If you don’t have a ruler or tape measure, you can still measure 18 inches by using items with a similar length.
18 inches equates to one and a half feet because there are 12 inches in a single foot. If you converted 18 inches to metric units of measurement, this would be 45cm or 0.45 meters.
Here we will look at things that are 18 inches long to use as a means of measurement comparison.
Tire width
Tires come in various sizes to suit different vehicles. These will have both different diameter measurements, as well as different width measurements. The width measurement is taken from the outer edge of the tire to the inner edge, which would sit underneath the frame of the vehicle. To take the measurement of a tire, this would be much easier and safer when the tire is not fitted on the car.
Although there are various sizes of tires available, an 18-inch width is very common. Some cars which are compatible with 18-inch width tires are the Audi Q7, the Honda Pilot, and the Ford Mustang. If you have one of these models of car, you will be able to use the width of the tire to find out exactly how big 18 inches is.
Rolling pin
A rolling pin is commonly used by chefs for making pastries, pizzas, quiches, and pies. A lump of dough, whether that be pastry dough or bread dough, will be flattened using the hands and then rolled out to the desired thickness using a rolling pin. Rolling pins are traditionally made from wood, but they can also be made of marble.
Marble rolling pins are much more expensive to buy, but they are great for rolling pastry because they help to keep the temperature of the pastry low, which makes it easier to work with. Rolling pins work with the use of the chef or baker’s weight, which must be transferred onto the rolling pin using their arms.
The rolling pin quite literally rolls across the surface of the dough, flattening it to a uniform thickness against the surface of the kitchen countertop. The average length of a rolling pin is 18 inches, so if you have a rolling pin in your kitchen drawers, then you can grab this and use it as a rough size guide when trying to understand how big 18 inches is.
Giraffe’s tongue
Giraffes are well known for being the tallest land mammal on our planet, with some measuring as tall as 18 feet. An interesting fact is that a giraffe’s tongue stands at an incredible 18 inches in length.
This is certainly not going to be very helpful in terms of figuring out how big 18 inches is unless you have a pet giraffe who likes to grace you with big sloppy kisses. However, it does make for a fun fact you can share to impress friends and family.
Wiper blade
Windscreen wiper blades come in various sizes to fit different makes and models of cars, but 18 inches in length is one of the most common wiper sizes. If you are using your wiper blades as a reference point for understanding how long 18 inches is, remember that driver-side wiper blades and passenger-side wiper blades can be different lengths.
Some cars that use 18-inch windscreen wiper blades are the Ford Ranger, which has 18-inch wipers on both the driver and passenger sides, and the Ford Escape, which has an 18-inch wiper blade on the passenger side.
3 TV remotes
The average length of a TV remote control is 6 inches. If you were to line up 3 remote controls in a row, this would give you 18 inches. You could use a variety of remotes to achieve this, such as a TV remote, a DVD remote, and a cable remote. If you don’t have this many remotes, you could instead just use one and repeat the size of it end to end.
Remember, though, that TV remotes are not all the same size, and your remote may not be exactly 6 inches long, so this should just be used as an approximate way of understanding how long 18 inches is.
Toilet seat length
Toilets come in different shapes and sizes, for example, round toilet seats and elongated toilet seats. Elongated toilets are generally considered to be the most comfortable because they fit better with the shape of our bodies and offer better support when seated, and therefore these tend to be the most common types of toilet seats.
However, if a bathroom has limited space, then it might opt for a shorter or smaller type of toilet seat to ensure there is enough clearance to use it. If you have an elongated toilet seat, then the chances are that it will measure around 18 inches in length.
The most common size of an elongated toilet seat from front to back is 18 to 19 inches. This means that if you want to get a very good idea of what 18 inches looks like, then you can just take a look at a toilet seat.
Adult beagle
Beagles are clever and playful dogs that make excellent pets. They have a very strong sense of smell which means they are commonly used by the police and drug squads to sniff out crime. When a beagle is fully grown, it will stand between 18 inches and 22 inches tall.
You can typically expect female beagles to be slightly smaller than male beagles, so for the best shot at approximately 18 inches in height, look to a female adult beagle. Although not everyone has a beagle of their own, most people will be able to mentally conjure up an image of what a beagle looks like, and therefore be able to use this as a way of understanding how big 18 inches is.
18 Quarters
If you’re wondering about the size of a quarter, I’ve got the scoop for you! This little guy is about 0.95 inches in diameter, so it’s just a smidge under an inch, making it the near-perfect tool for measuring short distances. To get 18 inches, simply align 18 of them in a relatively straight line.
3 Dollar Bills
If you’re interested in the dimensions of a US dollar bill, I’m happy to share! A dollar bill measures approximately 2.61 inches by 6.14 inches. To put that into perspective, it’s roughly the size of a standard playing card or about the same size as a small paperback book.
Looking at the bill lengthwise, you can easily estimate where the 18-inch mark is by lying 3 of them end to end. Just make sure the bills aren’t creased.
5 Credit Cards
A typical credit card measures approximately 3.375 inches by 2.125 inches. These dimensions are very similar to those of debit cards and many official cards out there, like driver’s licenses or employee ID cards. This standard size makes it easy to store and carry in your wallet or purse.
Basically, if you lay 5 of them lengthwise in a row, the sixth card will almost reach the 18-inch mark (it’ll be shy by about 1.125 inches). Just use a quarter to fill in the gap!
2 Americal Footballs
According to NFL rule 2 section 1, A regulation football measures approximately 11″ – 11.25″ short and 28″ – 28.5″ inches long in circumference around the middle. It weighs in at around 14 to 15 ounces. Back in the day, footballs were actually made from pig bladders, which is where it gets its “pigskin” moniker from!
If you have an NFL-approved football, you can place 2 of them end to end and surpass 18 inches by about 4 inches. You might as well use a credit card to “visually subtract” the excess to get closer to the 18-inch point.
1 to 2 Chef’s Knives
If you’re in need of a makeshift measuring tool, look inside a kitchen drawer and pull out a chef’s knife. This is one of the most common types of kitchen knives, so you shouldn’t have much trouble locating one. Anyway, the blade ranges from 8 to 14 inches, making it a somewhat ideal tool for measuring moderate distances.
Place 2 of them in a row. Keep in mind that we only want to use the blade portions as our measurement reference. If you have a long knife equal to 14 inches, figure out how you’re going to add the missing 4 inches. If you’re using two 8-inch knives, you only need to add 2 inches to the end.
Updated on Mar 08, 2023.
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