Discover the Best Cable Railing Systems For Your Deck
If you're looking to add distinctly modern style to your deck while maximizing your view, cable railing is a perfect choice for you. But navigating all the cable railing systems on the market to find the best options is no small task.
That's where we come in. DecksDirect's team of product experts and project planners help plan thousands of decks every year, using a wide range of different railings. We love helping customers find the perfect railing to suit their needs. So we've compiled the best cable railing systems of 2023 to help you and your deck stay on the cutting edge!
For help picking out a system or planning your project, give us a call at 1-888-824-5316. We'd be happy to help you build a better deck!
Table of Contents
- Best Cable Railing Infill For Wood Posts
- Best Cable Railing For Your View
- Best Cable Railing With A Drink Rail
- Easiest DIY Installation For Cable Railing
- Best Fascia-Mounted Cable Railing
- Best Value Cable Railing
The Best Cable Railings of 2023
The priorities of your project (view, ease of install, budget, style) will determine which cable railing is right for you. Here are our top cable railing systems in the top categories our customers tend to prioritize:
Best Cable Railing Infill For Wood Posts
Let's start simple: here's the best option if you already have wood (or metal) posts and rails on your deck, and all you need to add are the cable runs:
Best Infill: Feeney CableRail Kits
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Feeney essentially invented cable railing as a category, simplifying the look into kits with standard fittings so anyone could turn their railing into a modern cable setup without requiring lots of technical expertise to install.
Decades later, they remain the industry leader, offering straightforward CableRail Kits that include sleek stainless steel cables and all the fittings you need to attach them to your existing posts.
With specially-designed kits for wood posts or aluminum posts, Feeney CableRail makes it easy to find the exact kit you need for your deck.
Shop Feeney CableRailBest Cable Railing For Your View
One of the best features of cable railing is how it highlights the view from your deck. Stainless steel cables are typically an organic gray color that blends into scenic backdrops. Cable runs are twisted and polished that they absorb light and disappear into the view, rather than harshly reflecting light and standing out.
But some cable railing systems go above and beyond when it comes to opening up our view:
Best View: Key-Link Horizontal Cable Railing
All of Key-Link's aluminum railing systems show off the brand's intricate craftsmanship and meticulous attention to detail. For Key-Link's Horizontal Cable Railing system, that means using every tool at its disposal to open up a wider deck view.
Key-Link railing is sturdy and well-built, so much so that the system doesn't need a bottom rail. That's a huge boost to your deck view, replacing a bulky bottom rail with another slim cable run.
Key-Link Horizontal Cable Railing also features slim intermediate balusters and a trim, minimalist top rail, both made with textured finishes designed to fade into your view. If your deck has an amazing view, Key-Link is the perfect choice to put it at center stage.
Pro tip: Check out Key-Link's earthy Textured Bronze color if you're looking for an especially subtle railing that'll nearly disappear into most natural settings.
Shop Key-Link Horizontal
Best View: Atlantis Spectrum Cable Railing
Atlantis's Spectrum Cable Railing System is an extremely unique look, unlike almost anything else on the market. While it may not mesh with every deck, it's another amazing choice to accent your deck view.
Spectrum railing is made from steel, which allows the system to use thinner posts than almost any other cable system out there. That means less obstruction of your view.
Atlantis Spectrum also allows you to customize your system with almost any top rail you choose. That means you can plan a very slim, unobtrusive top rail that maximizes your view.
Meanwhile the cable fittings sit almost exclusively inside of Spectrum's slim posts so you don't see bulky, industrial hardware. In fact, you hardly see anything at all between your posts - just check out the almost-invisible Spectrum railing below!
Best Cable Railing With A Drink Rail
The modern, industrial look of cable railing can pair great with a clean, functional flat-top drink rail. When it comes to cable deck railing with a drink rail, we love the look and function of AFCO Cable.
Best Drink Rail: AFCO Flat Top Cable Railing
AFCO's aluminum railings come with two different top rail options: the rounded-off Pro top rail and the aptly-named Flat Top railing. Our project planners love the way the Flat Top railing caps off modern cable runs with a gorgeous drink rail.
Flat Top Rail Kits come with the T-shaped railing that works as a narrow drink rail on its own, but looks even better with a deck board mounted on top.
Pro tip:Try mounting one of TimberTech's narrow-width Vintage PVC deck boards on top of AFCO Flat Top Cable Railing for an especially classy look.
Shop AFCO Flat TopEasiest DIY Installation For Cable Railing
Some homeowners love the look of cable, but worry about how complicated installation might be with the cable runs and fittings. If you're looking for the easiest possible DIY installation for your cable railing, check out our easy-install favorites.
Pro tip: in general, vertical cable systems will be the easiest to install, as they often come with cable pre-installed between your top and bottom rails.
Best DIY Installation: Key-Link Vertical Cable Railing
Key-Link's Vertical Cable Railing system blends the beautifully-crafted rails and posts we highlighted in Key-Link's Horizontal system above with the ease of vertical cable railing installation.
Cables come pre-installed between the top and bottom rails, so you can just install the intermediate balusters and attach your rail panel to posts at either end.
Shop Key-Link VerticalBest DIY Installation: FortressCable V-Series Railing
Known for the unmatched strength of its steel components, Fortress's vertical cable railing offering is another great easy-to-install option.
FortressCable V-Series comes with cables installed between the slim top and bottom rails, allowing you to cut down the panel to the size you need and install it between Fortress's user-friendly posts and brackets.
One nice benefit of FortressCable V-Series: the strength of steel allows you to use thinner, 2-inch by 2-inch posts so you have less structure in the way of your deck view without compromising on strength.
Shop Fortress VerticalBest Fascia-Mounted Cable Railing
If you're looking to maximize the space on top of your deck, you can mount your railing to the outside edges of your deck frame. This is known as fascia mounting.
Not every railing system offers a fascia mount option, but those that do help you maximize your deck space as well as your view.
Best Fascia Mount: Feeney Custom DesignRail
When it comes to tailoring your cable railing to the exact look, style, and function you want, there's no more customizable option than Feeney Custom DesignRail. Using Feeney's established expertise in the cable railing category, Custom DesignRail effectively allows you to mix and match a massive catalog of colors, shapes, styles and heights for a truly one-of-a-kind deck railing.
That includes a fascia-mount option that allows you to mount your custom cable railing to the outside of your deck, like the home above.
Shop Feeney CustomBest Fascia Mount: Atlantis Spectrum Cable Railing
If you're looking for a system that's a bit simpler than the choose-your-own-adventure Feeney Custom option, then Atlantis Spectrum Cable Railing is a great choice for fascia-mounted cable railing.
Atlantis Spectrum uses steel posts, which adds the strength and stability needed for a sturdy fascia mount. As a bonus, the posts themselves are visibly thinner than most cable railing posts, really opening up both your deck view and your deck space.
Best Value Cable Railing
For some, a barrier to the cable railing look they love is cost - but it doesn't have to be. Without proper planning, cable railing costs can balloon with wasted materials. But efficient project planning can help you get the right cable lengths and the perfect amount of fittings, saving you countless dollars (and hours measuring and cutting during installation).
That's why we always recommend giving our team a call at 1-888-824-5316 with any questions you have while planning your cable railing. We're here to help you plan your new railing as efficiently as possible.
Beyond that, you can save even more by planning your project with our Best Value Cable Railing of 2023.
Best Value: Skyline Cable Railing
Skyline Cable Railing is a simple, straightforward system designed to make cable railing attainable on a budget. It's the best-value cable railing you'll find, combining sleek, simple aluminum posts and rails with clean, modern cable runs.
Skyline isn't just cost-effective - it'll also save you time and headaches with a straightforward shopping and installation process. Skyline's rail and post kits are easy to shop, and the system offers a clean, simple way to handle your deck's corners - often a tricky hurdle for cable systems. The Skyline Corner Kit easily connects two posts to bend your cable smoothly around a 90-degree corner in two simple 45-degree turns.
