By Sam. Last verified 4 September 2026.
A towel bar goes at 48 inches from the finished floor to the centre of the bar in an adult bathroom. That single number covers most installations. The two rooms where it changes are a children's bathroom, where 36 inches is the working height, and a wall above a toilet, where the constraint is the tank rather than the floor.
The reason 48 inches works is not aesthetic. It is the height at which a folded bath towel hangs clear of the floor and the baseboard, and at which an adult can reach the towel without stretching or stooping.
Numbers to keep in mind
- Towel bar, adult bathroom: 48 inches floor to centre of bar.
- Towel bar, children's bathroom: 36 inches floor to centre.
- Towel bar above a toilet: at least 12 inches above the top of the tank, which usually lands between 48 and 54 inches.
- Towel ring beside a sink: 50 to 52 inches floor to centre, and 20 to 24 inches to the side of the basin centreline.
- Robe hook: 65 to 70 inches floor to hook.
- A folded bath towel hangs roughly 30 inches below the bar, so at 48 inches it clears the floor by a comfortable margin.
Why the towel decides the height
Work it backwards. A standard bath towel is about 52 inches long. Folded once over a bar it hangs about 26 inches; folded in thirds it hangs less. Put the bar at 48 inches and the bottom of the towel sits around 20 inches off the floor, which clears the baseboard, clears a bathmat, and does not drape into a corner where it stays wet.
Drop the bar to 42 inches and the towel now hangs to about 14 inches, which is where it starts touching things. Raise it to 54 and shorter members of the household are reaching up to a wet towel.
This is also why a hand towel bar can go higher than a bath towel bar. A hand towel is about 30 inches long and hangs about 15 inches, so a hand towel bar at 52 inches is perfectly comfortable.
The heights, by fitting
| Fitting | Height, floor to centre | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Bath towel bar | 48 in | The default |
| Hand towel bar | 50 to 52 in | Shorter towel, so it can go higher |
| Children's towel bar | 36 in | Reachable by a child of five upward |
| Towel bar over a toilet | 12 in minimum above the tank | Tank lid must clear it when lifted |
| Towel ring | 50 to 52 in | 20 to 24 in to the side of the basin |
| Robe hook | 65 to 70 in | High enough that a robe does not touch the floor |
| Toilet paper holder | 26 in, and 8 to 12 in forward of the bowl front | A different rule entirely |
The two rooms where 48 inches is wrong
A children's bathroom. 36 inches is the number, and it is worth doing even though the child will outgrow it, because a towel a child cannot reach is a towel on the floor. If the room will serve both, fit two bars: one at 48 and one at 36. They do not have to match, and having both is more useful than having one compromise height at 42 that suits nobody.
Above a toilet. Here the floor is irrelevant. Measure from the top of the tank and leave at least 12 inches so the lid clears when it is lifted off, which it will be. Check by lifting the lid before you drill, not after.
Position on the wall, which matters as much as height
Height is one measurement and people stop there. Two more decide whether the bar is usable.
Leave 4 inches of clear wall beyond each end. A bar butted against a door casing means the towel bunches at that end and never dries.
Put it within reach of the shower, not across the room. The most common bathroom design mistake is a beautifully positioned towel bar that requires a wet person to cross tile to reach it. If the only available wall is far from the shower, add a hook near the shower and let the bar be for drying rather than grabbing.
Fixing, briefly, and one warning
A wet bath towel is heavier than people expect and the bar gets pulled down and out. Land a post on a stud where you can, and use a hollow-wall anchor rated for the load where you cannot. Toggle-type anchors hold. Plastic conical plugs work loose within a year.
The warning: a towel bar is not a grab bar, and it will not survive somebody grabbing it during a fall. If there is any chance a person will reach for it for support, fit an actual grab bar in that position instead. They cost less than the consequences.
Mark it once, drill it once
Hold the bar against the wall at the height you want, with a level on it. Mark both post centres. Measure from the floor at both marks and confirm they read the same number, because bathroom floors are not always level and a bar levelled by eye against a tile line can be visibly off.
On tile, start the hole with a centre punch or a strip of masking tape to stop the bit skating, and drill slowly.
The bars in this catalogue
All of these sit in Bath Accessories, and the plain 24 inch bar is at Kohler Maxton.
- Kohler K-R21847-BN Maxton 24in Towel Bar, brushed nickel. Bath towel length.
- Kohler K-R26121-BN Uniform 24in Towel Bar, brushed nickel. Same length, slimmer profile.
- Kohler K-11580-CP Loure 18in Towel Bar, polished chrome. Hand towel length, square posts.
- Kohler K-13108-CP Pinstripe 18in Towel Bar, polished chrome.
- Kohler K-26523-BN Decorative 18in Towel Bar, brushed nickel. A good candidate for the 36 inch children's height.
- Kohler K-27383-2BZ Bellera Towel Bar, oil-rubbed bronze.
- Kohler K-R26124-BN Uniform Towel Arm, brushed nickel. For a wall with no run long enough for a bar.
Frequently asked questions
How high should a towel bar be?
48 inches from the finished floor to the centre of the bar in an adult bathroom. 36 inches in a children's bathroom. Above a toilet, at least 12 inches above the tank so the lid clears.
How high should a towel ring be?
50 to 52 inches to the centre of the ring, and 20 to 24 inches to the side of the basin centreline so the towel is reachable without dripping across the counter.
Can I mount a towel bar on tile?
Yes. Use masking tape or a centre punch to stop the drill skating, drill slowly with the correct bit, and anchor into whatever is behind the tile rather than relying on the tile itself.
Can a towel bar be used as a grab bar?
No. It is not built or tested for that load and it will fail under it. Where somebody might reach for support, fit a rated grab bar instead.