28 CSS Hamburger Menus05 / 28

Pure CSSMIT licensed

Pure CSS Checkbox Hack Hamburger Navigation (No JavaScript)

The classic zero-dependency pattern, done the honest way: a hidden-but-focusable checkbox holds the open/closed state, the burger is its <label>, and the :checked ~ sibling combinator drives the panel — no JavaScript anywhere in the chain. This version fixes the two mistakes in 90% of checkbox-hack tutorials: the input stays keyboard-reachable (clip, not display:none), and its focus ring is re-projected onto the visible burger.

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The code

<section class="chm-05" aria-label="Pure CSS checkbox hack hamburger menu demo">
  <div class="chm-05__stage">
    <input type="checkbox" id="chm05-t" class="chm-05__state">
    <header class="chm-05__bar">
      <span class="chm-05__brand"><i aria-hidden="true"></i>papertrail</span>
      <label for="chm05-t" class="chm-05__burger">
        <span class="chm-05__ico" aria-hidden="true"><i></i><i></i><i></i></span>
        <span class="chm-05__word chm-05__word--open" aria-hidden="true">Menu</span>
        <span class="chm-05__word chm-05__word--close" aria-hidden="true">Close</span>
      </label>
    </header>
    <nav class="chm-05__panel" aria-label="Primary">
      <a href="#features" style="--i:0">Features</a>
      <a href="#pricing" style="--i:1">Pricing</a>
      <a href="#changelog" style="--i:2">Changelog</a>
      <a href="#docs" style="--i:3">Docs</a>
      <a href="#signin" style="--i:4" class="chm-05__cta">Sign in →</a>
    </nav>
    <div class="chm-05__content" aria-hidden="true">
      <div class="chm-05__hero"><b>0 bytes</b><span>of JavaScript in this menu</span></div>
      <div class="chm-05__ln" style="--w:84%"></div>
      <div class="chm-05__ln" style="--w:66%"></div>
      <div class="chm-05__ln" style="--w:75%"></div>
    </div>
  </div>
</section>
.chm-05,
.chm-05 *,
.chm-05 *::before,
.chm-05 *::after {
  box-sizing: border-box;
  margin: 0;
  padding: 0;
}

.chm-05 {
  background: var(--bg);
  width: 100%;
  min-height: 100vh;
  box-sizing: border-box;
  --bg: oklch(0.96 0.012 100);
  --panel: oklch(0.27 0.04 145);
  --edge: oklch(0.87 0.02 100);
  --ink: oklch(0.26 0.02 130);
  --mut: oklch(0.52 0.02 130);
  --acc: oklch(0.55 0.13 145);
  font-family: 'Segoe UI',system-ui,sans-serif;
  color: var(--ink);
  display: grid;
  justify-content: center;
}

.chm-05__stage {
  position: relative;
  width: min(400px,88cqi,88vw);
  height: 540px;
  border-radius: 24px;
  overflow: hidden;
  background: var(--bg);
  border: 1px solid var(--edge);
}

.chm-05__state {
  position: absolute;
  width: 1px;
  height: 1px;
  clip-path: inset(50%);
  overflow: hidden;
  white-space: nowrap;
}

.chm-05__bar {
  position: relative;
  z-index: 3;
  display: flex;
  align-items: center;
  justify-content: space-between;
  height: 70px;
  padding: 0 16px 0 24px;
}

.chm-05__brand {
  display: flex;
  align-items: center;
  gap: 9px;
  font-weight: 700;
  font-size: 15px;
  letter-spacing: -.01em;
}

.chm-05__brand i {
  width: 19px;
  height: 19px;
  border-radius: 50%;
  background: conic-gradient(from 160deg,var(--acc),oklch(0.75 0.13 110));
}

.chm-05__burger {
  display: flex;
  align-items: center;
  gap: 10px;
  min-height: 44px;
  padding: 0 14px;
  border-radius: 99px;
  border: 1.5px solid var(--ink);
  cursor: pointer;
  font-weight: 700;
  font-size: 12.5px;
  letter-spacing: .08em;
  text-transform: uppercase;
  user-select: none;
  transition: background .25s,color .25s,border-color .25s;
}

.chm-05__burger:hover {
  background: var(--ink);
  color: var(--bg);
}

.chm-05__state:focus-visible ~ .chm-05__bar .chm-05__burger {
  outline: 2px solid var(--acc);
  outline-offset: 3px;
}

.chm-05__state:checked ~ .chm-05__bar .chm-05__burger {
  border-color: oklch(0.9 0.02 145);
  color: oklch(0.95 0.02 145);
}

.chm-05__state:checked ~ .chm-05__bar .chm-05__burger:hover {
  background: oklch(0.95 0.02 145);
  color: var(--panel);
}

.chm-05__ico {
  position: relative;
  width: 18px;
  height: 12px;
  display: block;
}

.chm-05__ico i {
  position: absolute;
  left: 0;
  width: 18px;
  height: 2px;
  border-radius: 2px;
  background: currentColor;
  transition: translate .3s,rotate .3s .05s,opacity .2s;
}

.chm-05__ico i:nth-child(1) {
  top: 0;
}

.chm-05__ico i:nth-child(2) {
  top: 5px;
}

.chm-05__ico i:nth-child(3) {
  top: 10px;
}

.chm-05__state:checked ~ .chm-05__bar .chm-05__ico i:nth-child(1) {
  translate: 0 5px;
  rotate: 45deg;
}

.chm-05__state:checked ~ .chm-05__bar .chm-05__ico i:nth-child(2) {
  opacity: 0;
}

.chm-05__state:checked ~ .chm-05__bar .chm-05__ico i:nth-child(3) {
  translate: 0 -5px;
  rotate: -45deg;
}

.chm-05__word {
  display: block;
}

.chm-05__word--close {
  display: none;
}

.chm-05__state:checked ~ .chm-05__bar .chm-05__word--open {
  display: none;
}

.chm-05__state:checked ~ .chm-05__bar .chm-05__word--close {
  display: block;
}

.chm-05__panel {
  position: absolute;
  inset: 0;
  z-index: 2;
  background: var(--panel);
  display: flex;
  flex-direction: column;
  justify-content: center;
  gap: 4px;
  padding: 0 32px;
  translate: 0 -105%;
  visibility: hidden;
  transition: translate .5s cubic-bezier(.7,0,.25,1),visibility 0s .5s;
}

.chm-05__state:checked ~ .chm-05__panel {
  translate: 0 0;
  visibility: visible;
  transition: translate .5s cubic-bezier(.7,0,.25,1),visibility 0s 0s;
}

.chm-05__panel a {
  padding: 13px 2px;
  font-size: 27px;
  font-weight: 700;
  letter-spacing: -.02em;
  color: oklch(0.95 0.02 130);
  text-decoration: none;
  border-bottom: 1px solid oklch(0.36 0.04 145);
  opacity: 0;
  translate: 0 -14px;
  transition: color .2s,opacity .3s,translate .35s cubic-bezier(.2,.7,.2,1);
}

.chm-05__state:checked ~ .chm-05__panel a {
  opacity: 1;
  translate: 0 0;
  transition-delay: 0s,calc(.16s + var(--i)*.05s),calc(.16s + var(--i)*.05s);
}

.chm-05__panel a:hover,
.chm-05__panel a:focus-visible {
  color: oklch(0.85 0.14 110);
}

.chm-05__panel a:focus-visible {
  outline: 2px solid oklch(0.85 0.14 110);
  outline-offset: 4px;
  border-radius: 4px;
}

.chm-05__cta {
  border-bottom: none !important;
  font-size: 16px !important;
  margin-top: 18px;
  color: oklch(0.85 0.14 110) !important;
}

.chm-05__content {
  padding: 16px 24px;
  display: grid;
  gap: 13px;
}

.chm-05__hero {
  height: 170px;
  border-radius: 16px;
  background: linear-gradient(150deg,oklch(0.9 0.04 120),oklch(0.84 0.06 145));
  display: flex;
  flex-direction: column;
  justify-content: end;
  padding: 18px;
  margin-bottom: 6px;
}

.chm-05__hero b {
  font-size: 26px;
  letter-spacing: -.02em;
}

.chm-05__hero span {
  font-size: 12.5px;
  color: var(--mut);
}

.chm-05__ln {
  height: 11px;
  width: var(--w);
  border-radius: 99px;
  background: oklch(0.89 0.012 100);
}

@media (prefers-reduced-motion: reduce) {
  .chm-05 * {
    transition-duration: .01s !important;
    transition-delay: 0s !important;
  }
}
Paste this into ChatGPT, Claude, Cursor, or any coding assistant. The block below is pre-framed with everything the AI needs to integrate this demo into your project — markup, styles, scoping notes, and the source URL. Hit Copy and paste straight into your chat.
Here's a working CSS Hamburger Menu from CodeFronts. Use it as-is or adapt to your framework. All classes are scoped under a unique prefix so the code won't collide with your existing styles. MIT licensed.
Demo: Pure CSS Checkbox Hack Hamburger Navigation (No JavaScript)
Source: https://codefronts.com/navigation/css-hamburger-menus/pure-css-checkbox-hack-hamburger-navigation-no-javascript/

The classic zero-dependency pattern, done the honest way: a hidden-but-focusable checkbox holds the open/closed state, the burger is its <label>, and the :checked ~ sibling combinator drives the panel — no JavaScript anywhere in the chain. This version fixes the two mistakes in 90% of checkbox-hack tutorials: the input stays keyboard-reachable (clip, not display:none), and its focus ring is re-projected onto the visible burger.
## HTML
```html
<section class="chm-05" aria-label="Pure CSS checkbox hack hamburger menu demo">
  <div class="chm-05__stage">
    <input type="checkbox" id="chm05-t" class="chm-05__state">
    <header class="chm-05__bar">
      <span class="chm-05__brand"><i aria-hidden="true"></i>papertrail</span>
      <label for="chm05-t" class="chm-05__burger">
        <span class="chm-05__ico" aria-hidden="true"><i></i><i></i><i></i></span>
        <span class="chm-05__word chm-05__word--open" aria-hidden="true">Menu</span>
        <span class="chm-05__word chm-05__word--close" aria-hidden="true">Close</span>
      </label>
    </header>
    <nav class="chm-05__panel" aria-label="Primary">
      <a href="#features" style="--i:0">Features</a>
      <a href="#pricing" style="--i:1">Pricing</a>
      <a href="#changelog" style="--i:2">Changelog</a>
      <a href="#docs" style="--i:3">Docs</a>
      <a href="#signin" style="--i:4" class="chm-05__cta">Sign in →</a>
    </nav>
    <div class="chm-05__content" aria-hidden="true">
      <div class="chm-05__hero"><b>0 bytes</b><span>of JavaScript in this menu</span></div>
      <div class="chm-05__ln" style="--w:84%"></div>
      <div class="chm-05__ln" style="--w:66%"></div>
      <div class="chm-05__ln" style="--w:75%"></div>
    </div>
  </div>
</section>
```
## CSS
```css
.chm-05,
.chm-05 *,
.chm-05 *::before,
.chm-05 *::after {
  box-sizing: border-box;
  margin: 0;
  padding: 0;
}

.chm-05 {
  background: var(--bg);
  width: 100%;
  min-height: 100vh;
  box-sizing: border-box;
  --bg: oklch(0.96 0.012 100);
  --panel: oklch(0.27 0.04 145);
  --edge: oklch(0.87 0.02 100);
  --ink: oklch(0.26 0.02 130);
  --mut: oklch(0.52 0.02 130);
  --acc: oklch(0.55 0.13 145);
  font-family: 'Segoe UI',system-ui,sans-serif;
  color: var(--ink);
  display: grid;
  justify-content: center;
}

.chm-05__stage {
  position: relative;
  width: min(400px,88cqi,88vw);
  height: 540px;
  border-radius: 24px;
  overflow: hidden;
  background: var(--bg);
  border: 1px solid var(--edge);
}

.chm-05__state {
  position: absolute;
  width: 1px;
  height: 1px;
  clip-path: inset(50%);
  overflow: hidden;
  white-space: nowrap;
}

.chm-05__bar {
  position: relative;
  z-index: 3;
  display: flex;
  align-items: center;
  justify-content: space-between;
  height: 70px;
  padding: 0 16px 0 24px;
}

.chm-05__brand {
  display: flex;
  align-items: center;
  gap: 9px;
  font-weight: 700;
  font-size: 15px;
  letter-spacing: -.01em;
}

.chm-05__brand i {
  width: 19px;
  height: 19px;
  border-radius: 50%;
  background: conic-gradient(from 160deg,var(--acc),oklch(0.75 0.13 110));
}

.chm-05__burger {
  display: flex;
  align-items: center;
  gap: 10px;
  min-height: 44px;
  padding: 0 14px;
  border-radius: 99px;
  border: 1.5px solid var(--ink);
  cursor: pointer;
  font-weight: 700;
  font-size: 12.5px;
  letter-spacing: .08em;
  text-transform: uppercase;
  user-select: none;
  transition: background .25s,color .25s,border-color .25s;
}

.chm-05__burger:hover {
  background: var(--ink);
  color: var(--bg);
}

.chm-05__state:focus-visible ~ .chm-05__bar .chm-05__burger {
  outline: 2px solid var(--acc);
  outline-offset: 3px;
}

.chm-05__state:checked ~ .chm-05__bar .chm-05__burger {
  border-color: oklch(0.9 0.02 145);
  color: oklch(0.95 0.02 145);
}

.chm-05__state:checked ~ .chm-05__bar .chm-05__burger:hover {
  background: oklch(0.95 0.02 145);
  color: var(--panel);
}

.chm-05__ico {
  position: relative;
  width: 18px;
  height: 12px;
  display: block;
}

.chm-05__ico i {
  position: absolute;
  left: 0;
  width: 18px;
  height: 2px;
  border-radius: 2px;
  background: currentColor;
  transition: translate .3s,rotate .3s .05s,opacity .2s;
}

.chm-05__ico i:nth-child(1) {
  top: 0;
}

.chm-05__ico i:nth-child(2) {
  top: 5px;
}

.chm-05__ico i:nth-child(3) {
  top: 10px;
}

.chm-05__state:checked ~ .chm-05__bar .chm-05__ico i:nth-child(1) {
  translate: 0 5px;
  rotate: 45deg;
}

.chm-05__state:checked ~ .chm-05__bar .chm-05__ico i:nth-child(2) {
  opacity: 0;
}

.chm-05__state:checked ~ .chm-05__bar .chm-05__ico i:nth-child(3) {
  translate: 0 -5px;
  rotate: -45deg;
}

.chm-05__word {
  display: block;
}

.chm-05__word--close {
  display: none;
}

.chm-05__state:checked ~ .chm-05__bar .chm-05__word--open {
  display: none;
}

.chm-05__state:checked ~ .chm-05__bar .chm-05__word--close {
  display: block;
}

.chm-05__panel {
  position: absolute;
  inset: 0;
  z-index: 2;
  background: var(--panel);
  display: flex;
  flex-direction: column;
  justify-content: center;
  gap: 4px;
  padding: 0 32px;
  translate: 0 -105%;
  visibility: hidden;
  transition: translate .5s cubic-bezier(.7,0,.25,1),visibility 0s .5s;
}

.chm-05__state:checked ~ .chm-05__panel {
  translate: 0 0;
  visibility: visible;
  transition: translate .5s cubic-bezier(.7,0,.25,1),visibility 0s 0s;
}

.chm-05__panel a {
  padding: 13px 2px;
  font-size: 27px;
  font-weight: 700;
  letter-spacing: -.02em;
  color: oklch(0.95 0.02 130);
  text-decoration: none;
  border-bottom: 1px solid oklch(0.36 0.04 145);
  opacity: 0;
  translate: 0 -14px;
  transition: color .2s,opacity .3s,translate .35s cubic-bezier(.2,.7,.2,1);
}

.chm-05__state:checked ~ .chm-05__panel a {
  opacity: 1;
  translate: 0 0;
  transition-delay: 0s,calc(.16s + var(--i)*.05s),calc(.16s + var(--i)*.05s);
}

.chm-05__panel a:hover,
.chm-05__panel a:focus-visible {
  color: oklch(0.85 0.14 110);
}

.chm-05__panel a:focus-visible {
  outline: 2px solid oklch(0.85 0.14 110);
  outline-offset: 4px;
  border-radius: 4px;
}

.chm-05__cta {
  border-bottom: none !important;
  font-size: 16px !important;
  margin-top: 18px;
  color: oklch(0.85 0.14 110) !important;
}

.chm-05__content {
  padding: 16px 24px;
  display: grid;
  gap: 13px;
}

.chm-05__hero {
  height: 170px;
  border-radius: 16px;
  background: linear-gradient(150deg,oklch(0.9 0.04 120),oklch(0.84 0.06 145));
  display: flex;
  flex-direction: column;
  justify-content: end;
  padding: 18px;
  margin-bottom: 6px;
}

.chm-05__hero b {
  font-size: 26px;
  letter-spacing: -.02em;
}

.chm-05__hero span {
  font-size: 12.5px;
  color: var(--mut);
}

.chm-05__ln {
  height: 11px;
  width: var(--w);
  border-radius: 99px;
  background: oklch(0.89 0.012 100);
}

@media (prefers-reduced-motion: reduce) {
  .chm-05 * {
    transition-duration: .01s !important;
    transition-delay: 0s !important;
  }
}
```

How this works

State machine, wiring, and the two accessibility fixes:

<input type="checkbox" id="chm05-t" class="state">
<header>
  <label for="chm05-t" class="burger" aria-hidden="true">…</label>
</header>
<nav class="panel">…</nav>

.state:checked ~ nav.panel{ translate:0 0; }   /* the whole engine */

The checkbox is the boolean; :checked ~ broadcasts it to any LATER sibling. That one constraint shapes the whole markup: input first, everything it controls after it at the same level (demo 09 shows how :has() erases the constraint).

Fix #1 — never display:none the input. That removes it from the tab order and keyboard users lose the menu entirely. Park it visually with the clip pattern instead; it stays focusable and Space toggles it:

.state{ position:absolute; width:1px; height:1px;
  clip-path:inset(50%); overflow:hidden; white-space:nowrap; }

Fix #2 — when the invisible input has keyboard focus, SHOW that on the visible label, so there's a focus ring where the eyes are:

.state:focus-visible ~ header .burger{
  outline:2px solid var(--acc); outline-offset:3px; }

Everything else is styling on rails: the label's three bars morph to an X via :checked ~ header .burger i, the panel slides with translate + delayed visibility, and links stagger with transition-delay. Honest limits, printed here because tutorials skip them: a label announces as "checkbox", not "button, expanded"; Escape can't close it; focus can't be programmatically moved. For marketing sites that trade is often fine — for app navigation, use the button pattern (demos 02/04/17).

Make it yours

  • Panel entrance: this one slides from the top edge (translate:0 -105%); flip axis to -105% 0 for a left drawer — the checkbox engine doesn't care.
  • The label text ('Menu'/'Close') swaps via two spans toggled on :checked — pure CSS state text, delete both spans for an icon-only burger.
  • Add a click-outside-close for free: make a second full-viewport <label for="chm05-t"> behind the panel as a scrim — labels are the checkbox hack's 'buttons', you can have many.
  • Auto-close after a link click is the one thing CSS can't do — accept it, or add the single-line JS click handler noted in the docs (at which point consider demo 02's pattern instead).

Gotchas — read before shipping

  • display:none / visibility:hidden on the checkbox breaks keyboard access — the #1 checkbox-hack bug in the wild. Clip it instead; it must stay focusable.
  • The ~ combinator only reaches LATER siblings of the same parent. The moment your nav lives in a different subtree the hack dies — restructure, or move up to :has() (demo 09).
  • Screen readers announce the state as "checked/unchecked", not "expanded/collapsed". You can't fix that with ARIA — role=button on a label that toggles a checkbox lies about Space/Enter behavior. It's the pattern's real cost; budget for it.
  • iOS Safari ignores clicks on empty labels unless they contain content or you add an explicit cursor/appearance nudge — the visible bars inside this label are what keep it tappable.

Browser support

ChromeSafariFirefoxEdge
111+16.4+113+111+

The :checked ~ engine works in literally every browser since IE9 — the stated floor is only the oklch()/color-mix() palette and clip-path:inset() visually-hidden recipe. Swap those and this is the most compatible pattern in the collection.

Techniques used in this demo

conic-gradient()MDN ↗clip-pathMDN ↗oklch()MDN ↗

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