How to create a CSS-only animated hamburger menu icon?
Aug 01, 2025 am 07:04 AMUse hidden check boxes and labels to create clickable hamburger icons; 2. Set the basic style of three horizontal lines through CSS; 3. Use the checked state to match the ~ selector to rotate the top and bottom lines into "X" and hide the middle lines; 4. Adjust the transform-origin and transition curves to make the animation smoother; 5. You can use media query to adapt to the size of the mobile device. Ultimately, it realizes pure CSS animated hamburger menu icons without JavaScript, and has good accessibility and responsiveness.
Creating a CSS-only animated hamburger menu icon is straightforward and doesn't require any JavaScript. You can build a clean, responsive hamburger icon that transforms into an "X" when toggled using just HTML and CSS — typically by leveraging a hidden checkbox and the :checked
pseudo-class.

Here's how to do it:
? 1. Basic HTML Structure
Use a checkbox input (hidden) and three span
elements to create the three lines of the hamburger.

<label class="hamburger" for="menu-toggle"> <input type="checkbox" id="menu-toggle" /> <span></span> <span></span> <span></span> </label>
The
<label>
wraps the input and spans so clicking anywhere on the icon toggles the checkbox.
? 2. Styling the Hamburger Icon
Set up the base styles for the lines (bars) of the hamburger.

.hamburger { display: flex; flex-direction: column; gap: 6px; width: 30px; cursor: pointer; } .hamburger span { display: block; width: 100%; height: 4px; background: #000; border-radius: 2px; transition: all 0.3s ease; }
This gives you three horizontal bars stacked vertically.
? 3. Animating to an "X" on Toggle
Use the :checked
state of the checkbox to trigger the animation.
#menu-toggle { display: none; /* Hide the checkbox */ } /* Rotate top and bottom bars to form an X */ #menu-toggle:checked ~ span:first-child { transform: rotate(45deg) translate(5px, 5px); } #menu-toggle:checked ~ span:nth-child(2) { opacity: 0; /* Middle bar fades out */ } #menu-toggle:checked ~ span:last-child { transform: rotate(-45deg) translate(7px, -6px); }
The
~
selector targets the spans that follow the checkbox inside the label.
? 4. Fine-Tune the Animation
For smoother results, you can adjust transforms and timing:
- Use
transform-origin
to control rotation pivot. - Add
backface-visibility: hidden
to prevent flickering on some devices.
.hamburger span { transform-origin: center left; backface-visibility: hidden; }
You can also reverse the animation timing for a snapper close:
#menu-toggle:checked ~ span { transition: transform 0.3s cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.8, 0.4, 1), opacity 0.1s linear; }
? 5. Optional: Add Responsiveness
Wrap it in a responsive header or adjust size for mobile:
@media (max-width: 768px) { .hamburger { width: 25px; } .hamburger span { height: 3px; } }
Final Notes
- This technique is accessible (uses a real checkbox) and works without JS.
- It's perfect for simple mobile menus — pair it with a CSS-only sidebar if needed.
- You can extend it to animate a full sidebar by targeting
#menu-toggle:checked ~ .sidebar
.
That's it! You now have a sleep, animated hamburger icon using only HTML and CSS. No JavaScript required.
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