Top 10 best Floating Mantel Bracket 2022 According to experts

I SO wish this would have worked as well as I saw on YouTube. I followed the tutorial exactly and even got a 12″ bit instead of 8″ (it wasn’t long enough once you calculatein the recessed bracket). The holes were so tight that they refused to give in to the shelf sliding on. I initially used 2 brackets for a very heavy 5′ beam floating shelf. The brackets may hold the weight, but I quickly learned that the screws would not, even with the anchors. I was installing half of the bracket into lath and plaster and half into stud. Because the bracket can move vertically once mounted, I knocked one loose during the installation of the beam. Already having the beam drilled out, I left that loose bracket in place (something I would regret later). I added two more brackets to the wall, this time only in plaster, and drilled two more holes. When I set the shelf on top of the brackets to mark the hole spaces, the brackets sagged. All 4 of them. I continued to drill the holes and chisel the recessed bracket space and then install. Halfway through, the shelf just stopped. My only guess is that the drilled holes weren’t straight enough and they refused to give. Using a heavy hammer, I forced the shelf onto the brackets. What I was left with were 2 brackets jammed through the wall (ironically one of them was in a stud) and two just indented into the wall. The shelf sagged about 2 inches. What I ended up doing was buying 2 new external steel mounts and reinforcing the shelf, disappointed that I don’t have the “floating” effect I wanted. My thoughts…these brackets are not for beginners and I’m not a beginner, just stubborn. Open the drill holes a little bit more than 1/2″ for a smoother installation. Use a 12″ bit and mark it at 9″ so you don’t go too far in. Take out all of the wood from the holes. And most importantly, don’t buy these based on the weight load they can carry. Make sure your wall can handle it too. In my opinion, drywall isn’t strong enough for these large of brackets and that heavy of a beam (maybe 40lbs). Only install into studs or reinforce behind the wall during construction.

The product is solid and a great idea with all the hole options to utilize a screw to make sure you hit a stud. I would recommend you buy their drill bit. Drilling the holes straight is key as I was unable to do so it was a pain in the but to get the bracket inserted. Good product though.

I feel compelled to give these brackets 3 stars but I will leave it 4. I purchased 16 brackets for the 8 floating shelves I was making. Upon opening all four boxes, I lined up all the brackets and only three were perfectly straight. All the other 13 brackets were way off (see first photo). The ONE silver lining with this, is when I went to install the shelves, I used two brackets that were off in opposite directions which helped apply pressure to the shelf and make it slide on tight. However, the box that the brackets come in state quite clearly on the top that the brackets are “Guaranteed Straight.” So I guess that “guarantee” isn’t quite true. I wrote their customer support about this and they replied by saying the brackets were “within the accepted tolerance” and also bet me I couldn’t find better brackets with a higher tolerance. Not sure I believe that one.Regarding installation, installing the brackets was pretty easy. I was smart and laser cut myself a jig (2nd photo) out of 1/4″ MDF to perfectly align the brackets with the holes I drilled in the shelves. I know not everyone has the ability to do this but if you can, I highly recommend it. I just pushed the brackets into the slots, leveled the jig, then marked my holes. Super easy.My shelves were 1 3/8″ thick White Oak 24″ long and 12″ deep. They were quite large and very heavy but the brackets were pretty solid to hold them up. However, the weight of the shelves caused quite a bit of sag in the brackets. To counter this I shoved a piece of cardboard (3rd photo) under the bottom of the bracket and then cut it flush (4th photo). It wasn’t perfect, as I mentioned the shelves were quite heavy, but it worked a bit. The drywall anchors that come with the brackets are quite beefy and I liked them a lot. They were very solid. DO drill a 3/8″ hole for them as per the instructions.

These brackets are sturdy with a positive latch that is easy to use. Would buy again.

I decided to go with this bracket rather than create my own (as I normally would) due to the weight of the mantel I was installing. Normally I make my mantels hollow, but this one was constructed (at the client’s request) of two planks of solid oak 2 inches thick, 8 inches wide, and almost 6 feet long. Very heavy. The bracket performed perfectly, but I will not that the holes must be drilled very precisely or the shelf/mantel will be difficult to mount. I have access to a drill press so my holes were perfectly straight…but I still had to finagle them a bit to get them to work.