Pillow size and dimensions (with size chart included)
A bad decision in pillow choices can lead to poor pressure relief while a good-sized pillow can greatly improve your sleep environment. Continue reading the article for details on Pillow size and dimensions.
The mattress takes care of your body, and the pillow takes care of your neck. Pillow helps to support a healthy sleep posture by keeping your body in proper alignment, from the knees and hips, through the spine to the chest and shoulders, and finally head and neck. If your body is not properly aligned, this leads to contortions and distortions and finally creates sores, aches, and pains all over the body.
You might have seen several types of pillows of different sizes in stores or on beds. Large beds are known to be covered by a varying assortment of pillows. But why would anybody put so much effort into pillows? Besides how much pillow is enough pillow? Must you get a king pillow or a common pillow size or something more compact like square pillows on a sofa?
Looking for bed size charts? check all dimensions here. (Queen, King, Twin, Single, Full,…)
Want to have matching bed sheets with your pillows? check the size chart here
Standard Pillow Size Chart
Check the below standard cushion dimensions and sizing in inches
| Pillow Sizes Chart | Standard Pillow Size | Standard Queen Pillow Size | Queen Pillow Size | King Pillow Size | Euro Pillow Size |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Most Common Pillow Size | 20″ x 26″ | 20″ x 28″ | 20″ x 30″ | 20″ x 36″ | 26″ x 26″ 24″ x 24″ 22″ x 22″ 20″ x 20″ 18″ x 18″ 16″ x 16″ |
Check the below standard cushion dimensions and sizing in centimeters
| Pillow Sizes Chart | Standard Pillow Size | Standard Queen Pillow Size | Queen Pillow Size | King Pillow Size | Euro Pillow Size |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Most Common Pillow Size | 51 x 66 cm | 51 x 72 cm | 51 x 76 cm | 51 x 91 cm | 66 x 66 cm 60 x 60 cm 55 x 55 cm 51 x 51 cm 45 x 45 cm 40 x 40 cm |
Pillow Sizing by Age of your children
All of our Bed Pillows by size and age:
- Baby’s First Pillow (10×16) 18 – 24 Months
- Toddler Pillow (13×18) 2 – 3 Years
- Child Pillow (16×22) 4 – 5 Years
- Youth Pillow (18×24) 6 – 12 Years
- Standard Pillow (20×26) 13 Years & Up
- Queen Pillow (20×30) 13 Years & Up
| Pillow Type | Pillow size in inches | Pillow Size in Cms | Child’s age |
| Baby’s First Pillow | 10 x 16 “ | 25 x 40 cm | 18 – 24 months |
| Toddler Pillow | 13 x 18 “ | 33 x 45 cm | 2 – 3 Years |
| Child Pillow | 16 x 22 “ | 40 x 55 cm | 4 – 5 Years |
| Youth Pillow | 18 x 24 “ | 45 x 60 cm | 6 – 12 Years |
| Standard Pillow | 20 x 26 “ | 51 x 66 cm | 13 Years & Up |
| Queen Pillow | 20 x 30 “ | 51 x 76 cm | 13 Years & Up |
How To Choose The Right Pillow
Pillows need to be replaced after two years. Apart from bedding and aesthetics Memory foam pillows usually last longer and can last up to three years. Natural pillows tend to last longer than synthetic pillows. And higher quality pillows will last longer than inexpensive ones. If you’re using a pillow that’s five or six years old, you definitely need to change and get a new pillow. Your sleeping position greatly affects the type of pillow and sizes of pillows that you need. Different types of sleepers need different pillow materials and might even need a specialized pillow.
Side sleepers need a firmer and thicker pillow. They need one that’s as thick as the distance between their ear and outside shoulder. This is to prevent acid reflux up the throat.
Stomach sleepers need a soft pillow—or no pillow at all—underneath their head. A pillow under their stomach and pelvis may help prevent back pain. They generally need a softer pillow than side sleepers.
Back sleepers need a flatter, medium loft pillow, to keep their head and neck in alignment.
Back sleepers need the softest pillow—but if they have neck pain, they should look for a pillow that provides additional support, while maintaining the softness that’s comfortable for them.
Restless sleepers (active sleepers) usually demand great alignment during sleep. A popular pillow choice for them is body-size pillows. Unlike stomach sleeping, this type of sleeper usually uses extra-long measurements resulting in a larger size that can be several inches wider.
Combination sleepers will have more than one sleep position and require king-sized pillows that are several inches wide. Smaller fluffy pillows make a good pillow for neck pain, but the actual pillow size measurements for these people vary based on individual preference. Hybrid mattresses are good for these types is people and they usually need large-size mattresses to provide all the extra space for their body movements and standard king-size pillows.
Pregnant women need specialty pillows with excellent pressure relief. Queen pillows and body pillows are popular with this group of sleepers. They might use additional pillows or a queen-sized pillow made of a dense material to improve cervical alignment. A solid memory foam pillow with an extra touch of a solid block of memory foam is a good sleeping pillow and lumbar pillow for healthy alignment.
Other speciality pillows include activity specific pillows such as a reading pillow or an airline pillow. While others such as the orthopedic pillow are more medical in nature. The “science of sleep” will readily give a prescription to any individual who is going pillow shopping.
Standard Queen Pillow Size or Standard Pillow Size: These sizes are really the best for sleeping and what we recommend first. The downside to a long pillow is that the fill can migrate to the ends more easily and they are less ‘squishable’ having more volume as discussed above. Some sleepers prefer a shorter pillow because they like the compactness. These sizes also save money so those that don’t really have a preference may choose the less expensive option.
Queen Pillow Size: The Queen pillow is a good choice for someone who tosses and turns because it gives you lots of room on each side of your head. As well, a large pillow can feel luxurious and contribute to a retreat-like feel in your bedroom.
King Pillow Size: King pillows were designed for the extra width of a King or California King bed but they are great for a twin bed if your sleeper tosses and turns. They also make a good back support pillow for reading or working on a laptop in bed. A king pillow can also work as a shorter body pillow.
Euro Pillow Size: With so many sizes of Euro Square pillows to choose from, it’s easy to get the right look for your bed. They are mostly used for décor and reading pillows (whether we are reading a book or like to bring the laptop to bed). However, did you know the 26″ square is also used as a sleeping pillow in some European countries, such as Germany and Holland? If you buy bedding while traveling, you may be needing a new sized pillow.
Mixing Pillow Sizes: For a designer look, use a couple of sizes on your bed: a bigger size for your reading pillows (king, queen or euro) and then layer the smaller size that you may prefer to sleep on in front. This not only fills all your pillow needs but allows some fun color and pattern combinations in your shams and pillow cases.
How To Measure your Pillow Size
A pillow type falls into a wide variety of sizes. Ranging from the extra-long pillows to a shorter body pillow, from wedge pillows to solid piece compact size pillow inserts for gusseted pillows. Standard pillow sizes are usually readily available for purchase, although European pillows are known to be larger than Asian pillows but smaller than American pillows.
All you need to measure the size of any standard pillow is a flexible measuring tape and some spare time.
1. Find the correct direction of the pillow.
To the untrained eye a pillow is any direction but for measurements you must understand that a pillow is like a box with a top and a bottom. Memory foam is easier to measure.
The bottom of your pillow has the closure of the standard pillowcase. On a removable pillow cover, this is something like a zipper or buttons. If the pillow is sewn into place, the bottom has a seam that sticks out a little. A pillow with a detail such as a tag sticking out of the outside will have this tag at the bottom
2. Measure the height.
Hold the measuring tape along the seam. Make sure 0 on the tape measure lines up with the seam. Pillows must be measured from seam to seam. Begin by measuring the top to bottom measurement.
The height of the pillow is the number that lines up with the opposite seam. It may be slightly off, so round to the closest whole number to find your measurement. The measurement of the height always come first when speaking about pillow dimensions.
3. Measure the width.
This is the measurement from left to right. You measure this direction in the same way you measured the height. The width is always the second number in . Write your measurement on your piece of paper with the height number. Write this down and compare it with the table below when you go to purchase your new pillow. The common sizes of some standard pillow measures are mentioned below. Common pillow sizes are available all over the globe
Standard: 20 inches by 26 inches or 51 CM by 56 CM
Queen: 20 inches by 30 inches or 51 CM by 76 CM
King: 20 inches by 36 inches or 51 CM by 92 CM
Body: 20 inches by 54 inches or 51 CM by 137 CM
| Name Of Size | Dimensions (Inches) | Dimensions (Centimeters) |
| Boudoir | 12×16 | 31×41 |
| Japanese | 14×20 | 36×51 |
| Wall Meridian | 14×20 | 36×51 |
| European | 25×25 | 64×64 |
| Standard Size | 20×26 | 51×66 |
| Super Standard | 20×28 | 51×71 |
| Queen | 20×30 | 51×76 |
| King | 20×36 | 51×91 |
| Body | 20×54 | 51×137 |
Pillow Sizes explained
Conclusion on Pillow Size
The perfect pillow is one that is comfortable for you. The largest size includes the King size pillow and Queen size pillows. The smallest are decorative pillows like square pillows, throw pillows and travel pillows. Perfect pillow is not a myth. Although not everyone has a queen-size bed or king-size beds and the standard size pillow is good enough to enhance sleep quality. The assortment of pillows leads to several bed pillow arrangements, remember to maintain a balance of comfort and lovely appearance of pillows. A beautiful pillow must not only provide visual appeal but also a great bedroom sleep comfort.
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Picture in this post by Gabriel Alenius on Unsplash
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