9 Best Soft Close Drawer Slides [2024 Review]

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A soft close drawer slide is able to help out with two main tasks. First, it will help to prevent the slamming of drawers because there is a damper put on It to catch the drawer and slow down the closing force. The second type is going to use two large springs to help soft close the mechanism to gently pull the drawer closed.

This will help protect the drawers in your home and ensures that they will not get slammed shut or hurt in the process. This can make for a safer home and one that does not have as much noise going on all the time from slamming drawers.

My Top Soft Close Drawer Slides Reviews

At first glance, it might be hard to tell the difference between the different drawer slide options on the market. The important considerations are subtle, such as how much weight they can hold and how well they are made.

I’ve reviewed the best drawer slide options for you:

Blum 563 Under Mount Soft Close Drawer Slide

And this is exactly what you can get with the Blum 563 Under Mount Soft Close Drawer Slide. While there are several other undermount slide options that you can choose, the Blum brand has found a way to stand out from the crowd.

Many companies offer an undermount drawer slide as a type of upgrade that you can put with your cabinets. The reason for this is that the undermount drawer slide is able to place all of the weight of the drawer on a horizontal roller, rather on a steel ball bearing. This helps the action to be smoother.

These soft closing drawer slides provide you with a lot of durability for a drawer slide. They are built to last for decades, provided you treat them with respect. The BHMA certification provides for high initial closing quality that will last for a long time. The easy to open and smooth closing and opening is all due to the roller bearing design that comes with it.

There are many features that put this at the top of the best drawer slides:

  • It is available in two lengths: 18” and 21”
  • The roller bearing construction allows for smooth performance
  • Once installed, they are hidden from view so no one else knows they are there.
  • The dampers are a bit bigger compared to other options, which provides the smooth performance that you are looking for.
  • Undermount slide, which adds a bit more protection overall

Pros

  • BHMA certified and made in the USA
  • Smooth operation and is easy to open, without a lot of pull
  • Can hold up to 100 pounds
  • Invisible once you get it installed

Cons

  • A bit more expensive to plan out the undermount slide

Vadania VK1245 Soft Close Drawer Slides

While many prefer the undermount drawer slides for their homes, side mount slides can do a great option. The Vadania VK1245 Soft Close Drawer Slides has one of the highest ball bearing count. It is also seen as the only steel soft close catch option on the market.

Vadania is simple and easy to use, which makes it a good option on the list. There are a few ways that the Vadania is able to stand out from the Promark, Accuride, and Lontan drawer slides I also reviewed.

  • They have a sleek black finish that looks a lot nicer than some of the galvanized features that are found with other similar slides.
  • They are well oiled with a damper and steel catch to add to the durability of the slide.
  • Vadania slideas are built to last and I love how it works.

Now I can move on to some of the features of this slide. First, it has a full extension so you are able to access the back of the drawer. Compared to the Blum 563, there are more size options as these have lengths from 10 to 24 inches.

The ball bearing of this slide allows for a smooth performance and the black finish will give some of the modern look that you want.

You can also remove the drawer without any tools when this is in, which makes it a much better option for many homes.

If you’re looking for one of the best drawer slides that are side mount, Vadania should be top of your list

Pros

  • Easy to open without needing to pull
  • Smooth operation
  • Can hold up to 100 pounds
  • Full extension and two springs for all the top closing force you need

Cons

  • A little bit expensive
  • Since it is a side mount drawer slide, you will be able to see it once installed

Lontan 4502S3 Soft Close Drawer Slides

If you need more than one slider, then the Lontan 450253 Close Drawer Slides are the ones that you should choose. You can choose between a 2, 6, or 10 pack. While they are considered the generic form of these drawer slides, they hold up well against some of the other options.

Compared to the Vadenia VK1245, Lontan’s hold up just as well. You may even be surprised that you will not hear any of the clacking and clicking sounds that come with a poor ball bearing slide – for the price they are very high quality.

This brand is known for being sturdy and strong. Whether you are using it on a regular kitchen drawer or need to load it up with lots of tools and other supplies, you will find that it is able to withstand the weight. Even when you try to slam the drawer, the damper tends to work each time, preventing damage to the drawer.

There are a number of features that you will love with this slide. It is a full extension drawer slide that goes on the side. You can also purchase packs of this in case you need to add the slides on more than one drawer.

Like the Vadenia, there are more than one size and you can get it all the way up to 22 inches, which can provide a good deal of extension. It also provides you with a ball bearing drawer slide for the best performance.

Pros

  • High-quality product
  • Easy to open without all the tugging
  • Two springs compared to other options that have one
  • High bearing count

Cons

  • The close catch is plastic instead of steel
  • The screws that are provided are not the right kind

Accuride C-3832 Series Soft Close Drawer Slide

The Accuride brand is often considered one of the top manufacturers of drawer slides, though the Accuride C-3832 may not be able to stand up to some of the other brands on my list. They are more expensive than some of the other drawer slides on my list, which can make it hard for some to choose it.

The performance is great though and this slide will last a long time, so if you want to go with a name you can trust, this is the one to go with.

This drawer slide has everything that you need. Compared to the Lontan 450253, Accuride’s can extend out a little bit further at 28 inches if you need to have that extra reach.

The close catch does a good job of making sure you will not be able to slam the drawer, but it does have a louder opening than some of the other options. If you want a slide that is quiet, then this may not be the best one.

Now I can look at some of the features. This is a side mount drawer slide that is able to extend all the way out from 12 to 28 inches based on your needs. It comes in an anachrome finish and allows for a tool-less drawer removal once you are done flicking the side lever. The ball bearing drawer will provide all the smooth performance that you are looking for.

Pros

  • Easy to open and will not need any pulling
  • The only one on the list to do a front cam adjustment
  • Full extension
  • Can hold 100 pounds

Cons

  • The most expensive of all the options on the list
  • Noisy to operate

Knape and Vogt 8400P Soft Close Drawer Slide

When you are looking for a brand name for your drawer slide and you want a big reputation that goes with it, the Knape and Vogt 8400P Soft Close Drawer Slide is a great option. They are a comparable option to the Vadania drawer slides, but they will fall short on how much closing force you are able to get.

Due to the fact that they have a thinner design, a shorter rail, and a spring design, this is going to disappoint a bit compared to the other drawer slides I reviewed.

The biggest issue with this slide is that it only uses a single spring for the soft closing. This can be effective if you do not plan to hold all that much within the drawer, but may fall short compared to other slides when you compare them together.

For this reason, if you are looking just at the best in soft closing drawer slides, then the Knape and Vogt may not be the best one.

There are some things that you will enjoy when you get this one over some of the other drawer slides. The standard duty ball bearing is a great choice for your drawers. It also provides a side mount, a full extension, and an integrated soft close damper, though the damper may be a little less compared to some of the other options you want to choose.

Pros

  • Full extension
  • Can hold 100 pounds

Cons

  • Only uses one spring instead of two
  • Lacks some of the necessary closing force
  • Can be noisy when opening and closing

Promark Self Closing Drawer Slides

For Promark Self Closing Drawer Slides, you will find that it has all of the features that you are looking for when picking out a drawer slider that you are sure to love. These drawer slides will close softly, without all the noise, and you can enjoy the fact that it is self-closing as well.

Each drawer slide comes in at 20 inches and are designed out of high-quality materials, giving many you exactly what they are looking for.

The load-bearing capacity is going to be similar to other sliders on my list at 100 pounds. The steel that is used in the drawer slide will be able to hold onto this load without getting rusty or going out of alignment at all. They rely on continuous bearings to ensure that your drawer will be able to close and open smoothly each time you want to use it.

Compared to the Brum drawer slides, the bearings are not as good, but they will get the job done.

Quality assurance is high with these sliders, which can be important to ensuring that they will last a long time. You will find that they will meet many industry requirements like KCMA, ANSI, and BHMA. Having these certifications helps to show the product is worth of all your cabinets.

These are a side-mounting slide so it is easy to add them to the drawers or take them off when you are all done.

Pros

  • Meets all the industry standards
  • Uses cold-rolled steel to keep them strong
  • Supports both face frame and frameless builds
  • Provides a smooth closing function

Cons

  • The self-closing mechanism is not as good as other options
  • Does not come with any rear mounting brackets.

Lontan Soft Close Drawer Slides

It is important to pick a drawer slide that will help get the full extension. This can make it hard to get to the very back of the drawer otherwise. This pick will make sure that you are able to do it. The Lontan Soft Close Drawer Slides is designed to provide full extension, allowing the drawers to come completely out of the cavity without any issues.

It is able to hold onto a bit more than 100 pounds of weight, which makes it a better choice than most of the other options on the list. These heavy duty drawer slides work great for pantry drawers that might have a considerable amount of weight on them.

The durable material will be one of your favorite parts. It can also stay rust free and handle a bigger weight capacity than others. The ball bearings in this system help to smooth the opening and closing mechanism, though you may find that the quality is not as good as some of the others.

It also has a double anti-drop mechanism which helps make it harder for the drawers to separate inside the cabinets. This is a convenient feature that you are sure to love.

When it comes to cleaning, this is the slide you want. It will help you to effortlessly take off everything and then clean them if you need. Part of this is because they are side-mounting slides.

It provides 22 inches of length and is thick enough to work for most of the cabinet drawers that you want to do. Thanks to these properties, this is a great all-around drawer slide for most needs.

Pros

  • Impressive load-bearing capacity
  • An anti-drop mechanism to keep things safe
  • Cold-rolled quality steel
  • Uses the method of ball bearings to keep things smooth

Cons

  • The installation can take some time

Desunia Ball Bearing Drawer Slides

When it comes to putting a slider on some of the smaller drawers, you may find that it is hard to get a manufacturer who is able to provide high-quality drawer slides. The few who do will give options that are not well-balanced. For the shorter drawers, these Desunia Ball Bearing Drawer Slides are the perfect option.

They are only 12 inches in length, but that does not compromise the ability it can bring to your cabinets and drawers.

These heavy duty drawer sliders are designed to handle up to 100 pounds of weight without an issue and it comes with all of the accessories that you need to help get the sliders put on without having to go shopping for something else. This includes all of the screws and everything else.

And if the drawer is slightly off from the measurements that you thought, these sliders will give you a bit of wiggle room with their breather tab that make these work no matter what.

The holes that are near the bottom of the drawer slide andwill make it easier to change and adjust things as you finish the installation. It also has a side mount glide, which can make installing and using the product just a little bit easier along the way.

This is a simple slider that you are able to use and it comes with a lot of the accessories and extra features that you that you need to make installing and using as easy as possible.

Pros

  • Breather tabs give you some breathing room when installed
  • Comes in a shorter size
  • Allows for quiet opening and closing

Cons

  • Comes in packs of two
  • The bearings can fall out sometimes

Gobrico Soft Close Drawer Slides

Much of the success for a soft closing drawer slide is how well it has been able to implement some of the hydraulic features and the materials that are used in it. When done well, you can get a clean and quiet closure of your drawer. And this is where the Gobrico Soft Close Drawer Slides can really shine.

This company has worked hard to ensure that the hydraulic dampening system is going to work perfect each time.

There are many other things that you will enjoy when it comes to this slide. It provides the perfect open and shut without a lot of force and it can line up to give you the full extension. Compared to the Desunia Slider, this one is only able to hold 78 pounds, so may not be suitable for some of the drawers that carry heavier items.

The design is going to help you get everything set up with ease. This is also a good option to choose if you plan to do lots of drawers at once because it comes in a pack of 10. They also have an instruction manual and all the necessary screws, which makes it a much better option compared to some of the others on the list.

The best thing about this is the dampening that comes with it, with the system working well to keep things quiet and making sure that you do not have to hear a lot of noise when you open or close the drawer or have to worry about slamming it.

Pros

  • Includes all of the accessories that you need
  • Installing it is easy
  • Can hold 78 pounds

Cons

  • Sometimes you will need a bit more force than other options
  • The track release levers are difficult

Soft Close Drawer Slide Features

If you have never worked on purchasing the best drawer slides before, you may feel a little lost on how you will pick the right one. Understanding how these work and what you will use the drawers for can make a big difference. Let’s take a closer look at these slides to figure out which ones are best for you.

With my list of best drawer slides, how are you going to be able to tell a good soft close slide from one that is mediocre or bad? The good news is there are a few things that you can consider when picking out the right soft closing drawer slides for your needs.

I recommend starting with how deep you need your drawer slide to go. This is often referred to as “extension”. Some manufacturers don’t make drawer slides that go deep enough for your specific drawer.

Some of the things you can consider for picking the best drawer slides include:

  1. Extension: Consider how far you need the drawer to extend out before picking the slider. There are different lengths for these sliders that you can choose and you want to get them long enough. Many brands have a variety of lengths so read through the description first.
  2. Open force: When you use a soft close drawer slide, it is not going to require a hard tug. If you see a lot of complaints about how hard it is to tug on the slider, then it is not the right one for you.
  3. Closing force: The right soft close drawer slides must be able to grab and pull a heavy drawer shut. There are a few options out there that provide only one spring, but two springs is often more effective.
  4. Quality of construction: The number of ball bearings, the tightness of rails, the smoothness, and the fit and the finish of the slide will tell you a lot of information about how reliable these drawer slides will be when using them.
  5. Operating noise: ball bearing slides are able to click and clack a little bit when they get closed. This can get really annoying and while they do prevent the slamming, they can be loud. There are some sliders that have bumpers designed in a way to prevent this noise from happening. It is best to go with one of these options for the best results.
  6. Weight capacity: Most sliders promise to go up to 100 pounds at least. This will work for many of the uses you have for them. However, if you need to have the sliders handle drawers that are heavier than that, there are several options available as well.

All of these factors will determine the type of drawer slider that you should go with. Make sure to choose one that meets these features, or at least meets the features that are the most important for you.

Weight Considerations

In addition to figuring out if you would like to use the under mounting or the side mounting option, consider what the weight limit is likely to be for the slider that you want to use.

The heavier the drawer, the better it is to use the under mounting. The side mounting can typically hold up to 100 pounds.

But for things that are heavier, you may find that using the under mount will provide a bit more of the stability that you would like.

Drawer Mount Types

As you can see from some of the best drawer slides that I reviewed above, there are two main types of drawer sliders that you can choose from your home. These include under mount drawer slides and side mount drawer slides. Knowing how each of these work will help you determine which one is best for you.

Under Mount Drawer Slides

First, I will take a look at the under mounting drawer slides. Undermount slides have multiple slides that are attached to the bottom of your drawer. These are truly invisible and the best option to select.

These are the best ones to choose if you are looking for a cleaner look to the cabinet because they are not easy to see when in place. This can give a clean look to the area.

You will need to still screw them into the sides of the drawer, the main portion will not be seen and it is easier to keep these cleaned and maintained.

When compared to some of the side mounted options you want to choose, undermount slides are a great option. They will collect less dirt when you have them a long time because they will never have exposure with the outer environment. They are also more likely to stay aligned and in their place for longer too.

Bottom Mount Drawer Slides

At first glance, under mount and bottom mount drawer slides can sound like the same thing. And, while both are mounted underneath the drawer, they do have a few key differences.

Bottom mount slides do not actually mount underneath the drawer. Rather, the are mounted on the bottom edge of the drawer, along with having a slide that mounts to the side.

The positives are that this style of slide is very easy to install. It is far less important that you get each slide “square”, although it will still help to be precise when you install them.

The downside to bottom mount slides is that you can’t have a soft close feature. For this reason, I say skip bottom mount.

Side Mount Drawer Slides

Then there are the side mount slides. These are more common and well-known. There are a few benefits of using side mount slides over the under mounting drawer slides

First, side mount slides will be easier to use. This means that you can install them onto most drawers without a lot of effort. The bottom mounting ones take more effort to mount and get in place.

Even if the drawer does not have a lot of space and will not work for the under mounting products, the side mount slides are more likely to fit there and will probably still support it all without an issue.

Another thing that you will like about this option is that they are often more affordable to use compared to the under mounting ones. They are just as high quality as the under mounting too, but you will see them and notice when they get dirty or need to be maintained.

Other Types

There is also the center mount drawer slide that you can install on your drawers, but these are not as common nowadays. With so many options for hiding your slides under the drawer, along with soft close features, classic center mount slides are a bit outdated.

To their credit, center mount slides are very easy to install and repair. However, when it comes to picking one of the best drawer slides, this style just doesn’t make the cut anymore.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Difference Between Soft Close and Self Close Drawer Slides?

Generally speaking, soft close drawer slides and self close drawer slides are the same thing and can be used interchangeably. Soft close drawer slides have the effect of “self closing” when the reach the final part of closing, and so they have garnered the name “self close drawer slides.

Why Won’t My Soft Close Drawer Close?

When your soft close drawers won’t close, this is usually the result of faulty installation of the drawer slides. During installation, if the slides are not installed perfectly square with eachother, then the drawers will have a hard time moving in and out and can get stuck.

Do Both Drawer Slides Need to be Soft Close?

While you could only install one soft close slide per drawer, this is not the best longterm solution. It is much better to have both slides be soft close drawer slides. Contractors will often try to take shortcuts and install only one soft close drawer slide per drawer, so it is important to check before signing off on their work.

Drawer Slides EXPLAINED – How to choose the right drawer slide

Choosing the Best Soft Close Drawer Slider

There are many soft close drawer sliders that you are able to choose, and picking the best drawer slides is important. Go for the slides that will last a long time and can provide the quiet noise that you are looking for. With all the options on the market, having a good list of ones that will get the job done will make all the difference.

When you are ready to get a soft close drawer slider for your home, make sure to check out my list of the best drawer slides to see which one is best for you.

Raised with a fix-it and improvement mindset, my wife and I completely restored our Craftsman-style home. Learning how to DIY a variety of home improvement projects, I started SawsHub with my father. He's the fine woodworker, I'm the DIYer!