How Big Is 21 Inches: Household Items Around Us

Imperial units like inches can sometimes seem difficult to conceptualize. Twenty-one inches, for instance, may seem like a random measurement. Unknowingly, it corresponds to many household items you interact with daily.

So, how big is 21 inches? It’s the equivalent of 1.75 feet or 53.3 centimeters. For a more perspective look, it’s about three pencil lengths or two stacked-up paper towel rolls. Also, the width of your drop-in kitchen sink hovers around 21 inches.

I’ll compare 21 inches to common household items. It should give a clear picture of how this measurement looks in practical terms.

How Big Is 21 Inches: 19 Household Items Approximately 21 Inches

This is a list of 19 items that hover close to 21 inches. Use them to get a clear picture of how sizable 21 inches is.  

1. Two Dinner Plates

I’ll start with something simple – a dinner plate. The average dinner plate diameter is 10.5 inches. So, if you place a stack of two dinner plates edge to edge, you’ll be 21 inches wide. 

Of course, there are slight variations, like 10-inch. Nonetheless, two such plates still fall close to our target measurement of 21 inches.

2. Three Adult Toothbrushes

Twenty-one inches is enough space to lay out three adult toothbrushes. The most typical adult toothbrush is 7 inches long. So, lining three toothbrushes will have a total length of 21 inches. 

Of course, there are 7.5-inch brushes where three brushes go past the 21-inch mark by just an extra inch.

3. Three #2 Pencil Lengths

Your #2 pencils are 7.5 inches long. But take note that this is the length of an unsharpened pencil – not a sharpened one. So, if you line up three pencils, they’ll take up a length of 22.5 inches. In comparison, 21 inches will be a bit shorter yet closer to three pencil lengths.

4. Single Door Fridge Width

A regular fridge with one door typically ranges between 21-24 inches wide. Thus, our 21-inch measurement will fall right in this span or slightly on the narrow end. Either way, it offers a perfect picture of how sizable 21 inches really is.

5. Two Letter-Size Sheets 

The standard dimensions of a sheet of letter-size paper are 8.5 inches wide by 11 inches long. So, when you lay it flat, the length of one sheet is 11 inches. 

Now, take two sheets and place them end to end with the longer sides touching. Their combined length will be 22 inches, a very close approximation to 21 inch measurement. 

6. Six Brick Widths

You can also use common construction materials like a brick to visualize 21 inches. The standard width of a brick in the US is 3.625 inches. Essentially, the width is the shorter of the two main flat surfaces.

So, the width of six standard bricks lined up perfectly is 21.75 inches. This hits the approximate 21 inch measurement we’re looking for.

7. Size 10.5 Women’s Shoes

A regular size 10.5 women’s shoe measures 10-11 inches long on average, depending on shoe type. So, two shoes lined up heel to toe will take up 20-22 inches of space. 21 inches would comfortably fit this length. 

An alternative will be the size 9 men’s shoe. Sneakers this size will fall right at 10.5 inches long. So, our target is the length of two size 9 men’s sneakers. 

8. Two Lengths Letter Size Paper

The standard sheet of printer or copy paper is 8.5 x 11 inches. So, two lengths of this paper cover a distance of 22 inches. Twenty-one inches allows space for two sheet lengths with just a 1-inch overhang.

Want a more accurate representation? From the total length of two sheets, subtract half a thumb’s length. You’ll have precisely 21 inches. 

9. Standard Carry-On Suitcase Height

The standard carry-on suitcase height falls right around the 21-inch mark. For instance, domestic US airlines allow a standard height of 22 inches. International carriers, on the other hand, vary a little at 21.5 inches. So, both sizing regulations allow for a standard height of around 21 inches.

10. Seven Baseballs

The standard diameter of a baseball is 2.86-2.94 inches. So, let’s take the average of 2.9 inches. If you lay 7 baseballs end-to-end touching, they’ll span 20.3 inches. This equates to approximately 21 inches.

11. 2 Stacked-Up Paper Towel Rolls

Choose-a-size paper towels have varied lengths. But the standard roll of paper towel is typically 11 inches. If you stack two paper towel rolls vertically, that’s 22 inches total. 

Twenty-one inches is slightly below this doubled roll height. Still, it approximates what two stacked-up paper towel rolls would take up.

12. Drop-In Kitchen Sink Width

Standard drop-in kitchen sinks are manufactured with a width of 22 inches. So, 21 inches closely approximates your normal sink basin width, just falling 1 inch short. Of course, the width is constant for both single and double-bowl sinks. So, 21 inches closely match the width of your kitchen sink.

13. Two Tennis Racket Widths

The head of an adult-size tennis racket has a width of 10.625 inches. This is the shorter dimension across the face of the racket head. Two rackets side by side give a combined width of 21.25 inches. Basically, this rounds down to 21 inches.

14. Half Home Pool Table Width

Most residential pool tables have a 44 x 88-inch playing surface. Splitting the 44-inch width evenly in half, each section will be 22 inches. So, 21 inches comes very close to half the typical pool table width.

Alternatively, you can visualize 21 inches as a quarter of the length of your pool table. After all, splitting 88 inches into four gives 22-inch sections.

15. 6 Credit Cards 

The average credit card is 3.375 inches in length. If six credit cards are lined up end to end, the total length would be around 20.25 inches. So, six cards approach but don’t fully reach 21 inches. But being only 0.75 inches shorter, it comes reasonably close.

16. Half Driver Golf Club

This is the longest shafted club in your golf bag. Essentially, they’re for long-distance shots from the tee area. The standard length for a men’s driver is 44 inches from shaft tip to end of grip.

So, if you split the driver length in half, each section would measure 22 inches. This comes close to equaling 21 inches.

17. 6 Standard Playing Cards

A typical playing card you’d use for games like poker and bridge is 3.5 inches long. So, six standard cards arranged end to end have a cumulative length of 21 inches. This precisely equals our target measurement.

18. Diameter of 21 Dollar Coins

The standard US dollar coin is 1.043 inches wide. So, 21 of these coins, side by side, will span approximately 21.9 inches. This is as close as you can get to 21 inches.  

19. Size 3 Soccer Ball Circumference 

It’s the smallest official ball size for actual soccer games, mostly recreational youth leagues. The point is it has a circumference of 23-24 inches. Measure it by wrapping a piece of tape around the widest point of the ball.

While slightly smaller, 21 inches is about as close to the typical girth of a size 3 soccer ball.

Conclusion

Hopefully, I’ve helped you to conceptualize 21 inches in a tangible way. Some measurements are slightly off, others are right on the 21-inch mark. Still, all these items provide an understandable point of comparison. So, the next time 21 inches pops up, visualize one of these items.