How to Choose a Shower Door Handle: Sizes, Styles & Hole Spacing

By the IDEAL install crew · Frameless glass showers in Massachusetts and New Hampshire since 2014 · Updated 10-20-2026

Choose a shower door handle by four things: its size measured center to center (6" and 8" are the standard pull sizes), whether it mounts back-to-back or on one side, the style (pull, ladder pull, knob or finger pull), and whether it fits your glass thickness and the holes in your glass. When you are replacing a handle, the new one has to match the old hole spacing exactly.

What size shower door handle do I need?

Pull handles are sized center to center: the distance from the middle of one mounting post to the middle of the other. That is also the spacing of the two holes in the glass. The standard sizes are 6" and 8". CRL's BM Series tubular pull, which CRL calls its most popular handle, comes in both: BM6X6 and BM8X8.

The number in a handle's name is not always the center to center size, so check the specs before you order. CRL's 24", 36" and 48" ladder pulls are named for their overall length: the 24" ladder pull mounts 12" center to center, the 36" mounts 24" and the 48" mounts 36". The 6" and 8" ladder pulls are named for their center to center size and measure 10" and 12" overall.

Back-to-back or single-sided: which do I need?

A back-to-back handle is a matched pair: one pull on the inside of the door and one on the outside, bolted to each other through the same holes. This is what a frameless swing door uses, because you need something to grab from both sides. Most of the pulls and knobs in our pull handles & knobs section are back-to-back.

A single-sided handle has a pull on one side and a slim end cap on the other. CRL's single-sided pulls without metal washers have an end cap that sticks out only 1/8", which is why they are used where doors slide past each other, like bypass sliding doors and wardrobe doors. Examples: the 8" single-sided pull (BPS8) and the single-sided cylinder knob (SDK212).

Pulls, ladder pulls, knobs or finger pulls?

• Pull handles are the classic choice for a frameless swing door. The BM Series is heavy 3/4" brass tubing that stands 2-1/2" off the glass. Other shapes include square (SQ), mitered corner (MT), crescent, oval/round, Victorian and Colonial.
• Ladder pulls are taller and straighter, for a bolder, modern look on heavy frameless doors. They need 5/16" or thicker glass, and the long sizes (24", 36" and 48") use larger 1-1/4" tubing and a 5/8" hole.
• Knobs need only one hole. They give a smaller, simpler look when a full pull is more than you need. The traditional back-to-back knob is 1-9/16" across and stands 1" off the glass.
• Finger pulls are low and recessed for your fingertips. The CRL finger pull knob is made for bypass sliding doors, so you can open the door from inside the shower. Its 1/4"-20 thread also fits most CRL towel bars.
• Premium long handles (48" and 60") are sleek stainless steel pulls with no visible mounting hardware, for sliding and swinging doors. They are made for 3/8" glass only.

What size hole does a shower door handle need?

Most CRL pulls and towel bars need a 1/2" (12 mm) hole at each mount. Knobs need one hole, 3/8" or 1/2" depending on the model, and the long ladder pulls need 5/8" (16 mm). Shower door glass is tempered, and tempered glass can't be drilled after it is made, so the holes are cut before the glass is tempered. That is why the hole spacing on your glass decides which handles fit it.

Will it fit my glass thickness?

Most CRL pulls and knobs fit glass from 1/4" to 1/2" (6 to 12 mm), which covers almost every shower door. The exceptions to check: ladder pulls need 5/16" to 1/2", the sculptured pull needs 3/8" to 1/2", the premium 48" and 60" handles are for 3/8" glass only, and slip-on handles are for thin 3/16" to 1/4" glass. Not sure what you have? Here's how to measure your glass.

Metal washers or no metal washers?

CRL's through-glass pulls come with plastic washers so metal never touches the glass. Many also come with decorative metal washers, 1-1/4" (32 mm) across, that sit at the glass and cover small chips around the hole. Handles marked "no metal washers" (like BMNW8X8) skip them for a sleeker, continuous look. If the holes in your glass have small chips, the metal washers are the forgiving choice.

How do I match the finish?

Match the handle to the hinges and clamps on the same door. The most common CRL finishes are polished chrome, brushed nickel, matte black, oil rubbed bronze and polished nickel, and many handles also come in satin brass, polished brass, brushed bronze and unlacquered brass. Match the shape too: CRL designed its square SQ handles to go with square-cornered hinge series like Geneva, Vienna, Concord and Cardiff. Shop matching hinges and clamps.

Replacing a handle: what to measure

1. Center to center. Measure from the middle of one post to the middle of the other. Your new handle must match it.
2. Glass thickness. Measure a bare edge of the door and check that it is inside the handle's range.
3. The holes. With the old handle off, measure the hole diameter. A 1/2" hole takes most pulls; a knob may need 3/8" or 1/2".
4. One side or two. Note whether the old handle had a pull on both sides or a cap on one side.

If the handle is fine and only the small parts are worn, CRL sells replacement sets, like the BM handle washer and stud set, in the towel bars section under replacement parts.

Where we'd start

• CRL BM8X8: 8" back-to-back tubular pull with metal washers. CRL's most popular handle, in many finishes.
• CRL BM6X6: the same pull in 6", for narrower doors or a smaller look.
• CRL SQ8X8: 8" square pull, to match square-cornered hinges.
• CRL LP8X8: 8" ladder pull for a modern look on 5/16" to 1/2" glass.
• CRL SDK100: traditional back-to-back knobs, one hole.

See every style in Pull Handles & Knobs, or add a towel bar with our shower door towel bar guide.