If your kitchen cabinet and vanity doors bang loud enough to wake the neighbor’s dog, it is time to consider replacing the existing hinges with soft close hinges. Soft close hinges are engineered to stop the door about one or two inches from slamming, and then gently easing it shut.
Here are 8 very quiet soft closing hinges. Hopefully one of them will meet your needs and work on the type of doors you have.
| 6 Best Soft Close Cabinet Hinges | Why It's Best | Rating |
|---|---|---|
| Ravinte Soft Close Cabinet Hinges | Best Easy Replacement Soft Close Cabinet Hinge | ★★★★★ |
| Konigeehre Soft Close Cabinet Door | Writer's Choice for Best Soft Close Cabinet Hinge | ★★★★★ |
| Berta Clip-On Frameless Soft Closing Cabinet Hinges | Best Clip-On Soft Close Cabinet Hinges | ★★★★★ |
| DecoBasics Soft Close Cabinet Hinges | Best 1/2" Overlay Face Frame Soft Close Cabinet Hinges | ★★★★★ |
| DecoBasics Retro Soft Close Cabinet Hinges | Best Retro Soft Close Cabinet Hinges | ★★★★★ |
| Qrity Face Mount Soft Close Cabinet Hinges | Best Face Mount Soft Close Cabinet Hinges | ★★★★★ |
8 Best Soft Close Cabinet Hinges
Most kitchen cabinet doors have 2 hinges held in place by 3 or 4 short screws. These hinges control the entire operation of the doors. Here are some of the best soft close cabinet hinges.
1) Ravinte 1/2 inch Overlay Soft Close Hinges for Kitchen Cabinets
The Ravinte 1/2 inch Overlay Soft Close Hinges for Kitchen Cabinets are one of the easiest replacement hinges to use. They mount on the inside of the cabinets and doors, and in most cases will replace existing hinges without extra preparation. Available in packages of 10, 20, 30, 50, and 60 pieces–all with sufficient dowels and mounting screws. Made of stainless steel and nickel, they will provide a lifetime of service.
The well-designed soft close/noise damping system will provide years of quiet, trouble free service. They slow the door down, then complete the door closing quietly. The hinges provide 3-way adjustment, allowing you to get the perfect door setting for quiet closing and excellent fits. Prevents sagging, aligns correctly, and open and closes smoothly. They also provide 105 degree opening angle.
The Good
- Very quiet soft close hinge mechanism
- Available in multiple sized packages
- Come complete with dowels and mounting hardware
- Stainless steel and nickel construction
- 3-way adjustment for perfect fit and operation
- 105 degree opening
The Not so Good
- Virtually nothing
2) KONIGEEHRE Soft Close Cabinet Door Hinges for 1/2″ Partial Overlay Cupboard
KONIGEEHRE Soft Close Cabinet Door Hinges for 1/2″ Partial Overlay Cupboard are made of stainless steel with nickel overlay for long lasting durability. Available in packages of 2, 20, or 60 pieces c/w soft door bumpers which helps the doors to close even more quietly. These hinges are compatible with both face frame cabinets and frameless cabinets. (Make sure you choose the correct hinges for your cabinets.)
These hinges are virtually all metal construction including the metal hydraulic damping system and the 6 piece steel connector system. The hinges have 3 way adjustability allowing for precision positioning of each cabinet door. (Note: The manufacturer calls it 6 way adjustability. Up and down is one adjustment in my world–not two.) A fixed hook design helps maintain door stability. Konigeehre provides a 100% satisfaction guarantee.
The stainless steel hydraulic soft close system makes for very smooth and very quiet door closings. They work virtually flawlessly for years.
The Good
- All stainless steel construction with nickel overlay
- Stainless steel hydraulic dampening piston
- 6 piece steel connector system
- Compatible with face frame and frameless cabinets
- 3 way adjustability
- Fixed hook design helps maintain door stability
- 100% satisfaction guarantee
The Not so Good
- Virtually nothing
3) Berta Full Overlay Clip-On Face Frame Soft Closing European Hinges
Berta Full Overlay Clip On Face Frame Soft Closing European Hinges are available for purchase in multiple packaged options from 2 hinges to 100 hinges. Each package contains enough mounting screws for all of the hinges. These hinges have a built-in soft closing damper which extends the life of hinges, doors, and cabinets. The clip-on feature allows you to remove the door quickly and easily for better access to the cabinet. Easy removal also makes it much simpler to clean the cabinets and backsides of the doors.
Slotted mounting holes allow for vertical adjustment. Two cams can be adjusted horizontally and for depth with a Philips screw driver. The hinges are made of cold rolled steel, then nickel plated for looks. They open 110 degrees providing easier access into the cabinet. These hinges are for face framed cabinets only. They are covered by a 14 day 100% return/refund policy.
The Good
- Clip-on hinges for easy door removal
- Soft close damper
- Multiple sized packages c/w mounting screws
- 3-way hinge adjustment
- Made of nickel plated cold rolled steel
- 14 day 100% return/refund policy
The Not so Good
- Virtually nothing
4) DecoBasics Soft Close Cabinet Hinges for Kitchen Cabinets
DecoBasics Soft Close Cabinet Hinges for Kitchen Cabinets are 1/2″ overlay face frame hinges. They are soft self-closing hinges c/w built-in bumpers to keep door closing quiet and smooth. Once you have them installed, they can be adjusted 3 ways for the perfectly fitted cabinet door. With these hinges, your cabinet doors will open 105 degrees for easier access.
These cabinet hinges are available in many different sized packages from 2 hinge packs to 100 hinge packs. Each sized package comes with sufficient dowels and screws to install all of the hinges. And in 3 overlay sizes–1/2″, 3/4″, 1 1/4″. The heavy duty steel construction, high quality stainless steel finish, and resilient soft close bumper are tested to last for 50,000 plus open and close cycles.
DecoBasics manufactures many different styles and sizes of cabinet hinges along with other types of hardware. Meaning that you should be able to find what you need. All of their hinges come with a 90 day return or replacement 100% satisfaction guarantee.
The Good
- Economical soft close hinges c/w built in bumpers for quiet smooth operation
- 3 way adjustment
- Open 105 degrees
- Multiple sized packages of hinges c/w sufficient dowels and screws for installation
- Multiple sizes
- Stainless steel finish on heavy duty steel construction
- 90 day 100% refund/replacement satisfaction guarantee
The Not so Good
- Virtually nothing
5) DecoBasics Retro Soft Close Cabinet Hinges
DecoBasics Retro Soft Close Cabinet Hinges give you an old-timey exposed hinge look with modern soft close technology. They face mount on the cabinet and can actually match some of the older hinges. These heavy duty steel hinges are available in multiple colors to match your décor. Matte black, gold/brass, and antique brass, among others.
The soft close damper mechanism integrated into the hinge enables it to close smoothly and quietly. The hinges are easy to install and come with enough screws and bumpers to complete the job. They are available in packs of 20 hinges or 50 hinges. You can order inset style or overlay style to match you cabinet doors.
Note: Many of these styles of hinges are self-closing not soft closing. Double check your order.
The Good
- Retro hinge look
- Soft close technology
- Available in multiple colors
- Easy to install
- Available in packages of 20 hinges or 50 hinges
- Available in both inset and overlay styles
The Not so Good
- Screw holes may not line up with original hinge holes
6) Qrity Face Mount Soft Close Cabinet Hinges
Qrity Face Mount Soft Close Cabinet Hinges are the perfect answer for thin cabinet doors that cannot be drilled for a cup hole. They have a nickel-plated finish with a built-in iron nickel spring that provides smooth quiet closing. Easy to install with the 8 included screws.
These hinges allow cabinet doors to open a full 90 degrees and have a quick release mechanism at the press of a button that enables you to remove the door without removing screws. Suitable for 14 mm to 18 mm thick cabinets and doors. These hinges can be purchased in packages of 2 or 4.
The Good
- Face mount – no cup hole to drill
- Good for thin cabinet doors (14 mm – 18 mm)
- Nickel plated finish
- Full 90 degree door opening
- Release button allows door removal without taking out screws
- Sold in packs of 2 hinges or 4 hinges
The Not so Good
- Some question about soft close (order problems?)
7) Blum B039C355B.20 1-1/4″ Overlay Soft Close Cabinet Hinges
The Blum B039C355B.20 1-1/4″ Overlay Soft Close Cabinet Hinge is a perfect replacement for original wrap-around hinges used on face frame cabinets. (Such as the Mepla hinge.) Blumotion soft close technology is integrated into each hinge cup. This allows for the smallest compact hinge that Blum makes to have the best technology, ensuring silent, effortless closing regardless of door size. For small light doors, the Blumotion has a switch inside each cup to turn it off. This prevents the small doors from closing too fast.
Each hinge has 3 way adjustment to ensure the door will fit properly. They are constructed of nickel plated steel and open 110 degrees for better access. Available in multiple sized packages from 1 to 50 pieces; each pack can be ordered with or without screws. The one-piece wrap-around hinge is one of the easier units to install. Just hold in place and mark all of the holes you need at once.
The Good
- Soft close hinges with Blumotion technology
- Individual hinges can be turned off if too powerful for small doors
- One of smallest compact hinges available
- 3 way adjustment
- Nickel plated steel construction
- Opens 110 degrees
- Easy installation
The Not so Good
- Virtually nothing
8) Hushed Hardware Frameless Soft Closing Cabinet Hinges
Hushed Hardware Frameless Soft Closing Cabinet Hinges are made for full overlay doors. These are easy to use replacement hinges with complete instructions for making sure they fit before you order them. These are a 4D Intelligent Hinge meaning that not only can you adjust the the positioning of the door, you can adjust closing speed also.
The hinges allow for a 105 degree door opening and have 25 degree close angle to get them out of the way fast. Then allow them to close softly at your choice of speeds. These hinges are also clip-on units, allowing you to mount the hinge on the door and the plate on the cabinet, then clip them together. This is a much easier installation for replacement hinges. 90 day refund/return policy.
The Good
- Made for frameless full overlay cabinets
- 3 way adjustment for perfect door fit
- Can adjust closing speed
- Hinges open 105 degrees
- Clip on hinges allowing full door removal
- 90 day refund/replacement 100% satisfaction guarantee
The Not so Good
- Virtually nothing
Two Soft Close Cabinet Door Dampers
So what do you do if your kitchen hinges are still in very good shape, and you do not want to spend the time and money on new hinges. Consider buying soft close cabinet door dampers.
1) Rok Hardware Soft Close Damper for Cabinet Doors
The Rok Hardware Soft Close Damper for Cabinet Doors is an inexpensive quick fix for slamming kitchen cabinet doors when you do not need to, or want to, change all of the hinges to soft close units. These are a simple one-screw installation in the corner of the cabinet box–hinge side of the door. (Only works on cabinets with fully concealed self-closing hinges.) The polished nickel finish matches most hinges. These dampers work on full face framed cabinets and frameless cabinets.
The adjustment screw located on the back of the unit will move the bumper in or out to accommodate lighter or heavier doors. It is made to withstand approximately 50,000 soft closing cycles, and has a cushioned bumper end to prevent door scratches. These bumpers are are sold in packages of 10.
The Good
- Inexpensive cabinet door slamming solution
- Simple one-screw installation
- Polished nickel finish
- Adjustable for different weight doors
- Manufactured to withstand 50,000 soft closing cycles
- Sold in packages of 10
The Not so Good
- Some people complain about mounting (Screw is meant to mount at 65 degrees.)
2) Blum 971A9700 Soft Close Cabinet Door System
Blum 971A9700 Soft Close Cabinet Door System uses a fluid dampening system that they claim is completely silent, providing soft quiet closing. It is adjustable for different sizes and weights of doors.
They are made of nickel plated die cast metal in Austria and use screws made in the USA. One soft close damper installed on the hinge side of the cabinet frame is usually enough for most cabinet doors, but you have the option of adding another one to larger doors if you need more damping. These can be used on both full and partial overlay doors.
The Good
- Provides soft quiet close using completely silent fluid dampening system
- Adjustable for different weight of doors
- Made of nickel plated die-cast metal
- Adaptable for both full and partial overlay doors
- Doubling up option for larger heavier doors
- Manufactured in Austria
The Not so Good
- Virtually nothing
Soft Close Cabinet Hinges for Old Cabinets
Quite often when someone decides to replace hinges, they are doing it on old cabinet doors that were hinged without the use of hinge cups drilled into the backside of the doors. Your new soft close hinges will need a cup hole drilled. The easiest way to do this is with a Kreg Concealed Hinge Jig. Once you have chosen the hinges you are using, mark out your drilling pattern, clamp the jig in place and make your holes.
Generally, hinge cup holes are drilled 1/2″ or 17/32″ deep. If the old doors you are working with are not 3/4″ thick, you should give some consideration to buying face mount hinges. Drilling through your heirloom cabinet doors is a bad option.
To solve the door depth problem, you can give some consideration to using Qrity Kitchen Cabinet Face Mount Door Hinges. These are also a soft close hinge, suitable for 14mm – 18mm door thickness. Without needing a hinge cup hole drilled.
Soft Close Cabinet Hinges as Replacements
If you are replacing existing hinges with the same type of design such as the hole routered into the door and the same screw pattern, it is entirely possible that you will find an exact fit. Many cabinet hardware manufacturers like Blum, DecoBasics, and Grass, among others, have been in business for decades and still make pretty much the same pattern of hinges. (Many of them make multiple hinge designs and sizes.)
With any luck you will find the maker’s name on your existing hinges, or at least a logo, allowing you to track them down. Or many manufacturers seem to be using the same designs. If you take measurements of your existing screw patterns, lengths and hole depths, you may be able to find matching hardware. You should probably take a little time and conduct a thorough search. Being able to just take out the old one and replace it with the new one will save a lot of time and annoyance.
Trying to enlarge the existing hinge cup–even with a good jig–is a pain. And kind of defeats the purpose of a tight hinge fit making the door operate properly.
Soft Close Cabinet Hinges Buying Criteria
Once you have the hinges you want and/or need to fit your cabinets, the rest is usually fairly simple. By taking all of the following into consideration, you should be ready for an easy installation when the hinges arrive.
How Quiet are Soft Close Cabinet Hinges?
Soft close cabinet hinges that are adjusted properly should make little to no noise. All of the good hinges come with 3 way adjustments allowing you to move the door in or out, horizontally, and vertically. Proper adjustment will eliminate the cracking sound you hear when the door is too tight to the cabinet.
Some hinges have a 4th adjustment to control the speed of the hinge. Keeping your hinges lubricated with dry silicone spray lubricant (yearly) and adding silicone door bumpers to the cabinets will keep the doors next to silent.
Note: You should not really need the bumpers if the soft close hinges are working properly. We have them on ours and I am a creature of habit.
Smooth Soft Close Cabinet Hinge Operation
New soft close cabinet hinges should not only be next to silent, they should be very smooth operating. If they are kind of herky-jerky, or there is a crack or click when you open them, or when they are closing, it is almost always an adjustment problem. The door is adjusted too close to the cabinet, the hinges are not adjusted evenly, something sticky is on the door or cabinet, or the screws holding the hinge to the door and/or cabinet could be loose.
Most hinges will give you close to 1/4″ adjustment in all 3 direction. Unless the hinge was installed wrong, this should be enough to move the hinges to the proper location. Make small adjustments by just turning the screws 1/16th or 1/8th of a turn, then check your progress. Keep tweaking until each door is smooth and silent.
If one, or more, of the hinge screws will not tighten, that will make it almost impossible to adjust the cabinet door properly. (Please see the next section to learn how to solve the problem.)
Soft Close Cabinet Hinge Installation
If you have ordered the proper fitting replacement hinges, installation should be simple. Take off the old one. Screw on the new one. Except for Murphy’s Law. Which quite often means little things like screw holes almost, but not quite matching.
If the screw holes do not match or someone overtightened a screw so it no longer holds, you can fix that. Just mix up a slurry of clean sawdust and wood glue, clean out the old hole, pack your sawdust/glue mixture into it, let it dry. Then drill out a new hole or holes and install your hinge.
Cup holes in the doors are a universal size, so the new hinge should fit that perfectly.
Cabinet Design
You will need to determine which style of cabinet you have because only a few hinge manufacturers made a product that is interchangeable.
- Face Framed Cabinets. Face framed cabinets have a facing that is attached to the front of the cabinet. Generally, cabinet doors are designed to overlap the facing by a certain amount. (1/2″ is fairly standard although bigger overlaps are also common–depending on hinge style.)
- Frameless Cabinets. Frameless cabinet sides, top, and bottom extend all the way to the front of the cabinet. You will quite often see cabinet doors that are inset flush to the front edge.
Types of Soft Close Hinge Design
Both face frame and frameless cabinet hinges are available in full overlay, partial overlay, and inset styles. When choosing new soft close hinges, make sure they will either match the hinges you are replacing, or if new doors, that they are made for your style of cabinet.
- Full Overlay. Full overlay hinges cover the entire face of the cabinet frame and are generally used when there is no other adjacent door.
- Partial Overlay. Partial overlay hinges (also called half overlay) cover a portion of the frame (generally used when another door is adjacent and they will hinder operation). Partial overlays range in size from 1/2″ to 1 1/2″. Overlays are quite often etched into the hinge body, making life much easier when replacing hinges. (See picture of Ravinte hinge above. The 1/2 etched on the hinge is the overlay size.)
- Inset. Inset hinges are the least complicated–mounted inside the cabinet and leaving the entire frame exposed.
Additional Soft Close Cabinet Hinge Buying Considerations
- Cost. At first glance, cost might not seem like a major consideration. Soft close hinges can range in price from around $1.00 each to $6.00 each–depending on manufacturer, style, and volume of hinges purchased. But the cost can add up fairly quickly. For instance, our kitchen and bathrooms have a total of 20 doors. At 2 hinges each, that is 40 hinges with a potential cost of $40.00 to $240.00 for replacement hinges. And this is a small kitchen with quite a few drawers instead of doors.
- Material. The main body of virtually all soft close cabinet hinges are solid steel. Some will be nickel plated and some will be stainless–both of which are rust and corrosion resistant. Which is necessary in moist locations like bathrooms.
- Design. Most cabinet hinges are only seen when the doors are open. Making design looks not nearly as important as most of the other hinge considerations. Most hinges–hidden or partially exposed–have a brushed nickel, stainless steel, or nickel plate finish. Some manufacturers are beginning to make retro looking soft close hinges that are exposed and come in various colors. Like DecoBasics Inset/Offset Kitchen Cabinet Hinges.
- Warranty. Although warranty information is a little hard to come by for some manufacturers, many of them claim that their hinges will last for over 50,000 open and close cycles. As detailed in our FAQ section, that could work out to over 34 years of use for each hinge. Many of them also offer refund/replacement guarantees.
FAQs About Soft Close Cabinet Hinges
Here are some of the questions asked about soft close hinges.
1) Should soft close cabinet hinges be lubricated?
Yes. But not much and not often. Dry silicone spray lubricant is the best choice for cabinet hinges. A quick squirt once a year should be all you need. Make sure the door is left open until the accelerant evaporates.
2) Can soft close hinges work on old cabinets?
Yes. You will probably have to cut out the pocket for the hinge to fit into. For best results buy a Kreg Cabinet Concealed Hinge Jig and follow the directions carefully. Drilling a 35 mm hole in the wrong place is not a laughing matter. Most hinge manufacturers also provide a template and detailed instructions.
3) Who makes the best soft close hinges?
Many people consider Blum, DecoBasics, and Berta among the best. Realistically, the best manufacturer is the one who makes a soft close hinge that fits your cabinets.
4) Do I need to change all of my cabinet door hinges to soft close hinges?
No. One soft close hinge per each small door is usually enough. You can always add another one if you want more damping effect. Larger doors will need two or more soft close hinges.
5) Is there a difference between soft close and self close cabinet hinges?
Yes. A soft closing hinge will stop the door a couple of inches from closing, then allow it to close quietly and firmly. A self closing hinge tends to snap the door closed when it gets within 2″ of closing.
6) How long will soft close cabinet hinges last?
Probably as long as the cabinets. Many of the hinges on our list claim to be good for over 50,000 open/close cycles. If you open and close a cabinet door 4 times every day of the year, it will take you over 34 years to get to 50,000 cycles. Our clip on cabinet hinges are close to 15 years old and have never made a noise or hesitated to work well.
