Coat hooks for adults are best hung at 160–180 cm in height, while hooks for children are placed at 100–120 cm. In a row, there should be 15–25 cm between each hook, depending on what's going to hang there. Heavy jackets and bags need screws and wall plugs; lighter things like keys or hats can be managed with adhesive strips. Choose the method based on wall type and load.
A hook at the wrong height is a hook nobody uses. Hang it too high, and the jacket ends up on the floor. Hang it too low, and the bag drags. Luckily, there are concrete rules of thumb for height, spacing and fixing method — and they only take a couple of minutes to follow before you get the drill out. This guide covers everything from centimetre measurements to wall plugs and adhesive strips, so your hook rail or single hook sits exactly where it should.
The right height for adults
The classic recommendation for adult hooks is 160–180 cm from floor to hook head. That roughly corresponds to shoulder height for someone 170–185 cm tall, and it's the height that gives the shortest movement arc from shoulder to hook.
If you place the hook lower — say at 140 cm — you risk long jackets and coats dragging on the floor. If you place it higher than 180 cm, most people will have to stretch unnecessarily, and heavy bags become hard to lift down with control.
Double hooks and the top hook
If you're using a hook with two levels (an upper and a lower hook), place the top hook at 170–180 cm. The lower hook then automatically ends up at 130–140 cm and is suited to scarves, bags and umbrellas. It's an effective solution in a narrow hallway where you don't have room for many hooks in a row.
Tip: Measure your most-used jacket's length from collar to hem, and subtract it from your hook height. The result tells you whether the jacket will touch the floor — a long winter coat is typically 110–120 cm, so a hook at 160 cm only gives 40–50 cm of clearance to the floor. If your floor is uneven, add an extra 5 cm.
At hooks and knobs in all materials you'll find models with varying depths — a hook with 8–10 cm depth holds clothes a little further from the wall and reduces the risk of creasing on the sleeves.
The right height for children
Children of preschool age (3–6 years) typically reach 90–115 cm in height. A hook for independent use should sit at 100 cm, so the child can hang up their own jacket without help. Schoolchildren aged 7–10 manage fine with 110–120 cm.
The important thing is that the hook is within the child's natural reach — meaning the arm shouldn't have to go above shoulder height. When the child has to strain to reach, the jacket ends up on the floor instead.
Hook rail or single hooks for the children's room?
A low-mounted hook rail with 3–4 hooks in the children's room provides space for a school bag, sports bag and jacket all in one place. Set the top edge of the rail at 120 cm, and vary the depth of the hooks so the bags don't press into each other.
See the range of hooks for the children's room, where many models are designed with rounded profiles without sharp edges — relevant when things are hanging at child height.
Distance between hooks
When hanging several hooks in a horizontal row, 15–25 cm is the practical spacing measured centre to centre (hook-to-hook distance).
| Use | Recommended spacing (centre to centre) |
|---|---|
| Keys, hats, light scarves | 15 cm |
| Light jackets and bags | 20 cm |
| Heavy winter jackets and rucksacks | 25 cm |
With 15 cm spacing, you can fit 5 hooks on a 90 cm wide wall (allowing 7.5 cm clearance on each side). With 25 cm spacing, that becomes 3 hooks on the same stretch. Spacing isn't just about aesthetics — too little room between hooks means jackets get tangled up in each other and end up creased.
If you want a clean, minimalist look in the hallway, brass hooks give a uniform appearance that holds up even with 20–25 cm spacing, because the slim profiles don't take up visual space.
Fitting with screws and wall plugs
Screws and wall plugs are the right solution when the hook needs to bear more than 2–3 kg, or when you're fitting to a brick wall, concrete wall, or plasterboard wall with a stud behind the plasterboard.
Materials you'll need
- A drill bit matching the wall plug's diameter (typically 6 mm for a 3.5×35 mm screw)
- Wall plugs in the correct size for the wall type (nylon for brick, metal expansion for concrete)
- Spirit level — even a 2–3 mm tilt is visible on a coat rack
- Pencil for marking
Step by step
- Hold the coat rack up against the wall at the correct height and mark drill holes with a pencil.
- Check with a spirit level that the markings are horizontal.
- Drill holes to the correct depth — the length of the rawl plug plus an extra 2–3 mm.
- Blow the dust out of the hole and push the rawl plug in with a hammer until it sits flush with the surface.
- Screw the coat rack in place — tighten firmly, but avoid overloading the plaster.
A single M5 screw in a correctly fitted nylon rawl plug in brick typically withstands 40–60 kg of pulling load. In practice, a jacket and a full bag weigh under 5 kg, so two screws per coat rack give plenty of safety margin.
Fitting with adhesive strips
Adhesive strips (e.g. Command strips) are well suited to coat racks that need to hold up to 1–2 kg — that is, keys, light hats, scarves or decorative knobs. They're ideal in flats where drilling isn't allowed, or on tiled surfaces, smooth wood panels and painted plaster.
What you need to know about load
Manufacturers state strips' load capacity as a vertical load. A coat rack, however, pulls at an angle outwards, because the weight hangs away from the wall. This reduces the actual load capacity by 30–50%. A strip marked "2 kg" actually holds 1–1.4 kg on a coat rack. Always use two sets of strips per coat rack and choose strips specified for your surface type.
Correct application
- Clean the surface with isopropyl alcohol — grease from your hands markedly reduces the adhesive strength.
- Let the surface dry for 1 minute.
- Press the strips firmly for 30 seconds.
- Wait 1 hour before loading the coat rack — the adhesive strength increases over time.
Decorative ceramic coat racks typically weigh 150–400 g and are ideal for adhesive-strip mounting in the bathroom or hallway, when you want to avoid drilling into tiles.
Wall type determines the method
Before choosing a mounting method, you should identify the wall type. Knock on the wall: a hollow sound = plasterboard, a solid sound = brick or concrete.
| Wall type | Recommended method | Special considerations |
|---|---|---|
| Brick/tile | Screw + nylon rawl plug | Use hammer drill function |
| Concrete | Screw + metal expansion rawl plug | Requires an impact drill or hammer drill |
| Plasterboard with stud | Screw directly into the stud (38–40 mm) | Find the stud with a magnetic detector |
| Plasterboard without stud | Plasterboard anchor (butterfly toggle) | Max 5–8 kg per anchor |
| Smooth tile/painted plaster | Adhesive strips | Max 1–2 kg load |
Remember to check for electrical wires and water pipes before drilling — use a cable and pipe detector, which costs 150–300 DKK at the hardware store. Especially relevant above chair-rail height, where cables are typically run horizontally.
Whether you choose solid hooks and knobs in wood or metal, or lightweight ceramic versions, it's the wall type — not the appearance of the hook — that determines which drill size you fit in the machine.
Frequently asked questions
How high should a hook be for adults?
Hooks for adults are best placed 160–180 cm from the floor to the hook head, corresponding to shoulder height. This gives the shortest range of motion and ensures that even long coats don't drag on the floor. Use 160 cm as a minimum and 180 cm as a maximum for everyday comfort.
How high should a hook be for children?
For nursery children (3–6 years), 100 cm from the floor is recommended. Schoolchildren aged 7–10 manage with 110–120 cm. The important thing is that the child can hang their jacket without lifting their arm above shoulder height, otherwise the clothes end up on the floor instead.
How much space should there be between hooks in a row?
Measure from centre to centre: 15 cm for light items like keys and hats, 20 cm for light jackets and bags, 25 cm for heavy winter coats and rucksacks. Too little spacing causes clothes to tangle and crease. Too much spacing wastes wall space.
Can I hang a hook using adhesive strips?
Yes, but only for light use — typically under 1–2 kg effective load per hook. Remember that the stated load capacity of strips is for vertical pull, not the angled load a hook is subjected to. Clean the surface thoroughly with alcohol, and let the strips cure for 1 hour before loading them.
What do I do if I'm drilling into plasterboard without a stud behind it?
Use plasterboard anchors (butterfly wall plugs), which unfold behind the plasterboard and distribute the load. A single plasterboard anchor holds 5–8 kg, so two per hook gives sufficient margin for jackets and bags. Avoid mounting heavy hook rails on plasterboard without studs — find a stud instead.
What drill size should I use for wall plugs?
The drill size should match the outer diameter of the wall plug. A standard nylon wall plug for 3.5 mm screws requires a 6 mm drill bit. A wall plug for 5 mm screws requires an 8 mm drill bit. The diameter is always stated on the wall plug packaging. Always drill the full length of the wall plug plus an extra 2–3 mm.
Summary
Hooks at the correct height and with the right spacing make a real difference to everyday usability. Adults are best served by hooks at 160–180 cm, children by hooks at 100–120 cm. In a horizontal row, 15–25 cm centre-to-centre spacing keeps clothes clear of each other. The choice between screws with wall plugs and adhesive strips depends solely on wall type and load — not on preference. Heavy items on masonry always require drilled mounting; light decorative knobs on smooth surfaces can be handled with strips. Identify the wall type, measure up with a spirit level, and the installation takes under 15 minutes.
Explore our range of hooks and knobs — from single brass knobs to complete hook rails in ceramic and wood.
