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Self closing gate hinges for a garden gate

Updated: October 2026

You are looking at the knuckles, not at a tin of spring to screw beside them. Self closing gate hinges only make sense if you are willing to take the leaf off and hang it again. The [garden gate closer comparison](/hub/fencing-and-wire/garden-gate-closer) still ranks the bolt-on coils and the hydraulic units. This page is the rehang. It uses the two Safetech rows from the amazon.co.uk files dated 19 October 2026. Peter F. did not run a lab test. A qualifying purchase can earn a commission at no extra cost to you. A hinge with a spring inside is not a damped closer, and it does not remove the latch.

You are looking at the knuckles, not at a tin of spring to screw beside them. Self closing gate hinges only make sense if you are willing to take the leaf off and hang it again.

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A hinge closer means taking the leaf off

A bolt-on spring or a hydraulic arm leaves the existing hinges where they are. A self-closing hinge replaces those hinges. SpringFix’s UK note is the short version: the spring is hidden, you have to rehang, the usual rating is a lighter gate, and most of these hinges still do not damp. Heavier timber then swings shut quickly. On this shelf the pair is the Safetech SHF-90L at about £16.39 and the Safetech CoilKlik SHC-135 at about £72.38. Other UK polymer hinges exist. They are not these ASINs. A polymer body is not a fault by itself. A cracked body, or a review file that is not from the UK, is. If you want the hinges you already have to stay, use hydraulic gate closer vs spring. The fitting problems that belong to a bolt-on closer are on how to fit a garden gate closer.

Fourteen kilograms is not the same job as about 84 kilograms

The SHF-90L prints 14 kg, fixed tension, and a pair, with 4.2 from 30 UK reviews. It is a surface mount for square flush posts. If the leaf is a light wooden side gate, well under 14 kg, this is the hinge with a kilogram limit you can check. A recessed or heavier leaf is the wrong row. One UK review describes a hinge cracking off on first opening. The CoilKlik title says 187 lb and the field says 185 lb, about 84 kg. The unit count is 1. The star line is 4.3 from 110, and most of those texts are not UK reviews. The one UK text is a break within 48 hours on a 74 lb wooden gate, about 34 kg, under the printed figure. At about £72.38 it costs almost as much as the Lockey, which keeps the old hinges. Do not paste other Safetech shop weights onto these ASINs.

Flush posts, a polymer body, and a latch that still has to catch

Both listings are for square posts. The SHF-90L’s UK review context is a flush face. A leaf set back into the post, or hung on offset hinges, is the skip. The screw has to reach sound timber. A cap that only bites the skin of the post is how a light hinge lets go on the first swing. Read the material as polymer plus metal. The SHF-90L material field says stainless steel. The bullets and the UK reviews describe a polymer body. There is no damper in either hinge, so the leaf can still arrive at the latch quickly. Do not fit them to a fire door.

When a rehang is the right job

RoSPA’s play-area note wants a close ideally not quicker than five seconds, a 12 mm gap, and 60–110 mm of ground clearance. Neither Safetech listing prints those figures. Nothing here creates a duty to self-close an ordinary house side gate. If the posts are square and flush, the leaf is under 14 kg, and you will rehang, the SHF-90L at about £16.39 is the hinge with a printed kilogram limit. The CoilKlik is the adjustable row, with thin UK evidence and a failure on a 74 lb gate. If you will not rehang, use a bolt-on closer. The buying guide keeps that split.

Common questions

Should I rehang, or bolt a closer on?
Rehang when you want the spring inside new hinges and the leaf is inside the printed closing weight on square flush posts. Bolt a closer on when the existing hinges already swing freely and match the closer. The Lockey GCTB175 needs a flush face. A coil does not replace the hinges either.
What does 14 kg mean on the SHF-90L?
It is the printed closing limit for that pair, at about £16.39, with fixed tension. A heavier leaf is outside the listing. Fixed tension means you cannot tune a soft latch the way a hydraulic closer’s latch speed can. One UK review still reports a hinge cracking off on first opening.
Is the CoilKlik suitable for a 74 lb gate?
The title says 187 lb and the field says 185 lb, so 74 lb is under the printed figure. The only UK review in the file is a break within 48 hours on a wooden gate of that weight. Most of the 110 ratings are not UK texts. Treat the local failure as the evidence you have, not the US praise.
Do these hinges stop a slam?
No. They are springs in the knuckle, not a hydraulic damper. A light leaf may close firmly. A heavier one tends to arrive quickly, which is the trade-off SpringFix describes. The latch still has to be in the right place.
Will they fit a recessed gate?
The SHF-90L is the flush, square-post case in the UK review notes. A recessed leaf or offset hinges are the reason to leave it. The CoilKlik is also a square-post hinge. Neither listing is a packer for a cranked hinge.
Are they approved for a pool or a play area?
No listing here carries RoSPA approval or a printed five-second close. RoSPA’s play guidance is a self-closer, a gap that does not shrink, and ground clearance. Confirm any pool rule with the authority that applies to that gate. These hinges are not a certificate, and they are not a fire-door product.

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Sources

Manufacturer pages and UK guidance used for the limits and the rules. Listing prices, stars and review counts are from amazon.co.uk on 19 October 2026.

  1. Lockey GCTB175 garden gate closer (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  2. Lockey GCTB175 fitting instructions (PDF) (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  3. Lockey GC200, GC400 and GC600 gate closers (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  4. RoSPA Play Safety: gates and access (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  5. GOV.UK Countryside Code for land managers (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  6. Intertek: EN 1154 controlled door closers (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  7. Gatemaster: automatic closing mechanisms (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  8. SpringFix UK: spring, hydraulic and self-closing hinges (retrieved 19 October 2026)