Custom Closet Round Vs Oval Closet Rods

There are many opinions on which closet rod is better, Round or Oval? Which is cheaper? Which one is stronger? Which one has less friction? Which one scratches less? Which holds the clothes the best way? Which one looks better? The list goes on. Let’s take an engineer’s perspective on the subject and put a little math behind which one is better for your custom closet. I will also present logical reasons where empirical data is not found.

First, oval is not really oval. It is flat on parallel sides and rounded on the ends as shown in the photo below. A round pole is exactly as described, round.

Surprisingly, many voice their liking for oval closet rods stating they are stronger. Stronger? Based on what? It is hard to justify which is stronger without describing material composition. Saying one is stronger than the other is like saying all red cars are faster than blue cars without knowing the performance data on the cars.

Oval wins out in the pricing game. The oval pole is cheaper than a round pole. This is the main reason why some closet companies use oval as it adds to their bottom line without the customer knowing the difference.

A common closet oval pole has a wall thickness of 1 mm while a round pole has a wall thickness of 1.9 mm. Clearly a thicker wall is stronger than a thinner wall when comparing the same metal composition. Based on thickness round wins.

Taking wall thickness out of the equation an oval pole is weaker in torsional tests and in the lateral plane. Oval is only slightly stronger in the vertical plane. When loading an oval pole with heavy clothes the vertical strength will falter and the pole will succumb to torsional stress and fail. Taking all three into consideration round wins especially when the diameter of the round pole is large than the oval pole.

This is a non-issue, no math needed! We are sliding our clothes only a few inches at a time in the closet. Saying one has less friction over the other is like saying a 2 carat diamond wedding ring is more fatiguing on your finger when compared to a 1 carat ring.

Scratching depends on the quality of the finish on the pole regardless of shape. If something is coated cheaply it will scratch. If you are using poles with a lifetime warrantee there will be no issue on scratching.

Holding clothes better is a matter of personal opinion. The oval pole allows the hanger to twist on the pole as there is very little pole surface contacting the hanger. The round pole is bit larger and holds the clothes more in line with one another. Your closet professional should have both to show you so you can decide.

This is also a matter a personal opinion. An oval pole is about 1” tall and about ½” wide. A round pole is 1-5/16” in diameter. The round pole is larger than the oval pole and looks robust in the closet. You can see photos and compare in this article.