Offhand Hotbar
Offhand Hotbar turns the third row of the inventory into an extra hotbar slot set, so players can keep a second item ready beside the main hand.
What it does
Offhand Hotbar is a client-side Fabric mod that lets the third row of the inventory act as a hotbar for the offhand slot. Scrolling or pressing number keys changes which inventory item is held in the offhand, and the change happens automatically in the background by shuffling items whenever the selection moves. The author describes it as an inventory management idea inspired by the Spawn Chunks podcast, and notes that the approach is still in beta.
Typical pairings include tools or weapons in the main hand with building blocks, weapons or consumables in the offhand. The default scroll wheel controls the main hand and the number keys control the offhand, and both bindings can be changed. Holding a key reverses the scroll direction, and a second key can cycle through the three inventory rows so the offhand choices change. The mod includes several visual layouts, including stacked and swapped variants, that can be selected in its settings.
The mod requires Fabric API. It is published for Fabric only, across seven game versions 1.21.1 – 1.21.10, with 1.1.0+mc1.21.9 for 1.21.10 as the latest file, released on 2025-10-06 on the alpha channel. MidnightLib is bundled inside the mod. The mod is open source under the MIT License, and its source code and issue tracker are publicly linked.
Key features
Third row as offhand hotbar
The third inventory row is used as a selectable set of offhand items, with the offhand slot following the chosen entry.
Separate main and offhand bindings
The scroll wheel and number keys control different hands by default, and both controls can be remapped in settings.
Reversed scrolling while held
Holding a key flips the scroll direction, and another key cycles the three inventory rows that feed the offhand.
Several visual layouts
The mod offers multiple layouts for the hotbar display, such as stacked and swapped arrangements, to choose from.
Container sorting support
When a container is open, the offhand slot is treated as the default offhand item, so items can be moved between the inventory and the container.
Gallery
Compatibility
Latest build for each game version and loader.
Only full game releases are shown. This mod publishes no snapshot builds.
Requirements
Dependencies declared by the latest file for each loader.
Required 1
Embedded 1
How it compares
Triple Inventory is a Fabric mod for 1.21.3 – 1.21.8 that runs on both client and server, under the MIT License and open source. 3x3 Hotbar is a client-side Fabric mod for 1.21 under a non-commercial Creative Commons license, and it is not open source. veryHotbar covers 1.21 – 1.21.11 as a client-side Fabric mod under a no-derivatives Creative Commons license, so it cannot be modified and redistributed as the MIT-licensed Offhand Hotbar can.
| Mod | Loaders | Game versions | Environment | Updated |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Offhand Hotbar | Fabric | 1.21.1 – 1.21.10 | Client-side only | 2025-10-06 |
| Triple Inventory | Fabric | 1.21.3 – 1.21.8 | Client and server | 2025-08-16 |
| 3x3 Hotbar | Fabric | 1.21 | Client-side only | 2024-06-27 |
| veryHotbar | Fabric | 1.21 – 1.21.11 | Client-side only | 2026-05-24 |
Questions
Does Offhand Hotbar need Fabric API?
Does the server need Offhand Hotbar installed?
Which game versions are supported?
In the catalog
Offhand Hotbar is one of 4,058 Storage mods on ModsFinder, and one of 2,474 Storage mods for Fabric. 15,569 mods support Minecraft 1.21.10.
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What the author says
Offhand Hotbar turns the third row of your inventory into a hotbar for your offhand, making your inventory management more flexible. For example, you can hold tools and weapons in mainhand and building blocks in offhand, or you could have weapons in mainhand and various consumables in offhand. By default, the scroll…
Official listing
- Modrinth page
- modrinth.com/mod/offhand-hotbar
- Owner
- ThePotatoArchivist
- Published
- 2025-05-13
- Updated on Modrinth
- 2025-10-06
- Facts verified
- 2026-10-15