Best Drywall Anchors To Help You Make Your Walls Beautiful

Nothing feels like homes like a wall covered with pictures of memorable family vacations, graduations or even family weddings. But if you have tried mounting these items on a wall, you know how hectic it can get. Drywall is made from compressed gypsum, creating that wonderful, smooth feel on your home walls. On a mere look, the wall appears to be strong enough, but wait until you insert a screw or a nail into it, and it starts to crumble down!

So, what do you do if you want to mount your family portrait or that art masterpiece on the wall? Should you give up? Well, there’s a solution for you. Drywall anchors are designed to spread behind or within the drywall panel to create pressure that locks an anchor in place, allowing you to mount your items on the wall. Amazing, right?

Well, there’s one problem, though. See, when shopping for these drywall anchors, it’s easy to get confused by the dozen of options out there. You’ll come across terms such as “expansion drywall anchors,” “toggle bolts,” “threaded self-drilling anchors,” and many more. But don’t worry, folks – this guide helps you understand all the different kinds of drywall anchors out there, and of course, a few options from best drywall anchors that you should try out.

Let’s get to it, shall we?

Top 5 Drywall Anchors Of 2020 Reviewed

1. TOGGLER SNAPTOGGLE BA Toggle Anchor with Bolts

When it comes to strength and firmness, this one beats them all! The TOGGLER SNAPTOGGLE BA Toggle Anchor with Bolts may look like a simple anchor, but it’s designed to provide a rock-solid hold for all those heavy items such as new shelves, light fittings, and television wall mount.

The anchor has a tensile strength of a cool 356 lbs. in 5.8-inch drywall and 238 lbs. in ½-inch drywall. Now that’s some serious strength! Featuring an impressive design to allow for precise positioning, the plastic straps that come with this anchor are built to withstand huge force, meaning that they won’t easily break as is the case with other plastic straps.

The TOGGLER SNAPTOGGLE BA Toggle Anchor also features a zinc-plated channel that makes it corrosion resistant. However, even with all the prises it gets, some are still not comfortable with the installation process. But it’s not that difficult, really. All you need to do is drill a small hole and slide the anchor carefully through it. Once you are done, hold the ends and pull the straps to make the channel rest flush behind your wall.

TOGGLER SNAPTOGGLE BA Toggle Anchor with Bolts

Pros:

  • High-quality construction
  • Affordable price an anchor of its caliber
  • Ideal for a wide range of hollow walls
  • Ultra-durable and high-strength
  • Offers rock-solid hold
  • Longer plastic straps

Cons:

  • A bit complicated to install
  • Requires a pre-drilled hole

2. The Hillman Group 370054 Toggle Bolt

Looking for a permanent solution for those large home improvement projects? Well, the Hillman Group Toggle Bolt is the perfect drywall anchor for you. Built with heavy-duty zinc-plated steel and featuring different sizes to suit your needs, this drywall anchor comes in 50 packs, allowing you to hand a wide range of items at a go.

The anchor features a slotted round head, allowing you to install it with a screwdriver in just a few seconds. Better yet, you can use it to hold up to 70 lbs. in your drywall or up to 85 lbs. in a strong concrete wall. To safely mount in a hollow wall, the spring design allows the anchor to spread apart upon installation, locking into place securely easily. This also helps disperse your item’s weight evenly over a large area.

To use the Hillman Group 370054 Toggle Bolt, you will need to have a pre-drilled hole on your drywall. But don’t worry about damage, because this anchor is built mainly for those permanent projects. And because of its quality build, you can expect to dig slightly deeper into your pocket to get the 50-pack anchor.

The Hillman Group 370054 Toggle Bolt

Pros:

  • High quality steel construction
  • Good value for money
  • Ideal for heavy or medium-duty projects
  • Provides a safe and firm hold
  • Designed with a spring to disperse item’s weight
  • Can be used on both drywall and concrete walls

Cons:

  • Requires a pre-drilled hole
  • A bit expensive

3. TOGGLER Toggle TB Residential Drywall Anchor

Whether you are looking to mount a curtain rod, family picture, an artwork, the TOGGLER Toggle TB Residential Drywall Anchor will prove to be a great choice. The anchor is designed to offer a firm hold from within 1/8-inch to ½-inch thick drywall. This means that you can hang even the heavy items such as a wall mirror without a worry in about a loosening.

Although this anchor works well with drywall, it’s versatile, meaning that it can also be used on gypsum boards, plaster, sheet metal, plasterboard, fiberglass, and most thin paneling. For top performance, the anchor is made using durable polypropylene to resist corrosion even when you use it with stainless-steel screws.

There’s a lot to love about the TOGGLER Toggle TB Residential Drywall Anchor. But as with most products, it does have its downsides as well. While this anchor can be used on a wide range of materials without damaging the walls, locking the key tends to be a bit stiff, but not that hard to manage.

TOGGLER Toggle TB Residential Drywall Anchor

Pros:

  • Improved design for better performance
  • Durable polypropylene to resist corrosion
  • Nonconductive and nonmagnetic
  • Strong enough to hold heavy items
  • Can be used on various materials

Cons:

  • Locking key tends to be a bit stiff
  • Requires drilling a hole

4. WallClaw Anchors Drywall Anchors and Screw

This is one unique drywall anchor you’ll always be thankful you have in your home at all times. Designed to provide a strong base, the WallClaw Anchor allows you to install your decorations easily on a wide range of soft walls without damaging them.

Featuring a weight limit of 90lbs, the WallClaw Anchor will guarantee you a secure hold, allowing you to hand pictures, mirrors, and clocks. If you want to change the location of your mirror from the side with glaring sunlight to a place where you’ll have a perfect view, then you don’t have to worry about leaving unsightly marks on the wall. This plastic anchor can be easily removed without leaving a big hole on the wall.

Although this hammer-in drywall anchor works perfectly, allowing you to screw it directly into your wall, it could break if you use too much force. Some users also argue that the plastic anchor was a bit difficult to open.

WallClaw Anchors Drywall Anchors and Screw

Pros:

  • No drilling required
  • Very affordable
  • Can hold heavy decorations

Cons:

  • Difficult to open the anchor
  • The anchor could break with too much force

5. ARROW 160455 Drywall Drill Bit Screw and Anchor

This is an all-in-one kit, containing just about everything you’ll need to complete light to medium-duty projects. If you are looking to mount items that weigh 20 lbs or less, say hook nails, small shelves, or a small picture, you simply select the sturdy white and blue expandable drywall anchors.

The kit comes with a cool 36 8 to 10 7.8-inch anchors and 6 to 8 X 3.4-inch anchors to suit different mounting projects. The good thing is that you don’t have to worry searching for a head screw to drive the anchors in the drywall; the pack contains 18 6 X 1-inch, 16 10 X 1 ½ -inch, 18 8 X 1 ¼ -inch screws and 18 4 X 1-inch, as well as 2 drill bits to make your job easy.

While this kit allows you to keep all your anchors organized and readily accessible when you need them, there are a few downsides that you need to know about them. Firstly, they are not very durable and not strong enough for the heavy items, so you might want to use them for light mounting projects, say family pictures and light artworks.

ARROW 160455 Drywall Drill Bit Screw and Anchor

Pros:

  • Affordable
  • Separate storage compartments for organization
  • A variety of anchors to choose from
  • The kit comes with screws, anchors and drill bits

Cons:

  • Not strong enough for heavy-duty mounting tasks
  • Not very durable
  • Requires pre-drilled holes

How to Choose the Best Drywall Anchor: The Ultimate Buying Guide

If you think about it, drywall anchors are like insurance policies. See, these little tools ensure that the soft walls support any item you intend to mount on it, irrespective of how heavy it is. Choose a poor anchor, and your valuable items will come crumbling down, leaving a large hole on the wall. Choose a quality one, and it’s a happy ending!

While the idea of purchasing a drywall anchor is great, there are a few things you should keep in mind as you embark your shopping to ensure you get the right one for your needs. Let’s check them out.

Type

Your choice of drywall anchor boils down to the type/design. There are different types out there, with each designed to suit different uses. These are:

  • Expansion drywall anchors: These are anchors can be used on drywall as well as sheet metal, brick, mortar, and concrete. They are referred to as “expansion anchors” simply because they are built to expand against your drywall so that they can provide a firm hold. These anchors can be made of zinc-coated metal, nylon, or plastic, and are ideal for light-duty mounting (20 or 30 lbs.)
  • Toggle bolt drywall anchors: Sometimes known as “Molly Bolt,” these drywall anchors are built for serious holding power, making them ideal for medium to heavy-duty mounting projects. On a closer look, they have an arm or wing-like design that fold against the bolt or screw when inserting and flare outward after installation. The idea of this mechanism is to create a strong brace along the back of your wall, allowing the mounted items to remain firm. These drywall anchors can hold up to 200 lbs. or 300 lbs. without much strain.
  • Threaded “self-drilling” drywall anchors: These anchors are neither too strong nor too weak. They are designed for medium or light duty mounting tasks and come with an easy installation mechanism. They are mostly made from zinc-coated metal, nylon or plastic and can hold up to 75 lbs. of weight, depending on the anchor size you choose.

Tensile Strength

The tensile strength refers to the amount of weight that a drywall anchor can hold. As you’ve seen in the types, these anchors come with different weight ratings, with some built to handle light mounting projects such as hanging pictures of up to 30 lbs.; others designed for medium-duty mounting tasks like hanging mirrors and artwork; and others for some serious hanging such as TV mounting.

Depending on your needs, ensure that you check the tensile strength of the drywall anchors and factor in the items you need to hang. Do this, and you won’t go wrong.

Material

Drywall anchors can be made from different materials, with the most favorite being plastic since it’s easy to use and a lot easy on your drywall. Being made of plastic, however, doesn’t mean that they can’t hold up to heavy items such as TV mount. No. The plastic is strengthened to accommodate even up to 300 lbs. allowing you to hand any item.

The metal counterparts, on the other hand, are ideal for heavy-duty amounting projects. Although some of these anchors may still feature a plastic material, the screws are made of metal, making them more durable and stronger. To make them corrosion-resistant, some even come with a zinc-coating, making them more versatile.

Final Words

Drywall anchors are the perfect solution for mounting any item on drywall or ceiling. Whether you need to hang a valuable art masterpiece, install shelves, or mount your TV on the wall, you can go for any of these anchors we have reviewed for some peace of mind. No need to worry about your items falling off or damaging the drywall.  But as you embark on your shopping, don’t forget to keep the types, material, and tensile strength in mind for that perfect fit.

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A blogger, personal finance enthusiast with slight “addiction” of planning and organizing whether it’s budget, business or just life in general. When you run into an article around the web you can clearly tell it’s Michael’s work,as it can never be mixed with anyone else's , because of his very unique own voice. Finances, real estate, budgeting, new technological solutions are not the only talking points, that he has his heart set on. Passionate about life he studies and writes about environmental changes, human rights and quality of life. Being a true humanist he draws inspiration from the simple thing as an everyday life and the matters one come across on daily bases doing his best and above to help everyone around.