Tall vs. Short Tap Handles

Posted by Richard Gendron on 2022 Mar 29th

Tall vs. short tap handles - is one better?

two sizes of tap handles

Tall tap handles: Short tap handles

Beer tap handles come in a variety of shapes and sizes, with height being one important factor. As a general rule, tap handles fall into two categories: short and tall.

What size is a short beer tap handle? What size is a tall beer tap handle?

We consider a short tap handle anything under 6” (15cm) tall. Everything over that is a tall tap handle. At Tap Handles Canada, we try not to go over 12” (30cm) tall.

Is a taller beer tap handle better? Everyone will see it! Some folks take tall to an extreme and this may cause some issues:

1: Accidental pour outs. Accidental pours are caused mainly by a top heavy handle. The centre of gravity is too high for the spring in the tap and they open.

2: Breakage. Breakage is caused by the bartender losing the feel for the tap and over extending it. A tall tap handle can create too much leverage when grabbed from the top. This can create either a broken handle, or a broken tap. There is also a trend towards too tall tap handles being less desirable.

Pub and restaurant owners make large investments in the interior design of their building, and the handles perhaps detract from the atmosphere that they are trying to create. Add to this the risk associated with too tall tap handles, and it causes concern. When purchasing custom beer tap handles, it may be a good idea to get both tall and short. If ordering just one size, we recommend sticking to around 10 to 11 inches. Bigger is not always better.

Check out our blog post The Perfect Tap Handle Size: How Wide is Too Wide? for more information about width of beer tap handles. A great design and a manageable size will help you get into more pubs and sell A LOT more beer. Let us help you with it!