The Best Magnetic Knife Strips

This handsome knife strip was very easy to install. It came with instructions on the box itself; a QR code, also on the box, let us see a video of the process too. All we had to do was screw a mounting bar into the wall and attach the knife strip over the screws. (We particularly appreciated the built-in spirit levels on the mounting bar, which helped ensure that the bar was perfectly straight.) Better still, the knife strip did a great job of holding all our knives, from the lightest paring knife to the heaviest cleaver. And the mounting bar helped elevate the already-thick knife strip 1.5 inches away from the wall—the highest of any model we’ve tested—so it was easy to grab knives without grazing our knuckles. Like most wood models, this one picked up a few scratches over testing, but it was otherwise solidly built. It was also the tallest strip we’ve tested, measuring 3.5 inches from the top to the bottom of the bar. While the strip lost about an inch of magnetic coverage on each end, we were still able to fit plenty of knives on it. One last note: One of the three models we received had a magnet that detached from the knife strip. We emailed the company and received a prompt response that included an offer to replace the strip. We are confident that any issues in durability will be rare and quickly resolved.

We loved how easy it was to install this knife strip–just level and screw a small magnetic bar into the wall, then snap the strip itself (also magnetized) in on top of it. And the wood strip was fairly durable, receiving just a few scratches over the course of testing. We just wish the strip itself were a bit thicker, as we’d have liked a little more knuckle clearance when grabbing knives. And we’d have liked it if the magnets had covered the entire length of the strip–it has about an inch of unmagnetized space on either end, though we still had plenty of room for all of our knives.

This long, inexpensive model had a lot going for it: adequate space for our hands to reach in for knives, end-to-end coverage by medium-strength magnets, and a surface that didn’t scratch at all in our tests. But installation for this bar was a little fussier than some—you have to measure and experiment a little to get the distance and depth of the screws just right.

Medium-strength magnets extended the entire length of this handsome bar, and there was adequate clearance between it and the wall. We liked that this model could be screwed directly into the wall, too, although the brackets for the screws were so close to the main bar itself that it was a little tricky to get in to tighten the screws toward the end. Considering its high price, however, we wish this model had been a bit more durable; its metal front scratched easily.

This model protruded just far enough from the wall to give most hands enough room to maneuver. It got only a few minor scratches and nicks after extensive use, and it provided excellent, nearly end-to-end magnet coverage. It was fairly easy to install, coming with a template and a wooden guide to help us insert the screws in the right place and to the right depth. One minor problem: Its magnets were very strong, requiring a little extra force to remove knives.

This relatively inexpensive knife bar has no fancy mounting system you simply screw two screws into the wall and hook the bar over them. No template is provided, so you’ll have to measure carefully to position the screws at the right distance from each other and insert them to just the right height to get the strip to sit securely on the wall. Once installed, however, this knife strip did a good job of holding knives of all sizes and weights; while the magnets weren’t as strong as some we’ve tested, there were no major gaps in coverage besides a dead zone of 1 inch on each end. Similar to other wood knife strips we tested, this model scratched a little during extended testing, and it’s a little slimmer than we prefer, so our knuckles occasionally scraped the wall when we grabbed a knife.

This knife strip came with no instructions, but the installation concept was clear enough screw a metal mounting bar into the wall and then snap the magnetic knife strip over the bar. The process wasn’t as smooth in practice It was hard to get the knife strip to fit perfectly over the mounting bar, and the magnets attracting the knife strip to the mounting bar were so strong that it was hard to wrench the strip off to recenter it. Once we succeeded, the knife bar worked well. Its magnetic coverage was fairly even, though there was 1.25 inches of unusable space on either end; it held heavy cleavers and lighter boning and paring knives securely. We wish the knife strip were a little thicker so that there might be more clearance between our fingers and the wall as we grabbed knives.

No installation instructions were included with this model, which employed a simple metal cleat system to mount the knife. Unfortunately, the cleat created a gap between the knife strip and the wall, so the strip sometimes wiggled a bit as we took knives on and off. The magnets were a little weaker than some we prefer, and their coverage wasn’t ideal, with the magnets distributed in such a way that lighter-weight knives sometimes swung diagonally instead of hanging securely downward. We liked that the knife strip stood out over an inch from the wall, which made it easy to grab knives.

Dozens of medium-strength magnets dotted the entire surface of this attractive knife strip, providing excellent coverage. But this model was a bit fussy to install, and it had a fairly slim profile, making it a little trickier for us to remove knives. Finally, like several of the other models, it sustained quite a few scratches after repeated use.

The magnetic strip of this model had just the perfect strength. Unfortunately, that strip ended an inch and a half before the holder itself did, limiting the usable space and crowding our knives slightly. Its composite surface scratched easily, its profile was narrow, and as with other models, this knife strip required a bit of adjustment to get the depth of the screws right when mounting.

This gorgeous, long walnut knife strip was easy to install: just level and insert two screws in the wall and slide the strip on. Its magnets were the perfect strength and offered great end-to-end coverage, holding many knives of different sizes and weights securely. Thicker than any other model we’ve tested, it also let us grab those knives easily, without grazing our knuckles. It survived testing with the most minimal of scratches. We tested the 20-inch version, but a shorter 12-inch model is also available.

This knife strip was reasonably thick, so it was pretty easy to remove and attach knives without scraping our knuckles. And it was durable, receiving only a few scratches during testing. It was a bit of a pain to install, with no template to help us determine the correct location for the screws. The magnets could have been a touch stronger–knives sometimes slipped around on the strip. While the strip provided plenty of room to store knives, the last inch of both ends was unmagnetized, leaving us with unusable real estate.

With a separate back that screwed directly into the wall, this model was easy to install but had little else to recommend it. Its magnetic coverage was good, but the magnets themselves were a bit weak, allowing knives to swing precariously when nudged; its thin profile made it harder to grasp the knives at all. Worst, its sleek matte exterior scratched immediately during testing, and that user-friendly backing broke apart after more extensive handling.