Stainless Handrails
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A stainless steel handrail tube with a continuous slot running along its length, designed to accept the top edge of a glass panel for a clean, integrated finish. The standard specification for glass balustrade top rails and architectural feature handrails.
Slotted handrail is supplied as tube length — sold per metre in your chosen profile and grade. Order the length that covers your run. End caps, wall brackets and joining sleeves are available separately from our components range.
Stainless steel tube with a continuous slot machined along the full length. Accepts glass panel edges for a flush, integrated top rail finish.
42.4mm OD — the standard handrail diameter, matching the wall-mounted kit range. 48.3mm OD — a more substantial profile suited to commercial applications and longer unsupported spans.
AISI 304 for indoor and sheltered outdoor use. AISI 316 marine-grade for exposed outdoor, coastal, poolside and high-humidity environments.
1M, 2M, 3M, 4M, 5M and 6M lengths available. Order the length closest to your run — multiple lengths can be joined with a handrail connector sleeve.
Slot width sized to accept standard glass panel thicknesses — confirm your glass specification at order stage.
Tensioning tool, full installation drawings (PDF + DWG), and a printed quick-reference card.
Select your diameter, grade and total run length and get an instant price to your inbox. For glass balustrade applications, confirm your glass thickness at specification stage so we can verify slot compatibility.
Each system below is a complete, specification-ready product set, designed around a specific application and supplied as a matched component kit. Pick the one that fits your project.
GLASS-COMPATIBLE · AISI 316 MARINE-GRADE · SATIN/MIRROR FINISH
The most ordered handrail in our range. Circular stainless tube with your choice of bracket style, end cap finish and overall length. Engineered to perform and built to last. Multiple lengths available, order to your exact run.
AISI 316 MARINE-GRADE · MULTIPLE STYLES & FINISHES · DOC K COMPLIANT
The most ordered handrail in our range. Circular stainless tube with your choice of bracket style, end cap finish and overall length. Compliant with Approved Document K handrail height requirements. Multiple lengths available — order to your exact run.
INTEGRATED LED · WARM/COOL/RGB · MAINS OR LOW-VOLTAGE
An integrated LED strip concealed within a stainless handrail profile, providing ambient light along the length of the rail with no visible fittings. Available in warm white, cool white and RGB options. Mains or low-voltage power supply. The premium option in our handrail range.
4mm · diy-friendly · pre-cut to length
Pre-cut, pre-tensioned stainless wire kits for self-builders fitting their own balustrade. Includes wire, tensioners, posts and full installation guide. Quick despatch.
SWR slotted handrails are manufactured from premium-grade stainless steel in both AISI 304 and 316 grades. The 42.4mm diameter profile sits within the 32-50mm graspable range for handrails in and around buildings. The 48.3mm profile is suited to commercial applications where a more substantial handrail is specified. Both profiles are satin finished as standard and require no painting or coating. Manufactured to BS 6180 and Approved Document K standards. Full specifications, installation guides and technical data available to download below.
Download the specs:
Slotted Handrail – Full Specification
Handrail Installation Guide
Glass Balustrade Top Rail Guide
Addenbrookes Hospital required a large-scale balustrade solution that could improve safety while fitting neatly into a busy healthcare setting.
A slotted handrail is a stainless steel tube with a continuous slot machined along its length. The slot is sized to accept the top edge of a glass panel — making it the standard top rail specification for glass balustrade systems. When the glass panels sit in the slot, the result is a clean, integrated finish where the handrail and glass appear as a single continuous element. Slotted tube can also be used as a standalone architectural feature handrail without glass.
42.4mm is the standard handrail diameter, consistent with the wall-mounted kit range and within the graspable range specified by Approved Document K. It suits most residential and light commercial applications. 48.3mm provides a more substantial profile — better suited to longer unsupported spans, heavier glass panels and commercial applications where a more architectural handrail is appropriate. If you’re unsure, the team will advise based on your run length and glass specification.
The slot is machined to accept standard glass panel thicknesses used in balustrade applications. Confirm your glass specification — thickness and whether toughened or laminated — at order stage and we’ll verify compatibility before your order is confirmed.
AISI 304 is suitable for indoor and sheltered outdoor applications. AISI 316 marine-grade is specified for exposed outdoor environments, coastal locations, poolside applications and anywhere subject to salt air or high humidity. If in doubt, 316 is the safer specification — the cost difference is modest and the corrosion resistance is significantly better in challenging environments.
End caps and wall brackets are available separately from SWR’s components range. Slotted handrail used as a glass balustrade top rail typically doesn’t require wall brackets — it is supported by the glass posts or spigots. For standalone wall-mounted use, matching wall brackets and end caps can be ordered alongside.
Tell us your diameter preference, grade, total run length and application — glass top rail or standalone — and we’ll come back with a full specification and price.
