How to measure
- 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.
- 02
Measure the drop from the reference point stated for the selected heading—not from an unrelated edge of the window.
- 03
Check whether a package contains one panel or a pair, then compare total flat fabric width rather than the label width alone.
- 04
Recheck the selected product, tape, hooks, carriers, and fabric before ordering or cutting.
WORKED CALCULATION
Common-dimensions example
- Working rod
- 72 in (182.9 cm)
- Fullness
- 2×
- Panels
- 2
72 in (182.9 cm) flat width per panel
Then measure length separately from the selected heading reference and compare the result with actual product dimensions.
Recalculate with your measurementsCurtain-size chart: inches and centimeters
Useful US comparison lengths include 63 in (160.0 cm), 84 in (213.4 cm), 90 in (228.6 cm), 95 in (241.3 cm), 96 in (243.8 cm), 108 in (274.3 cm), and 120 in (304.8 cm). The closest label still needs to be checked against the actual finished drop.
Width comes from the rod, not the glass
Add the flat width of every panel, then compare that total with the usable rod or track width multiplied by the selected fullness. A 72-inch rod at 2× fullness calls for about 144 inches of total flat fabric before heading-specific adjustments.
Length comes from the heading reference
Overall panel length, drop from a ring eye, and drop from a track carrier are not interchangeable. Grommets, clips, pockets, pleat hooks, and wave carriers place the fabric top differently.
The chart does not guarantee fit
Finished sizes, header take-up, hardware geometry, fabric behavior, and manufacturer tolerances vary. Measure the actual opening and selected product before ordering.
AUDITABLE DATA RECORD
General gathered curtains
- Aliases
- standard curtains, drapes
- Heading
- heading tape / soft gathered
- Fullness range
- 1.5×–2.5×
- Commercial examples
- 52 × 63 in; 52 × 84 in; 52 × 95 in; 52 × 108 in
- Regions
- US examples; verify the selected retailer
- Value type
- commercial convention
- Limitations
- Package width may describe one panel or a pair; the exact hanging reference varies by heading.
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.
- 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.
- MATILDA curtain product specificationsIKEA · reviewed 2026-09-11
Manufacturer product guidance presents 1.5×, 2×, and 2.5× rod/track-width options for light through extra-full looks.
- VIDGA — How to measure your windowsIKEA · reviewed 2026-09-11
Current manufacturer track-system guide with measured-window diagrams, minimum side extension, stack-back planning, and hanging-point length references.
- 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.