What Is The Standard Closet Rod Height?

Closets are among many things people view as a necessity, helping keep clothes and other items organized and out of view. But for your closet to function well, it needs to have the proper setup. Part of the correct setup is ensuring you use the right closet rod height.

The standard closet rod height is 60 inches (5 feet) from the floor. But if your closet features double rods, the top rod should be 80 to 82 inches above the floor. You should install the lower rod 40 inches from the floor. These measurements provide enough hanging space for most clothing items, but you might need to adjust them slightly.

The height of your closet rod is essential to ensure clothing fits well in your closet. You don’t want clothes bunching up or dragging on the floor. Therefore, make sure you know where to install your closet rod when planning your space.

The standard closet rod height is 5 feet from the floor or 60 inches, but the ideal height is 66 inches. The 60-inch height provides you the minimum of 52 to 54 inches you need for most long garments. But the 66-inch height will give you more wiggle room for things like women’s dresses, men’s trousers, etc.

If the closet rod is under a shelf (common for most typical closet setups), make sure to measure from the floor to the rod. If you measure from the shelf instead, your rod will end up being too low.

There should be a minimum of 4 inches between the bottom of the shelf and the rod. This space allows enough room for hanging up items easily. In some standard closets, the rod is 72 inches above the floor.

In other words, although you’ll find a few typical closet rod heights, they aren’t set in stone. Overall, the height you install the clothing rod needs to work for you and your belongings.

Of course, when you’re planning your closet design, take into consideration your clothing before blindly hanging the rod at the standard height. If you’re on the taller side or have a lot of long evening dresses, you might need to adjust your rod slightly higher.

For example, a floor-length maxi dress could be about 62 inches long. It will be even longer if it features a train of any kind. If your closet rod is 60 inches from the floor, your dress will drag on the ground.

You could always keep it in a garment bag, but this won’t prevent your clothing from bunching on the bottom. Instead, in this scenario, you would likely want to hang the rod at least 66 inches (usually the maximum height for a single rod). This is also an ideal height for things like long coats.

But for even longer gowns, you may need to hang the rod between 72 and 78 inches. This provides plenty of hanging space for overly long garments without making them hard to reach. Therefore, always measure your longest garment, and allow a few extra inches when determining the height of your clothing rod.

A popular setup for many closets is a double-rod system. Two rods give you a lot more hanging space, albeit for shorter clothing items. So, if using a double rod, plan on hanging things like shirts, blazers, short skirts, shorts, or micro dresses.

The top rod should be between 80 and 82 inches from the floor. The bottom rod should be approximately 40 inches from the floor. Keep in mind that between the two rods, you need at least 36 inches of space.

This spacing allows room for most of the clothing items mentioned above, as well as women’s trousers folded in half. Once again, depending on your specific clothing items, you might adjust the rods an inch or two. For example, a man with longer suit jackets might need three extra inches between the two rods, or 39 inches total.

Most clothing for kids can hang easily on a rod between 45 and 54 inches from the floor. Consider your kid’s ages, if they need to access their own clothes, and the ease of raising the rod as they grow. Many closet systems, like Rubbermaid’s FastTrack, make it extremely quick and easy to move around shelves and rods.

You don’t just need either one single-rod or a double-rod setup in your closet. You can use a variety of configurations to best fit your clothing. Flexibility is especially important if more than one person uses the closet.

For example, imagine that you only have a few overly long items, and the rest of your stuff is between 35 and 38 inches. You might mount your top rod at 80 inches, which accommodates the long pieces. Then, you can purchase a rod designed to hang from your existing rod.

You can find them in different lengths and some with adjustable heights. Hang this rod on your existing one to hold your remaining items. Also, consider what types of clothing you’re hanging.

Allow about 2 ½ inches of rod length per article of clothing. Also, depending on what your closet rod is made of, it can hold anywhere from 45 to over 170 pounds.

If you notice the rod is bowing, it’s holding too much weight, and you will need to make adjustments. For example, you may need to add support to the rod if it’s overly long or you have too much weight on it.

Here is a trick if you have some extremely heavy garments, like beaded gowns. Place them in a protective, cloth garment bag. Install hooks on the back wall of your closet at an ideal height for your gowns.

Make sure to install the hooks into studs or use appropriate wall anchors. Then you can hang these items parallel to the back wall behind your other hanging clothes.

This keeps a lot of weight off your closet rod. It also frees up space, especially since you likely only wear those beaded gowns a couple of times a year.

The average closet rod height for a single rod is 60 inches, but the ideal height is 66 inches. This taller height allows more wiggle room for longer garments like women’s dresses, coats, and robes.

If you have overly long garments, adjust your rod accordingly. Some long evening gowns might require you to hang the rod closer to 72 or 78 inches high.

If you use a double rod, the top rod should be 80 to 82 inches from the floor. The lower rod should be approximately 40 inches from the floor. You also need to allow at least 36 inches between the two rods, but 39 to 40 inches is a better option.

But it’s important to remember that closet rod heights are not set in stone. You should arrange your closet in a way that works best for you and your particular clothing items.