Magnets for cabinets & doors

Door magnets not only improve the functionality of doors and cupboards, but also enhance a room’s overall design. They serve practical purposes in many situations, such as acting as door stops that prevent doors from slamming shut unintentionally. You can also use magnets as magnetic latches for cupboard doors and drawers, especially if you wish to dispense with mechanical closures.

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Key criteria when choosing a door magnet

A door magnet can act in different load directions on cupboard doors and furniture. The adhesive force takes effect when the magnet is mounted in the tensile direction toward the contact surface. The shear force, also known as the displacement force, takes effect when it is moved parallel to the contact surface. This distinction is particularly important for door magnets, as they achieve only about one-fifth of the force in the shear direction that they can generate in the tensile direction. You can find more information in our FAQ on adhesive force vs. displacement force.

Please note: For doors, the actual load is usually borne by the hinges. A door magnet does not bear the weight of the door, but rather keeps it closed or ensures proper alignment. The door magnet is therefore a supporting element and not a load-bearing component.

The effective adhesive force also depends on several factors:

Distance between the door magnet and the counterpart
Existing surface coatings on the furniture
Minor inaccuracies during installation

These aspects can significantly reduce the actual adhesive force of a door magnet. For more details, please see our FAQ on adhesive force factors.

The same physical principles that apply to doors also apply to drawers. Because lateral forces are usually at work here, narrow, elongated magnets, such as channel magnets or magnetic adhesive tapes, are often used as a door magnet alternative for drawers.

How much adhesive force is required for door magnets?

Instead of the magnet, the hinges support the entire weight of the door. When using magnets for doors, magnets with a low adhesive force are usually sufficient. For example:

Lightweight cabinet doors (1–3 kg): 0.5 kg adhesive force or residual force in the displacement direction per magnet. The exact specifications depend on the application. Please refer to the information on the respective product page.
Drawers: 0.3–0.5 kg, depending on the design, contents, and application, as these factors may cause the drawer to open by itself.

In general, we recommend the following: several weaker magnets are often more effective than a single very strong magnet. Start with a small number of magnets and increase the quantity if necessary. This allows you to build up the adhesive force in a controlled way, avoid oversizing, and improve opening and closing comfort.

In many cases, magnetic adhesive tape is also suitable. It adheres to steel profiles or can be combined with a second tape. Make sure to use opposite poles. Further information can be found in the FAQ entry How can you combine two self-adhesive magnetic tapes?.

Mounting options for magnetic catches

As a counterpart for door magnets, we recommend thin metal plates and metal discs in a suitable size that you can screw on or glue on. For screw-on magnets without a steel pot, you can also use an identical magnet with opposite polarity as the counterpart. Please note that you cannot use a second pot magnet as the counterpart. You can find out why this is the case in our FAQ on pot magnet properties.

Screw-on magnets

The method used to attach a magnet depends largely on the area of application. A particularly durable option is screw-mounting. Our screw-on magnets can be fastened accurately and securely, making them suitable for doors and cabinet fronts. If you require greater adhesive force, pot magnets with countersunk hole or channel magnets are also excellent options.

Glue-on magnets

If you prefer quick or inconspicuous installation, adhesive magnets are a good choice. Our self-adhesive neodymium magnets allow for clean attachment without additional effort. The self-adhesive magnets are supplied in pairs so that they attract each other. As an alternative, you can also use our magnet adhesive to glue the desired neodymium magnets in place.

Embedding magnets in the wood

For an especially unobtrusive integration, you can also embed the door magnets in the wood. In this process, glue-in pot magnets or Disc magnets neodymium are countersunk into wood or other materials and glued in place. This makes the door magnets barely noticeable. These magnets have a higher adhesive force than pot magnets with a hole, because the contact area is larger.