Steel pivot door review: pros, cons and is it worth it?
- Steel pivot door, fully made to measure, with soft close pivot hinges
- Pivot fixed into the floor (4 cm deep, with plugs) and into the ceiling
- Openings 90 to 500 cm wide and 180 to 340 cm high, 50 to 150 cm per leaf
- Price for your exact size in the steel door calculator
Our verdict, point by point
| What we looked at | Our verdict |
|---|---|
| Durability | Welded steel door with safety glass. It arrives fully welded. |
| Looks | Its big strength. Slim profiles, thin glazing bars, and the door turns freely in the opening. |
| Fitting | Needs preparation. The pivot goes 4 cm deep into the floor with plugs, the top pivot is fixed to the ceiling. |
| Maintenance | Low. There is no timber to treat. |
| Price | Made to measure, priced in the calculator. A pivot door with soft close costs more than a hinged door of the same size. |
| Lead time | Made to order, about 8 weeks. |
The pros
- Opens both ways. With pivots in the floor and ceiling, the door swings to either side.
- Closes gently. The soft close slows the door down, so it never slams.
- Slim and bright. Narrow profiles and thin glazing bars keep the opening light.
- Fully made to measure. You choose size, opening direction, lock, glazing bars, handle and finish, and the calculator updates the price as you go.
- Wide range of sizes. Openings from 90 to 500 cm wide and 180 to 340 cm high.
The cons
- Your floor has to cooperate. The pivot sits 4 cm deep in the floor and the full weight of the door turns on that point. With underfloor heating or pipes, find out where they run first.
- Dearer than a hinged door. The pivot hardware with soft close adds to the price compared with a hinged door of the same size.
- A little smaller than the opening. Because of the pivots and the swing, the door is slightly smaller than the hole in the wall.
- You fit it yourself. We do not survey or install. If you would rather not, book a local builder or joiner.
- Waiting time. Every door is made to order, which takes about 8 weeks.
Who it suits, and who should skip it
A good fit for
- A living room, hallway or open plan kitchen where the door can be a feature.
- Wide openings, as one leaf can be up to 150 cm.
- Anyone with a solid floor who is happy to fit it themselves.
Less suited to
- A floor you cannot drill 4 cm deep into at that spot.
- Buyers after the lowest price. A hinged door costs less.
- Anyone who wants the supplier to measure up and install.
Comparison: pivot, hinged or sliding
| Pivot door | Hinged door | Sliding door | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fixing | pivots in floor and ceiling | hinges in the frame | track on the ceiling or rollers on the wall |
| Anything in the floor? | yes, 4 cm deep | no | no |
| Price | highest of the three for the same size | lower | priced in the calculator |
| Effect | a feature, turns freely | classic | slides along the wall |
If your floor is not suitable, go for a hinged door or one of our steel sliding doors, which leave the floor untouched. There is more on floors in steel pivot door: is your floor suitable.
Photos of fitted doors are in our steel doors reviews. How the price is built up is explained in the steel door price guide.
Frequently asked questions
Are pivot doors worth it?
If you want the doorway to stand out and your floor can take the pivot, yes. If you mainly want a door that closes off a room at the lowest cost, a hinged door is the more sensible choice.
Can a pivot door go on underfloor heating?
That depends on where the pipes run. The pivot goes 4 cm into the floor, so check the pipe layout before you fix the position of the door.
How long is the lead time?
Every pivot door is made to measure. Allow about 8 weeks.
Price your steel door in the calculator
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