What the company actually makes
Hettich is a fittings business, which is a narrower thing than most clients assume when they see the name in a quotation. The categories below are what appears in Indian residential and commercial joinery.
| Category | What it covers | Where it appears in a flat |
|---|---|---|
| Hinges | Concealed cup hinges, soft-close and standard, various opening angles | Every cabinet door in the home |
| Drawer runners | Ball-bearing and undermount runners, partial and full extension | Kitchen base units, wardrobe internals, study drawers |
| Drawer box systems | Pre-engineered metal-sided drawer systems with integrated soft close | Kitchen base units, dresser drawers |
| Sliding and folding door systems | Top-hung and bottom-running gear for wardrobes and room dividers | Wardrobes, pooja unit shutters, partitions |
| Lift and flap systems | Gas and spring-assisted stays for wall units | Kitchen wall units, loft shutters |
| Storage accessories | Pull-outs, corner units, tall unit baskets, organisers | Kitchen tall units and corners |
| Locking and office hardware | Cam locks, pedestal locking, workstation fittings | Office storage and pedestals |
The tiers, and why they matter more than the brand
A brand name in a quotation tells you the manufacturer. It does not tell you the tier, and within any major fittings range the difference between the entry line and the flagship line is substantial in both feel and price.
| Tier | What characterises it | Typical market range we observe | Sensible use |
|---|---|---|---|
| Entry hinges | Standard cup hinge, clip-on, soft close optional | ₹90 – 200 per piece | Wardrobe internals, low-use doors |
| Mid hinges | Integrated soft close, better damping consistency | ₹200 – 420 per piece | Kitchen doors, main wardrobe shutters |
| Entry runners | Ball-bearing, partial or full extension | ₹350 – 900 per pair | Study and bedroom drawers |
| Drawer box systems | Metal sided, integrated damping, load rated | ₹2,200 – 6,500 per drawer | Kitchen base units |
| Tall unit pull-outs | Multi-shelf, soft close, load rated | ₹12,000 – 38,000 per unit | Kitchen tall storage |
| Sliding wardrobe gear | Track, rollers, guides per opening | ₹6,500 – 22,000 per opening | Two and three-shutter wardrobes |
These are open-market ranges we see when we buy, not the manufacturer’s price list, and they move with the specific item, tier and quantity.
Where it sits against the alternatives
- Against Indian value brands, Hettich generally commands a premium on comparable items. What you get for it is more consistent damping across a batch and better availability of spares years later.
- Against the narrowest European specialists, it is generally less expensive on the flagship drawer systems and comparable on hinges.
- Against unbranded imports, the difference is not on day one — it is at year four, when a damper has stopped damping and you need one replacement piece that matches.
- None of this makes an alternative wrong. On a rental fit-out or a short-horizon project, a competent value brand is a defensible choice and we will say so.
What specifying it means on a Mumbai site
- Write the tier. A BOQ line reading “soft-close hinges — Hettich” can be honoured with the cheapest hinge in the catalogue. Name the item type, the tier and the soft-close requirement.
- Count them. Hardware is quoted per piece and per pair, and the count is where quotations drift. A 7 ft wardrobe shutter needs three hinges, not two, and that should be in the schedule.
- Check what arrived. Fittings are the easiest line in a project to substitute after approval. Ask for the packaging to be retained until handover.
- Plan for spares. Ask the contractor to hand over two spare hinges and one spare runner pair with the O&M file.
- Coastal note. Within about 2 km of the sea, exposed metal fittings in a bathroom or balcony cabinet corrode regardless of brand. Use stainless fittings for exposed hardware and keep plated steel to internal, dry positions.
How we buy it, and what we are not
Greenbox specifies hardware on merit and buys on the open market through established Mumbai dealers. We are not an authorised dealer, distributor or channel partner for Hettich or any other brand named on this site, and we hold no exclusivity with any manufacturer. Where a client asks us to procure, we pass through the supplier invoice so the tier and the price are visible.
- We will specify a different brand where it does the job better or cheaper, and we will tell you why in the quotation.
- Where a client prefers a particular brand, we price it and note any practical implications — lead time on a specific tier, or a spares question.
- Any warranty on fittings is the manufacturer’s, offered on their terms. Our own warranty covers our installation and workmanship. Read both.
- We do not quote manufacturer price lists. The ranges on this page are what we observe when buying in Mumbai.
Specification summary
| Question | What to put in your BOQ |
|---|---|
| Hinges | Brand, tier, soft close yes/no, opening angle, count per shutter |
| Runners | Type, extension, load rating, length |
| Drawer systems | System name or tier, side height, load rating, per-drawer count |
| Sliding gear | Per opening, shutter weight rating, track type |
| Substitution | “No substitution without written approval” |
| Spares | Two hinges and one runner pair handed over at completion |
| Evidence | Retain packaging until handover; supplier invoice on request |
Frequently asked questions
Is Hettich hardware worth the price?+
On the components you touch every day — kitchen drawers and main wardrobe doors — a mid or premium tier fitting is usually money well spent, because damping consistency and spares availability matter over ten years. On wardrobe internals and low-use doors, a value brand is a reasonable decision and the saving is real.
Is Hettich better than the alternatives?+
It is a competent, well-established manufacturer that we specify frequently. So are several others. The more useful question is which tier you have been quoted, because the range within any major brand is wider than the difference between brands at the same tier.
Is Greenbox an authorised Hettich dealer?+
No. We are an independent design and build studio. We specify hardware on merit, buy through the open market, and pass through supplier invoices where we procure on a client’s behalf. We hold no dealership or exclusivity with any brand.
How do I check that the hardware I paid for was actually fitted?+
Ask for the packaging to be retained until handover, check the branding stamped on the hinge arm and the runner body, and ask for the supplier invoice. Substitution after sample approval is the most common quiet cost saving in Indian joinery.
What happens if a soft-close damper fails in year five?+
On an established brand it is a spare part that a Mumbai dealer can supply, and a fitter can replace it in minutes. On an unbranded fitting, the usual answer is replacing the whole hinge or runner and hoping the hole centres match. That is the practical case for a known brand.