A hollow wall fastener with spring-loaded wings that expand behind drywall to provide secure mounting for heavy items.

A toggle bolt is a hollow wall fastener with spring-loaded wings that expand behind drywall to provide secure mounting for heavy items where traditional wall studs are not available or accessible for attachment. This essential fastening hardware consists of a machine screw threaded through a collapsible wing mechanism that compresses for insertion through a drilled hole and then springs open behind the wall surface to distribute load over a larger area. Toggle bolts are fundamental fasteners in construction and installation work where they enable secure mounting of fixtures, equipment, and hardware to hollow walls, providing reliable holding power for items that exceed the capacity of simple drywall anchors, making them indispensable tools for mounting televisions, shelving, cabinets, and other heavy objects in residential and commercial construction projects.

Toggle bolts are utilized in various mounting and fastening applications including wall-mounted fixtures where they secure televisions, monitors, and entertainment systems to drywall without stud backing, shelving installations where they support floating shelves, brackets, and storage systems on hollow walls, cabinet mounting where they provide additional support for wall-hung cabinets and vanities, electrical and mechanical installations where they mount junction boxes, conduit supports, and equipment brackets, artwork and mirror hanging where they provide secure mounting for heavy frames and decorative items, and commercial applications including signage, displays, and equipment mounting where reliable hollow wall attachment is required. Each application requires appropriate toggle bolt size and capacity based on load requirements and wall construction.

The types and construction of toggle bolts include standard spring toggle bolts with collapsible metal wings that open behind the wall surface, heavy-duty toggle bolts designed for increased load capacity and larger items, plastic toggle bolts that provide corrosion resistance and electrical insulation, snap toggle bolts with removable screws that allow fixture removal without losing the toggle, molly bolts that combine toggle action with expansion features for enhanced holding power, and specialty toggle bolts including extra-long versions for thick walls and low-profile designs for space-constrained applications. Selection depends on load requirements, wall thickness, and specific installation needs.

Fun Fact: Toggle bolts were invented in the early 1900s as hollow wall construction became more common, and modern versions can support loads equivalent to mounting directly into wood studs.

• Anchor Bolt
• Eye Bolt
• Hex Bolt