Stack It, Stuff It or Slide It In ... This Rack Will Handle it All!
Written: Feb 02 '05
Product Rating:
Pros: Extremely sturdy, one piece, accommodates all letter sized papers and file jackets.
Cons: Mid section tends to sag if stuffed with papers.
The Bottom Line: Need to get your desk organized? Homeschooler looking to keep assignments in order? Check out this extremely versatile combination rack to solve your organizational issues.
Regardless of the size of your office, desk or personal space, being organized always makes getting tasks completed a but easier when you can find what you are looking for without having to hunt for it. Since we are homeschoolers, we have a lot of ongoing projects, papers and reports floating around the house. Without a central area to keep them all, there is a good chance I’d be pulling my hair out on a daily basis. When I originally saw this at Office Depot I wasn’t sure about it, it was a little on the large side and I wasn’t completely sure that it would be the best way to make use of the space on my desk. Now that I’ve had it for a while I can’t imagine trying to function with out! This is the type of office item that gets used a hundred times a day without you even realizing it, but like I said, I can’t imagine trying to stay organized without it now that I’ve had it for a while.
Recycled Steel Combination Rack
The real beauty to this is that you have five vertical slots and two horizontal ones; this means that if you have larger or odd sized papers you can have them in the top slots without having to fold them or risk losing them in the shuffle. To make things even easier to find I use some file folders to have different papers in, this makes finding things a lot easier and cuts down on wasted time. This is made of recycled steel so it’s strong and a little on the heavy side. For me this is a real plus because I don’t have to worry about it getting knocked off the desk if I start moving stuff around. The two slots on the left and right will bend a little if you put books or heavy objects in them so make sure you store the heaviest items in the middle where they will get a little extra support from the horizontal slots. You won’t be able to toss a large phone book in here and expect it to handle the weight but I use this for directories, online print outs, mail, homework assignments and thin manila envelopes that need to go to the post office.
One of the biggest drawbacks to this is trying to get the dust out of the slots; I think this thing has some type of magnetic force that draws every dust particle in the room to it. To get the job done right you do have to remove all the papers and file folders to get to the bottom of the vertical slots but the horizontal ones, providing that they are covered by papers, don’t require that much attention. Outside of that little detail this is a great thing to have in your office, to organize bills, keep track of assignments or unclutter the area next to your phone. If you have a busy household where everyone comes and goes at odd hours this is a great way to store messages, notes and mail for each person. This is a little on the heavy side so you won’t want to have it anywhere where it could get pushed off a ledge or pulled down by toddlers. I had this land on my foot a few days ago when the sweeper cord got wrapped around it and it wasn’t the most pleasant of experiences.
This isn’t stackable so if you need to purchase several of these you’ll have to figure out some way to get them to stick together or you could have them on opposite sides of a desk so they don’t eat up too much surface space. The bottom of the rack has felt covers on the sides so it won’t scratch delicate surfaces but on the same token it doesn’t slip around easily. You can find these at larger office supply stores for about $45.00 to $55.00, if you are going to shop online for this make sure you are purchasing from a site that offers free shipping or you could end up spending an arm and a leg getting it to your doorstep [because of the size and weight of it]. Even if this sounds like a lot of money to spend on a vertical and horizontal rack, once you use this for a few days you’ll wonder how you ever managed without it. I’m not the most organized person on the planet but this is one of the best organizational items on the market, without it I’m sure I’d have a few more gray hairs and my blood pressure would be through the roof.
The Bottom Line
So far I’ve had nothing but great luck with this and really wish I would have invested in this style and brand before. Barring having it fall on my foot the rack has done exactly what it’s designed to do – keep things organized and within arms reach but out of the way until you need it. If your desk is out of control, you have papers stacked up everywhere and you are going insane trying to find something, do yourself a favor and pick up one of these.
Black textured steel combination rack with two flat and five upright sections. Steel combination rack features two letter size trays and five upright ...More at Amazon
Black textured steel combination rack with two flat and five upright sections. Steel combination rack features two letter size trays and five upright ...More at Amazon Marketplace
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