The 8 Best Drywall Anchors

When no stud lines up behind a loaded shelf or a cabinet, the Toggler SnapToggle BB is the anchor to reach for. A steel bar slips through a small hole, and plastic straps pull it tight behind the board before you snap them off flush. Toggler rates it at 265 pounds before failure, and in one shelf test the drywall tore loose first. The bolt comes out and goes back in. Setting the straps takes practice.

Mirrors, curtain rods and small shelves are the jobs the E-Z Ancor Twist-N-Lock was made for. It drives straight into the wall with a hand screwdriver, with no drilling, and a click tells you it has bitten. The maker rates it at 75 pounds, but that figure covers the whole job, not each anchor. This box holds two packs with matching screws. It isn't meant for ceilings or TV mounts, and a power drill can strip it.

The Toggler SnapSkru kit pairs a regular and a mini self-drilling anchor in one divided box, so towel bars and picture hooks are both covered. Each one turns in by hand, and its tip pops open behind the board to lock. Toggler allows it in ceilings, and the anchor stays put if you back the screw out. A power drill can crack the nylon, and in one shelf test it pulled out well short of its rating.

Bathrooms and other damp rooms suit the Toggler Toggle TB, a plastic toggle that won't rust. You drill a hole, push the folded wings through with the red key, and they spread out behind the board. Toggler rates it at 143 pounds before failure, and it takes ordinary screws that you can remove and reuse. It doesn't fit the thicker board used in many garages and ceilings, and if the wings don't lie flat, the hold drops sharply.

One anchor for every wall in the house is the idea behind the Toggler Alligator AF8. In drywall it folds and grips behind the board, and in brick or concrete it swells and locks in place. Toggler rates it at 85 pounds in standard drywall. A lip on the front keeps it from sliding into the hole, and the pack comes with screws. You have to drill first, and thin wallboard is too weak for it.

The Ansoon Metal Kit swaps nylon for zinc, so the threads hold up when a screw goes in and out more than once. Each anchor cuts its own way into the wall with a screwdriver, no hole needed. This Old House lists a lower rating than the seller's claim, so treat it as a medium-duty choice for towel bars, curtain rods and hooks. Turn it too far and it can spin loose in the board.

Three thicknesses of spring-wing bolt come sorted in a clear box in the KURUI Toggle Bolt Kit. The bolt passes through your bracket first, then the wings flip open behind the wall and clamp everything tight. KURUI pitches it at pictures, mirrors and curtain rods, and it advises against TVs and heavy ceiling fixtures. No load rating is given. Take the bolt out later, and the wings drop inside the wall for good.

For a weekend of hanging frames and hooks, the Qualihome Self-Drilling Kit keeps costs low with 25 plastic anchors and matching screws. The split tip spreads open behind the board as the screw goes in, and coarse threads keep it from spinning. The seller's load claim has no outside test behind it, so save these for light jobs. They work in drywall only, not brick, tile or wood.