Slides
Push to open drawer slides explained: SERVO-DRIVE, TIP-ON and what the box needs
Push to open turns the drawer front itself into the handle: press it and the drawer opens on its own. This guide is for anyone planning a handleless kitchen or bath, and for whoever is ordering the box, covering Blum’s two push to open systems, what each one asks of the cabinet, and what changes on the drawer box so the hardware fits.
Quick answer. Push to open lets you open a drawer with no handle. Blum builds two systems for a wood drawer box: TIP-ON BLUMOTION, a mechanical spring unit on a MOVENTO runner that needs no power but does need a wider 125 mm (4 15/16 in) rear notch and at least 281 mm (11 1/16 in) of inside drawer width, and SERVO-DRIVE, an electric motor that needs a power outlet and more room behind the drawer. Past those two changes, the box is the same MOVENTO prep we already cut for every undermount order. Gritly cuts the standard MOVENTO notch or the wider TIP-ON notch on any custom undermount box, and Baltic Birch boxes ship in about 2 to 4 days, Hard Maple (Select Grade) in about 4 to 5; see shipping for details.
Ready to build it? The configurator cuts the right notch once you tell us which system you are using.
How push to open works
Blum sells two ways to open a drawer without a handle, and they work on opposite principles. TIP-ON BLUMOTION is mechanical: a unit clips onto the back of each MOVENTO runner and a trigger plate screws to the drawer. Press the front in a little past closed and the unit pushes the drawer back out far enough to grip, the same motion as pressing open a push latch cabinet door. SERVO-DRIVE is electric: a drive unit mounts behind the drawer, and a light touch on the front, Blum says even with a knee, starts a motor that glides the drawer open on its own.
Both pair with soft close rather than replace it, just in different places. TIP-ON BLUMOTION builds the spring that pushes the drawer out and the BLUMOTION damper that pulls it back in softly into the same unit, so one part does both jobs on the way out and the way home. SERVO-DRIVE only opens the drawer; the BLUMOTION soft close already built into the runner is what closes it quietly once you push the drawer back toward the cabinet.
Which slides offer it
MOVENTO is the Blum wood drawer runner built for push to open, and in Blum’s current US line it is the only wood drawer runner sold with TIP-ON BLUMOTION. The TANDEM plus BLUMOTION 563 you may already have does not have a TIP-ON option documented, so a mechanical, no power push to open drawer on a wood box means MOVENTO, not TANDEM. SERVO-DRIVE has a wider reach: Blum builds it for TANDEM 563H and for MOVENTO, as well as for Blum’s own waste and recycle runner sets, so the electric option does not force a runner change the way TIP-ON can.
Side mount ball bearing slides also come in push to open versions from several makers. We do not stock them, and we do not have numbers to publish for them here, so if you are set on a side mount box with push to open, tell us the slide’s brand and model on the custom box order and we will match the box to it.
What the drawer box needs
Everything about the width, side thickness and depth of a MOVENTO box stays the same whether or not you add push to open; that full rule, straight from Blum’s own documents, is on our Blum MOVENTO 763 page. What changes with push to open is the back of the box, and for SERVO-DRIVE, the cabinet behind it.
TIP-ON BLUMOTION needs the rear notch at each bottom corner to widen from the standard 50 mm (1 15/16 in) to 125 mm (4 15/16 in) minimum, because the unit sits where the plain notch would be. Blum also calls for at least 281 mm (11 1/16 in) of inside drawer width, rules out rear mounting brackets, and does not use the 298.7600 depth adjuster on a TIP-ON box. The two units, one per runner, are linked by a synchronization rod cut to the opening width minus 267 mm (10 1/2 in).
SERVO-DRIVE does not change the notch at all; it uses the same 50 mm rear notch and hook holes as a plain MOVENTO or TANDEM 563H box. What it needs instead is behind the drawer and in the cabinet: a power outlet in or behind the cabinet for its plug in power supply, and at least 22 23/32 in of inside cabinet depth with a 21 in runner, the room the drive unit sits in.
| What changes | Plain MOVENTO | TIP-ON BLUMOTION on MOVENTO | SERVO-DRIVE |
|---|---|---|---|
| REAR NOTCH | 50 mm (1 15/16 in) minimum | 125 mm (4 15/16 in) minimum | 50 mm (1 15/16 in), the standard notch |
| MINIMUM INSIDE WIDTH | set by the width rule on the MOVENTO page | 281 mm (11 1/16 in) | same as the runner it rides on |
| REAR MOUNTING BRACKETS | allowed | not used | allowed |
| 298.7600 DEPTH ADJUSTER | allowed | not used | allowed |
| SYNCHRONIZATION ROD | not used | cut to opening width minus 267 mm (10 1/2 in) | not used |
| POWER | none | none | a power outlet in or behind the cabinet |
| CABINET DEPTH | per the runner length, see the MOVENTO page | per the runner length, see the MOVENTO page | at least 22 23/32 in inside with a 21 in runner |
| RUNNERS | MOVENTO 763, 763H, 769 | MOVENTO 763, 763H, 769 with the TIP-ON BLUMOTION unit | TANDEM 563H, MOVENTO, or Blum’s waste and recycle sets |
Handleless fronts and gaps
A handleless front still needs somewhere for the mechanism to catch, so the front sits with a small gap at the edge that gets pressed, set with Blum’s own template rather than to a number we publish here. That gap is part of fitting the front, not part of the drawer box, so it does not change anything we build. Whoever is building or installing your fronts can set it to Blum’s template when the fronts go on.
Can I add push to open to an existing drawer?
Not usually, no, for TIP-ON. It needs the wider 125 mm notch cut into the back of the box from the start, since the unit sits where the standard notch would be. A box already built with the standard 50 mm MOVENTO notch is too narrow for it, so adding TIP-ON later means ordering a new box with TIP-ON specified, not retrofitting the one you have.
SERVO-DRIVE is the easier add. Its drive unit mounts behind the drawer without touching the box at all, so if the cabinet already has the depth and you can get power to it, SERVO-DRIVE can go onto an existing MOVENTO or TANDEM 563H drawer without a new box. If you think you might want push to open later but are not ready to decide, naming “MOVENTO with TIP-ON BLUMOTION” on your order now keeps that door open, since the notch has to be there from day one either way.
What to order from us
The box ships cut for whichever system you choose, so tell us up front. On the custom drawer box order, these are the fields that matter.
1. Notching
In “Notching,” choose “Notched & Drilled For Undermount Slides.” The notch and drilling are included either way.
2. Slide Brand/Model
For a plain MOVENTO box or for SERVO-DRIVE on MOVENTO, choose “Blum MOVENTO 763.” For SERVO-DRIVE on a TANDEM 563H box, choose “Blum TANDEM plus BLUMOTION 563” instead; neither needs any note, since the notch is the standard one either way.
3. Your Slide Brand & Model
For TIP-ON, choose “Other or unlisted slide model (I’ll enter it)” for Slide Brand/Model instead, then type “Blum MOVENTO 763 with TIP-ON BLUMOTION” here so we cut the wider 125 mm notch rather than the standard 50 mm one.
4. Clips
Choose “Blum T51.7601 Clips” to have us install the standard left and right pair on a MOVENTO box before it ships, TIP-ON or not.
MOVENTO runners are in our undermount slides category, and the TIP-ON BLUMOTION units, S1, L3 and L5 by runner length, are in Blum accessories. We do not sell SERVO-DRIVE.
Blum Movento 763 undermount drawer slide, pair
From $53.16
View productBlum Movento 763H heavy undermount drawer slide, pair
From $54.49
View productBlum Movento 769 heavy duty undermount drawer slide, pair
From $79.65
View productBlum T51.7601 front locking clips for Movento
$18.82
View product
Decided on the hardware? Build your box and tell us TIP-ON or SERVO-DRIVE as you go, built to order in our Las Vegas shop with a lifetime warranty on the wood box. Running a slide we have not listed? Send us the brand and model and we will match the box to it.
Technical sources
- Blum: MOVENTO brochure, woodworkinstitute.com. Revision: 2019.
- Blum: MOVENTO drawer preparation and installation differences sheet, d2.blum.com. Revision: not stated.
Figures on this page were checked against these documents in October 2026. Our shop’s own rules (the 1 in side mount deduction, the cut list limits) come from how we build.
Questions
What is a push to open drawer slide?
A push to open drawer has no handle. You press the front and the drawer opens itself. Blum builds two systems for a wood drawer box: TIP-ON BLUMOTION, a mechanical spring unit on a MOVENTO runner, and SERVO-DRIVE, an electric motor. Press a TIP-ON front past closed and the spring pushes the drawer out; tap a SERVO-DRIVE front, even with a knee, and the motor does it.
Do push to open drawers still soft close?
Yes. TIP-ON BLUMOTION has the spring and the BLUMOTION damper built into the same unit, so it pushes the drawer out and pulls it shut softly. SERVO-DRIVE opens the drawer with its motor, and the BLUMOTION soft close already built into the runner closes it quietly. Either way, soft close is not something you add separately.
Do I need a different drawer box for TIP-ON?
Yes, if the box was not already cut for it. TIP-ON needs a 125 mm (4 15/16 in) rear notch instead of the standard 50 mm, and at least 281 mm (11 1/16 in) of inside drawer width, so a box already cut to the standard MOVENTO notch is too narrow. Order it as TIP-ON from the start.
Does SERVO-DRIVE need an electrician?
Not for the box, but it does need power. Blum’s SERVO-DRIVE set runs on a plug in power supply, so it needs a power outlet in or behind the cabinet; getting an outlet there is a question for whoever wires the kitchen. TIP-ON BLUMOTION needs no power at all.
Can I add push to open to my existing drawers?
SERVO-DRIVE, usually yes: the drive unit mounts behind the drawer without changing the box, as long as the cabinet has the power and the room behind it. TIP-ON, only if the box already has the wider 125 mm notch, since the unit sits where the standard notch would be; otherwise order a new box with TIP-ON specified.
Can push to open work with a handle?
Yes. A handle still works on a BLUMOTION runner fitted with either system; press to open or pull the handle, and the drawer closes softly either way. Push to open is most useful without a handle, but it does not require removing one.
Which Blum slide do I pick for push to open?
MOVENTO for TIP-ON BLUMOTION, since it is the only Blum wood drawer runner sold with TIP-ON in the US line. For SERVO-DRIVE, Blum offers it on TANDEM 563H, on MOVENTO, and on Blum’s own waste and recycle runner sets.
What are push to open drawers called?
Push to open is the common name, since the drawer opens with a light press and no handle, sometimes described as handleless. Blum sells two branded systems that do it: TIP-ON BLUMOTION, a mechanical spring unit, and SERVO-DRIVE, an electric motor. Gritly preps the undermount box for either one.
Do push to open drawers need special slides?
Yes for TIP-ON: it only works on a Blum MOVENTO runner and needs a wider rear notch cut into the box from the start. SERVO-DRIVE fits the standard MOVENTO or TANDEM 563H notch with no change to the box, but needs its own power connection behind the drawer. Gritly cuts whichever notch your order needs.
Related reading
- Drawer slide types: how to tell all four apart, and where push to open fits in.
- Undermount drawer slides explained: the hidden runner every MOVENTO box starts from.
- Drawer box for Blum MOVENTO 763: every size, notch and clip number for the runner push to open rides on.
- Push to open trash pull out drawers: the same two systems, sized for a waste and recycle cabinet.
- Side mount drawer slides explained.
- Soft close side mount drawer slides explained.
- Bottom mount drawer slides explained.
- Notched drawer boxes: every slide model we notch and drill for.
Press it open, cut for the hardware you choose
Tell us TIP-ON or SERVO-DRIVE, or send us the brand and model of whatever you are running, and we cut the notch to match. Dovetailed, cut to the 1/32 in, built in our Las Vegas shop with a lifetime warranty on the wood box.