Do you know exactly how long is 8 inches?
Many of us struggle to visualize without some reference, it can be simple when you have a ruler but who have it all the time.
Understanding how long 8 inches is matters more than you think.
Whether you’re shopping online for something with dimensions, working on a home project, or describing a size to someone, these examples are the best way to make them understand.
How long is 8 inches, it’s 20.32 centimeters or 203.2 millimeters. It’s about 0.67 feet or 0.2032 meters. But numbers don’t help us with the length.
What’s more useful is thinking about common items we have around us.
Like a standard pencil, a banana, or your hand can give you a clear visualisation.
Here in this post, I’m going to walk you through 19 best practical real-life examples of how long is 8 inches.
When you finish with this, you’ll never again be confused “how long is 8 inches?” because you can visualize it through these everyday references.
What’s the best way to visualize 8 inches? (19 Best Real Life Examples)
How long is 8 inches and for that look around your home, office, or in your pocket, there are many items that measure close to 8 inches or perfectly 8 inches.
These common objects make perfect visualization when you need to estimate the length without any measuring tools.
A Pencil Case
The standard pencil case in your kid’s backpack is around 8 inches long. This makes it a handy reference point because most of us can visualize it suddenly.
What’s great about using a pencil case is most of them are designed to fit standard pencils with extra space. Next time someone asks you to measure 8 inches, think about a pencil case.
Medium Sized Spatula
A medium spatula is close to 8 inches. The medium-sized spatulas in kitchen drawers have a blade and handle together measure right around this length.
I love this example because everyone has one in their kitchen. It’s a quick and easy way to visualize 8 inches without needing a ruler.
The Width of a Magazine
The width of a magazine, take a look at its width, standard magazines measure 8 inches across. This makes magazines a perfect reference when you need to visualize this length.
The consistency in magazine sizes means you can take any magazine in your house and have an 8-inch measuring tool.
Baseball Bat Handle
The handle portion of a standard baseball bat measures about 8 inches long. It’s a part wrapped in grip tape or leather where players place their hands.
Keep in mind that bat handles can vary between youth and adult models, so this is more of an approximation than a measurement.
The Compact Flashlight
The handy flashlight in your emergency kit or glove compartment is many compact models measure around 8 inches long.
The mid-sized flashlights are designed to be portable while having battery power to be useful.
What makes flashlights a good reference tool is the cylindrical shape, they give you a visual of 8 inches in length without any curves or odd shapes.
Length of Ribbon or String
Here’s a tip, cut an 8-inch piece of string or ribbon and keep it with you. This may sound silly, but having a 8-inch reference that you can pull out anytime is handy. I’ve used this trick when furniture shopping, choosing picture frames, and buying gifts that needed to fit in spaces. It takes no room but gives you an instant, accurate measurement tool.
iPhone 7
Tech examples are useful since many of us have smartphones with us. The iPhone 7 measures about 5.44 inches tall, so if you imagine 1.5 iPhones stacked end-to-end, it gives you around 8 inches.
This works best if you have an iPhone 7, but many smartphone models hover around similar heights, making them reference points.
Standard Dinner Fork
Open your silverware drawer and pull out a dinner fork, many standard dinner forks measure between 7-8 inches long.
This makes forks one of the accessible reference tools. What’s great about using a fork is that everyone has access to one, whether at home, at work, or in a restaurant.
Standard 8-inch Ruler
A standard 8-inch ruler is exact 8 inches. Many small rulers, the given to kids for school, are this length rather than the 12 inches.
The beauty of using a ruler is that there’s zero guesswork involved. It’s designed specifically to measure length.
If you need to check measurements, keeping a small 8-inch ruler in your desk, car, or bag eliminates the errors.
Average Male Hand
Hold out your hand and spread your fingers wide for adult men, the span from thumb tip to small tip is around 8 inches.
This built-in measuring tool is handy. But keep in mind that hand sizes vary from person to person.
Women have small hand spans, and kids’ hands are much smaller. But for an estimation, the adult male hand span is reliable for visualizing 8 inches.
Two Popsicle Sticks
Standard popsicle sticks are around 4 inches long, so two of them placed end-to-end gives you your 8-inch reference. This works well because popsicle sticks are uniform in size and available in homes.
Also, they’re straight and rigid, making them excellent impromptu measuring tools. Make sure you’re using the standard-sized craft sticks.
Two Toilet Paper Rolls
Here’s a quirky but effective reference, two standard toilet paper rolls placed end to end measure around 8 inches.
Each cardboard tube is 4 inches long, making an easy visualization tool that’s available in every home and public restroom.
Of course, there’s some variation between brands, but for a quick estimation, this household item works well as a reference point.
A Mouse Pad
Take a look at the mouse pad, many standard rectangular mouse pads measure about 8 inches.
This makes them a reference point for anyone who works with computers.
All mouse pads are created equal though, gaming mouse pads are much large, while travel ones can be small.
Medium-Sized Banana
A medium-sized banana measures around 8 inches from tip to tip along its outer curve.
What makes bananas a great reference is their ubiquity, they’re available in every grocery store worldwide.
Remember that bananas come in various sizes, so aim for the medium ones for the 8-inch.
Small Pizza
The individual-sized pies measure about 8 inches in diameter.
Pizza places standardize their sizes consistently, making small pizzas a reliable point.
Keep in mind we’re talking about the diameter of the pizza, not the box it comes in.
Next time you order a personal pizza, you’re not only getting lunch but you’re getting a perfect example of 8 inches.
Standard Dinner Plate
Take a look in your kitchen cabinet, the small dinner plates or large salad plates measure around 8 inches.
This makes them another household reference for visualizing the length. The nice thing about plates is their perfect circular shape, giving you a 8-inch diameter from any angle.
Not all dinner plates are this size, but the small plates in many dish sets have an 8-inch.
Hardcover Book Width
Take a hardcover novel off your bookshelf and measure its width, many standard hardcover books are around 8 inches wide.
This makes books a reference point for visualizing 8 inches. But book sizes vary depending on the publisher and type of book, but that standard fiction hardcover is around 8 inches.
Plus, books have the advantage of being straight along their edges, making them good rulers.
iPad Mini
Tech gadgets have precise, standardized measurements. The iPad Mini screen measures about 8 inches diagonally.
This makes it a perfect modern reference for visualizing this length. If you or someone you know has an iPad Mini, you’ve got an exact 8-inch diagonal reference.
Remember you’re measuring corner-to-corner across the screen, not the height or width.
The Kitchen’s Knife
The blade on a standard chef’s knife measures around 8 inches long.
Professional chefs and home cooks alike reach for the 8-inch knives as their go-to size for the kitchen.
Of course, knife sizes vary from tiny paring knives to big cleavers, but the standard chef’s knife is exact 8-inch.
Conclusion
There are many everyday items that could help us visualize how long is 8 inches.
From the pencil case sitting on your desk to the banana in your fruit bowl, you’ve got 19 different ways to visualize this length without considering a ruler.
I find it helpful to have the reference points like they make shopping, crafting, and everyday tasks easy.
My personal favorite is the dinner plate trick, since I use plates every single day.
Next time you need to figure out if something is around 8 inches, think about this list.
Whether you’re at home, at work, or shopping, you’ll have many visual references to help you estimate how long is 8 inches.