TL;DR
Kathi tried Smead’s tiered Stadium File Organizer and recommends it as a quick fix for paper piles on a desk or kitchen counter. Its stepped pockets show every tab clearly and hold more than 900 sheets. It is cardboard, so it won’t last forever and is hard to move when full, but it suits anyone with a small amount of paper.
I recently had the chance to try out the new Stadium File Organizer from Smead.
There are a few things that I really like about this product. As a Professional Organizer I find myself saying over and over again, ‘keep your papers vertical and away from piles on your desk.’
Unless you are one the rare, and there are a few I admit, professional paper pilers, papers need to stay far, far away from horizontal stacks of any variety.
A few of the features of this system include lightweight construction, the ability to hold numerous sheets of paper (900+), and the flexibility of your filing categories. You can choose to organize your papers by month, A-Z, or by household subject. If you need to subdivide your categories, this system also accommodates letter size file folders.
The thing that I like best about this system is that it is tiered and stepped so you can see all of the tabs and headings clearly. As you insert papers into the system, they fall nicely into their own category and because the bottom is also stepped up, the papers are easily retrieved later.
One downside to this system is that is is not easy to pick up or move when it is full and again, a plastic version would last a bit longer. It is a quick fix, however, and should be considered if you have piles of papers clogging up your desk or kitchen counter right now.
For those of you who have only a small amount of papers to manage, this might be a good tool to use. It is cardboard so it won’t last forever but this also keeps the pricing reasonable. If your papers are piled right now, consider checking out this new Smead organizing product.
Keep reading
- Paper OrganizationDecide on every paper as it arrives and keep an action file on your desk.
- Tired of Being Buried Under Paperwork?What you can shred, what to keep and how to stop receipts from piling up.
Frequently asked questions
Why should papers be kept vertical instead of in piles?
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Kathi tells clients over and over to keep papers vertical and away from piles on the desk. Unless you are one of the rare people who can manage piles, papers in horizontal stacks are hard to sort and find, so file them upright.
What does Kathi like about the Smead stadium file?
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It is tiered and stepped, so you can see all of the tabs and headings clearly. Papers drop neatly into their own category and are easy to pull out later. It holds more than 900 sheets and lets you sort by month, A to Z or household subject.
What are the downsides of the Smead stadium file?
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It is made of cardboard, so it won’t last forever, and it is not easy to pick up or move once it is full. Kathi notes a plastic version would last longer, but the cardboard keeps the price reasonable for people with a small amount of paper.
