8 Efficient Types of Mailroom Furniture for Sorting Mail & Literature

Offices, hospitals, universities, and any other facilities that manage a high volume of mail or literature rely on appropriate equipment and furniture to accommodate an efficient system of sorting and filing.  When you need to efficiently manage mail, parcels, supplies, forms, brochures, and other literature, choosing the right mailroom furniture is a must. (See videos )

So what kinds of mailroom furniture are out there? Most mailroom furniture falls into one of two categories: sorters or casework. Mail sorters contain slots and shelves for efficiently organizing and distributing literature and mail. Casework refers to cabinets or tables that provide counters and storage space for bulk supplies. We offer hundreds of eco-friendly options for mailroom furniture configurations, and you can design tailor cabinets and sorters to meet your exact specifications. Read on to learn about the following eight efficient types of mailroom furniture:

• Mailroom furniture kits
• Standalone sorters
• Tabletop sorters
• Hanging folder sorters
• Pass-thru wall sorters
• Locking mail slot cabinets
• Bulk sorting shelving
• Satellite mailroom cabinets

Mailroom Furniture Kits

Mailroom furniture kits are the premier mail sorting solution. Combining base cabinets with tabletop sorters, these modular kits can be customized from hundreds of options to suit your literature sorting needs.

The mailroom tables and consoles are the strongest in the industry, constructed with an aluminum extrusion framework and reinforced with modesty panels on three sides. Additional options include wheels, adjustable height legs, dump rims, and shelves. You can also choose enclosed consoles with sliding doors for more secure storage space, as well as open options for easy storage access or tables with room to nest an office chair. The flexible counter space can serve as a work surface, accommodate equipment like printers or copiers, or fulfill any purpose that suits your needs.

The sorting modules have adjustable, slide-out shelves that you can easily arrange to best meet your sorting needs even as they change over time. The shelves adjust on 1-inch increments and have no sharp edges that could cause hand injuries during rapid sorting. We recommend choosing transparent shelves, which give mailroom staff better visibility of stored documents, especially those high up.

For the most convenient organization, the shelves come equipped with label holders and an Excel/Word template for creating professional, easy-to-read labels. Snap-on plastic label protectors make changing labels easier than ever while also keeping them secure, eliminating hassles of sticky labels peeling off over time. And colored label options give you an edge on organization, making efficient sorting as quick and easy as possible.

Enhance your mailroom kit with accessories including riser platforms, dump rims, and overhead display boards for a solution optimized for your sorting needs. Designers can customize a mailroom kit to meet your exact needs on our BIM Revit website, where they will choose a template and adjust the measurements and finishes according to your requirements. The pricing automatically updates with the customizations to help you make sure you’re staying within your budget. Finished designs will be shipped to you ready to install. Learn more about designing modular casework with Revit BIM technology here.

Standalone Sorters

Standalone mail sorters are sturdy, solid-backed shelving units designed to maximize your sorting space. Customize these systems to any design that best suits your requirements, whether with all slots, a closed base, a bottom storage area with or without sliding doors, a slide-out reference shelf, cabinets with slots for depositing outgoing mail, and hinged or roll-down shutter doors.

Slots come in letter-size, legal-size, or oversized configurations. Each transparent shelf can support up to 35 pounds and shares the adjustability and labeling capabilities discussed above. With a durable laminate finish, the furniture-grade cabinets are resistant to scratch, dent, and rust, and they have a seven-year depreciation schedule.

Tabletop Sorters

Tabletop sorters for mail and literature are designed to mount atop an existing counter or desk. These laminate desktop sorters come in three sizes (letter, legal, or oversized), with a range of heights and columns. Choose riser platforms to elevate the mailroom sorter to a desired height above the countertop, creating extra storage space and easier access to the slots. You can also choose single-entry or dual-entry (pass-through) options.

Like the standalone sorters, the tabletop sorters come in a laminate finish that is scratch, dent, and rust resistant, and you can adjust the slide-out transparent shelves for the most efficient use of space. Tabletop sorters also have the same labeling capabilities as both of the above options, with clear plastic label holders and an Excel/Word template for secure and easy labeling.

Hanging Folder Sorters

An alternative to the standard horizontal slots, some mail sorters come with racks of hanging file folders for efficient organization and storage of mail, literature, forms, brochures, and more. Hanging folder sorters are made of a recyclable polystyrene material that is sturdy yet lightweight. Available in standalone or desktop models, the sorters are constructed of interlocking bin modules that you can reconfigure on demand (with no tools required) to accommodate changing storage needs. Closed backs are also modular and can be installed selectively to each sort module as needed. You can also combine hanging folder modules with horizontal slots in a single sorter.

Polypropylene folders are suspended from rails and provide the most storage efficiency for literature and forms since you can compress them to eliminate wasted air space. Thus, these sorters are best used for low activity materials to save storage space. For example, applications with infrequently delivered mail, such as university student mailrooms, can save space by choosing hanging folder sorters over the standard shelved sorters.

You can interlock folders together with snaps, which saves frustration in finding and accessing folders since you can slide them along the rail and open them with less effort. Folders come with white labels and an affixed 5-inch long tilting magnified label index which makes it easy to read labels and identify the correct folder when sorting or retrieving literature. Additional index labels are available with color tips for more efficient coding and indexing.

Pass-Thru Wall Sorters

Pass-thru wall sorters install directly into a wall and allow dual entry to mail slots from both sides of the wall. This is an excellent option for large mailrooms where mail needs to be passed from the mail center to staff in different areas (click here to read about how a design firm implemented this). The standard open design facilitates ease of workflow in passing materials between staff; options with doors are also available for more security.

Locking Mail Slot Cabinets

The best solution for secure distribution of mail to recipients is locking mail slot cabinets. These sturdy steel cabinets are equipped with hinged doors for each compartment, complete with individual key locks (digital options also available) and mail drop slots. Choose from an open-backed wall pass-through style that allows convenient distribution directly from a mailroom, or a closed back non-pass-through option where mail is deposited through front slots.

Bulk Sorting Shelving

When it comes to preliminary mail sorting, bulk sorting bins and shelves provide great mail storage efficiency. Available in two to four tiers and with level or angled shelves, these open, high-density shelving units offer space for bulk bins that you can use to improve mailroom operations and store mail for easier organization and distribution.

Mailroom cabinets are available as a standalone option which can serve as a central station for mail distribution and collection in high-traffic areas on each floor or within each department of an office building or other facility. Standard units include hinged locking doors and one adjustable shelf. The option of a mail slot for each door makes it a perfect station for consolidating outgoing mail in addition to distribution. You can also add sorters to these cabinets for a full mailroom kit.

Mail Delivery Carts Aid Parcel Distribution

In addition to mailroom furniture, mail carts are a convenient aid to mail delivery and distribution, especially in larger facilities where parcels must be transported to multiple drop-off stations. These flexible carts have a modular design to allow you to adjust the configuration based on your needs. Standard wire options have two basket levels and one or two ergonomic handles, allowing you to conveniently load and transport packages and mail. Or choose state-of-the-art platform carts for the most efficient transportation and delivery of mail and packages.

Contact Us for Mailroom Furniture

Southwest Solutions Group® provides design and installation services for all types of mailroom furniture. We will also provide you with a free consultation to determine your exact needs and specifications before the design process begins. To learn more or to speak with a representative, call us at 1-800-803-1083 or send us a message today.

Resources

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Mail Room Storage Overview

Mailroom Casework

Mailroom Casework Specs

Mailroom Casework CSI Specifications

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