What size quilt for a bed?

Quilt width = mattress width + 2 × the drop. Quilt length = mattress length + the drop + the pillow tuck. A queen (60″ × 80″) with a 12″ drop and a 10″ tuck makes a 84″ × 102″ quilt. Choose a mattress and see it fall over the bed.

Quilt-over-bed simulator

Units Inches & yards Centimetres & metres

Mattress Crib · 28 × 52″Twin · 38 × 75″Twin XL · 38 × 80″Full · 54 × 75″Queen · 60 × 80″King · 76 × 80″Cal King · 72 × 84″ Drop on the sides and foot

Pillow tuck

Try: Short drop 8″, no tuckStandard 12″ + 10″ tuckGenerous 18″ + 12″ tuckTo the floor 22″

▶ Play the steps ‹ Back Next ›

1. Measure the mattressWidth and length of the mattress itself, not the frame.
2. Add the dropHow far the quilt hangs below the top edge, on both sides and at the foot.
3. Add the pillow tuckExtra length at the head for going over or under the pillows.
4. Read the quilt sizeWidth and length of the finished quilt top.

Step by step

1. Measure the mattress (width × length) or choose a standard size from the table below.
2. Pick a drop. 12″ is a good all-round choice. In the side view the mattress and base are about 22″ tall, so a drop above 22″ would pool on the floor.
3. Pick a pillow tuck of 8–12″, or 0 if the quilt will sit below the pillows.
4. Add it up. Queen: width 60 + 2 × 12 = 84″, length 80 + 12 + 10 = 102″.
5. Check the pattern. Round to a size the blocks and borders can reach; add or remove a border instead of resizing the blocks.

Quilt size by mattress (12″ drop, 10″ tuck)

Using centimetres? The quilt size chart has UK and Australian mattress sizes. Method: how we calculate.

Questions quilters ask

What size quilt do I need for a queen bed?

About 84 x 102 inches for a 60 x 80 inch queen mattress, with a 12 inch drop on the sides and foot and a 10 inch pillow tuck. For a deeper mattress or a longer drop, 90 x 108 inches is the popular choice.

How do you work out quilt size for a bed?

Width = mattress width + 2 x the drop. Length = mattress length + the drop at the foot + the pillow tuck. The drop is how far the quilt hangs below the top edge of the mattress.

What is a good drop for a quilt?

Most people use 10 to 14 inches for a bed quilt that covers the mattress and part of the box spring. 18 to 22 inches reaches almost to the floor. A throw or a topper can have no drop at all.

What is a pillow tuck?

The extra length at the head of the quilt that goes over the pillows or is tucked under them. 8 to 12 inches is typical; leave it out if the quilt stops below the pillows.

What size quilt for a king bed?

100 x 102 inches for a 76 x 80 inch king mattress with a 12 inch drop and 10 inch tuck. Many king patterns are 108 x 108 or 120 x 120 inches.

Keep learning

• Interactive How to calculate quilt backing Drag the quilt size and see the panels, the seams and the yardage change.
• Interactive How to calculate and make quilt binding Watch the strips get cut, joined at 45° and sewn around your quilt.
• Interactive How to make half-square triangles Pick a finished size and method: the cut size and every step, animated.
• Interactive How many squares from a fat quarter? See exactly how a fat quarter cuts up, and how much is left over.
• Interactive How to set a quilt on point Turn blocks 45° and watch the side and corner triangles fill in.
• Free calculator Quilt size chart Just want the number? Type your size and get it straight away.

Updated 2026-11-14.