One meter, a metric unit of measurement, is equal to 100 centimeters or 1000 millimeters. This unit is commonly used in England and Canada for measuring dimensions, distances, and heights, while the US primarily uses imperial measurements. A meter can be roughly converted to 3 feet, but a more precise conversion is 3.2 feet or 39.4 inches.
If you want to be able to measure a 1-meter distance without a measuring tape or a meter stick, there are some other ways you can do this using items you find around the house, or you can visualize the size of things using an image in your mind of something you are familiar with. Here we will look at a variety of things that are 1 meter long.
4-Year-Old Girl
The average height of a 4-year-old girl is 101cm, which is the equivalent of just a smidge over 1 meter. If you need to roughly visualize how big 1 meter is, then just think about the height of a small child. If you have any 4-year-old children in your family who are of average height, then you can use them as a comparison of what a meter would roughly equate to.
Boys tend to be a little taller than girls, so if you have a male child, then you could use a 3-and-a-half-year-old as a guideline of how big 1 meter would be, as boys of this age have an average height of 99cm, which again, is very close to 1 meter.
Golf Club
Golf clubs come in various lengths to suit the different heights and body proportions of the people using them. The rules of gold stipulate that golf clubs cannot be longer than 48 inches, and on average most golf clubs come in at around 43 inches in length.
As we know that 1 meter is equivalent to just over 39 inches in length, this means that golf clubs are just over 1 meter long. You won’t be able to use a golf club to accurately measure a 1-meter distance, but you could use a golf club to get a good mental image of what 1 meter would approximately look like.
Countertop Height
Kitchen countertops come in standard heights that only vary by a few inches either way because this height range has been deemed the height that is most comfortable for adults to work at when chopping food or washing dishes, and it is also a safe height to keep knives, hot pans or other dangerous items away from small children.
There are some exceptions to this. For example, a kitchen that has been specifically designed to allow accessibility for a wheelchair user. The average height of most kitchen countertops is 36 inches, which is a little under 1 meter, though breakfast bars with high counter stools can have a height of as much as 42 inches.
The height of countertops can be adjusted very slightly by altering the feet of the kitchen cabinets. These can be made a little taller or a little shorter to suit the needs of the owners of the kitchen. The toe-kick or kickboard will cover the cabinet legs in most instances, and this can also be adjusted. If you want to get a rough idea of how big 1 meter is, then just look at your kitchen countertops, as they will measure a similar length, though they probably won’t be exactly 1 meter.
Door Frame Width
Door frames come in various sizes, but the most common width size for interior doors in residential homes is 36 inches. This makes the standard width of a door frame a little under 1 meter in length because 1 meter is equal to 39 inches.
If you are trying to get a rough idea of how long 1 meter is, then you could use a door frame width as a guide. This is a good measurement to know because everybody has door frames in their home or workplace, so it is an easy one to conjure up a mental image of when you’re trying to visualize what 1 meter would look like.
6 and a Half Dollar Bills
A US dollar bill measures a little over 6 inches. This means that to reach a length of 1 meter, you would need to line up 6 and a half dollar bills in a row, end to end. To get a half, we recommend you fold the final dollar bill down the middle rather than cutting it in half and destroying money!
Most people have access to dollar bills, so this is another good measuring skill to have that enables you to measure items in denominations of 6 inches at any time without a tape measure or ruler. Any type of dollar bill will work for this because all denominations of US dollar bills have the exact same measurements, so it won’t matter if you’re using $5 bills or $20 dollar bills, for example.
Two Newborn Babies
The average length of a newborn baby born at full term is a little over 49cm. As 100cm is the equivalent of 1 meter, this means that if you put two newborn babies lying down in a row, you would have almost exactly 1 meter.
Of course, this all relies on averages, and some babies will be smaller, and some will be larger. Your babies probably won’t be thrilled about being used as a unit of measurement, so instead, this one is best just for visualizing purposes!
4 Size 9 Women’s Shoes
A US size 9 women’s shoe measures 25cm. This means that to get to 1 meter in length, you would need four size-9 shoes lined up in a row, heel to toe. Alternatively, if you have size 9 feet, you could use your actual foot as a measurement, stepping one foot after the other in a line for four steps to measure out the distance of 1 meter on the floor.
Width of a Refrigerator
Refrigerators come in a variety of styles and designs to suit different needs and preferences. Some common types of refrigerators include French door, side-by-side, top freezer, and bottom freezer models. French door refrigerators have two doors that open outwards, with the freezer drawer located at the bottom.
Refrigerator sizes range from 24 to 40 inches in width. A typical upright 2-door refrigerator can measure up to 101 centimeters wide. So, take a look at your fridge and feel free to use its width as a visualization of what 1 meter across looks like.
Guitar
Guitars that allow us to create beautiful melodies and express ourselves in unique ways! Whether you’re strumming an acoustic guitar around a campfire or shredding on an electric guitar at a concert, guitars have the power to bring people together and ignite our passion for music.
If you were to pick up any random guitar and measure it from end to end, it would most likely be around 40 inches or 101.6 centimeters long. However, guitar styles vary dramatically, so don’t expect precise measurements with this musical instrument.
Average Waist Circumference
Did you know that men have an average waist circumference of 94 cm while women are under 80 cm? However, your waistline may differ from the average, depending on how well you maintain your physique.
Now, how you’re going to use your waistline as a reference for measuring 1 meter or close to it is beyond me. You could roll on the ground and see how far you get, but that sounds a little dirty. If you’re into that type of thing, no judgment here!
Baseball Bat
Baseball bats are the ultimate tool for hitting it out of the park! They come in all shapes, sizes, and materials, so you can choose the perfect one to suit your playing style. Whether you prefer the classic feel of a wooden bat or the high-tech performance of an aluminum bat, there’s a bat out there that will help you knock it out of the park.
As far as baseball bats go, the typical one will measure around 42 inches or 106.7 centimeters from end to end. So, if your kids aren’t around, use their sporting equipment as makeshift rulers!
Yardstick
Earlier in this guide, I mentioned that people tend to convert 1 meter to 3 feet. This, as demonstrated above, is not accurate, but for rough-measurement purposes, it will certainly do the trick. And it just so happens that you can pick up measuring tools that are precisely 3 feet long!
Such a tool is known as a yardstick, which measures—you guessed it!—a yard (3 feet) long! It is slightly under 1 meter long (0.9144 centimeters), but for general-purpose measurements, it will do the trick.
Updated on Mar 08, 2023
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