​Polaris Soft Close Hinges - Are They Worth The Extra Cost?

Fence Guru offers a high quality range of frameless glass pool fencing, with all the necessary hardware to go along with it. We have a number of gate kits as part of our range, and you may have noticed in our store that each of these kits has an option to “Upgrade to Premium Polaris Soft Close Hinges”. If you select “Yes”, the gate kit cost will increase in cost by $300-400, which generates a lot of phone calls on our end by worried customers! We decided to provide a little more information on these hinges, as many customers are quite thrown off by the extra cost.

Polaris Hinges are a tough (heavy duty) hinge system for frameless glass pool fencing. They are unique in their soft-close design, far superior in quality to any other soft-close hinges available. They are the safest and most reliable hinges in the pool fencing industry, and comply with all of the Australian Standards (AS1926 and AS2820).

All standard glass pool fence hinges are required to be self-closing - meaning that if the gate is left ajar, it will automatically swing closed. This is to ensure that no young children can wander into the pool area! The tension required in the hinges is quite high, as glass gates are much heavier than aluminium gates, so the gates swing back with quite a lot of force if swinging from a fully open position. You’ve probably heard if before, a loud “clang” as the gate slams back into position! Multiply that by 100 when you decide to host a 15th birthday party for your child and there are kids running in and out of the pool area for hours!

While standard hinges are designed to cope with this constant use and force, it does take its toll on the fence, and over time can wear down the strength of the glass, latch, hinges and spigots holding the glass. This is where we strongly recommend customers consider upgrading to the Premium Polaris Soft Close Hinges.

The Polaris Hinges use a spring and shock absorbed to allow for gentle soft-closing of the gate every time, no matter how the gate is left. This means they are not only safe, but also incredibly quiet in operation, so you’ll barely hear the gate being opened and closed.

On an aesthetics note, they are also considered some of the most stylish and attractive hinges you can purchase. They have an elegantly shaped body, quite stunning compared to standard pool glass fence hinges. Plus, they are designed and engineered right here in Australia!

So all in all, we acknowledge the somewhat significant extra cost of these hinges, but want to reassure anyone that is thinking of purchasing them - you will certainly get your money’s worth! The hinges aren’t overpriced - a lot of technology, design and time has gone into them so you can get the most out of them - they are worth every dollar you spend. When it comes to hinges, they are the best you can get, and we would strongly recommend them to all customers looking to install a new glass pool fence!