Indaux Soft Close Hinges? Best 66 Answer

You can easily attach a self-closing hinge to a cabinet. Credit: Hikerson/iStock/GettyImages See more photos

Self-closing and soft-closing hinges are two types of adjustable cabinet hinges. Various screws on the hinge can be loosened or tightened to change the position of the door. So if your closet door sags, doesn’t close properly, or has a large gap near the hinge, the fix is ​​as simple as grabbing a screwdriver and adjusting the correct screw(s).

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Traditional vs. European hinges

First, determine what type of hinge is installed on your cabinet. A traditional hinge has two flat plates and can be partially or fully visible. To adjust this type of hinge, loosen the correct screws and slide the entire hinge plate in the correct direction before tightening the screw again.

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European hinges are hidden on the inside of the cabinet and door, according to Rockler, and have a special cylinder that allows the door’s position to be adjusted by simply loosening or tightening the screws inside.

Self-closing cabinet hinges do not close

Self-closing cabinet hinges that won’t close may be poorly adjusted. The cabinet door may overlap the adjacent door, be crooked, or protrude too far from the cabinet front. All of these problems could affect the self-closing ability of the hinge.

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The same goes for soft-close hinges, which have a special mechanism (e.g. a weighted bar or a rounded lip on the hinge) that prevents the door from slamming. If your soft close cabinet slams, it could be because the door is overlapping and slamming into the adjacent door before the soft close mechanism can fully engage. Or the door could be too far from the cabinet front, reducing the time the soft-close hinge has to slow the door.

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Adaptation of conventional hinges

You can adjust many traditional hinges by loosening the screws that hold them in place and then sliding the hinge plates. However, some hinges lend themselves better to this method than others. For example, if the screw holes are oval, you can easily slide the loosened hinge side to side or up and down to get the right fit. Circular screw holes are more rigid and less subject to adjustment.

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If extreme adjustment is required, it is best to re-drill the screw holes and completely reinstall the hinge. For example, if there is a gap between the door and cabinet front on the hinge side, the cabinet hinge plate is too far forward. Loosen the screws and slide the hinge plate towards the back of the cabinet as far as possible. If this does not sufficiently close the gap, fully remove the screws, slide the plate into position, drill new pilot holes, and reattach the screws.

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Adjust European hinges

A European hinge has many screws that can be loosened or tightened to move the entire door vertically, horizontally, or in and out. The screws on the door merely connect the hinge to the door, so all adjustments are made on the part of the hinge that attaches to the cabinet.

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If the socket head screws are covered, first remove the cover to reveal the screws that adjust the door horizontally and in and out. The screw closest to the door moves the door left and right when loosened or tightened. The screw furthest from the door moves the door in or out when adjusted. The screws that hold the hinge to the wall of the cabinet allow the door to move up or down.

It may take some trial and error to conveniently identify the problem bolt and understand whether it needs to be loosened or tightened.

Q: I had new kitchen cabinets installed about 4 years ago, but over the last few months I’ve noticed that more and more doors seem misaligned. The doors do not close evenly, some rub against each other and many have small gaps that are unsightly. Do you have any cabinet hinge adjustment tips that can help me fix these problems?

A: Adjusting cabinet hinges is easier than you might think. Many hinges come with adjustment screws that allow you to reposition the door by sliding it sideways, moving it up or down, or changing its depth. All you need to make these adjustments is a Phillips screwdriver with a #2 tip.

The cabinet hinge adjustment tips included in this article mainly focus on more modern hinges that have adjustment screws. If your cabinets have older hinges that need adjusting, there are some helpful tips at the end of this article.

First, make sure the hinge mounting screws are tight.

Before adjusting the kitchen cabinet hinges, check that the mounting screws are tight. There should be four total mounting screws: two on the portion of the hinge that attaches to the door, and two on the portion of the hinge that attaches to the inside of the cabinet. The mounting screws should be the only screws on the door for easy identification.

Since there are more screws on the section attached to the case, it can be a bit more difficult to identify the attachment screws. It should be the innermost screws on the mounting bracket. One is just above the hinge, the other just below.

If these four mounting screws are not tight, the hinges can move causing the doors to not function properly. Use a Phillips screwdriver to tighten loose mounting screws to ensure they are secure.

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Related: Should You Revamp Or Replace Your Kitchen Cabinets?

To move cabinet doors sideways, turn the screw closest to the door on the horizontal arm of each hinge.

If your cabinet doors need to be moved sideways to ensure proper alignment, all you have to do is turn the screw located on the mounting plate closest to the door.

Adjusting soft-close hinges laterally is easy. To move the door to the right, turn the screw clockwise with your Phillips screwdriver. To adjust the side cabinet hinge to the left, turn the screw counterclockwise as well.

Work slowly and periodically close the door to see if it is in the correct position or if further adjustment is needed.

To adjust the door height, turn the top screw on the hinge plates mounted on the inside of the cabinet.

Cabinets often get misaligned when the door is higher or lower than it should be. This can make it difficult to open or close the cabinets and become a thorn in your side, especially if two doors are right next to each other.

When looking for ways to align closet doors, the top screw on the hinge plate inside the closet can be helpful. To move the door up, turn this screw clockwise with your Phillips screwdriver. To decrease the height of the door, simply turn it counter-clockwise.

Again, it can help to work slowly and check your progress to avoid sliding the door too far in either direction.

See also: How to: Color Cabinets

To adjust the door depth, turn the screw on the horizontal arm of each hinge closest to the cabinet.

The steps to align cabinet doors when there is a lack of depth are also quite simple thanks to adjustable hinges. If your cabinet doors are too far from the cabinet when closed, or too close to not close properly, a simple depth adjustment can help.

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To adjust the depth of the cabinet door, turn the screw on the horizontal arm furthest from the cabinet door. Another way to properly identify this screw is to look for the screw that is centered between the two mounting screws.

After you determine which screw to turn for the depth adjustment, use your Phillips screwdriver to turn it clockwise to move the cabinet door in or counterclockwise to move the cabinet door out.

Adjusting old cabinet hinges that don’t have the extra screws is more difficult, but doable.

Adjusting old cabinet door hinges that don’t have the adjustable screws found on modern hinges is a bit more of a hassle, but certainly not impossible. Start by identifying the problem with the door. Is it uneven, is it hanging lower than it should be, or is it just not closing completely?

The steps necessary to repair a closet door after the problem has been identified may vary depending on the specific problem. In some cases it is sufficient to tighten the screws by turning them anti-clockwise. Slowly tighten the screws, checking the tension and alignment of the housing after each adjustment.

Tightening the screws does not always solve the problem. Sometimes longer mounting screws are needed to fully secure the door. Another possible solution could be to add a washer behind the hinges to help align the doors.

If you find your cabinet doors sagging, it may mean they are just too heavy for the current hinges. In this case, you should consider replacing the hinges or simply adding an extra set of hinges to the cabinets to reduce the weight of the old hinges.

Related: Solved! 4 fixes for When a door doesn’t latch

The sound of slamming drawers and slamming closet doors is one of my favorite annoyances. Admittedly, the culprit probably doesn’t want to be that loud, but it drives me crazy when noises are made while clearing the dishes or preparing a snack that remind me of canteen kitchens in the midday traffic.

After recently discussing the bells and whistles available in kitchen/bathroom renovations, a friend and I agreed that details can be just as important as choices in execution and layout design. For me, the soft close feature on drawer slides and door hinges is wonderful.

To be clear, there is a difference between self-closing and soft-closing. Most components that are soft close are also self-closing, but not all self-closing components are soft close. The “self” element means that the hinge or slide has a built-in element that closes the drawer or door, sometimes with a knock or bang. “Soft” closure just means it slides. The drawer or door is pushed and slides to a certain point, then the hydraulics take over. The drawer is gently and quietly brought to the closed position. shhh

Curiously, soft-close drawer glides became an industry mainstay about six years ago, while soft-close hinge pieces are only just beginning to become a staple of the kitchen slide and hinge offering, according to Kevin Martin, designer for Horizon Kitchens, 1855 on Stony Battery Road , Mountville. According to Martin, while Europe is the testing ground for such technologies, Americans are wary and often wait and see if things will become a trend or a fad. Once the industry decides that something will be more than a fad, manufacturers move on and create their line.

DRAWER RAILS

According to Martin, drawer slides evolved from side-mounted, noisy metal slides — known as Grant slides, which were popular in the 1950s and ’60s — to epoxy-coated stamped steel slides with simplified ball bearings designed in the 1980s. Inexpensive and quiet, the epoxy coated slides have truly been the mainstay in America for the past 30 years.

Both side mount ball bearing and stamped steel slides require a 1/2 inch clearance between the drawer case and the cabinet opening on each side to accommodate the mechanisms.

Many drawers continue to work with one of these two types of glides, and according to Dennis Shenk, general manager at Horizon Kitchens, manufacturers have made upgrades and the glides have undergone many innovations over the years. There are generic ones that are sometimes “louder and may contain some plastic components that could wear out faster,” Shenk said, which is why he and Martin warn homeowners to check the quality of the rails when replacing a pair or pairs.

Shenk said he purposely tests components from different manufacturers on the drawers and doors of the Horizon showroom, as well as around his home, so he can see what he likes, what holds up, and what he likes to endorse.

If a drawer needs new slides, note that the 1/2″ spacing will accept the two side-mount slide types. Some of the side-mounted sliders have a spring for self-retraction and a piston for gentle retraction. Original pistons used to be oil driven and caused some problems, while modern pistons are air driven and according to Martin work great.

There is also a “pull” element built into the slides, which refers to the small amount of force required to open a drawer against the small amount of force holding it closed.

“Previously, slides had too much drag or resistance,” Martin said. For the most part, this bug has been fixed, but it’s worth remembering when testing a slide. And remember that slides behave slightly differently when the drawer is full.

When a cabinet layout is designed to use a soft-close concealed sub-track, the drawers are slightly wider and only require about 1/8 inch of clearance on each side of the drawer because the track component is below the drawer. The trade-off is that the bottom of the drawer needs to be deepened to accommodate the slide. Martin said most undermount rail manufacturers offer the same warranty on their components as they do on the cabinets themselves.

Martin said the sub rails are not intended to be retrofitted to a drawer built for the two side rails. Even if the homeowner is okay with the excess space on the sides of the drawers, any attempt to modify the bottom of the drawer becomes prohibitively expensive and “compromises the drawer box joinery,” he said. In most cases, the side-mounted drawers are a four-piece drawer, with the front being the front of the drawer. The undermount boxes are most often thought of as five-piece drawers because the front is independent of the box and is attached to the front of the box.

There are after market components that can be added to get the soft close feature. The soft close component is added on each side of the drawer and in each side of the cabinet. The interior of the cabinet may need to be lined with a piece of wood to allow the cabinet portion of the soft close component to sit flush with the drawer opening.

Some manufacturers have evolved their side-mount, ball-bearing slides to incorporate the soft-close feature, and replacing the old with the new is relatively easy. “Plus, the epoxy slide rail is very forgiving to do-it-yourselfers,” Martin said.

DOORS AND HINGES

The three common hinges used on cabinet doors are a knife hinge, where only a small part of the hinge is visible from the outside and a spring makes it self-closing; an open barrel hinge where the entire spine of the hinge is visible making the door swing freely and requiring a magnetic closure; and the European concealed hinge, which is not visible at all from the outside and is self-closing with an internal spring.

A soft close mechanism with a plunger can be added to the cabinet to close it gently. Additional blocking may be required to position the mechanism flush with the cabinet opening. The position of this component determines when the plunger engages, which in turn determines how much momentum is mitigated. Some of the clamshell hinges have a soft-closing feature built into the hinge itself, while there are add-ons that can be snapped onto some models of clamshell hinges.

When slide rails, hinges or soft-close attachments are incorporated into a room’s closets, slamming and banging is eliminated. The room appears calmer and the residents more considerate.

But maybe it’s just me.

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You don’t have to replace an entire hinge to get a soft-close mechanism for your cabinets. You should first look at the soft close and its invention abilities. If you have a closet where you don’t want to hear the doors slam or squeak when you open them, that’s where the soft close comes in.

Can you convert a cabinet to soft close?

It is possible to convert a soft close closet to stop the loud noise of opening and closing your closets. You can often buy a small adapter and install it in minutes to fix the problem, but you need to know what model you’re buying and how to install it. The soft-close hinge helps reduce the force of closing your cabinet doors. It slows the door’s closing speed so it doesn’t slam with a bang.

You can get a conversion kit to make your soft close. These kits usually come with a damper, bolts and a spacer. You need to determine the type of cabinet doors you have and whether they are overlay or recessed. If you have a recessed cabinet door you will not need the spacer in the conversion kit, but if you have an overlay cabinet door you will need this spacer to keep the door from hitting the adapter. You will also need a drill and screwdriver to convert your cabinet to soft close.

Using a soft close model

While you don’t necessarily have to swap out the hinges, if you do, it’s best to choose a soft-close hinge. If your existing hinge is European style, you can choose a soft close model like Grass TEC. These have small pistons that are already built into the hinge cup.

Some models come with an internal arm to ensure no slamming occurs. The great thing about certain soft close models is that you can toggle the switch on or off to enable or disable this feature. If you have a soft-close model, you can replace the hinges, but it depends on the size of the cabinet door. You may also have the option of adding a plunger if you can’t get the right door hinges.

Steps to install soft close models

Now that you know you can convert your cabinets to soft close, here are some steps to follow when making the cover.

As previously mentioned, you will need a screwdriver to pry the hinges off the doors. After that, remove the cabinet doors one by one. Insert the new door hinges in the same place you removed the old ones. Drill them in if they don’t fit in the holes. Use a drill for the small hole and then screw in the new hinges. Now it’s time to reinstall the doors of the closet. Repeat steps 1 through 4 for each cabinet door.

You will now need drawer slides.

Using a screwdriver, remove the rails and drawers, one at a time while keeping in mind the size of the drawers and their order. You can also take out the drawers all at once. Pull apart the new slides so you can work on one section at a time.

Install the drawer slides into the cabinet.

Replace the slides in their sockets and place the slides on the chuck.

Position the rails and use the screwdriver to insert the socket back into the back of the case.

Using a screwdriver, slide the front of the rails into the front frame.

Make sure the drawer slide template is sticking out of the cabinet.

Screw the slides in to fit the drawer.

Do this for all drawers.

While you can do this closet transformation all by yourself, you need to know the style and whether it’s frameless or face frame. You must be able to use the tools required and you must know which hinges to use.

Get help from the pros

If you don’t know where to start or think this project is too overwhelming or intimidating for you, your best bet is to hire a qualified and experienced professional who can do it for you easily and accurately. Contact our team at Authentic Custom Cabinetry to start the process.

Categorized into: Cabinet Quality, Custom Cabinets

Disclosure: We may receive commissions for purchases made through links in this post.

Kitchen drawers are used so regularly that given enough time they are likely to damage themselves or even you. So you are probably wondering how to convert your kitchen drawers into a soft close. It can make the drawers safer and also quieter. Most kitchen drawers, especially older ones, just don’t come with the equipment. That is why we have carefully researched whether kitchen drawers can be converted to a soft close system.

It’s entirely possible to convert existing kitchen drawers into a soft-close upgrade. Instead of buying a whole new set of drawers, you can just buy the hardware and install it. This way you can keep the color and style of your current kitchen drawers. The new hardware includes special sliders and mechanisms that need to be installed on both the cabinet and the drawer box in a few basic steps:

Remove the old drawers. Uninstall old hardware. Install soft close hardware

Soft-close upgrades protect both you and your kitchen drawers, but installation can be very time-consuming and even a little challenging. So read on to learn how to properly install soft close hardware, how much it costs, and how to make adjustments afterwards.

What is the difference between soft close and self close?

Most of the time, these two types of hardware are used interchangeably. Experts like Accuride explain that there may only be a slight difference affecting their catch mechanism at the other end of the rails.

A self-closing drawer has a small spring and plunger system that cushions your drawer about an inch before it closes. Meanwhile, soft-close drawers use a damper that instead cushions your drawer at least two inches before it closes. However, both systems are basically designed to keep your drawer from slamming shut, and they may even be available for sale online under the same name.

Click here to find this 10 pack of soft/self-close drawer slides on Amazon.

How to convert drawers to soft close

Step One – Remove the old drawers

The existing drawers in your house probably have an ordinary set of metal or plastic glides that allow the drawer box to slide back and forth. So to remove the drawer you have to release the release levers under the drawer box.

They are usually orange in colour, but this can vary from brand to brand. Pull the drawer box out all the way, gently press the release levers, and then lift the drawer. The box should release freely from the current sliders.

You should also consider removing any obstacles that would prevent you from having more free, open space as you move on to the next step.

Step Two – Uninstall Old Hardware

Once the old drawers and obstructions are out of the way, you can start removing the rail fittings. This can be found both on the inside walls of the kitchen cabinets and on the outside of the drawer boxes.

Most of the time, these sliders are simply held together by screws. These are generally traditional screws that require little more than a typical screwdriver. You may want to group all screws and matching hardware together in labeled sandwich bags. This makes it easy for you to remember which fittings go with which drawers and parts.

Step Three – Install Soft Close Hardware

Soft close drawer systems come in one of two slightly different options. The hidden sliders are installed directly under the drawer box, which requires special clips. The other mounts to the side of the drawer box as usual, so these tend to be cheaper.

Possibly the most important thing to get right at this step is to keep your drawer straight as you install the new gear. To do this for side mount hardware you should probably use a drawer slide jig.

This is a triangular shaped tool specially designed to ensure your drawer stays perfectly level. The drawer slide jig has a tab that attaches to the front frame of the base cabinets, while a bottom tab connects to the side of the cabinet interior.

Click here to see these drawer slides on Amazon.

This saves you a lot of headaches later when you would otherwise have to make countless adjustments or even reinstall the hardware. Keep in mind that you will also need “Face Frame Clamps” to hold the drawer slide jigs in place.

Click here to find these face frame clamps on Amazon.

With the jig in place on either side of the drawer, you can snap the new slides into place. Now your hands are free to start screwing in the soft-close sliders. You may want a power drill to speed up the process if you plan to install a lot of drawers in your kitchen. Also remember that the larger side of the soft close slides should face away from the drawer box.

Reinsert the drawer box

With the new hardware installed, you’ll need to replace the kitchen drawers you’re remodeling. The first thing you need to do is reverse the direction of your drawer slides. Remove the clamps, turn the jigs upside down and clamp them back onto the face frames while facing outward.

Now you can evenly align the drawer boxes using marks on the template to make them level again. Make sure the drawer boxes line up with the small, inner drawer slides of the soft close system. That way you can add the new screws, working from the nearest hole to the deepest.

If the drawer front looks awkward or crooked, you can read How to Match Kitchen Drawer Fronts post to easily adjust the position.

How do you set the speed on soft close drawers?

Most often, you will find that soft-close drawer mechanisms offer an integrated adjustment tab. This is usually set to the highest possible resistance when the new rails are installed for the first time. You need to lower this tab, which is easily done with a conventional screwdriver.

Remember that each notch on the adjustment tab can make a significant difference in speed. So you can rarely choose a middle ground for your speed.

How much does it cost to install soft close components?

Depending on the number of drawers you want to convert, the price can of course change. On average, the hardware costs around ten to twelve euros per drawer. If you shop online, you’ll find that you can buy about ten pairs for a hundred dollars.

However, this may change depending on the brand or company. Full extension slides can also cost more. You can read How Far Do Kitchen Drawers Extend? to learn more about the limits of your drawer slides.

You also need to consider the tools you may need. These may include a drawer slide, face clamps, a drill, and a screwdriver. This can cost about a hundred dollars more, assuming you don’t already have a drill or screwdriver handy

Can kitchen cabinets be converted to soft close?

It is absolutely possible to buy special soft-close hinges that offer the same advantages as the drawer systems. The process of installing soft-close cabinet hinges is similar to the steps involved when working with drawers.

You can unscrew the existing cabinet doors, then lay them flat and remove the old hinges. However, here you may need a pair of side cutters to remove any plugs that worked with the old mounting plates. Again, you will need to align the new hinges so that they are level with the cabinet door edges. Then you can screw in the new hinges.

Click here to find these soft close snap hinges on Amazon.

However, it is actually possible to find snap-on adapters that attach directly to standard hinges. While this won’t work on every hinge, it can save you a ton of tools and assembly if you happen to have compatible kitchen cabinets.

summary

While it can take a lot of time and effort, upgrading your current kitchen drawers with soft-close technology can really be worth it. Whenever your morning feels hectic, you don’t have to worry about closing the drawer on your finger. If you have children, this is especially useful. You don’t have to worry about the drawer chipping either. Now that you know how to install soft close hardware and what it will cost you, choosing between new slides or leaving your kitchen as is will be an easy decision.

Adding soft-close hinges to your cabinet doors is a kitchen upgrade you’ll appreciate every day! This tutorial will show you how to install soft close hinges and provide all the information you need to complete this DIY project.

How do soft close hinges work?

Soft close hinges have a mechanical device built into the hinge that prevents a cabinet door from slamming shut. He brakes the door and closes it “gently”. These devices are also sometimes referred to as self-closing hinges.

Why should you upgrade?

I remember the first time I closed a closet door with soft close hinges and it was amazing! The closet door closed slowly and quietly by itself. Maybe I’m just a nerd, but I’ve been obsessed with soft-close hinges ever since.

Installing soft-close hinges on your cabinet doors is an upgrade you’ll appreciate every day.

Compared to the high cost of most kitchen renovations, this DIY project is very affordable. Adding soft-close hinges to cabinets in a kitchen will make it feel a little more gourmet without breaking the bank.

Can you DIY this project yourself?

Yes! This is the perfect project to tackle yourself as a DIYer. Certain home renovation projects involve expensive equipment, advanced technical knowledge, or safety risks… but this is not one of them. Some projects are better left to the professionals, but I recommend trying this one for yourself if you have some DIY motivation and a few basic hand tools.

The hardest part of this project is choosing the right hinges to match your furniture style. This tutorial is designed to help you choose the right hinge hardware that is compatible with your cabinets and then walk you through the steps to install it. Let’s start!

Related: How to Add Under Cabinet Lights (In 30 Minutes!)

How to choose the right hinge

Choosing the right hinge for your cabinets is important. There are different types of cabinets and doors that require unique hinge styles. If you don’t use the right style, it won’t work with your cabinets.

face frame, frameless, partial overlay, full overlay, insert, compact, long arm… WHAT????

All the closet terminology might seem intimidating at first, but don’t worry, it’s easier than it seems! In the steps that follow, this tutorial will give you all the information you need to choose soft close hinges that will work with your cabinets.

Step 1: Identify your closet style

Do you have “Face Frame” or “Frameless” cabinets?

The first step in choosing the right hinge for your cabinets is to determine whether you have framed or frameless cabinets.

Most standard cabinets in the United States are of the face frame style. They are called “face frames” because a wooden frame is built on the front of the case. In this type of cabinet, the door hinges attach to this frame.

Frameless cabinets (also called European, Modern, or Flat Panel) have hinges that attach directly to the walls of the cabinet body.

The following images will show you the difference between a face frame and a frameless closet.

The hinge is attached to a panel on the front of the face frame housing.

The hinge attaches directly to the wall of the frameless cabinet.

face frame cabinet

Frameless closet

Both images above use “hidden hinges”. They are called hidden hinges because they are not visible when the cabinet doors are closed. If you have exposed hinges that are visible when the cabinet doors are closed, it’s possible to convert them to hidden hinges if you prefer the hidden style. This conversion requires some additional steps. The conversion process is fairly simple and is covered in detail in the How to Install Hinges section.

Step 2: Determine the style of the cabinet doors

Are your cabinet doors: standard, full overlay, or inset?

The second step in finding the right soft close hinge is to determine what type of cabinet doors you have. Use the images below to determine what type of cabinet doors you have. Each of the 3 styles requires a unique soft-close hinge design. “Partially overlay” cabinet doors are also referred to as “standard”. Partially overlay doors are the most common style in American closets.

The following images show you the difference between: fully overlay, partially overlay and recessed cabinet door.

These illustrations show front framed cabinets, but the door function is the same as frameless cabinets. Imagine the doors without the frame on the front of the cabinets.

Cabinet door styles: front view

Cabinet door styles: top view

Choose high quality cabinet hinges

When writing how to install soft close hinges, I wanted to find the best affordable products that we can recommend to our readers. I started by testing several cheap soft close hinges from Amazon.

All of Amazon’s inexpensive soft-close hinges felt clunky. They just didn’t seem to work well. Some only seemed to work if you gently close the cabinet doors. Others didn’t work well on the large closet doors. Those cheap hinges just weren’t the amazing upgrade I was hoping for.

Next, I tested some of the more professional brands used in high end cabinets. IMPRESSIVE! What a difference. What I learned is that choosing quality soft close hinges is very important!

Step 3: Choose a hinge style

Do you want compact hinges or long arm hinges?

This step is a matter of preference, not compatibility. Both types of hinges will work with your cabinets. The choice depends mainly on price, quality and performance. The pros and cons of both styles are listed below.

Long arm hinges – a premium option

Long arm hinges are also sometimes referred to as Euro or European style hinges. They are strong, durable and accommodate a large, heavy-duty hydraulic soft-close mechanism. Long arm hinges are typically used in high quality cabinets. Aside from being more expensive, the only downside to long arm hinges is that they are physically larger and take up a bit more closet space. Unless closet space is extremely limited, it doesn’t matter.

I tested several long arm soft close hinges and found that some performed better than others. My biggest gripe with some of the hinges was that the cabinet doors had noticeable resistance when opening. This made using the cabinet doors a bit awkward. There were also hinges that seemed overpowered by larger doors and slammed, defeating the purpose of adding soft-close hinges.

After all the testing, one brand stood out as the clear winner. All of the Blum hinges were excellent and seemed to perform better than the competition.

The winner: I recommend using Blum hinges – especially the BLUMOTION soft-close hinges. These Blum hinges are made in Austria and you can feel it! BLUMOTION’s hydraulic soft-close mechanism is perfectly smooth and works exactly as it was designed. In my opinion, Blum hinges offer the best value for money because they’re not super expensive and they feel the best overall.

Best Soft Close Hinge Recommendation:

Face frame, partial support: Blum BLUMOTION Long Arm – Soft Close

Frameless: Blum BLUMOTION Long Arm – Soft Close

Note: These are the two most common hinge styles. Please follow the steps under Choosing the Right Hinge to ensure you get the right hinge for your cabinets.

Compact hinges – a budget option

Compact hinges are small, simple and affordable. They work well but aren’t quite as smooth and sturdy as premium long arm hinges. Depending on your budget for this project, compact hinges might be worth considering as they cost about half as much as long arm hinges.

With compact soft-close hinges, the hydraulic mechanism resides within the hinge itself. This design has an inherent space limitation for the hydraulics. Because of this smaller size, performance suffers.

We tested Blum hinges – specifically the Blum BLUMOTION compact hinges. They were installed in our kitchen for about two weeks. The soft-close hinges worked well and proved to be a handy upgrade compared to standard non-soft-close hinges. If you are looking for a cheaper option, the compact Blum hinges are your best choice!

The biggest downside to compact soft-close hinges is the slow recovery time.

Recovery time: the time a cabinet door must be open before the soft-close mechanism becomes operational. If a hinge is closed before it is “recovered,” the soft-close feature will not work properly (or not at all).

A slow recovery time means that if you quickly grab an item from the closet and close the door within 1 or 2 seconds, the hinge will not work properly and the door will slam like a regular ol’ non-soft-close hinge!

All of the compact hinges we tested had relatively slow recovery times, but some were far worse than others. Times ranged from about 2 seconds to over 5 seconds. The Blum BLUMOTION hinge was the fastest recovering compact hinge.

For comparison, the Blum BLUMOTION Long Arm Hinge achieved an instant recovery time of 0.0 seconds, making it my top overall recommendation.

To learn more about Blum, you can visit their website for a full list of products and details.

How to install soft close hinges

Installing soft close door hinges is a relatively easy project that can be completed in a weekend. Some projects are best left to the professionals, but this is the perfect kitchen upgrade for any DIY enthusiast with basic hand tools and a drill.

installation tools and accessories

Step 1: Remove old cabinet door and hinges

Begin by removing the closet door from the closet. Small wood screws are used to attach the hinges to the cabinet with small wood screws. I recommend using a drill and a #2 Phillips bit for this job, but an old-fashioned screwdriver will do the job as well.

Next, remove the old hinges from the cabinet door.

Step 2: Drill a 35mm (1 3/8″) Hole

If your old cabinets already had concealed hinges (aka concealed hinges), there should already be a 35mm hole for the new hinges. If you are converting to concealed hinges for the first time, you will need to drill new holes with a 35mm adjustable depth Forstner bit.

Cabinet doors already have holes Drills should be checked for depth. Traditional non-soft-close concealed hinges are often flat, so you may need to drill the hole further down.

Step 3: Install the hinge in the cabinet door

After removing the old hinge and drilling the 35mm hole to the correct depth, you are ready to fit the new soft-close cabinet door hinges! This is a pretty easy step. As long as the hole is drilled correctly, the soft-close hinge should snap into place with a little persuasion. It should be a sung seat, but it shouldn’t take a ton of force to get it in place.

You should be able to push the hinge into the hole by hand. If the hinge is stubborn, you can tap it with a rubber mallet. If the rubber mallet isn’t enough, the hole probably wasn’t drilled properly.

Make sure the soft close hinge is properly seated and flush with the top of the cabinet door. Once it’s lined up correctly, you can attach it. Use the small wood screws that come with your Blum Soft Close hinges.

Step 4: Install the clip-on mounting plate

The next step is to install a mounting pad on the cabinet. The image above shows a mounting plate that is installed on a front frame cabinet. The mounting plate mounts directly to the face frame.

It is referred to as a “clip-on” mounting plate because the cabinet door clips onto the mounting plate after installation. This makes installation a lot easier compared to standard hinges that require you to hold the cabinet door while you attach the hinge to the cabinet!

Use the screw holes from the old hinges you removed to center the new mounting plate in position on the cabinet. Before attaching the mounting plate to the cabinet with a wood screw, pre-drill with a 5/64″ or 3/32″ drill bit to avoid cracking the wood.

Step 5: Clip hinges into mounting plates

This is the easiest and most satisfying step! Hold the cabinet door with one hand and one of the soft-close hinges with the other hand. With a large closet door, it can be helpful to have a second person to help hold the door and guide it into place. Slide the soft-close hinge into the mounting plate, and then press into the plate to snap into place.

If the hinges are not perfectly aligned with the mounting plates, you may need to loosen the screws on one or both mounting plates and adjust as necessary. Clipping the soft-close hinges into the mounting plates is easy as long as they are properly aligned. As an added bonus, the cabinet doors are just as easy to remove for cleaning or other reasons.

Step 6: Test Out Your New Soft Close Hinges!

Voila! You are done. Test your new soft close closet doors to make sure they work properly, then enjoy!

Tips for success installing soft close hinges

Make sure you choose the right style of hinge that is compatible with your specific cabinets.

Choose a quality hinge that offers a great user experience. Cheap hinges usually don’t work well.

Always use the correct PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) and use safe practices when working with power tools.

Use the right tools and accurate measurements to make the cabinet doors work properly and fit your cabinets perfectly.

Be careful not to overtighten the wood screws! Dealing with stripped screws is a nightmare.

UP NEXT: Renovating a kitchen on a $10,000 budget

How to install soft close hinges on your cabinets

Auto-closing drawers work mechanically to slide the drawer back into the cabinet. There is no motor, just ball bearings that allow the drawer to slide back into the cabinet using only gravity. Self-closing drawers will work flawlessly for years if they are adjusted correctly from the start. The main reason for self close drawer failures is improperly installed slides or a drawer that is not built square. This can cause the drawer to lean to one side and not close completely. You can only adjust this type of drawer with a screwdriver.

Soft close toilet seats work because they have a special type of hinges that allow the toilet seat to close on its own very slowly and quietly. Some soft-close toilet seat hinges can be adjusted to make the seat close more slowly. However, not all soft-close toilet seats have adjustable hinges, but you’ll need to remove the seat and inspect the hinges to find out if yours are adjustable. If your soft close seat has stopped working as usual and you are unable to adjust the hinges, you may need to repair it by replacing the hinge dampers with a new set.