Linen Weight by Product: Sheets, Table Linen, Curtains and Upholstery

The right linen weight is set by the product, not by a single "quality" number. As a rough guide, bed sheets sit around 165 to 200 gsm, table linen around 190 to 260 gsm, curtains anywhere from 120 gsm for a sheer to 300 gsm for a structured drape, and upholstery from 400 gsm upward. Pick the weight that gives the hand and durability the end use needs, then hold it steady as a specification, because the same loom can weave linen across all of these and the weight is what separates them.

How linen weight is written, and in what unit

Linen weight is almost always quoted as grams per square metre (GSM, or g/m²). US buyers often see it in ounces per square yard instead, and the two convert directly: one ounce per square yard is about 33.9 g/m². So a 200 gsm sheeting linen is roughly 5.9 oz/yd², and a 400 gsm upholstery cloth is about 11.8 oz/yd². Quote both on a spec sheet aimed at more than one market so no buyer has to convert.

Weight is a consequence of three things working together: the yarn count, the sett (threads per unit of cloth) and the weave. A heavier linen generally uses a coarser yarn, a denser sett, or both. For how the yarn itself is measured and why that drives weight, see Lea Count Explained.

Two cautions before the numbers. Weight is not quality on its own: a well-spun, well-finished 185 gsm sheet outlasts a coarse 220 gsm one. And finished weight drifts up slightly after the first wash as linen relaxes and shrinks, so agree whether a figure is greige (loom-state) or finished.

Weight bands by product

The table below is general market practice, not one supplier's catalogue. Treat it as the starting point for a conversation, then narrow it to the exact hand you want with a physical sample.

Product	Typical weight (gsm)	Approx. (oz/yd²)	What the weight is doing
Apparel and fine shirting	110 to 160	3.2 to 4.7	Light, soft, high drape
Bed sheets	165 to 200	4.9 to 5.9	Breathable, soft, launders well
Heavier sheeting and duvet covers	200 to 250	5.9 to 7.4	More body, slower to soften
Table linen (napkins, cloths)	190 to 260	5.6 to 7.7	Crisp handle, holds a press
Sheer and voile curtains	120 to 180	3.5 to 5.3	Light filtering, soft movement
Medium curtains and drapes	200 to 300	5.9 to 8.8	Structure and fall, light block
Upholstery and heavy furnishing	400 to 600+	11.8 to 17.7+	Abrasion resistance, firmness

Sheets

Sheeting is the lightest of the home textile uses because the cloth sits against skin and has to breathe and launder well. Most linen sheeting lands between 165 and 200 gsm; below that it feels thin and shows wear at the hems, above it the sheet takes longer to soften and feels heavy on a bed. Duvet covers tolerate a little more weight than fitted and flat sheets because they are not slept directly on. We cover the trade-offs for sheeting in detail in What GSM Should Linen Bed Sheets Be? and the wider cloth specification in How to Specify Bed Linen Cloth.

Table linen

Table linen is specified for handle and recovery rather than softness. A napkin or cloth around 190 to 260 gsm folds cleanly, holds a press and drapes over an edge without looking limp. Restaurant and hotel cloths tend toward the upper end because they are laundered hard and often; a retail dinner napkin can sit lighter for a softer hand. Placemats are usually the heaviest piece in the range, sometimes backed or doubled for stiffness.

Curtains and drapes

Curtains cover the widest weight span of any product here, because "a linen curtain" can mean a gauzy voile or a heavy lined drape. A sheer runs 120 to 180 gsm and is chosen for how it filters light and moves. A medium curtain at 200 to 300 gsm has enough body to hang in a clean column and block some light without lining. Heavier still, usually lined, is used where the window needs structure or thermal mass. Width matters as much as weight for drapes: a tall window wants cloth wide enough to avoid a seam across the face, and linen can be woven in wide widths for exactly that reason. See Loom Width and Why Seamless Wide Bedding Is Not Universal, which applies equally to drapery panels.

One point to settle early: no plain weight figure tells you whether a curtain blocks light or resists flame. Those are tested performance claims, specified and certified separately, and weight alone does not deliver them.

Upholstery

Upholstery is a different class of cloth. It starts around 400 gsm and climbs well past 500, often with a backing applied for stability, and it is specified against an abrasion standard (a Martindale or Wyzenbeek rub count) rather than weight alone. Pure linen is used on light-duty and decorative furniture; for seats that take daily wear, linen is frequently blended or backed to lift its durability. If you are sourcing linen for upholstery, lead with the rub count and the end use, and let the weight follow from that.

Choosing and holding the weight

Work from the end use to the weight, never the other way round. Decide how the finished piece must feel and behave, pick a target GSM, then approve it against a physical sample in the actual fabric and finish, because a number on paper does not tell you how a given mill's cloth of that weight will hand. Once approved, write the weight into the specification with a tolerance, since real cloth varies run to run and an uncontrolled weight is one of the commonest reasons a repeat order feels different from the first.

A single fibre can serve every product above, which is why linen suits a brand building a coordinated range. H & J Exim weaves pure linen and linen-cotton blends across bedding, table and other home textile ranges, and the weight or count for each published bed linen cloth is shown on its card on the products pages. For a weight that is not yet listed, the practical route is a lab dip and a sample woven to your target before any bulk commitment; see our capabilities or get in touch with the end use and the hand you are after.

Common questions

Is a heavier linen always more durable?

No. Durability comes from yarn quality, sett and finishing as much as from weight. A well-made lighter cloth can outlast a coarse heavy one, and an over-heavy sheet simply feels wrong on a bed. Match the weight to the use, then judge quality on the construction.

How do I convert GSM to ounces per square yard?

Divide the GSM figure by about 33.9. So 200 gsm is roughly 5.9 oz/yd², and 340 gsm is about 10 oz/yd². Quote both units on a spec sheet that will be read in more than one market.

Does linen weight change after washing?

Slightly. Linen relaxes and shrinks on its first wash, which nudges the finished weight up against the greige figure. Always confirm whether a quoted weight is loom-state or finished, and approve the sample in its washed state if the product ships pre-washed.

Can one linen quality cover sheets, table linen and curtains?

A mid-weight linen around 200 gsm can stretch across sheeting and lighter table linen, but curtains and upholstery usually want their own weights. It is normal to run two or three linen qualities across a coordinated range rather than force one cloth to do every job.