Is Colby the same as Dexion?

No. They're separate, competing brands with their own product ranges and connector designs. They get grouped together in conversation because they're the two names buyers hear most often, not because they're interchangeable.

Can I buy new Colby components to extend an old system?

Only if the existing range is still current and the supplier can match connector type, frame profile and rated combination. Ask before you assume; product ranges get superseded.

Does Colby racking need a different inspection process to other brands?

No. How often a system needs checking and who's qualified to do it doesn't change by brand. What changes is what the inspector needs to correctly identify first.

Where do most secondhand Colby listings come from?

A mix of decommissioned warehouse fit-outs, liquidations and dealer stock. None of that tells you condition or completeness, which is why checking the physical stock matters more than the source description.

Colby racking

If a used racking listing doesn't say Dexion, there's a good chance it says Colby. It's the other Australian name that shows up constantly in secondhand stock, auction lots and warehouse fit-out enquiries, and it deserves the same care before you assume anything about what you're buying.

Last updated 2026-08-23

The other name in every used listing

Colby is one of the longest-running names in Australian pallet racking supply, and alongside Dexion it accounts for a large share of what turns up in the secondhand market. That popularity is useful for buyers because parts and whole systems are relatively easy to find, but it also means a lot of stock has passed through multiple sites, multiple owners and, sometimes, modifications before it reaches a new listing.

What Colby racking typically looks like

Most Colby stock you'll encounter is selective pallet racking: braced upright frames with beams locking into connectors down the face, built for forklift access to every pallet position. Beyond that general shape, connector style, frame profile and hole spacing have varied across Colby's product range over the years, which is exactly why two Colby-labelled pieces bought from different sources don't automatically belong together.

The brand also turns up in longspan and light shelving form, not just heavy pallet racking, so a warehouse can genuinely run Colby product across more than one storage type at once. Confirm which product family a specific quote or listing actually refers to before comparing prices against a different one.

Confirming it's actually Colby

A listing that says 'Colby' or 'Colby-style' isn't the same claim. If you're relying on the brand to know what you're getting, confirm the brand from the frame and connector details rather than the seller's description. The same caution applies to anything sold as compatible with another well-known name — compatible with what, exactly, is the question worth asking.

New stock, used stock, and what changes

Unlike some older Australian brands, Colby continues to supply new racking as well as circulating heavily in the secondhand market. That said, most of the Colby you'll price up for a warehouse fit-out will be secondhand, and new versus used stock carries its own set of checks regardless of brand. Provenance matters as much as brand name: where the stock came from, and whether it was decommissioned as a matched set.

Any uncertainty about condition or capacity, on Colby or any other brand, is exactly what a racking inspection is for.

Mixing brands and extending existing runs

Pairing a Colby frame with another brand's beam because the connectors happen to engage is not evidence the combination was ever tested together. If you're extending an existing run, match the range as closely as you can and treat anything uncertain as a question for the manufacturer or a competent person, not a call to make on site. The same logic applies after forklift contact damage to a single frame or beam: replace like-for-like within the same range, not with whatever happens to fit.

Common questions

Is Colby the same as Dexion?: No. They're separate, competing brands with their own product ranges and connector designs. They get grouped together in conversation because they're the two names buyers hear most often, not because they're interchangeable.
Can I buy new Colby components to extend an old system?: Only if the existing range is still current and the supplier can match connector type, frame profile and rated combination. Ask before you assume; product ranges get superseded.
Does Colby racking need a different inspection process to other brands?: No. How often a system needs checking and who's qualified to do it doesn't change by brand. What changes is what the inspector needs to correctly identify first.
Where do most secondhand Colby listings come from?: A mix of decommissioned warehouse fit-outs, liquidations and dealer stock. None of that tells you condition or completeness, which is why checking the physical stock matters more than the source description.

Part of our guide to identifying a racking brand.