Updated 7 November 2026 · By the 10Grains team
The short answer: a full length mirror is usually 140–170 cm tall and 30–60 cm wide, but to see yourself head to toe the glass only needs to be half your height (85 cm for someone 170 cm tall), hung with the top edge about 5 cm below the top of your head. Mirrors that stand on the floor need to be taller, which is why most are 150–165 cm.
- Behind a door: Over-Door Mirror with Hooks (1.4 cm deep, no drilling)
- Biggest floor-standing glass: Wide Black Arched Floor Mirror (59 × 164.5 cm)
- Narrowest gap: Ripple Gold Floor Mirror (36 cm wide)
- Built-in lights: LED Mirror with Remote
- With storage: Arched Mirror on Wheels with Shelves
- Hallway statement: Whitewashed Window Pane Mirror
A full length mirror has one job: telling you, before you leave the house, that the trousers do not go with the shoes. Most of us do that job by standing on the edge of the bath, or by stepping backwards down the hall until we bump into the radiator. Neither is ideal.
The good news is that you need less mirror than you think. The physics is on your side (more on that below), and the real decisions are where it goes, how wide the gap is, and whether it hangs, leans or stands. So this guide starts with your space. Slide the finder to the width you have, tick how you want to use it, and the gallery shows only the mirrors that fit. Every photo is a real product photo and every price is live.
Find a full length mirror that fits your space
Set the width of your wall, door or gap, pick a depth limit if floor space is tight, then tick how you want to use it. The gallery updates as you go.
Sizes come from each product's listing (width × depth × height in cm). For mirrors with a stand, depth is shown folded flat; with the leg open, most stick out 35 to 50 cm. Photos are shown at the same size, not to scale.
How tall does a full length mirror need to be?
Half your height, if it hangs on the wall. Light from your feet bounces off the mirror halfway between your eyes and the floor, and light from the top of your head bounces off halfway between your eyes and your crown. So the glass only has to cover the gap between those two points. Standing further back does not change it.
The physics shortcut: a flat mirror shows you head to toe if it is half your height, whatever distance you stand from it. Where you hang it matters more than how big it is.
Try it for your household. Use the tallest person, because a mirror that crops their head will be blamed on you.
Assumes eyes about 11 cm below the top of your head, which is typical for adults. Shoes add a few centimetres.
A mirror standing on the floor is different. Its bottom edge is already at floor level, so it has to stretch all the way up to the top-edge height: roughly your height minus 5 cm. Lean it back a few degrees and you can get away with a bit less, which is why most floor mirrors are 150 to 165 cm tall rather than a full 175.
What size full length mirror should you buy?
Height matters less than you'd expect; width and floor space matter more. Here is what the common sizes look like next to an average adult.
Sizes in cm (width × height). The over-door mirror is shown on a standard 76 cm wide door.
- 30–40 cm wide fits behind a bedroom door or in the gap beside a wardrobe. You see your whole length, but not much of anyone standing next to you.
- 50 cm wide is the comfortable middle: room to turn sideways and check the back of a coat.
- 60 cm and over is a statement. It bounces a lot of light around a dark hall or landing, and two people can check their outfits at once.
How do you measure for a full length mirror?
Measure the width of the gap: the wall between doorframe and wardrobe, the back of the door, or the alcove. Take off a few centimetres so it doesn't look wedged in.
Measure the tallest user. Halve it for the minimum glass on a wall. For a floor mirror, aim for roughly their height minus 5 cm.
Check the floor in front. A mirror on a leg or stand sticks out 35 to 50 cm from the wall. Make sure doors and drawers can still open.
Check the door, if it's going on one. Over-door hooks need a gap at the top of the door; check it closes properly with the hooks in place.
Check the wall, if it's going on one. Weigh up the mirror's weight against your wall type before you drill.
Should you hang, lean or stand a full length mirror?
Hang it if floor space is tight or there are small children or pets about. Lean or stand it if you rent, change your mind a lot, or want it up today.
- Hanging saves floor space and puts the glass exactly where the half-height rule wants it. You need fixings that suit the weight and the wall. Our guide to wall fixings and what your wall can take covers plasterboard, brick and block.
- Leaning against the wall looks relaxed and shows a little more of you, thanks to the tilt. Put a non-slip pad under the bottom edge, and never lean one in a walkway.
- Standing on its own leg or base means it can go anywhere, including the middle of a room, but it needs 35 to 50 cm of floor and can tip if pulled.
- Over a door uses no wall or floor at all. Ideal for rented flats and small bedrooms.
Which full length mirror suits which room?
Small bedroom
35–40 cm wide · or on the doorUse the back of the door or the gap beside the wardrobe. Slim glass, no drilling.
See:
Dressing corner
Needs about 40 cm of floorA mirror with lights and a shelf turns a corner into a getting-ready station.
See:
Hallway
Check the walkway firstHang it rather than stand it, so nobody walks into the leg. A wide one makes a narrow hall look bigger.
See:
Living room
60 cm wide · lean itA statement frame leaning in a corner bounces light from the window and counts as decoration.
See:
Rented flat
No drillingOver-door hooks, a leaning mirror or one on its own stand all leave the walls alone.
See:
Shared or kids' room
Fix it or wheel itHang it securely, or choose locking wheels so it can be parked out of the way.
See:
Do you need an LED mirror, or storage?
Only if the room is short on light or short on space. An LED mirror lights your face from the front, which is kinder than a single ceiling bulb behind you; you will need a socket nearby, as the lights run from a mains adapter. A mirror with shelves or wheels earns its floor space twice over, holding jewellery, make-up or the morning's scarf. The catch with both: the glass on the shelf models is shorter (108 cm), so check it against the half-height rule if it will stand on the floor.
Full length mirrors compared
| Mirror | Size (W × D × H, cm) | Glass height | How it's used |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ripple Gold Floor Mirror | 36 × 50 × 161.5 | 123.5 cm | stands |
| Black Mirror on Folding Pine Stand | 37 × 43 × 156 | frame size only | stands, hangs |
| Slim White Hang-or-Stand Mirror | 37 × 3.8 × 157 | 148 cm | hangs, stands |
| Over-Door Mirror with Hooks | 40 × 1.4 × 110 | 109.2 cm | over a door, hangs |
| Oval Gold Floor Mirror | 40 × 4 × 160 | 157 cm | stands, leans |
| Black LED Floor Mirror | 40 × 3 × 150 | 148 cm | stands, LED |
| LED Mirror with Remote | 40 × 2 × 160 | 160 cm | stands, hangs, LED |
| White LED Mirror with Shelf | 42 × 37 × 155.5 | 108 cm | stands, LED, shelves |
| Rolling Mirror with Two Shelves | 42 × 37 × 155 | 108 cm | stands, shelves |
| Arched Gold Floor Mirror | 50 × 3.6 × 150 | 149 cm | stands, leans, hangs |
| Black Aluminium Arched Mirror | 50 × 1.5 × 161.5 | 160.5 cm | stands, hangs |
| Baroque Gold Mirror | 50 × 4.5 × 160 | 149 cm | leans, hangs |
| Arched Mirror on Wheels with Shelves | 50 × 50 × 167 | 157 cm | stands, shelves |
| Washed Wood Arched Window Mirror | 50 × 3 × 170 | frame size only | hangs |
| Wavy Cream Velvet Mirror | 60 × 5.5 × 160 | 140 cm | stands, leans, hangs |
| Wide Black Arched Floor Mirror | 60 × 1.5 × 165 | 164.5 cm | stands, hangs |
| Whitewashed Window Pane Mirror | 90 × 6.5 × 150 | frame size only | hangs |
| Large Whitewashed Window Mirror | 100 × 6.5 × 200 | frame size only | hangs |
Depth is the slimmest listed figure (folded flat). Want more shapes and colours? Several of these come in gold, black or white too. Browse all full length mirrors or the wider mirrors collection.
Full length mirrors: your questions answered
What size is a full length mirror?
Most full length mirrors are 140 to 170 cm tall and 30 to 60 cm wide. Over-door mirrors are shorter, often around 110 cm, and statement wall mirrors can be 2 metres tall and a metre wide.
How tall does a full length mirror need to be?
To see yourself head to toe, the glass only needs to be half your height: 85 cm for someone 170 cm tall. That only works if it is hung at the right height. A mirror standing on the floor needs to be taller, roughly your height minus 5 cm, unless you lean it back slightly.
How high should you hang a full length mirror?
Put the top edge about 5 cm below the top of the tallest user's head. For a 175 cm person that is roughly 170 cm from the floor. The bottom edge then needs to reach about half their eye height, around 82 cm.
Is it better to lean or hang a full length mirror?
Leaning is quicker, looks relaxed and lets you see a little more of yourself, but the bottom edge sits out from the wall, so it needs a non-slip pad and a spot away from walkways. Hanging saves floor space and is safer with children and pets, but you need fixings that suit the weight and your wall.
What is the best full length mirror for a small bedroom?
An over-door mirror takes no floor or wall space at all, and a slim floor mirror 37 to 40 cm wide fits beside a wardrobe. In this guide the over-door mirror is 1.4 cm deep and the narrowest floor mirrors are 36 to 37 cm wide.
Are freestanding full length mirrors safe?
They are stable on a level floor when the leg or base is fully open, but they can tip if pulled or knocked. In homes with young children or pets, choose a mirror you can fix to the wall, or one with a heavy base or locking wheels, and keep it out of busy walkways.
Meet your guide: the 10Grains team. We're a small UK team who read spec sheets so you don't have to. Got a question about one of these mirrors, or a tricky gap to fill? Leave a comment below and one of us will reply.
