Throw blankets are the most commonly mis-bought item in home textiles, and it is almost always a sizing problem. The names sound generous. The measurements are not. Here is what each size actually covers, and which one you need.
Start with the mattress, not the blanket
US mattress sizes are fixed, so measure from there:
- Twin — 38 x 75 in
- Full — 54 x 75 in
- Queen — 60 x 80 in
- King — 76 x 80 in
A throw narrower than the mattress will hang short on both sides. That is the whole problem in one sentence.
What each throw size really does
50 x 60 in — a sofa lap throw
This is the most common size sold online and the one most often bought for a bed by mistake. At 50 in wide it is ten inches narrower than a queen mattress. It covers one seated person on a couch. It will not drape across any bed convincingly.
50 x 70 in — the foot of a queen
Long enough to lie across the end of a queen bed as a styling layer. Still only 50 in wide, so it does not cover a sleeper. Buy this one for how the bed looks, not for warmth.
60 x 80 in — actually covers a queen
Matches a queen mattress edge to edge. This is the smallest size that works as a real blanket on a queen bed rather than a decorative layer. Our green chenille knit throw comes in 60 x 80 in for exactly this reason.
79 x 91 in — covers a king
Wider than a king mattress with drape on both sides. Our plush flannel throw and cotton waffle throw both go up to this size.
Sofa sizing is a different question
For a sofa you are not covering a surface, you are dressing an arm. A 50 x 60 in throw folded in thirds and draped over one arm looks deliberate. A 60 x 80 in throw on the same sofa reads like laundry. Bigger is not better here.
A note on centimetres
Many throws are manufactured to metric sizes and listed in centimetres, which is where a lot of confusion comes from. The common conversions:
- 127 x 172 cm = 50 x 68 in — sofa throw
- 130 x 230 cm = 51 x 91 in — long, narrow; good across a bed foot
- 150 x 200 cm = 59 x 79 in — close to queen coverage
- 200 x 230 cm = 79 x 91 in — king
Note that 130 x 230 cm is long but still narrow. It is not a substitute for 150 x 200 cm, even though the total area is similar.
How to decide in ten seconds
- Sofa, one person, decorative — 50 x 60 in.
- Across the foot of a bed — 50 x 70 in or 130 x 230 cm.
- Actually sleeping under it on a queen — 60 x 80 in minimum.
- King bed — 79 x 91 in.
Every throw on our site lists its measured size in both inches and centimetres on the product page, along with fibre content and care instructions. Where a supplier does not state something, the page says so rather than guessing. Browse all throws and blankets.