We have had our Elfa systems for 15 years in 3 different apartments. We have added and shifted things around with no problems, they are great.

from using elfa and rakks...

elfa // steel // strong // less attractive
rakks // aluminum // not as strong // better looking

we'd not put loads of heavy books on our rakks system, but we love the look... we've used elfa in the closets with great success... i'd trust most anything on them.

the rakks pictured above looks to be more structurally stable than ours, but more intrusive in the room.

iss tends to be/seem quite expensive, but more versatile (cabinets, etc.).

in the end, it depends on the use and location, methinks... but i think you can do a lot to dress up and "disguise" an elfa system (i.e.: recess the standards, etc).

You do realize that the Elfa system is 100% wall-supported, and the solid shelves are all particleboard...

...whereas with the Rakks & ISS systems, the uprights are floor supported, and either mounted to the wall or tension-mounted to the ceiling, enabling the system to carry heavier loads - and that the cases & shelves can be whatever you want, including veneer or solid wood - or you can even use cases from IKEA.

If I could afford it, I would totally love to do a Dieter Rams Vistoe shelving configuration in my living room.
http://www.vitsoe.com/

We bought a whole wall system from the Shelf Shop in Manhattan about 20 years ago.

The poles are adjustable, spring loaded and are NOT attached to the wall. They are still standing with over 1,000 pounds of books and stereo equipment. When we had a TV (got rid of it over 8 years ago - best thing we ever did!) it also sat on these fantastically strong shelves.

We bought solid pine boards for the shelves and had the bottom row of shelves (the ones we planned to put the heaviest of books) reinforced underneath.

It still looks great and is probably the best 800 dollars we spent back in 1988!

I do not work for the Shelf Shop in Manhattan, but here is their no-nonsense site for your information:

http://www.shelfshop.com/

I have both wall-mounted and free standing Elfa (desk/wall unit). Maybe not the most attractive, but absolutely practical -- I've been able to move this around to different rooms whenever I needed to - clothes, books/desk, and in the kitchen.

"You do realize that the Elfa system is 100% wall-supported, and the solid shelves are all particleboard...

You do realize, bepsf, that Elfa has a whole line of freestanding shelves? In fact, it's called elfa freestanding. I know you like to pull on your smug pants posthaste but next time maybe you want to check yourself before you post, mmmkay?

I don't have experience with the other systems but over the 5 years I've seen an Elfa system at work, it's been indestructible despite plenty of use and misuse.

This is not specifically related to the Elfa system, but has anyone tried the CB2 Helix wall mounted shelving system? It has good reviews on the CB2 website, but no one seems to be saying anything about how much weight the shelves can handle. I love the idea of an affordable, open shelving system for all of my books, but I am concerned that the shelves might not be able to handle that much weight.

We have elfa in the laundry room and the office. I just couldn't justify the expense of upgrading for appearance, since it's not "a bit" more expensive it's multiple times more expensive.

We just reworked our laundry room and added a more shelving, and the old & new stuff blends seamlessly. It's all wall-mounted (to studs, natch) and is solid as a rock.

The Helix system looks pretty nice. However, it's not what I'm looking for: The shelf height isn't adjustable, the shelves are made of MDF, and it doesn't go all the way up the wall. I've got a library-sized collection of books I want to store, so I need something that's tall and sturdy.

Vitsoe is amazing...but expensive. It is my number one choice, and if you have the cash, there really is no reason to look at any thing else.....

Be that as it may, Rakks makes an excellent product, and has great service. I ordered 4 sets of mitered tie-pole kits with shelves from them to create two wall units around my fireplace. The finish of the product isn't quite at Vitsoe's level, but it is quite good for the price, and is easy to work with and install yourself.

The website leaves something to be desired, but ordering is simple. I needed a few extra shelf brackets for my project, and after placing another order online, had them in just a couple days. Everything arrived very well packaged and on time.

Good luck!

I'm told that Rakks also has a retailer in Cambridge MA (The Door Store on Mass Ave - not much of a web presence, but you can go in and they'll help you figure out what components you need, etc. etc. etc.

I have an ISS system in my living room, I designed it and they were very helpful and worked out the details with me.

I love my elfa shelving! It works out really well!

For years I've sought out the perfect modular cd rack to grow with my ever expanding collection of 1500+ cds so that as I purchase more, I'll be able to simply add to the system.

Recently I settled on Elfa and, while everyone always complains about the Elfa shelving being particle board, what bothered me about them wasn't just that they were particle board but that they're also insanely expensive for being so and only come in set sizes.

Solution: I cut my own shelves and, because I had them on hand, I just screwed wood screws into the bottom of the boards to rest them/secure them into the Elfa supports for now. In the future I plan to replace them with dowels for a tighter fit. I also tacked a 1/4" x 1" board to the rear of each shelf to keep the cds from sliding off the back. It's the solution I've wanted for years, and I simply wish I'd done it sooner as it's really not that costly comparative to other large cd storage solutions.

We bought Rakks shelving several years ago from the Shelf Shop in Manhattan and installed it ourselves, with help from a handy friend. The shelving ran for several feet along one wall in an apartment room with very high ceilings. We filled the shelves to capacity (and then some) with books, LPs, and CDs. It looked stunning and it held the weight with no problem.

We just moved to a house where the ceilings are much lower. We had to buy a few new poles* to spread the shelves out over a larger wall area with the lower ceiling height. It looks stunning in the new place too.

* The Shelf Shop is now closed, alas, but Guy Campbell, "the Shelf Shop Guy" (shelfshopguy.com), worked there for decades and now distributes the Rakks shelves himself. He works with someone who will install the shelves (and in our case, dismantle them, perfectly, organizing everything for ease of reinstallation at the new place). He even cut our old poles to fit the new, lower ceiling height. Guy is very helpful and knowledgeable about the system.

"You do realize that the Elfa system is 100% wall-supported, and the solid shelves are all particleboard...whereas with the Rakks & ISS systems, the uprights are floor supported"

The Rakks system we installed (they have a few) is wall supported like the Elfa system (no legs) -- click the link for a visual.

I have over a thousand pounds on a 20-foot-long Elfa system in my garage -- holding everything from lumber (scores of 2X4s) to Christmas ornaments. Each closet in the house is also outfitted with Elfa. They hold quite a bit if installed properly.

The standards in the Raks system we installed are friction-fit aluminum whereas the Elfa system is slot-loaded into steel -- I'd simply not trust The Rakks system we installed with a heavy or active load. You can also make/have made custom shelves for Elfa out of solid wood or plywood. In our Rakks system, I custom made the shelves and desk planks to match the siding.

Each system is great when you take into consideration your needs and how the design will (or won't) meet those.

It isn't just VITSOE that produce Dieter Rams' 606 Shelving system: there is another company in Germany that has the license to produce exactly the same model but with a much greater, and more sophisticated (as well as invariably more expensive) range of materials than VITSOE. They are called SDR: http://www.sdr-plus.com/regalsystem_606.0.html ...I would say this is the creme de la creme of shelving systems. However, in terms of personal taste, I somehow prefer ISS when it comes to a sami-wall mounted unit, simply because the metal structure is less bulky, and because the brackets that attach the unit to the wall are more refined than the 606's big fat round things. SSI also have a slightly more 'retro', George Nelson-esque look. In terms of materials / wood used, however, SDR is by far my favourite. I have seen systems in anodised black aluminium / wooden shelves and units that are just stunning! ...

ah the choices... aren't we lucky!

PS the reason two different companies sell the 606 is that originally, Rams set up one company in the UK to export to UK / US / Canada, and another in Germany that would export within Europe. Eventually they both went their separate ways, but the system is always the original 606 and both carry a licence to produce it.