Curtain Size Lab Search

LENGTHS GUIDE · REVIEWED SEPTEMBER 11, 2026

Standard Curtain Lengths and Where They Should Finish

Compare 63, 72, 84, 95/96, 108, and 120 inch curtain lengths with metric conversions and endpoint guidance.

MEASURED WIDTHFINISHED DROP
Original proportional diagram. Use actual measurements; drawing is not to scale for a specific product.

SHORT ANSWER

Start here

Common US ready-made curtain lengths include 63, 72, 84, 95/96, 108, and 120 inches, but they are retail conventions rather than building standards. Choose a sill, below-sill, floor, break, or puddle endpoint first, then measure from the selected heading’s actual hanging reference.

63 in160 cm
84 in213.4 cm
96 in243.8 cm
108 in274.3 cm

How to measure

  1. 01

    Measure the actual working rod or track width; if hardware is not installed, record the window-frame width and your planned side extensions separately.

  2. 02

    Measure the drop from the reference point stated for the selected heading—not from an unrelated edge of the window.

  3. 03

    Check whether a package contains one panel or a pair, then compare total flat fabric width rather than the label width alone.

  4. 04

    Recheck the selected product, tape, hooks, carriers, and fabric before ordering or cutting.

WORKED CALCULATION

Length-choice example

Measured finished drop
95.4 in (242.3 cm)
Nearby labels
95 in and 96 in
Difference
0.4 in short / 0.6 in long
FormulaCandidate length − measured finished drop

Compare both products and any alteration plan

Header take-up, hanging hardware, finished tolerance, and the intended endpoint can change the decision.

Recalculate with your measurements

Sill and below-sill treatments

John Lewis suggests a sill curtain can finish roughly 0.5–1 cm above the sill and a below-sill curtain about 15 cm below. Treat those as design guidance; nearby furniture, radiators, handles, and the product construction can change the endpoint.

Floor, break, and puddle

A floor treatment is measured to the floor from the real heading reference, then adjusted for the intended clearance. A break or puddle intentionally adds length, so it should be selected rather than appearing as an accidental measuring error.

Why two 96-inch panels may hang differently

Grommets, rings, hooks, rod pockets, and tracks place the fabric top at different positions. Product labels may also use nominal measurements. Verify one finished sample before ordering a large matching set.

Before you order or cut

Measure the actual window and selected product. Finished sizes, fullness, header take-up, hardware geometry, and manufacturer tolerances vary. Fabric can shrink, stretch, or behave differently by composition. Measurements do not guarantee fit, privacy, water containment, installation, load capacity, or structural safety. Use the selected product instructions, and have a professional workroom verify expensive custom-fabric orders.

SOURCE NOTES

What this page is based on

Measurements here combine mathematical results with labeled commercial conventions and design recommendations. Disagreements are kept as ranges rather than averaged into a false standard.

  1. Buying curtainsJohn Lewis & Partners · reviewed 2026-09-11

    Retailer/workroom guidance on pole extension, hanging references, sill/floor endpoints, ready-made metric ranges, and double fullness.

  2. BETYDLIG/RÄCKA/HUGAD buying guide — Measure your windowIKEA · reviewed 2026-09-11

    Primary manufacturer guide: add at least 6 in each side, add 6 in above, and use 2–2.5× rod width for panel planning.