The Best Shelf Brackets & Supports
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Our Picks For The Top Shelf Brackets & Supports
- 1. Claimed Corner Beveled Holes & Black Iron Finish Shelf Brackets, 4-Pack
- 2. Slide-Co Clear Plastic Replacement Shelf Support Pegs, 12-Pack
- 3. Knape & Vogt Zinc Shelf Support Clips, 24-Pack
- 4. MHMYDZ Concealed Steel Floating Shelf Brackets, 8-Pack
- 5. WINKER Steel L Pattern Corner Shelf Brackets, 8-Pack
- 6. AWX Forged Steel Counterbore Holes L Shape Shelf Brackets, 8-Pack
This four-pack of well-made, heavy duty, 1/4-inch thick metal braces offers a rustic yet industrial look. Each 8-by-6-inch pair works with shelves that are 8-10 inches wide and can hold up to 250 pounds. High-quality hardware is also included.
No More SaggingWith their industrial yet contemporary styling, these sturdy iron brackets look great and get the job done.
Slide-Co’s clear plastic support pegs are easy toinstall and perfect for replacing broken and missing shelf supports in places like medicine cabinets and bookshelves. These come in a set of 12 and each can support 5 pounds of weight.
Quick FixThese versatile pegs have 1/2-inch support seats and work for cabinets, bookshelves or floating shelves.
These steel shelf support clips are designed to work with pilaster systems inside cabinets and closets. You'll get 24 in a set, making it a snap to raise or lower the shelves whenever you want to change up your storage options.
Designed for Adjustable SystemsThese durable, well-crafted steel clips offer versatility when used with already-installed metal runners.
Winker’s sets of premium metal brackets include all the hardware you need to install shelves in bookcases and furniture and on walls. Chose from different sizes and materials, and consider how much weight you want shelves to hold.
Reliable and SimpleLooking for strong hardware you can depend on? This heavy-duty, easy-to-install set is a no-brainer.
Buying Guide
With so many kinds of shelves and bookcases available on the market, companies also make plenty of supports and brackets to hold them up. Choosing the right supports matters since they provide safety for your knick-knacks as well as the people living in your home.
The most common kind of brackets you’ll see are L-shaped. One side of the “L” attaches to walls via screws or drywall anchors. The other side, perpendicular to the first, extends out to hold up a shelf. Heavy-duty L or angle brackets are made to support more weight, and they will usually be made of heavier materials. Some brackets also have another arm that extends from the ends of each “L,” creating a triangle shape that provides more support to the front of the shelf.
A floating bracket can also have an L-shape, and it will be a low-profile item hidden at the back and under floating shelves to make it appear that the shelves aren’t supported at all. Some floating brackets may have a lip on the end to hold the shelves, which can keep them more secure.
Some brackets are very modest and traditional. Others are more decorative, with scrolling on the sides or a variety of different colors. You will need to decide if you want the brackets to be noticed or if you’d prefer that they blend into the background.
If you have a cabinet or bookcase with adjustable track shelving, you may wish to replace the shelf supports that are in the track. These tracks usually come with supports when you buy them, but sometimes they are not made very well. You can sometimes get away with plastic supports in utility-grade cabinets, but these are not known for their longevity or durability.
What to Look For
- Shelving brackets and supports can be made from plastic, wood or metal.
- How heavy are your shelves? Be sure that the brackets can support that much weight, otherwise they could sag, damage the wall or even fall down. You should be able to get this information from the manufacturer’s instructions or product packaging.
- The brackets should come with installation instructions. But for the most part, you will need to use a screwdriver or a drill to attach these items.
- After you install your brackets, test to see that they are secure.
- Do not overload your new shelves or the brackets that support them. You can weigh your books and trinkets before adding them to the shelves to be sure they’re within the appropriate weight range.
- Look for brackets that come with their own hardware, as this will save you time and money.
More to Explore
Shelves and bookcases can hold many mysteries and are often at the center of detective stories. This is true in real life, too.
In 2021, a U.K.-based TikToker named Freddy Gooddall made an exciting discovery in his family home. Looking at an old photo of the library made him realize there was a doorway in the room that had been covered up by a bookcase. So, he cleared off the bookshelves, pulled off a wall panel and found a dark room behind it. He also found a tunnel, which led to a series of underground rooms and passageways.
During his exploration, Gooddall found books dating back to the 1800s, old school books, desks, and even a wasp’s nest. He theorized that the rooms had been used a servants’ quarters around the turn of that century.
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