The Best Cabinet Hinges

Buying Guide for Cabinet Hinges

Why buy cabinet hinges?

Hinges are an essential part of any door, cabinet doors included. They keep the door attached to the rest of the cabinet and allow it to rotate, swing open, and shut as needed. You’re left with an open-faced cubby instead of a closed cabinet without a hinge. Thus if you want a cabinet that fully closes, to keep the items inside safe, you need a good set of hinges. If one or more of the hinges on your cabinet(s) are broken, you’ll want to fix them immediately, and it’s much easier and cheaper to buy a new hinge and replace it with the old one than it is buy and install an entirely new cabinet.

What should you look for in cabinet hinges?

• Type: The kind of cabinet hinge you need depends entirely on the cabinet you own, so these two need to go together correctly. To best determine your cabinetry’s overlay, measure how much of the cabinet door covers the face of the cabinet on the hinge side. The two most important distinctions you’ll want to make are the difference between hinges for face-framed cabinets and frameless ones. Frameless hinges are installed directly onto the cabinet, whereas framed hinges are installed on said frame, while the cabinet door rests outside the face frame. A corner cabinet is also going to have different requirements.
• Quantity: Once you’ve found the right size and type of cabinet hinge you need for your kitchen or bathroom cabinets, it never hurts to have at least a few spares on hand just in case one breaks. Buying in bulk is also useful for larger-scale projects. The quantity of cabinet hinges can vary quite a bit, from sets of four to eight to packs of 100 or more and everything in between.
• Size: Most cabinet hinges will have an overlay of between 1/2 an inch and 1.5 inches. There’s also the cup size, which is usually listed in millimeters. You’ll also want to check the listing to see the door thickness for which the hinges are suitable, which should also be listed in millimeters. Be sure to consider the swing width of a cabinet hinge since this determines the maximum angle to which the hinge will allow the door to open. The higher the swing angle degree, the further the cabinet door will open.
• Aesthetic: There are many color choices for cabinet hinges beyond the usually silvery, chrome-like models. They can also be matte, shiny, or in between, depending on how much shine and sheen you want. You’ll also want to ensure they fit the room’s aesthetic, compliment the wood and color of the cabinet they’re attached to and match any other attachments on the cabinet, like its handles.

Are there other factors worth looking for in cabinet hinges?

While minor in the overall scheme of things, there’s no reason you can’t look for other features in your cabinet hinges. For example, a hinge with a soft-close mechanism will reduce the speed with which a cabinet door closes and makes for a quieter operation, compared to a hinge without one, which closes quickly, albeit with more possibility to slam. There are also self-closing cabinet hinges that automatically and gently close themselves if left open at a 30-degree angle or less. This helps ensure you never leave your cabinet door hanging open by mistake.

Our Picks for the Best Cabinet Hinges

Pros: These tough little cabinet hinges will tick most people’s boxes when they’re in the market for new cabinet hinges. Designed to be concealed by your cabinet door, they’re both soft-closing and self-closing, so you’ll never need to worry about slamming or leaving your cabinet doors hanging open. Made out of steel for strength, each hinge has been treated with an anti-corrosion finish to prevent them from rusting. They’re available in a range of quantities, from as few as two (a single pair) if you only have one or two hinges that need repairing to a set of 60 (30 pairs) if you’re redoing all of your cabinets at home. Perhaps best of all, they’re available in four different overlay sizes, making it easier to find a set that best fits your cabinetry.

Cons: Though these cabinet hinges are listed as stainless steel, they’re made out of cold-rolled steel with a nickel finish. These hinges may leave your cabinets with a gap, even when fully closed.

Bottom Line: These classic concealed cabinet hinges have a lot to love. Not only are they strong and functional, but the great size variety makes it that much easier to find a set that will perfectly fit your home cabinets.

 

Pros: Even though buying cabinet hinges in bulk is more cost-efficient in the long run, some higher quantity options still run slightly on the pricey side. This is the set for you if you need or want multiple sets of hinges but are on a tight budget. Even the largest collection of 50 hinges (25 sets) is lower priced than many packs of comparable quantity. There are several smaller quantity options at equally reasonable prices, too, if you don’t need that many hinges for your home project. They’re compatible with almost every type of overlay cabinetry, regardless of size, and are available in brushed nickel and matte black. They’re also self-closing and rustproof for extra convenience.

Cons: The hinges themselves can be quite noisy often, squeaking and groaning even if you’re careful when closing the door.

Bottom Line: Even though cabinet hinges aren’t necessarily the priciest part of a kitchen or bathroom renovation, why wouldn’t you want to buy a set of the same, good-quality hinges for a reduced price? These highly compatible hinges allow you to do exactly that.

 

Pros: This is an ideal set of cabinet hinges for face frame cabinetry. If you’ve never installed your hinges before, never fear—they’re adjustable in three ways to make the process easier and give you the exact fit you want. The clip-on mounting plate will also make your task simpler. They’ll be concealed from view once installed and are available in several different quantities for different projects, ranging from a single set (two pieces) to 25 (50 pieces). You also won’t have to worry about your cabinet doors squeaking or slamming shut, as these are soft-close hinges with a special door-damper mechanism to prevent those noises.

Cons: These are meant only for face-frame cabinets, and they don’t come included with instructions. While the steel body is undeniably durable, it’s not stated if they’ve been treated to prevent rusting.

Bottom Line: If you’ve got face-framed cabinets at home, these hinges are among your best options for that specific type of cabinetry. Not only are they highly adjustable and feature a 105-degree clip, but the steel ensures they’re nice and durable, able to withstand opening and closing multiple times a day.

 

Pros: With this set of JQK Cabinet Hinges, you can expect to attach any of the rustproof, stainless-steel hinges in either wet or dry environments. Available in sets of four or eight, as well as full-overlay, inset, and partial-overlay sizes for frameless cabinetry, this is an all-metal hinge with high tenacity and longevity in its eight-spring connector. They’ll fit any door between 14 and 22 millimeters thick. It features a 100-degree opening angle and a hydraulic buffer insert that slows down a cabinet door to a soft and quiet close as it shuts.

Cons: If you have a huge project you’re working on, you may need to order multiple sets of these hinges, as the largest quantity they’re available is only 20 pieces (10 sets). Also, the instructions can be hard to follow.

Bottom Line: Unlike many other cabinet hinges, they’re available in three different types, so you can pick whichever best suits your needs or preferences. They’re also suitable for doors of a wider range of thicknesses than most hinges.

 

Pros: Corner cabinets have different requirements for hinges than other types of cabinets, and tracking down the right type is often a more challenging task. But these hinges were made specifically for corner cabinets of all sorts. They make excellent replacement hinges if the ones on your corner cabinets are broken. The stainless-steel make is nice and sturdy and ensures they’re naturally rustproof. They have a much wider maximum swing angle than most. Not only that, but there are two angles options: 135 and 165 degrees. The 165-degree hinges, in particular, are ideal for corner cabinets with two doors connected instead of an individual door.

Cons: Unfortunately, these hinges aren’t sold in sets or pairs, so you have no choice but to purchase them individually. No instructions come included either.

Bottom Line: Finding a hinge that properly fits corner cabinets can be tricky. Fortunately, with this Lazy Susan-style cabinet hinge, your search is over.

Final Thoughts

Whether you’re repairing a broken cabinet hinge or upgrading your current ones, buying cabinet hinges is a small but vital piece of the larger picture. Choosing the right size and type of cabinet hinges is the best way to ensure your cabinets keep opening and closing as smoothly as possible.