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How deep should a wardrobe be?

Common practice: a hinged wardrobe is about 1 ft 11 in to 2 ft 2 in (580⁠–⁠650 mm) deep, doors included. Sliding doors commonly need about 2 ft 2 in to 2 ft 4 in (650⁠–⁠700 mm), track included. Inside, adult hangers need about 1 ft 10 in to 2 ft (550⁠–⁠600 mm) of clear depth. Example: in our planner, the default box is about 2 ft (600 mm) deep.

Seen from above: one cabinet of our 8 ft example, about 3 ft 11 in (1199 mm) wide. The box depth is our planner's default, about 2 ft (600 mm), and each hanger points from front to back.

What wardrobe depth measures

Measure depth from the back wall to the front face of the cabinet box. The doors and handles sit in front of that face, so they add to it.

Example: our planner's default box is about 2 ft (600 mm) deep, and its doors are 20 mm boards. Our planner allows a box about 1 ft 2 in to 2 ft 4 in (350⁠–⁠700 mm) deep.

A built-in wardrobe is measured the same way. If it stands in a recess, measure the recess depth at the top and the bottom, and use the smaller.

Is there a standard wardrobe depth?

No national standard for wardrobe depth was found in India or the UK. The depths on this page are common practice from makers and design guides.

For hinged doors, common practice is about 1 ft 11 in to 2 ft 2 in (580⁠–⁠650 mm) overall, door included. In inches, that is about 23 to 26 in.

The London Plan housing guidance allows a wardrobe about 2 ft (600 mm) deep in its furniture list for room layouts. That is a floor-plan allowance, not a build size.

Minimum depth for hanging clothes

On a rail that runs side to side, each hanger points from front to back. The usable inside depth must take the hanger and the clothes on it, with some room at the front and back.

Common practice is about 1 ft 10 in to 2 ft (550⁠–⁠600 mm) inside for adult hangers. One US guide keeps the rail at least 12 in (305 mm) from the back wall. One Indian guide says a wardrobe mainly for coats should be about 2 ft 4 in to 2 ft 6 in (711⁠–⁠762 mm) deep.

In our planner, bag shelves need a box at least about 1 ft 4 in (400 mm) deep. The pull-down rail in our planner needs a box at least about 1 ft 9 in (540 mm) deep. The plain rail has no automatic depth check, so measure the inside before you plan hanging space.

Sliding wardrobe depth in inches and mm

Sliding doors run in tracks at the top and bottom, in front of the wardrobe box. The panels sit in separate lanes, one behind the other, so they can slide past each other.

Common practice puts a sliding wardrobe at about 2 ft 2 in to 2 ft 4 in (650⁠–⁠700 mm) deep overall. In inches, that is about 26 to 28 in. The cited guides allow about 2 in (50 mm) for the track.

Our planner offers sliding fronts of 2–4 panels in overlapping lanes. The overall depths above are common practice; our planner does not work out the overall depth a sliding front needs.

If your wall is too shallow for hangers

A shallow wall can still hold a useful cupboard. Use it for folded clothes on shelves and in drawers, which need less depth than hangers.

Open shelves suit the shallowest walls, because nothing hangs and nothing has to slide out. Ask your maker to check the inside depth before you choose.

Floor space in front of the wardrobe

An open hinged door sweeps a quarter circle of floor as wide as the door. Example: on our 8 ft wardrobe, each door is about 2 ft (597 mm) wide. Our planner's two hinge types open to 100° and 107°.

Sliding doors need no swing space, only room to stand. For wall widths, heights and door sizes, see the wardrobe dimensions guide.

Sources

  1. Woodage — Standard wardrobe dimensions in India (hinged and sliding depth)www.woodage.in
  2. Sultans Wardrobes — Wardrobe dimensions (overall and internal depth)www.sultanswardrobes.com.au
  3. Houzz Australia — An insider's guide to walk-in wardrobe measurementswww.houzz.com.au
  4. FCI London — How deep should built-in wardrobes be?www.fcilondon.co.uk
  5. HomeLane — wardrobe dimensions (sliding depth and the running track)www.homelane.com
  6. Hunker — What is the proper height for closet rods and shelves?www.hunker.com
  7. Houzz India — What are the ideal wardrobe measurements?www.houzz.in
  8. Greater London Authority — London Plan Guidance, Housing Design Standards (2023), Table A2.1wandsworth.gov.uk

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