The number of times a kitchen drawer is subject to opening and closing is easy imagine, difficult to count. Choosing the most suitable and robust drawer slide therefore becomes very important. Of course, there are other factors at play: price, features and finishes.

Side-mount drawer slides are available in ball-bearing versions with nylon or steel rollers that ride in a track. The ball-bearing types offer the benefits of smooth operation, high load capacities, and options for full-extension and over-travel.

They also typically include a detent as standard, which keeps the drawer from creeping open even if the cabinet is slightly out of alignment. These slides require greater clearance between the drawer slides and the sides of the cabinet opening.

Under-mount drawer slides offer some benefits: they are concealed beneath the drawer, they don’t require as much space on the sides, so they offer slightly more storage area. Of course, you will lose a bit of drawer height inside the drawer.

Under-mount drawer slides commonly sport premium features like soft-close, making them a hot choice for high-end cabinetry. The drawer boxes have specific requirements for side thickness, drawer dimensions, and often require notching at the back.

Centre-mount drawer slides are an older type. They are also concealed, but instead of being mounted under both sides of the drawer, a single slide runs down the middle. Because they have limited weight capacity, centre-mount slides usually lack features such as soft-close and self-close.

Slide extension refers to the distance the slide or drawer travels in relation to the slide length. Full extension means that the drawer box extends out from cabinet the full length of the slide. “‘Over-travel”’ means that the drawer box travels entirely out of the cabinet by an inch or so, useful for accessing items at the back of the drawer.

Centre-mount slides are typically only offered in 3/4 extension. Side-mount ball-bearing slides are available in all three options: 3/4, full and over-travel. Under-mount slides are typically only offered in full extension.

Motion features

Drawer slides are available with three basic motion features: self-close, soft-close and push-to-open (“touch-release’”). Some types of drawer slides include a given motion feature by default, others offer it only as an option.

In the bustle of cooking a meal, drawers are too often left slightly open. The basic self-closing slide closes the drawer with an optional spring mechanism, or with a ramped track.

Soft-close models use a damping mechanism that slows the closing of the drawer in the final few inches. Not only does this help to prevent unnecessary noise and shifting of drawer contents, but it also helps to prolong the life of the drawer slide by reducing wear and tear.

Push-to-open drawer slides allow you to forego drawer pulls entirely. A spring mechanism pushes the drawer open enough for the user to easily pull it open. These slides are popular wherever lack of space is a problem, in tight corners where a drawer pull would collide with adjoining cabinets.

Generally speaking, standard metal drawer slides support enough weight for everyday kitchen use. These slides are typically rated for loads from about 20 kg to around 50 kg.

However, some situations require a more robust slide solution. For large drawers, pantry pull-outs or utensil storage, look for a heavy-duty slide that is built from thicker metal and has with more ball bearings to maximise its durability.

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