17 inches is about 43.2 centimeters or one foot and five inches.
But that’s damn hard to measure with bare eyes. And since 17-inch long objects are hard to find, it becomes a massive challenge to approximate such length.
The good news is you can find a couple of objects that add up to 17 inches when you put them together. With these objects, you only need your eyes and do simple math to approximate a length of 17 inches.
In this post, we’ll look at two elusive 17-inch objects you can use for reference. And for more ideas, you’ll learn about a couple of others you can put together to achieve the same result.
10 Common Things that are 17 Inches Long
1. Most Gaming Laptops
Gaming laptops need a bigger-than-usual display for a more immersive experience when playing games such as FIFA and Minecraft.
That’s why most of these gaming beasts boast 17 inches. But remember, this size is measured from one of the laptop’s display corners – not the entire machine – to the opposite corner.
Examples of laptops with 17-inch displays include Alienware, HP Envy 17t, and Dell Inspiron 17 700. However, with their prices ranging from $850 to more than $1600, these laptops are damn expensive. But they’re popular in many gaming stations.
2. Knee-high Socks
Knee-high socks come in handy, especially during winter, as they keep our knees and calves warm and toasty during these cold periods. But they also serve other roles.
But we can also use them for reference. And like gaming laptops, knee-high socks are one of the few objects that can give you a view of how long 17 inches is with much ease. We’re not talking of knee-high socks for kids or for ridiculously tall individuals! But if you take those of an average person (5’8), they measure about 17 inches.
3. Two Soccer Balls
Sphere-shaped, soccer balls are made of pentagonal and hexagonal boxes. They are common everywhere as they’re used in football matches, a global sport.
The soccer balls you often see in English Premier League matches (or any other league) are usually pumped 15.6 PSI, which gives each a diameter of 8.5 inches. That means if you put two of them together, you’d get an idea of 17 inches.
4. Six Baseballs
Baseball is a popular sport in elementary and high schools, especially in the United States. That means, if you’ve attended American schools, you’ve interacted with a baseball in one way or another.
If you’re unfamiliar with baseball, it’s a bat-and-ball sport that has its origins in America, and is played by two teams, like football, but with nine players.
If you’ve never held one in hand or interacted with one, the diameter of a baseball is 2.86 inches. So to get a view of how 17 inches long is, you only need to do a little math of arranging or visualizing six baseballs closely attached.
5. Six iPhone 13s
iPhone 13 is one of the most luxurious smartphones globally and the number one model in several countries, including the United States, Japan, and China.
While the iPhone 13s comes with a 6.1 screen inch, measured diagonally from bottom left to top right, they measure 2.82 inches wide. Well, it may be tough budget-wise to get 6 iPhone 13, but if you were to arrange (or visualize) the smartphones sideways, they would measure 16.92 inches, which is 17 inches when you round off.
6. Two Size-5 Women’s Shoes
Don’t let the numerical number indicated on shoes fool you into thinking it means the length in inches of the person’s foot meant to wear it.
And while shoe number can vary depending on your location, most size-5 women’s shoes are about 8.5 inches long, like the diameter of a soccer ball. And unlike iPhone 13s, these shoes are easy to get at home or in the market. Arrange two together for a reference of a 17-inch long object.
7. Rolls of Paper Towels
Common in many households for handwashing and janitorial use, paper towels are easy to find.
Like any other product, the size of paper towels varies depending on the brand. That said, the most familiar ones are 11 inches long.
If you’re wondering how these rolls can be a reference of 17-inch long objects, place one and a half together, and you’re just O.5 inches short. Even if you don’t have them but are familiar with them, you can visualize such a scenario to get a clear idea.
8. Eleven K-cups
If you brew coffee, tea, hot chocolate, or any other drink, chances are you’re familiar with K-cups. They are super easy to use and clean, making the process of brewing abreeze.
K-cups measure 1.5 inches in length and usually come in packs of dozens. That means if you’d take 11 out of the box and arrange them in a row, they will add up to 16.5 inches, which, when rounded off, is 17 inches.
9. Male Basenji Dogs
Basenji dogs are barkless, small, but stocky hunting dog breeds that originated in central Africa. They make excellent pets as they’re intelligent and learn fast, including being able to take care of themselves!
If you can make a mature male basenji dog stand on its feet, it measures 17 inches from the ground to the shoulders.
10. Five Playing Cards
Even if you’ve never owned playing cards, chances are that you’ve played them, maybe in poker or regular games, at least once. Isn’t it?
Well, for the moment, disregard those poker cards to concentrate on the regular ones. A deck of standard playing cards usually comes with 52 cards, all of the same size, which is 3.5 inches long. So what would five regular cards arranged in a row equal? They’re just 0.5 inches past the 17-inch mark.
11. Two Standard Shampoo Bottles
Shampoo bottles come in all sorts of shapes and sizes.
But the standard ones for adults hold about ten fluid ounces. And they measure anything between 7 to 9 inches when standing. If you place one standard shampoo bottle on top of the other, you’ll get 17 inches – or at least something close. You can also arrange them on the floor or top of the table to achieve the same.
