How to Avoid CSS Specificity Conflicts When Using Media Queries with min-width?

CSS Specificity and Media Queries: Overcoming Precedence Quandaries with min-width

When designing responsive websites, understanding CSS specificity and the interplay of media queries is crucial. One common issue encountered when relying on min-width to avoid style replication is that lower min-width values can override higher ones.

Consider the following code:

@media only screen and (min-width: 600px) {
    h2 { font-size: 2.2em; }
}

@media only screen and (min-width: 320px) {
    h2 { font: normal 1.7em/2.1em Helvetica, sans-serif; }
}

Intuitively, one would expect the 2.2em font size to apply at resolutions above 600px. However, as you have observed, the 1.7em font setting defined in the 320px min-width media query overrides the 2.2em setting.

This occurs because both media queries evaluate to true for resolutions above 600px. In such cases, the rule declared last in the CSS cascade (i.e., the 1.7em setting) takes precedence.

Overcoming Precedence Issues

To resolve this precedence issue, you have two primary options:

1. Rearrange Media Queries: Switch the order of your media queries so that the higher min-width query comes last. This ensures that the 2.2em font size is applied correctly for resolutions above 600px.
2. Use Specificity: Increase the specificity of the 2.2em rule by adding an additional selector. For example, you could use the element selector h2.main to override the generic h2 rule defined in the 320px min-width query.

Recommendation

Using the first option is generally recommended, as it maintains the clarity of your CSS structure and avoids the need for specificity adjustments. By rearranging the media queries as follows, you can ensure that your desired behavior is achieved:

@media only screen and (min-width: 320px) {
    h2 { font: normal 1.7em/2.1em Helvetica, sans-serif; }
}

@media only screen and (min-width: 600px) {
    h2 { font-size: 2.2em; }
}

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