Are your vinyl records truly safe from scratches and dust? We explore seven inner sleeve options from Vinyl Storage Solutions that will keep your collection pristine. Let’s dive into the pros and cons of each sleeve to find the perfect fit for your records!
Introduction to Vinyl Storage Solutions
As a vinyl collector, protecting your precious records is paramount. Vinyl Storage Solutions is my personal favorite supplier of high-quality inner and outer sleeves designed to preserve your collection.
Over the last few years, they’ve built a strong reputation for themselves by giving their customer almost endless options to suit different collector needs and taste. Quite simply, they’ve attempted to deliver a range of record sleeves that goes beyond the standard competition.
Today, we focus on their inner sleeve options, weighing up the pros and cons of each.
Even better: Vinyl Storage Solutions now ship internationally, making it easy for enthusiasts everywhere to protect their collections.
VSS Rice Paper Sleeves
These are, of course, a competitor to the popular MoFi Archival Sleeves, but there’s a difference….
Vinyl Storage Solutions (or VSS for short) offer a thicker 3mil version, which feels significantly more premium than the MoFi versions at just 1mil.
You can also buy 1mil and 2mil versions from VSS if you’re on a budget, but I personally prefer the 3mil, which actually don’t work out much more expensive than a MoFi 50 pack.
It’s hard to show on camera, but you can probably see how the 3mil VSS sleeve looks smother and less easy to crumple than the standard 1mil MoFi. This adds greater protection, but also just lends a more premium look and feel.
I also find them slightly easier to pull in and out of the outer jacket without them getting all crumpled up.
They’ve started printing the VSS logo on these sleeves now, which I think is a nice touch.
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Crystal Clear Inner Sleeves
Up next we have the crystal clear inner sleeves, which come in four different varieties.
Firstly, there’s the standard straight-up 12″ crystal clear inner sleeves, which is, again, 3mil thick, lending a premium feel.
This has a standard opening for the record just like a regular record sleeve but without any of the haze associated with regular inner sleeves.
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Crystal Clear (With “Lip”)
The next option in the crystal clear range looks almost identical on first glance; that is, until you look closer at the record opening which has a small “lip”.
Quite simply, this makes getting the record in and out of the sleeve a little easier.
Crystal Clear (With Flap)
Thirdly, you can order a version that has a foldable flap.
This gives extra protection from dust and also helps make it less likely the record will fall out.
The downside is that it’s a little more fiddly and I find the flaps can get creased over time, making them look a little tatty.
Having the choice, though, is one of the great things about VSS sleeves – there are no shortage of options.
Crystal Clear (With Sealable Flap)
Lastly, we have a second flap design that is sealable.
This gives another alternative to the tuckable flap for extra protection.
Simply peel back the seal and fold over to secure the record.
You can still access the record as the seal is reusable.
Again, this is more fiddly than a regular record sleeve but does offer great protection and may suit longer-term storage of valuable first pressings.
Personally, I prefer the designs without a flap, but the choice, ultimately is yours. There are pros and cons to each.
Should you decide these are sleeves for you, consider using my code SOUNDMATERS10 for 10% off your order should you decide these are the sleeves for you.
Further Reading: Our full list of the best inner record sleeves
