Everything you need to know about our inner and outer record sleeves, including material differences, sizing, compatibility, and care. If you are not sure which sleeve is right for your collection, the comparison questions below should help.
Audiophile & Dynamic Inner Sleeves
Both use the same material - HDPE - and offer identical protection. The differences are in construction and feel.
Dynamic (rounded edge)
Two layers of 50-micron HDPE. Slightly frosted appearance. More economical. The rounded edge makes records easy to slide in and out.
Audiophile (square edge, rice paper)
Two layers of 30-micron HDPE with a sheet of rice paper sealed between them. Slightly stiffer. Gives the look of a traditional paper inner sleeve, with none of the abrasion. The most popular choice in our range.
Not sure which suits you? A Sample Pack lets you try both before committing.
Yes, with a few caveats. Liquid vinyl records are the same diameter as standard LPs but thicker, which can affect fit.
Inner sleeves
Liquid vinyl records fit into our Audiophile, Dynamic and Quadraphonic inner sleeves. We find the Audiophile the easiest to handle.
Outer sleeves
Jacket sizes vary between releases. Our Density and Crystal Gatefold sleeves tend to fit best. Some releases fit into Crystal Standard sleeves, though it can be tight.
We recommend storing liquid vinyl records in a top-loading position (jacket bottom first) to minimise any risk in the unlikely event of a leak.
Our Dynamic 7-inch sleeves are an industry standard size and fit the vast majority of original 7-inch sleeves. Sleeve dimensions do vary between manufacturers, so the occasional misfit is possible, but it should be the exception rather than the rule.
Most of the time, yes. Some printed inners - particularly from modern pressings - use thicker paperboard that can be a tight fit.
As a rule of thumb: if you struggle to remove the record from the printed inner by hand, our sleeve probably will not fit inside it comfortably. In that case, store the record in our sleeve outside of the printed inner. It also reduces wear on the original artwork.
Both perform identically from a protection standpoint. The choice is purely personal.
Dynamic
Best for collectors who prefer the classic rounded edge style. Economical. Slightly frosted appearance.
Audiophile
Best for collectors who want HDPE protection with the traditional look of a paper inner. Slightly stiffer due to the rice paper layer, which helps prevent bunching. The most popular option.
Not sure? Order a Sample Pack and try both.
Yes, perfectly normal. The crinkling is a characteristic of the thin HDPE film and has no effect on performance. We keep the film thin deliberately - a thicker film would make the sleeve too bulky to fit inside most printed inners.
If you prefer a smooth finish, our Dynamic or Quadraphonic sleeves use thicker HDPE without the rice paper layer.
Yes, this is normal. The rice paper insert is there to stiffen the sleeve, not to cover the record. It sits between the two HDPE layers and never touches the vinyl.
Yes. HDPE is naturally anti-static, which helps prevent dust from clinging to your records during storage. If a record arrives very heavily charged, the sleeve alone may not fully dissipate it - cleaning the record first will give better results.
Same shape, same material (HDPE), very similar size. The key difference is thickness: our Dynamic sleeves are 50 microns, Nagaoka sleeves are approximately 25 microns.
We chose 50 microns because thinner sleeves tend to collapse when inserting a record, making them fiddly to use. Our sleeves are also plain - Nagaoka print their branding on theirs.
Crystal Gatefold Outer Sleeves
The Crystal Gatefold sleeve has a 10mm central slit designed to accommodate gatefold spines. If your album's spine is wider than 10mm, it will crimp - switch to a Density sleeve for those.
If the spine is under 10mm but still crimping, try pulling the inner sleeves slightly out of the jacket before fitting. The inner sleeves can push against the spine from inside and cause the Crystal to crimp at the fold.
The jacket should sit at the very bottom of the sleeve. Any excess plastic should sit at the top. If the jacket is centred, the extra plastic crumples. Slide the jacket down to the bottom seam and reseal.
Any remaining waviness usually flattens out once the records are stored vertically. Jacket dimensions vary by up to 5mm between pressings, so very large or unusual sizes may not always fit perfectly.
Clarity Outer Sleeves
The adhesive is reusable and designed to stay tacky for years. You can open and reseal the sleeve repeatedly without any loss of adhesion.
If you play the same record several times a week and want a non-resealable option, our Density sleeves are better suited to frequent use.
50 microns.
The Clarity Double fits:
- Single LP
- Single Gatefold LP
- Double LP
- Double Gatefold LP
For anything thicker than a double gatefold, you will need a Clarity Triple.
No. Clarity sleeves are outer sleeves designed to hold the record in its jacket - not as direct-contact storage for bare vinyl. For inner sleeves safe for direct vinyl contact, use our Audiophile or Dynamic ranges.
Single LPs will fit into a Clarity Double sleeve with a slightly looser fit - approximately 1mm of extra space per side. For the best presentation, use a Clarity Single sleeve with a Single LP.
Our Clarity sleeves are made from 50-micron BOPP (polypropylene), which is delicate - handle them carefully as they can split at the seams if forced. We have a fitting guide on our website that walks you through the best technique.
Yes. The adhesive is acrylic-based, derived from petroleum. No animal products are used.
General Questions
No. Mylar is approximately ten times the cost of polypropylene or polyethylene to manufacture, so we don't offer it. Both polypropylene (Clarity and Crystal sleeves) and polyethylene (Density sleeve) are acid-free and excellent for long-term storage.
We don't sell PVC sleeves either - they off-gas over time and can permanently damage vinyl and jacket artwork.
Our sleeves are made from odourless materials, so the smell is coming from your records or jackets, not the sleeves. Musty jackets and mouldy records can transfer their odour to anything stored near them.
Keep records in a warm, dry, well-ventilated space, and make sure records are completely dry before re-sleeving them. If records are sleeved whilst still damp, mould growth can occur, which is harder to shift.
In most cases, yes. Our largest sleeve is approximately 327mm wide, and the majority of record cases have an internal width and height of 335-340mm, giving a 10-15mm cushion.
If in doubt, check that your case's internal dimensions are at least 330mm before ordering.
Yes. Our entire range of record sleeves is acid-free.
PVC degrades over time and releases gases that react with the vinyl surface, leaving a matte or mottled finish. Storing lots of PVC sleeves together accelerates this.
We don't sell them because they can damage the very records they are meant to protect.
Paper is abrasive, breaks down over time, and leaves fibres and dirt deposits in your record grooves. It also causes static build-up.
We use HDPE because it is chemically inert, soft, and naturally anti-static - everything paper is not.
All of our sleeves are fully recyclable in the UK:
- Density: Type 2 (HDPE)
- Audiophile: Type 2 (HDPE) - separate the rice paper layer before recycling
- Dynamic: Type 4 (LDPE)
- Clarity: Type 5 (PP)
They are not biodegradable, and deliberately so. A sleeve that breaks down over time would eventually damage the records it is protecting. Record sleeves are a long-term storage product, not single-use plastic.
No. Our sleeves are completely plain - no branding, no watermarks. Your collection is yours.
Yes, HDPE is safe. It is chemically inert, meaning it does not react with vinyl and does not cause fogging. Unlike PVC, it stays completely stable over decades. It is the same material used in food packaging and is widely regarded as the safest plastic for long-term vinyl storage.
LDPE (polyethylene) offers UV protection and off-gasses at a lower rate than PP (polypropylene), making it the better option for long-term archival storage. PP is slightly clearer, which some collectors prefer for display.
Both are good choices - it comes down to whether you prioritise protection or presentation.
You can reduce it, but it is very difficult to eliminate entirely. The most effective approach:
- Keep musty covers away from your main collection - the smell transfers.
- Store them in a well-ventilated space with fresh air circulation, not in a sealed unit.
- Open gatefold sleeves and remove inner sleeves to maximise airflow.
Patience and ventilation are your best tools. Tobacco and mould smells in particular tend to linger.
Keep records away from direct sunlight and avoid bright rooms for long-term storage. UV damage is cumulative - even indirect light causes fading over time.
Our Density sleeves include UV inhibitors and provide the best protection in our range. If you prefer a clearer sleeve, our Crystal range is a good alternative, though it offers less UV protection.
Some fading over decades is inevitable unless records are stored in the dark.