Armoire Dimensions: How Big Armoires Are, Inside and Out
Armoire sizes for clothing, media and jewelry, the interior space you get for hanging, and the checks to make before a tall piece goes up the stairs and into a bedroom.
A typical armoire is 36 to 50 inches (91 to 127 cm) wide, 20 to 25 inches (51 to 64 cm) deep and 64 to 80 inches (163 to 203 cm) tall. Clothing armoires need at least 21 in (53 cm) of inside depth to hang clothes side to side. Jewelry armoires are much smaller, usually 14 to 20 in wide and 36 to 48 in tall.
- Width
- 36-50 in (91-127 cm)
- Depth
- 20-25 in (51-64 cm)
- Height
- 64-80 in (163-203 cm)
- Inside depth to hang
- 21 in (53 cm) min.
On this page
Armoire sizes by type
Armoires come in more shapes than wardrobes, because many are made to look like period furniture. Their outside sizes cluster around the figures below; inside layouts vary widely.
| Type | Inches | Centimeters | Inside |
|---|---|---|---|
| Small armoire | 30-36 × 18-22 × 60-66 | 76-91 × 46-56 × 152-168 | Rod or shelves, 1-2 drawers |
| Standard clothing armoire | 38-44 × 20-24 × 70-78 | 97-112 × 51-61 × 178-198 | Hanging rod over 1-3 drawers |
| Large / double armoire | 48-60 × 22-26 × 76-84 | 122-152 × 56-66 × 193-213 | Hanging one side, shelves the other |
| Chifforobe | 36-48 × 18-22 × 60-72 | 91-122 × 46-56 × 152-183 | Hanging side plus drawer stack |
| TV / media armoire | 36-48 × 20-26 × 50-78 | 91-122 × 51-66 × 127-198 | TV opening, pocket doors, drawers |
| Floor jewelry armoire | 14-20 × 12-16 × 36-48 | 36-51 × 30-41 × 91-122 | Drawers, necklace doors, flip-top mirror |
| Cheval mirror jewelry armoire | 14-17 × 13-16 × 60-65 | 36-43 × 33-41 × 152-165 | Full-length mirror door, shallow cabinet |
| Wall / over-door jewelry armoire | 14-16 × 3.5-5 × 42-48 | 36-41 × 9-13 × 107-122 | Hooks and slots behind a mirror |
The most common bedroom armoire is about 40 × 22 × 74 in (102 × 56 × 188 cm): one or two doors over a pair of drawers, with a hanging rod above and a 40 to 50 in drop below it.
Armoire vs wardrobe vs dresser
The names overlap, and shops use them loosely. The useful difference is in the dimensions.
- Armoire: a tall freestanding cabinet with doors, usually with decorative styling and often drawers at the bottom. In the US it is the usual name for a stand-alone clothes cabinet.
- Wardrobe: the British and general term for the same job, including plain modular and built-in units. Wardrobes are more often sized in centimeters and by door count; see wardrobe dimensions.
- Dresser or chest of drawers: drawers only, waist to chest height, for folded clothes. See the dresser size guide.
Inside a clothing armoire
An armoire hangs clothes the same way a closet does, so the same garment measurements apply. A standard adult hanger is 17 in (43 cm) wide, so a rod running side to side needs at least 21 in (53 cm) of inside depth, and an armoire's outside depth of 22 to 24 in leaves about that once the doors and back are subtracted.
| Interior feature | Typical size | Holds |
|---|---|---|
| Hanging compartment height | 40-55 in (102-140 cm) | Shirts, jackets, folded trousers; not long dresses |
| Rod length | 34-42 in (86-107 cm) | About 34-42 shirts at 1 in each, or 17-21 jackets |
| Interior depth | 19-22 in (48-56 cm) | Hangers side to side need 21 in or more |
| Bottom drawers | 4-8 in tall inside, 16-19 in deep | Sweaters, linens, shoes |
| Shelves (where fitted) | 10-14 in apart | Folded stacks of about 12 × 12 in |
Many armoires have only 40 to 50 in of hanging height above their drawers, which is fine for shirts and jackets (38 to 40 in) but too short for long dresses and full-length coats (60 in or more). If you need long hanging, look for a model without a drawer base, with a hanging compartment of at least 60 in. The closet organizer guide lists the drop of each kind of garment.
Antique and reproduction armoires were often built shallower, about 18 to 20 in, with hooks or shelves rather than a rod. Measure the inside depth before buying one for hanging clothes; if it is under 20 in, a side-to-side rod won't work and an end-to-front rod or extendable rail holds only a few garments.
TV and media armoires with modern TVs
Media armoires were built around tube TVs, with deep cabinets and nearly square openings. Flat TVs are much shallower but wider, so width is the limit. For a 16:9 screen, the viewable width is 0.872 times the diagonal and the height 0.490 times; bezels add about 0.5 to 1 in, and the stand 2 to 4 in of height.
| TV | Screen (w × h) | Opening needed (w × h) |
|---|---|---|
| 32 in | 27.9 × 15.7 in | 29.5 × 20 in |
| 40 in | 34.9 × 19.6 in | 36 × 24 in |
| 43 in | 37.5 × 21.1 in | 39 × 25.5 in |
| 50 in | 43.6 × 24.5 in | 45 × 29 in |
Most media armoires have openings 32 to 40 in wide, so 40 and 43-inch TVs are the practical maximum. Leave 2 to 3 in behind the TV for cables and ventilation and check the exact model in our 43-inch TV dimensions guide. For larger screens, a low TV stand is the better fit.
Jewelry armoires
A jewelry armoire is a small cabinet on legs with shallow drawers lined in fabric, side doors for hanging necklaces and often a mirror under a lift-up lid. Drawers are typically 1 to 2.5 in deep inside: 1 in for rings in slotted trays, 2 to 2.5 in for bracelets and watches. Necklace doors need an inside height of 16 to 20 in so an 18-inch chain hangs without folding on the bottom.
For keeping jewelry on a dresser top, a jewelry box takes about 12 × 8 in of surface instead of a 16 × 14 in floor footprint.
Getting an armoire into the room
Armoires are tall, heavy (solid wood pieces often weigh well over 100 lb) and frequently arrive assembled. Check every step of the route.
- Ceiling height. An 80-inch armoire under an 8-foot (96 in) ceiling has 16 in to spare. Measure under ceiling fans, beams and light fixtures too.
- Tilting it upright. To stand an armoire up from its back, the ceiling must be higher than the diagonal of its side: an armoire 78 in tall and 24 in deep has a diagonal of about 81.6 in.
- Doorways. A standard interior door opening is about 80 in tall and 30 to 32 in wide. A 24-inch-deep armoire passes through a 30-inch door on its side if the hallway allows the turn. Remove the doors and the crown molding if they come off.
- Stairs. The tightest point is usually the turn at a landing or the ceiling above the stairs. Many large armoires split into an upper cabinet and a drawer base for this reason.
Armoires are named in the US federal tip-over rule for clothing storage units (16 CFR part 1261, based on ASTM F2057-23). Units at least 27 in tall that weigh 30 lb or more and have at least 3.2 cubic feet of enclosed storage must pass stability tests and ship with an anti-tip kit. Jewelry armoires are excluded from the rule but still tip easily on their small footprint, so strap them to the wall as well.
Frequently asked questions
How big is an armoire typically?
Most bedroom armoires are about 40 in wide, 22 in deep and 72 to 76 in tall (102 × 56 × 183-193 cm). Small armoires start around 30 to 36 in wide and 60 to 64 in tall; large antique and French-style pieces reach 55 to 60 in wide and 84 in or more.
How tall is a bedroom armoire?
Bedroom armoires are usually 64 to 80 in (163 to 203 cm) tall, with 72 to 76 in the most common. Pieces with a decorative crown can reach 84 to 90 in, so measure the ceiling and any light fixture before buying.
What is the difference between an armoire and a wardrobe?
Both are freestanding cabinets with doors for clothes. In US usage, an armoire is usually a styled piece of furniture, often with drawers or shelves below the doors, while wardrobe is the general and British term, including plain and fitted units. Dimensions overlap: both are about 20 to 24 in deep for hanging.
What is a chifforobe?
A chifforobe combines a wardrobe and a chest of drawers in one cabinet: a hanging compartment on one side and a stack of drawers on the other. Typical sizes are 36 to 48 in wide, 18 to 22 in deep and 60 to 72 in tall.
What size TV fits in an armoire?
Measure the opening, not the outside. A 16:9 TV is about 0.87 times its diagonal wide and 0.49 times tall, plus bezels and stand. A 36-inch-wide opening takes up to a 40-inch TV (about 35 × 20 in plus stand); a 40-inch opening takes a 43-inch TV (about 37.5 × 21 in).