A vision panel is a small window built into a door leaf, allowing you to see through the door before opening it. These panels greatly improve safety and comfort: for example, they allow people to avoid collisions in busy corridors or kitchens and provide immediate visibility in any room in the event of an emergency.
Vision panels also admit natural light into interior spaces that lack other windows. In architecture and commercial design (offices, schools, healthcare, etc.), vision panel doors are specified for both their practical benefits and aesthetic appeal. In our composite and metal door systems, we integrate clear or glazed panels without sacrificing thermal performance.
Vision Panel Doors
A vision panel door simply refers to any door that includes a glazed window. These are common in modern buildings where visibility and light are important. For example, an office or meeting room door may include a vision panel so people can see if the room is occupied.
Vision panel doors must satisfy building standards: the glass must provide an unobstructed view in the “zone of visibility” (generally between 500 mm and 1500 mm above the floor). In practice, architects often specify vision panelled doors at entrances, corridors and high traffic areas for safety and wayfinding. Our door systems can be factory fitted with vision panels of various materials (toughened glass, clear glass, etc.) and finishes.
Door Vision Panel Types
Rectangular (Vertical or Horizontal) Panels
These can be tall narrow strips or larger square/rectangle panels. Vertical panels spanning much of the door height are popular in offices and public buildings.
Split or Dual Panels
In some doors a horizontal mid rail splits the vision panel into upper and lower lights. This still meets the visibility requirement, as long as one panel covers 500–800 mm and the other 1150–1500 mm from the floor. Dual panels are often used in heavy duty or fire doors with mid rails.
Circular (Porthole) Panels
Round vision panels give a modern or industrial look. They provide the same visibility as rectangular panels but a distinct aesthetic.
Triangle and Trapezium panels
These non standard shapes are typically used for bespoke door designs in modern commercial or institutional space where aesthetics are as important.
Semicircle Styled Vision Panel
Semicircle vision panel with 3 styled panels
Semicircle vision panel with 3 styled panels
Semicircle vision panel with 3 styled panels
Round Vision Panel
Round vision panel
Semicircle vision panel
Round vision panel with grooves
Rectangle Vision Panel
Rectangle vision panel hinge side
Rectangle vision panel handle side
Long and wide vision panel
Long vision panel hinge side
Long vision panel handle side
4 wide vision panels
Long vision panel with vertical grooves
2 rectangle vision panels
Vision panel split in 6
Triangle and Trapezium Vision Panel
3 trapezium vision panels
2 triangle vision panels
2 trapezium vision panels
Triangle vision panel
Square Vision Panel
Diamond vision panel
3 large square vision panels with grooves
10 square vision panels
Diamond vision panel with grooves
2 square vision panels with grooves
5 square vision panels
Large square vision panel
5 square vision panels handle side
Metal Door with Vision Panel
Metal doors (steel or aluminium) are commonly specified for commercial and industrial use, and can easily accommodate vision panels. Aluminium doors use framed glass panels that can be double glazed for thermal performance. In all metal doors, the vision panel is factory fitted to maintain structural strength.
When specifying a metal door with a vision panel, our engineering team can advise on frame profiles and glazing options that satisfy both performance and aesthetic requirements, consistent with BS EN and BS standards.
Glass Vision Panels for Doors
The glass in a vision panel must be safety rated. In the UK, this means it must be toughened or laminated glass that complies with BS EN 12150 or BS EN 356, as applicable.
Typically, vision panels use 6–10 mm toughened glass. Laminated glass will crack but stay in the frame, while toughened glass crumbles into small safe fragments.
Obscured or frosted laminated glass is also an option for privacy in areas like meeting rooms.
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Discover how Idealcombi Windows can transform your living space by visiting our completed domestic and commercial projects. See firsthand the impact these doors can have on enhancing natural light, improving ventilation, and improving the overall aesthetic of your project.
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FAQS
UK building regulations (Approved Document M/BS8300) require vision panels in any door leaf wider than 450 mm that leads to a corridor, lobby or stairwell. So an office door on an escape route or in a public area must have a panel. However, interior office doors not on main routes are not strictly required by law to have them. In practice many designers include vision panels in office doors for safety and daylight.
In short, any door wider than 450 mm on an escape or access route must have a vision panel. The panel must provide a clear view zone between 500 mm and 1500 mm above the floor. Approved Document M and BS 8300 also note that if a door has a required mid rail or is subdivided, two panels must cover 500–800 mm and 1150–1500 mm respectively. Exemptions are made for toilets or private rooms, security doors, or spaces where light is strictly controlled (e.g. cinemas).
Common options include clear toughened glass, laminated glass, wired glass (in fire doors), frosted or obscured glass (for privacy), and low E coated glass (for insulation in exterior doors).
Vision panels must use safety glazing. For normal interior use, manufacturers typically specify toughened glass of around 6–10 mm thickness (to meet BS EN 12150) for strength and impact resistance.
Yes. Steel or aluminium doors can include vision panels. For fire rated doors, the glazing and framing must meet the same fire resistance as the door.
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