Standard quilt sizes
There is no single official quilt size for each bed, but there are sensible ranges. Here they are, with the reasoning, so you can pick a size that hangs the way you want.
Quilt size chart
| Bed | Mattress (in) | Typical quilt (in) |
|---|---|---|
| Baby or crib | 28 x 52 | 36 x 52 |
| Throw or lap | none | 50 x 65 to 60 x 72 |
| Twin | 38 x 75 | 66 x 90 |
| Full (double) | 54 x 75 | 80 x 90 |
| Queen | 60 x 80 | 88 x 96 |
| King | 76 x 80 | 104 x 96 |
Treat the quilt column as a starting point, not a rule. Commercial patterns for the same bed vary by 6 inches or more in each direction, and both work fine; they just hang differently.
How to size a quilt yourself
Start from the mattress and add what the quilt has to do:
Width: mattress width plus twice the drop, the amount hanging over each side. A 10 in drop covers the mattress sides on most modern beds; 15 in hides the whole mattress depth on deep ones. Measure your mattress depth, it is the drop you actually need.
Length: mattress length plus one drop at the foot, plus 8 to 10 in extra at the top if you want to tuck the quilt under the pillows.
So for a queen mattress (60 x 80) with a 12 in drop and a pillow tuck: width 60 + 24 = 84, length 80 + 12 + 10 = 102. Round to friendly block math and you land near 88 x 96, which is why that is the common queen size.
Two practical notes
Quilts shrink 3 to 5 percent the first time a cotton quilt with cotton batting is washed, which is where the lovely crinkle comes from. If the finished size matters to you, add a couple of inches to the plan.
Quilting also draws the top in slightly, typically an inch or two on a bed quilt, so a top that measures exactly the chart size before quilting finishes a touch under it. Nobody will ever notice on a bed; only worry about this for wall quilts that must fit a space.
Common questions
- What size is a queen quilt?
- Usually between 84 x 92 and 92 x 100 in, with 88 x 96 a comfortable middle. A queen mattress is 60 x 80, so that gives roughly a 12 to 14 in drop each side plus room for a pillow tuck.
- What is a good size for a throw quilt?
- Anything from 50 x 60 to 60 x 72 in. Around 54 x 68 suits most adults for the sofa; go longer for tall people.
- How much bigger than the bed should a quilt be?
- Add twice your desired drop to the mattress width, one drop to the length, and 8 to 10 in more if it tucks under the pillows. The drop that hides the mattress is its depth, commonly 9 to 14 in.