You already know the obvious difference. In a reach-in you stand outside and reach. In a walk-in you step inside. That part doesn't help you order anything.
The difference that decides which kit you buy is the ceiling.
Ceiling height picks the tower height
We build towers in two heights: 84 inches (7 foot) and 96 inches (8 foot).
- Reach-in closets almost always sit in a room with an 8 foot ceiling. That takes the 84 inch tower.
- Walk-in closets tend to be in newer or larger homes with 9 or 10 foot ceilings. That's where the 96 inch tower belongs.
It isn't a style choice. There's a physical reason.
The reason: you have to stand the tower up
Our towers get assembled flat on the floor, then lifted upright. Two people, slow and steady.
When you tilt a panel up, the longest measurement isn't its height. It's the diagonal. A 96 inch tower that's 14 inches deep needs about 97 inches of clearance to swing into position.
Put that tower in a room with a 96 inch ceiling and the math stops working. You cannot rotate it upright. You'd be assembling it standing, which is harder, slower, and no fun with a fixed shelf in one hand.
An 84 inch tower needs about 85 inches of swing. Under an 8 foot ceiling that's fine.
So: 8 foot ceiling, use the 84 inch tower. 9 foot ceiling or taller, the 96 inch tower fits and gives you the extra storage up top.
What changes in a reach-in
A reach-in system runs along one wall, behind the opening. The wall is usually longer than the opening, which is the part people miss.
Things to measure before you order:
- The usable back wall, not the door opening. You can often fit more system than the doorway suggests.
- The opening itself, because everything has to pass through it during install.
- Door swing. A door that opens into the closet eats into the space a tower needs.
- Bypass and bifold tracks. Sliding doors run on a track that limits how far forward the system can sit.
Our systems are 14 inches deep, which suits a standard reach-in. Clothes on hangers stick out another 10 to 12 inches past the front of the panels. That's normal and it's why we don't build deeper.
What changes in a walk-in
A walk-in gives you more than one wall, so the layout question becomes how the runs relate to each other.
Two things matter more than they do in a reach-in.
Clearance between opposing runs
Put a system on two facing walls and you've used 28 inches of the room before anything is hung. Hangers add another 10 to 12 inches on each side that has hanging.
Measure wall to wall in three places: near the entrance, at the middle, and at the back. Walls aren't as parallel as they look.
Then think about where the hanging goes, because that matters more than the raw number. Clothes on a rod only need an arm's reach, not a walkway. Put the hanging sections toward the back or the far end of the room, where you step in, grab, and step back out. Keep shelves and drawers along the route you actually walk. They sit flush with the panel front, and you need room to stand in front of a drawer to pull it open.
Corners
Corners lose storage when you overfill them. Hanging sections handle corners better, because clothing can overlap a little without making the space unusable. Keep drawers away from a corner unless there's room for them to open all the way.
The quick version
| Reach-in | Walk-in | |
|---|---|---|
| Typical ceiling | 8 ft | 9 to 10 ft |
| Tower height | 84 in | 96 in |
| Walls used | One | Back, left, right |
| Watch out for | Door swing and track | Walkway width and corners |
| Depth | 14 in, both | |
Not sure which you have?
Measure the ceiling first. That answers the tower height before you think about anything else. Then count your usable walls, and you know which design tool to open.
How to measure your closet space walks through the rest, step by step. Or go straight to reach-in systems or walk-in systems and see what fits.
Common questions
What ceiling height do I need for a 96 inch closet tower?
9 feet or taller. A 96 inch tower that is 14 inches deep needs about 97 inches of clearance to tilt upright after you assemble it flat on the floor. Under a 96 inch ceiling it will not rotate into place. In an 8 foot room, use the 84 inch tower, which needs about 85 inches of swing.
Can I use a walk-in system in a reach-in closet?
The towers are the same product. What changes is the height you order and how many walls you use. A reach-in usually takes 84 inch towers along one wall. If your reach-in happens to have a 9 foot ceiling, the 96 inch tower works fine.
How deep are closet systems?
14 inches, in both reach-in and walk-in layouts. Clothes on hangers extend another 10 to 12 inches past the front of the panels. That is expected, and it is why deeper panels mostly waste floor space.
How much walkway do I need between two facing closet runs?
Two facing 14 inch systems use 28 inches of width before anything is hung, and hangers add another 10 to 12 inches on each side that has hanging. The fix is placement, not a bigger room. Hanging clothes only need an arm's reach, so put the hanging sections toward the back or the far end of the room. Keep shelves and drawers along the route you actually walk, because they sit flush with the panel front and you need space to stand in front of a drawer to open it.