetti strap tank top hanging onto it. Kangaroo Hanger didn’t break, and the clothing on it didn’t drop after all the aggressive waving.

One of the Kangaroo Hanger’s major selling points is its wide notches. Usually, hangers would have narrow notches—these are meant to hold thin-strapped clothing in place. But because they are designed like ditches instead of hooks, there is a tendency for clothing to still slip from hangers. This issue is usually resolved with clothespins, which secure the clothes in place.

But Kangaroo Hanger virtually doesn’t require the use of a clothespin. Its wide, hook-like notches can secure leaner, strappy clothes in place. In fact, it can even secure belts.

Aside from its innovative design, Kangaroo Hanger is sturdy enough to hold more than one piece of clothing at once. “My brain just doesn’t work in the morning, and I can’t put an outfit together. And so, I designed it so you can clip in collared shirts, pants, and even entire outfits so you can outfit prep for the whole week.”

Sturdier than other hangers

Despite layering even a belt, the Kangaroo Hanger was not visibly bending. Having that many clothes on one hanger is usually enough to make the run-off-the-mill Walmart hanger bend and snap. Angus even showed that the hanger can be used to organize bags. Although this would entirely depend on what’s in the bag, the hanger is more than enough to hold up lighter bags—think of Trader Joe’s tote bags or standard backpacks.

To show how sturdy the newly innovated hangers are, Angus bent the Kangaroo Hanger out of shape. Although it was deformed for a few seconds, it didn’t break—this is literally the bendy ruler of hangers.

The best hanger from Walmart

One commenter on TikTok said of Kangaroo Hanger, “The reason some companies like Tupperware end up bankrupt is their product is too damn good.” With how sturdy the hangers are, everyone on TikTok who’s seen them wants one for themselves. Bankruptcy is hopefully not on the cards for the start-up.

Kangaroo Hangers are available for purchase at both Target and Walmart for $6.50 for a pack of five of the basic model. It’s pricier than the regular hanger, but it’s one that won’t need frequent replacements. The foldable model is priced at $10, which is available for pre-order on the Kangaroo Hanger website.

Because the design is unique and innovative, TikTok users expressed concerns that it will be replicated at a cheaper price. But thankfully, these unique Kangaroo Hangers are patented. There’s nothing quite like in the marketplace.

(featured images: Joshua Brown, Kangaroo Hanger, Erik Mclean)

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