How to select cabinet drawer slide

To simplify the topic, we will divide it into two categories: side mount and under mount. Some cabinets use central mount rails, but these are less common.

Side mount

The side mountis the one you are most likely to upgrade. They appear in pairs and are connected to each side of the cabinet drawer. An important thing to remember is that you need to leave space between the drawer box and the side of the cabinet. Almost all side mounted slide rails are required ½” So please make sure you have enough space.

Under mount

AOSITEunder mountslides are also sold in pairs, but you can install them on either side of the bottom of the drawer. These are ball bearing sliders that can be a great modern aesthetic choice for your kitchen because they are invisible when the drawer is opened. This type of slide rail requires a small gap between the drawer side and the cabinet opening (about 3 / 16 inch to 14 inch on each side), and also has very specific requirements for the top and bottom gaps. Please also note that the space from the bottom of the drawer to the bottom of the side of the drawer must be 1 / 2 inch (the slide itself is usually 5 / 8 inch or thinner).

However, one thing to keep in mind is that in order to replace the side mounted slide with the base slide, you must rebuild the entire drawer box. This may not be the easiest upgrade you can make yourself.

Unless you only replace the damaged slide, the main reason for you to replace the slide may be to upgrade to some good expansion or motion functions that the current slide does not have.

How much do you want to extend from the slide? 3 / 4 extended slides may be cheaper, but they are not the most convenient to use, and they may not be upgraded as much as the old ones. If you use the complete extension slide, it will allow the drawer to be fully pulled out and the back of the drawer can be accessed more easily.

If you want more expansion, you can even use the overtravel slide, which goes one step further and actually allows the drawer to completely come out of the cabinet when it is fully expanded. The drawer can be fully used even under the table top.

The two main motion features to look for are self closing slides and soft closing slides. If you push in that direction, the automatic closing slide will completely close the drawer. Another option is the soft closing slide, which has a damper that gently returns to the drawer when you close it (any soft closing slide also closes automatically).

After selecting the slide type, the next step is to determine the required length. If you want to replace the side mount with a new one, the easiest way is to measure the existing one and replace it with a new one with the same length. However, it is also good to measure the inner surface from the front edge of the cabinet to the back. This will give you the maximum depth of the slide.

On the other hand, to find the length suitable for the hanging slide, just measure the length of the drawer. The slide rail length must match the drawer length.

The last important aspect to consider is the weight you need to support the slide. A typical kitchen cabinet drawer slide should have a rated weight of about 100 pounds, while some heavier applications (such as file drawer or food cabinet pull-out) require a higher rated weight of 150 pounds or more.

Now you know where to start choosing the right slide for your cabinet drawer! If you are not sure what you need, please feel free to call us.

WhatsApp: + 86-13929893479 or email: aosite01@aosite.com