How to Store Vinyl Records Properly: 10+ Best Practices
Ed Lansink
Last updated on: May 6, 2025
Storing vinyl records in the right way is essential to take care of your record collection and preserve them. Unlike many audio formats, vinyl is very sensitive and easily damaged if not looked after.
As a long-term record collector, I’ve been through all the dilemmas of storage. Having a large record collection is fun, but it also requires effort.
In this guide, I’ll show you how to store your vinyl records properly, why it’s important, and what to watch out for.
I’ll also show you a few important things to keep in mind when handling records, so you can enjoy them for longer.
Why do you need to be careful about storing records?
Vinyl records can sound great, but because they’re made of PVC, they’re not the most durable medium for music playback.
Most of the time, your vinyl records are kept stored until you play them next, so it’s worth making the effort to ensure the storage environment is optimal.
What happens if you don’t store records properly?
Scratches
If records aren’t stored properly in sleeves, they are vulnerable to getting scratched. This damages the quality of their grooves and, in severe cases, makes them unplayable. Scratches are practically impossible to repair and are the easiest way to render records useless.
Dust and dirt buildup
Records collect dust and dirt easily. They get static (which causes surface noise during playback), attract dust, are easy to mishandle, causing greasy fingerprints, and if they’re not stored correctly, they can attract dust even while in storage. Dust won’t completely ruin a record and can be cleaned off, but prevention is the best cure.
Warping
Vinyl records are thin and can easily bend out of shape when they’re exposed to heat or too much pressure. If vinyl is compressed for a long time, the shape eventually changes, which creates inconsistent playback or even skipping. Warped records are not easy to fix and, in some cases, are permanently damaged by warping.
Fading and foxing
Long-term exposure to sunlight will fade any printed elements of a record, including the album jacket and inner label. Foxing is also a common issue caused by UV exposure, which can cause brown spots or yellowing, like you sometimes see on old books.
Cracking
Records are thin and brittle, so they easily crack under pressure. Leaving records out of storage means they could be broken if stepped on. Vinyl can also crack if dropped.
Water damage and mold
Like any paper-based material, an album jacket and its inner (paper) sleeve are easily damaged due to water leaks or high humidity. Records themselves can grow mold under those conditions as well, in storage. It’s the ideal mix of humidity, darkness, and lack of ventilation that encourages mold growth.
10 Best practices on how to store vinyl records safely
These are my recommendations to protect vinyl records the right way.
Stick to these rules, and you’ll keep your collection in great shape.
1. Avoid high heat and high humidity levels
The most suitable temperature for keeping records safe from damage is between 59º and 77º F (15º-25º C). Any higher temperatures may increase the risk of warping. Always avoid keeping records close to any heat sources or extreme temperatures (like direct sunlight).
The best storage for vinyl is in a relatively dry environment. The ideal range is between 45 and 50% relative humidity if you have a climate-controlled environment. You can use a hygrometer to measure the humidity of a space.
2. Avoid excessive light
Records are also sensitive to light, particularly ultraviolet light, which can quickly cause damage to the sleeve.
3. Store records upright (vertically) – Never stack
Always ensure your records are stored vertically (upright) and leave enough space for the vinyl to “breathe” to avoid excessive pressure. They should be stored side by side, like books on a bookshelf. This keeps them free from pressure and lowers the risk of warping. It also makes it easier to find and pull out records.
Stacking records like pancakes increases the chance of warping. Records near the bottom of the stack are exposed to a large amount of uneven pressure, which will warp them out of shape.
4. Keep away from vibration
Strong vibrations can damage the structural integrity of vinyl. Speakers and subwoofers are ok, but keep your collection away from intense vibrational sources like washing or drying machines. Sturdy boxes can be used for isolation.
5. Avoid storing different-sized records together
Always store your vinyl records of the same size together. Don’t store 10 or 7-inch records in the same space as 12-inch. If there is a small amount of pressure, it will cause warping based on the pressure imbalances from the mismatched sizes.
6. Avoid too much lean or hard edges
If you store your records in batches leaning too much to one side or up against hard edges, over time, that can also cause warping. In fact, it’s common to come across second-hand double albums where both discs have the exact same warp because they’ve been stored this way.
7. Clean records before storage
You should remove dust and dirt before putting records in storage. This keeps them cleaner in the long run. I’ll show you a quick and easy way to clean records – but you can read a more detailed guide here → How to clean vinyl records.
8. Use storage sleeves
Keeping your vinyl collection in record sleeves is generally the best idea, although some are better than others. It depends on how far you want to go with it, but try to keep the vinyl in at least one layer of sleeving.
Plastic (polyethylene) inner sleeves (aka a polybag) are better than paper. A plastic sleeve prevents static electricity buildup and doesn’t shed paper microfibres. They are also more durable and less prone to tearing.
Warning: Avoid PVC sleeves. They’re thick sleeves, most commonly come across when buying used records, but can be a real nightmare. Records stored inside such sleeves can be affected by so-called “ghosting”, which is the technical term for plastic particles transferring from the sleeve onto the record. It causes permanent damage and can affect multiple neighboring records in storage.
9. Avoid ring wear on the outer sleeve
Ringwear is the phenomenon of a scuffed circle showing on a vinyl album cover. It’s caused by friction and pressure during storage, and can happen even if records aren’t tightly packed on a shelf.
Apart from avoiding tight packing, the best way to avoid ring wear is to use plastic outer sleeves.
10. Organize your records
If you’ve collected more than a few dozen records, it’s probably time to consider your options for keeping everything organized, so you can find a particular album when you want to give it a spin.
You can choose not to organize, of course, just keep picking “lucky draws”, but if you’re not the anarchy type, here’s a good place to start → 11 Ways of Organizing Your Vinyl Records.
How to handle records properly before you store them?
Handling records is just as important as storing them.
In this section, I’ll explain the best way to handle records to keep them clean and safe. The rules are quite straightforward
Avoid touching the record surface.
Remove them carefully from the sleeve. Don’t be forceful.
Slide the inner sleeve out of the outer sleeve.
Open the inner sleeve, and use your middle and ring fingers to hold the center label from underneath.
Secure the record in your hand with your thumb resting on the edge of the disc.
Careful pull from the inner sleeve
Place it on the turntable.
Clean records before and after playing them. A record cleaning brush will ensure they are dust-free when they go back into the inner sleeves.
There are many solutions for keeping your vinyl records safe. Whether you buy a premade unit that’s designed for record collections or you make your own, this next section shows you some of the best storage solutions.
IKEA Vinyl Record Storage
The IKEA Kallax shelf has become a bit of a classic unit amongst the vinyl community – this affordable storage unit range is great for vinyl storage.
These make quite sturdy units when loaded with records and make for a good surface to place a turntable on without wobbling.
The Kallax series shelves are modular, coming in several shapes and sizes that can be combined. These come in long or short variations and are easily stacked together.
You can comfortably fit around 50-60 records on each shelf, so the total unit has plenty of space for record storage.
You can also buy inserts that add doors to protect records from light if your home environment requires it.
Pros/cons of IKEA vinyl record storage
+ Relatively affordable
+ Easy to build
+ Good isolation
+ Modular – can expand
– Not solid wood so needs to be constructed with care and ideally fortified with brackets
– You’ll need to add a backstop yourself to avoid having records sit too deeply within the shelves.
Warning: Construct Kallax with longboards horizontally to avoid it collapsing under a heavy load of records. Make sure the unit is secure when full and won’t fall over. The best method is to anchor your shelf unit(s) to the wall using the provided screws and wall plugs.
Record crates
Record crates are another popular technique for storing a record collection. These are most commonly seen in record stores.
You can find record crates of all kinds of shapes and sizes. Some smaller, more portable ones are ideal for DJs. Other larger record crates are great for storage. You can purchase premade record crates online or even make your own fairly easily if you know how to work with wood.
Some generic crates can be repurposed to work for vinyl records. Things like old milk crates or wooden boxes for deliveries.
Overall, these are cheaper than IKEA and furniture-style storage. You’ll fit fewer records in a storage crate than in a cabinet, but it has the added bonus of transportability. If you have crates that stack, that’s even better.
Pros and cons of record crates
+ Portable, you can easily carry these elsewhere
+ You can buy hardier, reinforced ones which are suitable for professional DJs
+ Make your own: recycle old materials into a record crate
– Not much protection from dust and light
Upcycle a vintage cabinet
Upcycling is a great way to give an old piece of furniture a new lease on life. Recycling old or vintage cabinets is a great way to make a new record storage unit without breaking the bank.
You can find some decent cabinets and storage units in charity shops and second-hand warehouses. With a bit of cleaning and restoration, you can grab some cheap record storage furniture at a super low price.
If you’re experienced with woodwork, you can use wood to build or modify a custom cabinet. Using L-shaped brackets is a good way to reinforce weaker shelves.
How to store 45 vinyl records (7-inch singles)
45s or 7-inch records are a lot smaller than the standard 12-inch, so you’ll need a different solution for storing them.
Luckily, you can find many 7-inch custom cases that are designed for the format. These are a good way to store a small number of 45s. Some even have carry handles, which makes them great for DJs and transportation.
Alternatively, you can find smaller baskets to use as storage. Almost any basket can be used, provided it’s sturdy enough to support the weight without breaking. Fill a basket with 7-inch vinyl and store it on a sturdy shelf of your vinyl collection.
Remember: Don’t mix 12s and 7s, as the pressure offset can cause warping. Even keeping one record of the wrong size can damage the neighboring vinyl.
Long-term storage: archival boxes
Sometimes a record collection needs to go into hibernation, which requires a long-term storage solution. This is also called overflow storage.
If you have a large collection, you may have a lot of vinyl records that don’t get much playtime. These are often better put into long-term storage. If you don’t play a record much and don’t have room for it in your listening environment, you might need to store it in your attic, garage, or some other not readily accessible place.
The best bet is to keep them in sturdy cardboard boxes. Just be careful to avoid any situation where they come under a lot of pressure. Wood or plastic boxes can be more sturdy and better for stacking, but often are significantly more expensive than cardboard.
The best way to store vinyl record albums is by keeping them in both inner and outer sleeves, ideally using cardboard jackets. They should be stored side by side rather than stacked on top of each other. The easiest solution to store your records is on a shelf or in crates.
No, it’s not OK to store vinyl records flat. Storing them that way and stacking them can warp your records over time. Store them properly by keeping them upright and avoiding pressure and high humidity, and heat.
