Bracket & Rail Shelving Capacity

General Rules

• Bracket and rail shelving may struggle to support as much weight as other types of more immovable shelving. As a guideline, the more adaptable shelving is, the less weight it can hold. If you can detach the shelves and bracket them into different places along the railing, your shelves can probably carry more than shelves that slide up and down the rails and lock in place without being detached. Shelves that are attached at one place and are not designed to be moved can hold the most weight.

Low Capacity Shelves

• Low capacity shelves are limited in their allowable weight, typically because of their construction. Weight limits generally stay around 40 to 50 pounds. Capacity is sacrificed for other qualities, such as the ability to easily move shelves around, or extra space provided by removing supports. The materials used can also lower the capacity, as less expensive shelves and smaller brackets lead to lower weight limits.

High Capacity Shelves

• High capacity shelves tend to support around 140 to 160 pounds. This is also a general guideline. There are commercial and industrial rail bracket shelves that can hold more weight, but for residential uses the limits are rarely higher than 160 pounds. For smaller brackets or brackets that are spaced farther apart the limits may go down to around 100 pounds. Sometimes weight limits are given per linear foot, such as 75 pounds for each linear foot of shelving.

Shelf Placement

• Shelf placement may also affect capacity. Consult your directions carefully to see if your customization changes the weight limits. Moving shelves to unintended notches on the rails may reduce the capacity. Adding new or extra shelves with additional brackets may also reduce the weight bearing capacity of each individual shelf, depending on how the shelves were constructed.