What Height Should a Toilet Paper Holder Be?

If you are building or remodelling a part or all of your home, there are many complicated decisions to make. Something as seemingly simple as installing a toilet paper holder can throw even the most confident home builder into fits of panic when you are making hundreds of other decisions as well. While the placement of your toilet paper holder may not be the biggest decision in your life, you do want to ensure that it is at a height that is comfortable for someone using the bathroom.

The main factor to take into consideration when determining the proper height for your toilet paper holder is the height of your toilet. If your toilet is especially high or low, you should adjust the toilet paper holder accordingly. Your goal should be to place the holder in a convenient spot for those using the bathroom, so the holder should always hang at a height slightly above the toilet seat.

The standard height for a toilet is 14 inches from the floor to the top of the toilet bowl and 15 inches to the seat of the toilet. This means that the toilet paper holder should be about 16-17 inches off of the floor if you have a standard toilet, so that it is easily reachable for the person using the bathroom. If you hang it much lower, it will force the person to bend down unnecessarily and too much higher will force the user to lift their hand up.

Aside from being placed at a convenient height, you should also make sure that the toilet paper holder is right next to the toilet. While reaching higher or lower would not be a big deal, having to get up to get to the toilet paper is very inconvenient. If the toilet is located in the middle of the bathroom and there is no wall on which to put the holder, consider buying a standing toilet paper holder that will go right next to the toilet. Like a wall-mounted holder, this should hold the toilet paper 16-17 inches off the ground.

Not all toilet paper holders are created equal. Some are intricately designed and some are plain; some are coloured, while others are simply black or white. Additionally, some can only fit a small or thin roll of toilet paper while other can squeeze in a large, thick roll. If you prefer the thick, soft kind of toilet paper, measure a full roll inside your holder to make sure that it can fit and the paper is able to roll when pulled. If it can't, you should either replace your holder with a wider one or invest in a standing holder, which has no sides to limit the size of the roll.