Getting started with Flexbox grid systems

Default avatar.
February 17, 2016
Getting started with Flexbox grid systems.
So what’s going on with grid systems? I mean Flexbox is here. It’s ready, the browsers are (more or less) ready. It’s about time. We can vertically and horizontally center anything without CSS transform hacks! Plus, there’s all that other stuff Flexbox can do. Let’s not kid ourselves, though. We’ve been waiting for that centering thing for a long time. Maybe you’ve been watching the brilliant What the Flexbox?!, series, and you’re all ready to go. If you haven’t seen that, you should. So... are we ditching grid systems now? Well, in many ways, we could. Especially if you hate class soup as much as I do. However, Flexbox-based grid systems are already a thing, and they can still be useful. For example, they might help you stick to a CSS methodology like Object-oriented CSS or BEM. Maybe you just like using the classes. Or maybe you’re just getting used to Flexbox, and having the old twelve-column grid would help you adapt. Maybe it’s just faster to use a pre-defined system than to custom-code every Flexbox grid that you need. Whatever the reasons, grid systems aren’t going away; and you can have the best of both worlds. So why shouldn’t you?

The "big two"

I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention that Foundaton 6 is out, and it has a Flexbox version of its grid as an option. Ditto the yet-to-be released Bootstrap 4. They’re keeping the old grids around for the people who need to support less-compliant browsers, but they’re ready to make the switch.

Flexbox Grid

This aptly-named grid system keeps to ye olde twelve columns. It has all of the familiarity of 960.gs, all of Flexbox’s advanced layout capability, plus the responsive-ready classes (extra small, small, medium, and large) that we’ve come to expect.

Solved by Flexbox

Solved by Flexbox was basically made as a demo. Still, it’s a rather complete and functional demo which could be used as the basis for many a project.

Gridlex

Gridlex lives up to its slogan, "Just a Flexbox Grid System". There’s not a lot to differentiate it from Flexbox Grid. Choose the one with the better class names, I guess.

sGrid

sGrid is a bit different. Specifically, it’s built with Stylus. I know, right? Thought we were all just using SASS now. Anyway, it’s also designed to be integrated with a number of other technologies: Meteor, Grunt, React, and NPM.

scss-flex-grid & sass-flex-mixin

Oh there we go. scss-flex-grid and sass-flex-mixin are two separate SASS-based Flexbox grids. You can clone either from their repository, or install scss-flex-grid via NPM.

Conclusion

The tools are out there. So far, I haven’t been able to identify a "fan-favorite". Chances are, people will just use what comes with their favorite CSS frameworks, for the most part. In any case, there is little excuse any longer not to get stuck into Flexbox.

Ezequiel Bruni

Ezequiel Bruni is a web/UX designer, blogger, and aspiring photographer living in Mexico. When he’s not up to his finely-chiselled ears in wire-frames and front-end code, or ranting about the same, he indulges in beer, pizza, fantasy novels, and stand-up comedy.

Read Next

30 Most Exciting New Tools for Designers, 2023

As we near the end of 2023, we wanted to take a look back over all the tools we collected over the past year, to pick…

3 Essential Design Trends, December 2023

While we love the holidays, too much of a seasonal theme can get overwhelming. Thankfully, these design trends strike a…

10 Easy Ways to Make Money as a Web Designer

When you’re a web designer, the logical way to make money is designing websites; you can apply for a job at an agency,…

The 10 Most Hated Fonts of All Time

Remember when Comic Sans wasn’t the butt of the jokes? Long for the days when we actually enjoyed using the Impact…

15 Best New Fonts, November 2023

2023 is almost over, and the new fonts are still coming thick and fast. This month, we’ve found some awesome variable…

Old School Web Techniques Best Forgotten

When the web first entered the public consciousness back in the 90s, it was primarily text-based with minimal design…

20 Best New Websites, November 2023

As the nights draw in for the Northern hemisphere, what better way to brighten your day than by soaking up some design…

30 Amazing Chrome Extensions for Designers and Developers

Searching for a tool to make cross-platform design a breeze? Desperate for an extension that helps you figure out the…

Exciting New Tools for Designers, November 2023

We’ve got a mix of handy image helpers, useful design assets, and clever productivity tools, amongst other treats. Some…

The Dangers of Doomscrolling for Designers and How to Break Free

As a creative professional, navigating the digital realm is second nature to you. It’s normal to follow an endless…

From Image Adjustments to AI: Photoshop Through the Years

Remember when Merriam-Webster added Photoshop to the dictionary back in 2008? Want to learn how AI is changing design…

3 Essential Design Trends, November 2023

In the season of giving thanks, we often think of comfort and tradition. These are common themes with each of our three…