Short answer: Cabinet pulls are sized by center to center, the distance between the two screw holes, not by overall length. The most common sizes are 3 inches (76 mm), 3-3/4 inches (96 mm), 5 inches (128 mm), and 6-1/4 inches (160 mm). A simple rule for choosing: the pull should be roughly one third the width of the drawer front, and doors get a shorter pull or a knob. Knobs are sized by diameter, usually 1 inch to 1-1/4 inches, and need one hole. If you are replacing existing hardware, measure your holes and buy the same center to center so you do not have to fill and redrill.
Bear Hollow Supply stocks several hundred cabinet knobs and pulls in center to center sizes from 3 inches to 18 inches, with a filter on the collection page that lets you shop by exact spacing and finish. This guide covers how to measure, how to pick sizes for each drawer and door, and where to put them.
Knobs vs pulls
Knobs mount with one screw through one hole. They are the easiest to install, the easiest to swap later, and the right choice for doors, where you grab and pull with your fingertips. On drawers, a knob works fine on narrow fronts and is the traditional look on furniture and period kitchens.
Pulls (also called handles) mount with two screws. They give you a full hand grip, which matters on heavy drawers like pot drawers and trash pullouts. They also read as a horizontal line on the cabinet face, which is the modern kitchen look. A pull on a door is usually mounted vertically; a pull on a drawer is mounted horizontally.
The common combination is knobs on doors and pulls on drawers. All pulls everywhere is the clean contemporary approach. All knobs everywhere is traditional and the cheapest to install. There is no wrong answer; pick one approach and apply it consistently across the kitchen.
How to measure cabinet pulls
Center to center is the measurement that matters. Measure from the center of one screw hole to the center of the other. Overall length is how long the pull looks and matters for proportion, but it is center to center that has to match your holes.
Our product pages list both, for example "3-3/4 inch (96 mm) Center to Center, 4-1/2 inch Overall Length." Metric and imperial sizes are near equivalents of each other: 76 mm is 3 inches, 96 mm is 3-3/4 inches, 128 mm is 5 inches, 160 mm is 6-1/4 inches, 192 mm is 7-9/16 inches. If your existing pulls were made overseas they are likely a metric spacing; measure carefully because 3-3/4 inches and 96 mm are not quite identical, though in practice a pull will fit either.
Replacing existing hardware: measure the holes in the drawer front and order the same center to center. The knobs and pulls collection has a center to center filter so you can see only the sizes that will fit without redrilling.
New cabinets: you get to choose, and the next section covers how.
What size pull for each drawer and door
The one third rule is the easiest starting point: pull length around one third of the drawer width. It keeps the proportion right as drawers get wider.
| Drawer or door width | Typical pull center to center |
|---|---|
| Up to 12 inches | 3 inch (76 mm) or 3-3/4 inch (96 mm), or a knob |
| 12 to 18 inches | 3-3/4 inch (96 mm) to 5 inch (128 mm) |
| 18 to 24 inches | 5 inch (128 mm) to 6-1/4 inch (160 mm) |
| 24 to 30 inches | 6-1/4 inch (160 mm) to 8-13/16 inch (224 mm) |
| 30 to 36 inches | 8-13/16 inch (224 mm) to 12 inch, or two smaller pulls |
| Over 36 inches | 12 inch and up, or two pulls |
| Doors | 3 inch to 5 inch pull mounted vertically, or a knob |
| Appliance panels | 12 inch to 18 inch appliance pull |
Two pulls on a wide drawer is a legitimate choice, especially on drawers over 30 inches where a single long pull looks like a towel bar. Place them about a quarter of the way in from each end.
Many of our pull series come in a full run of sizes so you can use one style across the whole kitchen. The Stanton square bar pull, for example, runs from 3 inch center to center up to 17-5/8 inch in the same finish, and the Delmar and Gibson series pair matching knobs with 3-3/4 inch through 7-9/16 inch pulls plus a 12 inch appliance pull.
Knob sizes
Knobs are measured by diameter and by projection, which is how far they stand off the door. Standard kitchen knobs are 1 inch to 1-1/4 inches in diameter. A 1-1/4 inch knob is the safe default on full size cabinet doors; 1 inch and 1-1/16 inch knobs suit smaller doors, furniture, and period pieces; 7/8 inch knobs are for small drawers and cabinets where a full size knob looks heavy. Our Shaker wood knobs come in 1-1/16 inch and 7/8 inch in oak, cherry, maple, walnut, and black for furniture and painted kitchens.
Where to mount knobs and pulls
Placement is as visible as size. The conventions:
- Doors with a knob: on the stile opposite the hinge, 2-1/2 to 3 inches from the corner where the door meets the drawer or the adjacent door. On base cabinets the knob goes near the top corner; on upper cabinets near the bottom corner. On a shaker door, many people center the knob on the stile width and align it with the inside edge of the rail.
- Doors with a pull: vertical, on the stile opposite the hinge, with the bottom of the pull (on uppers) or top of the pull (on bases) aligned about where a knob would go.
- Drawers under 24 inches: one pull or knob centered on the drawer front, both horizontally and vertically. On a tall drawer front, some people set the hardware in the upper third rather than dead center so it is easier to reach.
- Drawers over 24 to 30 inches: one long pull centered, or two pulls each about a quarter of the way in from the ends.
- Stacked drawers of different heights: keep the hardware on the same horizontal line within each drawer and the same distance from the top edge of each drawer, so the pulls line up down the stack.
Make a drilling jig out of scrap with the hole spacing you have chosen and use it on every door and drawer. It is the only way to get consistent placement across a kitchen, and it is faster than measuring each one.
Finishes and matching
Match the finish to the faucet and lighting, not necessarily to the appliances. Matte black, satin nickel, brushed gold, and oil rubbed bronze are the current standards and each of our main series is offered in several of them. Mixing finishes is fine if it is deliberate: black pulls with brass knobs, for example. Mixing two slightly different nickels by accident is not. Buy all the hardware for a room from the same series at the same time so the finish matches piece to piece.
Our pulls in the Stanton, Delmar, and Gibson series are zinc with a durable plated or powder finish and ship with mounting screws for standard 3/4 inch doors and drawer fronts. If your drawer fronts are thicker than 3/4 inch, you will need longer 8-32 machine screws, available at any hardware store.
Installing cabinet hardware
- Decide on size and placement for each cabinet type and write it down so every door and drawer is treated the same.
- Build a drilling jig from scrap plywood with holes at your chosen center to center and offset from the edges.
- Clamp or hold the jig in place, mark or drill through it with a bit sized for the screws (typically 3/16 inch for 8-32 screws). Put a backer board behind the door to stop blowout.
- Drill from the front so any tearout is on the back.
- Install the hardware with the supplied screws. Snug, not cranked down; overtightening pulls the knob or pull out of square and can crack a painted finish.
Frequently asked questions
What does center to center mean on cabinet pulls?
The distance between the centers of the two screw holes. It is the measurement that has to match your drilled holes. Overall length is longer than center to center and affects only the look.
What is the most common cabinet pull size?
3 inches (76 mm) and 3-3/4 inches (96 mm) are the most common center to center sizes on kitchen cabinets, followed by 5 inches (128 mm) and 6-1/4 inches (160 mm). Many older dressers and cabinets were drilled at 3 inches.
Should I use knobs or pulls on kitchen cabinets?
The most common arrangement is knobs on doors and pulls on drawers. All pulls is the modern look; all knobs is the traditional one. Pick one approach and use it throughout the room.
How do I choose the right length pull for a drawer?
A pull roughly one third the width of the drawer front looks proportional. On drawers over 30 inches, use one long pull or two shorter ones placed a quarter of the way in from each end.
Where should knobs go on cabinet doors?
On the stile opposite the hinge, 2-1/2 to 3 inches from the corner nearest the countertop: the top corner on base cabinets and the bottom corner on upper cabinets.
Are 96 mm and 3-3/4 inch pulls the same?
Close enough to interchange. 96 mm is 3.78 inches and 3-3/4 inches is 3.75 inches. The 0.03 inch difference is within the slop of a drilled hole. The same goes for 128 mm and 5 inches, and 160 mm and 6-1/4 inches.
Do cabinet pulls come with screws?
Most of ours do, sized for standard 3/4 inch doors and drawer fronts. Check the product page. Thicker fronts need longer 8-32 machine screws.
Can I replace cabinet pulls without drilling new holes?
Yes, if you buy the same center to center as the existing holes. Measure the hole spacing and use the center to center filter on our knobs and pulls collection to see only the sizes that fit.