Collector tools · Records

Vinyl record shipping weight.

Add up the disc, the jacket, the inner sleeve and the box. See the total in grams, ounces and pounds, the pound USPS bills, and the Media Mail price per record.

Selling a stack of LPs usually starts with a forum answer. A Polk Audio forum thread called “Shipping vinyl” (March 2008) gives the classic one: “10 albums weighs about 5lbs packed, but that varies if the vinyl is thicker, with doubles”. The poster also lists gatefold sleeves as a variable. Those variables are exactly the fields below, so you can swap the rule of thumb for your own weights.

Short answer: total weight = records × (disc + jacket + inner sleeve) + box + padding. Ten single LPs with 180 g discs, and assumed 100 g jackets, 30 g inner sleeves, a 300 g box and 150 g of padding weigh 3,550 g, or 7.83 lb. USPS prices by pound not over, so that is billed as 8 lb: $9.55 by Media Mail, $0.96 a record.

Sources listed belowChecked 26 October 2026

What goes on the scale

Wikipedia’s phonograph record article says a full-size 12-inch LP can weigh anywhere from 80 to 200 grams, with around 180 grams usually considered ideal and 180 to 220 grams common for heavyweight audiophile pressings. That is the disc alone. The jacket, the inner sleeve, the shipping box and the padding are separate weights that nobody can quote for you, because they vary by release and by how you pack. Weigh one of each on a kitchen scale, enter them, and the multiplication does the rest. A double album means two discs and, usually, two inner sleeves under one jacket.

How USPS counts the pounds

USPS Notice 123 (effective 4 October 2026) prices Media Mail retail single-piece parcels by “Weight Not Over (lbs.)”: $4.39 for 1 lb, $5.13 for 2 lb, $5.86 for 3 lb, $6.60 for 4 lb, $7.34 for 5 lb, $8.08 for 6 lb, $9.55 for 8 lb and $11.02 for 10 lb, continuing to 70 lb. A parcel over 7 lb therefore falls in the 8 lb row. This tool shows how many grams of room are left before the next step, which is useful when one more record would tip the price.

Records can go Media Mail

The Domestic Mail Manual, section 3.1, lists the items that may be mailed at Media Mail prices, and “sound recordings, including incidental announcements of recordings” are on the list. Media Mail is limited to the listed content, so a parcel that mixes in other goods does not qualify. If you ship something else with the records, price it another way.

Checking the rule of thumb

Ten albums at 5 lb is about 227 g an album. The worked example below comes to 355 g an album because a box and padding are included in it, and the 100 g jacket and 30 g sleeve are assumed figures. The forum poster’s caveat applies in both directions: thicker vinyl, doubles and gatefolds push the figure up.

Worked example

Ten single LPs. Disc 180 g (the Wikipedia figure for ideal weight). The jacket at 100 g, the inner sleeve at 30 g, the box at 300 g and the padding at 150 g are assumptions made up for this example, so treat them as unverified and weigh your own. Each release is 180 + 100 + 30 = 310 g; ten of them are 3,100 g; add 300 and 150 for 3,550 g. That is 125.2 oz or 7.83 lb, billed as 8 lb at $9.55. The row has 79 g of room before the 9 lb price of $10.29 applies.

What this page does not cover

It prices only Media Mail retail single-piece. It does not include other USPS services, zones, insurance, tracking, handling fees or dimensional weight, and it does not cover 7-inch singles, boxed sets or shellac records, whose weights differ. It assumes the contents qualify for Media Mail.

Common mix-ups

Often assumedMedia Mail is only for books, so records have to ship at a higher rate.

What the source saysThe Domestic Mail Manual lists the items that may be mailed at Media Mail prices, and sound recordings, including incidental announcements of recordings, are on the list. The content must still fit the list. ^[1]
Often assumedA parcel that weighs 7 lb 9 oz is priced at the 7 lb rate.

What the source saysThe Media Mail retail table is priced by weight not over a whole number of pounds. A parcel over 7 lb falls in the 8 lb row, which is $9.55 against $8.81 for 7 lb in the October 2026 table. ^[2]

Checked against these sources on 2026-10-26.

Frequently asked questions

How much does a vinyl record weigh?

Wikipedia says a full-size 12-inch LP can weigh 80 to 200 grams, with around 180 grams usually considered ideal. That is the disc without its jacket.

How much do 10 albums weigh when packed?

One Polk Audio forum poster in 2008 said about 5 lb, with caveats. Your own box, jackets and padding decide it, so weigh them and enter the numbers.

Can I ship records by Media Mail?

Yes. The Domestic Mail Manual lists sound recordings among the items that may be mailed at Media Mail prices. Other goods in the same parcel can disqualify it.

How does USPS round the weight?

Notice 123 prices by weight not over a whole number of pounds, so a parcel a little over 7 lb is billed as 8 lb.

Do I include the box and padding?

Yes. They are part of what USPS weighs. Enter them in the box and padding fields.

What about a double album?

Set discs per release to 2 and add the heavier jacket weight. The inner sleeve weight is counted once per disc.

Sources and how it is calculated

Retrieved26 October 2026

Disc weights are from Wikipedia and Media Mail prices from Notice 123, read on 26 October 2026. The rule of thumb is a single 2008 forum post. Jacket, sleeve, box and padding weights in the worked example are assumptions, not sourced figures.

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Weigh before you quote

The jacket, sleeve, box and padding weights in the example are assumed. Weigh your own packed parcel and confirm the price with USPS before charging a buyer.