The short answer
Sliding doors usually add £300–£800 to a fitted wardrobe over hinged doors, because of the track mechanism and the heavier door panels. As a guide, a standard three-door fitted wardrobe is often around £3,250 with hinged doors and roughly £3,700 with sliding doors, while sliding installations more broadly range from about £700 to over £3,000 depending on size and finish. The advantage of sliding doors is that they need no clearance to swing open, so they save floor space — which is why they suit small bedrooms and rooms where a hinged door would block a bed or walkway. Hinged remains the more economical choice where space allows.
The door decision is mostly a trade-off between cost and floor space. Hinged doors are cheaper; sliding doors cost a little more but give you the space back. Here's how the two compare.
At a glance
- Sliding over hinged+£300–£800
- 3-door, hinged~£3,250
- 3-door, sliding~£3,700
- Sliding installs (broad)~£700–£3,000+
- Best forsmall rooms, tight walkways
Why sliding costs more
Sliding doors run on a top and bottom track, use sturdier panels and need precise alignment, so the gear and the fitting both add cost — typically £300–£800 over an equivalent hinged set. In practice that takes a standard three-door wardrobe from around £3,250 hinged to roughly £3,700 sliding, with the wider market for sliding installs running from about £700 to over £3,000 by size and finish. The upside is purely practical: no door needs space to swing, so you keep the floor in front of the wardrobe usable.
| Door type | Typical figure | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Hinged (3-door) | ~£3,250 | most economical |
| Sliding (3-door) | ~£3,700 | track adds ~£300–£800 |
| Sliding (broad range) | ~£700–£3,000+ | varies by size & finish |
Indicative UK figures for guidance. Sources: Checkatrade and trade guides.
When sliding doors are worth it
- Small bedroom: if a hinged door would hit the bed or block the walkway, sliding pays for itself in usable space.
- Wall of wardrobes: across a long run, sliding doors give a clean, flush face without a row of swinging doors.
- Tight clearance: where furniture sits close to the wardrobe, sliding avoids the swing arc entirely.
- Plenty of room? hinged doors are lower-priced and give full access to the interior in one movement, so there's less reason to pay the premium.
Deciding between sliding and hinged?
We'll match you with a vetted fitted-wardrobe specialist who measures your room and quotes both options clearly, so you can see the cost and the space trade-off side by side.
Frequently asked questions
How much more do sliding wardrobe doors cost than hinged?
Sliding doors typically add £300–£800 over hinged because of the track mechanism and heavier panels. A standard three-door wardrobe is often around £3,250 hinged and roughly £3,700 sliding.
How much do sliding wardrobe doors cost to install?
Sliding installations broadly range from about £700 to over £3,000 depending on size, finish and the number of doors. A measured quote gives the accurate figure for your room.
Are sliding or hinged wardrobe doors better?
Sliding doors save floor space because they don't swing open, which suits small rooms and tight walkways. Hinged doors are more economical and give full access in one movement, so they suit rooms where space allows.
Sources & further reading
Figures on this page are typical UK ranges drawn from published sources and depend on your specific room. They are guidance, not a quotation.