20 CSS Responsive Navbar Designs 16 / 20

CSS Floating Island Multi-Segment Navbar

Detached floating pill navbar with three independently styled segments for branding, links, and actions.

Pure CSS MIT licensed
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The code

<div class="nav-16">
  <div class="nav-16__island">
    <a href="#" class="nav-16__logo">
      <div class="nav-16__logo-badge"></div>
      Canopy
    </a>
  </div>
  <div class="nav-16__island">
    <ul class="nav-16__links">
      <li><a href="#" class="is-active">Explore</a></li>
      <li><a href="#">Products</a></li>
      <li><a href="#">Sustainability</a></li>
      <li><a href="#">Journal</a></li>
      <li><a href="#">About</a></li>
    </ul>
  </div>
  <div class="nav-16__island nav-16__cta-island">
    <span class="nav-16__cta-text">Join 12k+ members</span>
    <button class="nav-16__cta-btn">Get started</button>
  </div>
</div>
<input type="checkbox" id="nav-16-toggle">
<div class="nav-16__mobile-bar">
  <a href="#" class="nav-16__mobile-logo">
    <div style="width:8px;height:8px;border-radius:50%;background:#6abf40;"></div>
    Canopy
  </a>
  <label for="nav-16-toggle" class="nav-16__hamburger" aria-label="Toggle menu">
    <span></span><span></span><span></span>
  </label>
</div>
<div class="nav-16__mobile-menu">
  <a href="#">Explore</a>
  <a href="#">Products</a>
  <a href="#">Sustainability</a>
  <a href="#">Journal</a>
  <a href="#">About</a>
  <a href="#" style="color:#4a8c2a; font-weight:700; margin-top:0.25rem;">Get started →</a>
</div>
<div style="padding:4rem 2rem; max-width:700px; margin:0 auto;">
  <h1 style="font-size:2.5rem; font-weight:800; letter-spacing:-0.04em; margin-bottom:1rem; color:#1c2b0e;">Floating Island Multi-Segment Navbar</h1>
  <p style="color:#5a7040; font-size:1.05rem; line-height:1.75;">Three separate floating pill-shaped islands: logo, nav links, and CTA. Each uses <code>backdrop-filter</code> glass effect independently. The islands sit inside a flex row with <code>justify-content: space-between</code>.</p>
</div>
.nav-16, .nav-16 *, .nav-16 *::before, .nav-16 *::after {
  margin: 0; padding: 0; box-sizing: border-box;
}
.nav-16 {
  --text: #1c2b0e;
  --muted: rgba(28,43,14,0.45);
  --accent: #4a8c2a;
  --bg: rgba(255,255,255,0.85);
  --border: rgba(28,43,14,0.1);
  font-family: 'Plus Jakarta Sans', sans-serif;
  padding: 1.25rem 1.5rem;
  position: sticky; top: 0; z-index: 100;
  display: flex; align-items: center; justify-content: space-between;
  gap: 1rem;
}
/* Each section is its own floating island */
.nav-16__island {
  background: var(--bg);
  backdrop-filter: blur(20px) saturate(160%);
  border: 1px solid var(--border);
  border-radius: 999px;
  box-shadow: 0 4px 24px rgba(0,0,0,0.08), 0 1px 0 rgba(255,255,255,0.6) inset;
  display: flex; align-items: center;
}
.nav-16__logo {
  font-weight: 800; font-size: 1rem; color: var(--text);
  text-decoration: none; letter-spacing: -0.02em;
  padding: 0.6rem 1.3rem;
  display: flex; align-items: center; gap: 8px;
}
.nav-16__logo-badge {
  width: 8px; height: 8px; border-radius: 50%;
  background: #6abf40;
  box-shadow: 0 0 0 3px rgba(106,191,64,0.2);
}
.nav-16__links {
  display: flex; list-style: none; gap: 0;
  padding: 0.35rem;
}
.nav-16__links a {
  display: block; color: var(--muted); text-decoration: none;
  font-size: 0.85rem; font-weight: 600;
  padding: 0.45rem 0.9rem; border-radius: 999px;
  transition: color 0.2s, background 0.2s;
  white-space: nowrap;
}
.nav-16__links a:hover { color: var(--text); background: rgba(74,140,42,0.08); }
.nav-16__links a.is-active { color: var(--accent); background: rgba(74,140,42,0.12); }
.nav-16__cta-island { gap: 0.5rem; padding: 0.35rem 0.35rem 0.35rem 1rem; }
.nav-16__cta-text { font-size: 0.8rem; font-weight: 600; color: var(--muted); white-space: nowrap; }
.nav-16__cta-btn {
  padding: 0.5rem 1.1rem; border-radius: 999px;
  font-size: 0.85rem; font-weight: 700;
  cursor: pointer; border: none; font-family: inherit;
  background: var(--accent); color: #fff;
  transition: background 0.2s, transform 0.15s;
  box-shadow: 0 2px 8px rgba(74,140,42,0.35);
}
.nav-16__cta-btn:hover { background: #3a6e20; transform: scale(0.97); }

/* Mobile */
#nav-16-toggle { display: none; }
.nav-16__mobile-bar {
  display: none; position: sticky; top: 0; z-index: 100;
  padding: 1rem 1.25rem;
  align-items: center; justify-content: space-between;
}
.nav-16__mobile-logo { font-weight: 800; font-size: 1rem; color: #1c2b0e; text-decoration: none; display: flex; align-items: center; gap: 8px; }
.nav-16__hamburger {
  display: flex; flex-direction: column; gap: 5px; cursor: pointer;
  padding: 0.5rem 0.75rem; border: none;
  background: rgba(255,255,255,0.85); border-radius: 999px;
  border: 1px solid rgba(28,43,14,0.1);
  backdrop-filter: blur(12px);
}
.nav-16__hamburger span { display: block; width: 18px; height: 1.5px; background: #1c2b0e; border-radius: 2px; transition: transform 0.3s, opacity 0.3s; }
#nav-16-toggle:checked ~ .nav-16__mobile-bar .nav-16__hamburger span:nth-child(1) { transform: translateY(6.5px) rotate(45deg); }
#nav-16-toggle:checked ~ .nav-16__mobile-bar .nav-16__hamburger span:nth-child(2) { opacity: 0; }
#nav-16-toggle:checked ~ .nav-16__mobile-bar .nav-16__hamburger span:nth-child(3) { transform: translateY(-6.5px) rotate(-45deg); }
.nav-16__mobile-menu {
  display: none; flex-direction: column; gap: 0.25rem;
  background: rgba(255,255,255,0.9); backdrop-filter: blur(20px);
  margin: 0 1.25rem; border-radius: 16px;
  padding: 0.75rem 0.75rem 1rem;
  border: 1px solid rgba(28,43,14,0.1);
  box-shadow: 0 4px 24px rgba(0,0,0,0.08);
  position: sticky; top: 70px; z-index: 99;
}
.nav-16__mobile-menu a { display: block; color: rgba(28,43,14,0.6); text-decoration: none; font-size: 0.9rem; font-weight: 600; padding: 0.6rem 0.75rem; border-radius: 10px; transition: background 0.15s, color 0.15s; }
.nav-16__mobile-menu a:hover { background: rgba(74,140,42,0.08); color: #4a8c2a; }
#nav-16-toggle:checked ~ .nav-16__mobile-menu { display: flex; }
@media (max-width: 768px) {
  .nav-16 { display: none; }
  .nav-16__mobile-bar { display: flex; }
}
@media (prefers-reduced-motion: reduce) {
  .nav-16__links a, .nav-16__cta-btn { transition: none; }
  .nav-16__hamburger span { transition: none; }
}

How this works

Rather than a full-width bar, this navbar is a horizontally centered floating element with position: sticky; top: 1.5rem and a maximum width. The three segments — logo, links, actions — are separate divs with border-radius: 999px and individual background colours, arranged in a flex row with a gap between them. Each segment has its own shadow, making them feel like distinct cards floating above the page.

Customize

  • Remove the gap between segments and unify the background for a single pill navbar variant.
  • Add a border: 1px solid rgba(255,255,255,0.1) to each segment for a subtle separation on dark backgrounds.
  • Make the floating effect more dramatic by increasing the box-shadow spread and adding a slight backdrop blur.
  • On scroll, collapse the segment gap to zero using a JS-toggled class for a smooth island-to-bar transition.

Watch out for

  • Sticky positioning on a centered element requires its parent to span the full page width and have a height greater than the viewport — otherwise sticky has nothing to stick within.
  • The three-segment layout breaks at narrow widths before a hamburger menu kicks in — set a breakpoint well before the segments start touching.

Browser support

ChromeSafariFirefoxEdge
57+ 10.1+ 52+ 57+

All features are modern baseline CSS. position: sticky works in all current browsers.

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