SMRTR ProgrammingMay 10, 2026Daily.dev

The <selectmenu> Element: Stop Using JavaScript Dropdown Libraries

SMRTR summary

Chrome 133 ships `appearance: base-select`, a CSS property that finally unlocks full styling control over native `<select>` elements — no JavaScript needed. This eliminates the main reason libraries like React Select (~27 KB) exist. The article walks through implementation step by step, covering pseudo-elements, animations, React integration, progressive enhancement, and when JS dropdown libraries are still necessary.

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