Aluminium Cabinet Handles Buying Guide
Aluminium is the lightest of the common handle metals, and it is the one that can be made into very long, very slim handles. This page holds aluminium cabinet handles, also searched as aluminium handles, aluminium drawer handles, aluminium D handles, aluminium bar handles, aluminium finger pulls and aluminium knobs. They come as bar pulls, D handles, lip pulls, rails and knobs for kitchens, bathroom vanities, laundries and wardrobes, with lengths from a 22mm knob to a 1,200mm rail. Read on for what aluminium is as a handle material, how its finishes wear, how it compares with zinc alloy, brass and stainless steel, and where it should not go. The page also covers what each range measures, how to size a handle and how to look after it. For handles in every material, start at cabinet handles.
Are aluminium handles good
They are, for the right job. Aluminium is lightweight yet strong, durable, highly resistant to rust and corrosion, and simple to clean. It can be painted and can last for decades without maintenance. On a drawer or a light door, a light handle is gentler on the fixing and easier to hold.
Aluminium suits drawers and light to medium doors best. Brass is the heaviest of the common metals, which is why a brass handle feels more solid in the hand, while aluminium reads as a lighter, more contemporary handle and not a heavy, traditional one. A thin section belongs on a drawer or a light door. A heavy pantry door that gets pulled hard every day suits a heavier pull with a larger projection, and the appliance and brass pages cover those. See appliance pull handles and solid brass cabinet handles.
Aluminium near the coast
Aluminium resists rust and corrosion well, and its natural oxide layer protects it from moisture. For handles in damp or coastal rooms, choose brass or 316 stainless steel instead, because corrosion resistance drops in the presence of salts and dissolved chlorides, and aluminium can pit near water or in windy, humid spots. Inside a dry kitchen, bedroom or living area, aluminium is an easy choice.
Taken together, aluminium is a sound choice inside a house, including a bathroom, a laundry or a kitchen. For a handle exposed to sea spray, a pool or salt-laden wind, choose brass or 316 stainless steel, and rinse and dry any handle that is exposed. For stainless, see stainless steel cabinet handles.
Anodised, coated and plated finishes
The finish decides how the handle looks and wears, and the metal under it matters less than people think. Match both the base material and the finish across a room, because a zinc alloy handle and a brass knob will not match even in the same finish. Aluminium comes in three finishes: anodised, powder-coated and plated.
A protective coating on any handle can eventually wear through where fingers touch most, and that spot will darken or show the base metal. On a D pull, that is the inside of the curve, and a dark or brushed finish hides it better than a bright one. Painted handles can wear off, while electroplated finishes cannot be removed or scratched. Aluminium comes brushed, polished, anodised and powder-coated, with anodised black or silver a durable modern option and powder-coated white a custom look. For the finishes, see black cabinet handles, white cabinet handles, brushed nickel cabinet handles and gunmetal grey cabinet handles.
Aluminium against zinc alloy, brass and stainless steel
Four metals compare simply. Aluminium is light and durable and suits modern and minimalist designs and lightweight doors. Brass is sturdy and long-lasting, naturally corrosion resistant, and needs regular polishing to keep its shine. Stainless steel is the most durable, highly corrosion resistant and suited to kitchens and bathrooms. Zinc alloy is the most budget-friendly, with decent durability, and can be plated to imitate brass or chrome. Aluminium and stainless steel need only simple cleaning.
The choice follows from that. Pick aluminium for lightness, slim profiles and long lengths. Pick stainless steel for a wet or coastal room, and brass for weight and a living finish. Zinc alloy is the one for a cast shape with fine detail; see zinc alloy cabinet handles.
The ranges on this page, measured
Hole centres, also called the fixing distance, are the gap between the two screw holes. Overall length is the whole handle, and projection is how far it stands off the door.
- The Castella Reed is a slim D pull, 172, 236 or 332mm overall on 160, 224 or 320mm centres, 10mm thick with a 35mm projection, plus a 35mm disc knob with a 26mm projection. See Castella Reed cabinet handles.
- The Castella Leaf is a minimal handle, 184, 340 or 504mm overall on 160, 320 or 480mm centres, 12mm thick with a 30mm projection. The Castella Cove D is 158, 222 or 350mm overall on 128, 192 or 320mm centres and only 7mm thick. The Cove Pill is 172 or 332mm on 160 or 320mm centres with a 26mm projection, and the Cove Semi-Circle is a 90mm pull on 64mm centres, 40mm wide, projecting 25mm.
- The Momo Handles Flapp is a slim pull, 70, 200, 350 or 1,100mm overall on 32, 128, 256 or 1,056mm centres, 22mm wide with a 23.2mm projection.
- The Momo Handles Brave bow handle runs from 160mm to 1,150mm overall on centres of 128 to 1,120mm, with a projection of 25.5 or 33mm.
- The Momo Handles Vann lip pull runs from 100mm to 1,200mm overall on centres of 64 to 1,120mm, with a 40mm projection. The Momo Ona lip pull is 50, 200 or 350mm overall on 32, 128 or 256mm centres, 38mm wide with a 42mm projection. See lip pull handles.
- The Momo Trento D handle is 172, 236 or 364mm overall on 160, 224 or 352mm centres, 11mm wide with a 35mm projection. The Momo Kempten D handle is 170mm on 160mm centres. The Momo Caserta bow handle is 189 or 264mm on 160 or 224mm centres with a 31mm projection. See D shaped cabinet handles.
- The Momo Handles Casey D handle is 211 or 339mm overall on 192 or 320mm centres, 20mm wide with a 44.3mm projection. The Momo Angle pull is 200 or 300mm on 128 or 192mm centres with a projection of only 13mm.
- The Momo Handles Graf has a knurled, mesh-like texture for grip, in D handles, a cylinder pull up to 1,200mm and round knobs of 38 and 50mm. The Momo Arpa, inspired by Art Deco, has a 230mm D handle on 192mm centres, a 70mm T knob and a 22mm round knob.
Compare them and the spread is wide. Sections run from 7mm on the Cove D to 22mm on the Flapp, and projections from 13mm on the Angle to 44.3mm on the Casey. The longest handles, the Flapp at 1,100mm, the Brave at 1,150mm and the Vann at 1,200mm, are wardrobe and tall-door handles. For the brands, see Castella cabinet handles and Momo Handles premium cabinet handles.
Shapes made in aluminium
A finger pull or lip pull sits on the edge of the front. Lip pull handles mount along the edge so the face stays flat, with clean lines and an easy grip, and they suit drawers, cupboards, pantry doors and flat-panel cabinetry. Aluminium suits this shape because it extrudes into the thin, long sections a lip pull needs. A knurled texture, such as the one on the Graf, is a fine cut pattern that gives a superior grip.
Choosing the size
Length is measured by hole centres, not overall length. As a rule of thumb and not a strict rule, a pull is commonly about one third of the drawer or door width. Standard centres of 96, 128 and 160mm suit most cabinet doors, and a narrow drawer looks best with a shorter handle.
Fitting aluminium handles
When replacing handles, measure the centres of the holes you have. A 128mm handle will not fit 160mm holes without new holes, which can leave marks on a painted or veneered front, so match the existing centres unless you plan to fill the old holes. Screws follow the panel thickness: a 22mm screw suits panels 16 to 18mm thick and a 38mm screw suits panels 32 to 34mm thick. The Castella Reed and Leaf handles include 22mm or 25mm M4 screws. Several Momo handles are sold without screws, so check the product page before you buy.
Centre the handle on a drawer front. On a base door, set it near the top corner on the side opposite the hinges, and on a wall door near the bottom corner. The usual rule is horizontal handles on pull-out drawers and vertical handles on doors, and handles should never hit each other when cabinets open. Test with painter's tape before you drill. For a door in a room and not a cabinet, see interior door handles.
Matching aluminium with the room
Aluminium pairs well with stainless steel appliances, and matte or brushed finishes add subtle contrast. Use one finish through the home, no more than two metal finishes in a room, and handles that either match other fixtures or contrast with them on purpose. Aluminium suits modern and minimalist designs, and a brushed nickel finish does not show fingerprints and is easy to match with ovens, refrigerators and dishwashers. The cabinets are at bathroom vanities, and the shapes are at cabinet pull handles and cabinet knobs.
How to care for aluminium handles
Wipe with a soft cloth and mild soap and water, then dry. Dull-looking finished handles are usually a film of hand oil and cooking residue, not changed metal. Avoid abrasive pads, steel wool, bleach and harsh chemicals, which can damage a coating. Aluminium and stainless steel need only simple cleaning. If an anodised or coated handle shows a worn spot, the coating has worn and not the metal, and the spot cannot be polished back.
A short checklist before you order
- Choose aluminium inside the house, and brass or 316 stainless steel in sea spray.
- Choose a dark or brushed finish to hide wear at the touch points.
- Measure the centres of your existing holes, and aim for a handle about one third of the drawer width.
- Check the projection, the section thickness and whether screws are included.
- Match the base material and the finish, not only the colour name.
For the full range of handle styles, return to cabinet handles.
