Closet rod height for double hanging, set from how your clothes hang

Closet rod height for double hanging, set from how your clothes hang

The short version

• A · drop of your longest item
• B · usable height

Top rod at reach or under the shelf, whichever is lower; bottom rod a drop plus hook room below, a drop off the floor.

https://justenoughroom.com/double-hang-closet-rod-height/

For double hanging, a closet stacks one rod above another so shorter clothes use the full height of the wall. Charts give typical heights, but the right heights depend on the clothes you own and the ceiling you have.

This plan uses three numbers you take yourself: the length of your longest shirt on a hanger, the height to the ceiling or shelf, and your comfortable reach.

1. Measure your longest hanging item (A)

   Hang your longest shirt or jacket and measure from the top of the hanger hook to the bottom hem. This is the drop each rod needs below it. Plan a separate single-rod section for long dresses and coats.

2. Measure the usable height (B)

   Measure from the floor to the ceiling, or to the underside of the shelf you plan to keep above the rods. Subtract room at the top for the hanger hooks to clear the shelf when you lift them off.

3. Check your comfortable reach

   Stand in front of the wall and mark the highest point where you can lift a hanger off a rod without stretching. If the top rod has to sit above that mark, plan to keep less-used clothes up there.

4. Place the two rods on your sketch

   Start from the top: place the upper rod at your reach mark or below the shelf, whichever is lower. Leave the drop of your longest item under it, plus room for the hanger hooks on the lower rod and a little extra, then place the lower rod. The lower rod needs the same drop above the floor. If the numbers do not fit, shorten the section or move long items to a single-rod section.

   Follow the maker's installation instructions, and if you rent, ask your landlord before you attach anything to a wall or ceiling.