The great thing about measuring tools like rulers is that they tell you the size of things easily. The problem is, most rulers are 12 inches tall, and measuring something as tall as 4 feet can be a hassle. Of course, 4 feet is the same as 4 rulers, 3-1/3 yards, or 1.2192 meters, but how tall is that visually?
If you want to measure 4 feet high without a ruler, you can use the following objects as references:
- 3 coffee table
- 1-1/3 mini refrigerators
- 3-year-old child
- 2 suitcases
- 11 coffee mugs
- 6 DVD cases
- 2 house cats
- 4 cereal boxes
- 97-inch TV
1. 3 Coffee Tables
Coffee tables are cool hubs for our living rooms, often holding our snacks, books, and sometimes our feet! The ordinary coffee or tea table originates from Britain, where they were made almost exclusively out of wood. Back then, they were low platforms for placing tea. Fast-forward to today, they’re usually knee-high, made from wood, metal, glass, or a mix!
To measure 4 feet in coffee table terms, you would need to stack 3 of them on top of each other. A single coffee table typically stands 16 inches high or as high as the cushion seats of a couch. If you have a taller coffee table, say 18 inches, 2-1/3 of them will do.
2. 1-1/3 Mini Refrigerators
Civilization would crumble if our refrigerators were to stop working. Well, not really, but finding ways to preserve our food and leftovers would be tricky. Invented in the 1800s, early models were so big they were like small rooms! Modern fridges are smarter/have Wi-Fi connectivity and even with features like ice dispensers and even TVs.
Mini-fridges come in various sizes, with 36 inches being a typical height. One and a third of these standard mini-fridges would get you to the 4-foot mark easily. A standard fridge is 6 feet tall, so 2/3 of one could also work.
3. 3-Year-Old Child
Children are like little explorers that are always curious and full of energy. By age 2, their brains can be as active as an adult. If the child is healthy, they can learn about 13 new words per day. That’s why you should probably avoid using words you don’t want your child to use when they’re still developing.
Now, picture a 3-year-old kiddo, they’re usually around 40 inches tall, which is 8 inches shy of 4 feet. To make up the difference, ask the child to lift their arms above their head.
4. 2 Suitcases
Suitcases are like our trusty travel buddies, and they’ve probably seen more places than most of us! The first suitcases were made of wood or leather with a steel base. Can you imagine lugging something as large and heavy as that around? Now, they’ve got wheels and cool zippers, making travel a breeze.
Suitcases need to be a specific size in order to fit strict airline policies. A medium-sized Samsonite suitcase, for example, stands 69 centimeters or about 27 inches high. One on top of another would give you an approximate of what 4 feet looks like.
5. 11-12 Coffee Mugs
If you’re reading this post in front of your computer, then you’re probably doing so while sipping on a mug of hot coffee. The figures don’t lie—about 1 billion all over the world drink this caffeine-rich beverage, with nearly twice as many cups being served daily. However, nobody’s going to judge you for pouring hot cocoa in a mug.
Coffee mugs come in all sorts of sizes, but about 4 inches high seems to be standard. So, between 11 and 12 of them stacked up should get you somewhere close to 4 feet in height. If you’re going to try this, please use empty mugs!
6. 6 DVD Cases
DVDs revolutionized how we watched movies at home. Invented in the 1990s, they can store more data than 80,000 1.44MB floppy disks! They’re read by lasers, which sounds super sci-fi. DVDs kicked off the whole home cinema trend by bringing Hollywood right into our living rooms.
Now, think about DVD cases. If you stand about 6 of them on top of each other, each around 7-1/2 inches tall, you’d get a tower nearly 4 feet tall. If you were to measure 4 feet in terms of DVD cases lying flat, 96 of them would get you there.
7. 2 House Cats
House cats are actually super athletes. Did you know they can jump up to 6 times their height? However, many funny cat videos of jump fails would have us believing differently. And they spend about 18 hours a day snoozing! Cats also have a secret language of purrs and meows just for their humans.
A typical house cat stands 2 feet tall on its hind legs. If you could get one cat to stand on another standing cat’s head, you’d have 4 feet of fur in front of you! If you managed to pull this trick off, perhaps you should start your own cat circus.
8. 4 Cereal Boxes
Cereal wasn’t always the sugary treat we know today. It started as a health food in the 19th century. Today, they’ve become sugar bombs that will rot your teeth if you don’t brush after eating! Certain cereals have a specific snapping, cracking, and popping sound when they touch milk. This tiny symphony of sounds is probably why so many of us eat cereal daily.
Now, think about cereal boxes. If you stack 4 average-sized boxes, each about 1 foot tall, you’ll reach about 4 feet high. This refers to the large-sized boxes meant for families, though the average person could probably finish the whole box in one sitting.
9. 97-inch TV
TVs are like magic windows to the world. They show us all sorts of things we would never experience in person, all with a click of your remote control. Invented in the 1920s, the first TVs had tiny screens and were in black and white. Now, they’re super smart, can be as thin as a pencil, and display millions of colors. Imagine watching a movie on a screen bigger than your fridge!
To visualize 4 feet high, you can use a 97-inch TV as a reference. It sounds strange, but the 97 inches is the screen’s diagonal size. With a 16:9 aspect ratio, that would mean its height would be between 47 and 48 inches (closer to 51 inches with the bezel).
