Should You Store Vinyl Records In Paper Or Plastic?

With proper care, a vinyl record can last for decades, perhaps even a century. That's why, as any vinyl record enthusiast would tell you, there are numerous considerations when it comes to taking care of your collection. Like whether it's best to store your vinyl records vertically or horizontally (the answer is vertically) or if paper or plastic is the better option for vinyl record storage. With that said, the short answer to the paper versus plastic question is ... surprise, surprise, both.

A vinyl record is typically housed inside not one but two containers: the inner sleeve and the outer sleeve. The inner sleeve is usually made of paper, high-density polyethylene (HDPE), or a mix of the two (HDPE layered with rice paper). For the environment-conscious crowd, paper is a preferable choice, as these eco-friendly sleeves do a decent enough job of preventing dust, dirt, and other undesirables from finding their way to your precious collection. Yet they are obviously less durable than plastic options and are prone to seam splits (when the record inside causes the edge of the sleeve to split open). Additionally, the material is absorbent, meaning that over time, you may open your vinyl record and find a nasty, moldy surprise. Worse, it eventually produces its own dust via shedding, and the resulting tiny particles will get stuck in the grooves of the record and may damage its surface. 

Plastic HDPE sleeves, on the other hand, don't have this disadvantage and, as a bonus, have anti-static properties. The downside is that they can feel flimsy, and they are the pricier option. Hybrid sleeves combine the best of both worlds, and unsurprisingly, they have become a common inclusion with vinyl records.

The outer sleeve is your vinyl record's first line of defense against dust, droplets, deterioration, and dirty fingers. Just like inner sleeves, there are various options made of different materials. For serious collectors, two plastic-based options stand out: polypropylene (PP) and polyethylene (PE).  The former offers increased rigidity, durability, and damage resistance, while offering a clearer view of the vinyl record artwork. The latter offers more pliability, meaning fewer chances of getting cracked or smashed when handled or stored in an archive, and enhanced protection against temperature changes — a serious concern, as vinyl records start to warp at 140 degrees Fahrenheit. The cost is eventual cloudiness.

Far from being just a debate for pedantic audiophiles, the choice of material within which you keep and store your precious vinyl collection can affect not only its longevity but also its playback quality. Ultimately, you can't go wrong with either a PP or PE outer sleeve paired with a hybrid inner sleeve. Avoid the formerly popular polyvinyl chloride (PVC) outer sleeve option, though, as they're known to cause visible damage to records and color deterioration on picture sleeves.