A barn door handle has a major impact on the look and functionality of the door itself. Before you choose one for your barn door, it’s smart to consider all your options. Here are the main types of barn door handles and what applications they’re best suited for. 

Bar pull 

A bar pull is a long bar-shaped handle. It can either attach to the door surface, or to a back plate that goes onto the door. Bar pulls come in many shapes, including cylinder, hexagon, or square. There are three configurations for barn door bar pulls: 

• Through bolt: This is where the bolts connecting the handle to the door pass through the door and the lock or latch case and fix into a handle rose on the other side of the door. Door handles are subject to a lot of force when in operation, so they’re liable to loosen with time. Through-bolt handles help with this, so even if they're not as easy to install as surface mounted handles, they tend to require less maintenance over time. 
• Back to back: back to back handles handles allow you to fix a handle to both sides of the door with the bolts connecting from one pull handle through to the other.
• Surface mounted: Surface mounted handles attach to the surface of the barn door. This type of barn door handle is easy to install and comes in many design options.

Flush pull

A flush pull is installed into a notch on the face of the door. That way, it sits “flush” with the door surface, hence the name. Barn door flush pulls are a favorite for the minimalist, low profile look. If you want your barn door to look elegant and sleek, flush pulls are a great choice.  

Flush pulls are also great for the wall-side of a barn door, because they won’t cause issues with clearance. 

One thing to keep in mind with flush pulls is that the door thickness may prevent you from installing a flush pull on both sides. This can be a concern on plank-style barn doors. If your door has a mid-rail, this may also restrict the length of the flush pull itself. A rail-and-stile barn door like our best-sellingShaker Single Panel Barn Door gives you more flexibility when it comes to flush pulls.

Traditional handle

This handle type has a curved shape rather than a straight bar. These are also sometimes called "offset" handles. As you might imagine, these handles are best for classic and traditional door designs. 

Ring pull

a ring pull is a ring-shaped handle that attaches to a face plate on the door itself. This handle type feels deeply rustic and traditional, having been used on castle gates since the Middle Ages. Ring pulls are also used sometimes on exterior gates. Our ring pulls are hand-forged by a local blacksmith and come with three different face plates.  

Edge Pull

This type of handle is most commonly found on pocket doors but can also be used on barn doors. The handle sits flush with the edge of the door until you pull on it to slide the door open or closed. If you want the lowest-profile handle possible, an edge pull is the one for you. Just like with flush pulls, the thickness of the door affects whether or not you can use an edge pull. 

Barn Door Privacy Lock

A privacy lock is operated by a button or a turn-piece, rather than a key. You might have heard that barn doors aren’t lock-able, but good news: that’s not true! There are two main variations of barn door privacy locks: a teardrop shaped lock that swivels into a small notch on the door itself, or a more traditional style of lock that goes on the inside edge of the door. Teardrop style locks are lower-profile and great for improving the door functionality without changing how it looks.

Shop our collection of barn door handles to find your perfect fit.