I have been using various brands of wire shelving systems for a couple of years now. For general use, I have had the best experiences with whatever 500 pounds-per shelf units are sold at Bed Bath and Beyond stores. Recently I needed something taller, wider, and deeper, and so I ordered a couple of Seville Classics systems from Amazon.
These free standing shelving units are 6-feet tall, 4-feet wide, and 18-inches deep. The posts and shelves are made from chrome steel, and it comes with leveling feet.
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Why wire shelving? Quite simply, because it allows for easy (tool-free) assembly, adjustability, and expandability.
Pros:
- 600 lbs/shelf weight rating
- thick plastic brackets
- great quality
- strong and stable
Cons:
- No 5-shelf option at this size
I have the three of these shelving systems setup in my off-site storage units and have been completely satisfied with them. I recently purchased three slightly smaller units from another brand (6′ x 3′ x 16″), and there is a huge difference in quality.
Although the Seville Classics wire shelving is not as strong as industrial-grade products, it costs a fraction of the price. If you need more than 600 lbs/shelf capacity, or will be focusing much of that weight on a small area of the shelf, then you should expect to spend big bucks for a heavier duty system. These Seville units do cost more than other consumer and same-class commercial models, but the different in quality is quite apparent to me.
Seville Classics also makes a number of smaller shelving units with different configurations, and I assume that material and build quality is going to be just as good.
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On one hand I wish this was a 5-shelf unit, but not enough to buy a 5-shelf unit of lesser quality. Additional shelves are available from industrial suppliers, but with how much heavy-duty add-on shelves go for, it would be more economical to simply combine multiple complete systems.
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Bottom-line, for about $100 you get a robust wire shelving system that’s better built than many of the less expensive models on the market. I’ve used free-standing wire shelving units from Bed Bath & Beyond, Home Depot, Target, and possibly Walmart, and these Seville Classics units are far better.
John Sullivan
The 5-shelf version, with leveling feet and rotating wheels, is available at Sam’s Club. I don’t see it on their website right now, but I’ve never had trouble finding them at any Sam’s Club that I’ve been to (which is admittedly just a dozen or so locations between Buffalo, NY and the central Gulf coast). I have three in my kitchen, two more in the home workshop, and half a dozen at work. They come with plastic sheets to bridge the wire shelving… I thought it would need replacement in a matter of months but it’s still holding up after several years.
[I should mention that I’m really NOT a shill for Sam’s Club nor Seville… but it might seem that way as I also wrote about the Seville workbenches a few days ago.]
Stuart
I haven’t had a Sam’s Club membership in a couple of years but might eventually head over if I ever need to stock up on Seville Classics storage products.
I’ve debated whether I should get smooth or cushion liners, but I haven’t really found myself needing them. If I need a flat surface, I usually pull up a spare shelf or similar.
We have one in the kitchen and could really use a plastic bridge or liner there. I’ve compensated by using large bins as pull-out drawers.
Tonya Lillie
Your review would be more valuable if you could be specific as to what you thought was better quality about this shelf vs other brands. I have quite a few similar shelves I purchased from Target for less than $50 and they work pretty well. But they definitely have their flaws. One of the 8 shelves I purchased had some subtle quality control issues that made it impossible to assemble and I had to return it. I couldn’t figure out why the little plastic sleeves that are supposed to hold the shelves kept breaking when I was tapping the shelves into place. I finally realized there were some pretty significant metal burs inside the tubes that were cracking the plastic. Could you please give more details about what makes this shelf better than others? Are the plastic tubes that hold the shelves in place is somehow better, stronger material?
Stuart
It’s hard to say for sure since my recommendation is based off of historical experience rather than side-by-side comparison.
Comparing it to spare parts I have laying around, the plastic sleeves are thicker and more rigid. They don’t slide, making installation quite a bit quicker.
Flimsier shelving units take long to install because the plastic ridges slip from the evenly spaced post grooves. That is also why cheaper units are rated at 350 lbs per shelf – or less.
My smaller units from Target work perfectly well and were a cinch to install. I have a large unit from Lowes that was as easy to install as the Seville and is holding up quite well.
As you mentioned, the plastic sleeves included with some of the cheaper units break a lot more easily. I assembled, broke down, and reassembled some of my Bed Bath & Beyond shelving units half a dozen times now and the shelves still fit securely on the their plastic sleeves.
My intent is not necessarily to discourage anyone from buying less expensive shelving units, but to convey that these are pricey in comparison but you get your money’s worth for it.
With wire shelving there’s a point of diminishing returns, where a single shelf might cost more that an entire 4- or 5-drawer setup. For home and shop use, I think $100-120 is about the upper limit of what I’d personally use.
It’s not just better quality plastic sleeves. The posts attach to each other with long and deeper threads. With less expensive units there’s a bit of slop and wobble when putting the posts together. And then the shelves have different tolerances, where one corner will slide further down on the plastic sleeves than the others. I’ve also experienced crooked and bent shelves, missing parts, poorly fitting parts, shallow or poorly cut grooves, flaking paint/powder coat/chrome, and so forth.
My experience with the Seville Classics shelving has been quite good. I mentioned about how I feel it’s better than less expensive units as a justification of its price.