20 CSS Responsive Navbar Designs 18 / 20

CSS Vertical Rail Sidebar Navbar

Persistent left-rail sidebar with icon + label vertical links, section dividers, and a collapsible bottom profile area.

Pure CSS MIT licensed
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The code

<div class="nav-18">
  <input type="checkbox" id="nav-18-toggle">
  <div class="nav-18__layout">
    <nav class="nav-18__rail">
      <div class="nav-18__rail-top">
        <label for="nav-18-toggle" class="nav-18__expand-btn" aria-label="Expand sidebar">⇥</label>
        <a href="#" class="nav-18__brand">Code<span>Lab</span></a>
      </div>
      <div class="nav-18__nav">
        <div class="nav-18__section-label">Main</div>
        <a href="#" class="nav-18__item is-active">
          <span class="nav-18__icon">⬡</span>
          <span class="nav-18__item-label">Overview</span>
        </a>
        <a href="#" class="nav-18__item">
          <span class="nav-18__icon">📊</span>
          <span class="nav-18__item-label">Analytics</span>
          <span class="nav-18__item-badge">New</span>
        </a>
        <a href="#" class="nav-18__item">
          <span class="nav-18__icon">🚀</span>
          <span class="nav-18__item-label">Deployments</span>
        </a>
        <a href="#" class="nav-18__item">
          <span class="nav-18__icon">⚙️</span>
          <span class="nav-18__item-label">Functions</span>
        </a>
        <div class="nav-18__section-label">Resources</div>
        <a href="#" class="nav-18__item">
          <span class="nav-18__icon">🗄️</span>
          <span class="nav-18__item-label">Storage</span>
        </a>
        <a href="#" class="nav-18__item">
          <span class="nav-18__icon">🔐</span>
          <span class="nav-18__item-label">Auth</span>
        </a>
        <a href="#" class="nav-18__item">
          <span class="nav-18__icon">📋</span>
          <span class="nav-18__item-label">Logs</span>
          <span class="nav-18__item-badge">24</span>
        </a>
        <div class="nav-18__section-label">Account</div>
        <a href="#" class="nav-18__item">
          <span class="nav-18__icon">💳</span>
          <span class="nav-18__item-label">Billing</span>
        </a>
        <a href="#" class="nav-18__item">
          <span class="nav-18__icon">🔧</span>
          <span class="nav-18__item-label">Settings</span>
        </a>
      </div>
      <div class="nav-18__rail-bottom">
        <div class="nav-18__avatar-wrap">
          <div class="nav-18__avatar">
            <div class="nav-18__avatar-img">VR</div>
          </div>
          <div class="nav-18__user-info">
            <div class="nav-18__user-name">Vimal Raj</div>
            <div class="nav-18__user-role">Pro plan</div>
          </div>
        </div>
      </div>
    </nav>
    <div class="nav-18__content">
      <h1 style="font-size:2rem; font-weight:700; letter-spacing:-0.03em; margin-bottom:1rem; color:#f59e0b;">Vertical Rail Navbar</h1>
      <p style="color:rgba(232,234,242,0.55); font-size:1rem; line-height:1.75; max-width:560px;">Click the ⇥ icon to expand the sidebar from icon-only 64px to full 220px. Labels, badges, section headers, and user info all transition in using <code>opacity</code> and <code>width</code>. Pure CSS checkbox toggle.</p>
    </div>
  </div>
</div>
.nav-18, .nav-18 *, .nav-18 *::before, .nav-18 *::after {
  margin: 0; padding: 0; box-sizing: border-box;
}
.nav-18 {
  --bg: #16181f;
  --text: #e8eaf2;
  --muted: rgba(232,234,242,0.4);
  --accent: #f59e0b;
  --border: rgba(255,255,255,0.07);
  --collapsed-w: 64px;
  --expanded-w: 220px;
  font-family: 'Inter', sans-serif;
}
#nav-18-toggle { display: none; }
.nav-18__rail {
  width: var(--collapsed-w);
  min-height: 100vh;
  background: var(--bg);
  border-right: 1px solid var(--border);
  display: flex; flex-direction: column;
  transition: width 0.3s cubic-bezier(.4,0,.2,1);
  overflow: hidden;
  flex-shrink: 0;
  position: sticky; top: 0; height: 100vh;
}
#nav-18-toggle:checked ~ .nav-18__layout .nav-18__rail { width: var(--expanded-w); }
.nav-18__rail-top {
  height: 56px; display: flex; align-items: center;
  padding: 0 0 0 0;
  border-bottom: 1px solid var(--border);
  flex-shrink: 0;
}
.nav-18__expand-btn {
  width: 64px; height: 56px; flex-shrink: 0;
  display: flex; align-items: center; justify-content: center;
  cursor: pointer; border: none; background: transparent;
  color: var(--muted); font-size: 1.1rem;
  transition: color 0.2s, background 0.2s;
}
.nav-18__expand-btn:hover { color: var(--text); background: rgba(255,255,255,0.04); }
.nav-18__brand {
  font-weight: 700; font-size: 0.95rem; color: var(--text);
  text-decoration: none; letter-spacing: -0.02em;
  white-space: nowrap; overflow: hidden;
  opacity: 0; width: 0;
  transition: opacity 0.2s, width 0.3s;
}
.nav-18__brand span { color: var(--accent); }
#nav-18-toggle:checked ~ .nav-18__layout .nav-18__brand { opacity: 1; width: auto; }
.nav-18__nav { flex: 1; padding: 0.75rem 0; overflow-y: auto; scrollbar-width: none; }
.nav-18__nav::-webkit-scrollbar { display: none; }
.nav-18__section-label {
  font-size: 0.6rem; font-weight: 700; text-transform: uppercase; letter-spacing: 0.12em;
  color: var(--muted); padding: 0.75rem 0 0.35rem;
  white-space: nowrap; overflow: hidden; opacity: 0;
  transition: opacity 0.2s;
  padding-left: 1.25rem;
}
#nav-18-toggle:checked ~ .nav-18__layout .nav-18__section-label { opacity: 1; }
.nav-18__item {
  display: flex; align-items: center; gap: 0;
  text-decoration: none;
  height: 44px; padding: 0;
  color: var(--muted);
  border-radius: 0; position: relative;
  transition: color 0.2s;
  overflow: hidden;
}
.nav-18__item:hover { color: var(--text); }
.nav-18__item.is-active { color: var(--accent); }
.nav-18__item.is-active::before {
  content: '';
  position: absolute; left: 0; top: 50%; transform: translateY(-50%);
  width: 3px; height: 60%; background: var(--accent); border-radius: 0 2px 2px 0;
}
.nav-18__item:hover { background: rgba(255,255,255,0.03); }
.nav-18__icon {
  width: 64px; height: 44px; flex-shrink: 0;
  display: flex; align-items: center; justify-content: center;
  font-size: 1rem;
}
.nav-18__item-label {
  font-size: 0.875rem; font-weight: 500;
  white-space: nowrap; overflow: hidden;
  opacity: 0; width: 0;
  transition: opacity 0.2s, width 0.3s;
}
#nav-18-toggle:checked ~ .nav-18__layout .nav-18__item-label { opacity: 1; width: auto; }
.nav-18__item-badge {
  margin-left: auto; margin-right: 1rem;
  background: var(--accent); color: #1a1206;
  font-size: 0.6rem; font-weight: 800; padding: 1px 5px; border-radius: 10px;
  opacity: 0; transition: opacity 0.2s; white-space: nowrap;
}
#nav-18-toggle:checked ~ .nav-18__layout .nav-18__item-badge { opacity: 1; }
.nav-18__rail-bottom {
  padding: 0.75rem 0;
  border-top: 1px solid var(--border);
  flex-shrink: 0;
}
.nav-18__avatar-wrap {
  display: flex; align-items: center; gap: 0;
  padding: 0.5rem 0; height: 52px;
  overflow: hidden;
}
.nav-18__avatar {
  width: 64px; height: 52px; flex-shrink: 0;
  display: flex; align-items: center; justify-content: center;
}
.nav-18__avatar-img {
  width: 32px; height: 32px; border-radius: 50%;
  background: linear-gradient(135deg, #f59e0b, #ef4444);
  display: flex; align-items: center; justify-content: center;
  font-size: 0.75rem; font-weight: 700; color: #fff;
}
.nav-18__user-info { white-space: nowrap; opacity: 0; transition: opacity 0.2s; }
#nav-18-toggle:checked ~ .nav-18__layout .nav-18__user-info { opacity: 1; }
.nav-18__user-name { font-size: 0.8rem; font-weight: 600; color: var(--text); }
.nav-18__user-role { font-size: 0.7rem; color: var(--muted); }

/* Content */
.nav-18__layout { display: flex; flex: 1; min-width: 0; }
.nav-18__content {
  flex: 1; padding: 2rem; color: var(--text);
  min-width: 0;
}

@media (prefers-reduced-motion: reduce) {
  .nav-18__rail, .nav-18__brand, .nav-18__item-label, .nav-18__item-badge,
  .nav-18__section-label, .nav-18__user-info { transition: none; }
}

How this works

The sidebar is a fixed-width column using position: fixed; left: 0; top: 0; height: 100vh with a flex-column layout. Navigation links are stacked vertically with an icon on the left and label text inline. The active link uses a left border accent and a tinted background fill. The bottom profile section is pinned to the bottom of the sidebar via margin-top: auto on its container, pushing it to the end of the flex column regardless of how many nav items exist.

Customize

  • Add a collapse toggle that narrows the sidebar to icon-only width by transitioning width from 240px to 64px and hiding the label text with opacity: 0; width: 0.
  • Add tooltip labels that appear on hover in icon-only mode using a CSS ::after positioned to the right of the icon.
  • Use a nested <details> element for expandable sub-sections within the sidebar.

Watch out for

  • The sidebar takes up permanent horizontal space — the main content area must have a matching margin-left equal to the sidebar width.
  • On mobile, replace the persistent sidebar with the drawer pattern from demo 03 — a fixed sidebar on small screens wastes too much space.

Browser support

ChromeSafariFirefoxEdge
49+ 9+ 44+ 49+

100vh on mobile Safari can include browser chrome — use the CSS env() variables or the dvh unit for a more accurate full height.

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