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When you want to fasten something to a wall but aren’t able to put the screw into a wall stud, you need to know how to use a drywall anchor. This little gadget allows you to support a load from the drywall itself, no stud necessary. So your first stop will be a well-stocked hardware store to pick up some anchors. The problem there is that the selection of drywall anchors is downright bewildering. Many look alike and have similar weight ratings. And the fact is that many are so similar that they are, essentially, interchangeable.
But with a little information, picking the right drywall anchor is simple. Here’s a primer on what you need to cut through the selection haze and know how to properly use the drywall anchor you’re getting.
The Best Drywall Anchors
- Tap-In Installation: Hillman Sharkie 376263 Sharkie Drywall Anchor
- Makes Its Own Hole: ITW EZ Ancor 11364 Drywall Anchor
- Works In Many Materials: Hillman DuoPower 376473 Drywall Anchor
- Budget Drywall Fastening: Blue Hawk 21-9567 Drywall Anchor
- Threads In and Wedges: EZ Anchor 11353 Drywall Anchor
- Simplified Toggle Installation: Zip Toggle 376324 Drywall Anchor
- Fold-Out Toggle Strength: Toggler 50525 Drywall Anchor
- Tried-and-True Toggle Bolt: Blue Hawk ¼-inch toggle bolt 7164 Drywall Anchor
- Spider-Leg Toggle Mechanism: Hillman 41304 Drywall Anchor
- Best Toggle Ever Invented: Hillman Pull Toggle 41984 Drywall Anchor
How to Select an Anchor
Thankfully, choosing and applying the right anchor is a pretty simple four-step process.
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Step 1: Consider the anchor’s weight rating.
All anchors have a weight rating based on the manufacturer’s installation of its product in an engineering lab in a given thickness of drywall, say 1⁄2 inch thick. With this test criteria or that established by an outside testing agency, the anchor arrives at a weight-bearing capacity that is useful as a guide.
For any anchor used in a critical mounting application (say a large wall-hung cabinet that could fall and injure somebody), make your calculations based on one fourth of the stated weight-bearing capacity of the anchor. Also note that some manufacturers provide both vertical weight-bearing capacity (known as its shear strength) and pull out values 90 degrees to the wall surface.
In most cases, the number listed on the front of the anchor’s package is the shear strength rating of the anchor as tested in 1⁄2-inch drywall. Always carefully read the product specs and contact the manufacturer’s customer service department if you have questions.
Step 2: Evaluate the load.
Pushing, pulling, widely cycling temperatures, vibration, and high humidity are several of the forces that can cause a hollow-wall fastener to loosen. A static load is one that stays still, and it requires fewer anchors to guarantee that it stays put. For example, drywall anchors experience a static load when they attach something like a book shelf with a couple of framed pictures on it. The anchors used to attach a towel bar in a bathroom experience dynamic loading: changing temperature and humidity, pushing, and pulling as people remove and replace the towel.
If the load is static, use any hollow-wall anchor rated for the weight you’re hanging (see the caveat above for critical loads). If the load is dynamic, proceed to Steps 3 and 4.
Step 3: Use clamping force to fasten dynamic loads.
There are three common forms of drywall anchor: those that support by cutting into the drywall, those that support with mild clamping power supplied by a wedging action in and behind the drywall, and those that support with high clamping force on the front and back of the drywall. That last kind is called a toggle bolt, in one form or another. The greater the dynamic load, the more clamping force you need. Use a toggle bolt for these applications.
Step 4: Increase the safety factor.
When determining what drywall anchor to use and how many, always assume the worst case. Employ one or more of these techniques to increase the safety, which is not a bad idea for fastening any load (static or dynamic), but it’s particularly important in fastening dynamic loads.
- Use more than one anchor.
If one anchor is strong enough to handle a load, installing two doubles the reliability of that fastening job. Sure, installing multiple anchors requires more accuracy. But we explain how to do that at the end of this article. - Distribute the anchors.
If possible, distribute the anchors in a pattern that offsets the load area on each of them. A V-shaped pattern of three anchors (with an anchor placed at the tips of the V and at the apex) will resist a greater variety of forces than three anchors placed in a line. This is true generally but especially so when fastening for dynamic loads. - Use metal.
Use metal anchors and toggle bolts (instead of plastic) for applications where what you’re hanging is heavy, where the load is dynamic, or both.
Scroll down for info on how to use some of the best and most cost-effective anchors. Continue after those for a step-by-step tutorial on how to do a dead-on and dust-free anchor installation.
Hillman 376263 Sharkie Drywall Anchor
Weight rating in 1⁄2-in. drywall: 40 lb | Ease of installation: Easy | Appropriate for: Static loads such as small shelves, mirrors, pictures
Pros
- Simple to use
- Inexpensive
Cons
Installation: To avoid damage, press the anchor into the hole in the wall cavity or tap it with the end of a plastic screwdriver handle. The fastener’s wings expand on the inside surface of the drywall, providing moderate clamping power.
ITW EZ Anchor 11364 Drywall Anchor
Weight rating in 1⁄2-in. drywall: 75 lb | Ease of installation: Very easy | Appropriate for: Static loads such as book shelves, large pictures, and mirrors
Pros
- Threads directly into drywall
Cons
Installation: Place the end of the anchor into the mark, then screw it the rest of the way into the wall.
Hillman DuoPower 376473 Drywall Anchor
Weight rating in 1⁄2-in. drywall: 55 lb | Ease of installation: Easy | Appropriate for: Static loads such as book shelves, large pictures, and mirrors
Pros
- Grips drywall and other materials, like brick
Cons
Installation: To avoid damaging the anchor, press it into the hole in the wall cavity or tap it with end of a plastic screwdriver handle. Its wings expand behind the drywall providing moderate clamping power. An added benefit of this fastener is that you can also use it in plaster, brick, concrete, and concrete block.
Blue Hawk 21-9567 Drywall Anchor
Weight rating in 1⁄2-in. drywall: 30 lb | Ease of installation: Easy | Appropriate for: Light static loads, such as small shelves and mirrors
Blue Hawk Blue Hawk Standard Drywall Anchor 21-9567
Pros
- Inexpensive
- Very easy to use
- Suitable for small, light loads
Cons
- Not particularly strong
Installation: Tap or press the anchor into the hole in the drywall and drive the screw to make the wings expand inside the wall to provide the wedging action.
EZ Anchor 11353 Drywall Anchor
Weight rating in 1⁄2-in. drywall: 50 lb | Ease of installation: Very easy | Appropriate for: Static loads such as book shelves, mirrors
E-Z Ancor E-Z Ancor 11353 Drywall Anchor
Pros
- Only tool necessary for installation is a screwdriver
Cons
Installation: Thread the anchor into the drywall using a Phillips screwdriver or a screwdriver bit in a drill.
Zip Toggle 376324 Drywall Anchor
Weight rating in 1⁄2-in. drywall: 70 lb | Ease of installation: Very easy | Appropriate for: Static loads such as book shelves, mirrors and for moderate dynamic loads such as small wall-mounted cabinets with a drawer or door
Zip Toggle Zip Toggle 376234 Drywall Anchor
Pros
- Can be hammered directly into drywall or pushed into a hole
Cons
Installation: Thread the anchor into drywall using a Phillips screwdriver or a screwdriver bit in a drill. Then tighten the screw until the toggle wing pivots back and pulls firmly against the back of the drywall.
Toggler 50525 Drywall Anchor
Weight rating in 1⁄2-in. drywall: 143 lb | Ease of installation: Easy | Appropriate for: Static heavy static loads such as large shelves, big mirrors, racks, small wall cabinets
Pros
- Strong for a plastic anchor
Cons
Installation: Fold down the anchor’s wings, then press it into the hole and insert the plastic key packaged with the fasteners to ensure that the wings fold out. If they don’t, the anchor will still grip, but its holding power now comes from a wedging action and not a toggle.
Blue Hawk 1⁄4-In. 7164 Drywall Anchor
Weight rating in 1⁄2-in. drywall: 70 lb | Ease of installation: Difficult | Appropriate for: Heavy static loads such as large shelves, big mirrors, racks, small wall cabinets and moderate dynamic loads such as cabinets with small doors and drawers
Blue Hawk Blue Hawk Toggle Bolt 7164 Drywall Anchor
Pros
- Strong
Cons
- Requires a large entry hole
- Must be threaded into object it is fastening before installing in the wall
Installation: Run the bolt and the washer through the object to be fastened (such as a mounting fixture, bracket, or cabinet). Then fold down the anchor’s wings and press it through the hole into the wall (or ceiling) cavity, allowing the wings to open. Once it’s in, pull back on the bolt so that the toggle wings grip the back of the drywall before screwing the bolt through toggle wings until tight. Note that you must consider the bolt’s length and the depth of wall or ceiling cavity to ensure that bolt does not bottom out before being fully tight. If you’re fixing a dynamic load, use a removable thread-locking compound on the bolt to prevent it loosening due to vibration.
Hillman 41304 Drywall Anchor
Weight rating in 1⁄2-in. drywall: 70 lb | Ease of installation: Easy | Appropriate for: Static loads such as large book shelves, large pictures, and large mirrors; can also fasten moderate dynamic loads such as supporting wood and metal hangers for clothing and garage gear such as hoses, yard tools
Hillman Hillman 41304 Drywall Anchor
Pros
- Installs easily
Cons
Installation: Tap or press the anchor into the hole in the drywall until the prongs in the flange bite in. Then tighten the screw to draw the metal ribs back against the back of the drywall, providing clamping force.
Hillman Pull Toggle 41984 Drywall Anchor
Weight rating in 1⁄2-in. drywall: 155 lb | Ease of installation: Very easy | Appropriate for: Static loads such as large book shelves, large pictures, and large mirrors, small to moderate cabinets with dynamic loads such as a door or drawer
Pros
- Easiest toggle to use toggle
- Bolt can be removed and reinstalled without losing toggle
Cons
Installation: Feed the anchor into the drywall hole and seat the plastic collar’s flange on the hole’s rim. Pull back on the plastic zip-tie strap, pulling the toggle wing against the back of the wall surface. When the strap is tight, snap it off. Turn the screw through the plastic collar into the threaded hole in the toggle. Note that this device allows you to remove the screw without the toggle falling into the wall cavity.
Dead-On Drywall Anchors
Aligning the hole in the object you’re hanging with the hole in the drywall anchor is easy. Here we show the whole alignment process in ten steps.
There are two important takeaways. First, don’t use a drill bit to make the hole in the drywall. Use an awl instead. It’s accurate and essentially creates no dust. Second, use the object you’re hanging to help guide the awl to make a perfect on-center hole. If you’re mounting an object with pre-drilled holes, simply use the holes in the object to guide the awl to make the mark.
Roy Berendsohn has worked for more than 25 years at Popular Mechanics, where he has written on carpentry, masonry, painting, plumbing, electrical, woodworking, blacksmithing, welding, lawn care, chainsaw use, and outdoor power equipment. When he’s not working on his own house, he volunteers with Sovereign Grace Church doing home repair for families in rural, suburban and urban locations throughout central and southern New Jersey.
