Bamboo Shelving

Use a bamboo shelf indoors for books or outdoors for plants. The versatile material has many benefits that make it a popular choice for furniture. It’s strong, durable, and eco-friendly. Find shelving in different shapes and designs for different areas of the home or office. Look to Staples® for different shelf styles made from this versatile grass.

Types of Bamboo Shelving Styles for Different Uses
Bamboo shelving units come in a variety of styles designed for different uses. Straight-mounted shelves hang on the wall for books or knickknacks. Some have pegs to hang coats or towels. Floor or table shelving sits on the ground or table with levels of shelves. This style is often used for shoes or wine. Corner shelves form a 90-degree angle to tuck into corners to use up an often neglected space. Carts have shelves on wheels for easy movement and shower caddies hang up in the bath to keep shampoo and soap nearby.

Bamboo Material Benefits for Shelving
A bamboo shelf has many benefits over other materials like wood or metal. Bamboo is durable in that it can withstand heavy use without breaking or even scratching. Shelves can hold items without fear of cracks or scratches when moving the items on or off the shelf. It's a strong material with a tensile strength higher than steel. Tensile strength is how much tension a material can take before breaking. Shelves can hold heavy items without fear of warping or snapping. Despite being so strong, bamboo is also lightweight. This makes it easy to move larger shelves, carts, or caddies from place to place.

Natural Bamboo Colors for Shelving
Bamboo only comes in two colors. Natural is a light tan color and how bamboo looks without any enhancement techniques. Carbonized is bamboo that has been steamed, which turns it a dark amber. Both are natural and chemical-free colors. The bamboo also has unique grain just like wood that enhances the beauty. Every shelf made from bamboo is different from all others because each piece is unique.

Can Bamboo Shelves Be Used Outside?
Bamboo does not swell or shrink with changing temperatures, which makes it useful for outdoors or locations where temperatures can fluctuate. It's also water-resistant and can handle morning dew or light rains with ease. Most bamboo shelving units designed for outdoors are treated and coated with outdoor sealers for extra protection. It's also possible to protect bamboo yourself with a spray-on sealant.

How is Bamboo Eco-friendly?
Bamboo is a fast-growing grass with large stalks. It regrows from the roots so there's no need to replant. Bamboo farms just need to cut and wait for it to grow again. There's also no need for pesticides or growth chemicals, which protects the environment.

How are Bamboo Shelves Made?
Since bamboo is much thinner than logs, it might seem hard to imagine using it as a board for shelves. Panels and boards are made by slicing the stalks and then placing the slices side-by-side. These panels can even be bent and molded into different shapes.