We all know and despise that loud, slamming noise whenever we push our cabinet doors a little too hard. Not only is it an annoyance, but it also can ruin the cabinet’s finish, which is the last thing we want.
Therefore, if you want a silent closing mechanism that will not always threaten to ruin the finish, soft close hinges are the way to go. Regardless of how hard you push the door, these will smoothen things out.
Well, then, which ones are the best soft close cabinet hinges? We are glad that you asked. Let’s find them out.
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Table of Contents
4 Best Soft Close Hinges Review
The difference between a typical hinge and a soft closing one feels like night and day. Here are the products that we think do a fantastic job.
1. DecoBasics Face Frame Door Hinges
We all know that adjustability is a nice bonus to have for a hinge. That ability allows you to install it without much hassle and ensure that the door is entirely in line with it.
Moreover, it allows you to adjust the soft-close mechanism’s intensity too. This product from DecoBasics is 3-way adjustable, which means you will be able to tweak the hinge on all sides. And it features an opening angle of 105 degrees.
This angle allows for easier access to the drawers. The ease of installation is further improved because these hinges come with dowels and matching screws for wood so that you do not have to scratch your head later.
You should keep in mind that these are for cabinets with face frames. That means your measurement will be different from a frameless one. Nevertheless, the installation method itself is quite intuitive.
Now, for the most crucial bit – the soft closing mechanism. These products come with high-quality dampers built in to help the doors close delicately, no matter how hard you slam them.
Moreover, this also means that the possibilities of any minor injuries are minimal. As they use quality stainless steel, you can be free of worries when it comes to the longevity of these ½” hinges as well.
Pros
Cons
2. AmazonBasics Soft Close Hinge
Up next, we have got some unique hinges from the giant – AmazonBasics AB-4013. This pack consists of 50 hinges in total, which is a pretty good deal when you consider the price it comes in.
These hinges are ideal for anything ranging from kitchens, bathrooms, or offices. They feature a modern design that suits any sort of cabinet. Moreover, they stay hidden from the eyes, allowing for a cleaner look.
These hinges use quality parts that lower the door’s velocity for the sound dampening mechanism when it is a few inches from closing shut. At that point, the door starts slowing down to a slower pace.
From there, it softly moves inwards until the door is completely closed. This mechanism works exceptionally well in this hinge. Moreover, having adjustable positions acts as the cherry on the top.
It has three ways that you can adjust to ensure proper alignment. Another thing we like about it is the nickel-plated finish. This bit allows it to stay rust-free for a long time.
The package also includes mounting screws, a pan head screw, and two flat head screws – which is appreciated. It has a 1/2” overlay, and the hinge is not visible from the outside, providing a clean aesthetic to your cabinet. Consider reading the 15 gauge finish nailer reviews, to pick the idea one for the job.
Pros
Cons
3. Knobonly Soft Close Cabinet Hinges
A cabinet door that opens to a wider angle is surprisingly versatile and convenient in many scenarios. It allows for easier access to things while and suits purposes such as bookcases or TV cabinets.
For the third pick of our list, we have a hinge with a 105-degree opening angle. That means you can use it for anything ranging from your wardrobe to the bathroom. What’s different about this is that it is for face frame cabinets.
And being able to find quality European hinges for face frame cabinets is fantastic. When it comes to the installation, even though you have to mount it on the frame, the process is quite convenient.
The package comes with the necessary mounting screws suitable for a door thickness of around 0.56 inches to 0.88 inches. In turn, it also means that using this as a replacement hinge will be extremely easy.
Now, for the soft-close mechanism. This product comes with an impressive ability to handle a hefty amount of force and smoothen it out. There is one caveat, though – the adjustability is not as versatile as some other products.
Despite lacking the ability to adjust the screws, it bodes well. The cup’s diameter and depth are the standard 35mm x 11.5mm. Moreover, nickel-plated metal ensures long term usability.
Pros
Cons
4. Blum Soft-Close Hinge
At this point, we have the 38N355BE08 from a manufacturer that undoubtedly creates some of the best hinges out here. This package has five pairs of the product, and it is the version without the screws.
However, that bit does not make it any less remarkable. These products are known as the Compact Blumotions due to their compact size, which allows for a small footprint and still provides a fantastic experience.
In terms of the design, these are European hinges made for face frame cabinets. One thing that we appreciate about them is that these products are effortless to install and do not require much work.
When it comes to the overlay dimension for the face frame, it measures half an inch. This size is standard, and you can find your one by measuring the distance of how much of your cabinet’s face the door covers on the hinge side.
Another impressive side about these is that the soft-close mechanism is built into the hinge cup itself. Not just that, but you can also deactivate this feature for smaller doors if you want to, enhancing the customizability.
You can also interchange these products with your current Compact hinges, which is fantastic. Lastly, the price of these products is reasonable, too, turning them into a fabulous deal.
Pros
Cons
What to Look for Before Buying?
Choosing the right hinge for your cabinet can get puzzling, but choosing a bad one is even worse. Here are a bunch of points that you should keep in mind when you are out shopping.
Cabinet Type
You will usually find two types of cabinets – face-frame cabinets and frameless cabinets. The hinges can vary depending on which one you have.
- Face-Frame Cabinets
These cabinets are arguably more common in North America. The specialty of these products is that they’ve got a wooden frame attached to the cabinet’s front side (hence the name face-frame).
The frame is around an inch or two in thickness, and you can mount the hinges to this frame. Therefore, you need to account for that when shopping.
- Frameless Cabinets
As you can imagine from the name, these do not have frames in front of them. They are essentially a four-sided box. Due to their popularity in Europe, AKA Euro-style cabinets.
And of course, since these do not have a frame, the hinges you choose will also not have to account for it. This is how the design can affect your options.
Visible or No?
Unlike drawer slides that are soft close, you can find three kinds of hinges when it comes to their visibility.
- Concealed
These hinges are completely hidden from sight and are also known as cup hinges or European hinges. This property allows for a modern and minimalistic look.
- Semi-Concealed
These products are only partially visible from the outside when you have the door closed. You can find these hinges with decorative tips to make things a bit more interesting.
- Exposed
As you can guess, these are exposed to the outside of the door. However, these are not as common as the previous two.
Types of Hinges
This part is where you will be overflown with options, regardless of what sort of cabinet you might own. Once again, you will notice a particular distinction between the traditional and European hinges.
- Butt Hinge
Keeping the incoming jokes aside, this is one of the most commonly used hinges. It uses two pivoting leaves or plates that connect with what can be called interlocking fingers.
These create a barrel, which is then kept in place with a pin. You attach one leaf to the door and the other to the cabinet, and they are semi-concealed.
- European Hinge
As we have talked about, these are concealed hinges. While these are extremely popular for frameless designs, you can also find these products made for cabinets with face-frames.
A European hinge comes with a mounting plate that is attached to the cabinet. And the cup portion is positioned in a circular mortise that you drill to the back of the door.
An impressive feat about this design is that it often provides the ability to adjust the hinge in a few ways, which allows for fine-tuning. For instance, side adjustment would adjust the gap between doors.
On the other hand, the height adjustment would allow you to align the doors precisely at the top or the bottom. Some of them might even make room for a depth adjustment, which is very handy.
The Angle the Door Will Open to
You need to consider how far you want your door to open. For instance, you can find hinges that allow the doors to open over 160 degrees or even the ones that swing all the way to the cabinet’s side.
However, this does not provide any extra benefits. Moreover, if you want a hinge that has the ability to open like this, you need to have a frameless cabinet.
Dampening Mechanism
This one is undoubtedly one of the most critical elements for a soft closing hinge. Depending on how good it is, you will either get a silent and smooth experience or a very annoying one.
When your door is within a few inches of being in a closed position, the dampening mechanism kicks in, and it then smoothens the travel. If the springs are not that great in quality, you might hear a noise.
Not just that, the mediocre products sometimes result in a sudden jerk when the dampening mechanism starts working. Therefore, you need to look out for things like these.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Which is the best opening angle?
That depends on your preferences. You can find hinges that only open to a straight angle, and then some open all the way to the cabinet’s side. The latter might or might not anything of value to you, so you have to decide which angle you want.
2. Are frameless cabinets better than face-frame ones?
Quite anticlimactically, it is mostly design preferences. You can find products in both categories that are extremely sturdy and look better. However, frameless ones usually require less work. Therefore some people prefer them.
3. Do I need both the hinges to be soft-closing?
You can use one soft-closing product for a smaller door. However, you will generally get a smoother result if both of them are of that type. Plus, it increases the ability to handle extra force when it is necessary.
4. Can I change the soft-closing speed?
Not all the hinges allow for this ability, but thankfully, some do. Those products usually come with a two or three-way adjustable mechanism that you can choose between to change the soft-closing system’s intensity.
5. Is it possible to replace my usual hinges with soft-closing ones?
Yes, it is possible to do that. Moreover, if your new hinge’s measurements match the old ones, you do not need to do any extra drilling and cutting. But if it doesn’t, you need to make some changes.
Final Words
We understand the necessity of a soft closing hinge, and we also realize how the users have different tastes. So, these were the best soft close cabinet hinges for you. Choose the ones that suit your cabinet’s aesthetics and live a quiet, annoyance-free life.