Various varieties of cabinet drawer slides are available in the market. You can walk down the hardware aisle and notice hundreds of drawer slide possibilities. Some are as simple as an Ikea single wheel in affordable and cheerful design, while others are more complex and designed for particular drawer sizes.
Side Mount Drawer Slides
These drawer slides are installed on the sides of the drawers and are available in a wide range of extensions, weight capacities, and features. As a result, side mount slides are standard for furniture and cabinets. These slides are even replacing bottom and centre mount drawer slides.
Some features of side mount drawer slides:
- These drawer slides are self-closing.
- Side mount drawer slides have easy-going shutting.
- These are one of the best heavy-duty drawer runners.
- Heavy-duty locking.
Under Mount Drawer Slides
A soft closing under-mount drawer slide is one of the most extraordinary. Because of its distinct design, the under-mount drawer slides offer benefits that others cannot even match.
Some features of side mount drawer slides:
- Massive mechanical closers with soft closing.
- The slide will be invisible because of the invisible design.
- Push-to-open and even mechanical operation are advanced features.
Bottom Mount Drawer Slides
One of the most frequent drawer slides is the bottom mount drawer slide. It is popular in both older and contemporary kitchens because of its basic design, ease of installation, and inexpensive cost. This drawer slide is one of the best Kitchen drawer slides. While other slides offer different characteristics, this has one option: length.
Some features of side mount drawer slides:
- Self-closing slide featuring a gravity slope over the last few inches of travel.
- 3/4 extension (the final quarter of the drawer is still in the cabinet).
- Extremely simple to install and modify.
Center Mount Drawer Slides
Though not as widespread as other drawer slides, a center-mount drawer slide is a centuries-old design. While there are metal and wood varieties, they all have one thing in common: they don’t work as smoothly as a new-style drawer slide.
Some features of side mount drawer slides:
- Stands in the drawer’s bottom centre.
- A track system with guides maintains the drawers’ position during extension.
- Opens to a maximum of 3/4 extension for drawer stability.
- It has a reduced total weight capacity.
- A specific drawer structure is required.
Ball-Bearing Drawer Slides
As the name implies, these slides feature ball-bearing components that allow the mated steel or steel alloy profile components to move smoothly and softly relative to each other. These slides are more robust and have higher weight-bearing capacity than roller slides. Ball-bearing slides are offered in telescopic and progressive movement types.
Some features of side mount drawer slides:
- They are easy to install.
- Require precision in drawer size.
- They separate into two components: one is for the drawer’s inner side, and another is for the outer side.
Heavy-Duty Drawer Slides
These slides can transfer weights weighing more than 250 pounds from 12″ to 60″. And that range of motion and weight support comes with a hefty price tag and a heavy, sturdy piece of metal.
Some features of side mount drawer slides:
- Load capacities vary from 100 to 1000 pounds.
- Uses steel ball-bearing slides.
- Side clearances of 0.7′′ or more are standard (varies by manufacturer).
- Locking methods that keep the drawer open are optional.
Final Thoughts
Before investing in kitchen cabinet drawer slides or other slides, you should study the qualities you want. While your original requirements may be straightforward, unexpected features such as gentle closing might improve user satisfaction with drawer functioning in the long run.
