Compared to the glass panels on a frameless shower, the door handle is a relatively small component, but its impact on a frameless shower’s look and functionality is significant. Your choices boil down to four main categories – knobs, finger pulls, pull handles, and towel bars. The right pick for your glass shower enclosure will depend on factors like the bathroom’s style and your practical needs. Let’s explore the features, pros, and cons of each option.

 

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Knobs and Finger Pulls for Glass Shower Doors

Small knobs of various square and rounded shapes can serve as glass shower door handles. These can be simple and classic or unique and modern, but they are always small. You may prefer a knob or finger pull if you want to keep the emphasis on the glass and use as little metal as possible. DKM1 - FHC Single Sided Modern Knob and DKR212 - FHC Round Single-Sided Shower Knob With Sleeve are examples of rounded or cylindrical knobs. DKSQ2 - FHC Back-To-Back Square Knob has 90 degree edges, and DKC2 - FHC Back-To-Back Classic Knob features a very traditional shape.

While knobs extend out from the glass so that you can hold onto them and pull the door open or shut, a finger pull includes a shallow recessed area where you can hook your finger and operate a sliding door panel. Knobs can be used on both swinging and sliding doors, but finger pulls are usually installed on sliding door systems.

In summary, if you want low profile option, consider:

A modern geometric knob

A classic knob

A finger pull (for bypass and rolling glass doors)

 

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Lots of Options with Shower Door Pull Handles

If you prefer a more substantial door opener or find a pull handle more ergonomic, you have lots of choices. Although pull handles can be made from tubular, square, or ornate lengths of metal, they always extend out from and return to the glass, forming a handle around which you can easily wrap your fingers to operate the door. Items like PHM8X8 - FHC 8" Mitered Round Series Back-To-Back Pull and CRW8X8 - FHC Crown Style Pull 8" X 8" Back-To-Back have sleek geometric profiles. Ladder style handles and luxe designs like BAR8X8 - FHC Baroque Series 8" Back-To-Back Pull Handle are also available if you want a handle with distinctive flair. Additional pull handle variations include:

Back-to-back pull handles (on each side of the glass) or single pull handles (on only one side of the glass)

With or without washers at the points of contact with the glass

Handle dimensions

Orientation on the glass (usually vertical, but horizontal and diagonal are also possible)

Pull handles do introduce more metal to an enclosure than a knob or finger pull, but this metal can be stylish and enhance the theme you’ve chosen for the bathroom.  

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Towel Bars and Towel Bar/Pull Handle Combos

Metal towel bars, such as TBRM18X18 - FHC 18" X 18" Back-To-Back Mitered Towel Bar, are installed horizontally on shower glass, and when they are on a door panel they double as a handle. These are available in ladder style as well as simple geometric configurations. The addition of a towel bar means that there will be a considerable amount of metal on your frameless shower enclosure, but besides making it easy to open and close the door, they provide extra storage space for towels. Like pull handles, they can be back-to-back or single side. Usually, towels are only hung outside the shower stall, so you can also choose a towel bar/pull handle combo. This product gives you a pull handle on the inside of the door and a towel bar on the outside. TBR8X18 - FHC 8" Pull 18" Towel Bar Combo With Metal Washers is a good example of this option.

Glass Simple offers a wide selection of FHC shower door handles including the various styles and variations we’ve discussed. FHC products are compatible with other leading brands, and our user-friendly website is helpful for homeowners DIYing a frameless glass shower project. We are also the perfect source for professionals seeking to avoid supply chain issues and shipping delays. If you are a contractor or glass company, create a B2B account and get pricing discounted 25% or more - (571) 707-7760.