Drawer Box Sizes for Wardrobe Interiors: 600 Vs 850Mm

Choosing drawer box sizes for wardrobe interiors sounds like a long decision. It isn't. We supply two sizes, the 600 drawer box and the 850 drawer box, and one measurement tells you which of them your compartment needs.

This guide shows you how to take that measurement, what each box includes, and how the drawers sit alongside shelves, hanging rails and your sliding doors. If you want the broader picture first, our guide to bespoke drawer boxes for UK wardrobes covers it.

600mm or 850mm: the short answer

The 600 drawer box and the 850 drawer box are both 400mm high and 500mm deep. Maximum width is the only specification that separates them: the 600 drawer box is up to 600mm wide, and the 850 drawer box is up to 850mm wide.

So the rule is short. A compartment up to 600mm wide takes the 600 drawer box. A compartment over 600mm and up to 850mm wide takes the 850 drawer box.

Depth never decides between them, because it is identical.

Wardrobe drawer box dimensions in the UK, compared

Here are the two listings side by side. You can see how little separates them.

Neither box is for compartments wider than 850mm. If your opening is wider than that, you will divide it into narrower compartments or fit open shelving in the extra width.

What both drawer boxes include

Each box arrives fully assembled with two drawers, so there is nothing to build before it goes in. The drawers have high quality metal sides and a smooth soft-closing action, and each sits on a solid 16mm base panel.

One point catches people out when ordering. A drawer box needs something above and below it, so you either order a top and bottom panel separately or fit the box in a position between two shelves.

Decide which you want before you place the order, because it changes what else goes in your basket.

Choosing a drawer box size for your wardrobe interior

This is the part of the job that decides whether the drawers fit first time, so it is worth taking a few minutes with a tape measure and a pencil.

Measure each compartment at the top, middle and bottom. Walls lean, floors dip and fitted carpets hide surprises, so a space that narrows lower down decides which box fits, not the wider reading near the top. Write all three numbers down and work from the narrowest one.

Many customers assume the depth of the wardrobe picks the size. It doesn't. Both boxes are 500mm deep, so depth is a go or no-go check rather than a way to choose between them. If your wardrobe is too shallow for a 500mm drawer, neither box will work, and you are better off knowing that now. If it is deep enough, confirm that the drawer's pull-out path clears the sliding door track, which we cover in its own section below.

Once the depth is cleared, only your narrowest width reading matters.

600 drawer box size: for compartments up to 600mm wide

The 600 drawer box suits any compartment whose narrowest reading is up to 600mm. That includes a slimmer bay beside a hanging rail, or one section of a wider interior that you have divided up.

Don't read "up to 600mm" as a range that stretches. A compartment that measures 640mm at its narrowest is over the limit for this box, and the 850 drawer box is the one to look at.

850 drawer box size: for compartments over 600mm, up to 850mm

The 850 drawer box is for compartments with a narrowest reading over 600mm and up to 850mm. It is the better choice for a generous central bay where you want drawers to be the main storage rather than a supplement to it.

It is also the only one of the two that makes sense in a compartment of, say, 780mm. Dropping down to the 600 drawer box there would leave you with a smaller drawer than the space allows.

Combining drawer boxes with hanging space

Most wardrobes need both drawers and hanging rails, so the real question is how to share the opening between them. The answer starts with how much each box adds.

How much storage each drawer box adds

Height and depth are fixed at 400mm and 500mm, so width is what drives capacity. The 850 drawer box therefore gives you more usable storage width than the 600 drawer box, across both of its drawers.

That is an advantage when you store folded knitwear, t-shirts or bedding, which spread out sideways rather than stack upwards. For a wider view of what a sliding wardrobe can hold, see how much storage a sliding wardrobe can hold.

A wider box is not automatically better, though. In a compartment that also has to carry hanging clothes, extra drawer width cannot be used for anything else.

Splitting the opening between drawers and hanging rails

There are two layouts that work well. The first puts the drawers in the lower part of a compartment with a hanging rail above, so everything sits in one bay. The second dedicates one compartment to hanging and the next to drawers, which keeps long coats and dresses clear of the drawer box.

The drawer box takes 400mm of height, and whatever remains above it is yours for hanging or shelving. Measure that remaining height against the longest garment you own before you commit.

The hanging rails in our interior sets may need cutting to size, so plan on trimming them to suit the compartment you give them. Our guide to interior fittings for sliding wardrobe doors covers the other pieces that share this space.

Pairing interior drawer sizes with made-to-measure shelves and interior sets

Drawers rarely work alone. Shelves sit above and below them, and an interior set frames the whole run, so it helps to match each piece to the same measurements.

Matching shelves to each drawer box width

Every shelf in our range shares the drawer boxes' 500mm depth. That means a shelf and a drawer box in the same compartment line up at the front.

Each shelf is 18mm melamine faced chipboard, edged all round with 2mm matching pvc edging. We use Egger board, which is furniture grade. The three widths are:

• Made to Measure upto 600mm wide shelf: pairs with the 600 drawer box.
• Made to Measure upto 850mm wide shelf: covers 601mm to 850mm and pairs with the 850 drawer box.
• Made to Measure upto 1100mm wide shelf: covers 851mm to 1100mm and suits open shelving in wider compartments.

If you want a drawer box between shelves rather than buying a separate top and bottom panel, the shelf in the matching width band is the one to use above and below it.

Fitting drawer boxes into Interior 4 door B and Interior 5 door B

The overall opening decides which interior set frames your drawers. The Interior 4 door B set fits a total opening width of up to 4160mm. The Interior 5 door B fits up to 4860mm.

Both are easy to install and made to measure. The 4 door B comprises 2 end panels, 3 dividers, 2 floor panels to join, 2 ceiling panels to join, 6 shelves and 5 hanging rails. The 5 door B has the same end, floor and ceiling panels, plus 4 dividers, 8 shelves and 6 hanging rails. If you are unsure whether you need the sides, our note on end panels for sliding wardrobes will help.

A drawer box can sit between the set's shelves, which is the alternative to ordering separate top and bottom panels. Neither set comes with a drawer box, so you order the 600 drawer box or 850 drawer box alongside it.

Checking drawer clearance against your sliding doors

Our interiors are custom made to work with sliding wardrobe doors. The Custom 4 Door Sliding Wardrobe Doors are made to the size of your opening, so the doors and the interior are designed as one job.

The doors run across the front of the interior. A drawer that pulls out 500mm into the room has to clear the track and the door panels in front of it.

Check this before you order, not after. Look at where the track sits in relation to the front edge of the drawer box, and think about how far the drawer must travel before it opens fully. If you are fitting a new set of doors at the same time, tell us, and we can look at the interior and doors together.

Ordering the right drawer box for your wardrobe

You now have what you need to choose. Check your narrowest compartment width against the 600 drawer box and 850 drawer box pages, which carry current prices, then request a made-to-measure quote for the drawers, shelves or interior set you need.

We are a family-owned business with over 40 years of experience in made-to-measure sliding wardrobe doors and interior storage. Our work carries a 10-year guarantee and a three-stage quality assurance process, and both apply across everything we make.

What to send with your enquiry

A short, accurate enquiry means a quote that matches your wardrobe. Have these to hand:

• The opening width at the top, middle and bottom
• The depth of the wardrobe
• The height of the opening
• The number of doors
• Whether you want separate top and bottom panels or a fit between shelves

If you are a joiner or builder fitting several wardrobes, send the figures for each opening separately. That way every drawer box is matched to its own compartment.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between the 600 and 850 drawer box sizes?

Only the maximum width. The 600 drawer box is up to 600mm wide and the 850 drawer box is up to 850mm wide, while both are 400mm high and 500mm deep. Each comes fully assembled with two drawers.

Which drawer box do I need if my wardrobe compartment is 700mm wide?

The 850 drawer box. It is listed for compartments over 600mm and up to 850mm wide. Measure at the top, middle and bottom first, and use the narrowest reading to confirm that it stays over 600mm and within 850mm.

Do I need to buy a top and bottom panel for a drawer box?

Either order a top and bottom panel separately, or fit the drawer box in a position between two shelves. The box does not include panels. Tell us which approach you want when you request your quote.

Does a deeper wardrobe mean I can choose a bigger drawer box?

No. Both boxes are 500mm deep, so depth does not separate them. It works as a go or no-go check: the wardrobe must be deep enough, and the drawer's pull-out path must clear the sliding door track.

What if my compartment is wider than 850mm?

Neither drawer box is listed beyond 850mm wide. You can split the opening into narrower compartments, or use the Made to Measure upto 1100mm wide shelf for open shelving in the wider space.