Metal file cabinets are the standard if you're looking for a sturdy piece of furniture to keep your or your business's important files. If you're looking for a long term solution, your only real choices are between metal and wood. Wood file cabinets tend to be more expensive than metal ones, and they are more difficult to find as well. A steel model will do nicely for any of your needs, and they will not do much damage to your budget either.
The normal styles of metal file cabinets are moderately heavy for a bit of protection and have locks on the drawers to keep prying eyes away. However, there are more durable styles that can resist against moderate impacts as well as fire. These are more expensive, but if you are worried about your important documents then it might be better to put a little extra money towards a high quality model. The heavier, more durable units usually can not be found at your average office supply store as they are a bit of a niche item. Stores geared towards industrial supplies are more likely to have them, and there are hundreds of websites offering heavy duty filing cabinets.
Between standard and heavy duty models, there are those that are slightly thicker than normal, but not so thick and heavy as to be immovable. This gives them a little bit of extra security, which is never a bad thing. These are more difficult to find than the regular styles, but they are worth it if you are truly worried about your files.
There are also metal file cabinets that portable. Portable filing cabinets are very handy if you need to move your files from one area of the office to the other relatively often. They are made mobile by wheels on the bottom, usually with full 360 degree spinning to make them easier to manuever. Just because they are portable doesn't mean they are any less durable than other filing cabinets. They are just as sturdy, and sometimes just as heavy, as others.
There is such a huge range available to choose from that it all depends on what your office needs. They all do the same basic functions, but small, sometimes unnoticable features can make all of the difference in both quality and price.
Metal file cabinets are the most common type that can be seen in office settings today because of their reliable durability and functionality. Nothing can replace a good file cabinet, and a metal one is sure to be useful from the very day you purchase it until the day you no longer need it anymore. A business is not much of a business without at least one filing cabinet in the office.