Single Door, Sidelites or Double Doors? How to Choose the Right Front Door Setup

Most front door shopping starts with style: wood or iron, clear or textured glass. The first real decision, though, is the configuration. Will your opening take a single door, a door with one or two sidelites, or a pair of double doors? Get that right and everything else (size, glass, hardware) falls into place. This guide walks through each setup, the opening sizes they typically fit, and the trade-offs we talk through with customers every day.

Start With the Width of Your Opening

Configuration is mostly decided by how wide your opening is. Door sizes are written in feet and inches, so 3/0 x 6/8 means 3 ft 0 in. wide by 6 ft 8 in. tall, and 5/9 x 6/8 means 5 ft 9 in. wide. The table below uses the overall unit sizes from our mahogany prehung listings as a guide.

Always measure your existing frame and rough opening before ordering. Our 4 Easy Steps to Measure Your Front Door walks you through it.

Option 1: A Single Front Door

A single 36 in. door is the simplest, most affordable and most weather-tight setup. There's one operating door, one lockset and one weatherstrip line. It's the right call for standard 3 ft openings, entries with little wall space on either side, and homeowners who want the lowest upkeep.

Option 2: A Door With One Sidelite

A single sidelite adds a 14 in. strip of glass next to the door. It brightens a dark foyer and gives the entry more presence, but it needs only about 53 in. of width. It's a great fit when the opening is off-center or a wall, closet or stair sits on one side. Our 4/5x6/8 Mahogany Door with 6 Lites and One Sidelight lets you choose whether the sidelite sits on the left or the right, and offers clear or Water Cubic glass.

Tip: put the sidelite on the latch side if you want to see who's at the door before you open it. Put it on the hinge side if you'd rather keep the view away from the handle.

Option 3: A Door With Two Sidelites (5/9)

The 5/9 x 6/8 unit is one of the most popular configurations we sell. It centers a full-size 36 x 80 in. door between two sidelites for a balanced, symmetrical look. You still use just one operating door, so day-to-day use and weather sealing work like a single door, but you get a lot more daylight. The 5/9x6/8 Mahogany 9 Lite Marginal Prairie Door with Sidelites lists a door opening of about 70 x 84 in. The 5/9x6/8 Mahogany 6 Lite with Sidelights offers clear beveled or Water Cubic tempered glass.

Installing a sidelite unit is very similar to installing a single prehung door, just heavier and wider. See How to Install a Front Door with Sidelights.

Option 4: Double Doors (6/0)

Double doors give you the widest clear opening, which is a real advantage when you move furniture, a piano or appliances. They also make a dramatic statement on wide porches. On our 6/0x6/8 Prehung Wood Double Door with 4 Lites, both doors open. Each slab is 36 x 80 x 1-3/4 in., and the double bore can go on the left or right door.

Things to plan for with doubles:

• Hardware for both doors. The door you use every day gets the lockset. The other usually gets matching dummy or handleset trim so the pair looks balanced.
• The center seam. Where the two doors meet is one more place for air and water to get in. A covered porch helps, and so does checking the weatherstripping every season.
• Furniture and rugs. Two inswing doors take up more floor space inside the foyer than one.

Should You Go Taller? 6/8 vs. 8/0

If your entry has a high ceiling or a two-story porch, an 8 ft door often looks more in proportion than a standard 6 ft 8 in. door. Our 6/0x8/0 Arched 6 Lite double and 5/9x8/0 Arched 6 Lite with Sidelights are both built for 8 ft openings. The 5/9x8/0 lists a 68-1/2 x 98 in. overall frame and a 69-1/2 x 99 in. rough opening.

Light, Privacy and Glass

More glass means more daylight, and also more visibility into your home. If the entry faces the street, consider textured glass such as Water Cubic or Frost on the door, the sidelites, or both. Clear glass works best where the entry is set back or shaded by a deep porch.

Quick Decision Guide

• Opening about 38 in. wide: single door.
• About 53 in., or a wall on one side: door with one sidelite.
• About 70 in., and you want symmetry with one working door: 5/9 door with two sidelites.
• About 75 in., and you want the widest opening: 6/0 double doors.
• Ceilings of 9 ft or more, or a two-story entry: consider an 8/0 height.

Browse all of our front doors with sidelights and wood doors, or contact our team with your measurements and we'll help you narrow it down.

Frequently Asked Questions

What size is a 5/9 x 6/8 front door?

It's a unit about 5 ft 9 in. wide by 6 ft 8 in. tall, usually a 36 x 80 in. door with a sidelite on each side. Our Prairie 5/9 listing gives a door opening of about 70 x 84 in.

Can I turn a single door opening into a door with sidelites?

Yes, but you have to widen the rough opening and install a properly sized header. Treat it as a structural change and plan for a contractor and any permit your city requires.

Do both doors open on a double front door?

On our 6/0x6/8 4 Lite wood double door, yes, both doors open. Most people use one as the everyday active door and keep the other latched until they need the full width.

Are sidelites or double doors more energy efficient?

A door with sidelites usually seals better, because there's only one operating door and no center seam. Double doors have more weatherstripping to maintain.

Which way should my front door swing?

Our mahogany prehung units are inswing, in left- or right-hand versions. Here's how to determine door swing before you order.