The best bookshelves

IKEA is known for making quality furniture at an affordable price, and the Billy Bookcase is no exception. Originally launched in 1979, its understated design and three different color options make it a versatile piece of furniture that can go with many décor styles.

It's also an ideal foundation for your library of books, especially if you plan on expanding your collection. You can build upon this unit as your collection grows with other Billy Shelving options. Apartment Therapy calls the Billy the "world's most versatile bookcase." It can give you the look of a full library without the high cost of other solutions like built-in bookshelves — so both your books and your wallet can rejoice.

If you're wondering how much the assembly of this bookshelf will cost you in the form of headaches and cursing, the answer is not much. Most reviewers found the Billy easy to assemble, and appreciated its high-quality look and feel as well as its perfect size. At nearly 80 inches tall and 31.5 inches wide, even one unit alone has the capacity to hold a lot of stuff, whether you're just displaying books, or a mix of books and knick-knacks. With adjustable shelves at a shelf depth of 11 inches, you'll be able to store most types of books and collectibles.

Insider Reviews' deputy editor Malarie Gokey owns a red Billy bookcase and loves it. It's stood up for three years already and houses a number of books, tea paraphernalia, and other collectibles. It was easy to put together in less than one hour.

Some people have a little trouble with their largest books hanging slightly over the edge. Personally, I typically use the fixed and bottom shelf of my bookcases for my heavier items and have never had an issue with this set-up. You will want to be conscious of how many large, heavier hardcover books you have if you are considering this bookshelf as it's wooden particleboard construction won't be quite as sturdy as solid wood.

According to IKEA, it's estimated that one Billy bookshelf is sold somewhere in the world every five seconds. While this may be more marketing hook than factual statistic, the Billy is a bookshelf that appears repeatedly in reviews, and is a clear favorite that shouldn't be overlooked.

Pros: Versatile style, easy assembly, easily expanded upon, good quality for the price

Cons: Fixed middle shelves, bookshelf depth won't fit some oversized books, wood particleboard construction

Just because you don't have a lot of space doesn't mean you should hide your book collection away. The Lack wall shelf unit turns tradition on its side by having you lay your books down and stack them rather than display them vertically as you would with a traditional bookshelf.

If you don't have a corner to spare, consider mounting it horizontally rather than vertically over your bed to serve a dual purpose of headboard and bookshelf. Instead of feeling limited by your small space, use it as inspiration to get more innovative with the room you do have — you may surprise yourself with your creativity.

As a wall-mounted shelf, the Lack isn't ideal for very heavy books, but it is sturdy enough to hold smaller collections. Each shelf holds up to 6 pounds when the unit is hung vertically or 55 pounds total when hung horizontally. At almost 75 inches tall, with a width of 11 inches and a shelf depth of 11 inches, the Lack gives you enough space to store even oddly shaped books without taking up much space.

It is made of particleboard, but most reviewers have found it to be a stable unit that is easy to install. If you want to store heavier items, these shelves may not be sturdy enough, but if you follow the weight specifications, the Lack will make for a unique and space-saving way to stash your books and collectibles.

Pros: Space-saving design, easy assembly, versatile

Cons: Not able to hold heavy items

On its own, the Lawrence Bookcase features four shelves, but these units are currently being offered in a bundle of two, which is even better if you have a larger book collection or you know you'll be buying more books in the future. The sleek design will fit in seamlessly with the rest of your space, while the ladder style provides some visual interest. Each bookshelf is 60 inches tall and about 20 inches wide.

Because this is a ladder-style shelving unit, the largest shelf is on the bottom, and the shelves get progressively smaller as you go up. Larger and heavier items can go on the bottom, while smaller and lighter books and collectibles can be perched at the top. The shelves themselves are made of laminated particleboard, but the metal frame provides reinforcement and stability. Both shelving units come with plastic foot caps to save your floors from scratches. You might expect extras like this to come with a more expensive bookshelf, but together, two bookshelves can be had for less than $100.

Ladder style bookshelves typically have a more open design than traditional bookshelves. The open design may make it difficult to keep books upright, in which case you should get bookends or stack them artfully on their sides.

Pros: Affordable, sturdy for the price, easy assembly, sleek and modern design

Cons: Some reviewers felt the open design didn't adequately hold their books

The phrase "start them early" can apply to anything from teaching your kids their colors to encouraging them to eat nutritious foods. It especially applies to cultivating a love for books. The earlier you introduce children to the magic that is nestled between the pages of a good book, the more likely they are to enjoy reading as they grow up. With any luck, it's a passion that will stay with them all the way into adulthood.

Whether you're in full-on nesting mode or you want a fun solution to keep your child's books organized, the Babyletto Spruce Tree Bookcase is both functional and adorable. It comes in four different color options: green, white, gray, and a two-tone design with a gray trunk and mint green branches. There are six branches in total, each one with the capacity to hold 12 to 15 books.

The Babyletto Spruce Tree is comprised of all non-toxic parts made from CARB II compliant MDF (medium density fiberboard). CARB II refers to California's composite wood products regulation and is considered a standard across the United States. The regulation makes it so the emissions released from plywood, particleboard, and MDF are kept to a minimum. This ensures that the air we breathe is kept free of harmful carcinogens, which is especially important for anything that will be placed in a child's room.

This bookcase is easy to assemble and works well to store books as well as stuffed animals and small toys. If you want more storage, but like the look of this shelf, consider taking a page out of some reviewers' books (no pun intended) and safely secure it to a wall above another storage unit.

The baseboard can prevent the bookcase from sitting flush against the wall, so you might consider getting a different bracket system from the hardware store or cutting a notch out of the trunk. Even with a little DIY work, many people have found this bookshelf to be worth the purchase because of how well-made it is and the charm it adds to any room.

Pros: Unique design, easy assembly, constructed from non-toxic materials

Cons: Won't fit a large collection of books, may need to be altered to sit flush against the wall

We're hoping to test this modular shelving system from online home startup Floyd. It's ultra durable, made from birch plywood with steel shelves, and really easy to assemble. The modern and simple design can also grow or shrink with you as you move through life and different homes, thanks to various expansion units and add-on parts.