Runners are the one part of a drawer you never see and always feel. Get the length, type and clearance right and the drawer glides for twenty years; get it wrong and it binds, rattles or won't close. This guide walks through the four decisions, in the order we make them when we fit a kitchen.
1. Measure the cabinet, not the old runner
Runner length is always the closed length. To choose it, measure the internal depth of the cabinet from the front edge of the carcass to the face of the back panel. Ignore the door, and ignore any old runner that might be the wrong size already.
Then pick the longest runner that still leaves a little room behind the drawer:
- Ball-bearing side-mount runners (Versalite PLUS and PRO): runner length no more than 5 mm less than the internal depth is fine, but 10 mm gives you an easier fit.
- Heavy-duty H53 runners and Axis Pro drawer boxes: allow at least 10 mm between the runner length and the internal depth.
So a standard 560–570 mm deep kitchen base unit takes a 450 mm or 500 mm runner; a 300 mm deep bathroom or bedside unit takes a 250 mm or 300 mm runner. If you are between sizes, go shorter – a drawer that stops 30 mm short of the back is invisible in use, a runner that is too long simply will not fit.
2. Choose the type of runner
There are three families on the site and each does a different job.
Versalite PLUS – soft-close, side mount
The everyday kitchen and bedroom runner. Full-extension ball-bearing slides, 45 mm high, with a built-in soft-close damper so the drawer slows and seals itself shut. Rated for normal domestic drawers (cutlery, pans, clothes) and sold in 250–600 mm lengths, in the standard zinc finish or matt black for drawers where the runner shows. Browse Versalite PLUS runners.
Versalite PRO – push-to-open with soft close
Same ball-bearing construction, but with a sprung push-to-open mechanism and soft close in the one runner. Press the front and the drawer pops out; push it home and it closes itself. Built for handleless kitchens and anywhere a handle would catch. Lengths 300–700 mm. Versalite PRO 450 mm is the one we fit most.
H53 heavy duty – 100 kg full extension
A 53.9 mm high runner in 2 mm zinc-plated steel, carrying up to 100 kg per pair with full extension so the whole drawer clears the cabinet. This is the runner for van racking, workshop and tool drawers, under-bed storage, pull-out larder shelves and appliance trays. No soft close, no push-to-open – just strength. Lengths 700 mm to 1200 mm. See the heavy-duty range.
3. Get the clearance right
Side-mount runners sit between the drawer box and the cabinet side, so the drawer box has to be narrower than the cabinet opening by the thickness of two runners:
- Versalite PLUS and PRO: 12.7 mm each side – drawer box width = internal cabinet width − 25.4 mm (we cut to −26 mm).
- H53 heavy duty: 19.5 mm each side – drawer box width = internal cabinet width − 39 mm.
A 600 mm cabinet with 18 mm sides has a 564 mm internal width, so a Versalite drawer box is 538 mm wide and a heavy-duty box 525 mm. Cut the box 1 mm narrower rather than wider: a fraction of play is fine, a tight runner is not.
4. Check the height and the load
Versalite runners are 45 mm high and the H53 is 53.9 mm, so the drawer side needs to be at least that tall where the runner mounts. For load, think about what will actually live in the drawer. A pan drawer or a drawer of tins is heavier than people expect; a 500 mm+ pan drawer is a good candidate for the heavy-duty runner even in a kitchen, and the extra 9 mm of height is rarely a problem.
Replacing an existing runner
If you are swapping like for like, measure the old runner's closed length and count the screw positions. Ball-bearing runners from most brands share the same 45 mm height and 12.7 mm thickness, so a Versalite PLUS will normally drop into holes left by another make. Roller runners (the white plastic-wheeled type) are different: they need 12.5 mm clearance and the drawer sits on the runner, so moving to ball-bearing is a chance to rebuild the drawer box properly or switch to an Axis Pro drawer box, which comes with its runners built in.
Quick reference
| Runner | Lengths | Height | Clearance per side | Load | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Versalite PLUS soft close | 250–600 mm | 45 mm | 12.7 mm | Domestic | Kitchen and bedroom drawers |
| Versalite PRO push-to-open | 300–700 mm | 45 mm | 12.7 mm | Domestic | Handleless kitchens |
| H53 heavy duty | 700–1200 mm | 53.9 mm | 19.5 mm | 100 kg / pair | Vans, workshops, larders, under-bed |
Every runner on the site is sold as a pair (left and right) for one drawer, and every product page has a "Will it fit?" checker – type in your cabinet depth and it confirms the length. Still not sure? WhatsApp us a photo and we'll tell you what to order.