This Sterilite 5-shelf utility storage unit is one of the finest consumer products I've seen in a long time. Being an industrial engineer, I'm not easily impressed. But I am impressed by the quality and low price (I paid $32 at Amazon with free shipping) of this unit.Assembled, it has a nice look. The 150 pound limit per shelf is staggering considering it is made of plastic and marketed for non-industrial use. The color of the material is neutral and nice while the physical properties of the plastic are excellent. These combine hardness vs. softness for maximum static strength perfectly. (Some manufacturers make storage racks like this too brittle allowing for minimal deformation under load. However, this brittleness, inherent in the material, makes them easily broken.) Sterilite has balanced both to make a shelf hard enough to maintain form under load but soft enough to take dynamic stress without breaking.
Proper assembly takes about a half hour. There is one simple diagram on the rack banner that shows how it should be put together. No written description is given or needed as assembly is so simple, a child could do it. I do however have several suggestions for proper assembly listed below.
Starting with the bottom shelf on the floor, place four vertical posts into the four corner holes smaller side down as shown on the supplied diagram. You can try to push them in using your strength, but I used a hammer, a block of wood, and a sock placed between the wood and the top of the post to prevent damage to the post. Once placed into the top of the hole, just tap the post into place until it bottoms out. After all four posts are tapped down into position, measure the height of the posts from shelf-top to assure consistent insertion. If there are some that are higher than others, keep tapping the higher ones firmly until all have equal height.
Then place the next shelf onto the four posts. Position the corner holes over the posts and begin to push down on the shelf working around the four corners halfway at a time. When reasonably seated, put a cushion like a folded towel on top of the corner holes and strike them with your hand to finish seating them (if necessary).
Keep checking post height and floor to shelf-top height all the way up to the fifth shelf so you know the all posts and shelves are properly seated. After you are satisfied that assembly is complete, place the unit onto a level area of your floor. If the floor is not level, you can position leveling blocks under the four post corners where the unit contacts the floor. (Leveling the rack can be especially important if you are going to place relatively heavy loads on the shelves.) Before you know it, you're done and in possession of a very nice piece of engineered home-storage utility shelf unit.
One suggestion that makes these shelves even more stable is to put a couple of shims (like Nelson Wood Shims CSH8/56/120/MGD 8'' Bulk Contractor Shims) under the front legs so the it will tend to lean back against the wall.
BTW, I feel that honest, effective reviews can take the place of first-hand experiences that are lacking in online shopping. I've always appreciated the help I've received from other reviewers and work hard to return the favor as best as I can. I hope you found this review helpful and if there was anything you thought was lacking or unclear leave a comment and I'll do what I can to fix it.
Buy Sterilite 5-Shelf Shelving Unit - 73.25 x 36 x 18 Inches - Platinum Now
I bought 2 sets of these shelves for storage in my basement. They are very sturdy holding cleaning supplies etc. I read some reviews that the shelves were broken on arrival. I can see how this can happen because they arrive in a cardboard box without any padding/packing material. I was worried the cold would make the plastic brittle and easily break but was relieved that they were in great shape. These are better quality than some I have bought at local B&M stores.Read Best Reviews of Sterilite 5-Shelf Shelving Unit - 73.25 x 36 x 18 Inches - Platinum Here
This shelf is surprisingly well designed and quite sturdy. It can be configured for different heights (as most such shelves), but also has a design which allows for storage of extra shelf legs (which you will have, if you configure this as a 3-level shelf and a second 2-level, for instance) inside the shelves, and a provision for linking multiple shelves together. Well done and definitely worth the money.Want Sterilite 5-Shelf Shelving Unit - 73.25 x 36 x 18 Inches - Platinum Discount?
I bought this to use in a very cluttered mud room. It arrived within 2 days and was well packaged. A 3 year old put this together with me, so anyone can do it. It took less than 10 minutes from start to finish. The 5 shelf solution is great for us; I use the highest shelf to store those unwieldy kitchen items I only use once in a blue moon like giant mixing bowls and fondue pots, etc. This unit is jam-packed with every item that made the mud room look like it should be featured on 'Hoarders, Buried Alive'. It holds my KitchenAid mixer, life jackets, extension cords and all the other flotsam of a family with 3 active kids! I am just so impressed with this shelving unit I cannot recommend it enough.Save 70% Off
