How do push-to-open latches work?

A kitchen should, above all, be comfortable and functional. It's great if it saves space, which will make it easier to carry out daily tasks. It is even better if such solutions do not interfere with the chosen aesthetics of the room. Are there ways to do this? Of course there are. One of them is the push-to-open mechanism, which makes using kitchen cabinets much more pleasant!

How the push to open mechanism works?

The push-to-open mechanism found in dedicated cabinet latches and cabinet bumpers makes using furniture much easier. All it takes is a gentle press on the cabinet front for the door to open. In most cases, the front is closed either in the same way - with a push button or by means of magnets.

Push to open is a great convenience that may seem small on the surface but makes a huge difference in practice. Push to open latches are more suitable than any other for smooth, handleless fronts. Such minimalist arrangements are very much in vogue today. Above all, however, push to open latches and push to open buffers work well in places where we need to have immediate access to the contents of a piece of furniture. For this reason, they are most often installed in kitchen cabinets - both top and bottom ones. They allow furniture to be opened even if both hands are occupied or dirty. Then you can easily open the cabinet with your elbow, for example. This is facilitated by springs located inside the push-to-open latches which, when pressed, activate the bumper and push the door forward.

How to install push to open latches?

Push to open latches are very easy to attach to virtually any surface. They are installed on the inside of the chosen cabinet. Most often we can choose between two types of latches:

• those installed with screws on the sides of the inside of the furniture,
• hidden in the frame of the furniture.

The second product variant requires drilling a hole with a diameter corresponding to the size of the latches. Push to open mechanisms are then mounted by pressing, less frequently by using glue. The choice of a particular type of product will largely depend not only on individual preferences, but also on the materials from which the cabinet walls are made. MDF, veneer and plywood are susceptible to unevenness, but very simple and available for making various arrangements. However, if you have a piece of furniture that shouldn't be drilled, it's a good idea to use screw-mounted latches. You can even find smaller glue-on equivalents, but this method is questionable - after all, the push-to-open mechanism has to cope with being pressed and remain flexible.

Is it possible to use push to open latches for drawers? 

Push to open is a mechanism that has a wide range of applications. Push to open drawers give a great sense of convenience. They work well on a daily basis as well as in more extreme situations. However, we do not use latches for this type of elements but special push to open runners. They often have an additional function called soft close.

You will find push to open runners in many different variants at Furnica. Here you are sure to find the perfect product for your drawers. Importantly, push to open drawer runners do not require any specialist installation. We install them just like any other drawer runner (see our blog for a drawer installation guide). No additional components are needed.