Buying a magnet should be easy.
And then you type “strong magnet” into a search bar and suddenly you’re knee-deep in discs, blocks, rings, pot magnets, pull force ratings, coatings, poles, flexible sheets, ferrite, neodymium… and honestly, it can start feeling like you accidentally wandered into a science exam.
So let’s make it simpler.
The best way to choose a magnet isn’t to start with the technical name. Start with the job.
What do you need the magnet to actually do?
Hold a sign? Close a cupboard? Stick a label to a fridge? Hang a tool? Make a craft project work properly? Once you know the job, the right magnet becomes much easier to spot.
Start here: 5 questions before you buy
Before adding anything to your cart, pause for a minute. A magnet that works beautifully for one project can be completely wrong for another. Annoying, but true.
Ask yourself:
1. What must the magnet hold, close, attach, or move?
A fridge photo, a wooden box lid, a school project, a tool rack, a menu strip — each one needs a different type of grip.
2. How heavy is the item?
A paper label and a spanner are not in the same league. Not even close.
3. What surface will the magnet touch?
Most magnets need a suitable steel surface. They won’t magically stick to every metal. Aluminium, brass, copper, plastic, wood, and many stainless steels are usually not your friend here.
4. Will the magnet pull straight off, or will the weight slide down?
This one catches people out. A magnet can feel very strong when pulled directly away from steel, but if gravity is dragging the object down sideways, the hold may be much weaker.
5. How will the magnet be fitted?
Will it be hidden inside something? Glued on? Screwed into wood? Moved around often? Printed on? The fixing method matters just as much as the magnet itself.
Right. Now the choosing part.
Need small but seriously strong? Go for neodymium magnets
Neodymium magnets are the ones most people mean when they say, “I need a really strong magnet.”
They’re compact, powerful, and great when you need a lot of holding force without using something bulky. Small space, big grip. That’s their whole thing.
You’ll often see them used in product packaging, wooden boxes, hidden closures, cabinet catches, displays, signage, model making, DIY projects, and clever workshop fixes.
Best for:
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· Wooden box closures
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· Cupboard and cabinet catches
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· Product packaging
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· DIY and craft projects
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· Hidden magnetic closures
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· Model making
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· Signage and displays
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· Projects that need stronger holding power
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Worth knowing:
Neodymium magnets are not toys. They can pinch fingers, chip or crack if they slam together, and they should be kept away from young children, pets, bank cards, electronics, and medical devices such as pacemakers.
Handle them carefully, especially the bigger ones. They may be small, but they’re no joke.
Need a simple, budget-friendly magnet? Choose ferrite magnets
Ferrite magnets are the everyday workhorses.
They’re not as strong as neodymium magnets, but they’re affordable, practical, and perfectly good for many lighter jobs. If you’re making fridge magnets, doing school projects, setting up a classroom activity, or putting together a basic craft, ferrite may be all you need.
No need to overcomplicate it.
Best for:
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· School projects
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· Noticeboards
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· Basic crafts
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· Science demonstrations
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· Fridge magnets
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· Lightweight displays
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· Classroom use
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· General home and office use
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Ferrite Disc Magnets
Ferrite Ring Magnets
Ferrite Block Magnets
Worth knowing:
Ferrite magnets are usually larger and weaker than neodymium magnets. That doesn’t make them bad. It just means they’re better suited to lighter, simpler jobs where price matters more than maximum strength.
For heavier holding or a neater compact fit, neodymium will usually be the better pick.
Need something flat, flexible, or easy to cut? Use flexible magnets
Flexible magnets are ideal when you need a magnetic material that bends, cuts, prints, or sits nice and flat.
Think fridge magnets, magnetic labels, menu strips, promotional magnets, planning boards, office systems, printed displays, and lightweight signage. They often come as sheets, strips, rolls, or tiles, which makes them easy to trim and apply.
Handy stuff, really.
Best for:
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· Fridge magnets
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· Office planning board
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· Magnetic labels
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· Printed displays
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· Menu strips
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· Visual organisation systems
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· Promotional items
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· Craft sheets
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· Lightweight signs
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· Vehicle signage
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Worth knowing:
Flexible magnets are made for display and light holding. They are not designed to hold heavy objects.
So, if you’re trying to hang tools, support weight, or hold something firmly against steel, don’t expect flexible magnet sheeting to perform miracles. Look at neodymium, pot, or gripper magnets instead.
Attaching something to steel? Look at pot magnets and gripper magnets
When you need to mount, hang, hold, or attach something to a steel surface, pot magnets and gripper magnets are often the better option.
These are practical magnets. Not decorative little fridge things. They’re commonly used in workshops, warehouses, retail spaces, signage, tool storage, metal racking, and temporary fixtures.
A pot magnet usually has a magnet set inside a steel casing. That casing helps direct the magnetic force toward the surface, which gives it a stronger hold on flat steel.
Best for:
Worth knowing:
These magnets work best on clean, flat, thick steel.
Paint, rust, dirt, a curved surface, thin steel, or even a small gap between the magnet and the surface can reduce the holding power. Quite a lot sometimes.
Also, pull force ratings are usually measured under ideal test conditions. Real life is rarely ideal. Dust happens. Paint happens. Slightly wonky surfaces happen.
Need to screw the magnet into place? Choose countersunk magnets
Glue has its place, but sometimes it’s just not enough.
Countersunk magnets have a hole through the centre so they can be fixed with a screw. This makes them useful for furniture, doors, cupboards, removable panels, wooden boxes, shopfitting, and display boards.
They’re a neat choice when the magnet must stay exactly where you put it.
Best for:
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· Cupboard doors
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· Furniture projects
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· Cabinet catches
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· Shopfitting
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· Wooden boxes
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· Display boards
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· Removable panels
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· DIY fixtures
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Worth knowing:
Magnets have poles, which means direction matters.
If you use two countersunk magnets together, make sure they face the correct way so they attract instead of repel. It sounds obvious, but it’s one of those little mistakes that can make a person question their whole afternoon.
In some cases, it may be easier to use one countersunk magnet with a steel washer or strike plate rather than two magnets.
Just holding paper on a fridge or whiteboard? Use push pin magnets
For notes, photos, reminders, calendars, menus, school papers, and office bits and pieces, push pin magnets or button magnets are usually the easiest choice.
Simple. Reusable. No fuss.
Best for:
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· Whiteboards
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· Home organisation
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· Fridges
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· Noticeboards
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· Office boards
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· Planning boards
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· Photo displays
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· Holding light paper or card
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Worth knowing:
These are made for light display use. They are not meant for heavy-duty holding, tools, signs, or industrial jobs.
Basically, they’ll hold your reminder note. They will not hold your toolbox.
Teaching science or doing classroom activities? Choose educational magnets
Magnets are brilliant for hands-on learning.
Educational magnets help children and students understand attraction, repulsion, north and south poles, magnetic fields, and basic science concepts in a way that’s far more memorable than just reading about it.
Because let’s be honest, seeing magnets push away from each other is still oddly satisfying.
Best for:
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· Science lessons
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· STEM learning
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· Classroom demonstrations
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· Showing attraction and repulsion
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· Homeschool activities
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· Educational play
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· Teaching poles
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Worth knowing:
Magnets should always be used safely around children. Small magnets can be dangerous if swallowed, so supervision is important.
Want magnets to stick to printed material? Use ferrous printing paper
Ferrous printing paper is a clever option for magnetic display systems.
But here’s the important part: ferrous paper is not a magnet.
It’s magnet-receptive, which means magnets can stick to it. This makes it useful for changeable menu boards, printed signage, planning boards, labels, retail displays, and visual communication systems.
Best for:
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· Changeable menu boards
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· Planning boards
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· Magnetic display systems
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· Labels
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· Retail signage
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· Office displays
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· Printed graphics
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· Visual merchandising
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Worth knowing:
Ferrous paper must be used with magnets. On its own, it won’t create magnetic pull.
So if you’re building a display system, think of it as the surface that welcomes the magnet, not the magnet itself.
Why magnet strength isn’t always straightforward
This is where things get a little sneaky.
A magnet’s pull force rating can be helpful, but it does not tell the whole story. Not even close.
A magnet might test beautifully in perfect conditions, on clean thick steel, with a straight pull. But your project may involve painted steel, a dusty surface, a sideways pull, a tiny gap, or a slightly curved area.
And suddenly that “strong” magnet doesn’t feel quite so strong anymore.
Magnet performance can be affected by:
• The type of steel
• Steel thickness
• Paint or coating
• Rust, dust, or dirt
• A gap between the magnet and the surface
• Whether the surface is flat or curved
• Whether the load pulls straight off or slides downward
• The size and shape of the magnet
• How the magnet is fitted into the project
This is why two magnets that look similar on paper can behave very differently in real life.
A little frustrating? Yes. But once you know what to check, it gets much easier.
Common magnet-buying mistakes
Buying the strongest magnet just because it sounds impressive
Stronger isn’t always better. Very strong magnets can be difficult to separate, tricky to handle, and unsafe in the wrong setting.
Using flexible magnets for heavy items
Flexible magnets are great for labels and displays. They’re not made for load-bearing jobs.
Assuming all metals are magnetic
They’re not. Magnets generally do not stick well to aluminium, copper, brass, wood, plastic, or many types of stainless steel.
Forgetting about the gap
Even a thin layer of paint, fabric, plastic, tape, or packaging between the magnet and steel can weaken the hold.
Choosing the wrong shape
A disc, block, ring, strip, pot, or countersunk magnet can all behave differently, even if the material is the same. Shape matters more than people think.
Final advice before you buy
The right magnet depends on the job.
A school project, fridge magnet, cupboard catch, tool holder, sign, packaging closure, display board, and workshop fixture will not all use the same magnet. They just won’t.
Before choosing, ask:
• What must the magnet hold?
• How heavy is the item?
• What surface will it attach to?
• Does it need to be permanent or removable?
• Should it be hidden or visible?
• Will it be used indoors or outdoors?
• Must it be screwed, glued, cut, printed, or moved around?
Once you know what the magnet needs to do, choosing the correct type, size, and shape becomes much less of a guessing game.
Magnet Store stocks magnets for homes, schools, offices, makers, workshops, signage companies, retailers, and businesses across South Africa. From neodymium magnets and ferrite magnets to flexible magnetic sheets, countersunk magnets, pot magnets, gripper magnets, button magnets, push pin magnets, magnetic toys, and magnetic display materials, there’s a practical option for almost every kind of project.
And if you’re unsure, ask before you buy. A bit of advice upfront can save you money, time, and that very specific frustration of ordering the wrong thing and only realising it when you’re halfway through the job.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Which magnet is best for strong holding?
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Neodymium magnets are usually the best choice when you need strong holding power in a small size.
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Which magnet should I use for crafts?
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For lightweight crafts, ferrite or flexible magnets may be enough. For stronger crafts, hidden closures, or small projects that need more grip, neodymium magnets are usually a better option.
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Which magnets work best on a fridge?
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Flexible magnets, ferrite magnets, button magnets, and some neodymium magnets can work on fridges. The best choice depends on what you want to hold and how heavy it is.
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What magnet should I use for signs?
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For lightweight signs, flexible magnets may work well. For stronger holding onto steel, look at pot magnets, gripper magnets, or neodymium magnets.
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Can I screw a magnet into wood?
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Yes. Countersunk magnets are designed to be fixed with screws and are often used in wood, furniture, panels, displays, and shopfitting.
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Do magnets stick to stainless steel?
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Some stainless steel is magnetic, but not all of it. It’s always best to test the surface first.
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Why is my magnet sliding down?
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Magnets are usually strongest when pulled directly away from a flat steel surface. If the weight pulls downward or sideways, the magnet may slide more easily.
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Can flexible magnets hold heavy items?
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No. Flexible magnets are better for labels, displays, printed materials, and lightweight signs. For heavier holding, choose a stronger magnet type.
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