RS Recommends: The Best Shelving for Your Vinyl Records
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Get your records off the floor, out of the closet, or off of that too-small bookshelf where they’ve been awkwardly sitting for years. These days, there are plenty of full-sized shelves available that can safely and securely hold your entire prized LP collection, giving you access alphabetically (or however you want to arrange them) to easily find the one you want to listen to, pick out, and drop it on the turntable.
You don’t have to be an extensive collector either. Even if you’re just a casual record enthusiast, or inherited a bunch from a friend or relative, you’ll still need somewhere to neatly store these records to properly take care of them in the long run. The best vinyl shelving keeps everything in one place and neatly stacked or organized.
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What Are the Best Vinyl Shelving Units?
When shopping for the best vinyl shelving online, consider what your future collection might look like a few years down the road. A small shelf may hold everything you own now, but if you’re continuing to collect or just getting started, go for one with way more space than you need currently. Record collecting is an endlessly fun hobby, whether it’s treasure-hunting at local thrift and music shops, flea markets, yard sales, or tracking down that rare, long-lost LP on eBay, and you’ll want to make sure you’ve got a shelf to comfortably hold it all without damage.
There are all sorts of of different sized shelving units out there, but we’ve narrowed it to our four favorite choices here. These ones are simple to set up, have a wide range of space and actual shelves (as opposed to say, record crates), and can also provide extra storage for anything else that will fit. These shelves are designed to fit a 12 x 12 album sleeve.
A bonus: if you find that you’re satisfied with the shelves, but eventually run out of room, purchasing a second one and simply sliding them together can look like one giant continuous unit, keeping a neat and tidy aesthetic, and instantly doubling your storage space.
1. KALLAX Shelf Unit
Strong, sturdy, and ready to hold a whole bunch of records, this shelf is an excellent option for any collector.
The cubes hold around 80 records each when really packed in tight, but with so many shelves, you’ll most likely be able to split them up. Each shelf can hold about 29 pounds of weight, so this can handle much more than just music. Users have stored clothes, big hardcover books, even board games in the additional shelves.
This can also be flipped on its side and used just as easily if you’ve got limited space to work with.
Amazon
2. Better Homes and Gardens Bookshelf
Strong, stocky and sturdy, this solid unit may only have four shelves, but for the casual collector that might be just right.
Aesthetically, it’s pretty basic, but looks much more professional than stacked crates or the connecting wired and plastic options out there. Each side is nicely thick and durable, and height-wise this can double as a nightstand too.
Amazon
3. ClosetMaid Storage Organizer
This six-cube unit is an ideal middle ground between the larger pieces on our list. The six shelves not only offer plenty of space for a pretty extensive amateur collection, they also give you a sizable flat surface up top, perfect for a turntable and speakers, or even a TV.
Assembly is easy, and can be put together in under an hour with all the tools included.
Amazon
4. Way Basics Vintage Vinyl Record Cube
For a light collection, or a small space, this shelf may be all you need.
This can be put together completely without tools, and is made from sustainable materials while still being lighter than typical particle board models.
It’s held together by adhesives, which can handle up to 30 pounds, and is perfect for someone with a small turntable and just a few records they listen to occasionally. But for heavier stacks of LPs, one of the other options that can handle more weight would be the safer choice.
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