Skip to main content

Forms

Checks and radios

Create consistent cross-browser and cross-device checkboxes and radios with the checks component.

View page source on GitHub
On this page

Approach#

Browser default checkboxes and radios are replaced with the help of .form-check, a series of classes for both input types that improves the layout and behavior of their HTML elements, that provide greater customization and cross browser consistency. Checkboxes are for selecting one or several options in a list, while radios are for selecting one option from many.

Structurally, the <input>s and <label>s are sibling elements as opposed to an <input> within a <label>. This is slightly more verbose as you must specify id and for attributes to relate the <input> and <label>. The sibling selector (+) is used for the <input> states, like :disabled, so the .form-check-label can follow the state of its input. In felt-css, .form-check is a small flex row: the input and the label sit side by side, centred vertically.

Checks#

<div class="form-check">
  <input class="form-check-input" type="checkbox" value="" id="checkDefault">
  <label class="form-check-label" for="checkDefault">
    Default checkbox
  </label>
</div>
<div class="form-check">
  <input class="form-check-input" type="checkbox" value="" id="checkChecked" checked>
  <label class="form-check-label" for="checkChecked">
    Checked checkbox
  </label>
</div>

In the felt look, an empty checkbox is a little square pressed into the felt; checked, it becomes a primary felt patch with a cream tick that casts a small shadow. Radios and switches follow the same recipe.

felt-css has no separate style for the :indeterminate state; an indeterminate checkbox looks unchecked.

Disabled#

Add the disabled attribute and the associated <label>s are automatically styled to match with a lighter color to help indicate the input's state.

<div class="form-check">
  <input class="form-check-input" type="checkbox" value="" id="checkDisabled" disabled>
  <label class="form-check-label" for="checkDisabled">
    Disabled checkbox
  </label>
</div>
<div class="form-check">
  <input class="form-check-input" type="checkbox" value="" id="checkCheckedDisabled" checked disabled>
  <label class="form-check-label" for="checkCheckedDisabled">
    Disabled checked checkbox
  </label>
</div>

Radios#

<div class="form-check">
  <input class="form-check-input" type="radio" name="radioDefault" id="radioDefault1">
  <label class="form-check-label" for="radioDefault1">
    Default radio
  </label>
</div>
<div class="form-check">
  <input class="form-check-input" type="radio" name="radioDefault" id="radioDefault2" checked>
  <label class="form-check-label" for="radioDefault2">
    Default checked radio
  </label>
</div>

Disabled#

Add the disabled attribute and the associated <label>s are automatically styled to match with a lighter color to help indicate the input's state.

<div class="form-check">
  <input class="form-check-input" type="radio" name="radioDisabled" id="radioDisabled" disabled>
  <label class="form-check-label" for="radioDisabled">
    Disabled radio
  </label>
</div>
<div class="form-check">
  <input class="form-check-input" type="radio" name="radioDisabled" id="radioCheckedDisabled" checked disabled>
  <label class="form-check-label" for="radioCheckedDisabled">
    Disabled checked radio
  </label>
</div>

Switches#

A switch has the markup of a custom checkbox but uses the .form-switch class to render a toggle switch. Consider using role="switch" to more accurately convey the nature of the control to assistive technologies that support this role. In older assistive technologies, it will simply be announced as a regular checkbox as a fallback. Switches also support the disabled attribute.

<div class="form-check form-switch">
  <input class="form-check-input" type="checkbox" role="switch" id="switchCheckDefault">
  <label class="form-check-label" for="switchCheckDefault">Default switch checkbox input</label>
</div>
<div class="form-check form-switch">
  <input class="form-check-input" type="checkbox" role="switch" id="switchCheckChecked" checked>
  <label class="form-check-label" for="switchCheckChecked">Checked switch checkbox input</label>
</div>
<div class="form-check form-switch">
  <input class="form-check-input" type="checkbox" role="switch" id="switchCheckDisabled" disabled>
  <label class="form-check-label" for="switchCheckDisabled">Disabled switch checkbox input</label>
</div>
<div class="form-check form-switch">
  <input class="form-check-input" type="checkbox" role="switch" id="switchCheckCheckedDisabled" checked disabled>
  <label class="form-check-label" for="switchCheckCheckedDisabled">Disabled checked switch checkbox input</label>
</div>

Native switches#

Progressively enhance your switches for mobile Safari (iOS 17.4+) by adding a switch attribute to your input to enable haptic feedback when toggling switches, just like native iOS switches. There are no style changes attached to using this attribute, as all switches use custom styles.

<div class="form-check form-switch">
  <input class="form-check-input" type="checkbox" value="" id="checkNativeSwitch" switch>
  <label class="form-check-label" for="checkNativeSwitch">
    Native switch haptics
  </label>
</div>

Be sure to read more about the switch attribute on the WebKit blog.

Default (stacked)#

By default, any number of checkboxes and radios that are immediate siblings will be vertically stacked and appropriately spaced with .form-check.

<div class="form-check">
  <input class="form-check-input" type="checkbox" value="" id="defaultCheck1">
  <label class="form-check-label" for="defaultCheck1">
    Default checkbox
  </label>
</div>
<div class="form-check">
  <input class="form-check-input" type="checkbox" value="" id="defaultCheck2" disabled>
  <label class="form-check-label" for="defaultCheck2">
    Disabled checkbox
  </label>
</div>
<div class="form-check">
  <input class="form-check-input" type="radio" name="exampleRadios" id="exampleRadios1" value="option1" checked>
  <label class="form-check-label" for="exampleRadios1">
    Default radio
  </label>
</div>
<div class="form-check">
  <input class="form-check-input" type="radio" name="exampleRadios" id="exampleRadios2" value="option2">
  <label class="form-check-label" for="exampleRadios2">
    Second default radio
  </label>
</div>
<div class="form-check">
  <input class="form-check-input" type="radio" name="exampleRadios" id="exampleRadios3" value="option3" disabled>
  <label class="form-check-label" for="exampleRadios3">
    Disabled radio
  </label>
</div>

Inline#

Group checkboxes or radios on the same horizontal row by adding .form-check-inline to any .form-check.

<div class="form-check form-check-inline">
  <input class="form-check-input" type="checkbox" id="inlineCheckbox1" value="option1">
  <label class="form-check-label" for="inlineCheckbox1">1</label>
</div>
<div class="form-check form-check-inline">
  <input class="form-check-input" type="checkbox" id="inlineCheckbox2" value="option2">
  <label class="form-check-label" for="inlineCheckbox2">2</label>
</div>
<div class="form-check form-check-inline">
  <input class="form-check-input" type="checkbox" id="inlineCheckbox3" value="option3" disabled>
  <label class="form-check-label" for="inlineCheckbox3">3 (disabled)</label>
</div>
<div class="form-check form-check-inline">
  <input class="form-check-input" type="radio" name="inlineRadioOptions" id="inlineRadio1" value="option1">
  <label class="form-check-label" for="inlineRadio1">1</label>
</div>
<div class="form-check form-check-inline">
  <input class="form-check-input" type="radio" name="inlineRadioOptions" id="inlineRadio2" value="option2">
  <label class="form-check-label" for="inlineRadio2">2</label>
</div>
<div class="form-check form-check-inline">
  <input class="form-check-input" type="radio" name="inlineRadioOptions" id="inlineRadio3" value="option3" disabled>
  <label class="form-check-label" for="inlineRadio3">3 (disabled)</label>
</div>

Reverse#

felt-css has no .form-check-reverse. Because .form-check is a flex row, putting the label before the input and adding .justify-content-end gives the same result for checkboxes, radios, and switches. The label's disabled style then needs your own CSS, as it relies on the label following the input.

<div class="form-check form-switch justify-content-end">
  <label class="form-check-label" for="switchCheckReverse">Reverse switch checkbox input</label>
  <input class="form-check-input" type="checkbox" role="switch" id="switchCheckReverse">
</div>

Without labels#

Omit the wrapping .form-check for checkboxes and radios that have no label text. Remember to still provide some form of accessible name for assistive technologies (for instance, using aria-label). See the forms overview accessibility section for details.

<div>
  <input class="form-check-input" type="checkbox" id="checkboxNoLabel" value="" aria-label="...">
</div>

<div>
  <input class="form-check-input" type="radio" name="radioNoLabel" id="radioNoLabel1" value="" aria-label="...">
</div>

Toggle buttons#

Create button-like checkboxes and radio buttons by using .btn styles rather than .form-check-label on the <label> elements. These toggle buttons can further be grouped in a button group if needed.

Checkbox toggle buttons#

<input type="checkbox" class="btn-check" id="btn-check" autocomplete="off">
<label class="btn btn-primary" for="btn-check">Single toggle</label>

<input type="checkbox" class="btn-check" id="btn-check-2" checked autocomplete="off">
<label class="btn btn-primary" for="btn-check-2">Checked</label>

<input type="checkbox" class="btn-check" id="btn-check-3" autocomplete="off" disabled>
<label class="btn btn-primary" for="btn-check-3">Disabled</label>
<input type="checkbox" class="btn-check" id="btn-check-4" autocomplete="off">
<label class="btn" for="btn-check-4">Single toggle</label>

<input type="checkbox" class="btn-check" id="btn-check-5" checked autocomplete="off">
<label class="btn" for="btn-check-5">Checked</label>

<input type="checkbox" class="btn-check" id="btn-check-6" autocomplete="off" disabled>
<label class="btn" for="btn-check-6">Disabled</label>

Visually, these checkbox toggle buttons are identical to the button plugin toggle buttons. However, they are conveyed differently by assistive technologies: the checkbox toggles will be announced by screen readers as "checked"/"not checked" (since, despite their appearance, they are fundamentally still checkboxes), whereas the button plugin toggle buttons will be announced as "button"/"button pressed". The choice between these two approaches will depend on the type of toggle you are creating, and whether or not the toggle will make sense to users when announced as a checkbox or as an actual button.

Radio toggle buttons#

<input type="radio" class="btn-check" name="options" id="option1" autocomplete="off" checked>
<label class="btn btn-secondary" for="option1">Checked</label>

<input type="radio" class="btn-check" name="options" id="option2" autocomplete="off">
<label class="btn btn-secondary" for="option2">Radio</label>

<input type="radio" class="btn-check" name="options" id="option3" autocomplete="off" disabled>
<label class="btn btn-secondary" for="option3">Disabled</label>

<input type="radio" class="btn-check" name="options" id="option4" autocomplete="off">
<label class="btn btn-secondary" for="option4">Radio</label>
<input type="radio" class="btn-check" name="options-base" id="option5" autocomplete="off" checked>
<label class="btn" for="option5">Checked</label>

<input type="radio" class="btn-check" name="options-base" id="option6" autocomplete="off">
<label class="btn" for="option6">Radio</label>

<input type="radio" class="btn-check" name="options-base" id="option7" autocomplete="off" disabled>
<label class="btn" for="option7">Disabled</label>

<input type="radio" class="btn-check" name="options-base" id="option8" autocomplete="off">
<label class="btn" for="option8">Radio</label>

Outlined styles#

Different variants of .btn, such as the various outlined styles, are supported.



<input type="checkbox" class="btn-check" id="btn-check-outlined" autocomplete="off">
<label class="btn btn-outline-primary" for="btn-check-outlined">Single toggle</label><br>

<input type="checkbox" class="btn-check" id="btn-check-2-outlined" checked autocomplete="off">
<label class="btn btn-outline-secondary" for="btn-check-2-outlined">Checked</label><br>

<input type="radio" class="btn-check" name="options-outlined" id="success-outlined" autocomplete="off" checked>
<label class="btn btn-outline-success" for="success-outlined">Checked success radio</label>

<input type="radio" class="btn-check" name="options-outlined" id="danger-outlined" autocomplete="off">
<label class="btn btn-outline-danger" for="danger-outlined">Danger radio</label>