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How Should Bathroom Stall Doors Open?

Written by Sumeet Manhas Posted On Wednesday, 29 July 2020 22:23
How Should Bathroom Stall Doors Open?

Have you ever wondered how bathroom stall doors are supposed to open? Or have you noticed some patterns in the directions these doors opened and asked what the reason was? Which way should these doors open into a bathroom?

This may be something not everyone would think of often, but when we do, it becomes a puzzling question. After all, if all these doors open the same way, it stands to reason that there should be a good explanation for it.

As it turns out, there are a lot of regulations that surround this topic, and good explanations for them. So in this article, we will be answering questions so that you won’t find yourself asking these questions again.

Which way should bathroom stall doors swing?

You might already have an answer to this question. After all, while you’ve probably used a public restroom at least once in your life, most of us have been inconvenienced by the direction these doors open more than once.

If you aren’t entirely sure yet, it’s time to set the record straight. All bathroom stall doors open inward, with one notable exception, but we will talk about that later.

So why do they swing in? The most common answer to this question is that it comes down to saving space. Public bathrooms are usually crowded and cramped. People are trying to move from the stalls to the sinks, and even back out the door. If it gets busy, occupants will notice a line waiting to access the stalls. They might have to pause in front of the mirror just to check their hair or adjust their clothing. It’s usually a highly-congested area.

Because of this problem, most bathrooms feature a design that can provide as much open floor space as possible. Trash bins are usually placed in out-of-the-way corners, and sinks are small and mounted on the wall. And most importantly, bathroom stall doors open inward. 

Why should bathroom stall doors swing in?

While not all bathroom stall doors swing inwards, here are the top reasons why they should:

They help save space

The biggest and the most obvious advantage of having a bathroom stall door that opens inwards is that it can help save bathroom space. It is indeed an enormous space server. Imagine if stall doors open outward – they’ll open without warning into the middle of the cramped and crowded bathroom. This will unintentionally strike the occupants and any oblivious passer-by. The likelihood will increase, and bathroom congestion will grow if stall doors open outward.

They’re perfect even when the locks are broken

Have you ever been in a bathroom stall only to find out that the lock on the door is not working? This is a common occurrence, and it’s also one that you can easily deal with. Most of us have probably experienced it, so we aren’t bothered by it anymore. And because the door swings in, it will hit its maximum range of motion, especially when pushed outward. This means that when you’re closing a door with a broken lock, it will always stay closed, even if it’s not locked. And if it doesn’t remain closed on its own, it won’t inconvenience the occupants waiting outside. Besides, it’s not hard to hold the door shut with your hand.

They prevent unwanted intrusion

Have you ever entered the bathroom and thought that the stall was unoccupied, only to find out that it’s blocked? Or have you been in a bathroom stall when somebody tried to open the door? None of these experiences is pleasant. Bathroom doors that open inward can provide an extra level of protection against such circumstances.

And even if the lock on the door isn’t working, it’s much harder to open the door from the outside if the bathroom door swings inward. The occupant can easily hold the door shut from the inside, which prevents any embarrassing situations.

They keep kids in check

A lot of parents take their kids with them into the bathroom stalls instead of leaving them outside the bathroom. However, if these kids aren’t old enough to understand proper public bathroom etiquette, it can be hard to predict what the kids will do. If a kid in the stall decides to open up the door, it will become much easier to avoid this from happening, even when the door opens inward. If the door opened outward, it would be impossible to catch it before it could swing open.

They prevent potential barricading

If the bathroom stall door opens outward, that will mean anyone who tries to exit the stall will entirely depend on the space outside the stall being clear to exit. If that space is blocked, then the occupants will be helpless to get out.

Initially, this will seem like it’s not a big problem, and you might wonder how that space would ever be blocked. But think about the possibility of someone trying to barricade people in the stalls. This wouldn’t be a common problem, but it’s still a possibility, especially in a school setting with groups of children. By designing doors to swing inward, this possibility can be avoided.

Based on this simple list, we can obviously say that there are so many benefits with bathroom stall doors opening inwards. It’s not hard to understand why almost every bathroom follows this practice. However, the problem is also slightly more complex than this list might make it seem. This involves so much more than a simple list of advantages. 

This list deals mainly with safety and privacy. Imagine accidentally hitting an unsuspecting occupant as you opened the bathroom stall door. That would pose a safety hazard. Or imagine someone opening the stall door while you’re inside, or someone barricading the stall door? These are issues of both privacy and safety.

Creating a private and safe space for your occupants in a public bathroom is ultimately more important than ensuring nobody experiences any inconveniences. This is why you should always design your bathroom stall doors to open inwards.

Sumeet is a professional writer who loves to research unique topics and express her thoughts by content writing.

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