Leather Magazine Rack

Buying Guide

Half the world seems to be in a hurry to transition to digital magazines. But the other half still dotes on the good old, non-digital ones. Be it the glossy pages, the amazing photos or the warmth of cuddling up with your favorite one in your chaise lounge, magazines are eternal.

There’s only one problem. They can make your home look cluttered. And there’s no worse form of clutter than a bunch of old magazines strewn around.

Leather Magazine racks are an easy solution to this seemingly common problem. They allow you to curb the chaos and organize your magazines so that you can reach out to the latest ones with ease and keep the rest away from public view. Here are some tips for first-time shoppers.

What are the basic types of magazine racks?

The two basic types of magazine racks are wall-mounted and freestanding, each with a different set of features:

A wall mounted leather magazine stand is perfect for homes and small commercial establishments with limited room to spare. It doesn’t eat up valuable floor space. Instead, it utilizes unused wall space. And it can be a great alternative to mundane wooden shelving.

A wall mounted stand will rarely have a skeletal frame and looks more like a leather saddle bag without a cover. A couple of screws or a metal bracket is typically used to affix it on the wall.

Floor standing racks typically have lightweight metallic frames and are available in a variety of sizes. These may occupy more room, but are more capacious and can store a lot more magazines without looking bloated.

What type of leather is recommended for magazine racks?

There can be great variation in the quality of leather used in manufacturing the racks. And depending on the type of leather used, the pricing can be all over the map.

If money is no object, then go for top grain leather. Zero surface alterations retains the natural toughness and ages beautifully. A full grain leather magazine rack can last for years with minimum care even in a busy household.

But if you are pinching pennies, then even top grain leather will do just fine. Bonded leather gives you the aesthetics without the durability of full grain or top grain. But it’s a lot cheaper. The same holds true for faux leather or synthetic leather.

What are frames in leather magazine racks made of?

Most free-standing magazine racks have aluminum frames due to the lightweight. You won’t break your back moving these around and these can even be used for desk applications.

Powder-coated steel frames are as durable as aluminum, if not better and are frequently used in commercial settings due to the color options. You can match the finish of the frame with existing décor pieces or opt for a metal frame with a chrome finish in a contemporary décor theme.

What design of a leather magazine rack should you choose?

There are hundreds of magazine rack designs to choose from. It all boils down to the availability of space, the aesthetics and the number of magazines that you are looking to store in it.

If you are diligent about weeding out older editions or the ones that you have read, then you can pick a compact and petite one.
If you like to organize your magazines, look for multiple racks in a single frame.
But if you just dump your mags in the rack, then look for the most capacious one that can fit into the space. You’d rather have the extra room and not need it than being stuck with tons of books that don’t fit into the rack.