How to Choose the Right Quilt Size
Standard size charts disagree because each one quietly assumes a different drop. If you start from your own mattress and decide a few things up front, you get a quilt that fits your bed, not someone else’s.
1. Measure the mattress, not the old quilt
Measure the top of the mattress from side to side and from head to foot, then measure its depth. Include any mattress topper. A “queen” in the US is 60" × 80", but depths range from 8" on an old innerspring to 16" on a pillow-top, and that changes everything that hangs over the edge.
2. Decide on the drop
The drop is how far the quilt hangs down each side. Three common choices:
- Coverlet: just covers the mattress depth, usually 10–15". It looks tidy with a bed skirt.
- Deeper drop: covers the mattress and part of the box spring, about 15–20".
- Bedspread: nearly to the floor. Measure from the top of the mattress to an inch or two above the floor.
The drop is usually the same at the foot of the bed. If the bed has a footboard, leave the foot drop out, or keep it small so the quilt doesn’t bunch.
3. Add a pillow tuck, or don’t
A pillow tuck is extra length at the head that folds under and over the pillows, usually 10–12". Skip it if you use shams or if the quilt sits folded at the foot of the bed.
4. Allow for shrinkage
Quilting pulls the layers together, so a finished quilt is smaller than the top. Light, open quilting loses about 2%. Dense quilting or cotton batting that is washed after quilting can lose 5% or more. If the final size matters, divide your target by 0.97 (for 3%) to get the size to make the top.
The formula
Quilt width = mattress width + 2 × drop
Quilt length = mattress length + drop at the foot + pillow tuck
Top size = quilt size ÷ (1 − shrinkage)
A worked example: a queen quilt
The bed is a queen mattress, 60" × 80", and 12" deep. We want the quilt to cover the mattress with a little to spare, so we choose a 14" drop, and we want a 10" pillow tuck.
- Width: 60 + 14 + 14 = 88"
- Length: 80 + 14 + 10 = 104"
- Allowing 3% shrinkage: 88 ÷ 0.97 ≈ 91" and 104 ÷ 0.97 ≈ 107". That is the target size for the top.
Now turn it into blocks. With 12" finished blocks, 7 across is 84" and 8 down is 96". A 4" border on all sides brings the top to 92" × 104". That is 1" wider than the target and 3" short. You can accept a slightly smaller pillow tuck, or make the top and bottom borders 5½" to reach 107". Blocks rarely land exactly on the target, and borders are the easiest place to make up the difference.
From there, the quilt backing calculator shows that a 92" × 104" top needs about 8⅜ yards of 42" fabric with horizontal seams, or 3⅛ yards of 108" wide-back. The binding calculator gives 10 strips of 2½", which is ¾ yard.
Standard sizes at a glance
This table uses a 15" drop on both sides and the foot, with no pillow tuck. It is a starting point; adjust it with the steps above. The quilt size chart has a calculator where you can enter your own drop and tuck.
| Size | Mattress (in) | Mattress (cm) | Quilt, 15" drop (in) | Quilt (cm) | With 10" tuck (in) / notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Baby | – | – | 36 × 36 to 40 × 40 | – | Stroller, play mat, wall |
| Crib | 28 × 52 | 71 × 132 | 36 × 52 | 91 × 132 | Lies flat on top; no drop |
| Throw / lap | – | – | 50 × 65 to 60 × 70 | – | Sofa |
| Twin | 39 × 75 | 99 × 190 | 69 × 90 | 175 × 229 | 69 × 100 |
| Twin XL | 39 × 80 | 99 × 203 | 69 × 95 | 175 × 241 | 69 × 105 |
| Full / double | 54 × 75 | 137 × 190 | 84 × 90 | 213 × 229 | 84 × 100 |
| Queen | 60 × 80 | 152 × 203 | 90 × 95 | 229 × 241 | 90 × 105 |
| King | 76 × 80 | 193 × 203 | 106 × 95 | 269 × 241 | 106 × 105 |
| California king | 72 × 84 | 183 × 213 | 102 × 99 | 259 × 251 | 102 × 109 |
Quilts that aren’t for a bed
For throws, measure the person or the sofa rather than a mattress. 50" × 65" covers most adults sitting down, and 60" × 70" is generous. Baby quilts are usually 36–40" square, which is a good size for a play mat or stroller. Current pediatric guidance is to keep quilts out of an infant’s sleep space for the first year. Wall quilts can be any size, but measure the wall and leave space around the quilt so it doesn’t look crowded.
Next steps
Once you know the size, plan the on-point layout with the setting triangle calculator if your blocks are set on point, then work out backing yardage and binding strips.
Last updated October 2026.