Everything you need to know about soft close drawer slides

Trailer Parts Direct’s 45kg soft close drawer slides are perfect for lightweight applications. These include caravans, RVs and trailers, but only if you are staying on sealed roads. If you want to head off-road, then you need to check out our locking drawer slides or non-locking slides, as these are built for tougher conditions. Essentially, these soft close slides contain a plastic mechanism that aids the soft closing feature. However, over time this mechanism may wear out due to excessive vibrations, which is why we don’t recommend them for rough road conditions. These slides are also ideal for domestic applications in the home, shed or garage.

What are soft closing drawer slides?

If you haven’t ever seen soft close drawer slides, you’re in for a treat. These slides look just like every other slide, except that when you give them a gentle push to close, they close on their own, very quietly. Even if you try to slam the draws shut they will still close very softly. These sliders are very popular in new or remodelled kitchens, simply because they are so fabulous! So if you’re fed up with the kids slamming the kitchen drawers in your home, these self-close drawer slides were designed specifically for you!

What sizes are available?

These 45kg soft drawer slides are available in 300mm to 700mm lengths. They don’t quite have a 100% extension, however, although it’s pretty close. That’s because the plastic closing mechanism located at the rear of the slides takes up 25mm, so the 300mm soft close drawer slides will extend 275mm, not 300mm. Another point to note is that the longer the extension of these slides, the lower the weight capacity. So for example, the 300mm soft closing slides that extend 275mm have a weight tolerance of 45kg. In comparison, the 600mm drawer slides that extend for 575mm only have a weight capacity of 35kg. You’ll need to take this into consideration when deciding which of these self-closing drawer slides you need for your application.

Features of our 45kg soft close drawer slides

As mentioned above, these soft closing slides are perfect for lightweight applications in the home, as well as in your caravan, RV or camper trailer. The proviso is that they are not suitable for off-road conditions, such as in the outback or on unsealed or dirt roads, not forgetting the wear and tear that can occur from water crossings! So if you’re staying on sealed roads, these drawer slides should be fine for your recreational vehicles, as well as in the home. 

• Available in closed lengths of 300mm to 700mm.
• These slides are zinc plated with an extension just short of 100%.
• Weight rating is based on a 500mm square drawer.
• Each purchase contains a pair of soft closing drawer slides.
• These slides are soft closing and non-locking.

Can these drawer slides be disconnected?

Yes, the 45kg self-closing drawer slides can be disconnected. All you need to do is to open the drawer to its full extension and find the small trigger along the outside of each slide. Click this small trigger and then simply pull and disconnect each slide. It can be reconnected by pushing the slide components back together. You might want to disconnect these slides so that you can remove the drawer to clean it, repair it or reach something that has fallen down the back of the drawer.

How to select the right size drawer slides

To select the correct size drawer slides you need to measure the amount of space you have available. So if you have 500mm of space, the 500mm soft close drawer slides will be too big for the space and you will need to buy the next size down. You also need to ensure that your slides give you at least a 70% extension, because this allows you to reach into the rear of the drawers easily. Our soft closing drawer slides don’t quite give you a 100% extension, but it’s close enough. This means that you won’t struggle to reach into the back of the drawers.

It’s also important to remember that drawer slides become weaker as they become longer, so it’s often best to opt for a short drawer slide so that it can take the weight you require. Since these soft close drawer slides are meant for lightweight applications, this might not be a problem for you, but just keep it in mind when selecting the best slides for the job.

Installing soft close drawer slides

These drawer slides are very easy to install, regardless of whether you have a timber or metal drawer system. All you need to do is mark the depth of the drawer along the inside of the cabinet on both walls. Then line the larger exterior portion of the slides on this mark (holding each one in place with a clamp) and screw them into position, making sure that they fit and operate correctly when you are finished. Next, disconnect the drawer slides and set them in place along the sides of the drawers, screwing them into place. If you are good at DIY this shouldn’t take you very long at all. 

Small drawers may only need one drawer slide per side, but deeper drawers will most probably require two slides for each side of the drawer. You can also replace your current drawer slides with these soft closing options to increase their functionality.

Discover our range of drawer slides

You might like our soft close drawer slides, but they might not be suitable for your application, particularly if you want them for your off-road camper trailer. So your other options are the Trailer Parts Direct locking or non-locking drawer slides (as mentioned at the top of the page). Then there’s our stainless steel drawer slides (made from 304 grade stainless steel) that are perfect for marine or coastal applications, as well as our base mounted slides used for cargo drawers.

So whether you want soft close drawer slides or something that can take more of a beating on the road, Trailer Parts Direct has everything you need!