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Best picture pins for light plasterboard frames

Updated: October 2026

You want to hang a light print on ordinary plasterboard, and several tiny packs appear equally convincing. The best picture pins are not necessarily those with the cleanest star average: the right wall, a usable head and enough reviews to expose recurring faults matter more. Our conditional top pick is the Merriway BH02287 pack for this specific job. You can see it beside all seven options in the [picture nail comparison](/hub/staplers-and-nail-guns/picture-nail), but you should skip it for brick, heavy glass or any load that needs a stated rating.

You want to hang a light print on ordinary plasterboard, and several tiny packs appear equally convincing.

Our top picks

Fizzix Fizzix 60 picture nails

Best overall

Fizzix Fizzix 60 picture nails
7.2/10about £3.79
View offer
Merriway Merriway BH02287 picture pins

Rank 2

Merriway Merriway BH02287 picture pins
8.6/10about £3.99
View offer
Hosung Hosung 220-piece hanging kit

Alternative

Hosung Hosung 220-piece hanging kit
8.0/10about £5.99
View offer
On this page
  1. 1.What best means for a picture pin
  2. 2.The pin to open on plasterboard
  3. 3.Who should skip Merriway
  4. 4.Packs that look stronger but are not stronger evidence

What best means for a picture pin

A small brass-coloured pin can work for a light frame on ordinary plasterboard or timber, but it is not a masonry nail, hollow-wall anchor or stud screw. This recommendation is only for a light frame on a suitable, non-masonry wall. A 5.0 average based on one review is much less stable than a slightly lower score based on hundreds. VZU shows 5.0 from one review, while Merriway shows 4.6 from 319. Merriway's deeper history includes reports that a pin can bend when the hammer misses its small head. Merriway gives no pin length and no tested load on amazon.co.uk. If a precise length is essential, use the picture nail buying guide to compare the clearly sized masonry sets and the trade-offs between pins and hooks.

The pin to open on plasterboard

Merriway BH02287 contains 100 hardened-steel picture pins with brass-plated plain heads. At the time of checking on 16 October 2026, the amazon.co.uk price was £3.99 and the listing showed 4.6 stars from 319 reviews. Hardened does not mean unbendable. Several buyers report bending, particularly when a blow lands off-centre, so the head must be struck squarely and the job should stop if the wall strongly resists. The UK listing does not print a length. Merriway's wider trade range includes a 25 mm product, but that does not prove this ASIN is 25 mm.
Fizzix Fizzix 60 picture nails

Testsieger

Fizzix Fizzix 60 picture nails
7.2/10about £3.79
View offer

Who should skip Merriway

Skip this pack if your wall is bare brick, concrete or hard render. EasyFrame's UK guidance says a conventional picture hook and pin will not enter brick. The masonry nails for pictures page explains the short masonry sets, eye protection and the point at which drilling, plugging and screwing is the better answer. Also skip it for a large mirror, heavy glazed frame, television, shelf or anything above a bed or child. Merriway provides no kilogram figure, and no rating from a different hook, claw or plasterboard system can be copied onto it.

Packs that look stronger but are not stronger evidence

Fizzix costs £3.79, the lowest shelf price in this comparison. It shows 4.8 stars from 18 reviews and names drywall, plaster and wood, but gives no length or load; a reviewer also says the nails bend. Saving 20p does not outweigh Merriway's much deeper review history. VZU prints lengths of 26, 27 and 35 mm, but its 5.0 rating comes from one review. Hosung's 220-piece hanging kit is the better alternative when the frame itself needs wire, D-rings or a selection of hooks. Its 220 lb Amazon attribute and hook labels from 10 lb to 75 lb were not established as measured capacities, and reviewers report bending nails on hard walls. Our picture nail for plasterboard page explains why published capacities for other fixings do not belong to these pins.

Common questions

Which picture pin should I choose for ordinary plasterboard?
Merriway BH02287 is our conditional top pick for a light frame on suitable plasterboard. It combines a £3.99 price with 319 reviews, far more than the dedicated alternatives. It has no stated length or tested load, so use it only for the modest job described.
Why not choose the pack with 5.0 stars?
VZU's 5.0 average comes from one review. One positive experience cannot show how often nails bend, how they behave across different walls or whether the mirror claim is dependable. A slightly lower average from hundreds of reviews gives stronger evidence, though it still is not a laboratory test.
Is Fizzix the best value?
Fizzix is the lowest-priced option at £3.79, and it may suit a light, low-risk job. However, its rating is based on 18 reviews, its length is missing and one reviewer reports bending. Merriway costs 20p more and offers a much deeper review record.
Will Merriway pins hold a mirror?
The listing gives no measured mirror load, so there is no evidence-based capacity to quote. A large or glazed mirror should use a fixing rated for the wall and load, such as a suitable board anchor, stud fixing or masonry plug and screw.
Can hardened picture pins go into brick?
Hardened does not make a conventional brass picture pin a masonry fixing. UK guidance says a picture hook and pin will not enter brick, and forcing one can bend it or chip the surface. Use a masonry-specific method and wear eye protection.
What should I do if a pin bends?
Stop rather than straightening it in the wall or striking harder. Check whether you have hit masonry, a stud edge or another obstruction, and reassess the fixing type. A second failed hole usually makes the repair larger without making the hang safer.

Related pages

Staples or pins for picture frames

Picture nail

Picture nail buying guide: choose the right fixing

How to hang a picture with nails safely in the UK

Masonry nails for hanging pictures on brick safely

Picture nails for plasterboard: loads and limits UK

Sources

Public UK sources on plasterboard fixings, product safety, and tenancy inventories. Listing prices and star counts are from the amazon.co.uk extracts for this comparison, dated 16 October 2026. Prices move.

  1. British Gypsum site book (retrieved 16 October 2026)
  2. GOV.UK, General Product Safety Regulations 2005 (retrieved 16 October 2026)
  3. Consumer Rights Act 2015, section 20 (retrieved 16 October 2026)
  4. Tenancy Deposit Scheme inventory guide (retrieved 16 October 2026)
  5. LION heavy-duty claw picture hooks (retrieved 16 October 2026)
  6. Screwfix picture fittings (retrieved 16 October 2026)
  7. BuildWiz UK, nails (retrieved 16 October 2026)
  8. EasyFrame, hanging pictures (retrieved 16 October 2026)