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.
Curtain and liner are separate products
A decorative outer curtain can have different width, length, material, and ring-hole placement from the liner.
Curved rods change the path
Opening width is not the same as arc length. Measure along the installed rod when possible.
Use actual product dimensions
Current retail examples differ by an inch even near the common 72-inch convention.
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.
- US shower-curtain rangeIKEA · reviewed 2026-09-11
Actual retailer range includes both 71 × 71 in and 72 × 72 in products, demonstrating manufacturer variation around the common convention.
- BANJANTRÄD shower-curtain specificationsIKEA · reviewed 2026-09-11
Product specification lists a finished 71 × 71 in size.