When planning a new kitchen or renovation, most homeowners focus on colours, finishes, and overall style because let’s face it - that’s the exciting bit. But while choosing the perfect shade for your glass splashback is fun, there’s another important factor that should be considered.
Kitchen glass splashback thickness is often overlooked. The right glass thickness plays a key role in ensuring your splashback is both stylish and long lasting. Although the general rule of thumb is the same for most kitchens, it’s still helpful to understand the reasoning behind it; why a certain thickness is recommended, how it affects safety and durability, and when you might consider something different.
In this guide, we’ll walk you through exactly how thick a glass splashback needs to be, what’s considered standard, and how to make a confident, informed choice for your kitchen.
How Thick Does a Glass Splashback Need to Be?
For most kitchens, a 6mm toughened glass splashback is the standard choice, and for good reason. It offers an ideal balance of strength, safety, and appearance.
You may think 6mm doesn’t sound very thick at all, but toughened glass is specially treated to make it significantly stronger than standard glass, so even at 6mm thick, it’s highly durable and suitable for everyday kitchen use. It can handle heat, resist impact, and hold up against general wear and tear that comes with cooking, cleaning, and busy family life.
For the majority of standard residential kitchens, 6mm is more than sufficient. Thicker options of 8mm are available, but they’re usually chosen for design preference rather than necessity.
What Thickness Is Best Behind a Hob?
It goes without saying that any material positioned behind a hob must be safe and heat resistant.
In most cases, 6mm toughened glass is perfectly suitable behind both electric and induction hobs. It’s designed to cope with high temperatures and normal cooking conditions when installed correctly and with the proper clearances; the glass will suffer no impact providing it’s been fitted properly.
This thickness is even safe for gas hobs where there’s an open flame; you’ll just need to make sure there’s a good distance between the burners and the splashback. Our team can offer assistance here, should you need it.
Does Thicker Glass Mean It’s Safer or More Heat Resistant?
This question seems like it should have an obvious answer but in fact, you might be surprised and reassured to learn that thicker glass does not automatically equate to better safety and heat resistance standards.
Safety and heat resistance depend far more on whether the glass is toughened than on whether it’s 6mm or 8mm thick. Toughened glass is designed to withstand high temperatures and thermal shock, and it’s up to five times stronger than regular glass regardless of minor thickness differences.
Homeowners who choose 8mm thickness do so if they want to achieve greater visual depth or a slightly more premium feel. However, heavier glass comes with a higher cost and is more difficult to install, requiring stronger fixings.
The bottom line is: 6mm is perfectly sufficient where safety and heat resistance is concerned.
What Thickness Do You Recommend For Made-to-Measure Splashbacks?
Because made-to-measure splashbacks are tailored precisely to your space, the right thickness will always depend on your layout, hob type, and overall design goals. The good news is that for the vast majority of kitchens, you can feel completely confident choosing 6mm toughened glass.
If your buying a glass splashback
Choosing the right glass splashback thickness doesn’t need to be complicated. For most homes, a thickness of 6mm will suffice. Thicker options are available if you’re looking for a particular aesthetic or covering a larger area, but they’re very rarely essential from a performance point of view.
