There’s no denying the fact that ball bearing drawer slides are popular. When compared to wheel-based drawer slides, they have a smoother operation that makes them easier to use.
Ball bearing drawer slides are characterized by the use of balls. They consist of rails with a set of small balls — typically stainless steel balls. When you pull out the drawer, it will roll along these balls. While all ball bearing drawer slides have balls, the way in which they are mounted may vary. Ball bearing drawer slides are available in different mounting styles, some of which include the following.
Side-Mounted
Side-mounted ball bearing drawer slides are the most common. They consist of pair of rails, each of which features a set of balls. As the name suggests, side-mounted ball bearing drawer slides are mounted on the side. You’ll need to mount each rail on the side of the drawer. Some of them offer one-way travel, whereas others offer two-way travel. Regardless, side-mounted ball bearing drawer slides are mounted on the side.
Bottom-Mounted
While not as common as side-mounted, another type of ball bearing drawer slides is bottom-mounted. Bottom-mounted ball bearing drawer slides look like their side-mounted counterparts. They consist of a pair of rails. The difference is that bottom-mounted ball bearing drawer slides are mounted on the bottom rather than the side.
With bottom-mounted ball bearing drawer slides, each rail is mounted on the left and right bottom of the drawer. They typically cost more than side-mounted ball bearing drawer slides. And because they are mounted on the bottom, they don’t roll as smoothly as their side-mounted counterparts. With that said, bottom-mounted ball bearing drawer slides are completely concealed — even when the drawer is pulled open.
Center-Mounted
There are center-mounted ball bearing drawer slides as well. Center-mounted ball bearing drawer slides are mounted on the bottom. However, they aren’t the same as bottom-mounted ball bearing drawer slides.
Bottom-mounted ball bearing drawer slides consist of two rails, whereas center-mounted ball bearing drawer slides typically consist of a single rail. With center-mounted ball bearing drawer slides, a single rail is mounted on the bottom center of the drawer.
With only a single rail, center-mounted ball bearing drawer slides support less weight than both side-mounted and bottom-mounted ball bearing drawer slides. They aren’t designed for heavy drawers. Heavy drawers require the use of two rails, such as side-mounted or bottom-mounted ball bearing drawer slides.