How Wide Is a Double Wardrobe?

The Measurement You Need

A double wardrobe is typically between 900mm and 1100mm wide, with around 1000mm being the most common figure in British homes. Standard depth is 550mm to 600mm and standard height is 1800mm to 2100mm. Internally, expect roughly 850mm to 1050mm of usable hanging rail once the side panels are deducted, which is enough for one adult’s full wardrobe or a shared arrangement if folded items are stored elsewhere.

The term double refers to two doors rather than a fixed dimension, so widths vary between designs. When comparing units, the internal rail length matters more than the external width, because a model with a shelf column inside will offer noticeably less hanging space than a plain one of the same size.

Standard Dimensions in More Detail

Most double units fall within a fairly narrow band.

• Width: 900mm to 1100mm externally, with 1000mm the usual figure.
• Depth: 550mm to 600mm, which is what a garment on a hanger requires.
• Height: 1800mm to 2100mm, with taller units offering a useful top shelf.
• Internal rail: 850mm to 1050mm, depending on panel thickness and internal layout.

Sliding door versions tend to be wider, since a sliding system needs a minimum width to work properly. Anything under about 1200mm is generally hinged. There is a good range of both across our selection of modern 2 door wardrobes UK sale units, and the internal dimensions are worth comparing alongside the external ones.

Why Depth Is the Figure That Catches People Out

Width gets all the attention, but depth is where a wardrobe succeeds or fails. A shirt or jacket on a hanger occupies around 550mm from the back wall to the inside face of the door.

A unit only 450mm deep will not take garments hung across it. The shoulders press against the door, the fabric creases and the door strains against the catch. Shallow units need a rail running front to back with clothes hanging sideways, which works but holds considerably less.

If you have 600mm to spare, use it. If you genuinely do not, plan for a front to back rail from the outset rather than discovering the issue after assembly.

How Much Space Does It Need in the Room?

The footprint is only part of the requirement. Hinged doors need swing clearance, usually 500mm to 600mm in front of the unit, and you need to stand in that space too.

As a working figure, allow the depth of the unit plus 750mm of clear floor in front. In a bedroom where that is not possible, sliding doors are the answer, since they need no clearance at all beyond the depth of the unit. Our range of sliding wardrobes UK sale pieces suits narrow rooms and spaces where a bed sits close to the wardrobe wall.

Check the route into the room before ordering. A 2100mm tall assembled unit will not turn on a tight landing, and while flat packed pieces solve that problem, a preassembled one may not fit through a loft conversion door at all. Measure doorways, stair turns and ceiling slopes.

Is a Double Wardrobe Enough for Two People?

It can be, with discipline. Around 1000mm of rail split evenly gives each person 500mm, which is enough for perhaps twenty hanging garments each.

That works if folded clothing lives elsewhere. Knitwear, jeans and T shirts should be folded anyway, so a chest of drawers alongside the wardrobe is not a compromise but the correct arrangement. Pieces from our modern chest of drawers UK sale range pair well with a double unit and take the pressure off the rail.

Where both people have a lot of hanging clothing, particularly coats and tailoring, a three or four door unit is a more realistic starting point. Two separate doubles side by side is another route, and often gives more usable rail than one wide unit because there is no internal partition to lose.

Comparing Against Other Sizes

For context, approximate external widths across the usual range:

• Single: 500mm to 600mm, giving 450mm to 550mm of rail.
• Double: 900mm to 1100mm, giving 850mm to 1050mm of rail.
• Triple: around 1500mm, usually with a rail plus a full height shelf column.
• Four door: 1800mm to 2000mm, often with rails at two heights.

A triple unit is the point at which internal layout starts to vary a great deal between designs, so read the internal dimensions carefully. Options across our modern 3 door wardrobes UK range differ in how much of the width is given to hanging rather than shelving.

Choosing the Right Width for Your Room

Start with the wall, not the wardrobe. Measure the available run, then deduct for skirting boards, which push a unit forward at the base unless the design includes a recess, and for radiators, window reveals and light switches.

Leave a small gap at each side. A unit fitted exactly wall to wall is difficult to install, impossible to level and will not allow air to circulate around it.

Consider proportion as well as fit. In a small bedroom, a tall narrow unit reads as lighter than a wide low one, even where the storage volume is similar. In a larger room, a wide unit with matching bedside pieces looks considered. There is guidance on coordinating pieces throughout the wider range at Furniture in Fashion, and free delivery to most UK mainland postcodes applies across our bedroom collections.

Weight, Fixings and Placement

A double wardrobe filled with clothing is heavy, and tall units should be secured to the wall with the bracket supplied. This is a straightforward safety point, particularly in a home with children.

Stand the unit level. Use packers under the low corners on an uneven floor, because a twisted carcass will never let the doors align properly. Check with a spirit level across the top and along the front of the base.

Keep the back off a cold external wall by at least 50mm where you can. Airflow behind the unit reduces the risk of condensation forming on the back panel through the winter months.

What You Get Inside a Double

Internal layouts vary more than external dimensions, and this is where two units of identical width can differ enormously in usefulness.

The most common arrangement is a full width rail with a single shelf above it. Simple, generous on hanging and short on anywhere to put folded items.

The next is a partitioned layout, with a rail across roughly two thirds of the width and a column of four or five shelves in the remaining third. Hanging capacity drops to around 650mm but you gain somewhere for knitwear and boxes.

Some designs include a drawer or two at the base. These are genuinely useful for small items, though they take height from the hanging section, so check the remaining drop is still enough for the garments you own.

Read the internal figures rather than assuming. A shelf column costs you roughly 350mm of rail, which is the difference between fitting your coats in and not.

Mirrors, Handles and Finish

A mirrored door on a double wardrobe does two jobs at once, removing the need for a separate mirror and visually widening a narrow room by reflecting the opposite wall. In a small bedroom the effect is considerable.

Bear in mind that a mirrored door is heavier, so hinges work harder and alignment needs checking more often in the first year.

High gloss fronts bounce light around and suit rooms with limited natural daylight, though they show fingerprints around the handles. Matt and woodgrain finishes are more forgiving day to day.

Handles matter more than people expect on a tall door. A long vertical handle gives you somewhere to take hold at any height, which reduces the strain on the hinges compared with a small knob near the top.

Assembly and Delivery

Most double wardrobes arrive flat packed, which is what allows them into a loft room or up a tight staircase. Allow a couple of hours and a clear floor area larger than the assembled unit.

Build the carcass on a soft surface such as the packaging or a dust sheet so the finished faces are not scratched. Fit the back panel before standing the unit up, since it is the back that holds the carcass square.

Have a second person available for standing the unit upright and for hanging the doors. A tall carcass is manageable but awkward alone, and a door dropped onto its hinges under load is easily damaged.

Once upright, level it and fix it to the wall before loading it. Free delivery to most UK mainland addresses applies across the bedroom ranges at Furniture in Fashion, and the product pages set out the packed dimensions so you can check access before ordering.

Frequently Asked Questions

How wide is a standard double wardrobe?

Usually 900mm to 1100mm externally, with 1000mm being the most common. Internal hanging rail works out at roughly 850mm to 1050mm once the side panels are deducted.

How deep should a double wardrobe be?

Around 550mm to 600mm. That gives the clear internal depth a garment on a hanger needs, so shoulders do not press against the doors.

How much clearance do hinged wardrobe doors need?

Allow 500mm to 600mm of swing clearance plus room to stand, so around 750mm of clear floor in front. Sliding doors need none, which makes them useful in narrow rooms.

Is a double wardrobe big enough for a couple?

It can be if folded items such as knitwear and jeans are stored in drawers. If both people have a lot of coats and tailoring, a three or four door unit is a better starting point.

Should a tall wardrobe be fixed to the wall?

Yes. Use the wall bracket supplied and fix into a stud or with suitable masonry plugs. It also helps keep the carcass square over time.