12 of the Best Vinyl Record Storage Ideas

From Cabinets, Racks, Wall Frames, Shelves or Crates, Keep Your Collection Protected with these Vinyl Record Storage Ideas

Hey, you who is standing above a massive pile of records spread out before you like a psychopath. What are you doing with your life? You just spent like half of your paycheck on a bunch of reissues that you would be stupid not to buy.

Some people might judge you for spending this cash, but don’t worry — we don’t! We would’ve done the same thing! Hell, we probably would’ve spent the entire paycheck. But what we do judge you for is how you’ve now got these beautiful records just flopped down on the floor, a slow moving blob of physical media that’s ready to swallow you into the abyss (or, rather, an abyss where you have to buy replacement copies because your dumb decisions and laziness on how to store vinyl records just ruined your third copy of Nevermind). Anyway, yes, you! You with the sprawling collection! Listen to us, and learn how to properly take care of your vinyl record collection.

Because believe it or not, vinyl record storage can be one of the most fun parts of collecting records. It’s an opportunity to physically express your taste, beyond what’s on the turntable. Setting up the right kind of vibe in a listening room will not only help keep your records in good shape for the long haul, but you’ll actually create a better listening experience with the music itself. We’ve created this helpful list so you can hopefully find what type of stylish vinyl record storage solutions work for you.

1. IKEA Kallax Storage Unit, a.k.a The Ol’ Faithful

You know what they say: If it ain’t broke, don’t change the way you do things and keep doing them the way that you do them. (Right?) Anyway, you’ve probably seen this shelving unit upwards of five million times in your life, but you can’t remember seeing it, because it’s so innocuous that you don’t even realize what you’re looking at.

Aside from the extremely generous price point (and unlike other IKEA furniture, this stuff lasts and you can probably find a used one on Craigslist for even cheaper than an already affordable new one), the IKEA Kallax Storage Unit is sturdy and secure. The little cubbies are the exact dimensions for records, and break up your collection to make sure you’re not stuffing it too much. For vinyl record storage, you can’t go wrong with the IKEA Kallax Storage Unit.

Price Range: $69 to $365
Purchase Online: via IKEA.com

2. Find A Cool Vintage Credenza on Craigslist or Whatever You Use To Find Local Furniture

This requires a bit of work but the payoff is worth it, because there’s nothing quite like discovering your own treasure. Whether it’s some estate sale at which you found a beautiful mid-century credenza from a sophisticated old English professor or in the apartment of some hipster down the street whose taste you both despise and admire, you can’t really go wrong. A good, solid credenza will last forever — not to mention it’ll immediately spruce up any room. Classy people like credenzas. It’s just one of those things about life.

Price Range: TBD

3. Or If You Can’t Find Vintage But Want Affordable, Get an Ema Low Credenza

This is the perfect credenza for beginner vinyl storage. It’s the optimal width for your turntable to sit on top with a nice sized cubby below for storage. Plus, if you hit a point where your collection exceeds the amount of storage space below the record player, this easily becomes your heavy rotation storage center. We know, we know. Urban Outfitters. But sometimes you’ve gotta enter the belly of the beast in order to find what suits you. This ideal vinyl record storage for a small apartment or bedroom. A great foundational rock upon which to build your vision. (If you don’t like the Ema Low Credenza, surf around Etsy’s credenza section. You’ll find something you love.)

Price Range: $199
Purchase Online: via Urban Outfitters

More Vinyl Record Furniture Ideas

4. Show Off That Beautiful Album Art With Umbra 12×12 Album Frames

This kind of vinyl storage solution isn’t really about practicality. In fact, we were hesitant to put it on this list because it’s not really actually defined as “storage.” This is about aesthetics. Once you get those babies hung on the wall, it really does transform your listening room into the sanctuary it deserves to be. Plus, you can rotate various art in and out, so your wall is an evolving ecosystem of your taste and a nice reminder of why album art matters. You’ll quickly be surprised by the amount of incredible artwork you’ve had sitting on your shelves this entire time. Take that, Picasso! (Important note: Do NOT hang the albums with the LPs inside of them. This will create an opportunity for warping and who knows what else. Instead, store the vinyl records themselves in separate sleeves, and hang the album art in the frames.)

Price Range: $20
Purchase Online: via Umbra.com

More Vinyl Record Wall Frame Product Ideas

5. Get Some Dovetail Record Crates for Heavy and Stylish Protection

On first glance, the Dovetail Record Crates might seem a little expensive for what they seem to be. Which, we get. A couple hundred bucks for something that looks like it was found in a barnyard? Come on now! But we promise that the investment is worth it. These handcrafted vinyl storage crates store up to 100 records each (a massive amount for their size). Moreover, they’re super portable, so if you’re on the go with your collection you’ll be ready, or just easily moved around your listening station itself. They look great, too. Buy this crate once and forget about it forever.

Price Range: $199
Purchase Online: via Symbol Audio

More Vinyl Record Storage Crate Product Ideas

6. Be Low-key Cool With The Corner Store Vinyl Storage Rack

Don’t want your record collection to be the center of the room’s attention? No problem. Enter the Corner Store Vinyl Storage Rack from Urban Outfitters, although you can probably find vintage versions of the same thing at your local thrift store. This is an excellent approach for the kind of music fan who’s not really approaching the challenge of storing like 10,000 records in alphabetical order. Is your vibe cool and lowkey? You couldn’t find a better match than the Corner Store Vinyl Storage Rack. However, if you do go this route, an important thing to remember is that, because the vinyl records will be stored at an angle, do not overload them. This will create unnecessary weight and will eventually warp the vinyl.

Price Range: $99
Purchase Online: via Urban Outfitters

More Metal Vinyl Storage Rack Product Ideas

7. Do a Little DIY With UBD Floating Shelves

Using floating shelves for vinyl record storage might seem a little intimidating, but that’s part of the illusion. This is no different than hanging any other sort of shelves on your walls (you’ll need a level, some screws, and a drill), but the floating nature makes them seem extremely impressive. Plus, it’s another fun way to show off your vinyl art. There’s nothing quite like seeing a row of records sit together pristinely against the wall, as if they’re floating down from Jesus Christ’s sound system up in heaven. These UBD Floating Shelves hold up to 120 albums per shelf, so you can choose how many your collection might need. It’s a great way to get the vinyl elevated off the ground, greatly expanding the energy of the room and, in turn, the listening experience. If our selection doesn’t float your boat (heh), do a little searching and find what works for you. (These are the best, though, trust us. We’ve done a lot of searching.)

Price Range: $175
Purchase Online: via TeeBooks.net

More Vinyl Record Floating Shelf Product Ideas

8. Repurpose a Vintage Magazine Holder

There are thousands of these out there on the internet (or maybe one in a relative’s basement), and since you don’t read anything in print anymore, what better way to reuse something than to use a magazine holder for vinyl record storage? Granted, this is small, and will only work for your heavy rotation section, but it’s still nice and aesthetically pleasing. However, be careful you don’t overflow the magazine holder, because you’ll quickly start warping your records into a sad existence. And nobody wants a sad existence.

Price Range: $30
Purchase Online: via Etsy.com

9. Choose Your Own Adventure With BrickBox

You can have a lot of fun with BrickBox for vinyl record storage. If the name kind of reminds you of playing with Legos as a child, that makes sense, because this is kind of like playing with Legos as an adult. You truly can go whatever direction you want, and BrickBox provides a great opportunity to really play around with what you want your setup to look like. Want to feel like you’ve just walked into a Swedish coffee shop? Easy. Or maybe, how about creating a wall that not only fits your vinyl collection, but your extensive library of books? Done. The versatile nature can allow you to retain a bit of consistency in look while providing the space you need from a practical perspective. Things can get pricey if you’re not careful, but you’ll only need to buy it once.

Price Range: TBD
Purchase Online: via BrickBox

10. Use KAIU Vinyl Record Storage Holder to Embrace Minimalism

This, right here, is one of our favorite vinyl storage solutions. Simple and elegant, it’s the ideal storage for flipping through your most prized albums. As a bonus, it doesn’t take up much space, either. This can sit on a coffee table as a focal point of the room, or chill out quietly in the corner on a flat surface. The clear (and shatterproof) acrylic sides also allow the album art to be shown off, and it’s just one of those things that works. The perfect collision of good design and intuitive thinking. We don’t have anything snarky to say about it, honestly! Can’t recommend it enough.

Price Range: $25-35
Purchase Online: via Amazon.com

Buy KAIU Vinyl Record Storage Holder

11. Maximize Your Space With the Crosley Manchester Entertainment Stand

Yeah, yeah, it’s made by Crosley. Don’t worry, we’re not morons. Don’t buy Crosley turntables unless you want your records to sound like a bunch of 7-year-olds crunching leaves in October. But! They make solid and affordable furniture for vinyl record storage. Take the Manchester Entertainment Stand. It’s simple, but that’s the beauty of it. You don’t really need to worry about getting too complicated here. It will fit nice and snugly in an apartment where you’re looking to get maximum use out of the space. Don’t overthink it.

Price Range: $89
Purchase Online: via Amazon

Buy Crosley Manchester Entertainment Stand

12. Get Fancy AF With Atocha Design Record Cabinets

If money isn’t an obstacle, we recommend you ball out and get yourself the Atocha Design Record Cabinets for the ultimate stylish and luxury record storage. These handcrafted cabinets are truly incredible and, honestly, they look so good that they’ll make the music sound better. Plus, they will act as a beautiful anchor for the room — a vibe you’ll no doubt get compliments on — while providing a very practical way of storing and protecting your collection. Your collection is stored in a way that protects it from heat, sunlight, and moisture. The best kind of flexes are the ones that don’t require anything to be said. This, our friends, is that kind of flex.

Price Range: $5900 and up
Purchase Online: via Atocha

What’s Your Vote for the Best Vinyl Record Storage Ideas?

Ideas for safely storing your prized vinyl collection are pretty much limitless. If you have some favorite vinyl storage cabinets, racks, boxes, or whatever else that you’d like to share, drop us a comment below.