A 48x74 cm pillow fits a standard UK pillowcase of 50x75 cm, which is 2 cm wider and 1 cm longer than the pillow. Our own plain pillowcases are sold in the 48x74 cm size, the same size as our pillows. A pillowcase is a removable fabric cover for a pillow, open at one end, and UK shops sell it by the size of pillow it fits. This guide gives the case size for every common UK pillow, then covers the 50x75 cm question, Oxford borders, fit problems, closures, and the exact sizes of our pillows, cases and protectors.
| Pillow | Pillow size (cm) | Pillowcase size (cm) |
|---|---|---|
| Standard | 48 x 74 (some brands say 50 x 75) | 50 x 75 |
| Standard, Oxford style | 48 x 74 | 50 x 75 inside, about 60 x 85 with the border |
| King | 48 x 90 or 50 x 90 | 50 x 90 |
| Super king | Same as king | 50 x 90 |
| Square (continental) | 60 x 60 or 65 x 65 | 65 x 65 |
| Toddler or junior | 40 x 60 | 40 x 60 |
The case sizes come from John Lewis, Belledorm, Dunelm and Soak and Sleep, and they agree. The pillow sizes come from The Wool Room, Belledorm and OTTY, and they don't: The Wool Room and Belledorm list a standard pillow at 48x74 cm, while OTTY lists 50x75 cm, the same as the case. Either way, the case for a standard UK pillow is 50x75 cm.
What size pillowcase fits a 48x74 cm pillow?
A 50x75 cm pillowcase fits a 48x74 cm pillow, with 2 cm to spare across and 1 cm along. Belledorm, whose standard pillows measure 48x74 cm, says all its standard pillows fit its 50x75 cm housewife and Oxford cases.
That bit of slack lets the pillow slide in easily. Our plain pillowcases are sold in the 48x74 cm size, the same size as the pillow, and the 54x77 cm cases in our duvet cover sets are roomier again.
Our hotel quality, quilted, textured, satin stripe and duck feather pillows are all listed at 48x74 cm, so any of these cases fits them. Our Bounce Back pillows are listed as standard UK size. If you're still choosing the pillow itself, our chart of UK pillow sizes in cm compares standard, king, square and US pillows.
Is 50x75 cm a standard pillowcase?
Yes, 50x75 cm is the standard UK pillowcase size. John Lewis, Belledorm and Soak and Sleep all list their standard pillowcase at 50x75 cm, and Belledorm sells that size in both housewife and Oxford styles.
"Standard" still isn't one fixed number. Dunelm lists its Belle Oxford pillowcase at 48x76 cm, and IKEA sells its pillows and housewife cases at 50x80 cm, sized to match each other. OTTY and Soak and Sleep call 50x75 cm the pillow size, which is how pillow and case sizes get muddled in listings.
An IKEA pillow is 80 cm long, 5 cm longer than a 50x75 cm case, so it needs an IKEA case. A 48x74 cm pillow in an IKEA case has 6 cm of spare length.
What size is an Oxford pillowcase?
A standard Oxford pillowcase is 50x75 cm inside, with a flat border of 5 to 10 cm, so it measures about 60x85 cm overall. John Lewis lists its Oxford case at 50x75 cm "excluding border", so it takes the same pillow as a plain case.
An Oxford pillowcase is a pillow cover with a flat fabric border stitched round all four sides, which frames the pillow on the bed. A housewife pillowcase is the plain style, with no border and an internal flap at the open end that holds the pillow in, as Wikipedia describes it. Soak and Sleep says both styles share the same internal dimensions, so the choice comes down to looks.
Check what an Oxford size includes before you buy. Soak and Sleep's Oxford cases add 5 cm on each side. Dunelm sells a kingsize Oxford at 48x90 cm with a 5 cm border, and John Lewis gives its square Oxford as 65x65 cm before the border.
What happens if a pillowcase is the wrong size?
A pillowcase that's too small squashes the pillow, and one that's too big bunches up. Soak and Sleep says a tight case can make a pillow feel firmer or lumpy, and OTTY says an undersized case won't close properly, so the pillow works its way out at night.
A case that's too big fails differently. OTTY says an oversized case bunches at the end, and Soak and Sleep says a loose one can slip off and leave you sleeping on the protector. Soak and Sleep also advises against squeezing a super king pillow into a standard case.
That's why a standard case is cut a couple of centimetres bigger than a standard pillow and no more. Toddler pillows are the exception: Soak and Sleep says a snug fit is safer for junior pillows, and its junior cases are 40x60 cm, the same as the pillow. Our toddler pillow comes in 40x60 cm and 36x58 cm.
How does a pillowcase stay on the pillow?
Most UK pillowcases stay on with an inside flap, a pocket at the open end that tucks over the end of the pillow. Wikipedia calls this the housewife style and says it's more common in Europe, while the open bag style is common in the United States.
There are 4 common pillowcase closures:
- Inside flap. The housewife pocket hides the end of the pillow, and Dunelm says its deep flaps keep the pillow inside and out of sight.
- Open end. The bag style leaves one short side open all the time.
- Buttons or ties. Wikipedia lists both as other ways to close a pillowcase.
- Zip. Wikipedia says standard rectangular pillowcases usually don't have zips. The zip goes on the pillow protector, and the case covers the protector.
Our plain pillowcases close with a fold-over flap at the open end, so there are no buttons or zips to deal with. The pillowcases come in a pack of 2 for £7.99, in 100% polyester that's machine washable at 40°C, in white, black, grey, charcoal, navy blue and beige.
What size pillowcases come with a duvet cover set?
Our duvet cover sets come with 54x77 cm pillowcases: 1 with a single, and 2 with a double, king, super king or emperor.
At 54x77 cm, a set pillowcase is 6 cm wider and 3 cm longer than a 48x74 cm pillow, and 4 cm wider than our 50x75 cm pillow protectors. That makes it the roomiest case we sell, with space for a pillow inside one of our protectors. Our guide to what a duvet cover set includes lists the pieces you get at each bed size.
Which pillowcases fit Adam Home pillows?
Our plain pillowcases and our duvet set pillowcases both fit our 48x74 cm bed pillows. The plain pillowcases are listed in the 48x74 cm size, and the duvet set cases are 54x77 cm. Our pillow protectors are 50x75 cm and go on under the pillowcase.
| Product | Listed size | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Hotel quality, quilted, textured, satin stripe and duck feather pillows | 48 x 74 cm | Bounce Back pillows are listed as standard UK size |
| Plain pillowcases | 48x74 cm size | Pack of 2, fold-over flap, £7.99 |
| Duvet cover set pillowcases | 54 x 77 cm | Included with every set |
| Quilted pillow protectors | 50 x 75 cm | Polycotton, full zip, from £9.99 |
| Microfibre pillow protectors | 50 x 75 cm | Brushed microfibre, full zip, from £9.99 |
| Toddler pillow | 40 x 60 or 36 x 58 cm | £7.99, for children over 12 months |
Under any of these cases, the microfibre protector is the slimmer layer, because its listing says there's no quilting bulk under the pillowcase. The quilted protector adds a thin layer of padding you can feel through the case. Our guide to what a pillow protector is and whether you need one covers what the zipped layer does.
Written by the Adam Home team in the UK.
