Contents
- 1 Top 6 Best Floating Bookshelves
- 1.1 #1 Peter’s Goods 2-Tier Rustic Floating Wall Shelves
- 1.2 #2 Wallniture Denver Wall Mounted Floating Shelves
- 1.3 #3 Brightmaison Nursery Décor Wall Shelves
- 1.4 #4 MAINEVENT Set of 2 Rustic Wood Floating Shelves
- 1.5 #5 NIUBEE Acrylic Invisible Floating Bookshelf
- 1.6 #6 EWEI’S HomeWares Floating U Shelves
- 1.7 How We Decided
- 2 Best Floating Bookshelves Buyer’s Guide
To select the best floating bookshelves we considered the following important features: materials, capacity, mounting style, design, and price. You’ll need to decide if you want natural wood, MFD, laminate, or other materials. But also keep the mounting style and design in mind as you weigh that against the price.
After considering all of the above, we nominated Peter’s Goods 2-Tier Rustic Floating Wall Shelves as our Top Pick. We noted that it had the best weight rating (50 pounds), and featured sustainably sourced wood as well. And it’s also the only tiered option in our guide. Keep reading to learn more about the rest of our top picks.
Top 6 Best Floating Bookshelves
#1 Peter’s Goods 2-Tier Rustic Floating Wall Shelves
Award: TOP PICK
WHY WE LIKE IT: A tiered floating sustainable solid wood shelf design with a 50-pound capacity makes it the best floating shelf for heavy items.
- Best for heavy items
- Top weight capacity
- Only tiered-shelf option
- Wood is lightweight
Floating shelves are a staple when it comes to easy home decor upgrades. But not everyone wants to deal with going through the trouble of measuring the distance between various shelves to prevent a cluttered effect. But if you’re also thinking of placing heavy items on a floating shelf, then weight capacity can be an issue. We’ve selected Peter’s Goods 2-Tier Rustic Floating Wall Shelves as our Top Pick because not only is it the only tiered option in our guide, but it is also the best floating shelf for heavy items.
We liked that this floating shelf set has the highest weight rating at 50 pounds. The rustic design makes it a great option for shabby chic and country-inspired decor themes. Plus the tiered construction means that you have plenty of space between the shelves, with the lower shelf being able to accommodate items as tall as 10 inches. And best of all, eco-friendly focused shoppers will like that the real wood used in this tiered shelf is certified and sustainably sourced. And as is standard, the mounting hardware is included. These shelves look good with the best window shades.
#2 Wallniture Denver Wall Mounted Floating Shelves
Award: HONORABLE MENTION
WHY WE LIKE IT: A sleek, minimalist four-piece set of white floating shelves with a picture ledge that makes these perfect for displaying nicknacks, accent pieces, and picture frames.
- Minimalist picture ledge design
- 4-piece set
- Easy installation process
- Low weight limit
Not everyone is trying to store the heaviest items they own on their floating bookshelves. Specifically, many people use shelves like this as the perfect way to display lightweight decor accents or pictures without cluttering tabletops and bookcases. The Wallniture Denver Wall Mounted Floating Shelves is a great option if this is why you want a set of floating bookshelves. We liked that these white floating shelves are a four-piece set with a picture ledge design.
This means that you can safely place picture frames or even round objects on the shelf and the ledge will prevent them from sliding or rolling off. While the individual shelves have one of the lowest weight ratings in our guide (12 pounds per shelf), we do think it’s a great option for accent decor needs. Plus the easy installation process and included mounting hardware make assembly a breeze. Just like installing the best window air conditioner.
#3 Brightmaison Nursery Décor Wall Shelves
Award: BEST FOR NURSERIES
WHY WE LIKE IT: A gender-neutral set of floating bookshelves for nurseries with a built-in safety feature that helps to minimize clutter and grow with your little ones.
- Excellent Quality
- 4-piece set
- 3-piece set
- Expensive
Decorating a baby’s nursery is a fun experience for many parents. But when it comes to storage, you have to think about safety and what won’t pose a danger to your little bundle(s) of joy. The Brightmaison Nursery Decor Wall Shelves are a three-piece set of floating bookshelves for nurseries that help to improve organization while also providing an essential safety feature.
In addition to keeping small or potentially dangerous items (such as diaper ointments) out of reach for baby, we liked that these shelves feature a built-in bar that prevents those items from falling over and hurting your child. Each shelf is made from solid birch wood and is a clean white color that’s perfect for any gender. As is common, the mounting hardware is included too. These shelves are easy to clean much like your windows when you use the best window cleaning kit.
#4 MAINEVENT Set of 2 Rustic Wood Floating Shelves
Award: MOST VERSATILE SHELVES
WHY WE LIKE IT: A two-piece set of unique floating shelves that can be mounted upside down, increasing the potential uses to include jewelry and crafting storage.
- Can be mounted upside down
- Supports up to 20 pounds per shelf
- Vintage design
- Wood is lightweight
Most people think shelves with wood bars only have one purpose. But we think the Mainevent Set of 2 Rustic Floating Shelves are the most versatile option in our guide. These unique floating shelves can be mounted upside down and turned into jewelry or craft storage.
Plus the vintage design is great for rustic decor themes. We also liked that each of the shelves in this two-pack are rated to support 20 pounds, for a total of 40 pounds. As is common, the mounting hardware is included and installation is fast and easy. But you’ll appreciate that these shelves come with a bubble level to ensure that they’re even on your walls. They look good with the best ceiling fans.
#5 NIUBEE Acrylic Invisible Floating Bookshelf
Award: BEST INVISIBLE
WHY WE LIKE IT: A complete floating shelf kit made from acrylic for an invisible effect that’s perfect for beauty influencers and makeup storage.
- Can be mounted upside down
- Supports up to 20 pounds per shelf
- Supports up to 48lbs
- Only 1 shelf
If you’re not in the beauty world, you might not know that acrylic makeup storage is considered the pinnacle of perfect organization. But makeup artists, beauty gurus, and influencers are always looking for the best acrylic storage solutions that can simultaneously organize their expansive makeup collections while also creating the perfect “Instagrammable” visual background for videos and pictures.
The Niubee Acrylic Invisible Floating Bookshelf is the best floating shelf kit solution that creates a nice invisible visual effect to showcase your makeup collection. You’ll appreciate that these floating shelves with storage are made from five-millimeter thick acrylic with rounded edges for improved safety. This 16.5-inch wide shelf is designed to support 48 pounds. While this is the only single-shelf option in our guide, we did like that this comes with a complete installation kit that includes a screwdriver. You might also want the best air purifier to keep your air clean.
#6 EWEI’S HomeWares Floating U Shelves
Award: BEST BUDGET
WHY WE LIKE IT: A 3-piece shelf set that reduces clutter and organizes essentials, making it the best floating shelves for a bathroom.
- Great for bathrooms
- Hardware included
- Laminate material
- Narrow shelves
If you’re first getting into floating bookshelves, you might not want to buy some of the more expensive options. We’ve nominated the Ewei’s HomeWares Floating U Shelves as our Best Budget recommendation because it’s an economical three-piece floating shelf set. We also think it’s one of the best floating shelves for a bathroom. You’ll like that this set features three shelves of varying lengths from nine to 17 inches.
Plus, this shelf set is made from laminate and MDF (medium-density fibreboard) for a lightweight installation experience. The required mounting hardware is included as well and you can choose between an espresso finish or white. And these are great for holding lighter items as they can support a combined weight of 22 pounds.
How We Decided
Floating bookshelves are a great way to increase storage and organize your home. To create our guide, we focused on the following features — materials, capacity, mounting style, design, and price. In our guide, all of these models featured a standard mounting style that included floating shelf brackets and screws.
For the materials, you’ll note that we have a range of products that include natural wood, sustainably sourced wood, acrylic, and laminate/MDF composite. The option you pick is going to depend on what you feel looks best in your home. But if natural wood is important, we recommend our Top Pick, Best Quality, and #4 selections. If you prefer acrylic, then our #5 pick is a good option.
The capacity is an important feature as well since this will impact how many items you can place on your shelves as well as the total weight capacity. Where available, we’ve listed the weight capacity. Our Top Pick has the best weight capacity with a 50-pound limit while the Best Budget has the lowest weight rating for a combined 22 pounds across all three shelves.
And finally, we focused on the design element. We focused on highlighting a range of aesthetics that included rustic, modern, and classic styles. If you prefer rustic designs, check out our Top Pick and #4 selection. For a modern effect, our #5 and Best Budget are good picks, and classic fans will appreciate our Honorable Mention and Best Quality recommendations.
And for the price, you’ll see that we have a wide range of price points. While our #3 is the most expensive option in our guide, there are plenty of affordable options. Only our #5 pick is a single-shelf option. The remainder are multi-shelf sets, which is more economical.
Best Floating Bookshelves Buyer’s Guide
The Most Important Factors to Consider
- Materials
You’ll want to look for floating bookshelves made from sturdy material. Depending on the type of items you’ll place on them, you’ll need to confirm that the shelves can accommodate the weight you’ll add to them. Common materials include wood or metal, but you can also find floating shelves made from laminate or composite. Also, consider their thickness and their weight ratings and make sure it’s compatible with your usage plans. - Mounting Style
Do you want a floating bookshelf that can be quickly installed with non-damaging materials, or would you prefer one that relies on screws or nails affixed to the walls? But if you plan on storing heavy items on your floating bookshelves, it’s best to pick a sturdier mounting system — especially options that include rods. Also, keep in mind that you’ll want to check your walls and make sure that the mounting hardware provided with your shelves is compatible with the types of walls you have. You may need to buy additional hardware in the event that the included hardware isn’t compatible with surfaces such as drywall or brick. - Capacity
Again, this is going to depend on what you plan to store on your floating bookshelves. In addition to considering the length and width of your bookshelves, you’ll also need to figure out the weight rating. Floating bookshelves will always list the weight capacity so this is an easy figure to determine. - Design
Floating bookshelves can create a nice design aesthetic or be a simple utilitarian solution for creating more storage. But it all depends on the materials used to create the shelves. Depending on the type of shelving you choose, you can find simple minimalist designs or more ornate options. It’s all going to be based on your tastes. - Installation
In general, floating bookshelves tend to be easy to install and shouldn’t take more than a few minutes to complete. But you should always confirm that your walls are designed to support the type of mounting hardware that’s included with your floating shelves. Depending on your mounting hardware, you’ll need the following tools: a level, a screwdriver, hammer, or a drill.
Floating Bookshelves FAQs
Are floating shelves strong enough for books?
This depends on the shelves you pick. Think about the types of books you want to store on the shelves (hardback versus paperback) and how many books you’ll place there. When in doubt, weigh the items you want to store on your shelves, and confirm that the floating shelves you want to buy are rated to safely support that weight. But, as a general rule, deeper floating shelves (without rod-mounted hardware) aren’t able to hold as much weight as shallow shelves.
What should the distance be between floating shelves?
To avoid making things look cluttered on your wall, your floating shelves should have roughly 12.5 inches between them.
Why does my floating shelf sag?
The common culprit behind sagging floating shelves is loose hardware although exceeding the weight rating is also an issue. In addition to being an eyesore, it’s also dangerous because the shelf (or its contents) may fall. To fix this, you’ll need to take the shelf down, reposition the mounting hardware, and reinstall the shelf.
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