Vitsoe vs USM shelving
I have an extensive Vitsoe 606 shelving setup but plan to extend certain places with USM cabinets. What are the main differences?
Someone asked this question on Twitter recently. Both are great brands with great products that have been used for decades. They are iconic and still used after so many years. This is a subjective comparison; obviously, they are very different regarding looks and usability. I have an extensive Vitsoe 606 setup but plan to extend certain places with USM. Some friends use USM, and I've seen them as well. Personally, for me, the main differences are:
- Vitsoe is much more flexible. It has more shelves with variable widths. You can have shelves for CDs, Books, Magazines, Vinyls, and big books. They start at 16 cm and go up to 36cm. The Flexibility is insane. USM doesn't have that kind of flexibility. If you have many paperback books, you must buy the shorter USM shelves, but you can't combine them with larger ones. With Vitsoe, you can mix and match shelves easily.
- In my opinion, Vitsoe has a more refined taste. It's more minimal, and it's truly modular. You can use Vitsoe for your kitchen and maybe later in your life for your office. If you have kids, Vitsoe shelves can grow with you. USM has colored shelves, so adapting them later in life is harder. And you can't use a TV USM cabinet somewhere else.
- Vitsoe has extensions like open-back cabinets, kitchen cabinets, and desks in various settings. If you're into Vinyl, you can buy rare Braun Audio equipment that Dieter Rams has designed, which perfectly fits into Vitsoe shelving, but not so much with USM.
- USM is full metal and high quality. If you buy it, it'll outlive you. Vitsoe is also made well, though I think USM is one level better here. USM uses stainless steel in most places, and Vitsoe uses aluminum and MDF for its cabinets.
- USM works nicely for cabinets, such as TVs, wardrobes, or small floor cabinets. It has more colors, so you can have a more artistic room if you want (think of Andy Warhol; he would probably use USM). They have nice colors, and they are made for life. Vitsoe works better for the office, though it's quite flexible. It's more under the radar, more technical and brutal, but also more minimal. It's a masterpiece from Dieter Rams.
- Vitsoe needs a wall or a skeleton for non-wall options X-Post. Once you establish a Vitsoe project, it's not easy to disassemble it and move it. With USM, it's self-contained furniture. You can carry it and put it elsewhere. However, once you have a structure with Vitsoe, it's fully modular. You can change the layout, shelves, and cabinets to your liking. With USM, you have to disassemble the furniture.
Of course, furniture is highly personal and subjective to feelings. There is no right or wrong here; furniture grows with people. The more you spend time with it, the more you understand if it's right for you. I have/had many things that I changed over time, and some that I love to use and look at every single day (i.e., Vitsoe).