A glass pocket door gives you the best of both worlds: it slides out of the way into the wall, and when it’s closed it still lets light through. That makes glass pocket doors a good fit for dark hallways, kitchen-diners, home offices and anywhere you want to divide a space without losing light.

There are two quite different ways to get a glass pocket door, though, and they need different hardware. This guide explains both, along with the safety glass rules, door weight, privacy and the questions to ask before you buy.

Two types of glass pocket door

1. A glazed timber door in a standard pocket kit

The simplest route is a timber door with glass panels, hung in a normal pocket door kit. The door has a timber frame all round, so it’s fixed to the kit’s runners in the same way as a solid door.

This works with most standard kits, provided the door is within the kit’s limits for size, thickness and weight. Our 90mm pocket door kit, for example, suits doors 35mm to 44mm thick and up to 60kg. Browse our internal glazed doors for styles that could suit.

Pros: wide choice of styles, uses standard kits and hardware, and the timber frame protects the glass edges.

Cons: less glass and a heavier look than an all-glass door.

2. An all-glass door in a glass pocket system

A frameless all-glass door is a single sheet of toughened glass. It can’t be screwed to standard runners, so it needs a pocket system with glass fixings.

Eclisse, for example, offers glass pocket door systems for 8mm and 10mm toughened glass doors. Its glass fixings come in two types:

Clamps fix onto the top of the glass without any machining. Eclisse rates them for door panels up to 80kg in 8mm to 10mm glass.
Brackets need two dovetail cuts in the top of the glass. Eclisse rates them for door panels up to 100kg in 10mm glass.

Pros: maximum light and a very minimal look, especially in a frameless (no architrave) pocket frame.

Cons: less privacy, more fingerprints, and handles and locks have to be glass-specific.

Safety glass: what the regulations say

Glass in doors is one of the “critical locations” in Approved Document K, the guidance on protection from falling, collision and impact for England. It covers glazing in a door between floor level and 1500mm, and glazing in side panels within 300mm of a door.

In critical locations, glazing should either break safely, be robust, be in small panes or be permanently protected. For most doors, that means safety glass that meets Class 3 of BS EN 12600 (or Class C of BS 6206), such as toughened or laminated glass. Approved Document K also refers to a higher impact class (Class 2 of BS EN 12600, or Class B of BS 6206) for door and side panel glazing with a pane wider than 900mm, so check the specification with your supplier for wide doors.

Reputable glazed doors and glass pocket doors are supplied with suitable safety glass, but it’s worth checking the specification, particularly with older, reclaimed or bespoke doors.

Why toughened glass needs planning

Toughened glass is heat treated to make it stronger. Once it’s toughened, it can’t be cut, drilled or notched without risking it shattering. That has some practical knock-on effects:

Order the exact size. You can’t trim a glass door on site to suit the opening, so the frame and opening need to be right first.
Holes come first. Holes for handles or locks have to be made before the glass is toughened, so choose your hardware before ordering.
No fixings through the glass afterwards. Any later additions need to clamp on or stick on.

Check the weight

Glass is heavy. A useful rule of thumb is that glass weighs about 2.5kg per square metre for each millimetre of thickness. Toughening doesn’t change the weight.

As a rough example, a 826mm × 2040mm glass door is about 1.69 square metres. In 8mm glass, that’s around 34kg. In 10mm glass, it’s around 42kg. Add handles and fixings, then check the total against the pocket system’s maximum door weight. Heavy doors also need a soft close rated for their weight. Our guide to soft close pocket doors explains how closers are matched to door weight.

Privacy and finish

Clear glass maximises light and views, but it gives no privacy. Common alternatives are:

Satin or frosted glass, which lets light through while blurring what’s behind it.
Patterned or striped glass, which mixes clear and obscured areas.
Tinted or bronze glass, for a darker, more architectural look.

For a bathroom or ensuite, choose obscured glass and a proper sliding privacy lock. Bear in mind that glass doesn’t reduce sound as well as a solid door, and there are always small gaps around a pocket door. Our guide to pocket doors for bathrooms and ensuites covers privacy locks, gaps and ventilation.

Handles and locks for glass pocket doors

A glazed timber door can use the same flush pulls, edge pulls and privacy locks as any other pocket door, fitted into the timber frame. Our guide to choosing pocket door handles explains the options, and you’ll find a range in our pocket door hardware.

An all-glass door needs glass-specific hardware. Pulls are usually fitted through holes made before toughening, or bonded to the glass. If you need a lock, choose a glass door lock designed for the system and glass thickness, and make sure any holes are specified before the glass is made.

Remember that anything that sticks out from the face of the door will hit the pocket as the door slides in. Flush or very low-profile hardware is essential.

Framed or frameless pocket?

Like solid pocket doors, glass pocket doors can go in two kinds of frame:

Standard frames finish with architrave around the opening, just like a hinged door.
Frameless (flush) frames are plastered in, so the opening has a clean edge with no architrave. Eclisse’s Syntesis Flush range, for example, is offered with 10mm glass doors.

An all-glass door in a frameless pocket frame gives the most minimal finish. Our guide to pocket door frames explains the difference between the two in more detail.

Can a glass pocket door be a fire door?

Only as part of a tested and certified system. Standard toughened glass is a safety glass, not a fire-resisting glass, so an ordinary glass pocket door isn’t a fire door.

If you need a fire-rated (FD30) glazed pocket door, for example on a protected escape route, you’ll need a pocket system with fire test evidence covering the door, the glazing and the frame together. Glazing in fire doors normally has to be done by the manufacturer or a licensed processor. Our guides to FD30 pocket doors and FD30 door requirements explain where fire doors are needed and how fire-rated pocket systems work.

Checklist before you buy

Choose the type: glazed timber door in a standard kit, or all-glass door in a glass system.
Check the wall: the kit has to suit your finished wall thickness. See our pocket door wall thickness guide.
Confirm the glass: safety glass in critical locations, and the right thickness for the fixings.
Work out the weight: and check it against the kit and the soft close.
Pick the privacy level: clear, satin, patterned or tinted.
Choose the hardware first: especially for all-glass doors, where holes are made before toughening.
Check fire rating: only if the door is on a protected escape route.

Frequently asked questions

Can I put a glass door in a normal pocket door kit?

A glazed timber door can usually go in a standard kit if it’s within the kit’s size, thickness and weight limits. An all-glass door needs a pocket system with glass clamps or brackets.

What thickness of glass is used for glass pocket doors?

All-glass pocket doors are commonly 8mm or 10mm toughened glass. Eclisse, for example, offers glass pocket door ranges in both thicknesses.

Are glass pocket doors safe?

Yes, when they use safety glass. Approved Document K treats glass in doors as a critical location, so the glass should be toughened or laminated glass that meets the relevant impact class.

Are glass pocket doors good for bathrooms?

They can be, with obscured glass and a privacy lock. Remember that glass doesn’t reduce sound as well as a solid door, so a solid or partly glazed door may suit a shared bathroom better.

Can I cut a glass pocket door to fit?

No. Toughened glass can’t be cut, drilled or notched after toughening. Glass doors have to be ordered to the exact size, with any holes made before the glass is toughened.

Find the right glass pocket door setup

Browse our pocket door kits and internal glazed doors, or contact our team for help matching a glass door to the right pocket system.