The three moving parts behind every door and drawer
A hinge is the fitting that joins the door to the carcass, the structural box behind it, and lets the door swing open and closed. Most kitchen hinges are sprung, so the door pulls itself shut over the last few degrees, and nearly all of them carry three small adjustment screws: one moves the door sideways, one moves it up and down, and one sets how far it sits forward from the carcass front. Those three screws are what let a fitter line up a whole run of doors so the gaps between them are even.
The runner does a different job
A runner is the pair of tracks, one fixed to the cabinet side and one fixed to the drawer, that carries the drawer's weight and lets it slide in and out. Cheaper runners roll on plastic wheels; most mid-range and better kitchens use steel ball-bearing runners, which take a heavier load and stay smoother for longer because there is less plastic in contact with plastic. The runner is also what sets whether a drawer can carry the full depth of the box or only a partial-extension one that stops before the back is reachable.
Soft-close is a third part.
Soft-close is a small damper, usually a sealed piston, fitted inside the hinge or at the back of the runner. It has one job: to slow the last stretch of travel so the door or drawer eases shut. It is a separate mechanism from the hinge or runner it sits inside, and it is usually the first part to fail, because the piston wears with use while the metal hinge arm or runner track around it often has a lot of life left. A door that has stopped closing itself but still swings and latches normally is telling you the damper has gone.
What determines how long any of the three lasts is mostly the metal and the bearing surface: solid steel hinge arms and ball-bearing runners outlast pressed steel and plastic-wheeled ones under the same daily use. Ranges publish a cycle figure for hinges and runners, tested against a named standard, and that figure is worth reading against the test it comes from.
How to read a hardware cycle figure against its test
A cycle figure only means something once you know which test produced it. Here are the forms that figure takes on a spec sheet, and what each one does and does not let you check.
| What the spec sheet says | What it tells you | What to check before you rely on it |
|---|---|---|
| A cycle figure with the test standard named (e.g. EN 15570 for hinges, EN 16903 for runners) | The figure was reached under a defined opening-and-closing routine, so a figure from one maker can be set against another using the same standard. | Confirm the standard covers the part in question. A hinge tested to EN 15570 is a different claim from a runner tested to EN 16903, and the two figures do not compare. |
| A cycle figure with no standard named | The number cannot be set against another maker's figure, because the routine behind it is not stated. | Ask the maker which test produced the figure, or treat it as a claim. |
| The hardware brand named but no cycle figure given | You can look up the brand's own published cycle rating for that hinge or runner model on the maker's page. | Match the exact model or series. Ranges within one brand carry different ratings. |
| 'Soft-close' stated with no brand or figure | The damper mechanism is present, but nothing here says which maker built it or what it is built to withstand. | Look inside the cabinet door or drawer for a stamped brand name, or ask the supplier to confirm it in writing. |
| A manufacturer's own in-house test claim | The figure comes from a routine the maker set for itself. | Read what the routine actually involved before setting it against a figure that names EN 15570 or EN 16903. |
This sets out the general ways a cycle figure appears on a hardware spec sheet. Where a figure is unclear, the hardware maker's own product page is the place to confirm it.
How to adjust or replace a soft-close damper, step by step
A soft-close damper is the small cylinder fitted inside a hinge or a drawer runner that catches the door or drawer in the last stretch of its travel and slows it down, so it settles into place. It is a separate part from the hinge or runner itself, and on most kitchen hardware it can be adjusted or swapped out without touching anything else.
Adjusting a damper on a hinge
If a door still closes but does so too fast, too slow, or slightly off-square, the fix is usually adjustment. Most hinge dampers sit on the hinge arm itself, close to where it meets the cabinet, and carry a small dial or screw that changes how much resistance the damper applies.
- Open the door fully so you can see the hinge arm and locate the damper housing.
- Find the adjustment point. On many hinges this is a small wheel or screw on the damper body itself, separate from the hinge's own height, depth and side adjustment screws.
- Turn the adjustment a small amount in one direction, close the door, and check the result before making a further change.
- Repeat until the door closes smoothly over its last few centimetres of travel without slamming or stalling short of the frame.
Adjusting a damper on a drawer runner
Drawer dampers work the same way, but the damper sits inside the runner near the back of the cabinet.
- Pull the drawer fully out, or remove it if the runner allows, so the damper mechanism at the back of the runner is visible.
- Check whether the damper has its own adjustment screw. Not every runner has one; some are fixed and cannot be tuned, only replaced.
- Adjust in small steps and test the drawer after each change, closing it at a normal pace.
When to replace rather than adjust
Adjustment only helps where the damper is still working but set wrong. Replacement is the right move where the damper itself has failed.
- The door or drawer slams with no cushioning at all, even at the softest adjustment setting.
- The damper housing is visibly cracked, or has come loose from the hinge arm or runner body.
- The action feels sticky or uneven, which usually means the internal piston has failed.
Replacing a damper
A damper is normally a clip-in part, which is what makes it replaceable on its own.
- Note the hinge or runner brand and model before ordering a replacement damper, since dampers are not interchangeable between makes.
- Release the old damper from its housing, usually by pressing a small tab or clip.
- Fit the replacement the same way it came out, and check it clicks fully into its housing before closing the door or drawer to test it.
Where a damper fails within a guarantee period, the retailer or maker's own guarantee terms decide whether the part is covered and who carries out the repair. Your rights under the Consumer Rights Act sit alongside that guarantee, and are set out in Your rights when buying a kitchen.
Once the hinges and runners are sorted, worktop height is the next measurement worth getting right.
Enter your carcass height, leg height, worktop thickness and the appliance's niche range from its own instructions, and see whether it fits before you order. The result only works out as well as the figures you put in, so check them against the appliance's instructions first.