How to choose your drawer runners
Whether you’re renovating your office or outfitting new cabinetry, while selecting the right draw runners there are a number of things that you need to take into consideration. With different mounting positions, a variety of materials, varying lengths and extensions, load ratings and special features like soft-close or self-close ones, how do you choose from all the options?
Read this article to determine which drawer runner is the most suitable for your requirement.
Load capacity
The load capacity is an extremely important factor to consider when selecting a drawer runner. How much weight is your drawer likely to hold? Drawer runners come in three different load ratings and you can pick the one that matches your requirement.
- Light duty drawer runners: Can hold up to 50 kg in weight. Ideal for storing office files.
- Medium duty drawer runners: Can hold between 51 to 99 kg in weight. Ideal for heavier items like office equipment.
- Heavy-duty drawer runners: Can hold over 100 kg in weight. Ideal for industrial workstations.
Mounting positions
Determining the locations of the runners when fixed to the drawer unit is another key in choosing the right one. Drawer runners are categorised based on how they are mounted as well.
- Side mount drawer runners: These runners are mounted on either side of the draw and are connected to the inner side of the carcass. These are ideal for lightweight draws.
- Centre mount drawer runners: These runners are single slides that are mounted directly under the central position of a drawer. Centre mount runners are perfect for lightweight draws. Also, the fittings are not visible when the draws are open.
- Under-mount side drawer runners: As the name suggests, the runners are fitted beneath the drawer in pairs. The runners are concealed making the drawers aesthetically appealing. So, if you do not want runners visible when you open your high-end office cabinets, you can go for under-mount drawer runners. These are ideal for use in medium-duty applications as the under-mount runners allow the draw to be slightly wider.
Additional drawer runner functions and features
In addition to the load capacity and mounting positions, there are certain special functions and features available for drawer slides, which can increase the functionality, aesthetics and usability of the drawers. The features are:
- Soft close drawer runners: These runners come with a hydraulic dampening component that prevents the drawers from slamming on being closed. This reduces the damage to the drawer
- Self-close drawer runners: A built-in spring mechanism uses gravity to shut the drawer close. The drawer is never stuck half-open and closes smoothly.
Materials used
Are you looking for a specific material that suits your budget or a particular colour that matches your cabinets? Drawer runners are available in three different materials:
- Aluminium
- Stainless Steel
- Steel
Travel length and extensions
You also need to consider the travel length and extensions when choosing drawer runners. Understand the exact configuration you would need for your drawers. We offer travel lengths that range in size from 140 mm to 1016 mm. Similarly, drawer runners with 75% and 100% extension capability are available.
