Pillow Sizes Chart: Bed, Euro, Body and Throw Pillow Dimensions

Standard bed pillow sizes

Bed pillows in the US share a 20-in width and come in three lengths. The size on the label is the flat shell size, seam to seam. Once filled, a pillow looks about 2 in smaller in each direction, so a 20 × 26 in standard pillow plumps to roughly 18 × 24 in.

King 36 × 20 inQueen 30 × 20 inStandard 26 × 20 inEuro 26 × 26 in

A king pillow is not wider or thicker than a standard pillow, just 10 in longer. Its length makes it better for propping up to read and for covering a wide bed with fewer pillows, but it is heavier to turn over at night.

How many pillows fit each bed

Pillows sit side by side across the head of the bed, so the question is how their lengths add up against the mattress width.

A dressed bed adds rows in front of or behind the sleeping pillows. On a queen, a common arrangement is two Euro shams at the back (52 in total), two sleeping pillows in front of them, and one or two decorative pillows at the front. On a king, three Euro shams (78 in) span the width. Mattress widths for every size are in the mattress size chart.

Pillowcase and sham sizes

A pillowcase is about 4 in longer than its pillow so the pillow slides in and the open end can be tucked. A sham is a decorative cover with a closed back, and it is sized to the pillow itself, with a flange (a flat border of 2 to 3 in) added outside that.

Most sheet sets include standard cases for full and queen beds and king cases for king beds; see the bed sheet size chart. Comforter sets include matching shams, one for a twin and two for larger sizes, as listed on the comforter size guide.

Pillow loft: how thick a pillow should be

Loft is the height of the pillow when it lies flat and uncompressed. The right loft keeps the head in line with the spine, so it depends mainly on sleeping position and shoulder width.

1. Side sleepers: measure from the side of the neck to the outer edge of the shoulder. Pick a pillow whose compressed loft is close to that distance.
2. Allow for the mattress. A soft mattress lets the shoulder sink, so you need a little less loft than on a firm one.
3. Check thickness after compression, not out of the bag. Down and fiber pillows flatten noticeably under the weight of a head, while solid foam keeps most of its height.

Throw pillow and cushion sizes

Decorative pillows are measured by their cover, edge to edge, and come mostly in even-inch squares plus a few rectangular lumbar sizes.

To choose a size for a sofa, compare it with the back cushion height: an 18 to 20-in pillow suits a sofa whose back rises about 18 to 20 in above the seat, and a deep sectional can take 22 to 24 in. Seat depths and back heights for common sofas are in the sofa dimensions guide.

Throw pillow insert vs cover size

Inserts are usually bought 1 to 2 in larger than the cover so the pillow looks full and the corners do not sag. A down or feather insert compresses more, so go 2 in up (a 20-in insert in an 18-in cover). A polyester insert holds its shape, so the same size or 1 in up is enough.

Pillow sizes outside the US

Pillow sizes differ by country more than mattress sizes do, and US cases rarely fit imported pillows well.

A European 65 × 65 cm pillow is close to a US Euro (66 × 66 cm), so US Euro shams fit it. A German 80 × 80 cm pillow is far larger than any US size and needs its own cases.

Pillows for children

Pillows, like blankets, should stay out of a baby's crib for the first 12 months under American Academy of Pediatrics safe sleep advice. When a child does start using a pillow, a toddler pillow (13 × 18 in) is about half the area of a standard pillow and only 2 to 3 in thick, which suits a toddler's smaller shoulders. It fits a 28-in wide toddler bed with room to spare. Baby and toddler blanket sizes are covered in the blanket size guide.

Frequently asked questions