By Stacey L Nash | Updated Mar 28, 2022 2:32 PM
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Bathrooms aren’t just bathrooms anymore. They’re an escape, a sanctuary from everyday life. Frameless shower doors have played a key role in the transition from the bathroom as functional to home retreat. The best frameless shower doors bring a minimalist elegance, with either sliding or hinged configurations.
Without a frame, the eye keeps traveling, helping bathrooms to feel larger while making them easier to clean, too. Different door styles and hardware finishes offer a variety of looks to fit a wide range of interior designs.
The job of choosing the best frameless shower door for the bathroom is no small task. They come in a wide range of styles, designs, and sizes. This shopping guide can help narrow down the style, door thickness, and hardware needed based on the bathroom configuration.
A frameless shower door does not have a metal frame around the edge of the door. They come in both sliding and hinged designs. Either type may have a frame or rail to which they attach, but the metal isn’t attached directly to the door’s edge.
Measure carefully when selecting the shower door. Wait until all of the other shower finishings are complete, such as the backer board, tile, and any decor, to make sure you get accurate measurements. Just a note of caution—frameless shower door installation is fairly complicated and may require extra permits. Most people will require professional help unless they have considerable DIY experience.
The average frameless shower door has a 22- to 36-inch width. Heights are usually around 72 inches, though they can vary based on the bathroom design. It’s common for frameless shower doors to be custom made to fit the bathroom space because they have to fit precisely to prevent water from getting out of the shower.
You need several measurements to make sure you get a door of the right size. Start with height. Measure from the top of the fiberglass or tile on the wall to the floor of the shower. This measurement tells you the standard door height needed. You can measure higher if you’re considering an oversize or custom door.
Next, measure the full width of the door. Measure the top, middle, and bottom of the shower opening. If there’s a difference in these measurements, use a level to check the angle. In a perfect world, the walls must be parallel, though you may be able to use a tapered filler to adjust the opening if the walls aren’t exactly parallel.
Also, measure from the centerline to the edge. You’ll need this measurement for sliding shower doors because you want to make sure the doors line up correctly.
After you’ve taken all the measurements, consult with a professional to select a door that’s equal to or slightly smaller than your measurements. If you’re considering a hinged door, make sure it can open without hitting anything else in the bathroom.
Frameless shower doors range in thickness from 3/8 inch to 1/2 inch. Frameless doors are slightly more prone to falling or dropping during and after installation. It doesn’t happen often, but it does happen. As you can imagine, the thicker the glass, the less likely it is to break if it falls or gets dropped.
However, thick glass comes at a higher price, and of course, it’s heavy. Some bathrooms may not meet the structural needs of a large, 1/2-inch-thick glass door. Doors of this size may require extra reinforcing, or it may not be possible. A lighter 3/8-inch glass door is sufficient the majority of the time. They’re also easier to ship and install, as well.
In general, it’s a good idea to match the shower hardware with the rest of the hardware in your bathroom. For clear doors, make sure that the interior hardware matches the exterior hardware, too.
Most hardware is made out of aluminum, polished stainless steel, or a composite. Many shower doors include hardware in different colors such as black, chrome, nickel, and finishes such as brushed, satin, or matte.
Doors with a reversible installation option can be installed with the opening on the left or right side of the shower. Not all doors include this option. Check to make sure before you buy. You don’t want the door to arrive to find that it only opens from the left when you need an opening on the right.
Our top frameless shower door picks feature known brands and models that range from innovative to shower classics. Their look, quality, and installation options stand out from the competition.
The Woodbridge Frameless Sliding Glass Shower Door features a modern design with hints of industrial elegance in the track. The stainless-steel track offers 4 inches of adjustment to fit widths between 56 and 60 inches. The door’s height reaches 76 inches, but the rail sits slightly lower, so expect the shower’s actual entrance to be shorter than 72 inches.
The glass measures ⅜ inch thick, and the door is reversible to open on either the left or right side. Stainless-steel hardware resists rust and corrosion, ensuring the door lasts for many years. It comes in several finishes, including matte black, chrome, brushed gold, and brushed nickel.
Get the WOODBRIDGE frameless shower door on Amazon and at Walmart.
The VIGO Frameless Door features a sliding top track, leaving a clear door to open the look and feel of the bathroom. That track has a soft-close feature to quietly close the door. It works with a slim track with less bulk than average and smooth sliders for easy, quiet door control.
This door also stands out because it has an added 4 inches of height, at 76 inches. Those extra inches add weight to the door, making it heavier than a standard ⅜-inch-thick shower door. This VIGO frameless shower door comes in 16 sizes and five finishes, though all sizes are not always available.
Get the VIGO frameless shower door on Amazon and at The Home Depot.
The DreamLine Aqua Uno provides a sleek open design of a glass door for tub/shower combos. Combo showers aren’t always the most elegant, but this ¼-inch-thick door’s sloped edge brings an elegance that opens up the space.
The 34 5/16-inch-wide door has a walk-in opening and swings open from the wall hinges. There’s no adjustment for nonparallel walls, so the measurements and leveling have to be exact. However, the frameless design attaches from either the right or left side, so it will fit a wide range of bathroom configurations.
Get the DreamLine frameless tub door at Amazon, The Home Depot, and Walmart.
The DreamLine Aqua Ultra features a fun walk-in opening but a hinged door that opens from a stationary panel. It works well in small bathrooms. At the same time, the curved door edge adds a sense of style.
An aluminum channel provides ¼-inch adjustment for uneven walls. It offers extra durability with 5/16-inch-thick tempered-glass construction. This shower door installs from either side, literally “opening the door” to bathrooms of different designs and layouts. For added versatility, the channel and hinges come in a variety of finishes including brushed nickel, chrome, bronze, and matte black.
Get the DreamLine frameless shower door at Amazon, The Home Depot, and Walmart.
The VIGO Frameless Door features a sliding top track, leaving a clear door to open the look and feel of the bathroom. That track has a soft-close feature to quietly close the door. It works with a slim track with less bulk than average and smooth sliders for easy, quiet door control.
This door also stands out because it has an added 4 inches of height, at 76 inches. Those extra inches add weight to the door, making it heavier than a standard ⅜-inch-thick shower door. The VIGO comes in 16 sizes and five finishes, though all sizes are not always available.
Get the VIGO frameless shower door on Amazon and at Walmart.
The DreamLine Essence Frameless Sliding Shower Door features 5/16-inch-thick tempered glass. That extra ⅛ inch provides extra durability (and weight) to these gorgeous doors. The dual sliding door allows entry from either side.
An aluminum guard along the side keeps water in, but it also allows adjustments up to ¼ inch for uneven walls. Plus, the track trims down by 4 inches, giving some leeway in installation. The Essence fits openings from 56 to 60 inches wide and 76 inches high, an extra 4 inches of height in comparison to standard frameless shower doors.
Get the DreamLine frameless shower door at Amazon, The Home Depot, and Walmart.
A small bathroom doesn’t have to lack design. The DreamLine Shower Door features a bifold design that works well in narrow, cramped spaces. The DreamLine creates a minimalist, European look without a huge door installation.
An aluminum wall profile provides ⅜ inch of wiggle room for walls that aren’t quite even. The glass itself measures ¼ inch thick, for a heavier feel over the standard ⅜-inch door. It comes in either a 29.5- or 33-inch width to accommodate showers of different sizes. However, the hinges and handle only come in a chrome finish so they may not match your current bathroom fixtures.
Get the DreamLine frameless shower door at Amazon, The Home Depot, and Walmart.
For a gorgeous upgrade to your bathroom setup, consider the WOODBRIDGE frameless shower door and enjoy its sleek modern lines and minimalist look. Alternatively, for a budget-friendly option, the DreamLine frameless shower door is simple to install and slides easily.
The best frameless shower doors provide a contemporary aesthetic to a bathroom while also being a functional barrier against water splashing from the shower—obviously a very important feature. In our research, we found the best options in the market to meet these requirements to provide a comprehensive list of top recommendations in a variety of styles, sizes, and finishes.
Our top picks offer shoppers multiple glass thicknesses as well as a variety of hardware materials to suit their needs. Most hardware is available in multiple finishes for each product to allow users to match their existing bathroom fixtures. Many of our recommendations are also reversible, and their installment can be adjusted to varying wall heights and even uneven surfaces.
The best frameless shower doors will make you want to spend more time in your bathroom than you probably should. They’re beautiful, sleek, and sophisticated. However, you might have a few questions about the installation and the door itself.
A leak-free frameless shower door starts with building the shower correctly. The floor should decline slightly toward the center to prevent water from pooling in the shower or leaking outside of it.
Next, make sure the water doesn’t point and spray directly at the shower door. This helps the door gently angle the water toward the floor and drain. Consider a rainfall showerhead that directs the water toward the floor rather than spraying toward the walls.
Finally, plastic stoppers can be fitted onto the bottom of some frameless shower doors if you still have problems with leaks.
Semi-frameless shower doors have a side or two or three encased in metal like framed shower doors. Parts of the semi-frameless door are frameless, but not the entire door. In a frameless design, the door itself has no metal frame on it. It may attach to a metal frame in the doorway, but the door is a single piece of glass with no frame.
They are safe as long as they are installed correctly, which can be said about any shower door. Correct installation assures that the shower walls can support the door and that tracks and anchor points are lined up correctly.
Installation of a frameless shower door requires more work and know-how than a framed or semi-frameless model. Measurements and angles must be precise before starting the installation to prevent gaps. Include an extra 1/16 inch in your measurements to account for the tape measure’s metal tang. You need to be as precise as possible.
The rest of the installation requires shims, drills, and at least two pairs of hands to hold the door, keeping it in place with attaching it to the hardware. Depending on the bathroom design, a masonry drill, other special power tools, or professional help may be needed. However, having it installed by a professional can be pricey.
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