At One Place

Bookshelf vs Filing cabinet

Bookshelf vs filing cabinet
Filing cabinet is larger on weight
Filing cabinet is somewhat greater than bookshelf on weight — about 1.2×.

A bookshelf and a filing cabinet can be compared on 4 measures. The figures below are typical adult or full-size values, with the larger of the two in bold.

Side by side

Larger value in bold. Ranges reflect genuine variation, not uncertainty.
Bookshelf Filing cabinet
Weight 12–80 kg 18–90 kg
Height 80–220 cm 70–140 cm
Width 60–120 cm 38–107 cm
Typical cost 40–800 $ 80–1,000 $

What the numbers say

  • Filing cabinet is somewhat greater than bookshelf on weight — about 1.2×.
  • Bookshelf is somewhat greater than filing cabinet on height — about 1.4×.
  • Bookshelf is 2.1× filing cabinet on width.
  • Filing cabinet is 1.6× bookshelf on typical cost.

Weight compared.

Filing cabinet 18–90 kg
Bookshelf 12–80 kg

Bookshelf

A vertical case of horizontal shelves, usually needing to be anchored to a wall for stability.

Filing cabinet

A steel cabinet of suspension-file drawers, either vertical or wider lateral format.

This is a comparison of published measurements, nothing more. It describes how two things differ on measures that have been recorded; it does not predict how they would fare against each other in any situation.

Common questions

Which is bigger, bookshelf or filing cabinet?
Filing cabinet is somewhat greater than bookshelf on weight — about 1.2×. Both figures are typical values; the full range for each is in the table above.
How do bookshelves and filing cabinets compare on height?
Bookshelf: 80–220 cm. Filing cabinet: 70–140 cm. Bookshelf is somewhat greater than filing cabinet on height — about 1.4×.
How do bookshelves and filing cabinets compare on width?
Bookshelf: 60–120 cm. Filing cabinet: 38–107 cm. Bookshelf is 2.1× filing cabinet on width.

Related pages

Sources

  1. Typical range compiled from manufacturer specifications — At One Place

How these figures are compiled and checked