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Wardrobe drawer height: which size, and how many fit
In our planner, drawer fronts are about 6 in (150 mm) to about 1 ft (300 mm) high. Shallow drawers suit socks; deep ones suit jumpers and bedding. Keep the top drawer low enough to see into. In our planner, its front stays under about 3 ft 7 in (1100 mm) from the floor. Our 8 ft example takes four slim drawers, ending about 3 ft (911 mm) from the floor.
- 4 slim drawers
- about 2 ft 8 in (824 mm)
- Our planner's top-drawer limit
- about 3 ft 7 in (1100 mm)
What each height holds
Choose drawer heights by what you keep. Drawn to the same scale.
Shallow drawer
Shallow drawers suit socks, underwear and jewellery.
- Front about 6 in (150 mm)
Slim drawer
Slim drawers suit T-shirts, folded tops and nightwear.
- Front about 8 in (200 mm)
Standard drawer
Standard drawers suit jeans, trousers and sweaters.
- Front about 10 in (250 mm)
Deep drawer
Deep drawers suit jumpers and spare bedding.
- Front about 1 ft (300 mm)
See the numbers (for your carpenter)
In our planner, each drawer takes its front height plus 6 mm. So the four sizes take 156, 206, 256 and 306 mm (the drawer pitch).
These counts use one section of our 8 ft wardrobe: 1163 mm wide and 2175 mm tall inside. Its floor sits 93 mm above the room floor.
In our example section, 3 deep drawers fit under the limit. One more would end at 1311 mm, too high.
Wire baskets are an add-on, not a drawer size. Each takes 200 mm (about 8 in) of height, gap included. One section holds up to 5 baskets.
| Size | Front | Height it takes | Most in one section |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shallow | 150 mm | 156 mm | 5 |
| Slim | 200 mm | 206 mm | 4 |
| Standard | 250 mm | 256 mm | 3 |
| Deep | 300 mm | 306 mm | 3 |
The limits in our planner
- the most in one section, in our planner
- 5 drawers
- the highest the top drawer front may stand, from the floor (1100 mm), so you can see into it
- about 3 ft 7 in
- the most of the deep size: 4 would end at 1311 mm, over the limit
- 3 deep drawers
How high the top drawer goes
In our planner, the top drawer front stays no higher than about 3 ft 7 in (1100 mm), so you can see into it. Higher drawers are hard to see into.
No drawers in corner cabinets
A corner takes shelves or a short hanging rail
No drawers in a corner cabinet: an open drawer runs into the next one. Wire baskets do not go in corner cabinets either.
Drawer height questions
Is there a standard wardrobe drawer height?
No single standard sets it; front heights vary by maker. In our planner, fronts run from about 6 in (150 mm) to about 1 ft (300 mm).
How high from the floor should the top drawer be?
Low enough that you can look down into it. In our planner, the top edge of the highest drawer front stays under about 3 ft 7 in (1100 mm) from the floor.
How many drawers fit in one wardrobe section?
In our planner, up to five drawers fit in one section, if the top one stays under about 3 ft 7 in (1100 mm). With deep drawers, about 1 ft (300 mm) high, only three fit.
Plan the rest of your wardrobe
Know the drawers you want? Check how many sections and doors fit your wall.
More wardrobe interior guides
Hanging space
How tall the hanging space must be for shirts and long coats.
Shelves
How far apart shelves sit, and how many fit.
Shoes and laundry
Where a shoe rack and a laundry basket go.
Ready-made layouts
Whole inside layouts to compare, side by side.
For wardrobe makers
Building this for a client? Plan it with them and send a quote.
I make wardrobes
Tell us about your workshop.
Related pages
- Interiors
Wardrobe shelves, bag shelves and cubbies
How far apart wardrobe shelves go (about 1 ft 2 in (350 mm) in our planner), which type suits folded clothes, bags or small things, and how many fit.
- Interiors
Pull-down rails and trouser racks
Will a pull-down rail or a trouser rack fit your wardrobe? The section width our planner allows (about 2 ft 6 in to 3 ft 7 in), plus height and depth.