Sliding vs Hinged Wardrobe Doors

How to Choose the Right Style for Your Space

Your wardrobe doors do more than hide your clothes. The right style can help you save space, bring in more light, and create a look that feels perfectly coordinated with your home. Two of the most popular choices are sliding wardrobe doors and hinged wardrobe doors. Both have benefits, so the decision comes down to how you live, how much room you have, and the style you want to achieve.

This guide walks you through the pros, the practical differences, and the situations where one style makes more sense than the other.

What Are Sliding Wardrobe Doors?

Sliding wardrobe doors move sideways along a track, rather than opening outwards. They sit flush against your fitted wardrobe, which makes them ideal for rooms where space is limited.

Key benefits of sliding doors:

1. Save valuable walkway space
2. Work beautifully in small bedrooms or compact layouts
3. Can be designed with mirrors to brighten the room
4. Help create a clean, modern finish
   
   

Because sliding wardrobe doors are built floor to ceiling, they can hide a lot of storage behind them, even in awkward alcoves or angled ceilings.

What Are Hinged Wardrobe Doors?

Hinged wardrobe doors swing outwards on traditional hinges. This style suits homes that want a more classic feel, especially in bedrooms where you want visible detail, panelling, or Shaker style design.

Key benefits of hinged doors:

1. Traditional opening style that many people prefer
2. Allows full access inside the wardrobe at once
3. Works well with internal drawers
4. Can include designer handles as a feature
   
   

If you love classic styling or want a more tactile, furniture-like feel, hinged wardrobe doors may be the right match.

Sliding vs Hinged Wardrobes, Which Saves More Space?

If space is tight, sliding wardrobe doors usually win. Because they move sideways, nothing opens out into the room. That makes them ideal for:

- Small bedrooms

- Narrow walkways

- Wardrobes close to beds or radiators

- Lofts and angled ceilings

Hinged wardrobe doors need space to open comfortably. That said, they are often preferred in large rooms, where the opening arc is not a concern.

Which Style Works Best for Small Bedrooms?

Best option for compact rooms

For small bedrooms, sliding wardrobe doors help maximise floor space and movement. You can walk past the bed and wardrobe without navigating around an open door.

Best option if you want drawers inside

If you plan to have drawers inside your fitted wardrobe, hinged doors provide easier access. You can open the entire wardrobe at once, rather than sliding panel by panel.

Which Option Looks More Modern?

Sliding doors usually create a cleaner, contemporary look. Mirrored sliding doors can make the room feel bigger and brighter, absorbing natural light and giving you a full height dressing mirror without using extra wall space.

Hinged doors bring a sense of tradition and timeless design. If you love painted finishes, Shaker panelling, or the look of furniture in a bedroom, hinged wardrobe doors are a natural fit.

Which Wardrobe Style Gives the Most Storage?

Both options can provide excellent storage, because the interior is designed separately from the doors.

However, sliding wardrobe doors hide wider spans without interruption, so many people choose them for floor to ceiling storage, double hanging, and shelving in long rooms.

Hinged wardrobes allow full access to internal drawers, which is helpful for accessories or folded clothing.

Can You Mix Sliding and Hinged Wardrobes in One Home?

Yes. Many customers choose sliding wardrobe doors in smaller bedrooms, and hinged wardrobes in primary bedrooms where there is more breathing room. You can repeat colour palettes and finishes across both, creating a coordinated home style that still works with each layout.

Are Both Options Fitted or Made to Measure?

Every Spaceslide wardrobe, whether hinged or sliding, is made to measure in the UK. That means:

- Built to your exact wall size

- Fitted floor to ceiling

- Designed to maximise storage

- Available in colours, mirrors, and wood panels that match your decor

A made to measure wardrobe allows you to use spaces that freestanding furniture cannot reach.

The Final Decision, Sliding vs Hinged Wardrobe Doors

There is no wrong answer. The best wardrobe door is the one that suits your room, routine, and taste.

- If space is limited, sliding doors are often the most practical.

- If you love timeless styling and full access inside, hinged doors are ideal.

Both can be personalised with mirrors, wood finishes, or coloured glass, giving you a wardrobe that feels designed around you.