The best shims, compared.
Top pick: HONGLINSONG furniture wedges, 10 Best value: HuangXinyu flat glazing packers, 72 – About £5.99 for 72 stated pieces, score 84, about 8p each. Check the moulded size, not the colour. Updated 23 October 2026.
Shims and packers do the same job on a UK site. A shim is a piece of known thickness that fills a gap or carries a load. You buy one when a window, a door frame, a hinge or a wobbly piece of furniture needs a measured gap. The shapes sold under that name are not substitutes. A flat glazing packer is a short rectangle, often about 100 by 28 mm. A horseshoe has a slot for a screw that is already in. A taper levels a leg you can still see. A hinge shim is a thin slip behind a leaf, not a 6 mm frame packer. You tell a suitable shim by the millimetres on the piece, a width that supports the frame or both panes, and a material that will not swell once it is hidden. Polypropylene suits a window, a door or outside. Rubber grips a hard floor. Wood stays only where you can see it and the area stays dry. Thickness and pack size are in the [shim buying guide](/hub/diy-supplies/shims/sub/shims-buying-guide).
Shims and packers do the same job on a UK site. A shim is a piece of known thickness that fills a gap or carries a load.
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Personal buying guide
Question 1 of 2
What are you packing?
HONGLINSONG lists 10 flexible wedges, 5 × 3 × 0.5 cm, at about £5.66. The amazon.co.uk line is 5.0 from 1 review, and there is no review text. The title says rubber and a bullet says flexible plastic. Included Components says steel wire rope, which the bullets never mention. The bullets claim you can stack two or more, and they name a washing machine and a refrigerator, which is a listing sentence rather than a reviewed job. One star and a contents clash are not a basis for a badge. The thick end is only 5 mm, so measure the gap before you buy. This is the cheapest wedge in the set, and the least documented.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You need a few millimetres under a light piece of furniture and you accept a one-review listing.
Less suitable: You want a documented rubber grip, a clear pack contents line, or anything that carries a frame.
Specifications
Common questions
Can you stack them?
The bullet says yes, stack two or more when one pad is not enough. The listing question has no separate answer, and there is no review text.
What is in the box?
The bullets describe 10 wedges. Included Components says steel wire rope, which the bullets never mention.
Are they for a washing machine?
The bullet names a washing machine and a refrigerator as places to put a pad. That is a listing claim. There is no review of that use.
Fizzix lists 100 plastic packers in six sizes from 1 mm to 6 mm at about £5.79, with 4.9 from 18 reviews. The title names windows and doors. The listing does not state piece length, width or material, and the pack weight is 260 g. One UK review calls the pieces tapered and praises a slot around screws, which does not match a flat glazing packer. Another review mentions packing a toilet, the only furniture-side note. Eighteen reviews and that clash are not enough to treat this as a known 100 × 28 mm flat. Check the pieces when they arrive before you pack a frame with them. The star line is not a reason to add a badge.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You want a cheap mixed bag and you will measure a piece before it goes beside a fixing.
Less suitable: You need a stated 100 × 28 mm flat, a known material, or a large review file.
Specifications
Common questions
What are they made of?
The listing asks and does not answer. There is no material line in the technical details.
Are they flat?
The title says assorted packers in six sizes from 1 mm to 6 mm. One UK review calls them tapered and praises a slot around screws. Those two descriptions do not match.
Can they level furniture?
The listing asks and does not answer. One review mentions packing a toilet. That is the only furniture-side note.
The Nelson set is 24 kiln-dried wood wedges, 8 inches long, listed at about £9.99. The amazon.co.uk line is 4.7 from 2,418 reviews, yet only 3 of 47 saved review texts are headed United Kingdom, and one of those levelled an IKEA Pax wardrobe. That is a dry indoor taper you can still see and replace. The listing asks whether the pieces are hardwood and whether you can paint them, and it does not answer either question. The country of origin is the USA. Wood is easy to score and snap, and it is the wrong packer to leave in a damp window reveal, because timber can swell once it is hidden. Treat this as a furniture or dry carpentry wedge, not as a glazing pack. The review count is not a UK window sample.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You want a visible wood taper under a dry wardrobe or a dry indoor frame you can still reach.
Less suitable: You are packing a window, a bathroom, or any gap that will be sealed in.
Specifications
Common questions
Are these hardwood?
The listing asks that and does not answer it. The material line says wood, kiln dried, not a named hardwood.
Can you paint them?
The listing asks whether they can be painted. It does not answer.
Is the 4.7 from UK buyers?
The amazon.co.uk line says 4.7 from 2,418 reviews. In the saved texts, 3 of 47 are headed United Kingdom. One of those levelled a wardrobe.
EVOGES lists 42 flat plastic packers, 28 × 100 mm, seven each of 1 mm, 2 mm, 3 mm, 4 mm, 5 mm and 6 mm, at about £6.99. The amazon.co.uk line is 4.7 from 347 reviews, the largest glazing-packer file in this set. UK texts describe a double-glazed window, glazing panels, a shed base and decking, and pieces that are easy to snap. One job still needed build-up bars because the window was the wrong size, so these packers do not resize a frame. A single opening can also run short of one thickness. It is the top pick here for one domestic flat-packer job when you check the moulded millimetres. It is a trial pack, not a bag of 200 horseshoes.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You are packing one window or door and you want the largest flat-packer review file in this set.
Less suitable: You need a slot around an existing screw, a furniture wedge, or van stock for a whole house.
Specifications
Common questions
Will these pack a window frame?
The bullets name window and door frames. UK reviews describe a double-glazed window, glazing panels, a shed base and decking. One job still needed build-up bars because the window was the wrong size.
Can you use them outdoors?
The bullet says indoor and outdoor. The listing question has no separate answer.
How many thicknesses are in the pack?
The listing says 42 pieces, seven each of 1 mm, 2 mm, 3 mm, 4 mm, 5 mm and 6 mm, at 28 × 100 mm.
EETU sells 200 small U shims, 55 × 43 mm, mixed from 1 mm to 6 mm, made by BROADFIX, at about £18.97. The amazon.co.uk line is 4.7 from 182 reviews. UK texts describe door linings, studs, tile battens, ceiling battens and cabinet backs, and the central slot goes around a screw that is already in. The same reviews say some pieces arrive short and the barbs can make a piece hard to pull back out. The listing states no load, so a load figure from another Broadfix page does not belong on this bag. Use it when a fixing is already in the way. It is not a flat 100 × 28 mm glazing block. Cheaper horseshoe bags from other merchants are different packs.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You are packing studs, battens or door linings and a screw is already in the gap.
Less suitable: You need a flat setting block for glass, or a gripping wedge under a furniture leg.
Specifications
Common questions
What are these U shims for?
The bullet lists dry lining, skirtings, cabinets, floors, windows and doors. UK reviews describe door linings, studs, tile battens, ceiling battens and cabinet backs.
Do they fit around a screw?
Yes. Reviews mention a central slot around screws. The same reviews say the barbs can make a piece hard to pull back out.
Who makes them?
The brand line is EETU. The manufacturer line is BROADFIX. The model line is U-SMA-B200. The listing states no load.
HuangXinyu lists 72 polypropylene flats, 100 × 28 mm, 12 of each thickness from 1 mm to 6 mm, at about £5.99. The amazon.co.uk line is 4.7 from 74 reviews, and UK texts mention doors, windows, heel-and-toe and packing a floor. The bullet claims a tolerance of ±0.3 mm and a groove that helps the pieces stack. One reviewer found a couple of pieces that were not the same depth and called the quality mediocre. Another said the colours do not match the usual trade code, with red used for both 4 mm and 6 mm. It is the best value in this set if you want more than 42 pieces and you will read the moulded size rather than the dye. It is not a horseshoe and not a furniture wedge.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You want more flats than a 42-piece trial pack and you will check the millimetres on each piece.
Less suitable: You need a trade colour code you can trust at a glance, or a slot around a screw.
Specifications
Common questions
Are the colours the usual UK code?
The pack is described as colourful, with size marks on the back. One UK review says the colours do not match the usual trade scheme, and red was used for both 4 mm and 6 mm. Check the moulded size.
Can you stack them?
The bullet says they are easy to place and stack. The listing question itself has no separate answer.
Did reviewers find bad pieces?
One reviewer found a couple of pieces that were not the same depth, and called the quality mediocre. Others used them for doors, heel-and-toe and packing a floor.
Pe&Hui lists 20 black wedges at about 5 × 3 × 0.8 cm for about £8.99, with 4.5 from 255 reviews. The specification line says rubber and some bullets say plastic. UK reviews describe rubber that grips better than hard plastic. Buyers stacked two pieces under a bookcase and under garden furniture, and one review wedged an integrated washer-dryer. The listing says they sit under the furniture with no drill and no floor fixing. Several buyers found the pieces smaller than the photographs. A gripping wedge under a leg you can still reach is the job. It is not a setting block and not a frame packer.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You need a gripping stack under a table, chair, wardrobe or bookcase on a hard floor.
Less suitable: You are glazing a unit, packing a frame beside screws, or filling a gap well above one stacked pair.
Specifications
Common questions
Can you stack them?
Yes. The bullet says to stack if the gap is over 0.2 in. UK reviews describe stacking two, including under a bookcase and garden furniture.
Do you need to drill?
No. The listing says they sit under the furniture with no drill and no floor fixing.
Are they rubber or plastic?
The spec line says rubber. The bullets also say plastic wedges. Reviews describe rubber that grips better than hard plastic.
Mistillion lists 15 white polypropylene wedges at about £6.09, with 4.5 from 2 reviews. The bullet says 51 × 30 mm, tapering from 0.6 mm to 6 mm, while the dimension line says 30 × 5 × 50 mm. The brand line and the manufacturer line also differ: Mistillion and KaCrypto. The only saved review talks about rollers, and no roller appears in the title or the bullets, so that text does not describe this wedge. Stacking and a non-slip face are bullet claims, not UK furniture reviews. Two reviews and a size clash are not a basis for a badge. Measure one piece before you slide it under a table.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You want a small white polypropylene taper and you will check the size against the bullet when it arrives.
Less suitable: You need a reviewed rubber grip, a glazing packer, or a listing whose dimensions agree.
Specifications
Common questions
Can you stack them under a wobbly table?
The bullet says yes, stack for a larger gap or slide the taper for a small one. The question block itself is unanswered, and there is no UK furniture review of that use.
How big is each wedge?
The bullet says 51 mm by 30 mm, tapering from 0.6 mm to 6 mm. The dimension line says 30 × 5 × 50 mm. Both lines are on the listing.
Do they include rollers?
No roller is in the title or the bullets. The only saved review talks about rollers. Treat that review as not describing this wedge.
Onspeshow lists 12 scored composite wedges, 8 × 1.5 inches, tapering from 5/16 inch to 1/16 inch, at about £14.99. There is no star line and no review text on the listing, so this pack gets no badge. The bullets claim a hand snap along pre-scored lines, stacking, a recycled composite, and outdoor use without rot or swell. The listing asks how much weight they hold and does not answer, and no load figure is stated. An 8 inch snap taper is a different object from a 100 × 28 mm glazing packer. Treat the waterproof sentence as a seller claim until you have tried a piece. At about £14.99 it is one of the two dearest listings here, with nothing in the reviews to compare.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You want a long scored taper for doors, floors or furniture and you can judge one piece yourself.
Less suitable: You need a reviewed glazing packer, a millimetre size, or a badge based on buyer notes.
Specifications
Common questions
Can you snap them shorter?
The bullet says pre-scored lines and a hand snap, with no saw. The same question on the listing has no answer text.
How much weight can they hold?
The listing asks and does not answer. No load figure is stated.
Are they for outdoor use?
The bullet says waterproof and indoor or outdoor, and that they will not rot or swell. There is no separate answer, and there are no reviews.
iPhox lists 10 black PVC hinge spacers, 4 × 1.5 inches by 0.05 inch, at about £7.09. There is no star line and no review text, so this pack gets no badge. The job is to slacken the hinge screws, slip the piece behind the leaf and retighten, which needs a screwdriver. That is not a tool-free furniture wedge and not a frame packer. The listing claims a 5/8 inch rounded corner for butt hinges and common internal and external doors, without showing that every hinge matches. Another line gives 11 cm by 4 cm and no thickness, so check the 0.05 inch figure on the piece. A fire-resisting door is not a DIY hinge-shim job, because the gap and the certificate can change.
Pros
Cons
Best for: A rubbing internal door needs a thin slip behind one hinge leaf, and the door is not fire-resisting.
Less suitable: You are packing a window frame, levelling a table, or adjusting a fire door.
Specifications
Common questions
How thick is each shim?
The bullet says 0.05 in. The listing question has no separate answer. Another line gives 11 cm by 4 cm and no thickness.
How do you fit them?
Slacken the hinge screws, slot the shim behind the plate, and retighten. That needs a screwdriver. It is not a tool-free wedge.
Do they work on every door?
The listing claims common internal and external doors and a 5/8 in rounded corner for butt hinges. It does not show that they fit every hinge. A fire-resisting door is not a DIY hinge-shim job.
Buwoek lists white plastic wedges at about 5 × 3 × 0.5 cm, tapering from about 0.2 cm to 0.5 cm, for about £8.99. There is no star line on the listing, so this pack gets no badge. The title and one bullet say 20 pieces and Number of Items says 40, and the listing does not resolve that. The bullets describe interlocking pegs so stacked layers stay together, and trimming along the grooves. Toilets and washing machines appear in the bullets only. The pack weight is 230 g, which is heavier than the 10-piece and 20-piece rubber listings, but weight does not prove the count. Until the number and the fit are in your hand, do not treat this as a reviewed furniture wedge or as a glazing packer.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You want an interlocking white plastic wedge and you will count the pieces when the box arrives.
Less suitable: You need a reviewed grip, a settled pack count, or a packer for glass or a frame.
Specifications
Common questions
How many are in the pack?
The title and one bullet say 20. Number of Items says 40. The listing does not resolve that.
Can you stack them?
Yes. The bullet describes interlocking pegs and recesses so layers stay together.
Can you trim them?
The bullet says each wedge tapers from about 0.2 cm to 0.5 cm and can be trimmed along the grooves.
Shelf prices, stars and review notes are the eleven amazon.co.uk listings stored for this set, scored on 22 October 2026. There is no lab test of load, creep, grip, rot or weather. Each score adds the star line, the review sample, listing clarity and UK review notes. The four weights below scale those blocks so they sum to 100. The scores on this page stay the unscaled sums, and 88 is the highest. That highest score is the top pick. Best value is a separate award: more stated flats per pound, not the lowest shelf price and not a bag whose size or shape is unclear. A Best Sellers Rank is not a test. Text from outside the UK is not British opinion.
Star line
42%The amazon.co.uk star line is multiplied by eight and rounded. A 4.5 becomes 36, a 4.7 becomes 38, a 4.9 becomes 39 and a 5.0 becomes 40. No star line scores 0. Stars are not the whole score.
Review sample
13%The amazon.co.uk count adds a sample mark: 12 from 200 reviews upward, 8 from 50 to 199, 4 from 6 to 49, 2 from 1 to 5, and 0 if there is no count. If fewer than five saved texts are headed United Kingdom, that mark is capped at 4 even when the count is larger.
Listing clarity
29%Clarity starts at 28 and loses marks for a missing country of origin, a brand line that is not the manufacturer, rubber stated against plastic, thickness with no millimetre, no piece size, no material, a flat title a review calls tapered, a size line that fights another, and a contents line that names an object the bullets never mention.
UK review notes
16%Notes start at 15 when several UK texts name a job and a fault, 10 when they are useful but few, 4 when only a handful exist, and 0 when there is no text. A fault that changes the buy costs 3. The floor is 0. A clash already taken off clarity is not taken off again. Non-UK text is not British opinion.
You are choosing a piece of known thickness for a gap. The eleven amazon.co.uk listings are not one product: flat glazing packers, horseshoe shims, wood and composite tapers, rubber furniture wedges and thin PVC hinge slips. Shelf prices in this set run from about £5.66 to about £18.97. The top pick is the EVOGES flat pack, score 88, 42 pieces at about £6.99, with 4.7 from 347 reviews.
A shim, also called a packer, is a piece of known thickness that fills a gap or carries a load. The pieces sold under that name are not one product. A flat glazing packer is one thickness you can stack. The flats described for this kind of work are often 28 × 100 mm. A horseshoe, or U packer, adds a slot so it can slip around a screw that is already in. A tapered wedge suits a slope, a furniture leg, or a dry indoor job you can still see.
Glazpart puts setting blocks near the quarter points, not less than 30 mm from the corner, and wide enough for both panes. A single pad in the middle, or a pad over the drainage, is the wrong support.
Horseshoe catalogues and flat-glazing catalogues do not share one colour map, and neither map is a British Standard. One review found red used for both 4 mm and 6 mm. Read the moulded millimetres.
Kiln-dried wood can swell once it is hidden. Leave it only where you can still see it and the area stays dry. NHBC says not to rely on foam to square the frame. Put packers beside the fixings before you tighten them.
The first check is the job, because the bags in a shim search are not substitutes. Glass wants a flat setting block. A frame wants packers beside the fixings, and a horseshoe if a screw is already in. A wobbly table wants a gripping wedge. A rubbing hinge wants a thin slip, not a 6 mm frame packer. Thickness comes next, in 1 mm steps from 1 mm to 6 mm.
Material is where you leave the piece. Polypropylene suits windows, doors, bathrooms and outside. Flexible rubber suits hard floors and vibrating appliances. Do not use soft rubber as a setting block. Kiln-dried wood is only for a gap you can still see, in a place that stays dry. Timber can swell once it is hidden, so a large star line on wood wedges is not a reason to pack a window with them. Pack size follows the job. A few dozen flats can finish a small repair.
Three typical situations, each with a recommendation from this comparison.
You are replacing one domestic window or door and you want a mixed flat pack from 1 mm to 6 mm. EVOGES is the top pick: 42 pieces, 28 × 100 mm, about £6.99, 4.7 from 347 reviews. Stop if the opening is badly out of square or the unit is too heavy. It is not van stock, and it has no slot for a screw.
You are packing studs, battens or door linings and a screw is already in the gap. The EETU horseshoe bag is 200 mixed pieces, 55 × 43 mm, about £18.97, 4.7 from 182 reviews. The manufacturer line is BROADFIX. Some pieces arrive short and the barbs can be hard to pull out. It is not a flat setting block. Read the millimetres on the piece.
You need a gripping wedge under a table, wardrobe or bookcase on a hard floor. The Pe&Hui 20-pack is about £8.99, about 8 mm at the thick end, 4.5 from 255 reviews. UK notes include wardrobes, a bookcase and garden furniture. The spec line says rubber and some bullets say plastic. It is not a window packer.
The top pick is the EVOGES flat glazing packers at about £6.99. The score is 88, the highest in this set: 42 flats, 28 × 100 mm, seven each of 1 mm to 6 mm, and 4.7 from 347 amazon.co.uk reviews. It is not a lab test. One UK job still needed build-up bars because the window was the wrong size. Skip it for a horseshoe, a furniture leg or van stock. Best value is the HuangXinyu 72-piece pack at about £5.99, score 84, about 8p a piece against about 17p on the top pick. Read the moulded millimetres. A review found red used for both 4 mm and 6 mm. Fizzix is about £5.79 for a claimed 100 pieces, but the listing has no piece size and the shape notes conflict, so it does not take the value award.
HuangXinyu flat glazing packers, 72
About £5.99 for 72 stated pieces, score 84, about 8p each. Check the moulded size, not the colour.
Editorial
Peter F. is the editor for DIY & tools at productscompared.co.uk. Comparisons in this category are checked against amazon.co.uk listings, review evidence and public UK sources.
Guides on what to look for, how to use a product, and common mistakes.
Public UK sources and the amazon.co.uk listings compared on this page. Scores dated 22 October 2026. Updated 23 October 2026.
This page contains affiliate links to amazon.co.uk (tag pcuk26-21). If you buy through them, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Prices, stars and review counts are the amazon.co.uk figures already stored for this set. This is not a laboratory test of load, creep, grip, rot or weather.
