Product Development
Bed Linen Sizes by Market: UK, US, EU and Australia
There is no single set of bed linen sizes. A "King" sheet made for the UK does not fit a US King bed, a US bed is longer than a European one, and Australian sizes are close to the US but not identical. Before you place an order, decide which market or markets you are cutting for, then specify every item in that market's dimensions rather than by name alone. Name plus centimetres, on every line of the tech pack, is what stops the wrong goods being made.
This guide sets out the sizes that matter, the traps in the names, and the specification decisions a buyer has to make before sampling.
Why the same name means different beds
The word on the label follows the mattress, and mattresses were standardised country by country. The result is that shared names hide real differences.
A US Queen (152 x 203 cm) is wider and much longer than a UK King (150 x 200 cm), even though "Queen" sounds smaller than "King". US mattresses are typically 203 cm long, while UK and most European mattresses are 190 to 200 cm. Australia sits close to the US on length but uses its own widths. So the first rule is simple: treat the size name as a label for the customer, and treat the centimetre dimensions as the specification.
Mattress sizes by market
These are the common mattress dimensions each market's linen is built around. Regional variation exists, particularly across Europe, so always confirm against your own market's retail standard.
| Name | UK | US | EU (common) | Australia |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single / Twin | 90 x 190 cm | 97 x 191 cm (38 x 75 in) | 90 x 200 cm | 92 x 188 cm |
| Double / Full | 135 x 190 cm | 137 x 191 cm (54 x 75 in) | 140 x 200 cm | 138 x 188 cm |
| Queen | not standard | 152 x 203 cm (60 x 80 in) | 160 x 200 cm | 153 x 203 cm |
| King | 150 x 200 cm | 193 x 203 cm (76 x 80 in) | 180 x 200 cm | 183 x 203 cm |
| Super / Cal King | 180 x 200 cm | 183 x 213 cm (72 x 84 in) | 200 x 200 cm | 203 x 203 cm |
Two things stand out. A US King is far wider than a UK King and is closer to a UK Super King in width. And "Queen" is not a standard UK size at all, which is a frequent source of confusion when a US brand briefs a UK-facing range.
Flat sheets: the size nobody publishes
The mattress table above tells you the bed. It does not tell you the sheet. A flat sheet is the mattress width plus a drop down each side plus a tuck allowance under the mattress, so it is always considerably larger than the mattress it covers, and the finished size is a decision rather than a lookup.
The arithmetic is simple and worth doing yourself before you accept a quote:
- Width = mattress width + (2 x drop) + tuck
- Length = mattress length + drop at the foot + tuck + a top fold to turn back over the duvet
Drop depends on mattress depth, and mattresses have deepened, so a figure that worked five years ago may not now. These are the finished sizes most commonly sold, given in the unit each market specifies in:
| Size | UK | US | Australia |
|---|---|---|---|
| Single / Twin | 180 x 260 cm | 66 x 95 in (168 x 241 cm) | 180 x 254 cm |
| Double / Full | 230 x 260 cm | 86 x 100 in (218 x 254 cm) | 239 x 254 cm |
| Queen | not standard | 96 x 108 in (244 x 274 cm) | 245 x 270 cm |
| King | 275 x 275 cm | 112 x 108 in (284 x 274 cm) | 275 x 270 cm |
| Super king | 305 x 275 cm | not standard | 290 x 280 cm |
Treat these as conventions rather than rules. Retailers differ, and a deeper mattress or a longer tuck moves them. The number that matters is the one written on your own specification, which is why we work it back from your finished size rather than assuming a standard.
Fitted sheets: depth is a size, not a detail
A fitted sheet has three dimensions, not two. Width and length come from the mattress. The third is the pocket depth, the amount of fabric that wraps down the side and under the mattress. Get it wrong and the sheet either will not reach or balloons off the corners.
Mattress depths have grown, especially in the US, where pillow-top and deep mattresses are common. If you sell into more than one market, you may need a deeper standard pocket than a UK-only range would use. The bands buyers usually specify:
| Fits a mattress | Where it is usually specified | |
|---|---|---|
| Standard | about 30 to 32 cm (12 to 13 in) | UK and European ranges |
| Deep | about 38 to 40 cm (15 to 16 in) | US and Australian ranges |
| Extra deep | 46 cm and above (18 in +) | Pillow-top and hybrid mattresses |
Our standard pockets are 32 cm for Europe, 38 cm (15 in) for the US and Canada, and 40 cm for Australia. State the finished pocket depth and the elastic type on the tech pack. All-round elastic holds better on a deep mattress than corner-only elastic, and it costs very little more.
Duvet covers, comforters and the terminology split
This is where markets diverge hardest, because the product itself differs.
The UK, Europe and Australia sell duvet covers, sized to a separate duvet insert. The US market historically sells comforters, a filled quilt used on top, and sells duvet covers as a growing but secondary category. If your brief says "duvet" and your buyer is American, confirm which product they actually mean before you sample.
Common duvet cover sizes:
| Name | UK | EU (common) | Australia |
|---|---|---|---|
| Single | 135 x 200 cm | 140 x 200 cm | 140 x 210 cm |
| Double | 200 x 200 cm | 200 x 200 cm | 180 x 210 cm |
| Queen | not standard | not standard | 210 x 210 cm |
| King | 230 x 220 cm | 240 x 220 cm | 245 x 210 cm |
| Super King | 260 x 220 cm | 260 x 240 cm | 270 x 240 cm |
For the US, duvet covers are usually offered as Twin, Full/Queen and King, about 173 x 229 cm (68 x 90 in) for Twin, 229 x 229 cm (90 x 90 in) for Full/Queen, and 264 x 229 cm (104 x 90 in) for King, with Full and Queen sold as one size. Whatever the market, specify the closure as well as the dimensions: buttons, ties, a zip or a hidden placket all change the making.
Pillowcases: the smallest item, the widest divergence
Pillowcases cause more sizing errors than any other line because the standards barely overlap.
| Style | Market | Typical size |
|---|---|---|
| Housewife | UK | 50 x 75 cm |
| Oxford | UK | 50 x 75 cm plus a 5 cm border |
| Standard | US | 51 x 66 cm (20 x 26 in) |
| King | US | 51 x 92 cm (20 x 36 in) |
| Standard | Australia | 48 x 73 cm |
| European / Continental | EU, UK, AUS | 65 x 65 cm |
A US Standard pillowcase is markedly shorter than a UK housewife because US pillows are shorter and squatter. The 65 x 65 cm European square is sold across several markets as a decorative front pillow, not a sleeping pillow, and is usually a separate line item. Decide early whether your set includes square pillowcases, because they change the piece count and the price of the set.
What this means for your order
A few decisions follow directly from the sizing.
- Pick the market before you sample. Sampling a UK King and then discovering the buyer wanted US King means recutting patterns and losing time.
- Specify in centimetres or inches, not names alone. Put both the size name and the finished dimensions on every line.
- Plan the size run. A bedding set sold across sizes multiplies your SKUs quickly. A private-label order here is often set per quality and per colourway rather than per size, so a single minimum from 50 pieces can be split across a size range rather than forcing a full minimum for each size.
- Watch the widest sizes. US King, Super King and wide flat sheets need cloth wide enough to avoid a centre seam. Woven fabric up to 136 inches wide lets those runs be made seamless; narrower looms force a join that some buyers will not accept. See capabilities for what widths and constructions are available.
Get the sizes fixed at the specification stage and the rest of development runs cleanly. Leave them to the sample stage and every later step inherits the error.
Common questions
Is a US Queen the same as a UK King?
No. A US Queen is 152 x 203 cm and a UK King is 150 x 200 cm, so the widths are close but the US size is longer. They are not interchangeable, and the sheets will not fit the other market's bed correctly.
Why is Queen not a standard UK size?
The UK mattress range runs Single, Double, King and Super King, with Small Double and King Single as regional additions. Queen is a US, Australian and continental European size, not a traditional British one, so a UK-facing range usually does not carry it.
Do I have to make every size in every market?
No. Most brands launch with the core sizes for one market, commonly Double and King, and add sizes as demand proves out. Because a minimum can be split across sizes within a colourway, you can offer a small range without ordering a full minimum of each.
Should I quote pillowcase and duvet cover sizes separately from the sheet?
Yes. Flat sheets, fitted sheets, duvet covers and pillowcases each have their own market dimensions, and pillowcases in particular do not follow the bed size. Specify each item on its own line. Every bed linen piece and set we make is on our bed linen page, and to discuss a specific size set, contact us with your target market.