Just like with mattresses, there are different pillow sizes to match your overall bed size. After you’ve found your dream mattress the next step is to find suitable pillows to ensure you’re sleeping in ultimate comfort. Pillows vary in size and shape to accommodate your personal needs and preferences. Different pillows can also vary in volume depending on their filling to offer different levels of comfort.

You might be looking at all the pillow sizes and wondering what size pillows would be most suitable for your bed. With our handy guide to pillow sizes we will demystify the topic for you and help you choose the perfect pillows to fit your bed.

What are the standard pillow sizes?

Pillows come in sizes to match different sized beds. Although sizing can slightly vary from brand to brand and between different types of pillows the standard UK pillow size measures approximately 49cm by 74cm or 20x26 in inches. They usually fit a single bed or two of them can fit on a standard double mattress. These are the most popular choices that can fit every type of sleeper.

A touch bigger than that is the standard queen size pillow which usually measures about 20 by 28 or 30 inches. Their extra length makes them particularly suitable for restless sleepers who tend to toss and turn quite a bit during the night.

For square decorative pillows and cushions the standard sizes range from 16 by 16 inches to 26 by 26 inches.

How big are king size pillows?

King size pillows are as the name suggests designed to suit king size mattresses. A regular king size pillow has measurements of approximately 90-92cm in length and 49cm in width which is about 36x20 inches. Although they are becoming increasingly popular, king pillows are still not widely available on the high street.

They’re suitable for side sleepers who tend to turn in their sleep and wake up with their head towards one end of the bed, because their extra length allows two of them to perfectly fit a king size bed from end to end. This type of pillows also provide great support if you enjoy reading or watching films while sitting in bed with your back resting on the headboard.

What pillow sizes are best for your bed?

Matching pillows to your bed size sounds like a pretty straightforward job - buy a standard pillow for a single or double bed and king for a king size, but in reality there are way more combinations so you don’t have to limit yourself. While there are less options for a double or queen bed, you can put any size of pillows on a king bed. You can also combine different sized pillows and layer them in various ways.

An option for a single bed could be one standard size pillow with one or two smaller decorative cushions. For double or queen beds the most popular choice is two standard pillows and two square sized decorative pillows, or if you’re a particularly restless sleeper you could go a size up to two king pillows which will perfectly fit on a double bed from end to end. If you need some extra support you could also double up the pillows and have four standard ones with different depths.

When it comes to choosing pillows for a king bed there’s a lot more creativity depending on your needs and preferences. If you’re someone who likes to sit in bed while watching telly you can create some extra support for yourself by having two king pillows at the back and then add two standard pillows and one or two decorative ones in front of them. Otherwise, if you don’t require as much support you can just have two king sized pillows with a few decorative ones as a colourful accent to your bed or just to add a bit more comfort.

Do you need to worry about pillowcase sizes?

Considering all the different pillow sizes you might be worried whether you need to find special pillow cases to fit the size of your pillows. The good news is that there are only two sizes for pillow cases – standard and king.

The standard size pillowcases measure about 50x75cm or 20 by 30 inches and are designed to fit all pillow sizes between standard and queen. Sheet manufacturers take into account the fact sizes may vary between brands so standard pillow cases are usually on the larger size so in the worst case scenario there’s more room around your pillow rather than less. This type of pillow cases are available from all bedding and household retailers.

King sized cases are obviously bigger, designed to perfectly fit king size pillows. They are available mainly from specialised bedding retailers online rather than in-store.