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How to measure a uPVC window handle

Updated: October 2026

A snapped white lever on a uPVC casement is a small job until the replacement will not turn the lock. How to measure a uPVC window handle is four checks before you order: handle type, spindle length and section, screw centres, and whether a lock is stated. The Products Compared editorial team used amazon.co.uk listings captured on 15 October 2026 and public UK guides, with no lab test. The twelve white inline handles in the [window handle comparison](/hub/door-and-window-security/window-handle) were about £4.99 to about £24.80 that day. A qualifying purchase can earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

A snapped white lever on a uPVC casement is a small job until the replacement will not turn the lock.

Our top picks

ERA ERA inline multi-spindle handle

Best overall

ERA ERA inline multi-spindle handle
8.0/10about £6.81
View offer
WODSTA WODSTA 2-pack 43 mm locking handles

Best value

WODSTA WODSTA 2-pack 43 mm locking handles
8.0/10about £9.99
View offer
Yale Yale YWHLCK40N-WH inline handle

Alternative

Yale Yale YWHLCK40N-WH inline handle
7.2/10about £6.56
View offer
On this page
  1. 1.What you are measuring
  2. 2.Spindle length and section
  3. 3.Screw centres
  4. 4.The lock, then what you order

What you are measuring

The handles in this set are inline espagnolette levers for a UK casement. The lever turns a square spindle in an espagnolette or shootbolt gearbox. A square bar on the back of the base means espag. A hooked nose on a wedge is a cockspur, which ERA's guide treats as a different lock with nothing for an inline lever to drive. Inline espags are usually not handed. Cranked handles are handed, and this set has none. Universal on a listing does not cover a cockspur or an 8 mm timber spindle. When the sizes match, who each stronger listing is for is on the best locking window handle page.

Spindle length and section

Measure from the back of the base to the tip, with the spindle fully inserted. Handlestore tells you not to measure a broken stub. If the lever has snapped, measure another handle on the same window. Common lengths run about 10–55 mm, a shop range rather than the depth of your gearbox. On uPVC the section is usually 7 mm square. Some timber windows use 8 mm, and guides mention a reducing sleeve, but none of these listings includes one. WODSTA states a 43 mm spindle, and mwellewm states 43 mm at 7×7 mm. A 40 mm bar is the length of the metal, as on Toolstation's Yale page, not the gap between the screws.
ERA ERA inline multi-spindle handle

Testsieger

ERA ERA inline multi-spindle handle
8.0/10about £6.81
View offer

Screw centres

Screw centres run from the middle of one fixing hole to the middle of the other. Modern espag handles are often 43 mm, and you still measure yours. ERA states 43 mm. WODSTA states 43 mm centres beside a 43 mm spindle. mwellewm states the spindle and does not state centres. Amazon's field on Yale YWHLCK40N-WH says a centre spacing of 40 mm, and a bullet also gives a 40 mm spindle. Toolstation's page for that model says 43 mm between screw-hole centres and a 40 mm × 7 mm spindle. Leave that clash unresolved. Several bars against one stated length is a separate choice, on multi-spindle or fixed window handles.

The lock, then what you order

Check the lock after the geometry matches. Listings here are key-locking, or a push-button plus a key, except Blunesta, where a lock is not stated, and Lyntrioris, where a lock is not named. A plastic button is not a security test, and a key is not a restrictor, because the sash can still be left ajar. A star rating will not correct the wrong hole spacing. Cheaper single handles were about £4.99 to £7.99 on 15 October 2026. Neither price proves the bar reaches the gearbox. Order only when type, length, section, centres and the lock all match. The screwdriver sequence is how to replace a uPVC window handle.

Common questions

How do I measure a uPVC window handle before I order?
Confirm an inline espag, then measure a complete handle rather than a broken stub. Length runs from the back of the base to the tip with the spindle fully inserted. On uPVC the section is usually 7 mm square. Screw centres are the gap between the two fixing screws, often 43 mm, which you still measure on the sash.
Is a square spindle an espag handle, and is a hooked nose a cockspur?
A square spindle into the gearbox marks an espagnolette handle, and ERA describes that bar as usually 7 mm square. A hooked nose on a wedge is a cockspur, with no spindle for an inline lever to turn. If you can see a nose rather than a square bar, an espag lever from this comparison will not drive the window.
What spindle length do I need, and where do I measure from?
Measure from the back of the base to the tip with the spindle fully inserted. Common lengths run about 10–55 mm, a spread across handles rather than your gearbox. A short bar misses a deep lock. A long bar binds if you cannot cut or swap it. If only a stub is left, measure another handle on the same window.
Are uPVC window handle screw centres always 43 mm?
Screw centres are often 43 mm on modern espag handles. Handlestore describes that spacing, and ERA and WODSTA both state 43 mm. Amazon's field on Yale YWHLCK40N-WH says 40 mm centres, while Toolstation's page for that model says 43 mm between the screws and a separate 40 mm spindle. Measure the sash, because those Yale figures stay unresolved. A 40 mm spindle is the bar, not the holes, and mwellewm does not state centres.
Is the window handle spindle 7 mm or 8 mm square?
On uPVC the spindle is usually 7 mm square, matching ERA's typical espag section and the 7×7 mm mwellewm states. Some timber windows use 8 mm. None of these twelve listings includes a reducing sleeve, so an 8 mm bar belongs outside this set. A stated 40 mm or 43 mm is how far the bar sticks out, not the width of the square.

Related pages

Window handle child safety

Window handle

Best locking window handle: top pick or best value

How to replace a uPVC window handle on a UK casement

Multi spindle window handle or one fixed length bar

Sources

Public UK sources used for this comparison. Listing prices, stars, and review counts are from amazon.co.uk on 15 October 2026.

  1. GOV.UK — Approved Document Q, security in dwellings (retrieved 15 October 2026)
  2. BSI — PAS 24:2022+A1:2024 (retrieved 15 October 2026)
  3. Secured by Design — windows (retrieved 15 October 2026)
  4. GOV.UK — Approved Document B, fire safety, dwellings (retrieved 15 October 2026)
  5. RoSPA — falls (retrieved 15 October 2026)
  6. HSE — falls from windows (retrieved 15 October 2026)
  7. Handlestore — how to measure uPVC window handles (retrieved 15 October 2026)
  8. ERA — window handles (retrieved 15 October 2026)
  9. amazon.co.uk listings for these twelve handles, 15 October 2026 (retrieved 15 October 2026)