What Are Soft Close Door Hinges?
Soft close door hinges are built to shut your door smoothly and silently—no slamming, no bouncing, no wear on the frame. Whether it's a quiet office or a breezy entryway, soft close hinges for doors help maintain comfort, safety, and control. Waterson's self closing soft close door hinges combine hybrid hydraulic and mechanical systems, delivering durability for both residential and commercial use.
Why Soft Close Door Hinges Are Worth the Upgrade
From quiet bedrooms to commercial entries, soft close door hinges offer more than just silent operation—they’re engineered for safety, quietness, anti slam, and durability for everyday convenience. Whether you're retrofitting a home or upgrading high-traffic doorways, these soft closing spring hinges help prevent damage, extend door life, and enhance overall user experience.
Watch this Soft Close Door Hinges video for more insights now!
Soft Close vs Self Close Hinges
Mechanical Self Closing Door Hinges are built for strength and frequency. These models handle up to 440 lbs, endure harsh outdoor environments, and maintain consistent speed—even without user input. Their constant braking force makes them ideal for hotel room doors, fire-rated entryways, and heavy commercial doors.
On the other hand, Soft Closing Door Hinges (Hydraulic Hybrid) add controlled fluid dampening. The oil-based system helps prevent abrupt closures due to breeze or forceful pushes—perfect for offices, frameless glass doors, and clean environments. Quiet and clean, these hinges offer interior calm and long-term reliability.
Still don't understand how these two hinge types function? Watch the seft close vs soft close door hinges demonstration now!
Types of Soft Close Door Hinges
K51M-B3/B4 – Soft Close Fire Door Hinges
Designed for fire-rated doors, this series integrates hydraulic damping to deliver smooth, self-closing action while meeting UL 3-hour fire rating standards. Ideal for areas requiring quiet closure and strict compliance, such as stairwells, hotel rooms, and commercial fire doors.
K51M-D3/D4 – Soft Close Hinges with Hold-Open
Includes a built-in hold-open function that allows the door to stay open at a set angle when needed. Best for interior applications like courtroom gates or French-style doors where occasional hands-free access is helpful without compromising soft-close performance.
How Many Soft Close Hinges Per Door?
Hinge count depends on door height and weight:
- Doors ≤ 60" → use 2 hinges
- Doors 60–90" or 150–330 lbs → use 3 hinges
- Doors 90–120" or 260–440 lbs → use 4 hinges
We recommend matching the hinge quantity to door specs. If your door requires three hinges, use three self closing soft close door hinges to maintain performance. Refer to Waterson’s How to Order for full guidance.
How to Adjust Soft Close Door Hinges?
To optimize performance, adjust spring tension, swing speed, and latch force using 3mm and 5mm hex wrenches. Each hinge has labeled ports (S, A, A1, B, H1, H2) for precise control. You can:
- Turn the S port to set spring tension
- Use A and A1 for swing and latch speed
- Enable H1 for hydraulic control
- Adjust the damper level with H2 port
- Fine-tune with lock screws after setting
Is this instruction still unclear to you? Read the full step-by-step instructions and diagrams here: Waterson Adjustment Guide
Waterson Soft Close Door Hinges Applications
- Soft close bedroom door hinges
- Soft close front door hinges
- Soft close garage door hinges
- Soft close entry door hinges
- Soft close interior door hinges
- Soft close exterior door hinges
- Soft close screen door hinges
- Soft close shower door hinges
- Soft close glass shower door hinges
- Soft close fire door hinges