25 years ago when I started making cabinets choosing a drawer slide was pretty easy: most kitchens used an epoxy slide that was both simple to install and inexpensive.
To help you find the right drawer slide for your project, in this guide we’ll show you:
- Soft close drawer slides for ease of use and drawers that won’t slam
- Push to open slides that allow you to build drawers without hardware
- Heavy duty drawer slides for extra large loads
- Economy drawer slides for a budget project that still perform
But what makes for the best drawer slides? It’s not just the features, for longevity it is also the BRAND.
Top Picks
Best Side Mount Soft Close: Vadania Soft Close are a stylish black side mount slide with two springs, a smooth action and are QUIET.
Budget Sidemount: Lontan Soft Close are soft close ball bearing slides bundled in 6 or 10 packs. And at an affordable price are the best drawer slides on a budget.
Best Undermount: Blum 563H Undermount are the gold standard for drawer slides. However, due to COVID-related issues, Blum are widely unavailable to consumers.
Budget Undermount: Knobonly Undermount soft closing slides are available in bulk, and at a fraction of the Blum cost provide all the advantages of undermount slides.
Contents
Brand Matters When Choosing Drawer Slides
While you can take a look at retailers top selling lists to try and decide good from bad, it’s often a reflection of price (and advertising) that have sorted the list.
A better way to decide quality, though, is to look at industry certifications of the drawer manufacturer.
Top manufacturers will use certifications like BHMA, perform cycle testing on their drawer slides and have rigorous quality standards that will ensure initial and long-term quality.
So what are the top brands? The top brands in drawer slides are:
- Accuride
- Blum
- Fulterer
- Grass
- Knape & Vogt
- Liberty
There are others, but these manufacturers are well known and have been around a long time (some 60+ years).
Best Drawer Slides by Project Type
While there isn’t a single type of drawer slide that is best for all projects, there is a best drawer slide for most project types.
From frequency of use, budget and even retrofitting considerations let’s take a look at the best drawer slide for your project is:
- Most new kitchen cabinets should use an undermount soft close drawer slide
- If you don’t want knobs or handles then use push to open drawer slides on frameless cabinets (only – they don’t work on face frame cabinets).
- Dressers and less frequently used furniture can use a side mount soft close slide.
- Replacement dresser drawer slides typically have a center mount drawer slide.
- Garage or utility cabinets can use a budget soft close drawer slide
- For over 100-pound capacity drawers should use a heavy duty drawer slide
- Extra long drawer slides should use a heavy duty drawer slide
- Retrofit drawer slides are most commonly a high quality side mount soft close as they fit a standard 1/2″ side clearance.
- Keyboard trays will require a top mount drawer slide in most installations.
Best Drawer Slides
First and foremost there are so many different types of drawer slides that the following guide will give you, based on reviews and brand reputation, the best drawer slide based on type.
If you want the cheapest slide you can roll the dice and go with what’s popular. But, since slides take effort to install it’s not worth being surprised now or later when the drawer doesn’t operate.
1. Vadania VK1245 - Best Drawer Slides With Side Mount Soft Close
Shown: Vadania Push to Open (bulk)
Use for: New or retrofit drawers with 1/2″ side clearance
- Quiet operation as cheap slides “click” as each of the two extensions meet
- Full extension for reach to the back of the drawer
- Tight, well aligned tracks with a high count of ball bearings on the track
- Stylish black color
- Dual rear springs for pulling heavy drawers shut
Lastly, while Vadania is a newer distributor to the market, versus the many (many) imitation non-branded slides you’ll find online they have a website and support. And that’s a must when filtering out branded slides from imitators.
PROS
- High quality soft close
- Available from 12-24″
- 100 pound capacity
- Stylish black color
- 2 springs with metal damper
CONS
- Price
2. Blum Tandem - Best Undermount Drawer Slide With Soft Close
Use for: New or replacement drawers in kitchens and quality furniture
There are few reasons, in my mind, for new construction drawers in cabinets or furniture to look elsewhere.
The Blum Tandem soft close drawer slides are rock solid for opening, closing and have the best soft close mechanism I have found in a drawer.
Sure, you can find soft close cheaper.
And yes, you can use a bottom mount slide that will hide most of the slide.
But you won’t find the same performance and durability as this slide.
Key features of the Blum soft close drawer slide:
- Mounts underneath the drawer and invisible once installed
- Smooth opening action with minimal “pull to open” force
- Noiseless soft close operation – lacking the “click” common to soft close side mount slides
- Easy to install in both frameless and face frame cabinets with rear mount brackets. Refer to Blum Install Guide for more.
PROS
- Top quality soft close
- Top brand in undermount slides
- Made in USA
- BHMA certified for 100,000 open and close cycles (durability)
- Available in 9″, 12″, 15″, 18″ and 21″
- 100 pound capacity
- Invisible once installed
CONS
- Price
- Will not work with standard 1/2″ side clearance (requires custom drawer build)
3. Lontan - Best Drawer Slide on a Budget
Use for: New or retrofit drawers when budget is a concern
After using these Lontan side mount slides in a few projects I was surprised at the quality versus their great budget price. Similar to the Vadania in all but color, these slides are a great budget option to more expensive drawer slides.
PROS
- High quality soft close
- Budget friendly
- Available in bulk
- 2 springs to pull drawer shut
- 100 pound load capacity
CONS
- Visible once installed (side mount)
- Only available online
4. Vadania VF1245 - Best Push to Open Drawer Slide
Shown: Vadania Push to Open (bulk)
Use for: Drawers that won’t have knobs or handles in frameless cabinets
For modern kitchens where handles aren’t part of the design or function a push to open slide is where cabinetmakers turn to.
And with this slide still being visible, the modern look of the Vadania drawer slide is a great choice vs. the standard chrome-plated side mount slides.
Key Features:
- 100 pound capacity
- Black side mount
- Installs the same as a standard drawer slide
For other slides in this category, check out our guide to push to open drawer slides.
PROS
- Push to open allows for no hardware
- Stylish black slides
- Side mount for easy installation
- Works best in frameless cabinets
- Prevents slamming
- 100 pound load capacity
CONS
- Visible once installed (side mount)
- Works on face frame cabinets, but with drawer not flush to frame
5. Hettich 3320 - Best Drawer Slides for Heavy Drawers or Shelves
Use for: Drawers that require loads up to 500 pounds or extend up to 72″
When it comes to moving heavy loads, the best drawer slides for the job are an ultra heavy duty slide that can take 500 or more pounds of weight.
And while these are typically used in a garage, RV or commercial application you may find uses with interior cabinets when you need over 24″ of extension.
Key Features:
- 500 pound capacity
- German engineered, brand name slide
- Available in lengths 24 to 60″
- Installs the same as a standard side mount drawer slide with heavier duty bolts vs. screws (you supply the bolts)
- 3/4″ side clearance each side, 3″ height
For other options in this type of slide, check out our guide to heavy duty drawer slides.
PROS
- Built for heavy duty loads and wide drawers or shelves
- Noise absorbing ball spacers for quieter operation
- Brand name
- Side mount for easy installation
- Full extension
CONS
- Lacks drawer locks found in other slides
6. Accuride 1029 - Best Dresser Drawer Slide
Use for: Dresser drawer replacement with center mount slides (one slide on bottom)
While not ideal, dressers commonly use a center mount drawer slide that is installed on the drawer bottom. And, to it’s name, this slide is installed in the center of the drawer opening.
Since you’ll only use one slide vs. two this slide has a reduced load rating. And, due to that, it’s features are limited and you won’t find soft close or push to open options.
So why is Accuride the preferred center mount slide for dressers? Well, they are a top brand in ball bearing slides, are certified and in this category are known for durability and top reviews.
Key Features:
- 35 pound capacity
- Friction dismount
- Available in a variety of lengths
- Easy to install
PROS
- Simple installation for new or replacement dresser slides
- Certified slides
- Friction dismount for easy drawer removal
- Includes rear bracket
CONS
- Limited weight capacity of 35 pounds
- Lacks soft closing
- Drawer is not locked into place (friction only)
- Typically only 3/4 extension
7. Hardware Resources - Best Top Mount Drawer Slide
Use for: DIY keyboard trays or pencil drawers mounted directly under a wood top
Does your project lack sides to mount a drawer slide to?
Well, and a bit confusing, the slide you’ll need is a top mount slide that attaches to the bottom of a desk, table or any other wood surface. While this isn’t a popular drawer slide, Hardware Resources is a name brand in the best drawer slides for top mounts and a place to start.
Key Features:
- Mounts to underside of a table or desk
- Available in shorter lengths from 12 to 22″
- 3/4 extension
PROS
- Allows you to install a drawer or keyboard tray in a place you otherwise wouldn’t be able to
- Easy to install
- Includes brackets to connect slide to underside of table top
CONS
- Limited weight capacity
- 3/4 extension
- Lack soft closing
Frequently Asked Questions on Best Drawer Slides
Is a side mount or bottom mount drawer slide better?
A side mount drawer slide generally operates smoother due to ball bearing construction, features like soft close and full extension.
Who makes drawer slides?
Two of the top manufacturers are Blum and Accuride. Both of these drawer slide manufacturers have been in business decades.
How do I choose drawer slides?
Drawer slides have five criteria to consider: length, extension, weight capacity, mounting location and features like soft close. Choosing a drawer slide involves making a decision on each of these dimensions.
Summary
When buying the best drawer slides I’ve found it’s easiest to purchase the slides first and design/build the drawer to the slide. While most drawer slides are a standard 1/2″ side clearance, there are other styles like undermount that can be the right slide. But if you build too soon you won’t be able to use them.
Amazon Top Sellers
Last update on 2024-04-10 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
