There is something irreplaceable about holding a real book in your hands. You are likely to still have a lot of books in your space even if you adore your Kindle or another e-reading gadget. You probably also have a lot of picture frames, potted plants, and other aesthetic trinkets that require a place to be displayed if you’re anything like us. The greatest option is to spend money on a fantastic bookcase.
Best Bookshelves and Bookcases
The best bookshelves are much more than just a piece of furniture for storing things. They are a crucial component of your living area and give the books that enlighten, inspire, and transport you a place to live.
The focal point of your home office, living room, or hallway doesn’t have to be a plain bookcase; it can instead be a fashionable piece of furniture. Why not decorate your bookcases with photo frames, trinkets, and little houseplants for an extra sense of personality?
How many books you have, how much floor or wall space you have, and whether you need adjustable shelves to accommodate different-sized books will determine which bookshelves are best for you. Must-read graphic design books and the best art books will make great additions to your collection, but they may require more space. You should also think about your preferences for material and design, as well as your budget. Your own style will determine the perfect bookcase for you: are you searching for something simple, traditional, or contemporary and funky?
The best bookshelves come in a variety of colors, and materials are included in this list. Some are made of solid wood, which commands a higher price, while others are made of manufactured wood or a blend of the two. The best bookcases on the list must be put together, but they come with simple assembly instructions. See our list of the best bookshelves if you’re looking for something for the young ones in your life.
Salyer Geometric Bookcase
Key Features
- Trendy Geometric Design
- Multi-sized Shelves
- Solid and Manufactured Wood
- 70 lbs. Weight
Overview
Our selection of the best bookcases is headed by the Salyer Geometric bookshelf, which checks all the right boxes for quality, usability, and elegance. Even without the books on it, it is stunning to look at, and we are particularly fond of the two-tone walnut wood. Although the engineered-wood shelves lighten the overall weight and help keep the price low without sacrificing quality, the frame is made of solid wood, making it sturdy and stable.
The eight staggered cubes are all different sizes and shapes, which is our favorite feature of these bookshelves because it inspires you to be creative with arranging and stacking your books. Why not keep some things upright and others flat?
Manor Park Mid Century Modern Tall Bookcase
Key Features
- Solid-Pine Construction
- Mid-Century Design
- 60 lbs. Weight
Overview
The next best thing is available at Amazon if you love the Mid Century Modern style but lack the funds for an original piece. Three of the four open shelves on this solid-back bookshelf are adjustable, allowing you to modify the height of the shelves to suit your collection.
The solid pine construction allows you to load the shelves with heavy books and have confidence that the bookcase will hold up well. The straight lines of the frame and the smooth, rounded legs give it a retro feel.
Menchaca Steel Etagere Bookcase
Key Features
- Steel Construction
- Freestanding
- Vertical Orientation
- 55 lbs. Weight
Overview
With its industrial-inspired appearance, this bookshelf is a top fashion trend right now, but it’s not so outrageous that you’ll regret purchasing it in a few years.
You can get this bookcase in either a five- or six-shelf variant, both of which have cheap pricing and a durable design. The imitation wood grain closely resembles the real thing, and it appears equally at home in your living room for an abundance of books as it does in your kitchen for extra pots and pans, tools, and cookbook storage.
You don’t need to worry if you’re not delicate enough to reorganize your books every time you decide to switch from alphabetical by the author to subject to scratch- and chip-resistant, color-coded organization.
Theo Nutmeg Metal Floating Wall Bookcase
Key Features
- Metal and Wood Construction
- Space-Saving
- Minimalist
- 42 lbs. Weight
Overview
Consider these floating bookshelves if you lack floor space and don’t think you can put a bookcase in your home or apartment.
For those who enjoy industrial, minimalist design, the metal frame, and natural wood shelves are ideal and would work in just about any room. The unit has four shelves, so you can keep a lot of books without them taking up too much space, and there are keyhole slots for simple hanging as well.
Besides a little DIY need, the only drawback is that you lose part of the impressiveness of a tall, free-standing bookcase.
Urban Outfitters Mara Corner Bookshelf
Key Features
- Versatile Style
- Lightweight
- Great Price
- 56-inch Height
Overview
Make the most of your available space with a bookshelf designed to utilize the empty space in a room. A straightforward, open-column unit like the small West Elm unit (below) may suffice, but corner bookshelves give elegance to your home’s nooks and crannies.
Although there are many fashionable corner bookshelf options—such as geometric illusions and curvy enclosed bookcases—we choose the Mara Corner Bookshelf from Urban Outfitters because it is straightforward and ageless. It has a transitional style that works in any area because of its combination of modern lines and rustic color.
The mango wood has a beautiful, organic color and pattern, and even if the weight capacity is not stated, the material itself probably offers good shelf support. The unit has a reasonable 14-inch depth thanks to an angled back that tucks into corners. The 12-inch clearance on three of the four shelves may prevent taller decorative items from being placed there.
The shelves have a rounded front profile for more style and less intrusion into the space, even though the 56-inch height doesn’t fully use the height of a room. They will also fit better in smaller spaces and tighter corners.
Better Home and Gardens Bedford 5 Shelf Leaning Bookcase
Key Features
- Affordable
- Ledges Keep Things in Place
- Wood Construction
- 5 Shelves
Overview
We adore the Better Homes and Gardens Bedford 5 Shelf Leaning Bookcase if you’re looking for a straightforward storage option with a cozy, traditional vibe. This two-toned hardwood bookshelf has a comfortable presence that would blend well with cottage, traditional, or coastal design, despite the current trend toward sleek metal ladder bookshelves.
The off-white frame warmly contrasts the five wooden shelves, yet the straight edges give it a slightly modern feel. Bookshelves typically have an overall depth of 14 inches, but keep in mind that the depth of each shelf varies along the ladder. There is plenty of storage space provided by the nearly 25-inch width and 71.5-inch height, but several deeper, larger ladder shelves are also available. With narrow shelves, we find that gallery edges around the sides and back keep objects in their proper places.
Although the bookcase can be delivered directly to you, assembly is necessary. The Bedford is an excellent option for renters or people who move around a lot because it is not a wall-mounted ladder shelf, and you can quickly adjust it because it weighs only 28 pounds.
Burrow Index Wall Shelf
Key Features
- Modular System
- Solid Wood Construction
- Three Shelves
Overview
Burrow’s Index is a stunning solid wood modular bookshelf system that can be modified to fit your space’s needs (and budget allows). The straightforward grid layout offered in walnut, oak, and white finishes, enables your shelf decor to take center stage.
You may add a lot of decoration since each Index unit can support 90 pounds. The 9.75-inch vertical space and 9-inch shelf depth on this unit, in contrast to most of the best bookshelves on our list, make it easier to resist the impulse to overdo the decorating. On the other hand, it will also more successfully display little collections and things that might get lost on deeper, bigger shelves. The majority of conventional hardcover and paperback books will still fit, but larger works, like cookbooks, won’t.
Aviva Barrister Cabinet
Key Features
- Historically Inspired Style
- Easy-Access but Protected Shelves
- Stylish
- Plenty of Storage
Overview
The Aviva Barrister Cabinet is a modern interpretation of tradition inspired by the once-common tools used by attorneys. A barrister bookcase was originally designed with individual shelves that could be moved around as needed and stacked to create a cabinet. Today’s antique barrister cabinets are typically made of wood with glass doors and no legs so that they can rest firmly on the ground. We adore how this bookcase reinterprets that design: a single bookcase, unusually on legs, made of iron with a gunmetal finish, and door hardware in contrasting brass.
With five distinct shelves and glass doors, this barrister cabinet provides lots of storage, just like its forebears. The interior compartments’ dimensions of 30 x 14 x 14 inches are ideal for displaying a cherished collection of books of various sizes and precious antiques better secured by doors. An advantageous feature that makes adding or removing items a little bit simpler without having to navigate a swinging door is the doors’ ability to lift up and push in for access to each shelf separately.
This barrister bookshelf weighs 184 pounds and is about 7 feet tall, so it takes up a lot of room. Despite not being specified, the weight capacity appears to be significant, given the material’s strength.
Anthropologie Irving Bookcase
Key Features
- Stylish
- No Assembly Required
- Rattan Frame
- Easy to Clean
Overview
An enormous amount of space is required for Anthropologie’s Irving Bookcase to shine because it is nearly 6 feet round, 18.5 inches deep, and more than 6 feet high. But it does shine: It’s a bookshelf that is easily chosen more for the style than storage due to the rattan and unusual shape, but there is still enough storage thanks to the three long, deep shelves. We don’t know how much it can securely hold because the weight capacity isn’t stated. Still, natural rattan is normally a rather robust material (it is frequently used for seating, after all).
The bookshelf in the picture will likely vary in tone and color because it is made of a natural material. It’s a timeless material that works well for grandmother-style coastal, beach, and boho decor. It may also be used in rooms with less definite design aesthetics.
You can expect to pay more to ship it because it arrives completely assembled. However, we believe the peace of mind that comes with knowing a piece of furniture this size will be carefully built, and the shelves are adequately supported is worth it.
Lundquist Corner Bookcase
Key Features
- Quirky Design
- Very Affordable
- Manufactured Wood
- 9 lbs. Weight
Overview
Why not use space you wouldn’t otherwise use with some corner bookshelves if space is an issue for you or you simply have a few books you want to display? The Lundquist corner bookcase is an ingeniously built bookshelf that fits into the corners of any space to provide you with a handy storage solution for your books and souvenirs.
These bookcases are a great addition to a home office or bedroom, if not the main living area where you keep the majority of your books, even though they don’t offer as much storage as a multi-shelf bookcase.
Final Words
The bookcase is a perfect furniture item that suits your décor and offers enough storage for storing your books and other items. In this article, we have reviewed the best bookshelves and bookcases that you can buy . We have considered the quality, price, storage, and features to choose prepare our list of best bookshelves. Keep reading our blogs to learn more about the best tips for book readers and reviews about the best books.
FAQ
What are the Advantages of a Bookshelf?
Shelves for books have a lot of benefits. They themselves come in a variety of sizes and shapes. Bookshelves help organize books of various shapes and sizes while also giving you room for other things like picture frames, accents, or souvenirs you want to display to guests.
How Thick a Bookshelf Be?
Normally, bookshelves are between 11 and 12 inches deep, but if you’re making your own, here is your chance to make the shelves deeper to accommodate your books. If you have several huge books, measure the largest one and increase the depth by one to two inches.
How Do You Keep a Bookshelf Safe?
When a bookcase is top-heavy, it is more likely to wobble. By putting more weight on the lower shelves, you can avoid this. If you have thick carpeting, pull it back and secure a wooden shim to the floor at the locations of each foot to make the bookcase more stable.