4 Shops in Amsterdam with wheelchair-friendly fitting rooms
Amsterdam has a bustling shopping scene, with retail hot spots like the Kalverstraat, the Negenstraatjes, the P.C. Hoofdstraat and the Haarlemmerdijk. While there are plenty of clothing shops in Amsterdam, accessible fitting rooms are shockingly hard to come by. Countless times I’ve browsed clothing racks, picked out some cute outfits and excitedly rolled on up to the fitting rooms, only to discover there’s no accessible cubicle in sight.
Thankfully, Amsterdam has a number of shops with spacious fitting rooms. They aren’t all perfect, but they are certainly on the right track.
Here are 4 shops in Amsterdam with wheelchair-friendly fitting rooms:
Nike
A few grab rails would make a big impact in Nike's fitting room
The positives
Located on the Kalverstraat, Nike has a well-lit, spacious changing room on one of the top floors. The mirror is low enough for wheelchair users, as are (half) the clothing hooks.
Room for improvement
While this fitting room looks snazzy, it’s a little less practical. There are no grab rails on the wall for extra support and the fitting room chair has no arm rests. As someone with reduced mobility, I found the chair’s low height quite challenging.
The height of the mirror and hooks is great, but if you’re trying on a flashy new Nike track suit you’ve got a view of the hooks. Even if the chair is moved in front of the mirror, the lack of grab rails makes sitting down a tricky task.
Happy to see Nike's fitting room has some low hooks
& Other Stories
& Other Stories: Spacious fitting rooms make me happy
The positives
Amsterdam’s & Other Stories has a lovely spacious changing room with mirrors showing your every angle. It’s got a long high seat and plenty of low hooks.
Room for improvement
As with Nike, the fitting room at & Other Stories is missing grab rails. Depending on a customer’s level of mobility, this lack of support could make seat transfers challenging.
& Other Stories: Spacious, plenty of mirrors and low hooks, but no grab rails
Top Shop
Top Shop: Low hooks, space, support beams and an emergency cord
The positives
Top Shop‘s Kalverstraat shop has a spacious fitting room with a comfortable chair, low hooks, tall mirrors and grab rails.
Room for improvement
The only thing missing from this accessible set up is a vertical grab rail on the adjacent wall. This would provide extra support for customers getting up from the chair. The emergency cord is great, but at this rate the only emergency it’ll help with is if a wheelchair user suddenly managed to fly. It needs to be lower down within reach during a fall.
Top Shop's accessible set-up could do with a vertical grab rail
TK Maxx
TK Maxx: Clearly this is my go-to fitting room pose
The positives
The accessible fitting room at TK Maxx at the Amsterdamse Poort is superb, with plenty of space and a sturdy built-in seat. It has horizontal and vertical grab rails and numerous low hooks.
Room for improvement
In my opinion, the only potential improvement would be to include an emergency cord along the wall.
Tip: A new TK Maxx in the centre of Amsterdam
Since May 2022, the biggest TK Maxx in The Netherlands opened up along Damrak 79. Click here to read about what makes this TK Maxx so wheelchair-friendly.
A+ to TK Maxx for low hooks, support beams, and a great mirror
