Duvet sizes in the UK: what size do you need?

Standard UK duvet sizes are: single 135 x 200cm, double 200 x 200cm, king 225 x 220cm (some brands make it 230cm wide), super king 260 x 220cm and emperor about 290 x 235cm. A single fits a 90 x 190cm mattress, a double a 135 x 190cm one, a king a 150 x 200cm one and a super king a 180 x 200cm one. Couples often buy one size up, and the cover should match the duvet, not the bed.

UK duvet sizes in cm

These are the sizes most UK brands work to, with the mattress each duvet is made for. Width comes first, then length.

Cot bed: 120 x 150cm.
Single: 135 x 200cm, for a 90 x 190cm single mattress.
Double: 200 x 200cm, for a 135 x 190cm double mattress.
King: 225 x 220cm or 230 x 220cm, for a 150 x 200cm king mattress.
Super king: 260 x 220cm, for a 180 x 200cm super king mattress.
Emperor: about 290 x 235cm, for an extra-wide bed.

There is no single official standard, so brands vary by a few centimetres. Christy lists a king at 230 x 220cm (Christy duvet size guide), while Piglet makes its king covers 225 x 220cm and its single covers 140 x 200cm (Piglet UK bedding sizes). Mattress sizes above are the UK standard ones given in both the Piglet guide and the SleepSeeker duvet size guide. If you are buying a cover for a duvet you already own, measure the duvet rather than trusting the name on the label.

What size duvet for each bed

Single bed. A single duvet is the light, compact choice for a child. For an older child, a teenager or a guest bed, a double duvet on a single bed gives more coverage and hangs down further at the sides.

Double bed. A double duvet fits it on paper, but if two of you share the bed, a king duvet is the usual recommendation, so there is enough to cover both of you and tuck down between you (Ideal Home duvet size guide).

King bed. A super king duvet on a king bed drapes better and is harder for two people to pull off each other. The exception is a very low platform bed, where a king duvet stops the edges dragging on the floor.

Super king bed. A super king duvet fits. An emperor is an option if you want a generous overhang, but most super king beds do not need one.

Should your duvet be bigger than your bed?

Yes, and it already is. A double duvet is 200cm wide against a 135cm mattress, which leaves about 30cm to hang over each side. SleepSeeker suggests roughly 20 to 30cm of overhang on each side for a neat look. That is enough for one person. Two people turning over pull the duvet off each other, which is why sizing up for a shared bed is common advice.

Size and warmth are separate choices. A bigger duvet covers more, but it is not warmer per square metre; that is set by the tog, which our guide to choosing a tog for each season covers.

One practical point before you size up: a bigger duvet is harder to wash at home. A single or double needs a drum of at least 8 to 9kg, and a king or super king 10kg or more, as our guide to washing a duvet in a home machine explains.

Duvet cover sizes

Buy the cover in the same size as the duvet, not the bed. A king duvet on a double bed takes a king cover. Ideal Home is clear that the cover should be the exact same size as the duvet. A cover that is too big lets the duvet shift around inside it.

UK duvet covers follow the duvet sizes above: single 135 to 140 x 200cm, double 200 x 200cm, king 225 x 220cm, super king 260 x 220cm. Fitted sheets, by contrast, follow the mattress, so a king duvet on a double bed still needs a double fitted sheet. If you want the crisp, pressed look as well as the right fit, our guide to making a hotel bed at home goes through the sheets and the making.

IKEA and European sizes

IKEA sells European sizes in its UK stores, and they do not line up with UK ones. An IKEA king mattress is 160 x 200cm, 10cm wider than a UK king, and an IKEA king duvet cover is 240 x 220cm, 15cm wider than a UK king cover of 225 x 220cm (Belledorm on IKEA euro king).

That 15cm matters. A UK king duvet in an EU king cover bunches, sags at the corners and shifts during the night (Devon Duvets on UK vs EU sizes). The fix is to keep duvet and cover in the same system: EU duvet with EU cover, UK duvet with UK cover. EU mattresses are also 200cm long where UK singles and doubles are 190cm, so check fitted sheets too.

Cleaning costs by size

Size changes the cleaning price as well as the fit, because a super king takes more room in the machine and far longer to dry right through. Our comparison of London duvet cleaning prices sets out what other services charge for each size.

We price duvet cleaning by size, whatever the filling: £25 for a single, £30 for a double, £34 for a king and £38 for a super king, washed and fully dried, with duvet covers from £10. Our price list stops at super king.

Related guides

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• Short-let linen in London: wash your own, hire, or do it on site?
• How often should you wash your sheets, duvet and pillows?
• How to wash a feather or down duvet without ruining it