How to fit a gas strut
Updated: 23 October 2026
Your door is slamming shut or it will not stay open. How to fit a gas strut, on that cupboard, means the lid propped, the rod the right way up, and a slow test close. It will not fix the wrong newton rating, and it is not a bed or a boot. The pairs we compared are on the [gas spring comparison](/hub/diy-supplies/gas-spring). Updated 23 October 2026 by Peter F. from Camloc, Stabilus, a UK cabinet guide, and the stored review notes. A qualifying purchase can earn us a commission at no extra cost to you.
Your door is slamming shut or it will not stay open. How to fit a gas strut, on that cupboard, means the lid propped, the rod the right way up, and a slow test close.
Your door is slamming shut or it will not stay open. How to fit a gas strut, on that cupboard, means the lid propped, the rod the right way up, and a slow test close. It will not fix the wrong newton rating, and it is not a bed or a boot. The pairs we compared are on the gas spring comparison. Updated 23 October 2026 by Peter F. from Camloc, Stabilus, a UK cabinet guide, and the stored review notes. A qualifying purchase can earn us a commission at no extra cost to you.
Our top picks
| Badge | Product | Opening direction | Fixings in the box | Force | Note | Price | Offer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best overall |  Vinabo Vinabo 100 N cupboard pair | Not limited in the listing | 10 screws and discs | 100 N | 8.2 | about £11.47 | View offer |
| Alternative |  NUTKIT NUTKIT 100 N cupboard pair | Upward only | Screws mentioned, not listed as a count | 100 N | 6.9 | about £5.99 | View offer |
| Best value |  PanBeiQiWEU PanBeiQiWEU 100 N cupboard pair | Not limited in the listing | Screws | 100 N | 7.8 | about £5.49 | View offer |
On this page
Before you drill
Hang the door on its hinges first, and prop it so it cannot fall while your hands are on a bracket. Check you have a matched pair when the door is wide. AUTORCE's kitchen note treats a second strut, on doors wider than about 500 mm, as their rule of thumb. One strut on a wide door twists the hinges.
Keep paint, oil and grips off the piston rod. Camloc's fitting notes say not to paint the rod and not to pierce the tube. A scored rod ruins the seal, and none of these cupboard listings offers a re-gas. If a strut in the packet will not move, do not drill the door around a dead unit. The Vinabo file includes a stored note of a pair that arrived rigid. That pair goes back.
Rod down, then the brackets
On a standard strut, the rod points down when the door is closed, so the oil stays on the seal. Camloc asks for the strut within about 60 degrees of vertical in that closed position. Stabilus says rod-down in the inactive state unless that spring is built to ignore orientation. Furnica's cabinet sequence is separate from those seal notes: hinges first, then the carcase bracket, then the door bracket, with the thicker body towards the carcase and the rod towards the door.
Mark both sides before you drill, and use the screws in the box if the listing includes them. Vinabo lists 10 screws. PanBeiQiWEU lists mounting screws. Clip the strut on only after both brackets are fixed, then close the door slowly with your hand under the edge. If the first close needs force, take the strut off and move a bracket. Do not bend the rod into line.
When the door will not shut or will not stay
A door that will not close is often a bracket in the wrong place, and sometimes it is simply too much force. PanBeiQiWEU's stored United Kingdom texts describe a fussy position, one fit redone three times, and a few millimetres of clearance so the door-side parts do not foul the cabinet.
If the door springs open or you cannot push it shut, the force is high for that panel. TOWEBOORY's 450 N bullet, a hatch strut rather than a cupboard stay, says you can move the lid mount toward the hinge if closing is too hard. That changes leverage. It does not turn 450 N into 100 N. Read the old newton number in how to choose a gas strut before you drill a second set of holes.
Stop here
Stop if the rod will not move out of the packet, even under a firm push. TOWEBOORY's stored texts include struts that would not stroke. Standing on the tube or heating it is not a repair. Stop if you would need to drill, cut or vent the strut to weaken it. These listings do not print a bleed valve.
Stop, and do not start, when the lid is a car boot, a bonnet, or an ottoman base you cannot prop with a helper clear of the fall. A boot that drops is not a cupboard bracket with longer screws. Return a rigid or leaking pair. If the door still will not behave, a kitchen fitter is cheaper than a third set of holes.
Common questions
Which way up does the rod go?
Rod down when the door is closed, on a standard strut, so oil stays on the seal. Camloc wants that closed position within about 60 degrees of vertical. Stabilus says the same unless the spring is built to ignore orientation. Furnica puts the thicker body on the carcase and the rod towards the door.
Do I fit the brackets before the strut?
Yes. Hinges first, so the door swings on its own, then both brackets, then the strut. Clip the ends on only when the brackets are screwed home and the door is propped. Fitting the strut first and hoping the holes land is how a door ends up unable to close.
What if the door will not close fully?
Take the strut off and move the bracket rather than forcing the door. PanBeiQiWEU reviews describe a position that needed a few millimetres of clearance, and one fit that was redone three times. If the door still springs open with the brackets in a sensible place, the force is too high for the panel.
Can I use one strut?
On a narrow door, sometimes. A PanBeiQiWEU review used one strut on a 900 by 300 mm camper door. On a wide door, use a pair. AUTORCE's kitchen note puts a second strut on doors wider than about 500 mm, as their rule of thumb.
What if the rod will not move out of the packet?
Return it. A rigid rod is a fault, not a tight new seal you can free with force. Vinabo's stored notes include a pair that arrived rigid, and TOWEBOORY's include rods that would not move under a strong push. Do not drill, heat or stand on the tube.
When do I stop and not fit this myself?
Stop for a boot or bonnet that can fall, an ottoman you cannot prop, a strut you would drill to weaken, and any stay whose newton rating you still cannot read. A cupboard flap with a matched pair and a prop is the job this page describes.
Related pages
Sources
Public UK sources from the research digest, plus the amazon.co.uk listings for these ASINs. Updated 23 October 2026.
- SpringFix UK gas strut force calculator (retrieved 22.10.2026)
- AUTORCE, how to choose a gas strut (retrieved 22.10.2026)
- AUTORCE, kitchen cabinet gas struts (retrieved 22.10.2026)
- DIHL 100 N cabinet lid stay (retrieved 22.10.2026)
- Camloc, gas strut dos and don'ts (retrieved 22.10.2026)
- Stabilus, gas spring service (retrieved 22.10.2026)
- HSE, Pressure Systems Safety Regulations 2000 (retrieved 22.10.2026)
- GOV.UK, General Product Safety Regulations 2005 (retrieved 22.10.2026)
- PSSR 2000, Schedule 1 (retrieved 22.10.2026)
- SpringFix UK, ottoman bed gas struts (retrieved 22.10.2026)