🧱 Bootstrap 5 – Grid Medium (md
) Variants – Tablet and Small Desktop Layouts
🧲 Introduction – What Is the md
Grid in Bootstrap 5?
In Bootstrap 5, the md
breakpoint applies to screen sizes ≥768px, which includes tablets in landscape orientation and smaller desktop monitors. It helps developers create responsive layouts that kick in after the small (sm
) breakpoint and before large (lg
).
🎯 In this guide, you’ll learn:
- What
.col-md-*
does in the grid system - How it compares to
xs
andsm
classes - Examples of real-world
md
usage - Best practices for layouts targeting medium devices
📐 Bootstrap 5 md
Breakpoint Overview
Breakpoint | Class Prefix | Min Width | Typical Devices |
---|---|---|---|
Medium | md | ≥768px | Tablets (landscape), small desktops |
The md
variant is especially helpful when designing layouts that should stack on small screens but become multi-column on larger displays like tablets.
✅ Example 1 – Two-Column Layout from Medium Up
<div class="row">
<div class="col-12 col-md-6 bg-light p-3">Left Content</div>
<div class="col-12 col-md-6 bg-secondary text-white p-3">Right Content</div>
</div>
🔍 Explanation:
- Stacks vertically on screens <768px
- Switches to side-by-side layout starting from
md
(≥768px)
✅ Example 2 – Three Equal Columns on md
and Up
<div class="row">
<div class="col-12 col-md-4 bg-warning p-3">One</div>
<div class="col-12 col-md-4 bg-info text-white p-3">Two</div>
<div class="col-12 col-md-4 bg-dark text-white p-3">Three</div>
</div>
🔍 Output:
- 100% stacked layout on mobile
- 3-column horizontal layout on tablets and desktops ≥768px
✅ Example 3 – Centering Content with offset-md-*
<div class="row">
<div class="col-md-6 offset-md-3 bg-primary text-white text-center p-4">Centered Content</div>
</div>
🔍 Explanation:
- Offset pushes the column 3 units right
- Result: centered 6-column wide content on medium+ screens
✅ Example 4 – Reordering with order-md-*
<div class="row">
<div class="col-md-6 order-md-2 bg-success text-white p-3">Second</div>
<div class="col-md-6 order-md-1 bg-info text-white p-3">First</div>
</div>
🔍 Output:
- Default source order applies on small screens
- At
≥768px
, columns switch positions
✅ Example 5 – Nesting Inside md
Grid
<div class="row">
<div class="col-md-8 bg-light p-3">
<div class="row">
<div class="col-6 bg-warning p-2">Nested A</div>
<div class="col-6 bg-secondary text-white p-2">Nested B</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="col-md-4 bg-dark text-white p-3">Side Column</div>
</div>
🔍 Explanation:
- Nested row appears inside the medium-sized main content
- Ideal for forms, dashboards, or feature blocks
🛠️ Best Practices for md
Grid Layouts
Tip | Why It’s Useful |
---|---|
Use col-12 + col-md-* for mobile-first layouts | Ensures stacking on smaller screens |
Avoid overloading md rows with columns | 2–3 columns work best for tablets |
Combine with gx-* / gy-* for spacing | Improves readability on medium screens |
Use offset-md-* for alignment | Great for centering forms or cards |
Nest grids carefully to avoid layout breaks | Keeps responsive behavior intact |
📌 Summary – Responsive Layouts with Bootstrap 5 md
The md
variant in Bootstrap 5 offers the sweet spot between mobile and large desktop layouts. It’s especially useful when designing interfaces that must adapt cleanly from stacked to grid layouts at 768px+.
🔍 Key Takeaways:
md
breakpoint starts at 768px (tablets in landscape)- Use
col-md-*
for horizontal layouts that stack belowmd
- Supports
offset-md-*
,order-md-*
, and responsive utilities - Nesting and spacing should be planned for mid-sized screens
⚙️ Perfect for marketing sections, dashboard cards, forms, and responsive tables.
❓ FAQs – Bootstrap 5 Medium Grid Variants
❓ What screen size does the md
breakpoint target?
✅ md
starts at 768px
(tablets in landscape and up)
❓ Can I use col-md-*
and col-lg-*
together?
✅ Yes. This enables granular control across multiple breakpoints.
❓ What happens if I don’t define a col-md-*
class?
✅ The layout will follow lower breakpoint behavior (col-*
or col-sm-*
)
❓ Is it okay to use col-md
without col-12
?
✅ Yes. But using both ensures mobile stacking before md
.
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