Though you might assume that all drawer slides work the same way, several characteristics can affect their functionality. What to Consider When Choosing the Best Drawer Slides Two downsides to European drawer slides are that they tend to have lower weight capacities than side mount or undermount slides, and the soft-close feature is not always available for this style of slide. And, because they use nylon rollers rather than ball bearings, they’re typically inexpensive, too. One advantage of European slides is they’re easy to install: They are simply attached to the bottom edge of a drawer, so there’s no guesswork involved when it comes to placement. European SlidesĪlso known as bottom mount drawer slides, European slides are attached to the bottom edge of the drawer and the side of the cabinet. For this reason, they’re not a good option for drawers that will contain heavy items. Another disadvantage of center mount drawer slides is that they can’t hold as much weight as other types of slides. Made of either wood or metal and fairly easy to install, center mount drawer slides are less popular than other types of slides because they can easily come out of balance, causing the contents of your drawer to shift and slide around. While most drawer slides come in sets of two, center mount slides have just one bracket that attaches to the underside of the drawer. For these reasons, undermount drawer slides are typically used on high-end, custom-made cabinetry. Though they don’t require a lot of clearance between the sides of the drawer and the cabinet, they do have specific clearance requirements above and below the drawer. The disadvantage of undermount slides is that they are typically more expensive than other types of drawer slides. Undermount drawer slides are typically silent and don’t make the metal clicking sound that some other slides do. Because they are not visible when the drawer is open, these slides are a popular choice for those who don’t want metal hardware distracting from the look of their wood cabinetry. They connect to locking devices that attach to the underside of the drawer. Undermount drawer slides are sold in pairs and mount to the sides of the cabinet. To install these slides, you must have about ½ inch of clearance between each side of the drawer and the cabinet. One drawback of side mount slides, however, is that you can see them when the drawer is open. One of the primary advantages of side mount drawer slides is that you can remove drawers from cabinets easily, without using tools. Side mount drawer slides operate on rollers and are less expensive, but drawers on rollers typically cannot extend as far as those on ball bearings. Slides with ball bearings are typically made from high-quality steel and help drawers glide quietly and easily. Side mount drawer slides are sold in pairs and operate via one of two mechanisms: ball bearings or rollers. Although these slides do not support the bottom of the drawer, they can still bear a lot of weight. The most popular drawer slides are side mount drawer slides which, as their name suggests, attach to the sides of the drawers and cabinets. The type of slide that’s best for your needs will depend on your budget, how heavy the contents of your drawers are, and how much clearance you have between the drawers and the cabinets. There are several styles of drawer slides: side mount, undermount, center mount, and European. BEST EUROPEAN: Liberty 14-Inch Bottom Mount Drawer Slide.BEST UNDERMOUNT: Blum Tandem Drawer Slides.BEST SIDE MOUNT: PROMARK Full Extension Side Mount Drawer Slides. BEST BUDGET: Accuride 1029 Center Mount Slide.BEST OVERALL: LONTAN 20 Inch Drawer Slides Metal Drawer Slides.Read on to learn more about how to choose the best drawer slides for your next kitchen or bath DIY project. Slides that offer full extension are useful because they allow you to easily see and access the contents of the whole drawer. They are also outfitted with springs that help return the drawer gently to the cabinet. Soft-close drawer slides have high-quality dampers to prevent the drawers from slamming when you close them. This is easy to achieve with high-quality drawer slides, which are both easy to use and install. The drawers of your furniture should function easily and quietly. Rarely do we give a second thought to the way our cabinets and drawers open and close-that is, unless they squeak when they’re in motion and don’t glide on their tracks as easily as they should.
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