Vinyl Tip: Outer Sleeves - Invisible Protectors with a Big Impact
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Outer Covers – Invisible Protectors with a Big Impact
When it comes to vinyl, it’s not just what you hear that counts – it’s what you see. Album covers are often works of art in themselves . So protect them well, because cardboard and paper are susceptible to wear, dust, and sunlight. Clear outer sleeves are the solution.
What is an outdoor cover?
An outer sleeve is a loose, transparent protective sleeve that you slide over the original cardboard album cover. They come in all kinds of thicknesses and sizes, from ultra-thin to extra sturdy, and are made of different types of plastic such as polyethylene, PVC or polypropylene. We will come back to the different variants later.
Why would you use them?
- Protects against dust and dirt
- Prevents ring wear and corner wear
- Protects against UV light and discoloration
- Handy when browsing your collection – no more damaged edges!
Which outdoor cover suits you?
We have different types of protective covers available:
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Crystal clear protective sleeves: highly transparent sleeves, available for single LPs and a slightly more spacious version for double LPs .
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Standard LP Sleeves: A nice thick variant in which both single and double LPs fit. These sleeves are somewhat less transparent than the crystal clear sleeves. Available in packs of 10 and 50 .
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MoFi Ultraclear Protective Covers: The best of both worlds: Nice and sturdy and ultra clear! Available in packs of 50 .
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PVC protective sleeves: The old-fashioned and very sturdy protective sleeve. Available per piece in a standard version (most double LPs also fit in here) and a special version for gatefold sleeves .
We also have variants for 7" singles and 10" mini LPs. All variants can be found here .
Tip from Bob
Make sure your outer cover is not too tight. A cover that rubs will still cause damage. Better a little too loose than just too tight.
In short: outer sleeves are the silent heroes in your record collection. They not only protect your collection, but also keep the aesthetics of your sleeves in top condition.
