Choosing CD Racks

CD Racks range from almost being cardboard throw-away items to designer racks that cost big money. With the introduction of mp3’s and their instant downloadability and electronic storage some people question whether CD racks are even necessary. Well… I’m a purest and I still think that a downloaded mp3 can never sound as good as a CD. There are even people that would say that a CD can’t sound as good as a vinyl record, but the argument can go on. For me though, CD’s are here to stay and I’m sure I’m not the only one.

The problem about buying a CD rack is that you know eventually that you are going to need more room. So what do you do? Do you buy a massive designer CD storage rack that is 90% empty and takes 5 years to fill it up, or, do you go for a generic style of CD rack that you can add to as time goes on? To a certain degree you budget and the room you want to keep your CD’s in will determine the sort of rack you will buy. If you live at home or a small room that you rent a smaller rack may be all you need. If you’re in a home that you intend to stay at thought you may look for a more unique solution.

CD storage systems come in various guises, for instance you can get wall mounted CD racks, floor standing CD racks, coffee tables that store CD’s, media storage systems that keep all of the CD’s neatly stored in drawers the list goes on, but it’s fair to say if you can think of it and you have the money you can probably buy one. As well as being available in different formats they also available in almost unlimited materials and finishes. You can get metal, plastic, real wood, laminated wood and even glass. The sort you choose will be driven by your preference and the style of your interior.

1. I like to have my CD on show, but what I don’t like about it is that they are dust magnets. It used to drive me nuts cleaning in between the shelves. That’s when I found that you could get contemporary looking CD cabinets with glass doors! Brilliant, two birds with one stone – no dust and I get to see my CD’s. Of course if you don’t want the clutter of seeing all of your CD you could go for a solid door. I don’t really like this solution as you have to open the doors to pick a CD.
2. Another feature I like to look for when choosing a CD rack is for it to have adjustable shelves. As well as owning a fair number of CD’s, I also own a lot of DVD, if I can store DVD’s as well as CD’s in a CD DVD rack then all the better. Than means one less piece of furniture to clutter up the living room, and less money for me to spend. Great.
3. I don’t have the money to spend a fortune on a CD rack, so designer option is out of the question. I prefer to get a single CD rack that looks good on it’s own but also looks good in multiples. IKEA do a great wooden CD rack that fits this purpose excellently.
4. If you are tight on space where you live, then try to go for the tallest option possible, that way you have the smallest amount of floor space used with the maximum amount of CD’s stored. I should just point out here that you will need to fasten it to the wall - a narrow footprint doesn’t give you the best stability. Again if you are short on space, you could also go for a wall mounted CD rack but make sure it is fixed to the wall correctly – only a few CD’s can weigh a staggering amount.