Quilt sizes: a chart for every bed, and how to work out your own

Quick answer A queen quilt is about 90 × 105" as a coverlet and 102 × 111" as a comforter. A twin is about 68 × 100", a king about 106 × 105". A throw is 50 × 60" to 60 × 70". To size a quilt for your own bed: width = mattress width + 2 × drop, length = mattress length + drop + pillow tuck.

A quilt for a queen bed isn't the size of a queen mattress. It has to cover the top of the mattress and hang down the sides, and most of us like a little extra at the head to tuck under the pillows. That's why "queen quilt" sizes on the internet disagree: each one assumes a different mattress depth and a different drop.

This guide gives you a chart for every common bed, the formula behind it so you can size a quilt for your bed, and the sizes quilters use for babies, sofas and walls.

The formula

Work it out once for your own bed and you'll never guess again:

• Width = mattress width + 2 × drop
• Length = mattress length + 1 × drop (at the foot) + pillow tuck

The drop is how far the quilt hangs over the edge of the mattress:

• Coverlet: just past the mattress, covering its sides. Mattress depth + 3".
• Comforter: partly over the box spring. Mattress depth + 9".
• Bedspread: to the floor. Measure from the floor to the top of the mattress.

A pillow tuck of about 10" folds under and over the pillows. Use 0 if you don't tuck, or if the quilt goes at the foot of the bed.

Quilt size chart

These sizes assume a 12" deep mattress and a 10" pillow tuck, rounded up to the next whole inch.

Bed	Mattress	Coverlet	Comforter
Twin	38 × 75"	68 × 100"	80 × 106"
Twin XL	38 × 80"	68 × 105"	80 × 111"
Full / double	54 × 75"	84 × 100"	96 × 106"
Queen	60 × 80"	90 × 105"	102 × 111"
King	76 × 80"	106 × 105"	118 × 111"
California king	72 × 84"	102 × 109"	114 × 115"

Pillow-top or deep mattress? Many mattresses today are 14–18" deep, not 12". Every extra inch of depth adds 2" to the width (an inch on each side) and 1" to the length. A queen coverlet for a 16" mattress is 98 × 109", not 90 × 105". Measure yours: it's the one number most charts get wrong for you.

Sizes for babies, sofas and walls

Not every quilt goes on a bed. These are the sizes quilters most often use. There's no single standard, so treat them as starting points.

Quilt	Typical size	Notes
Baby or crib	36 × 45" to 40 × 52"	A play mat, a stroller quilt, or a wall quilt for the nursery
Toddler bed	40 × 60"	Toddler beds take a crib mattress, 28 × 52"
Lap or throw	50 × 60" to 60 × 70"	Covers one adult on a sofa
Wall quilt	Any size	Measure the wall and leave space around it
Table runner	14–16" wide	Table length plus 6–12" overhang at each end

A safety note for baby quilts: the American Academy of Pediatrics advises keeping soft bedding, including quilts and blankets, out of a baby's sleep space for the first year. A baby quilt is wonderful for tummy time, the stroller or the wall, and for the bed once the child is older.

Then make it fit your blocks

Your quilt has to be a whole number of blocks, so you'll rarely hit the chart size exactly. Pick the block count that comes closest, then use borders to make up the difference.

For example, a queen coverlet of 90 × 105" could be 8 × 9 Ohio stars of 9" with 2" sashing and a 4" border, which comes to 94 × 105". Close enough: the extra few inches across just add to the drop.

Every free pattern on Quiltkind has a size picker that does this for you: choose Baby, Throw, Twin, Queen or King and it picks the block count, then works out every cut and fabric amount again from scratch. Try it on the easy nine-patch.

Sizes that suit precuts

If you're starting from a precut bundle, let the bundle decide the size. These come from the What can I make? finder, which cuts each precut on paper first:

You have	A quilt it makes	Finished size
A charm pack (42 × 5" squares)	Charm square patchwork	33 × 37½"
10 fat quarters	Charm square patchwork	51 × 60"
A layer cake (42 × 10" squares)	Charm square patchwork	60 × 69"
A jelly roll (40 strips)	Easy nine-patch with a background	64 × 76"

Don't forget the batting and the shrink

Batting should be about 4" bigger than the quilt top on every side, so a 90 × 105" queen needs batting of at least 98 × 113". That's why queen quilts often need king-size batting.

Shrinkage: cotton quilts usually shrink a little in the first wash, more if the batting is cotton that wasn't pre-shrunk. Many quilters allow 3–5%. If the finished size really matters, for a quilt that must cover a mattress exactly, add a few inches or pre-wash your fabric and batting.

Work it out for your bed

Common mistakes

• Copying the size of the old quilt. It may have been made for a thinner mattress. Measure the bed, not the quilt.
• Forgetting the pillow tuck. A quilt that fits perfectly on a made bed without pillows looks short once the pillows are on.
• Using the mattress size as the quilt size. A "queen size" quilt of 60 × 80" covers only the top of the mattress.
• Ignoring mattress depth. A 16" pillow-top needs 8" more width than a 12" mattress for the same look.
• Rounding the blocks down. If the block count falls between two sizes, round up and make the border a little narrower, rather than coming up short.

Frequently asked questions

What size is a queen quilt?

About 90 × 105" as a coverlet that just covers the sides of a 12" mattress, or 102 × 111" as a comforter that hangs part way over the box spring. Shop-bought queen quilts are often 90 × 90" to 90 × 95", which leaves less to tuck under the pillows.

What size is a throw quilt?

Most throws are between 50 × 60" and 60 × 70": big enough to cover one adult on a sofa. A layout of 5 × 6 blocks of 10" with a 5" border, for example, makes 60 × 70".

Can I use a king quilt on a queen bed?

Yes. A king quilt on a queen bed hangs about 8" lower on each side, which many people like. It's the other way round that doesn't work: a queen quilt on a king leaves the sides of the mattress showing.

How much bigger should a quilt be than the mattress?

Twice the drop wider, and one drop plus the pillow tuck longer. With a 12" mattress and a coverlet drop of 15", that's 30" wider and 25" longer (15" plus a 10" tuck).

Do quilts shrink after washing?

Usually a little. Cotton fabric and batting that weren't pre-washed shrink most, often 3–5%, and that gives the familiar crinkly look. Pre-wash everything if you want the size to stay as planned.