Choosing between bi-fold doors and sliding doors can be a tricky decision. For many people, it ultimately boils down to personal preference or budget. Both sets of doors go the extra mile to create a connection between inside and outside space, provide lots of natural light and create a modern look. However, Origin Bi-fold Doors and Origin Sliding Doors operate differently.
As the UK’s leading specialist manufacturer of bespoke aluminium bi-fold and sliding doors, we’ve provided this impartial comparison, which highlights the strengths and weaknesses of both sets of doors.
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Learn more about the key differences between bi-fold doors and sliding doors.
Find out more about the factors to consider when choosing between bi-fold doors and sliding doors.
We answer common queries on bifold doors and sliding doors.
What is the difference between bi-fold and sliding doors?
To make the decision between installing a bi-folding door or a sliding door in your home, it’s important to understand the differences between them, as well as the key benefits and disadvantages of each door system.
Bi-fold doors and sliding doors both offer a huge range of benefits, but the doors you choose will mainly be based on your needs and the space you have available.
What are bifold doors?
Bi-fold doors are made up of a minimum of two door leaves which, when opened, fold back against themselves in a concertina style. The panels are connected by hinges and run back and forth along a top and bottom track using a carriage system.
Find out more about the different types of bifold doors here.
Bi-fold doors have the ability to fold away, to reveal your entire opening, helping connect the inside of your home seamlessly with your outdoor space to create a more open plan home. They can also include an access or traffic door to allow ease of access between the garden or patio and your home without having to slide back all of the doors.
Are you choosing a new bifold door? Find out how to choose a high-quality bifold door here.
Pros of bi-fold doors
- Can be fully opened to connect indoors and outdoors seamlessly
- Traffic door option available
- Wide range of options and configurations
- Can open inwards or outwards
- Aluminium frames are lightweight
- Increase home value
- Available with a low threshold
- Work in a large or small opening.
Cons of bi-fold doors
- Require space to stack inside or outside the home
- High number of frames can obstruct the view.
Origin Bi-fold Doors
Origin Aluminium Bifold Doors are available as both bi-fold or corner bi-fold door options and offer a wide range of configurations that can be tailored to meet your home’s needs.
Our aluminium bi-fold doors are made from premium grade aluminium which allows us to offer impressive panel sizes and sightlines whilst maintaining security, thermal and operational performance.
Sightline options for our range of Bi-folding Doors include:
- OB-49 – 49mm
- OB-72 – 72mm.
Unlike any other door, our aluminium bifolds provide a completely uninterrupted view when open, and the flexibility to enjoy your indoor and outdoor space as one. Our doors are also available in 150 RAL colours, allowing you to find the perfect option for your home.
Shop our aluminium bifold door range.
To find out more about installing Origin Bifold Doors in your home and to find the right door type for your needs, please contact your local installer today.
Sliding Doors
Sliding doors are made up of two or more large panes of glass which move to the side and the panes sit behind one another.
Doors provide almost completely uninterrupted views and are ideal for large openings where you want to enjoy the natural light and surrounding landscape as much as possible. However, unlike a bi-folding door, they don’t provide a 100% opening as the doors must slide back against each other, so one pane is always visible.
A sliding door system can also be a popular choice for homeowners with limited space as they do not require as much space to open as bi-fold doors.
Read our full guide to sliding door panel options here.
Pros of sliding doors
- Take up least amount of space when open when compared to bi-fold doors and French doors
- Slim sightlines
- Lightweight aluminium makes doors easy to slide
- Large glass panels provide a nearly unobstructed view whether doors are open or closed.
Cons of sliding doors
- Less convenient for quick access when compared to a French door or bi-fold door with a traffic door
- Depending on the system, it can be more expensive than bi-fold or French doors
- Flush track cannot be achieved due to space required for roller mechanism, but the track can be sunk into the floor.
Origin Sliding Doors
Origin Aluminium Sliding Doors are made with an aluminium frame which means we’re able to offer the slimmest possible sightlines without compromising on the strength, durability or security of the doors. An aluminium door frame allows you to take advantage of large expanses of glazing which can create almost an entire wall of glass to create great impact in your home.
Sightline options for our range of Sliding Doors include:
- Origin Artisan Slider (OS-20) - 20mm
- Origin Patio Slider (OS-29) - 29mm
- Origin Patio Slider (OS-44) - 44mm
- Origin Patio Slider (OS-77) - 77m.
These sightlines allow you to maximise the amount of natural light within your home and enjoy almost uninterrupted views.
Are you looking for a modern, sleek aluminium sliding door?
Our recommendation:
Delivering first-in-class design, our sliding door range provides the most spectacular finish for any building project. Available in four different sightlines across two different sliding door systems – the Origin Artisan Slider and the Origin Patio Slider – we have some of the slimmest sliding doors on the market.
Factors to consider: bi-fold vs sliding doors
This table offers a quick comparison of the factors to consider when choosing between bi-fold or sliding doors and how the two types of doors measure up against each other:
| Bi-fold Doors | Sliding Doors | |
|---|---|---|
View when closed | Very good | Excellent |
View when open | Excellent | Very good |
Thermal efficiency | Very good | Very good |
Ease of access | Excellent | Very good |
Configuration variety | Excellent | Good |
Space saving | Good | Excellent |
Visual appearance | Excellent | Excellent |
Affordability* | More affordable | Less affordable |
*depending on the system chosen
Final verdict: choosing the right option for you
Outdoor views when doors are closed
Winner: Sliding doors
Sliding doors tend to offer the best views of your outdoor area as the panel sizes are often much bigger individually. With large maximum panel sizes, they are typically made up of more glass and less frame than bi-fold doors. With that said, high strength aluminium bi-folds can now be up to 1.2m wide, per panel, with an extremely slim frame.
Are you looking for the perfect sliding door for your home? Read our guide to choosing an aluminium sliding door here.
Outdoor views when doors are open
Winner: Bi-fold doors
There is very little that competes with bi-fold doors when it comes to the panoramic views they can provide, as they allow you to completely remove any obstruction from inside to outside.
However, depending on the sliding doors you choose, you may still be able to benefit from a widescreen view into your world. For example, Origin Sliding Doors feature impressively large panels of glass that can be configured to work the way you want: slide all the way to the left, all the way right, or be staged intermittently.
Thermal efficiency
Winner: Both
As mentioned above, sliding doors are manufactured using more glass than door profile, meaning that they are very thermally efficient.
Bi-fold doors require more door profile, which can lower the thermal efficiency of the doors.
However, many high-quality bi-fold doors feature a polyamide break in the door profile, which goes lengths to ensure the doors exceed thermal efficiency regulations. In addition, whether you choose double glazing or triple glazing will also have an impact on the thermal efficiency of your home. Origin Bi-fold Doors (OB-49 and OB-72) can achieve a U-Value of 1.1 and Origin Sliding Doors can achieve a U-Value of 1.3 (OS-29, OS-44 and OS-77), both using triple glazing.
Ease of access
Winner: Bi-fold doors
Bi-fold doors can completely open up by folding back on itself, so they offer a greater ease of access between the indoors and outdoors. Bi-fold doors are available with a lead door, which can be easily opened and closed like a regular single door. Sliding doors must always slide open. For quick access, you can open one door and open it as much or as little as you want.
Configuration variety
Winner: Bi-fold doors
It’s simple: sliding doors only come in 2, 4 or 6 door configurations. Whereas bi-fold doors can be configured in any number of panels, with some doors having over 10 panels. The options are endless, and the opening can be wherever you want, and the doors can fold in whichever way you’d prefer.
Space saving
Winner: Sliding doors
If your home is a more modest size, then sliding doors can be beneficial because they won’t take up any additional room like bi-fold doors do; they simply slide horizontally down the track. Because bi-fold doors require space to fold onto itself, you will need the required space either internally or externally to accommodate this.
Visual appearance
Winner: DRAW
This is really down to personal preference. Some people may prefer the completely unobstructed view that bi-fold doors can create when folded back, whereas others prefer the view sliding doors offer when closed.
Low threshold
Winner: DRAW
Bi-fold doors can achieve a seamless transition, as the threshold can be recessed into the floor, leaving roughly a 14mm lip when using a weathered threshold option, which will protect your home from water, wind and air. On the slider, the track can also be sunk into the floor, but allowances will need to be made for drainage.
Affordability
Winner: Bi-fold doors
Depending on the configuration and size, bi-fold doors can be more affordable than sliding doors. To find out more about installing Origin’s Bi-fold Doors or Sliding doors in your home and to find the right door type for your home’s needs, please contact your local installer today.
Frequently asked questions
What should you look for when buying a sliding patio door?
There are several things to look out for when buying a sliding patio door. The main priority should be selecting the most effective material that will be the most resistant to wear and last the longest.
The security of your sliding doors is also another vital feature to be aware of. Always check what type of lock the sliding doors are fitted with, to ensure full safety and peace of mind.
You will also want to keep cost in mind, too. The cost of the patio doors will depend on the door type and material you want, glass options, amount of sliding panes, size and colour, so it’s important to weigh up how much you can afford to spend on the style of door you decide is best.
Read our full guide to choosing sliding doors here.
Are sliding doors secure?
Aluminium is a very strong material, meaning that even with a slim frame, sliding doors and their durability can be trusted to hold the weight of large glass panels. Origin Sliding Doors are incredibly secure with their multi-point locking systems.
What are high-quality bifold doors?
The risks of choosing a low-quality bifold door include the following:
- You may let in draughts and rainwater because the doors aren’t sufficiently watertight or airtight
- Your home may be less energy efficient (and increase your heating bills). Read our guide to bifold door energy efficiency here.
- The doors may wear more quickly, and break down or suffer damage as a result
- You could be putting the security of your home at risk
- A low-quality bifold door may negatively affect your home’s full look and aesthetics.
What are the benefits of aluminium bifold doors?
While uPVC bifold doors or wooden bifold doors can be custom-made, as it’s a more premium material, most aluminium bifolds are made to measure. This means they’re manufactured to your exact specifications, ensuring they fit your specific opening. Read our guide to uPVC vs aluminium bifold doors here.
The benefit of having custom-made bi-fold doors is that they can fit any aperture, even if it is not conventionally shaped. High-quality manufacturers of aluminium bi-fold doors, such as Origin, are very flexible in the options they can offer.
View our complete range of bifold doors and sliding doors here to find out more.
