The Kitchen Drawer Dilemma – What’s the best?

Have a kitchen drawer dilemma? No more. This write-up by our expert designer Morgan Yen will settle your fears and prevent you from making drawer mistakes. Yup, this is huge.

The best type of kitchen drawer slides for luxury kitchen cabinets and closet systems often depends on the specific design, functionality, and aesthetic preferences of the cabinets. This is where an experienced cabinet designer and installer come into play to advise you of the best product for the application desired.

High-end and luxury solutions always include soft-close, under-mount drawer slides and concealed, adjustable hinges with a clean, minimalist look.

There are many high-quality brands of drawer slides available, each with its own strengths and specializations. Some of the best drawer slide brands include Blum, Accuride, Hettich, and Grass. These brands offer a range of options including soft-close, under-mount, side-mount, and heavy-duty slides, among others.

Ultimately, the best brand for you will depend on your specific needs and preferences, as well as the requirements of your project.

The Best Drawer Slides Infographic

Kitchen drawers slides features we love
7 Features of Luxury Kitchen drawers we look for

7 Features of Luxury Cabinets:

  • Full extension
  • Soft close
  • Metal drawer box options – great for kitchens, utility rooms, and bathrooms. Water and scratch Resistant to all kinds of people operating it
  • Weight capacity
  • Adjustability during installation
  • Attachment method
  • Warranty

Our Favorite Brands:

For Under Mount Slides:

For Side Mount Slides:

Best for specific applications:

Under-Mount X Side-Mount Slides

Side mount is best for very shallow drawers – under desks, vanities, and make-up drawers.

Often offering a lower weight capacity rating than under-mount drawer slides and often having a less smooth action. They sometimes can become stiff over time and offer less adjustability during installation.

Under-mount is good for most applications – kitchens, bathrooms, and closets, offering higher weight ratings, more adjustability during installation, and overall, a much smoother action.

They are soft-closing and self-closing and work best with touch latches and servo drivers.

They require some space below the drawer box for the glides, so there is less useable height inside the drawer – which can be a problem for very shallow drawers.

Want to know the facts about paint, wood or laminate finishes? Head to this article.