Musiwall, a convenient way to display your vinyl collection
The Musiwall vinyl kit does exactly what the website says. The accompanying template is helpful and removes the annoyance of measuring and spacing although you would still need to judge with your eyes for a proper horizontal level - or use a spirit level.
However, the template offers only one layout, a square alignment. If you'd like to display your vinyls in a different layout or shape, you'll have to be creative.
The clips are made of hard see-through plastic, possibly plexiglass and are approximately 1mm thick. The quality is good and does the job of being transparent and sturdy.
The adhesive which is double-sided and also transparent is quite sticky, almost gel-like. Do make sure you apply the adhesive in the middle of the part of the clip. Because once applied to the clip and then onto the wall, pressing the clip will make the adhesive morph and flatten out across the part of the clip. You don't want any adhesive sticking out of the clip that could end up sticking onto your album cover.
There's no sagging or peeling. However, I don't know yet how it will perform once the temperature in the room goes up, for example during a prolonged heatwave in the summer.
Also, while some gatefolds can fit onto the clips, too snuggly even, it's not recommendable to do so. For example, the clips can scratch your gatefold. Also, most gatefolds have a bit of opening in their sleeves, a slight gust of wind, can cause the vinyl to shift away from the vertical clip and tip over. If you do want to display a gatefold, perhaps remove the actual vinyl records first. Or you can set up the clips to display the gatefold unfolded.
All clips are sized the same, that is the bottom ones are the same size as the one placed vertically that holds the album. I think the clips can do a better job if they were a bit larger, adding a few millimeters in all dimensions will lessen the risk of a vinyl tipping over.
The pricing is in line with similar products available online. The selling point is the easy-to-apply system in contrast to those drilling-a-hole mounts. However, some of the competition offers better value such as longer mounts, and more stability, and even a few offer an additional way of displaying your vinyls in one package. It depends on what you're willing to pay for.
Ultimately, the real product that you're paying for is the convenience achieved by using the adhesive applied to those clips; the practicality of switching vinyls from one place to another is exactly what Musiwall sets out to do. But taking off the clips and putting them somewhere else using the same adhesive is probably not possible - at least, that's not officially explained on the website.
There are similar double-sided adhesives available online. While right-angled clips are almost non-existent, similar hooks, shelves or mounts are available and combined with the same type of adhesive, the same result can be achieved, perhaps not with a "near-invisible" look but your vinyl will cover most of the mounts anyway. You'll need to do a bit of research and possibly combine different products and you may lose time and money.
In comparison to other options available, Musiwall offers the best convenience and a hassle-free way to showcase your vinyl collection. For better value for money, I recommend purchasing promo packs with free shipping.
