Best pallet racking protector

Finding reviews of the best pallet racking protectors is not an everyday topic. Yet we aim to fill this niche to help warehouse managers source the best products for their operations. Below, we’ve reviewed this critical product line to assist you in deciding which products you should select and procure.

What is a pallet racking protector?

A pallet racking protector is an accessory designed to strengthen and protect pallet racking. In a dynamic environment such as a warehouse, bumps and collisions—typically from mobile warehouse equipment like forklifts, hand pallet jacks, and electric pallet jacks—are inevitable. Forklift-borne pallets can also catch corners, posts, and beams. Therefore, rack protection is not only recommended by warehouse safety experts but necessary. We have provided descriptions of several products you might want to install through this WarehouseIQ product category roundup.

Excessive wear and tear to pallet racking can weaken its ability to hold inventory. When its integrity is compromised, it poses a significant safety hazard to warehouse operations. A collapse of loaded pallet racking is not only dangerous to workers and pedestrians but can result in operational shutdowns, loss of productivity, and physical damage to the warehouse and its stock.

Pallet racking protectors are made from various materials such as rubber, plastic, and steel. They are designed to absorb the energy from bumps so that it is not transferred to the racking structure.

Best bollards to protect racks

A bollard is a short post used to guide traffic and protect against vehicle impacts. Plastic versions can be used as vehicle guides but do not offer much impact protection. Typically, bollards are made of steel and bolted to a concrete floor to obstruct vehicles from colliding with pallet racking. A row of these is your best option to prevent collisions with racking or other warehouse equipment and structures. Some bollards come with bolt kits for easy installation. While bollards are perhaps the best pallet racking protectors, they don’t offer much protection to the forklift that hits them. However, they can stop disastrous impacts, maintaining safety and preventing massive insurance claims.

Recommended brand: 8Net

Best rack guards to protect uprights

Rack guards are accessories that attach to the floor to protect racking uprights. Made of steel and rubber, they are designed to absorb the impact of a collision and minimize damage. These guards are bolted to the floor and usually painted with corrosion-proof paint. Besides protecting pallet racking, they can also shield wall corners and other equipment from damage due to collisions. See a selection of rack guards here.

Recommended brand: Vestil

Plastic rack guards to absorb impact

These innovative, easy-to-install guards are made of plastic and are designed to inhibit impact. They attach to the face of the upright frame without bolts. However, these systems won’t stop a forklift or pallet when it strikes the racking but are intended to absorb the impact. See rack guard products.

Recommended brand: Yellow Jacket and Eagle

A final word about pallet racking protectors

There are many vendors offering products, each claiming to have the best pallet racking protector in their product variations. We see a lot of them every other year at Promat. If you have comments about these products or a recommendation, send us a note at [email protected].