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Grandfather Clocks and Grandmother Clocks — do you carry both? What is the difference? Why in your clocks store do you list some grandfather clocks as both a grandfather clock and a grandmother clock? Can a big long wall clock be considered a grandmother clock, or does it need to be freestanding? The above are questions we get every day and there is a lot of confusion about the similarities and differences between grandfather clocks and grandmother clocks.

Adding to the confusion, our experience is that if you have ten grandfather clocks experts in a room to clarify the distinctions defining a grandfather clocks and a grandmother clock, you may get 15-20 different opinions. There is absolutely no universal agreement on a definition of what defines a grandmother clock vs. a grandfather clock. Nevertheless, we will share here our perspective on the differences between the two kinds of these floor clocks.

First, grandmother clocks and grandfather clocks are both Floor Clocks. They must be freestanding, and while they may be adjacent to a wall, or even anchored to a wall for protection against tipping over (a critical baby-proofing and “young-kind proofing” necessity in our view), they stand up on their own base, which is the bottom of the clock.

The height of the floor clock is by far the single most distinguishing and defining characteristic and criterion for whether any clock is a grandmother clock or a grandfather clock. We use a height of 80 inches (sometimes up to 82 inches depending upon the style of the floor clock) as the very rough guideline and dividing line below which a clock may be called a grandmother clock.

Floor clocks that in our view are “short enough” to be considered or classified as grandmother clocks are still included on our own website with the descriptive term grandfather clock. While we recognize this confuses some or our grandfather clocks and grandmother clocks shopping customers, and we get calls about it from time to time from people who are confused, we do not want to make the presentation of clocks more confusing by listing the same EXACT clock as BOTH a grandmother clock and a grandfather clock.

Howard Miller Clocks offers the biggest selection of grandfather clocks that quality for both of these clocks categories. We offer great discounts on these clocks, as we do for all the high-end discount grandmother clocks and grandfather clocks on sale.

We hope this adds value and to the knowledge base of discount grandfather clocks and those looking for grandmother clocks on sale, and deciding between the two types of floor clocks.