Sixty-five percent of people say standard bedding does not suit them, and the reason is almost always dimensional: the bed is deeper, wider or older than the chart the sheet was cut from. Here is exactly how to measure so you can order bedding made to your bed instead of to a category.
How do I measure my bed for custom sheets?
You need three numbers for a fitted sheet — mattress width, length and depth — and two numbers for a duvet cover — the width and length of the insert, not the mattress. Measure the mattress bare, with no topper or protector on it, then measure again with the topper on if you sleep with one, because that is the depth the sheet has to clear. Add 5 cm to the final depth so the sheet can tuck under and hold its tension. That is the whole method; the rest of this page is detail.
Step by step: the fitted sheet
- Strip the bed completely. Measurements taken over existing bedding are always wrong.
- Width: measure across the middle of the mattress, from side seam to side seam. Not at the corners — corners are rounded and will read short.
- Length: head to foot, again down the middle.
- Depth: stand the tape vertically at the side of the mattress, from the top surface down to where it meets the base. Include the topper and the mattress protector if you use them permanently.
- Add 5 cm to the depth. This is the part almost everyone skips. Without it the sheet has nothing to grip under the mattress and it pings off at 3am.
Step by step: the duvet cover
Measure the insert, flat on the bed, smoothed but not stretched, from seam to seam across the middle in both directions. The cover should match the insert or be up to 5 cm larger per side — larger than that and the insert slides around inside. Do not measure the mattress for this: a queen mattress and a queen duvet are different objects in every market, and the mismatch is the single most common reason duvet covers get returned.
Step by step: pillowcases
Measure the pillow itself, width and length, while it is uncompressed. A pillowcase should be 2–3 cm larger than the pillow in both directions — snug enough to look tailored, loose enough to get the pillow in without a fight. If you use European square pillows alongside standard ones, measure both; they rarely match any single chart.
Why standard sizes fail so often now
Standard fitted sheets are cut for mattresses 23–30 cm deep. Modern hybrids and pillow-tops routinely pass 38 cm, and even premium bedding lines usually stop around 43 cm. Add a 5 cm topper and a protector and you are outside the range that any off-the-shelf sheet was designed for. The sheet does not fail because it is badly made; it fails because it was made for a different bed.
The rest of the problem is history. Antique frames, European inserts, caravan berths, daybeds, built-in platform beds and bespoke joinery were never in the chart to begin with.
What to send us
Message us three lines and we will confirm the price before you order:
- Fitted sheet: width × length × depth, in cm, with topper included or excluded — say which.
- Duvet cover: insert width × length, in cm.
- Pillowcases: pillow width × length, and how many.
Every piece we make is cut to order in our Hanoi workshop anyway, so a custom size costs the same as the nearest standard one. There is no minimum order — a single custom pillowcase is a valid order — and our fabric is woven 250–280 cm wide, which means even a very wide bed gets a sheet with no seam running down the middle where you sleep.
Common questions
Can you really make any size? Yes. Larger, smaller, square, round-cornered, split for adjustable bases, or matched to a frame someone built by hand — if you can measure it, we can cut to it.
Does a custom size cost more? No. Standard price, same 3–4 week lead time.
What if I measure wrong? Send photos of the tape on the mattress and we will check the numbers before cutting. That is free, and it is much cheaper than a return.
What depth should I order for a 40 cm mattress? 45 cm, using the +5 cm rule. If you also use a topper, measure with it on first.
How long does a custom order take? The same as a standard one — 1–2 business days to cut and sew, then 3–4 weeks tracked international delivery.
Related reading: Where to buy custom size linen bedding · Deep pocket fitted sheets · Duvet cover size guide
Send us three numbers. We cut to them.
No size is non-standard to us. 100% European flax at 160–175 GSM, woven 250–280 cm wide so wide beds have no centre seam. Stonewashed, OEKO-TEX® Standard 100 certified, sewn to order in Hanoi. 50+ colours, any size at standard price, no minimum order, 30-day returns.
Use code LINEN10 for 10% off.
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