Rug Size Calculator

The short answer

For a whole room, pick the biggest standard rug that still leaves 12 in to 18 in of bare floor at the walls. Under a bed, you want rug showing on both sides and at the foot: a 8 × 10 ft rug does that for a queen. In a living room, the rug should be at least 8 × 10 ft if the sofa’s front legs sit on it. Under a dining table, the rug needs to reach at least 24 in past every edge so chairs stay on it.

The calculator applies those guidelines to your exact measurements and picks from the standard sizes you’ll find in stores.

How to use the calculator

1. Pick what the rug is for: a whole room, a sofa, a bed or a dining table.
2. Measure. For a room, measure wall to wall at floor level. For a sofa, measure from the outside of one arm to the other. For a table, measure the tabletop, not the legs.
3. Choose a layout where it asks. Beds can sit on the rug’s top two-thirds or entirely on it. Sofas can have their front legs on the rug or sit just behind it.
4. Read the result. You get the size that fits best, plus a smaller or bigger option when one also works.

Switch to metric with the toggle at the top. Use Copy link to send your result to a roommate or save it for shopping.

Rug size by bed size

These sizes assume the rug sits under the lower two-thirds of the bed, the most common layout. The best fit shows about 24 in of rug past the sides and foot; the smallest size shows at least 18 in.

Bed frames and headboards can be wider than the mattress. If yours is much wider, look at the next size up.

How we calculate

The calculator uses common guidelines from rug makers and home retailers. They’re design advice, not rules, so treat the result as a starting point.

• Room: we find the largest standard rug that leaves 18 in of bare floor on every side. If a bigger rug fits with 12 in of floor showing, we offer it as the bigger option. Small rooms can go down to about 8 in.
• Sofa, front legs on the rug: the rug is at least 8 × 10 ft and at least 6 in wider than the sofa on each end.
• Sofa, rug in front: the rug is at least 5 × 8 ft and about as long as the sofa.
• Bed: the rug sits under the lower two-thirds of the bed (or the whole bed) and shows 24 in past the sides and the foot. The smaller option shows at least 18 in.
• Dining table: the rug reaches at least 24 in past every table edge. For a round table, we add 48 in to the diameter and pick a round rug, with a rectangle as the other option. Still choosing the table? The dining table size calculator finds the size your room takes with room for the chairs.

Mattress sizes come from the standard US dimensions: a queen is 60 in × 80 in and a king is 76 in × 80 in. The largest standard rug size we use is 12 × 15 ft.

Worked examples

Example: A queen bed

What we know

• Bed: Queen mattress, 60 in by 80 in

How it works out

1. An 8 × 10 ft rug shows at least 30 in of rug on each side and at the foot of the bed.
2. Short on space or budget? 6 × 9 ft shows at least 18 in of rug on each side and at the foot of the bed.

Choose an 8 × 10 ft rug.

Example: A small living room

What we know

• Room: 10 ft by 12 ft

How it works out

1. A 6 × 9 ft rug leaves at least 18 in of bare floor at the walls.
2. Want more rug? 8 × 10 ft leaves at least 12 in of bare floor at the walls.

Choose a 6 × 9 ft rug.

Example: A rectangular dining table

What we know

• Table: 72 in by 40 in

How it works out

1. An 8 × 10 ft rug reaches at least 24 in past every edge of the table.
2. Want more rug? 9 × 12 ft reaches at least 34 in past every edge of the table.

Choose an 8 × 10 ft rug.

Before you buy

Rug sizes are labels. Many rugs measure a few inches less than the size they’re sold as, so check the exact dimensions on the product page. That matters most when the calculator’s result is close to your room size.

If you’re between two sizes, go bigger. A rug that’s too small makes furniture look like it’s floating, while a slightly bigger rug pulls the room together. Because a rug moves with you, the bigger one often costs less per month than it seems: try it in the renter upgrade cost calculator.